Fall Fitness Club

I've been really into hiking lately; I went on two today, one was a new one in Silverlake Hills which I've never done before...

So in the last month of so, Kathy and I have been going to Griffith Park for our weekly Sunday afternoon hike. An hour or two, it's great to get some fresh air and get fit for the season. So far, the club is invitational only and consists of just single gals but I'm open to extending it to some special friends...

I'm thinking of silkscreening some sweatshirts for our members and am deciding on the logo, colors and mascot right now. Any suggestions?


This trail is a good one and quickly leads to the Observatory.


Heading back towards Ferndale. Felt like I was in Japan again...


This trail is the hardest, longest but well worth it every time. We saw a pack of coyotes (like 10 of them) crossing our path a few weeks ago which was scary yet serene at the same time. They are elegant creatures.


On a pretty "clear" LA day.

It's All About The Bird

I can't believe I'm finally transferring my infatuation of my daily obligatory listening of "Jens Lekman" to old Richard Ashcroft... the Ex gave me the new Verve last weekend (I'm really trying to let it grow on me...) but it pales in comparison to good old solo Richard... my guilty pleasure... something old, something warm, something familiar, something sweet (with a touch of bitter), something basic and true. It's all here for you...

A Song for Lovers
You On My Mind In My Sleep
(Could Be) A Country Thing, City Thing, Blues Thing


And the soundtrack goes well with Hilary (with Marcel, her beloved parrot) who's been in town for the last couple weeks from NY. We get along well... breakfast, lunch, dinner, nightcap, hike, bbm... it's fun having her back for a bit.

And all the old stuff I've been into these days... well it was a must to experience Spz and Nick Cave at the Bowl this past week. First time seeing Mr. Cave and he is a lot of man. Pure, raw, virile, it was almost too much for someone like me. I was in tears when he played "Into My Arms." And then....


Legions of voluptuous ladies were surrounding him but Florian stepped up and made it happen. Mr. Cave even said, "I'll take a photo with this lady." As in moi! I was absolutely mortified. He's a lot of man. Intense.


And now I've had my Spz fix for the year now. Saw them again on Friday at the Echo. I was tripping the entire time about how insanely good it was and the ridiculous fact that they were playing at such a small venue. Intense.

Engine Common

Last month I had asked my dearest oldest loveliest confidante, Jeremy, to guest blog on Owley Patrol. Well here it is... I'm a bit touched really. Jerms, I'm having writer's block this week but yours will be finished by end of month. Je promets.

p.s. That "bouncing" dance I did was to Saint Etienne's "Been So Long." xo

* * * *


A couple weeks back, Anh wrote a beautiful blog entry about rearranging her record collection. I could imagine being there. I could imagine "the vibe." It is something I know very well, Anh's relationship with her records.

As for me, I left my records at my parents' house in California, and for now they're just sitting there. Here in London, all of our music is kept on digital files. The other day Julia asked if she could come over to get some music off me. I had a sad feeling because I realized the experience would be the two of us sat at a computer, as if we were working on an essay. When I had my record collection — and a stereo system comprised of nice 70s pieces by Harman Kardon, Advent and so on — there was a whole physicality involved. In our last place in San Francisco, Jamie built a shelving unit custom fit for the stereo. I would move from swivel chair (to put the needle on the record) to floor (to go through the vinyl stacks) to stepstool (to reach up to the CDs). Friends would come over. Jamie would cook pasta. I would play records by John Cale, "Beyond These Chilling Winds" by Larry Coryell, the slower songs of Big Star and Modern Lovers...

It is something that I learned from Anh, these private DJ sessions. She never had such an aerobic routine. She is more elegant. She plays records with a femininity. But man, does she play records. How many rugs have there been, with the smoke of something in the air, and Anh would sit me down and play for me a new import, a b-side, a lost classic. Always songs that sound great: Have a melody, have something soothing or soaring. Underneath, a bit of a jangle. Beautiful songs. (Last summer, I was trying to explain to some friends why I don't like listening to Bjork. Anh was sitting next to me and she said, "It's not relaxing," and that's exactly right.)




Relaxing, but still intense.

Maybe Anh helped me discern the beautiful from the sentimental, digging past the gimmicky and dismissing the aggressive (without being afraid of noise). That's her taste. She told me about The Clientele. Man, she told me about Belle And Sebastian. She was the first person to play me "Sunday Morning Comedown." She did a bouncing dance with snapping fingers to a girl pop song.

When I first met Anh (She approached me at UCLA orientation and asked what music I liked. I said "The Smiths" and she said, "Ok, let's have coffee"), she already had quite a good collection of seven inch singles. I hadn't seen stuff like this before: The Sea Urchins, BMX Bandits, Trembling Blue Stars, Eggs, Small Factory, Action Painting!, Unrest and Heavenly. She introduced me to an aesthetic that was influenced by The Smiths but more esoteric.

A lot of these bands were from Sarah Records, of course, and they made mention of English locations like Gunnersbury Park and Engine Common, names that sounded — if not exactly exotic — somehow foreign, enticingly British.


L.A. - London connection.

We were in California. Our friends were in bands like Postal, and they wanted to sound like those British bands. In turn, those British bands got their jangle from West Coast stuff like The Byrds. We gleaned rock music history and knew that LA and London are friends. In later years, Anh began to uncover the secret treasures of The Canyon. CSNY and Gram Parsons, of course. She plays me John Phillips. "Pretty Anne and her peacock feather fan... And her jingle jagged faggot friend..." I can just picture Anh's suppressed grin at that line. We're in one of her bedrooms. Haven't we both had so many different bedrooms? Each of hers has been a place of comfort: A palette of plant leaf green and almost deep purples.



Now that I live here in London, Anh and I have a friendship that surfs on that California-England connection. Anh, here is an image of a gasometer along The Thames. We used to pass something like this on the freeway between LA and Orange County, when we drove down to your parents' house. We'd go down to do our laundry and live a clean suburban life for two days, go to dim sum and thrift shops. We went to the Huntington Beach Library to see bands like Postal play. We'd pass that gasometer and it would be lit up and we'd feel that special feeling of driving into the suburbs. Remember when we traveled across the valley to see Calvin Johnson do Dub Narcotic stuff in a strip mall café?

Now I live here and Anh is entrenched in the music in LA. She sends me a video link: "California," Joni Mitchell. I wonder what she thinks about the new Oasis single. And I still haven't been to Gunnersbury Park. Next time you visit, Anh.

I went to San Francisco and kissed a girl!

The sis told me to come visit her. So I did. Got a last minute flight and spent 36 hours in SF this past weekend. It was good to get away from that perfect town called LA; away from that perfect sun and perfect life. I wanted to feel that chilly fog roll in...

Did my usual thing that I generally do when I visit SF: see old friends, shop at the Painted Bird, eat yummy food, relax... oh and btw, I've been a Pescatarian for 8 days now! A first in my life. Since LA is so easy, I have to challenge myself in creative ways so this is a month-long self-imposed diet for me. Been eating way too much meat anyways. But I still love pork, let's not forget about that.


The view from my sister's in Twin Peaks. Never gets old...


We met up with Lily Saturday morning at the Ferry Blding. I can see why it's considered the best farmer's market in the nation. Everything looked ridiculous. But I think Borough Market in London is slightly more comprehensive.


Will met Jim & I at Dolores Park (my old hood!) with his brand new customized "sexy" bike. I don't know if it's sexy but it's a good color, nice lines. Been thinking of getting the old cruiser I found in front of my old house last year fixed and riding it around the lake and the local Asian market this fall. Isn't there a bike movement in this country?


Cuties Jason & Jim


Flew back and made it just in time for the opening of Viet Noodle Bar's expansion. Bun was there which was a treat for me. She's pretty inspirational. And well there's Viet... there is not enough words to describe how amazing he is... Just go to his restaurant please.

Acid Tongue

Last night snapped me out of my post-holiday blues and waning appreciation for a town I affectionately call home. This past summer had been rough, I'd go as far as to say it was prolly my worst (okay maybe top 5). And the weather didn't help at all; it was likely the cause of it. Everyday was perfect; just perfect sunshine. Life is so awesome in LA.

Someone recently tried to stereotype me as this typical California Girl. I think I know what he's referring to but seriously, I think I'm more than just that! Don't pigeonhole me with the likes of Paris Hilton and her bffs! No way! But I do agree that we are of a special breed; that is a given.

So Jenny Lewis premiered songs from her new record last night at Spaceland. Being there felt right; Lewis and band sounded amazing (Farmer Dave looked especially fit!) and saw loads of old friends I haven't seen altogether in a long long time. I like music. I like my friends. And lately, there's an alarming fancy for gin & tonic.

keep calm and carry on

Nothing entirely interesting or new to say about London this time around. It was good... as always.

My mind is still stuck on two things from my last weekend there though... The first is this article I read in the Weekend Guardian about "How to... Exit" by Guy Browning. The timing is rather spooky; family, job, romance, it's all there in that article for me right now. Life is funny that way, exits lead to entrances; as one door closes, another one opens... I don't mind if my exit wounds scars, let's just hope they heal in time for the next entrance.

And the other thing that is utterly and completely poignant, bittersweet and heartbreaking is Juliette Binoche's answer from the same issue's Q&A -
Q: What has been your biggest disappointment?
A: That I wasn't able to share my life with someone.

I've been to Hollywood, I've been to Redwood, I crossed the ocean for a heart of gold...

Things I learned while in Berlin:

1. There are quite a lot of Vietnamese people in this city. And proportionately, there are a lot of Vietnamese restaurants. Monsieur Vuong was my favorite; the nouveau fusion cuisine didn't bother me at all, as it was super fresh and tasty, a lovely yummy treat. I'm going to copy his delicious nut and soy smoothie. J'adore.

2. I have no proficiency for the language. Absolutely none. It was quite embarrassing rather.

3. I've never seen so much dyed hair concentrated in one city before: vibrant shades of hot pink, animated purple with bleached stripes (with a purple ensemble, 'natch), throbbing blood orange messiness with goth/punk attitude. The fashion sense is fantastically bad. Wow, so horrific, it's actually quite brilliant!

4. I know I'm generalizing here but German girls look like lesbians; they almost can't help it. They're prolly not I'm quite sure but they definitely exude that je ne sais quoi sensibility... Jens knows all about this... "A Postcard to Nina"

5. The beer is quite good. So is the wurst.


Soviet War Memorial in Treptower Park. The pièce de résistance is the monument by Soviet sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich: a massive monument of a Soviet soldier with a sword holding a child, standing over a smashed swastika. You see, this memorial was not to honor the East German population but rather for the many Soviet soldiers who suffered at the hands of Germany. The Soviets liberated the Germans from the Nazis, hells yeah!

There are a lot of styles going on here which says a lot of what kind of propaganda they were trying to transmit: working class ceremonial, Neoclassicism & Art Deco, and socialist-realist Postconstructivism. Remarkable and outrageous.





One of the 16 sarcophagi. Pretty cool craved stone relief I have to admit.


I love the layout; even the trees leading up to the memorial seemed to be weeping. This dude is so my Heart of Gold. Just look at him: so focused, full of purpose, well suited (nice flannel), well protected, and in my age group!


Big headed Ernst Thälmann and his strong fist.


Dear Dean in Kreuzberg


Humana, the 4-story thrift shop in Friedrichshain. Just massive. The craziest fabric blends I've ever encountered. There was a sale; most things were only 1.5 Euro!!! Sadly, my mental hives which I usually get at these sort of "vintage" establishments started its attack and I walked away empty-handed...


Henne, best fried chicken in all of Europe. Almost missed the flight back to London but well worth the wait...

Come on Fulham

"Oh when the whites, go marching in,
Oh when the whites go marching in,
I wanna be in that number, oh when the whites go marching in."

Jetlagged in London at 4am. I guess I should blog about one of the most thrilling sports experiences I've had in a long time. I had requested to go to see a football game while I'm here... and voilà, my wish was granted!

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending Fulham's first home game of this season versus the almighty local rivals, Arsenal. Lacenaire's dad, a lifetime Fulham fan for over half a century, scored us awesome seats. Fulham Football Club, founded in 1879, is the oldest professional football team in London. Their home ground is Craven Cottage, and their nickname is The Cottagers. Sadly, I was expecting the Cravenettes do their half-time dance routines but it's still very early in the season and I guess they're still practicing.

95% blokes, 50% of them lairy, 100% fun
You don't get this in America; seating sections are separated by support teams. There were loads of policeman in neon yellow uniforms on horses making sure everyone was behaving.


Billy the Badger, the cute mascot



It doesn't matter if you're playing Arsenal or Man Utd or actually Chelsea itself, this chant gets everyone going...

"We Are Fulham,
Super Fulham,
We Fulham,
FFC,
We Are Fulham,
Super Fulham,
We Are Fulham,
F*ck Chelsea."


Absolutely packed from the tube stop straight to the concession areas and then to our seats. Total fire hazard but it never got out of control; it was civilized really.

"Al Fayed whooaaa,
Al Fayed Whooaaa,
he wants to be a Brit,
And QPR are sh*t,
Al Fayed whoooaa."

I did my Veronica Corningstone chant ("power, power, powerrr") right before the game started and it worked. Fulham beat Arsenal! As we were walking back to the tube amongst tons of dismayed and disquieted Arsenal fans, I overheard a bloke say to his friend, "Gutted, I can't believe we lost to a shit team like Fulham." Ha!

On holiday...

Back in Hoxton.

That Child Is Kitty

I've just regressed back to my childhood in the best possible way ever. Was just running some quick errands in Little Tokyo and ran into Hello Kitty! Super kawaii!!!

Easy does it...

Trying to keep it together and stay sane in this last week before I go on holiday. Patience is a virtue I utterly lack.

These are my friends... to keep me company until then...

Endearing Tessa at Ooga Booga' 4th year anniversary party last Sunday. Congrats Wiggles! 4 strong years! That's like a high school diploma!


ds & I both needed some good hot broth as we were under the weather, so we had some pho ga after the "Beautiful Losers" screening. I think a kid would get a more inspirational kick out of this film than someone old & weary like meself.


Good times with Lecia, Stuart and Erin. When Stuart bit into the daikon salmon roll at Saito, he declared, "J'approve, j'approve, j'approve!" I'm gonna use this line every time I eat something yummy from now on. It's an encompassing statement really.


Another beautiful night in LA. Do you see the North Star Lacenaire?

I'm really into sincerity and righteousness lately and earnestness is just oozing out of these songs-

*Bonnie Prince Billy's new"Lie Down In The Light" record is so good, his voice is breaking my heart right now and the musicianship is exceptional: Easy Does It.mp3

*Two oldies but goodies, they never get old for Embrace is my Oasis: Come Back to What You Know.mp3 & My Weakness is None of Your Business.mp3

For he is...

I first saw Dune as a kid and loved it. Saw it again tonight. I don't know why I'm so into this film. It was on HBO last week, caught most of it by accident, then tivo'ed it the other night so I could watch the beginning and I ended up watching the entire thing. It's almost incomprehensible (so wrong that Sting's in it but hey, at least he was better here than The Bride) but it looks so good; a world so advanced that it barely requires 'puters while looking so 19th c. romantic... This is the kind of future I'm so looking forward to! Spice melange (would love some please), the Bene Gesserit (it's tempting but I'll pass on membership) and the Kwisatz Haderach (who wouldn't want to be this?) And I love this scene at the end! Love it! It's a funny film really.

1 yr anniversary

In the last year, I've been duplicitous when djing; I've been using my iTunes periodically instead of straight up using the turntables cuz' I couldn't be bothered to find certain records from my collection. You see, last year when I moved, during the Break Up, what once was a near-perfect complete collection of records, in alphabetical order, from two music zealots, became a scene similar to Ghostbusters, records flying all over the place; it was a ghastly muddle. (Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit here, it was almost civilized, almost... we tried to keep collections intact and they went to who loved it more but for a lot of titles, it was a tragic split.)

My records have become a burden. I don't have time to put them in alphabetical order again; I just can't. They've been just sitting there on the shelves, who knows in what kind of order; the thought of trying to find a record has become too imposing, cumbersome. I have a small stack which I hold dear to and that's about it. They've become boring now.

Sometimes, I just want to get rid of all my records like I did with my CDs last year. I'm slowly trying to simplify my life. I've been really into Dave Bruno's 100 thing challenge. I don't think I can reduce my life to a mere "100 thing" and I don't want to. I fancy the notion of feeling light and free and the ability to just move anywhere in the world at a moment's notice (well, you know in my own time really). This is what I'm trying to achieve these days... But I think the idea is not to be owned by material possessions; I want to own things I truly need and truly hold dear to... which when it comes down to, aren't many.

Alex, a burgeoning music pupil, offered to sort my records for me a couple of weeks ago. I didn't take him seriously at first. I mean, who would want to do that kind of drudgery? Well, the offer was offered again and again and so yesterday, he arrived right on time and meticulously sorted my records for me. It was enlightening to see how many "B" and "S" records I have. I guess I could go into the deep-rooted reasons why there are so many of these BS records but I'll save that for another time when I'm dry on words... But back to the amount of records... Daunting was the word! Alex kept his cool which made me keep my cool and I joined in on the "fun" and to my surprise, I found some records unopened, not realizing I had them in the first place. Record after record was played, and now I have a new Dublab set ready to go and they're all records! Yes!


Dear Alex had a lovely efficient system and in no time, we were finished and watched the Olympics wondering why gymnastics were created in the first place and admiring all the dolphin-like swimmers in the Water Cube.


My instructions: classical has its own section, so do comps and soundtracks and please sort by Last Name, from left to right, no need to sort by album title within artist name :)


And my cactus plant (the same one that bloomed its magnificent fuschia flowers back in May) bloomed again last night. This time it was pure white. Pretty magical. It's dead now though. Oh well.... nothing lasts forever as the Bunnymen says but the love for my records which I'm just rediscovering again. Merci beaucoup Alex.

How Can You Not Love Pork?

My third night in a row this week enjoying yummy Asian food. This evening, I went out to dinner with the gals (again) at Koraku in Little Tokyo as TED and I were craving the Shrimp omelette with gravy on pork fried rice (gravy on the side of course). No ramen tonight, too hot and humid.

I tell you, my diet lately has been very meat-heavy. I'm a bit concern; perhaps next week, I'm gonna have to try to lower my intake of pork just a bit. I'm thinking I'm gonna cut it in half, perhaps just 3-4 times?



This is simply one of the best things in the world to eat...

Let's Get Out of this Country...

That's what I'll be doing in a couple of weeks but tonight's dinner reminds me how great LA is. Spicy BBQ Restaurant, Northern Thai Specialists. Let's see, we had pork, and pork, and pork, and oh yeah, we added a couple of beef and chicken courses just to balance it out. Toothsome!




***
I've been heavily getting back into Tim Hardin lately; two of my current favorite tracks I've been listening to on a daily basis, nonstop:
Romantic, heartbreaking, this is a special song: If I Were a Carpenter.mp3



And "Lady Came from Baltimore"

My hero covers another hero: Dylan on Hardin

The rhythm of the weekend...