Kulotski

Oct 25, 2008 8:15 am CDT Of Late Nights And Early Mornings*

2008-11-30T20:04:00.000-08:00

LIKE A HANGOVER WITHOUT THE ALCOHOL

The late night dinner at Harrah's Casino was just the amount of right. It can be said breakfast instead of dinner because it was past midnight. Breakfast at Harrah's was a buffet that reminded me of all the buffet breakfasts I ever had in my entire life. It was good at the first serving then seconds tasted the same like all the seconds you had in a casino buffet. Like Wednesday night's leftovers, nothing you wanted to have but nothing else was available to you. Casinos just have a lot of the good food and leftovers in front of you.

I woke up with nary a feeling of being tired. I guess the afternoon siesta worked. I dressed up to buy breakfast. Beignets. Again. Its all I'll eat in the mornings from now on til I go home I guess. Its authentic NOLA and readily available. The sun cast its warm embrace and a gentle breeze greeted me on my walk and everything was looking like roses. A beautiful day. During the walk all I thought of was what I saw last night. We caught the tail end of Joss Stone's show on the Playstation/Billboard.com stage. I'm not a fan so I felt no great remorse not seeing the full show. Wyclef Jean took the Voodoo stage right after Ms. Stone, and contrary to his song, he wasn't "Gone Till November". He played to an appreciative audience but I was in a rock and roll mood and his songs couldn't make me a "Perfect Gentleman" even if he insisted I be one. We stayed on the tail end of the venue. As Erykah Badu took the PS/BB stage, we went into the fray in the Voodoo stage arena. We tried our best to get to the front. I already made my statement about Ms. Badu's show so moving on to when TV on the Radio got on stage in front of us, I was surprised that they weren't half as bad as I expected them to be. I actually liked a couple of their songs. But they're a band better heard and seen live than listened to on the radio. My humble opinion only. DeVotchka took the stage opposite us and we still sneaked in closer. I saw snippets of him on the LCD screen on the stage's upper right hand side. Some songs are familiar like I already heard it on the radio or in a movie fairly recently. Time passed and we got to the middle rail for something to lean on when the haunting lyrics and sad violin wail of "How It Ends" signalled the end of DeVotchka's show. As the final notes of the song died down the crowd around us, and I thought I too, cheered for the closing act to start.

As one of the bands I really wanted to see, STP's entrance didn't disappoint me. It was all lights, guitar, and running out onto the stage singing. Started it off with the song Vasoline. (The big name bands always start it off with the familiar songs, a hit song, to get the crowd going). Then they played one hit song after another and this band has been around for a time and their list of repertoire long. All were played with ardent fervor and enthused gusto, it was like seeing an up and coming band with raw energy and unbridled passion. Definitely Scott Weiland was bright. Intoxicated with questionable substances? With comment like, "I was walking in the French Quarter and I saw a shirt that said, 'Lounge Fly', (pause) and I ate it." Yes, he would be intoxicated but that intoxication added flair and panache to his act. Not that I warrant such things, and I do not, it was just so damn enjoyable to see them. They still looked the same. Only older(?). The night ended and I was happy I saw them. They carried me away.

Back in the hotel I filled up with beignets and cold water. Now I was ready to face the day. The Garden District awaits. Ghosts, vampires, witches, demons, floods, trolleys and mansions. The Garden District awaits.

Song in mind: "Carry Me Away" by Chris Lake Feat. Emma Hewitt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7bpjyQYk3Q

And another song in mind is: "Can't Get Enough" by Soul Searchers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhDIBY3hKmk

( * - Entries from my journal written before, during, and after the trip. Dig.)

Oct 25, 2008 12:10 am CDT Ess Tee Pee*

2008-11-27T14:07:00.000-08:00

THE THROWING OF STONES AT THE TEMPLE PEOPLE

Tired. Happy. And bothered. Whatever I have in my head I had to get it out and get it written down fast. First, I offer my sincerest apologies to whomever I may offend. *b#llsh!+* !!!! Sorry I sneezed. To get back to what I was saying. Ahem (clearing of throat). While waiting for the main band to play, Erykah Badu took the stage opposite ours and I was forced to watch her for lack of anything to do and to stave off the boredom of waiting. She sucked!!! There I said it. I've been keeping it all pent up inside me for the last 5 hours and this outburst released all the tension. I is good now. I is good. Her show was dragging, uninspired and boring. Maybe because I'm not a big fan of hers so my judgement is biased but, and a big clarification at that, viewing her in a neutral perspective still drew my conclusion to the same verdict. On stage she look made up by a three year old. Her hairdo was a big pile of mess, a good ad for airbag deployment in an accident, or a new trend of roadkill moptop. Her outfit of pastel plaid on pastel plaid either reeks of artist retro cum bobby sockser or fashion victim. I vote for the later. Ok enough. Again I apologize. *b#llsh!+* *cocks#cker*!!!! Must be allergy season. I'm clear now of the evil spirit that invaded me.

I slept before the trip to the concert venue. I needed a rest to sustain myself for the long night that lay ahead. The time was around five-ish and my man Lionel, the swing shift head valet, helped me plan my route to City Park's entrance road, Collins Driboll. Not quite close to walk and very crowded to use public transpo, we needed to drive. I didn't want a repeat of the previous day of almost helplessly getting lost, so I listened closely and committed the direction to heart. I thanked Lionel for telling the quickest route and we got the car and drove out to the park. I took Canal St. going north and then east on City Park Rd. till we saw the park. We hunted for parking and almost drove around its perimeter. I decided to just park it south of the entrance, since it just made sense to me after the concert to walk back to the car heading in the general direction of the hotel. We were on Orleans Ave. corner Carrollton Ave., a half mile walk to the entrance road. It was almost dark when we were cuffed with the fabric type concert bracelet pass. A few steps past the gates we witnessed the Noomoon Tribe (they have a showcase tent of their own) with its participants suspended on hooks or pulling a chariot attached to their backs. Ouch. Freaky. Cool. We pulled the printed venue diagram out and headed straight to the main stage called the Voodoo Stage. There are three big stages and two of them are paired up almost face to face yet spaced far apart to avoid crossing soundstreams. Names are given to the stages to be clear as to where a band is specifically playing and bands are alternately scheduled so no two band are playing at the same time. I got to see TV on the Radio, Erykah Badu, and Stone Temple Pilots.

STP smoked the stage. I am tired and the Sandman comes. Too much walking, shoes worn thin. Too much trippin and my soul's worn thin. Time to catch a ride it leaves today, her name is what it means. Too much walkin' shoes worn thin.

Song in mind: "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Beaker

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KANI2dpXLw

No, sorry about that but what I meant was . . .

Song in mind: "Stars" by Erika Jayne (Moto Blanco Radio Edit)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqUXuvvdKPw

( * - Entries from my journal written before, during, and after the trip. Dig.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKe6qy-OZKs

For those who want to see the original video and hear the original song.

Oct 24, 2008 3:45 pm CDT Wile E. Cayote*

2008-11-25T19:44:00.000-08:00

THE LINE TO NOWHERE

Lunch was terrific. Lunch was fun. Lunch wasn't planned by an Englishman. Well not originally planned to be at La Bayou. It was suppose to be at Acme Oyster House but there was a long line. Which can only mean that our first choice Acme was a damn good place to chow down at. It would take us an hour to be seated so we decided to forgo the wait and moved on to La Bayou. We've passed this place earlier on our walking tour and thought it was just a bar than a bar/restaurant. Located at 208 Bourbon St. at the heart of the strip, its front facade has an open air design which was very welcoming to any passerby. The hawker they have at the entrance kindda convinced us to try this place. We were seated right away close to the bar by the friendly manager. As with any new place, I looked around. I noticed that almost all occupied table has a considerable amount of libation on it. Not surprising since it is a bar to begin with. And the boisterous atmosphere was close to becoming annoying for my taste but I was hungry and we were already here. I noticed the staff at full gear and ready for the lunch crowd. They were moving fast. And one in particular, our waiter, uncannily looked like the St. Louis Rams' running back Steven Jackson sans beard. How odd since the show on the TV by the bar was ESPN featuring Jackson. This guy was built big, so I need to be extra nice. Our waiter gave us the menu but I didn't need the menu because the first thing that came to mind for lunch was a po'boy. So I ordered an oyster and shrimp po'boy. Again. I guess I have this inane need to find out if a sandwich that originated in this locale can consistently be made good by any food establishment in the area. Yet, I felt this restaurant is one of the "exception to the rule". I wouldn't be surprised because the La Bayou is located on Bourbon St., and unless you've been living under a rock for the last few decades, then you'd know that Calle De Borbon has been THE street for revellers and party goers celebrating the coming of Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras. That's the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, it's a catholic thing. And so, as with almost all the restaurants in this strip, I have reservations about their meals because I always thought the bars were relegated to serving alcoholic beverages to drunks. So foods they cook can be mediocre at best because those drunks won't care what goes down their throats. It kindda make sense to me. Right? Finally our orders came in and to my surprise the first thing I saw was the big portion. The bread was soft considering its french bread. French bread was mostly known for its hard and crunchy crusts and chewy or airy insides, this one was the exact opposite. The second time around too, as Mother's was the first. Was Louisiana playing a trick on me? The breaded (?) oysters were savory, juicy and does not have a metallic after taste. The shrimp is just cooked right, not dry or overly crunchy due to over breading. Both ingredients where plentifully stuffed in the bread. One bite alone proved all my thoughts of this place wrong. The po'boy was very, very good. And served with a side of fries which was killer and freshly made. You can taste and tell the difference as, lets say, from a fast food fries. There also was an order of duck quesadilla. My first ever and one of the best incarnation of a quesadilla I ever had. The meal with the appetizer was more than enough to satisfy my big hunger and I barely finished my plate. As for my gastronomical data gathering, another po'boy done exceptionally well. To note, my lunch plate costs the same as the one I had at Mother's. And even though I was at a bar/restaurant the temptation was high to order a drink. But I can never have a drink during meals, my palate couldn't agree with the mixture of alcohol and mandatory nourishment. So I had a glass of soda and stayed sober for the evenings' upcoming event. For the brief entertainment during our meal, we witnessed a 'runner' (a person or 'runners' for people not paying the bill after eating and/or drinking) get caught by management. They made the person pay and then some. So we made sure we paid our bill and tipped handsomely when we left, I didn't want Steven Jackson look-a-like tackling me from behind as I leave.

THE COME BACK ENTRY

There was a lot of time after breakfast, so we took the sights on the Mississippi Levee in the Central Business District. There was the Riverwalk Marketplace. Its basically a big mall. It didn't interest us to spend a lot of time there since all malls are the same anywhere or everywhere you go. Walking east from the mall we saw the Creole Queen docked nearby. A good looking paddlewheeler that has an elegant box shaped design with ionic columns placed all the way around the ship and its twin exhaust pipes look more like trumpets standing on end. Constructed in 1983 it would have been at home in the mid 19th century. Its services are catered for dining cruises or private parties. What I found odd on a Friday morning was that the place is void of other people. I assume others would enjoy the sights this time of day like we do. Might it be too early or just not enough tourists awake yet? Where the boat is docked is also the location of the Spanish Plaza. Its beautiful fountain bears the coat of arms of all the spanish immigrants. It has an uninterrupted view of the river and very ideal place to hang out, eat lunch or people watch. (Again, if there were any or enough people around to watch). Connected to the plaza as well was a ferry service to Algiers and Mardi Gras World. Both places are almost directly located across the river. Mardi Gras World offers its visitors the insight on how the massive floats are built to be used during Mardi Gras. Hence the name I guess. You know . . . stating the obvious. And a few steps away was the Aquarium of the Americas and the Entergy IMAX theater. This pseudo aquarial world is inhabited by Pan-American marine life and its IMAX theater, standing at 5 1/2 stories high, adds a high-tech twist to it all. Unfortunately I wasn't in the mood to study aquatic wildlife and my need to see more urged us to move on. We traversed Woldenberg Riverfront Park that is studded with contemporary sculptures. One notable sculpture is the Ocean Steel by John T. Scott, a kinetic steel structure standing 16 feet tall. Its all circles (rings) and points. We decided to end the river walking tour when we got to the dock of the Steamboat Natchez. Steamboats like these, in the 1800's, travelled the lenght of the Mississippi from Louisville, Kentucky to New Orleans which took three to five days. We rested for a while and just watched the last of the passengers board the steamboat up until the crew retract the plank. I was also mesmerized by the paddle wheel churning even when the boat was still tied to the wharf and not see it strain the ropes or wobble itself from the pressure. After seeing the Natchez depart for its two hour river cruise, we went into Toulouse St. and started looking for a good place to eat.

Song in mind: "Cruising" by Nalin & Kane Vs Denis The Menace Feat. Alex Prince

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEIyxPDLGGk

( * - Entries from my journal written before, during, and after the trip. Dig.)

Oct 24, 2008 1:45 pm CDT Location, Location, Location*

2008-11-23T22:30:00.000-08:00

GET ME TO THE CHURCH ON TIME

The House Of Blues, the legendary music hall that features artists of almost all backgrounds and had been a long time hangout of celebrities to watch their favorite blues band. Unfortunate that our itinerary didn't include a visit to this prestigious venue. We were here to attend the Voodoo Music Experience and not be like Jake and Elwood with a higher purpose of coming up with $5,000.00 to save a Catholic orphanage from closure.

The statue of Jean Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville. Taken from the east side during our first excursion to the Vieux Carre. Although it was a spaniard named Hernando de Soto that discovered the Mississippi river in 1541, but it was a Frenchman Robert de La Salle who sailed down the river for the first time in 1682 and claimed the land for his king, Louis XIV. The first french settlement was on the Gulf Coast at Biloxi and after 36 years, Jean Baptiste established a settlement on the Lower Mississippi at New Orleans in 1718. Hence the statue erected for the founding father of New Orleans. All this according to the gospel of my guide book. Amen.

Architecture of european descent. How I often see this type of buildings in pictures of almost any european city. I saw an almost duplicate row of buildings from an Irish town sans the balcony of course.

One of the Pontalba Buildings, the east structure, is just across the street from Cafe Du Monde. The two buildings flank Jackson Square and were the first apartment buildings in the U.S. Considered the best and the largest of its kind during its day, it was built for Micaela Pontalba in 1848, fashioned from the ones she saw in Paris.

Statue of Joan of Arc. Definitely French and saw the movie too. What to say? Hmmm. Its gold.

Decorative iron galleries Like this one definitely adds a romantic touch to the Quarter. There is a difference between wrought iron and cast iron but both is the signature of the city. This one is adorned by ferns and is watered regularly at 6:00 pm so beware of running water.

Above are examples of Shotgun Houses with box steps. Box steps are the stairs that lead up to the door. Although both are shotgun houses the one above is a single version as oppose to the double version (two door) as seen on the topmost with the two women walking. So-called shotgun house because if a bullet fired from a shotgun through the front door would go through the house and out the back as all doors are aligned. Again info from the guide book. Aaaaaamen.

Although the picture doesn't do justice, the white building beside the red bricked building is an example of a french colonial house.

The architecture just brings you back in time, late 1700's to be exact. I'm actually here to find a rip in the space time continuum and fix the problem before it unravels and destroy everything. Well I'm just here to listen to music. Block the traffic. Smoke a bowl.

Song in mind: "City Life" by Fallen Angels

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mSk1udm1XA

( * - Entries from my journal written before, during, and after the trip. Dig.)

Oct 24, 2008 8:20 am CDT Another Day Another Dollar*

2008-11-22T22:18:00.000-08:00

THE SOUND OF SILENCE

I woke up to the sound of honking horns. I thought I was mistaken at first but fully awake I heard it very often. I never knew that they use them here. I'm from a part of California where I rarely hear horns being used. It's a new experience for me.

Early. We got started early. And the first agenda for the day was breakfast. "When in Rome do as the Romans do.", as what the old adage says, and here in New Orleans the way locals have breakfast are with beignets and cafe au laits. The place to get them and have breakfast is at Cafe Du Monde. Its always been logical to bring a piece of home with you when you are in foreign land and food or style of cooking is the easiest to bring along when travelling. And coffee and donuts were some of what the french brought along with them when they had Louisiana as a colony. So before we head out, I whipped out my guide book and located it from where we were. I knew the guide book will help us big time, and it seemed to be a straight shot walk on Magazine St. heading east past Canal St., then the road will change name to Decatur St. And pass Canal basically you enter the oldest part of the city - the French Quarters. Cafe Du Monde is located in the French Quarter right in front of Jackson Square, a park aptly named after General Andrew Jackson just after the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. Outside there was a light drizzle when we started walking but the weather wasn't that cold. The streets glimmered in the early morning sun and the smell of wet asphalt was in the air. When we traversed Canal St. and entered Decatur, it felt like I was entering a whole new world. Immediately we saw old style building of Spanish colonial architecture with cast iron balconies. Like I saw in movies and TV. And on the way to Cafe Du Monde I took pictures of interesting sights like The House Of Blues (a well known live band bar), the statue of Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville (founder of NOLA) and the Pontalba buildings (the first apartment buildings in America). I saw the white and green stripped canopy of Cafe Du Monde with the name clearly printed on the edges. The establishment can not be missed if you are in the Jackson Square area. An institution in business since 1862, I was finally here grazing on historical ground still in operation, and as I go through their short menu I was thinking to myself, huh nothing else to eat except beignets. I thought that they served more than french donuts without holes but I was wrong. And keeping the list of items short make for faster service. That settled my decision, I had beignets and cafe au lait (their coffee is mixed with chicory, Nawlins style).

The name Cafe Du Monde always stood for a round tin of coffee grounds that I always see in Vietnamese restaurants in California. I even heard that it does exist at one point in my life but never really dig more info on it. Now that I knew its an actual place and where it was, I needed to pay homage to the company that made my Vietnamese coffee (Ca phe sua da) a delight to drink.

Song in mind: "In This Life" by Kaskade

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHeOBpqSiO0

( * - Entries from my journal written before, during, and after the trip. Dig.)

Oct 23, 2008 8:45 pm CDT At The Corner Of Walk And Don't Walk*

2008-11-22T20:54:00.000-08:00

DON'T BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU

After a brief rest, dinner was very much welcomed. I won't pretend to know the difference of Creole from Cajun cuisine but I heard both were spicy and, if done right, very good. I can't go wrong with chowing down those dishes here coz they are done best in this area. Native food and all that of course. Yet I can come across the occasional exception to the rule. But the draw for me to try Mother's out was the fact that a local recommended it. I may not know Lionel's taste for food but locals know whats good in this place. And right now its the only restaurant I know only because I asked.

We walked to the red bricked building on the corner with the sign that said Mother's. The place was like a regular high school cafeteria. But instead of getting a tray to fill it up with bland passable food, I fell in line to order first and got the food after. I had the Jerry's Filet Gumbo (a dish that's a namesake so I had to choose it) and an oyster po'boy with a glass of sweet tea to wash it down. The table we sat in was close to the counter and beside a table with the free local city journal. It had the headline of the Voodoo Music Experience on it and a picture of their native son Li'l Wayne. He too was playing in the fest. But my attention was on the food. I took a big bite of the sandwich and I was amazed that it wasn't dry. The breaded oyster was moist and soft. The bread was soft and I guess its softness and taste made the difference. I learned later that it was local french bread. I had others before and easily restaurants outside Louisiana made the mistake of making its oysters crunchy or downright hard. Its the best oyster po'boy I ever had. The gumbo was terrific as well. The sausage in it was mildly spicy, the type I very much like. Lionel was right to recommend the place. I died and went to Cajun/Creole food heaven. And now I am curious if I did see this place in an episode of good restaurants in major cities in the food network channel. Maybe. I'll easily recommend this place to people visiting the Big Easy. Simple, cozy, no frills eatery with the best cajun/creole food served.

Song in mind: "Imagination" by Jes (Kaskade Remix)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CicWpFCybEk

( * - Entries from my journal written before, during, and after the trip. Dig.)

Oct 23, 2008 7:45 pm Wyndham La Belle Maison*

2008-11-22T08:42:00.000-08:00

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED

At last inside the hotel that took almost forever to get to. It was a short rest because my hunger needed to be appeased.

At last we are at the hotel, inside the room, kickin it, relaxin, and writing it all down with a big sigh of relief. The delay in Los Angeles meant that we're landing in Louisiana in the late afternoon. Since summer was over meant that it really gets dark fairly quickly and driving in the dark in a city I'm foreign to is just plain hard. I've been up since five in the morning and honestly I'm tired. But I have to toughen it up coz I need to drive to the city which is roughly 30 minutes away. So we got to the Budget rental car counter and registered, caught the shuttle from the airport to the car park and I'm off driving.

I always thought that I was good with directions. I brought my printed directions taken from goggle maps. I even remembered looking at the street view from the airport to the hotel. I painstakingly watched frame by frame just to remember the landmarks that will visually aid me not to stray from the right path. I thought I did all the things needed with the exception of buying a map. But dusk was upon us and those pictures from google map were taken during the day. It made it harder for me to associate from memory the dimly lit landmarks. I just needed to drive and not worry about those things and just follow directions. From the rental car parking lot I easily caught the on ramp for I-10 and drove for roughly 18 minutes, the trouble began when I needed to go to US-90. I instead continued I-10 east. I exited and back tracked on the surface street to get to an I-10 west on ramp. Right away I saw the US-90 turn off which I took. Then I got stuck to the right hand lane on 90 which was an exit. I took another wrong exit. I still kept calm but was tired. I doubled back just to get to the freeway again and to my surprise I saw the Carondelet St. exit, which was our exit, coming up next. I took it but the worst mistake I was going to make just happened. The direction on the google map was after the exit to make a slight left at Calliope St. It turned out that there were three choices to make. I made a wrong choice which led me back to US-90 and with no exit left till I cross the Crescent City Connection, a twin cantilever bridge that gaps New Orleans and Crescent City. I crossed the bridge with much curiosity because it something new I'm experiencing but mixed with the feeling of impending exhaustion and strong frustration. I couldn't explain anymore how I got back to the bridge which I did and, with my instinct in full gear, just took the the Camp St. exit after crossing the bridge again knowing full well that it was in the direction given by google map. I drove straight on Camp St. and came across Gravier St. I needed to make a left on Gravier but I had to pass it and go around because its a one way street going opposite where I need to. So when I got to Magazine St., the corner street of the hotel, I felt much relief when I saw the entrance to the Wyndham La Belle Maison. There were advantages of getting lost. It familiarized me with the layout of the city. I knew now where the bad part of the city is. And I knew the cost of mudbugs (crawfish) in New Orleans because I went pass a grocery store with a billboard advertising it for $2.99 a pound.

Inside the hotel carport area we met the head valet. Monsieur Lionel was a nice soft spoken Louisiana native and he tried to accommodate all our questions in courteous manner. Plus he laughed at all my jokes which made him ok with me. We paid for parking in advance. New Orleans wasn't spared the disease all major cities faced, the need for parking. Especially in the Central Business District, which our hotel is located, office buildings abound and therefore more people with cars come in night or day. I asked Lionel to point us to a good restaurant, that serves good creole/cajun food, and reasonably priced. T-frere answered, "Mother's of course, its just a block down on Gravier and make a right on Tchoupitoulas (chop-a-TOOL-us) and its at the corner of Poydras. They serve the best food and cheap too." Chop my tool now? What? Still confused on the street name or what he said, I just said my thanks and went inside to check in.

Song in mind: "Angel On My Shoulder" by Kaskade feat. Tamra

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfYfSiwlvVI

( * - Entries from my journal written before, during, and after the trip. Dig.)

Oct 23, 2008 12:25 pm Back Inside The Plane*

2008-11-21T17:15:00.000-08:00

COME FLY THE FRIENDLY SKIES

I was exhausted from the constant straining of the ears, waiting for an announce from the gate about the status of the plane (repairs) while falling in line for a burger and hurrying back to the gate seat to eat. I heard a whine escape from deep inside of my head and there was no joy eating my favorite fast food. My first day of vacation was, all things considered, looking good.

Ok it was not, but after two hours of repairs the plane was up and running. The call to board was made and no one was AWOL. Good. Everyone came back in in a fast orderly fashion (being everyone wanted to leave in a hurry) and moods had changed for the better. I still have a little pang of regret about the two hours that we missed coz of repairs. Better than being cancelled for a day but the two hours could've been spent exploring or relaxing.

Song in mind: "One More Time" by Daft Punk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lH-0s0pRleg

( * - Entries from my journal written before, during, and after the trip. Dig)

Oct 23, 2008 Faaaaaaaaaaaast Forward*

2008-11-19T20:06:00.000-08:00

TURN IT AROUND

Tears were rolling down my eyes as I wrote this. Oh no. Our flight was sent back due to technical difficulties with the plane's weather radar. It wasn't working. NOT WORKING?! Any luck of the Irish that's in my gene have magically vanished. I admit I'm far removed from being Irish so the luck thing was not in the equation to begin with. The flight steward that was on the planes' PA was explaining that we were going back to address the issue. But as much as I wanted to pay attention, I couldn't. I was awashed with a dreadful feeling of wasted hours. No. I was awashed with a dreadful feeling of a wasted day. NO. I was awashed with a dreadful feeling of a wasted vacation. I'm still young . . . ish and toilet trained. I can't be headed back. In this juncture in my life I needed to go places, experience and see new things. Apparently with the way things were, not at the moment. The voice in my head was talking about NO new tales to tell, except about an aborted airplane ride. No airline snacks like peanuts, crackers or cookies with my coffee, soda or water. No comments of the flight over a lake, mountain ranges, or a town in the middle of nowhere. And while the voice in my head was chatting away, the plane had gone back to the terminal. I was expecting a bloodbath out in the gate counter. The poor gate agent was going to be hacked, sliced and diced by sharp comments, dagger like stares, and banshee screams. We were close to the tail of the plane so as we and the last of the passengers embarked, we came out the cat walk to see the crowd around the counter and the cacophony of loud voices.
The gate agent announced on the PA that they are giving us food vouchers. That's good! Coz if I was going to be here for a while, I needed a pick me upper. A Big McMeal probably. It was also a good way to disperse the crowd from the counter and just leave the hard core complainers and whiners and bit*hers to release their darker side.

Song in mind: "Turn It Around" by 4 Strings

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdceWRCbKoY&feature=related

( * - Entries from my journal written before, during, and after the trip. Dig)

Oct 23, 2008 8:45 am LAX Do The Locomotion*

2008-11-16T20:45:00.000-08:00

*ACHOO!* - GESUNDHEIT

The taste of cinnamon pretzel I had on the flight was still fresh in my mouth and the sun had barely stretched its rays when we landed in Los Angeles. The first leg of the journey was over. And the duffel bag that had me worrying for a bit was a non-issue. Its bulkiness didn't alert any person of authority to weigh it and it easily fit the overhead compartment of the plane. I did have flashes of Ben Stiller from the movie "Meet The Parents", having a string of bad luck on the plane trip to meet his fiancee's parents, came haunting my thoughts before boarding. And like in the movie was I going to meet an unhumorous flight attendant which will give me grief? Was I going to be detained? Was I going to suffer the same fate? Luckily today I wasn't that unlucky. And my life isn't like a movie, its just dull and boring.

Thinking back while the plane was on the air and close to landing, I saw the distinguishable sight of the LA skyline and one building stood out in particular, the US Bank Tower (a.k.a. the Library Tower). I admired the Library Tower for its uniqueness very much like the Transamerica Pyramid building of SF, the Sears Tower in Chicago and the Empire State building in New York. Each of these buildings gave its city skyline its idiosyncrasy which became known throughout the world. Landmark buildings all and heralds of the city it ushers. The Library Tower being the tallest building in the whole west coast of North America and obviously California and basically the tallest building west of the Mississippi, dominate the city and is a sight to behold. This was the first time for me to see the building from above and made me realize that I never saw this get built. LA was a city I used to roam around in and the thought of her transforming, growing, and constantly changing made me realize that I miss her. It made think of the time I lived here, the fun I had, the Lakers I cheered for and what the reason was I left in the first place. Oh well, that's another story and another entry all together.

It only took a little over an hour to get at LAX. We landed on Terminal TWO and discovered to our surprise our connecting flight to NOLA is at Terminal FIVE. With an hour and a half to spare, we needed to move fast. A short trip to the loo and directions given by a gate agent when asked were hurried and vague, the rush to get the connecting flight was on. I was discombobulated by this unfamiliar place, so I followed my instinct and found the exit even without the help of any signage for direction. The distance between the two terminals couldn't be that far especially if the terminal in mind was within sight, but to walk fully loaded would take forever and to run it was next to impossible. Needed was a shuttle, suggested by the gate agent to take, which by the good grace of all things . . . um . . . good was just outside the door seemingly waiting. It eliminated the question in my mind about how often the shuttle passes and what it looks like off the bat. The bus said airport shuttle roundabout and I just hopped in. The ride however, was excruciatingly slow due to traffic that LA is infamously known for and which happens everywhere even in the airport area. Inside the bus a Delta Air employee struck a conversation with me, and allayed my uneasiness of the time that seemed to be passing by fast, by talks of crawdads, gumbo and po' boy sandwiches he misses when he was in New Orleans. Inside Term FIVE the line for the TSA security check was long and winding. Luckily I overheard people talking in the line and they were headed to NOLA as well. I was among fellow passengers. The plane can't very well leave us all stranded in LAX now, or can it? I was frantic and frazzled. The cool, calm, and collect persona that once was was long gone and forgotten by now, and the wait for the moment to clear inspection has added more tension to list of FU's that pervaded my thoughts. As soon as I cleared security I got my bag and put on my shoes, it felt like another eternity has passed. I walked briskly to gate 56, located conveniently at the very end of the terminal, and arrived nary a minute to spare before passengers were called to board by zones and just in time for my coronary. Whoopee! Well I did have time to lay down my bag and write this down. Just barely.

Its turning out to be a wonderful vacation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGZKcSU7qHU
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Song in mind: "Get Up, Stand Up" by Stellar Project feat. Brandi Emma

(* - Entries from my journal written before, during, and after the trip. Dig.)

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P.S. (Written inside the plane but still on the ground) I heard the announcement for the passengers to board by so-called "zones" but what "zone" am I on? As I stared at my boarding pass, I didn't see the word zone with a number beside it like where its suppose to be according to the TV monitor by the gate which was showing an example of one. I asked a gate agent about the discrepancy and sure enough he corrected the dilemma by issuing a new boarding pass with the "zone" printed on a boxed area on the right hand side of the ticket. I was on zone 8 and 8 is my favorite number. Could things be looking up? I was still far from being called, so I hovered by the counter close to the gate like a fly on sh . . ., just to go in first when my "zone" was called. One last very tiny unfortunate thing happened however, the previous boarding pass which looked cool and therefore collectible, was taken and replaced by the standard plain white boring boarding pass that Delta uses because it didn't have the zone printed on it and was issued by a different company, Alaska Airlines.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsTm-tjmR7Y&feature=related

(For those who wanted to see the original video and singer)

Oct 23, 2008 6:25am Mad Fat Rush*

2008-11-15T01:58:00.000-08:00

ALL MY BAGS ARE PACKED, I'M READY TO GO

Travelling in October can be very good. Summer is over and the weather is just about cooling down. Checking the forecast for the day (Oct 23, 2008) it does say showers in the morning and overcast for the rest of the day in NOLA. But for the following days, it says expect warm to hot temperatures with high humidity. I guess no jackets are required for this trip.

Everything was under control. I woke up on time, got ready on time, got down from the apartment on time and even the taxi came in on time. The ride to the airport was quick and uneventful. Even the sleepy TSA security people, in the wee bit of the morning, got us cleared fast. Went to the airport magazine store to browse through books and souvenirs and ended up buying a pack of Mentos and a PopPhoto mag to add to the other stuff I brought to lessen the boredom of air travel. My outside appearance conveyed everything that is cool, calm and collect but I still could not shake off the anxiousness and excitement that is inside me. Those emotions could over come me at anytime, but I held it together and I told myself I'm not even on the plane yet and that I need to relax. What? I told myself to relax from the vacation that hasn't even started yet? Its hard to have a conversation with the voice in my head since the voice in my head almost always wins. This would be the first true vacation I ever had in a long time. I had trips to Arizona and Death Valley, and on both we drove. I felt that those trips to be local in nature coz both destinations were reached within the day. I could drive but if I drove to NOLA it'll take two days and it'll just be a waste of two days - four counting the trip back, and cuts my total vacation time in the city to two days. Thats not fun. Not fun at all. If I flew, it would feel like I travelled great distances and it'll be faster and I would have more time to do a lot of sight seeing or do nothing if I feel like it. And any city east of the Mississippi, if I flew which I am anyway, is far enough really and when I do cross that river, especially after 7 years (from my trip to New York in Aug 2001), it would then really feel like a vacation.

I am, however, concerned about the hand carried duffel bag I brought. It might have exceeded the maximum allowable weight and it's size may be a tad too big. I'm seated by the gate as I write this, I think I'm good. No bad feelings about my hand carry and the gate agent never ever gave me a look or looked at my bag. Oh another random thought that became a pebble in the shoe of my mind, what if the bag doesn't fit the overhead compartment?

Thinking is a bad thing, close your brains shut and be one with the ignorants. At least they don't worry needlessly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ2UsUY-XBs

Song in mind: "Speed Up" by Funkerman

(* - Entries from my journal written before, during and after the trip. Dig.)

Oct 22, 2008 Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (late at night)*

2008-11-12T20:14:00.000-08:00

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

Its like how every guidebook starts, they give you the overview of . . . the overview of the place you are visiting. I can not sleep, yet I can not go out and party. What do I do? I did the next best thing - I read up. Since I already went down the check list and done with packing, and somehow sleep still escapes me, I decided to look up where my temporary shelter is situated in the city. First and foremost the hotel is at the corner of Gravier St. and Magazine St. in the middle of the Central Business District, not only that but on the broader view, its in the middle of a lot of the star sights the city has to offer. Bordered by the French Quarter to the east, Garden District to the west, the Mississippi River on the south and all the way up north is City Park - the venue of the Voodoo music festival. A very convenient place to be in. The hotel is on the corner of Magazine St. and Gravier St. Close to the tourist spots of the CBD, and just west of it is the French Quarter and a short trolley ride to the east is the regal Garden District. The convenience of the nearby sights definitely made walking the city streets, exploring the little alley ways, eating in hole-in-the-wall restaurants a plausible addendum. It also makes me be in the midst of the (local) people and feel connected. So I can be one with the city. Yeah I'm weird like that.

The map indicated a casino nearby, I'll try to hit it up for a free drink or go in for a very late dinner. I also saw Anne Rice's childhood home, I'd visit that, pay homage to the places she used in her books and go to the cemeteries she often wrote about. Although Ms. Rice's vampire, witch and demon books are the stuff that made her famous, I knew her for the erotic works she did prior to becoming famous. In fact I have all her sordid materials. Books like Belinda, Exit to Eden, the Sleeping Beauty series, were my companion guides in bed before sleeping. Sorry I digressed. To many things to do so little time.

The Alaska Airlines flight tomorrow from SFO is at 7:20 am PDT to arrive in LAX at 8:42 am PDT. I sincerely doubt that since I flew to LA several times already and it only took 45 minutes on average and not the hour and a half the flight info indicates. Then from LAX, the Delta Air Lines departs at at 10:05 am PDT and lands in MSY (New Orleans Louis Armstrong Int'l Airport) at 3:45 pm CDT. And based on info given by the front desk of La Belle Maison, it'll only take a half an hour drive from the airport to the hotel. That meant I still have plenty of time to gallivant and go disco-disco, when I get there, before I rest up for the full schedule I have the next day.

The things I'm bringing along is a book by S. M. Stirling, "A Meeting At Corvalis" for the times I'd like to read, an MP3 player with all the latest underground/indie/dance songs for the moments I'd like to listen to music, and this very blue journal for my scribbling needs in between.

Things needed in Walgreens at NOLA:

-contact solution

-disposable shaver

-comb

-baby oil

-lotion

-suntan (not for me but for the fair skinned people)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIWIeVSPYH8

Song in mind: "Empty Streets" by Late Night Alumni

(* - Entries from my journal written before, during and after the trip. Dig.)

Oct 22, 2008 Doing My Homework*

2008-11-10T21:36:00.000-08:00

IN BLACK AND WHITE

I went to the library and borrowed a couple of books on New Orleans. The way I saw it I needed all the help I can get since there's a rental car waiting on the other end and a limited time to scour the seedy side of the Vieux Carre, ergo I haven't the luxury to drive blindly, be lost, or walk about aimlessly and not know whats around me. I had to choose from at least half a dozen guidebooks about New Orleans and these two books stood out above the rest and only one I'll bring to Louisiana with me. The first book was the Discovery Channel Insight Guide New Orleans. It measured at 6"x 8 3/4" and 5/8 of an inch thick. And as I skimmed the book, I noticed that it is harder to navigate through the sections due to the lengthy paragraphs of items of interest, and the book felt big in one's hand and heavy. I thought this would be good for people who already scheduled their own tour and studied the lay of the land prior to the trip, and only has this book for an on-the-spot companion. The wealth of information here is sufficient for the independent traveler and may eliminate the need for joining a tour group wherever or whenever applicable. I said that only to point out some places are only available through tours, like cemetery tours, night tours, and plantation tours. And I also thought of the frugal trekker that needed to know almost everything they can without bringing a big history book would benefit from this. My take on it was that I needed more time fiddling than finding out with this book.
Therefore, the minuses outweighed the pluses and this book became a maybe or a just in case to bring with me.

The two guidebooks I've decided to bring. As far as I'm concerned both are very good but the one on the left is very user friendly.

The other book was the Eyewitness Travel Guides New Orleans. It measured at 5 1/8" by 8 3/4" and only half an inch thich. An inch narrower made a hell of a lot of difference, it made it easier to hand hold this book and with fewer pages, it weighed considerably less. That made it easier to bring this along while walking the streets of New Orleans and I wouldn't feel burdened by its weight or bulkiness. I opened the book and I was impressed with the illustrated/photographed maps of districts/areas of the city and how it pointed specific destinations with a brief description of it all in the same page. Yet a somewhat detailed writing is available in the following pages. This made it a very user friendly guide. For the spontaneous sightseer which I knew I am, the concise commentaries would help me go through the major sights a little faster and, in my wierd way of thinking, go through more of them thus maximizing my time in a particular area. The downside of this guidebook is if my curiosity is piqued, I wouldn't have enough information to go on and may miss the significance of a particular place. Yet I'd research on the web after the fact, but the on-the-spot-awe factor is quite lost. The other important thing I found out is this book was published a little later than the latter, which meant more up to date. This was the book to bring.
Also at the library I went on to google maps and printed directions from the Louis Armstrong International Airport to the Wyndham La Belle Maison hotel. I printed the directions from the hotel to the concert venue which is City Park. I also printed the lineup for the Voodoo Music Experience, the grounds map and the FAQs. I went through the FAQs and much to my dismay, I found out that I can not bring a camera with detachable lenses. I decided just to bring the Fuji F45 to capture the golden moments of me stepping on poo.

The directions from the airport to the hotel. This will be the first time ever for me to drive from the airport to the place where I'm staying at in a very unfamiliar city. I know its not a big deal but I've always used a shuttle or have been picked up by friends or relatives. Its going to be an adventure from the get go.

It looks straight but like what they said in all Star Wars movies, no not "may the force be with you . . .", but this, "I have a bad feeling about this."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euKmS57dODc

Song in mind: "Wish You Were Here" by Lazy (Pink Floyd Original)

(* - Entries from my journal written before, during, and after the trip. Dig.)

Oct 21, 2008 Mumbo Gumbo*

2008-11-10T19:22:00.000-08:00

ADVENTURES IN NEW ORLEANS

This entry only covers the very basic info I can get my hands on. The hotel is part of the Wyndham Vacation Resorts, the La Belle Maisson is located in the heart of the Warehouse/Central Business District or CBD. The complete address is 515 Gravier St., New Orleans, LA 70130. And just in case I need to ring them, the number to dial is 504-558-5900. And the main reason for the trip to the Big Easy is the New Orleans Voodoo Music Experience. In its tenth inception, the headliners are Stone Temple Pilots (STP), Nine Inch Nails (NIN), and R.E.M. (REM). All of which I'm just dying to see. There are other bands playing and they are spread out in a three day period. The excitement is unbearable like the pile of laundry I need to wash.

The hand written directions. The hotel info. And lets hope that I never lose it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHcGWATv9h0

Song in mind: "Somebody To Love" by the Boogie Pimps

(* - Entries from my journal written before, during, and after the trip. Dig.)

Ladies and Gentlemen, Please Start Your Engine

2008-08-13T17:44:00.000-07:00

The start of the race was at 12:30 pm but delays do happen, so at 1:15 pm they were off. Being stuck in the crowd I couldn't get myself at the official gate so I stayed where I was and snapped away at the cars.
Never bring a bike to an automobile race. Better yet, never bring a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X to a street rally where most of the cars have 550 bhp or more. Chances of winning - if all euro cars get euro thrashed, 100%.

A quick once around the city brought them back to the first checkpoint of the race, as seen here, the second checkpoint coordinate being handed out by a crew member of the organizers. Yup you got to log it in the GPS or do the manual coordinates on the map, which ever floats your boat. Grab the paper and high tail it out. Figure out the where later.

Its KITT!!! OMG!!! The original KITT driven by the Michael Knight.

Yup its Carlton Banks of the Prince of Bel Air fame or to his pals, Alfonso Ribeiro. He does have a Ferrari Testarossa (think Magnum PI) and its red (which adds, what?, 5 more horse power?!). He's just hitching to the starting line for publicity I guess. Can't ride the race out on the window like that now, can we.

Don't Hassel The Hoff!

2008-08-13T17:10:00.000-07:00

And Other Quaint Characters

2008-08-13T16:52:00.000-07:00

GumBall 3000 Rally - Cars and What Nots

2008-08-13T15:11:00.000-07:00

Yellow seems to be my new favorite color. The color of candy and money and all that blings. Its the Gumball 3000 Rally starting here at San Francisco, the Fairmont Hotel at (s)Nob Hill. The first leg goes to LA, then to Las Vegas to finish the American leg. Then they fly out to North Korea. Yes "North". They'll be racing in and around Pyongyang, the capital of N Korea, close to the DMZ. Yeah the James Bond thing. Don't drive through the mine field guys.

Got my world turned upside down. Ohhh Sam he's such a kidder. Can't be too outstanding coz cops will be on the hunt for them racers. All things go except that there are checkpoints on the yellow brick road so no one can fly their car to the finish line. Checkpoints are set, as to where they are is a matter of reaching the first one and be given coordinates for the next one and so on, till the finish line.

Camouflage Ferraris??? Hard to describe a multi colored speeding car to cops. Brilliant! From N Korea they travel to China. They do finish at Beijing on the day of the closing ceremony of the Olympics!!!! How cool is that?! Not really coz the olympics are for the athletes of the whole world. No scene stealing allowed. Hasselhoff or not.

Cars Of GumBall 3000 Rally @ The Fairmont Hotel, SF

2008-08-13T14:50:00.000-07:00

Never bring a Volkswagen Combi to a gunfight! Dude this is the mass transpo of the "LOVE GENERATION" and it isn't known for speed (not the fast car kindda speed) but is a form of mobile resting place for the rollingstones of the hippie world. Drive it slow and where ever they lay their head is their home. Expired tags are the norm for the silver spoon speed racers. Can easily buy a Rolls Royce Phantom but can't register the car at the DMV. The owner needs a personal assistant. And Tara Reid needs a job. Thats a combi waiting to happen. Nip slip!!!

Ahh lemme guess - Enzo Ferrari?! Yup the plate says it all except for the handsome price tag this particular lady in red fetches. Any dude driving this car - "Handsome" points to the roof and any self respecting gold digger can not resist such eye candy. Like AMEX never leave home without it.

Tony Stark got his car stolen and was spotted at a 3000 mile rally starting point in San Francisco. Don't mess with the Ironman. He got more R8s than a mangy dog got fleas.

Another Day Another Car

2008-08-03T16:38:00.000-07:00

Millbrae Hot Rod!

2008-08-03T15:52:00.000-07:00

I recently bought a lens that I just got to try out a couple of weeks ago. Its a Quantaray 19-35 mm f/3.5-4.5 wide angle zoom lens for Canon. Although the Ritz/Wolf Camera corporation doesn't manufacture their own lenses, and mostly sell Sigma lenses in which they renamed to their own house brand Quantaray, they made an exception to their wide angle zoom by going with Tokina. I read a lot of reviews about this particular Tokina product before the purchase. Mostly mixed reviews which was unsettling for me as a budget conscious consumer, but asked a good friend which currently have one and he said that his works fine. So it was a go. And to my suprise it performed better than I expected. As most reviewers said that at wide open all images are soft, but stopped down to f/5.6 every shot is tack sharp. Reviewers even note that they are instances of corner softness in images but I haven't encountered one. Truthfully there aren't many shots made by me with this lens, it still can occur, but this picture above dispelled any notions of corner softness. Given that I used it with a narrow depth of field and obviously front focused to the super-charger belt housing to clearly see the "B-D-S" letters water-cut on the chrome finished housing. On the lower left corner, the belt tensioner is sharp, but on the upper right corner the tail end of the super charger is soft due to depth of field.
I can go on with the rants and the raves of this lens but for a budget wide angle it's the BOMB.

Yeah and Millbrae held this on a Wednesday afternoon, what are they thinking????!!!! The orange Willys coupe has a 1000 horses. For reals man!

Another Trippy Friday

2008-07-05T10:08:00.001-07:00

Born, born, born. Born To Be Alive!

2008-07-05T03:05:00.000-07:00

Another chance to see fireworks. Yipee! We decided to start the trip at noon just to be safe in regards to parking and finding a decent spot. First we ate at a buffet place at San Carlos, and then we took a side trip to the Legion of Honor and Fort Point. And finally, parked at Marina Green and walked to Fort Mason. We found a good place, inside Fort Mason, by the path at the side of the hill just behind an outpost overlooking the Aquatic Park area. From the vantage point we have we saw a stage down at the park and heard 80's music being played by cover bands hired by a local TV station to entertain the waiting crowd. The music brought me back to the days when I wore neon red tights, blue shorts, Relax Don't Do It tee and red Reebok sneakers. Yeah, what a trip. When I came back from reminiscing I remembered I was here for something else. Fog still loomed over our heads, I started praying for clear skies, but it persisted and that was that. It didn't deter me. I told myself to take good pics if I could but as soon as it started it became apparent that the high exploding fireworks are hazy at best due to the overcast fog and the low to mid flyers are just barely visible and not as spectacular.

As seen above, the fog dimishes the effects of the fireworks. But it still is a sight to see and the big bangs, that accompany some, really are earth shaking.

I don't know whats up with me but the song "Summer In The City" by the Loving Spoonful kept playing in my head. Its San Francisco back in 1966, and the hipness is just around the corner, probably led by Dr. Timothy Leary with his Lysergic Acid Diethylamide induced teens and young adults. Its all because of the colors, those fantastic exploding colors.

Pictures Of Me!

2008-06-28T03:00:00.000-07:00

That's me in the corner. That's me in the spotlight, I'm losing my religion ... Its just my reflection on Thess' sunglasses.
We got lost and we got chicken. The perks of losing one's sense of direction. Alice Summerthing at Golden Gate National Park. Amber couldn't believe that she scored free grub. Niether did I but all good things come to these who weigh more.

No Hooters girl around to prove that I was indeed at Hooters. Chicken wings!!!!! Ay grabe, nearly had a heart attack sa sobrang celery sticks na nakain ko!

Up And About

2008-06-28T02:35:00.000-07:00

Another trek across the urban jungle landed me to this statue of ________. (just fill in the blanks) I always wanted to have a photograph of me immortalizing the moment that I am here in San Francisco. A city where once I just dreamt of going, but now, still unbelieving, I'm here. I'd like to thank the people who helped me achieve this dream and thanks to Ricky Reyes for my hair and make-up and the academy for voting for me.
Pescadero State Beach. An afternoon frolick at the beach with chilly conditons notwithstanding. Its a test of who can brave the abberant Northern California climate. I'd rather be in a cozy sofa wrapped in a thick comforter and reading a book but noooo. I'm here freezing my curlicue.

Phipps farm. I should've held a sign saying, "Will work for Food". Thezz behind moi. Raised camera effect not effective enough for solo shots.