Slowdancing with Strangers http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com Hawaii Event Photos and Commentary Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:41:12 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Hawaii Author Lee Cataluna to Read at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2012/events/hawaii-author-lee-cataluna-to-read-at-vromans-bookstore-in-pasadena/ http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2012/events/hawaii-author-lee-cataluna-to-read-at-vromans-bookstore-in-pasadena/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:27:52 +0000 kristel http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/?p=1549

I was really excited to find out that local author Lee Cataluna would be doing a reading here in Los Angeles to promote her newest novel, Three Years on Doreen’s Sofa (which is also Bamboo Ridge’s #99 issue).  Her first book,  Folks You Meet at Longs, is actually one of my all-time favorites. I remember that my friend Joni and I would read the monologues aloud together, laughing so hard that there were tears in our eyes. I love how she could simultaneously break your heart and yet make you laugh in the same paragraph. It’s one of the many talents I admire about her and her writing.

The event is next Tuesday (February 7th) at 7pm at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena.

You can buy a copy at Bamboo Ridge’s online store here.

Below is a bit of information from Bamboo Ridge:

Three Years on Doreen’s Sofa, a novel by Lee Cataluna, is the story of Bobby, a bumbling, affable, small-town miscreant on Maui, and his wildly misguided attempts to go straight after serving three years in jail for a stupid drug-related offense. His sister Doreen lets him stay on her sofa until he gets his life back together . . . for a few days . . . a week at most . . .

Cataluna will read from her novel on Tuesday, February 7 at 7pm at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. Mark Haskell Smith, author of Delicious, said: “Lee Cataluna has written a book that is both laugh-out-loud funny and heart-wrenchingly poignant, often on the same page, as her ex-con narrator becomes a pidgin Shakespeare and guides us through the underbelly of paradise.”
Author R. Zamora Linmark writes:“Guaranteed to make you laugh and think while breaking your heart at the same time, Three Years on Doreen’s Sofa is Lee Cataluna’s blues rendition about that inevitable wear-and-tear called ‘home’ and the wounded people in it who love and lean on each other with hurt attached. Most of all, it is about redemption on the rocks, about one man’s desperate attempt to start all over, to hang on to whatever meaning’s left in his life, knowing the odds are against him. A remarkable debut novel—no, make that an instant classic—from one of Hawai‘i’s exciting and original voices.”
LA playwright Ed Sakamoto called Cataluna a “freakishly talented-crazy writer whose Three Years on Doreen’s Sofa is a bust-your-face, laugh-out-loud joy ride.”
Lee Cataluna was born on Maui and raised in plantation houses in Wailuku, Kōloa, and Ka‘u. She was a 2004 recipient of the Elliot Cades Award for Literature and her first book, Folks You Meet in Longs, received the Hawai‘i Book Publishers Association’s Ka Palapala Po‘okela Award for Excellence in Literature. Her play, Da Mayah, was included in the anthology He Leo Hou: A New Voice – Hawaiian Playwrights, which also received the Excellence in Literature Ka Palapala Po‘okela. After working for ten years in local television and radio, she became a columnist for The Honolulu Advertiser and currently writes for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser while a graduate student in the MFA Creative Writing program at the UC Riverside, Palm Desert campus.
]]> http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2012/events/hawaii-author-lee-cataluna-to-read-at-vromans-bookstore-in-pasadena/feed/ 0 Never Forgotten http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2011/my-life/never-forgotten/ http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2011/my-life/never-forgotten/#comments Mon, 12 Sep 2011 02:44:43 +0000 kristel http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/?p=1541

photo by Derek Jensen

I can’t believe it’s been 10 years.  Airplanes have been flying overhead for hours now–commercial or military, I don’t know–but it feels weird. When I woke up this morning, I watched the CNN livestream of the memorial service in NYC for a bit. I imagine one day my children (or my cats, who knows) will ask me where I was on 9/11, much like how I’ve asked my parents where they were when Kennedy was shot.

I was just shy of eighteen on September 11, 2001. My parents were out of town, so I was house-sitting with my best friend Miriam. The night before,  we fell asleep together in the living room watching some stupid movie about I don’t even remember anymore.

A call on the house phone woke me up a little before 3am HST. It was my other best friend, Jen, and she was sobbing uncontrollably. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and sat up.

“Something happened! Turn on the TV!!!” She was practically yelling in my ear. “Someone bombed the World Trade Center.”

“What? It’s okay, everything’s all right,” I reassured her, searching for the TV remote in the darkness.

“What’s going on?” Miriam yawned.

“I’m not sure,” I explained. “Here, talk to Jen while I look for the remote.”

I handed the phone to her and got up to turn on the light. I found the remote wedged between the loveseat cushions and flipped on the television, thumbing through the channels in search of a news channel. I thought I was watching a movie, like a scene from Independence Day. It was unreal.

“Tell her I don’t think it’s a bomb,” I told Miriam to relay to Jen, listening to the news anchors share what little info they had. “People think it might be a plane?”  I watched as smoked billowed out of the first tower and while Miriam was still on the phone crying with Jen, a plane hit the second tower.  I knew it was a plane from the livestream on television. The plane appeared seemingly out of nowhere, passing the first tower and then disappearing behind the second tower. A few moments later, there was an explosion from the building.  The news anchors weren’t sure what caused the explosion at first, but soon the information started pouring in. I remember Miriam telling me this was the beginning of WWIII.

While Miriam and Jen consoled each other over the phone, I reached for my cell phone to call my mom and stepdad who were now stranded in San Francisco. I woke them up and my mom sounded much like I did when I first answered the phone: confused.  We stayed up after the sun came out and my dad picked us up later and took us to breakfast at Zippy’s to calm our nerves.

My mom and stepdad were trying to fly back to Hawaii from Seattle and ended up getting stranded in San Francisco for a few days. My mom said it was a ghost town, only the cable cars were running. They were staying at a hotel in downtown and there was fear that the financial district nearby was a target, so my stepdad called a relative in the suburbs, they checked out of the hotel, grabbed the last available rental car, and headed out of the city. When they flew home, she said the pilots made sure to introduce themselves to the passengers as they boarded the plane. They reassured them everything was safe and it was okay to fly, but reminded them to speak up if they saw something weird. My mom said it was strange at the time, but now it’s common to see pilots watching the passengers shuffle in. It’s crazy how quickly things have been forced to change.

In the months after 9/11, I didn’t sleep well. I lived in Manoa Valley with my ex and her friend in this tiny studio and when the planes passed through, it made the walls shake. I’m not sure if they were commercial planes, but the sound of them roaring through put me on edge. I didn’t sleep properly until I moved out of the Valley and that was nearly six months later.

I lived in Washington, DC for three years during college. A few times I got off at the Pentagon metro stop, mainly to transfer to other lines, but once we stopped outside so I could see the 9/11 plaques near the bus station.  A big portion of the Pentagon was closed off, still under repair, and I remember feeling heavy when I left.

I just want to take a moment and remember those who lost their lives that day and give thanks to the first responders for all they did.

Where were you on 9/11?

]]> http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2011/my-life/never-forgotten/feed/ 4 Food Truck Row | Friday in Granada Hills http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2011/reviews/food-places/food-truck-row-friday-in-granada-hills/ http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2011/reviews/food-places/food-truck-row-friday-in-granada-hills/#comments Sun, 28 Aug 2011 04:31:34 +0000 kristel http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/?p=1530

There are way too many food trucks in LA to keep track, but discovering a new one, a delicious one, is like a receiving an unexpected gift on Christmas.

This Friday I checked out a stretch of road in Granada Hills known as Food Truck Row.  I discovered the place on accident a few weeks ago when I wanted to try the Bun Truck. I was surprised to find not only the Bun Truck, but a good 20 trucks lined up one after the other for blocks. I thought at first there was a street festival going on, but after talking to a few vendors, I realized this was just a regular Friday night.

Discovered some really great trucks, many I had never heard of before. Met some really cool people as well. From what I hear, the trucks are all lined up every Wednesday/Friday night,  in Granada Hills around the area of Chatsworth/White Oaks. Park in the residential area nearby and just walk on over to avoid the traffic.

Here are a few places I tried on Friday:  The Bun Truck, Bollywood Bites, Slap Yo Mama,  Mossie Lee’s, Sweet Beats.

 

Check out the cool video my friend Dev put together from Friday. He even caught me doing some kind of weird jig!

 

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]]> http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2011/reviews/food-places/food-truck-row-friday-in-granada-hills/feed/ 0 Adele Captivates at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2011/reviews/music-reviews/adele-captivates-at-the-greek-theatre-in-los-angeles/ http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2011/reviews/music-reviews/adele-captivates-at-the-greek-theatre-in-los-angeles/#comments Tue, 16 Aug 2011 18:11:45 +0000 kristel http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/?p=1516

 

credit: Timothy Norris | LA Weekly

For months now, I’ve been dreaming about the Adele concert. I watched so many live performances online, listened to her album so many times that I was preparing myself to be mildly disappointed when I went to the Greek Theatre last night for her show. Not because she’s untalented or a bad performer, but because I had been building up this concert in my mind for MONTHS. There was no way it would live up to what ever my imagination had decided it would be. I was, of course, wrong. It was BETTER.

I arrived a bit late, but luckily found my seats by the start of opening act Wanda Jackson’s first song. She’s a spunky woman and I found myself bopping along to her songs, even though I didn’t know the words. During her rendition of “You Know I’m No Good”, dedicated to Amy Winehouse,  the moon hung low and red. At first I thought it was a lighting rig peering through the tall trees surrounding the Greek Theatre, but by Wanda’s final song, the moon lifted itself high into the dark Los Angeles sky.

Adele came on stage a bit later than scheduled and  the crowd was a bit restless, but when she sang the first line from “Hometown Glory” before appearing on stage, everyone fell silent in awe. Let me just say, the acoustics at the Greek Theatre are amazing. It’s a great outdoor venue and perfect for Adele’s breathtaking voice. Unlike her iTunes Festival performance (where she had just gotten the O.K. from her doctor to sing again), she was strong throughout her entire set. She has an unwavering command of her voice and it’s damn magical.

I saw a couple of whiny reviews about Adele’s Berkeley performance the night before, saying that she wasn’t a performer and that she didn’t engage with the audience, blah blah blah. None of the reviewers disputed her talent, but they seemed disappointed in her concert. Adele didn’t need fireworks or elaborate dance routines to engage the audience.  She stood there, completely vulnerable, and belted her heart out.  You ever received one of those phone calls at 1am from your best friend and she’s crying, hurting so badly that you want to hug her?  With each song, with each personal story, you wanted to console her like you would your best friend. There was something very lowkey and down to earth about her concert, which I really appreciated. The focus of the show was her story and, of course, her talent. Some performers zip through their sets without giving much insight into their music, but Adele chatted with the audience about her inspiration like we were all old friends. She was charming, even when cussing, and always very endearing. I enjoyed her banter as much as her music, which says a lot.

The set list reflected pretty close to her iTunes Festival performance, but I was sad that she didn’t do her cover of “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt.

Also, there were two girls in back of me who decided that they couldn’t be bothered shutting up for an hour and a half and proceeded to talk throughout Adele’s entire set. This was not whispering in the ear kind of talking, this was I’m-going-talk-over-Adele-so-everyone-can-hear kind of talking. When Adele would belt out a line, instead of falling silent in amazement like the majority of people there, they talked LOUDER. What the hell is the point of going to a concert if you’re just going to talk the whole time? It’s not only rude to the audience members nearby, but to the performer.  I was about to strangle them with my skinny tie.

Anyway, here’s my video of “Don’t You Remember” from last night’s show:

Set list
“Hometown Glory”
“I’ll Be Waiting”
“Don’t You Remember”
“Turning Tables”
“Set Fire to the Rain”
“If It Hadn’t Been For Love”
“My Same”
“Take It All”
“Rumor Has It”
“Right as Rain”
“One and Only”
“Lovesong”
“Chasing Pavement”
“Make You Feel My Love”

Encore:
“Someone Like You”
“Rolling in the Deep”

]]> http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2011/reviews/music-reviews/adele-captivates-at-the-greek-theatre-in-los-angeles/feed/ 0 [pics] The Museum of Contemporary Art: Art in the Streets http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2011/photos/the-museum-of-contemporary-art-art-in-the-streets/ http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2011/photos/the-museum-of-contemporary-art-art-in-the-streets/#comments Thu, 19 May 2011 05:35:37 +0000 kristel http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/?p=1503

This past weekend I checked out the Art in the Streets exhibit at the MOCA. I really loved how everything was laid out. Museums can feel quite stuffy, but this exhibit was so accessible and down to earth. It was really awesome to see how different styles developed throughout history and how graffiti was influenced by culture and current events. Overall, I thought it was fantastic and I highly recommend going if you have a chance! Check out my photos below.

For more information, check out their website here. The exhibition runs until August 8, 2011.

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]]> http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2011/photos/the-museum-of-contemporary-art-art-in-the-streets/feed/ 0 [pics] LA Times Festival of Books at USC http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2011/photos/pics-la-times-festival-of-books-at-usc/ http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2011/photos/pics-la-times-festival-of-books-at-usc/#comments Sun, 08 May 2011 05:09:44 +0000 kristel http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/?p=1498

Last weekend I attended the LA Times Festival of Books at USC. It was a nerd’s dream come true. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend many of the writer’s workshops scheduled that day, but I had fun checking out all the different vendors. I saw all kinds. Seriously. There were also a lot of people handing out bookmarks and Scientology pamphlets. I swear I ended up going home with a stack of ‘em.

Oh! And in case you’re wondering about the new watermark, they’re from my Indie Craft and Design Blog: Craft in the City. Please check it out if you get a chance.

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]]> http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2011/photos/pics-la-times-festival-of-books-at-usc/feed/ 0 Remembering Ryan http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2011/my-life/remembering-ryan/ http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2011/my-life/remembering-ryan/#comments Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:31:34 +0000 kristel http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/?p=1489

I can’t say that I knew Ryan as well as some of his other friends. Our relationship was solely online, due to the fact that we met shortly after I had moved from Hawaii to Los Angeles last year. The twitter universe pulled us together somehow and suddenly he was this unmistakable presence in the rest of my online life. We interacted regularly and he quickly felt like an old friend. It saddens me greatly that I won’t be able to get to know him better now,  but the part of him he shared with me was something to be admired.

I found out about his tragic death late on Sunday night. People were posting cryptic messages on twitter and my facebook newsfeed became a memorial to him.  At first, I thought maybe he moved out-of-state or perhaps changed jobs. I refused to think the worst, but still scoured the internet for any scrap of information. I often follow Hawaii news, but with the time difference, one news story slipped through the cracks. After about an hour of feeling anxious and confused, the tweets started to mention him directly. A friend of mine DMed me to confirm the news and my heart just broke.  I went back and re-read everything with a heaviness that I still can’t shake.  How could it be that he was suddenly here and now suddenly gone?

Yesterday evening I was talking to my stepdad (who used to work at Kaiser Moanalua) about what had happened.  I didn’t realize he knew Ryan as well and I was reminded of just how far and wide his influence stretched.  It made me smile. My stepdad remembered him fondly, saying he was a very kind-hearted man. “He was quiet at first,” he added. “But a really funny guy.”  I remembered Ryan’s distinct sense of humor on twitter (something I greatly loved and identified with) and how he’d often respond to my own snarky jokes with the same sort of appreciation.

“He was a really hard worker,” he continued. “He always put in 110% at his job. His clients loved him. He was one of the most requested social workers there and it was easy to see why.”

On Twitter, there are different kinds of users. There are those who are just racking up followers for the popularity. They rarely interact with their followers, but just like how their page fills up. Ryan was the opposite. He was popular and loved online because he took the time to engage with people and get to know them.  If someone asked a question or needed input, Ryan was often the first to respond.  You could always rely on him if you needed help, a quality that extended to his personal and professional life as well.

When I came out via the It Gets Better Project last year, Ryan was one of the first to offer his support. Whenever I shared my progress with It Gets Better or posted my other creative work, he’d say how proud he was of me. I knew then what kind of amazing individual he was and I never took the compliment lightly. When he started tweeting about Live Strong in Philly, I made sure to support him in any way I could.  Even now, I will continue to contribute to Live Strong and will do it with him in mind every time.

His presence will be greatly missed online and in real life. Even after hearing the news, I kind of expected to see his tweets fill my page like they do on so many days.

Ryan, today I am sharply reminded of how much better the world was with you in it.

 

OTHER LINKS

  • Ryan Ozawa from HawaiiWeBlog wrote a really touching tribute about Ryan.  He has been updating this entry to include other blogs who have mentioned Ryan, upcoming tribute events,  and news. Keep checking back  there for more.
  • Gene Park from the Star Advertiser wrote a beautiful story about Ryan and his influence in social media. It nearly brought me to tears.

* * *

From Kimo:

Aloha all of Ryan’s friends and family. We are looking to have a presentation about Ryan this Saturday at the Mac user group festival and Annual membership meeting.We need some video and photos so please send them to me: kimos@me.com event: hmaus.org
Please come and enjoy the event and we hope to have a celebration of his participation with his blogs and helping HMAUS.

]]> http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2011/my-life/remembering-ryan/feed/ 2 Santa Monica Pier on a Smoggy Sunday http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2011/photos/santa-monica-pier-on-a-smoggy-sunday/ http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2011/photos/santa-monica-pier-on-a-smoggy-sunday/#comments Mon, 18 Apr 2011 01:04:45 +0000 kristel http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/?p=1478

I have officially lived in Los Angeles for a year now and  today was sadly my first time going to the Santa Monica pier. Embarrassing, I know. Today was a particularly gloomy day in Santa Monica, but it was still fun. The short walk to the pier actually reminded me of Waikiki. Maybe walking with hordes of tourists to any beach area just reminds me of home.

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]]> http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2011/photos/santa-monica-pier-on-a-smoggy-sunday/feed/ 0 LA’s Festival of Books: Where I Will Go Broke http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2011/events/las-festival-of-books-where-i-will-go-broke/ http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2011/events/las-festival-of-books-where-i-will-go-broke/#comments Sat, 16 Apr 2011 23:23:33 +0000 kristel http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/?p=1470

I can’t express to you how damn excited I am for the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. I’m excited enough to use the word damn–that should say something.  Back in Hawaii, I loved the yearly McKinley High School book sale. In fact, one year I arrived really early and camped out in line for over an hour. Every year I filled boxes and tote bags with books. I quickly ran out of space for my finds and soon became that person who just had books lying all over the place.

For LA’s Festival of Books, there are tons of workshops and readings going on all day. If I get a chance, I’m going to try and see if I can attend a few. The event also includes nearly 300 exhibitor booths representing booksellers, publishers, literacy and cultural organizations.

Below is some info about the event, but your best bet is to check out their official website here.

 

Dates & Location
The annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books will be held:
Saturday April 30, 2011 from 10am – 6pm
Sunday, May 1, 2011 from 10am – 5pm at:
University of Southern California
Click here for map.
To locate USC on Yahoo! Maps or similar mapping software, you may use the intersection of Exposition Blvd and S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90089.

Tickets & Admission
General attendance is free!
For information on attending, see our Attendee FAQ.

Parking
Parking at the USC campus will be $10.
Please go to the Getting There page for a detailed map.

]]> http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2011/events/las-festival-of-books-where-i-will-go-broke/feed/ 0 Unique LA Returns May 7-8 at the California Market Center’s Penthouse http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2011/events/unique-la-returns-may-7-8-at-the-california-market-centers-penthouse/ http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2011/events/unique-la-returns-may-7-8-at-the-california-market-centers-penthouse/#comments Sun, 10 Apr 2011 02:07:11 +0000 kristel http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/?p=1461

Support independent crafters and designers by checking out the 3rd annual Unique LA May 7 & 8 in at the California Market Center’s Penthouse in Los Angeles. According to their website, this is the largest independent design show in the country with over 300 hand-picked vendors.

You can buy tickets at the door or online here. There are only a limited number of pre-sale tickets available, so I recommend buying soon if you’re interested! Pre-sale tickets even comes with some great perks!

Admission Includes:

• Free drinks & a hosted bar (IZZE, Honest Tea, Bear Flag wine, Hendrick’s cocktails, and Numi Tea)
• Unlimited re-entry for both days
• Your very own collectible tote bag, exclusive to each show!
• Free DIY workshops and handmade Mother’s Day cards all weekend
• Plush lounge seating area hosted by H.D. Buttercup
• Access to giveaways and door prizes all weekend long
• Souvenir copy of the Vendor Directory + Mini Magazine

The way we see it, there are three parking options:

  1. Most expensive, but most secure and convenient: The California Market Center (CMC) has a huge underground, secure parking lot. They offer a discounted rate of $6 for all-day parking during UNIQUE shows. The parking lot elevators take you right into the CMC lobby.
  2. Affordable, nearby, but outdoors: There are many nearby outdoor parking lots that surround the building, often which run $3-5 for all-day parking.
  3. Cheapest and most eco-friendly: The third option is to carpool, ride your bike, take the Metro, skate, or  walk!

 

Directions & Maps

The CMC is located at 110 East 9th Street in downtown Los Angeles. The Main Parking Garage is located underneath the building, with parking entrances from both Main Street and Los Angeles Street.

View Map

Anaheim: 5 Fwy North to 10 Fwy West, exit Los Angeles Street and go to Olympic, (building is on the right, and parking is on the left).

Airport: 405 Fwy North to 10 Fwy East, to the 110 Fwy North, exit 9th Street. (9th is a one-way street, follow it to Main Street.) Take a right on Main Street, (building is on the left with parking) or take105 East to the 110 North, exit 9th Street.

Glendale: 5 Fwy South to 110 Fwy South, exit 9th Street. (9th is a one-way street) follow it to Main Street, take a right on Main (building is on the left with parking)

Long Beach: 710 Fwy North to 10 Fwy West, Exit Los Angeles Street and go north to Olympic Street. Take a left on Olympic (building on right, parking on left).

Pasadena: 110 Fwy South, exit 9th Street, (9th is a one-way) follow it to Main Street, take a right on Main Street, (building is on the left with parking).

San Diego: 5 Fwy North to 10 Fwy West, exit Los Angeles Street and go North to Olympic Street, take a left on Olympic Street (building is on the right, parking is on the left)

Santa Barbara: 101 Fwy South to the 110 Fwy South, exit 9th Street (9th is one-way) follow it to Main Street, take a right on Main Street (building is on the left with parking).

South Bay: 110 Fwy North, Exit 9th Street, East on 9th Street (9th is a one-way street), follow 9th to Los Angeles Street, Right on Los Angeles (building with parking is on the right).

The Valley: 101 Fwy South to the 110 Fwy South, exit 9th Street (9th is a one-way) follow it to Main Street, take a right on Main Street (building is on the left with parking).

Westwood: 10 Fwy East to the 110 Fwy North, exit 9th Street (9th is a one-way), follow it to Main Street, take a right on Main Street, (building is on the left with parking).

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