Loft Angeles

Maya weds in Santa Barbara

2008-04-19T22:49:00.000-07:00

Photos Courtesy of Jules Bianchi Photography

Maya just got married this weekend at the Firestone Vineyard in Santa Barbara County. It was a beautiful wedding with lots of food, family, friends, and of course, wine. Didn't get too blitzed at the wedding but I definitely enjoyed seeing a different viticultural region besides Napa and Sonoma. Admittedly, I love wine but have not visited all that many wineries in SoCal. Both Maya and Kevin looked relaxed and happy all weekend! It was rare beauty that we witnessed this weekend.

Eco Resorts are one way to keep our planet green!

2008-03-15T22:06:00.000-07:00

Overlooking the infinity pool at Hotel Punta Islita.

Visiting the organic garden at El Silencio.

Hit up a couple of eco-resorts in Costa Rica which was pretty relaxing. What made these resorts eco friendly? Well, for starters, all of the buildings, grounds, artwork, food, and help were local. Unlike other foreign resorts that often cater to Americans to make them feel like they never left home, Hotel Punta Islita and El Silencio Lodge really make you feel like you're at a Costa Rican resort. No hot dogs, pizzas, or hamburgers here. Our towels and linens were only washed once for the entire trip at each resort and LED or Compact Fluorescent Bulbs were used for all the lighting. At night, most of the resort lighting was quite dim to save energy. It was refreshing to be surrounded by nature in these two unique locales and know that we weren't significantly contributing to the decline of our planet. Both hotels are owned by the same group in Costa Rica which seeks to create more similar eco-conscious tourism hotels across the country. Both of these hotels are also unique in their locale...one on a hill overlooking the beach of the Nicoya Peninsula, and the other in the tropical rainforests. Words cannot describe the beauty we witnessed.

Las Vegas Tufts Med Reunion

2008-02-18T23:04:00.000-08:00

There's a great little Par 3, 9 hole course just south of Mandalay Bay that's great for a leisurely afternoon round. And, the green fee is only $30 compared to the full Bali Hai course just around the corner which costs upawards of $325. Can't beat the location, and the course is pretty challenging as far as par 3's go.

A pic of all the Tufts Med Kids who came out and our waitress at Blush, the lounge in the Wynn hotel. We've all come a long way from our roots as struggling med students in Boston. No one had to sleep on the floor.

Craft Restaurant -- MmmmMmmm!

2008-02-11T22:54:00.000-08:00

Tom Colichio's Craft restaurant is family style dining at its best. This was literally one of the best meals I have ever eaten....EVER!

Our good friend Mike Tarantino who enjoys good food, wine, and company as much as we do.

Fresh, warm donuts that tasted like they came directly from fryer to your mouth, with all kinds of exotic side sauces.

Year of the Rat

2008-02-07T22:46:00.000-08:00

Grandma and Grandpa Lin on this most auspicious occassion.

Handing out the red envelope to my cousin Jessie. The coming year is Rat Year which is supposed to be full of change, and for the well prepared and hard working, positive changes. The Rat is considered by the Chinese Ancients to be a resourceful and cunning creature, but I feel like most westerners don't see it this way.

Superbowl Partay!

2008-02-03T22:36:00.000-08:00

My buddy Aldric (far left) hosted a sweet superbowl party in his new pad.

His house is in the Monterey Park Hills with unobstructed views of the southern San Gabriel Valley.

What's a party without a little Wii boxing action?

Ernie is finally starting to calm down!

2008-02-01T22:31:00.000-08:00

It took about 18 months, but our puggle is finally starting to settle down and learn the rules of the house. It still kills us though when he shreds up his potty pads and rummages through the trash.

Tufts Med

2008-01-05T00:37:00.000-08:00

Went to Curry House in Cypress to meet up with some medical school friends from back in the day. Unlike in medical school, the bill was easily taken care of this time around. The Curry House, as always, did not disappoint.

New Year's Eve at the Roosevelt

2008-01-01T00:08:00.000-08:00

Went to the KCRW sponsored New Year's event at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Started with a Juicy Turkey Burger at 25 degrees restaurant inside the hotel. One of the best burgers ever. Seriously.

One of the evening's DJ's, John Do and his entourage.

The Midnight Yell.

Runyon Canyon

2007-12-29T23:45:00.000-08:00

I love finding gems in LA, and one of my favorite LA escapes is Runyon Canyon. Hidden in the hills above Hollywood, the canyon is a moderate hike with some steep terrain. About two thirds of the hike is paved and the rest is raw, unbridled, dirt trails. The reward at the summit is unobstructed sweeping views of the Los Angeles basin from the Pacific to the Griffith Observatory to the Palos Verdes Peninsula and to Downtown LA.

Sunset with my brother Jon.

A trail overlooking the hollywood hills homes of the rich & famous.

And when you're done, there is an "honor" bar with snacks!

I don't know why all my pics are blurry!

2007-12-29T23:38:00.000-08:00

Had a little reunion with some high school friends, and here's a blurry picture of all of us. From left to right, Jon, Steve, Grace, Chris, Panney, Alex, Amanda, Ben, Patty, James and Renita. Go Titans!

Cobras & Matadors with Roy & Holly

2007-12-28T23:22:00.000-08:00

It's always nice to get spanish style tapas at Cobras & Matadors on Beverly Dr. because you can bring your own wine and there is no corkage fee. I love that. The money you save on wine almost pays for the dinner itself. Great to see our old friends Roy and Holly who have transplanted to NYC. Here's a blurry pic (very dark in there) of Holly and Renita...much better to look at them close up...sorry Roy. On a side note, can't wait for the proprietor of Cobras and Matadors, Steven Arroyo, to hurry up and open up his new french bistro restaurant in the Arts' district, titled Church and State, on the ground floor of the Bisuit Company Lofts. Word is that it's opening around March '08.

Maya & Kevin are Engaged!

2007-12-25T23:15:00.000-08:00

On a beautiful Christmas evening, Maya and Kevin officially announced their engagement.

Welcome to the family Kevin!

Christmas Eve in our Loft!

2007-12-24T22:52:00.000-08:00

We were fortunate this year to see almost all of our family and friends on both sides of the family. It was a fun Christmas Eve here with Bubur Ayam (chicken porridge), a turkey roasted by grandpa, and of course, this season's smash hit, Guitar Hero. Here's a smattering of pics and faces...

Guitar Hero tryouts.

Two unwitting Rock Stars!

Los Angeles State Historic Park

2007-12-22T20:10:00.000-08:00

Most people don't realize this, but there is a 32 acre park being slowly transformed just north of Chinatown by the Los Angeles State Historic Parks Bureau. A final design for the park has been chosen, and the contract was awarded to Hargreaves. I just walked the trails today to see the space in raw form...it will be very different in a year or two. California State Historic Parks

Some wild flowers which are growing in the northern end of the 32 acre park.

A view of downtown from the park.

Some new landscaping put in for the park renovation project.

Jay & Colleen back in LA!

2007-12-20T23:47:00.000-08:00

I only know one person who directly served our country in the Iraq war. When I think about the Iraq war, I also think about my good friend Jay Baker. Here's Jay and his lovely pregnant wife Colleen who were back for the holidays. He is currently stationed in Seoul, Korea. Hopefully, they will be moving back to LA for good this fall.

Point Break -- Creative Live Performance

2007-10-26T11:37:00.000-07:00

Went to see this without any expectations...wow! What a trip. I can't even explain what this is all about in words. Basically, if you've seen the movie "Point Break," it's a live version of the movie set in a seedy downtown bar (Charlie O's at the Alexandria Hotel), with a rudimentary set, and lots of scantily clad surfer dudes running around with a couple hyperactive ladies....and the kicker is...Keanu Reeves' character in the movie, Johnny Utah, an undercover FBI agent, is played by an audience member!! They have a casting call at the beginning, and whoever wins by hand clap popular vote gets to be Johnny Utah! The thought is, Keanu Reeves is such a bad actor that anyone from the audience can do his lines. The worse it gets, the better it gets. Anyways, lots of laughs in this hilarious, low budget, spoof on a classic 80's surf/bank robber/Keanu film. Further affirmation that Downtown LA is at the cutting edge...if you've got a free Friday or Saturday night, go check it out...see above for info.

Ernie gets a new toy!

2007-10-23T21:11:00.000-07:00

Ernie's first lobster dinner. He was so excited to get his lobster chew toy that he was really obedient. Below, you can see his snaggletooth!

UCLA upsets Cal in the Last 3 minutes!

2007-10-20T20:42:00.000-07:00

I have never been to a tailgate party. I know, really sad. But, today was my first tailgate, and I got to cheer on my adopted school UCLA (I was a resident at Harbor-UCLA, so, I'm kind of related)

After lifting two crates full of about 200 beers and lots of ice, we are all passed out. Seriously.

Renita pounding the last beer before getting into the Rose Bowl.

The UCLA and Cal crew cheering their respective teams on! UCLA intercepts the ball on the Cal 30 with 3 minutes left to win 30 to 21. If Cal didn't turnover the ball though, they most likely would have at least kicked a field goal to take UCLA 24-23...

But that didn't happen!

Sweet Art Show

2007-09-22T23:24:00.000-07:00

The nighttime art show entitled "Slow Dancing" by David Michalek at the Music Center courtyard tonight was one of the most unique and soul stirring art shows I've ever witnessed. There were four 16 foot screens onto which were projected high definition images of dance artists from around the world. The catch is, only five seconds of dance from each artist is filmed in hi-def, and then played in super slo-mo so that those 5 seconds translate into 10 minutes of "almost still" dancing. It was a trip to see the purposeful and graceful movements of these dancers slowly evolving as still lifes. There was something primitively beautiful about the different types of dance being portrayed by all kinds of people. At the same time, it was haunting and surreal to see these 10 foot tall people moving at a snail's pace on screens. I almost felt like these were dancer's "trapped" in a cage of sorts, while we voyeuristically observed their movements. Another great message was that all people, no matter, race, creed, or gender, have expressed themselves throughout time to the highest degree through dance. It almost seemed like "dance" was a condensed history of human experiences based on culture and tradition. Heck, there was an asian pregnant woman jumping around in slo-mo doing things I have never done on the dance floor. To top it all off, KCRW's very own Jason Bentley (an idol of mine) kept the momentum going...although we were a little disappointed to note that he was using Traktor DJ and was not mixing, or even beat matching many of the songs. No matter, I was fortunate enough to shake his hand and tell him that he "inspired me". It was a sweet art show.

LCD Soundsystem & Arcade Fire at the Bowl

2007-09-20T23:14:00.000-07:00

The last concert at the Hollywood Bowl this season was also the best. Brent got us tickets to see this dynamic duo and they did not disappoint. They both delivered great live performances of new and old songs and the crowd was on their feet by the end. Frontman James Murphy of LCD threw in some remarks which I thought were great. In between songs, he said, "Wanna know something weird?...this is our job." I got a real kick out of that.

EVO update

2007-09-06T20:09:00.000-07:00

EVO, the loft being built next to mine, is progressing at a rapid pace. They are currently setting up the framework to pour the 19th floor. People have started moving into LUMA, the other loft complex adjacent to ours. Pretty soon, there will be quite a few residents hanging around the block. I just hope the patch of grass where my dog Ernie does his thing doesn't have turds all over it...it's incredible how many dog owners DO NOT clean up after their pooch...I wish I had a secret camera so that I could post their picture on some website somewhere. Actually, that's a really good idea...people who don't clean up after their pet should be embarrassed and penalized by having their picture posted on a website....hmmmm...www.poohead.com. I hope that website isn't already taken.

Gettin' outta da heat in LA!

2007-09-02T19:59:00.000-07:00

Went to Lake Tahoe for Labor Day weekend which ended up being the right move. A heat wave hit LA that brought near record temperatures and humidity. Lake Tahoe was a pleasant 85 degrees during the day and 40's at night. Even caught two Rainbow Trout.

Wine Tasting Experiment

2007-08-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

Had a little wine tasting experiment in our loft after a small party. Gave everybody blind tastings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir. We were drinking mid priced wines and trying to identify, describe, and nose the differences between these three. Being that we just got back from a trip to Napa, we thought we'd share a little knowledge. For you novice wine drinkers out there, you should be able to tell the difference between all three of these wines based on smell, taste, and mouth feel alone. Try it sometime!

LA Live Insider Peek

2007-08-21T21:29:00.000-07:00

As a South Park resident, I was invited to a presentation by AEG on the ongoing LA Live project. I have a special interest in this area as my loft is only two blocks away. Anyways, it was very reassuring to learn what kinds of businesses will be my neighbors. Some of the most exciting facts include: a high end grocery store which will likely be a Whole Foods or Gelson's, a Lucky Strike bowling alley, Deluxe Regal Cinemas, and numerous high end and mid range restaurants and nightclubs. At first I was skeptical that this whole deal would end up looking something like CityWalk...which is an Uber cheesy faux town at Universal Studios. I am now feeling pretty good that LA Live will be a unique experience as it develops its own flavor and feel.