Eat, Laugh, Then Eat Some More.

Today we began our search for Mr. Donut and Ms. Croissant's love child, the Cronut. With Yelp's help, we were able to locate the nearest and highest-rated donut store that sells these famous Frankenstein of a pastry - Peterson's Donut Corner in Escondido.

Derick went for the pink beauty and I went for the white one. I took my first bite hoping for a foodgasm that disappointingly never came. What's worse, I couldn't even fake it. Haha. Sure, it had that unique texture but for me, it was just that - a croissant with chocolate frosting. I'd still choose my good ol' Boston Creme donut over it.

Our next stop was the National Comedy Theater in Downtown San Diego. For $17, we had a good time and so many good laughs! It was basically an improv comedy show, similar to the TV show "Whose Line Is It Anyway?". The performers were divided into two teams where they battled each other through games fueled by suggestions made by us... the audience! Everything that was happening on stage was unscripted. We provided the dirty details for each game, then they incorporated it on their skits. The host-slash-referee told us that if the show sucked, then there'd be no one else to blame but us... the audience! Fair enough. Haha. But I tell you, these guys are so talented that even if the crowd threw in some really lame ideas, they still managed to come up with something hilarious! And it was all clean fun! So glad I found them!

We then grabbed dinner at Boun Apetito in Little Italy. We had Linguine allo Scoglio, which is pasta with clams, mussels, scallops and shrimp in white sauce. We also had Costate d' Agnello, which sounds more complicated than it actually is... Lamb chops! Hehe. Then we finished off with a heavenly slice of Tiramisu for dessert! Lo amo! =P~

Where Lamp Posts Grow Like Trees

Remember this scene from "No Strings Attached" where Adam confessed his feelings for Emma? Then Emma freaked out, pushed him, threw fists at him...

Adam: "You can't fight me, you're miniature. You're like a girl Rick Moranis."

Yea, that's how much I loved the film. Hehe. I seldom remember lines, but this one sorta stayed with me. I just couldn't shake the image of a girl Rick Moranis. Haha. I also remember thinking how lovely and photogenic the setting was.

Fast forward to a few months ago, I was browsing through a magazine of must-see places in Los Angeles, and—voilà!—I saw this section featuring a forest of lamp posts! I really wanted to see it in real life and today, I finally did!

Urban Light is an assemblage of 202 vintage cast-iron street lamps by Chris Burden installed in front of the LA County Museum of Art (LACMA). Aside from the movie, this has also been used as a backdrop for the Glee guys' Vanity Fair photo shoot. (Alright, that's the Gleek in me talking) Haha. Seeing the installation up close and personal was just amazing. And though we didn't stay long enough to see the lights turned on, I'm sure it would look much much more dramatic at night! *_*

Admission fee is at $15. Luckily, LACMA has some sort of partnership with Bank of America and sponsors the first full weekend of every month. I just had to present my debit card at the ticketing booth and I got in for free!

The museum is composed of eight buildings, each housing a different art form or era. We first checked out the Pavilion for Japanese Art. The building itself was an architectural beauty. The walls were made of a translucent material that resembles traditional Japanese rice paper, allowing soft natural light to enter the room. A spiral ramp led us up the different levels of the gallery where hanging scrolls, poetic paintings, ceramics, traditional clothing and armor were on display. But what I enjoyed most were the tiny Japanese sculptures called Netsuke. And when I say tiny, I mean teeny teeny tiny! Each piece measures about an inch, but the details were exceptionally intricate! I took a few photos of my favorites, which is merely 1% of the entire collection!

Next stop was the Hammer building where we saw the art of the ancient world. I especially enjoyed the Egyptian portion of the gallery with its collection of ancient relics and coffins, one of which containing a real mummy!

Adjacent to it was the Ahmanson building, which houses an incredible array of European, Islamic and Southeast Asian artworks. One of the security officers watching the gallery is Filipino. I think he got a little too excited speaking with a kababayan. He went on telling stories about his life, his family and his experiences in the US. He was on a roll and I couldn't get a chance to cut him off nicely. Thanks to Derick, who saw my dilemma, and told a little white lie to pull me out of the conversation. Hehe.

There were a couple of special exhibits that require a separate entrance fee. There's still so much to see but time wasn't on our side. And I even forgot about the Levitated Mass installation! We have to come back!!!

Now this is the section where my very own gallery begins... Hehe.

So This Is What Fear Tastes Like

Being the cowardly chickens that we are, what exactly has gotten into us that made us purchase tickets to the Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights? We barely survived the House of Horrors the last time, so what made us think we'd survive an entire theme park filled with all kinds of evil? Maybe we're just Halloween masochists. But hey, it is the season of horror and fear! So why the hell not!

The park was teeming with both normal-looking people and scary-looking creatures. We first braved the Universal Monsters Remix maze set in an eery castle. It was basically a mashup of classic horror monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein, Chucky, The Wolfman, etc. The scares were quite impressive and the background music was hella trippy! Tried hard to keep my eyes open through the flashing lights as we groped our way through dark dungeons. Didn't want to walk out of the maze with a bump on my head.

Second stop was another maze called El Cucuy. Narrated by Danny Trejo, El Cucuy - or The Boogeyman, as we most commonly know it - is the mythical monster hiding under our beds that we all feared as kids. The scareactors were a bit blah. The "scares" would either happen ahead of me or behind me. Ok, maybe they're not really lame scareactors, but their timing was just off.

At the end of the maze, we found ourselves in one of the scarezones called Cirque du Klownz. As the name suggests, creepy-looking clowns (not doing the "k" or the "z" thing here) were everywhere! And they really enjoyed picking on girls! Hu-why?! With their painted-on expression of happiness and their colorful costumes drenched in dirt and blood, I dunno whether I should smile or scream. So I did both. Then I grabbed Derick's arm and walked a little faster. Hehe.

We then jumped on board the Terror Tram Ride invaded by The Walking Dead. We thought it would be similar to the daylight Studio Tour where we just sit comfortably inside the tram and watch as the guide point out some interesting locations in the backlot. We had no idea that they would drop us off into a wilderness invaded by Walkers! We took a dark walk uphill, passed by the Bates Motel, walked through a plane crash and into shacks filled with zombies! And I thought they only eat brains until one of them tried to go for the pink frosted donut I was holding! Apparently, even the undead loves a sugary midnight snack. Hehe.

Next stop was an attraction called Insidious: Into the Further. Based on the popular horror flick, we expected it to haunt us as much as the movie did. What we didn't expect was for the queue itself being a 2-hour nightmare! I swear, standing in line for 2 freakin' hours sucked the fun and the excitement out of us! We just wanted to get it over and done with. The maze was a replica of the house from the film, recognizable from its facade and interior. Familiar characters like the freaky red-faced demon and Parker Crane's mother ("Don't you daaare!") frequently appeared to scare the bejesus out of us. Several scenes from the movie were recreated, like the seance room with Elise and her team of paranormal investigators, the wooden horses rocking on their own, the room full of dead bodies wrapped in bloody sheets, and the dark netherworld known as The Further. The attraction barely lasted 5 minutes but it had a lot of solid scares that got us screaming! Then again, for a 2-hour wait, couldn't say it was worth it.

On our way out the theme park, we found a huge crowd gathered in the street looking up a balcony. I think it was supposed to be a scarezone, but no one really cared about the scareactors roaming around. Everyone's attention was directed to Chucky sitting overhead throwing lewd insults to the crowd, giving all of us an unhealthy dose of adult-themed laughs.

Waiting time for the Walking Dead: No Safe Heaven and Black Sabbath 3D mazes have gone up to more than 2 hours each. Felt a bit disappointed that we didn't get to see these two attractions coz both have received great reviews.  But we were just too tired to fall in line even for just another hour. Had we known that the lines would be this crazy, we would've shelled out a few more bucks and bought Front of Line passes. Oh well.

Comikaze Expo

Drove to South Figueroa street in LA to get our "tourist shots" of Staples Center. When we reached the vicinity, we noticed a lot of cosplayers walking around. Turned out that Stan Lee's Comikaze Expo was happening at the LA Convention Center! Since we really didn't have any solid plans except for the Halloween Horror Night at 7pm, we decided to check it out.

Finding a parking space was a bit of a challenge. Drove around the block several times without any luck. We almost gave up and almost decided to just grab a meal at Jollibee. Yup, that's part of our itinerary - to enjoy a plateful of Jolly Spaghetti and Chickenjoy! Haha. But it looked like the universe didn't want us to have our langhap-sarap meal. At least not yet. We took one wrong turn that later led us to LACC's parking area.

Entrance is at $25. While waiting in line, I saw Cloud Strife standing a few meters from me, wielding his big-ass Buster Sword! Fell in love all over again with my first ever RPG crush! I knew he would look just as gorgeous in real life! Haha.

We spent the entire afternoon watching all the cosplayers strut their stuff, checking out the different stalls selling all kinds of toys and artists showing off their impressive artworks. Michael Rooker, known for his role in The Walking Dead series, was also there to talk about his projects and then he did a short Q&A with the audience.

Most people in the event would just ask the cosplayers to pose for them so they can take their pictures. But there were some cosplayers who were either my favorites or who were simply irresistible (haha), that I couldn't help but jump in front of the camera and be in the picture with them! Hehe.

There was a special area in the hall that featured the costumes and props from the Iron Man, Thor, and The Avengers movies. A frozen statue of Heimdall, the different Iron Man suits, Captain America's helmet.. Everything was just Marvel-lous!

Another area that caught my attention was like a gaming station with vintage consoles the included the Sega Genesis! See I never really grew up playing dolls and cooking sets; I grew up playing this! Nostalgic!

And while I'm on this little nostalgia trip, these were the games that I played as a kid!

Before leaving for Universal City, we stopped by the Staples Center to have our photos taken.  Because really, that's the reason we're even there. Hehe.

Universal Studios: Take Two

Back at Universal Studios Hollywood to once again enjoy our favorite rides! The Studio Tour was first on our list. We picked the outer seats on the tram to get better views of the different attractions. And as planned, I captured the experience on video!

Studio Tour:
- King Kong 360 3D
- Flash Flood
- Subway Earthquake

We then went in line for our favorites - The Transformers and The Mummy rides. As usual, there was a bunch of people waiting in line. But it was a lot shorter compared to the last time we were there. Walked around the park and spotted some new stuff, like Mr. Bean's car and the Mystery Machine with the entire Scooby Gang on board!

As part of the Halloween Horror Nights, there were creepy decorations scattered all over the theme park. It looked hella scary in broad daylight. I could only imagine the horrors it would give me at night!

But what really gave me the creeps were the vampires roaming around the park. They would usually pick on girls and would really bring their faces close to ours and hiss and stare with a serious thirst for blood! Sure, they were hot and sexy and good looking... but still! Haha.

We were already on our way out when we passed by the House of Horrors. Posted waiting time was 10 minutes so we thought we'd give it a try. Walked through a maze cloaked in darkness where monsters jumped out either before us or right at us! We were only halfway through and I just wanted to get the hell out! What happened to my brave heart?! Haha. When we finally got out, I was so exhausted and short of breath! But if you ask me, would I want to go through it again? Hell yeah! I'd even turn it up a few notches and go for the Halloween Horror Nights!

And on to my favorite shots...





Yep, I just love the flare. Hehe. :)

There's No Place Like Home

We went to Wesoloh yesterday to get Derick's car and I accidentally left our house keys in the service van. Good thing it was surrendered in the office. It would've been a real problem because one of the keychains has our address and apartment number on it! How convenient for someone to break in! Haha.

When we got hold of our precious keys, we stopped by Wetzel's for a bag of pretzel bites. I dropped my sunglasses while crossing the street and it almost got ran over by a car. I think the car just missed it by an inch or two! Whew.

It was time to hit the road to LA. We had no yellow brick road to follow, but we had Garmin to show us the highlighted route to Oz! Haha.

When we arrived at the Pantages Theater, there was already a handful of people waiting. Outside, the theater just looks like an old building but inside, its classic beauty was astonishing! The grand staircase, the chandeliers, the gorgeous ornate ceiling, the golden statues.. Everything just makes you feel kinda fancy. Hehe.

And since we still had a lot of time to spare... Haha.

We had pretty good seats. We didn't have a center view of the stage but we were quite near. I'm not that familiar with the songs except for Somewhere Over The Rainbow but I really enjoyed each and every performance! Danielle Wade, the girl who played Dorothy, was ah-mazing! Great acting and excellent singing. I'm still wondering how she changed from a blue dress to a green dress with just one quick turn. Seriously, what happened there? Was it the ruby slippers? The magic of Emerald City? Argh, I shouldn't have blinked! The Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion were both funny. I love them! Glinda the Good Witch reminded me so much of Rachel McAdams. I remember in Wicked, she first entered the stage inside a giant bubble. In this musical, she was wearing this big elegant dress as she descended from the heavens. She sure knows how to make a grand entrance! Hehe.

After the play, we went straight to Universal Studios. Little did we know that the "regular" park was closing early because of a special event called Halloween Horror Nights. It requires a separate entrance fee and was not covered by our annual passes. Didn't have the budget for that but we would definitely schedule this some other time.

Dinner at Bubba Gump in City Walk. Tried this Blue Hawaiian drink, which is basically pineapple juice with blue curacao and vodka. It was refreshing, but not without a kick. We also ordered some very very sinful dessert! A warm soft chocolate chip cookie topped with vanilla ice cream, peanuts, hot fudge and whipped cream! One spoonful and I was in heaven!

In celebration of the 75th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz, McDonald's released these cute little Happy Meal toys! And I got to buy them without stuffing myself with fake chicken nuggets!

TatTwo

Woke up around 9am, ready to get my second ink. Already did some research before and found Full Circle Tattoo in downtown San Diego. But I thought, there must be a tattoo parlor nearby that won't require us to drive 36 miles. Asked for Yelp's help and found Frontline Tattoo, which is only 3 miles away from home. The reviews were good, some said they were a bit pricey but that they do quality work. For something that would be permanently etched on my skin, I really don't mind paying a little extra.

Called the Vista branch to inquire about their pricing and to set an appointment. The guy on the line told me that they do not do appointments and that it's hard to give an estimate without seeing the actual design. I really wanted to get a price range so I would at least have an idea. Didn't want to just walk in and walk away if it's way out of my budget. So I tried my best to describe the design. He said it would probably be around a hundred bucks, give or take.

When we arrived at the Vista branch, my hands turned cold. Haha. The guy in the receiving area was kinda arrogant in dealing with us. Probably coz we're interrupting his lunch or he probably thinks we're just a couple of youngsters with little money. Haha. Told us that the earliest available spot that they have is at 6pm. We could either wait or he could refer us to their Oceanside branch. He called them up and asked if they have any opening. Luckily, the other branch could take us in.

The shop in Oceanside was less intimidating. The front desk guy was very accommodating and was quite funny. Forgot to bring an ID so he just made me promise that I am of legal age. Haha. After signing the waiver, he introduced me to my tattoo artist, Julie.

I love the setup of the shop, the artists have their own curtained booth. Julie has a lot of framed artworks and she has this cork board filled with her sketches. Made myself comfortable in the chair as she prepared her stuff. When she turned the machine on, I realized how much I missed the buzzing sound of a tattoo gun. When the needle touched my skin, I realized how much I missed the "stinging" sensation. When it was over, I was seriously craving for more!!

Now that just made me sound like I'm addicted to it, but seriously, I am not. I mean, really. Nope, not an addict. Nuh-uh. Oh, bull. >_<

Like Moths To A Gaslamp

Grabbed an early dinner of steak and pasta at Rock Bottom Brewery & Restaurant. Needless to say, we ate thinking that we'll be doing a lot of walking after. Hehe.

Now that we're full on fuel, we had the energy to explore the Gaslamp Quarter! Hehe. The streets were lined with bars, restaurants, pubs and shops and there were Victorian-style buildings that make for a good photo.

As the night wore on, the place transformed into an adult playground. And I say that in a good way. The vibrant lights, the loud music, the alcohol, the happy freaks dressed in glittery costumes prancing around like it's the 70's..

Walking is a great exercise and a much needed one at that, but we had to give our legs a rest. Getting a table outside the restaurants were almost impossible as most of them were reserved. After some time, we finally got a table at La Fiesta Mexican Cuisine Lounge. Enjoyed a glass of mudslide as we watched the world go by. Well, the people of the world to be exact. Hehe. Sitting there as different kinds of people walked back and forth like it's freakin' runway, I felt like we just upped our people watching skills to an almost professional level. Haha.

Right across the Gaslamp Quarter is the San Diego Convention Center. It was pretty lifeless at that time but I can only imagine how alive and exciting it gets during the annual Comic-Con! The cosplayers, the celebrities, the toys! And I still can't believe we missed that!

Los favoritos:

Sun, Sand And Sails

Building sand castles in the beach may be thought of as child's play. But this Labor Day weekend, a group of sand sculptors have picked up their buckets and shovels to turn tons of sand into artistic masterpieces for the US Sand Sculpting Challenge!

The competition was held in Downtown San Diego. The place is a nice mix of city and sunshine. It got all the concrete and the buildings on one side and the San Diego Bay on the other. Aside from the amazing sand sculptures, a variety of 3D art and photography were also on display.

Walking With The Stars

Walked down Hollywood Boulevard to see Hollywood's most famous stars. How I wish I am talking about seeing them in the flesh! But I'm just talking about them glittery pink stars lining the sidewalks of the boulevard known as the Walk of Fame. The place was teeming with snap-happy tourists, street performers and people posing as superheroes for a quick buck. It was a quite a sight but I mostly kept my eyes on the pavement, looking for names I would recognize. Now here's a thought: Why does Tinkerbell have a star when Kurt Cobain doesn't have one?

We also saw the Dolby Theater, which is home to the Academy Awards. Amazing how this seemingly ordinary street burst with glitz and glam once the red carpet is rolled out.

Just a stone's throw away is the distinctive Chinese Theater, with its pagoda-like architecture. Outside the theater were the handprints, footprints and signatures of numerous screen legends immortalized in cement.

No trip to LA is complete without seeing the iconic Hollywood sign. We searched the net for the best viewing locations, drove through a residential area, up steep hills to our chosen spot - the Canyon Lake Drive. It was beautiful! We had an unobstructed view of the Hollywood sign perched high atop a mountain, Lake Hollywood on the other side and luscious greens everywhere.  We also stopped by Beverly Hills for some quick photos.

Then 'twas time to say bye bye bye to La La Land. But we'll be ba-ba-back soon! :)