So today was like my trial run for being a downtown Los Angeles citizen. Zac had to leave to go to work around 2:00 or so and I decided that I would go exploring a bit. I took a shower and got ready, the entire time I heard sirens of fire and police vehicles every fifteen minutes or so. For a while there was a helicopter in the case with a camera shooting down a few blocks away. After an hour or so another helicopter replaced it. I wonder what the hell that was all about? Could be anything, really. In my home town if there were sirens and a news helicopter it would be huge news. Exciting, but here just plain normal. As I write this, the window is open, I can hear an ambulance, police car, and helicopter whirrling. Holy hell…wow.
So after a bit I stepped out onto street level. Helicopter gone, no where in site. Synergy, there I said it, can I expense this trip now? 🙂
I was wearing my sunglasses and it was a bit odd since the sun had gone behind the buildings so it was actually a bit dark outside. Still, they help me blend in the city without them I am exposed, naked. With them I am invisible and my eyes don’t give prey to what I am thinking. People can see right through you in the big city and when you are walking about you have to pay a lot of attention to paying absolutely no attention at all. When you lock eyes with a homeless begger, you will be a target. So its best not too, which is hard when you are a bit of a small town kid with empathy. I have those fancy mirror tinted sunglasses which block my eyes from everything. With them I stare straight forward and look at everything, taking in the city. Everyone probably thinks I’m another number walking down the street but in reality I’m taking it all in. Trying to notice things that stand out, but not to most people. Calculating the tragedy and determining the positives…Not many, I thought.
I took a few random turns and walked around for a while. I had two goals. Get a thing of bottled water or two (because Zac’s water is atrocious). Also, pick myself up a Yoshinoya Beef Bowl. I had seen one of those restaurants in a movie recently and I had heard a kid talking about them. I had to try it, I figured. I blended and walked, I found a corner store and picked up a water. The man was pleasant, the transaction was nice. The cost was actually cheap. My original estimation is that everyone would try and screw you, but I think that the city is big enough that they have to be competitive. Everyone sold everything, there were tons of DJ shops, sketchy clothes merchants, corner stores with drinks, food, batteries, etc. So with all the competition you really couldn’t screw someone over because of convenience or no other alternative.
Kinda cool. I thought to myself as I walked along searching for other fare. I suppose that really makes an apartment that is as tiny as Zacs is really useful. I could get anything I needed at street level and there were plenty of things that stayed open such as pharmacies and corner markets. One can have a care here and park it in a secured spot for 150/mo or so. So its not outrageous to have one, but you really don’t even need it. I suppose I’m not used to, nor geared for that lifestyle so it seems unfathomable…However, it was a really neat thing.
I zigged my way back to Zac’s place after getting my Yoshinoya beef bowl and chicken wings. I passed a girl wearing a zebra striped outfit. She had a bulldog, but it was really tame…A city dog, I figured. We exchanged smiles which was nice. What do you do after that, though? Turn around go darting back and say something like, “So, what was that all about?” I thought it might be worth a shot, so I turned and started running, ok that was a joke. It was weird though because she stood out. It was like an Epson camera or printer commercial where the object of the commercial is based around a person who sticks out of the crowd. The light was right, the setting was perfect, my sunglasses diffused the entire scene…I couldn’t shoot a better moment walking down the street.
I could go on but the more I talk about romantic things the worse I inevitably sound in general, heh. So anyway I walked back in the apartment after a fresh jaywalk. Don’t do it, folks. There are cops everywhere and occasionally when they want to make a point they’ll make a deal out of it. As Officer Brown surely did when I walked back into the Rosyln Hotel across the street I’d freshly misdameanored. It was back up to the apartment. Sketchy as always but not notably weird…I’m getting used to the fact that there is domestic disputes everywhere down here. They even have big posters to “Stop Domestic Abuse!” all over the streets, I wonder what that stems from, hrmmm.
So, to the important part and the reason you read my blog. The beef bowl. Groooovy. It was good. It’s basically just shredded up beef that is sliced very thin and comes with rice, soy sauce, and pepper packets. Do yourself a favor indulge in both the soy sauce and the pepper. It will make the beef very good. It is filling but a bit boring to eat for any length. I’d save it, but Zac doesn’t have a microwave…So I’m going to savor the flavor while its still good. Sesame wings? Wow! Great wings for a fast food place. They were meaty, but a bit fatty…Good stuff. Isn’t it funny? I come to Los Angeles and instead of going to fancy restaurants I eat at the little crappy shops and a chain restaurant. Ah well, maybe I could market it all.
Well now its back to homework. One of the joys of online school is that it never rests or lets you rest. I could take a break, but I’m dedicated to finishing as fast as possible. So I should get to it. I apologize for wasting fifteen non-refundable minutes of your life. Aufwedisein (Ok, funny anecdote. I purposefully spelled that wrong hoping Mozilla’s spell check feature would catch it. When I right clicked the only match it came up with was disembowel). Fun huh? For sure.
2 responses to “I wear my sunglasses at night…”
This is exactly why you needed a blog. Give the guy a blackberry, and what do you get: chutney, lots and lots of chutney.
Dig the tags.
very interesting, but I don’t agree with you
Idetrorce