Los Angeles, California!

LA was our third stop during our not-so-grand west-american tour. we stayed in downtown LA, and walked around discovering nothing much but a very quiet town. People in their power suits talking on their phones, fast food joints lined the streets, and Mexicans in flourescent orange jackets surveying the traffic.

nothing eye-popping really. I spotted some buildings filmed in movies, a very pathetic looking Pershing's Square, the Staples Center got my brother all excited..

Staples Center- where all the sports games, and Micheal Jackson's funeral was held

but the one thing about this places that attracted me was the quaint little ancient, deserted, antique theaters and hotels. I love how these theaters screamed the era of black and white films, and Audrey Hepburn, when movies were called "pictures" and women dressed up in their freshly curled hair and fiery red lipstick, men in their handsome 3-piece.... Closed down it may be, but beautifully preserved..

the Los Angeles Theater- with the last movie sign still intact.

the innards of the LA theater if im not mistaken

a very antique Hotel Clark

one train ride up and we were at Hollywood,
home of more movie theaters that brings back that whiff of nostalgia, though these very old theaters are still busy with screenings......

The El Capitan Theater that also somehow houses a Disney store

The Pantages Theater showing old films

and of course, Hollywood was home of THE Grauman's Chinese Theater.
you know those movie premiers with the red carpet and the movie casts and the paparazi asking them about the movies? and sometimes they go on all fours putting their hands in cement? apparently this is where they do it. VERY impressive theater. they even have guided tours to visit the inside. LOL

Grauman's Chinese Theater- super tourist area.

the inside. its so big play hide and seek also can go missing.

the floor damn nice lo. you can see people going around looking for their fav stars hand and foot print. This theater's been around since Marilyn Monroe's time. and err, i went there 2 days after the Wolverine movie premier. spot the stolen diamond in this pic!


tinseltown was also home of the Hollywood sign *duh!*
street perfomers,


and of course, the star lined streets that is the Walk of Fame.

The simpsons, Victoria's Secret's Angels, and even Kermit the Frog have a star!

My dream and only dream when I left for the US was to visit DISNEYLAND, a very important number on my 100thingstodobeforeidie list.... but, i settled for Universal Studios instead, even though Disneyland was close by. All because the brother happily went to Orlando and played at the LARGEST Disneyland and Universal Studios AND Seaworld without me! didnt want to do Disneyland twice, he said. fine, i said. We didnt manage to try all the rides but i was damn excited taking photos with the mascotts!

We didnt have time to try all the rides but The Universal Studio tours were pretty cool. They took us backstage and around the actual movie sets and locations and explained how a tiny pond was filmed as a big sea. Movie magic is damn tricky i tell you! smart, but sneaky!
outside Universal studios was like a little street with shopping and eating called the Universal Walk. its like Universal studio's very own township, without the house.



Funniest thing that happened was we say this Guy with long brown hair and beard dressed like Jesus. but, he wasnt a street perfomer, he just walks around acting and looking like Jesus. 3 days later, we were watching TV and TMZ was reporting about this weird Jesus guy in LA! haha.

and there was this weird crazy guy with his pants down to his crotch (no underpants), walked around with his hands up so his belly is exposed and talking some crazy language. he was like semi flashing us.

Los Angeles might seem like a very posh and hip place, but ironically it has some of the cheapest shopping. And, beyond the tourist traps and camera flash, it was another dodgy area with weird shops selling stripper paraphernalia/more weird stuff, and policeman summoning girls that were parading their bra's and panties.

Nothing much around LA i suppose, but it was quiet exciting to learn about how movies are made and it was very fun spotting the places I've seen on TV in person. And watching movies and being able to say "I've been there!" is so rewarding, in a way. i suppose. :)

watch out for day four in Los Angeles, the wonderful Santa Monica!