JIA-CHI

As part of the Echo Park Time Bank’s Fun & Games Committee, I helped to plan the latest Saturday Social.  With CicLAvia coming up the following day, I thought it would be a great opportunity to do a small bike workshop to get people (and their bikes) ready for the big day, while also socializing.

It was suggested that we should hold the social at the new Sunset Triangle Plaza in Silver Lake.  The plaza was originally the tail end of the two-lane vehicular Griffith Park Blvd as it curved into Sunset Blvd, usually posing a threat between cyclists, pedestrians, and cars.  But with some green paint, big planters, chairs, tables, and umbrellas, the city through the Streets for People program has created a car-free zone for this small stretch of streets which serves a local coffee shop and vegan cafe, as well as the previously underutilized Triangle Park, which was essentially a glorified traffic island with a fountain on it.

Since its opening in March, the plaza has been getting a lot of positive - and negative - attention in the media and by community members.  One thing people noticed was that it wasn’t being fully utilized.  Most of the time, the plaza was empty.  So we decided to hold our Saturday Social there, as a way to activate - and occupy - the space.  

Visited Blossom’s new location in Sunset Junction, Silver Lake.  Not only does it have an upstairs portion with stripped down interiors, kitchen, and seating, but it also has an equally interesting space in the basement, which has more seating and a bar.  There are also terrariums fed by skylights from the sidewalk on Sunset Blvd above! 

I had the egg-noodle dish Mi Trung Thit Kho: three chunks of braised pork belly and a seasoned boiled egg.

photo (and sign design) by Victoria Vu of Paper & Type

While riding our bikes through the streets of Hollywood on a Sunday in LA, my brother and I found ourselves in the middle of the Songkran Thai New Year Parade & Festival along Hollywood Blvd.  What a treat!

Did you know that LA has the largest population of Thais outside of Thailand?

The festival got really crowded starting at Normandie, so Byron and I rode up to Franklin, and got a great view of the Griffith Observatory in the hills.

Byron and I then rode over to the LA River, hoping to take in the newly rejuvenated river from the recent rains.  But the winds were too strong, and were a real force to ride against.  So we instead rode to M&A on Silver Lake Blvd to check out Bloom.

Celebrated Rachel’s birthday with a traditional food-centric gathering at the Manzanita House.  On the menu: Apple Cider Donuts, Pork Chili, Cornbread, Nutella Bacon Rice Krispies, Potato Gratin, Cabbage Salad, Bacon Brussels Sprouts & Asparagus, and Bacon Baked Beans.

Leaning tower of cornbread.

Glazed Donut by Amy Kim.

Flowers from Silver Lake Farms.

My favorite, w/ Victoria.

Sunset Triangle Plaza.

As part of the Streets For People movement that has taken place in NYC and SF, Los Angeles has now received its first project: The Sunset Triangle Plaza!  Streets for People “inexpensively repurposes underused portions of streets, changing them into vibrant public spaces, and turning streets for cars into streets for people.”

Silver Lake Farms returns to the Hollywood Farmers’ Market

Orquidia Violeta and her awesome ponchos, baby onsies, and dresses.  Organic!

Doug Tiano in the Seas of Science : Photosynthesis.

The Echo Park Time Bank Social at the Silver Lake Meadow.  Kristy sporting her newly bought matching suit from CVS.

Ms. Autumn Rooney, one of the founders of the Echo Park Time Bank.

Winter party at Silver Lake Farms with the smoker.  We actually used the smoker.  

“Rethinking Glendale Boulevard” Workshop w/ James Rojas @ Echo Country Outpost on Glendale Blvd.  When I moved to LA (the second time), I lived right up Glendale Blvd. @ Fargo St., and had to bike the dangerous stretch north of Sunset Blvd. all the time.  Disaster.  Glendale Blvd. really is an unpleasant street to be a pedestrian, cyclist, or business owner.  The workshop really inspired me to start some investigating….  we’ll see what happens.  Lots of neighborhood friends were there : Rachel Klein, Autumn Rooney, Ashley Atkinson, Erik Yesayan, Greg Wittmann Craig Collins (President of the Silver Lake Reservoirs Conservancy), Eric Garcetti (City Council Member).  

Stopped by Materials & Applications’ test run of Disappearing Environments in frogtown.  The team had decided on a final form and configuration.  They built two of the structures and lit some flares to test them out.

Ready for Pacific Standard Time!

i hosted a figure drawing class at Really Awesome Great Experiments.  But instead of spending lots of money on a professional nude model, we just all took turns drawing each other, clothed, and swapping public transportation stories, drinking mulled wine and hot toddies.

in collaboration with Really Awesome Great Experiments and their “8 1/2 x 11 Experiment”, Bruce’s Buddies threw a supper social, pancake brunch edition.  We really wanted to take over the sidewalk, redefine Occidental Blvd. as one that has the possibility for more than something pedestrian and static: Occupy Sidewalk.

I love Los Angeles.  Bags of oranges, all year round for fresh squeezed O.J.

photo by Jamilah Welch.

“The incredible Mr. Gramling will be improving on the piano (and other instruments) to classic short silent films. We’re picking the movie right before, he’s gonna make something totally different.” @ Really Awesome Great Experiments

Buster Keaton in “Cops”

Charlie Chaplin in “One AM”

Buster Keaton in “One Week”