Life is so exciting lately!!!
Ok so. the jimmy kimmel live show?? pretty AWEsome! we tried to drive, but my friend's car broke down. ugh. so we had to walk, take a bus, then walk again. but we got to Hollywood in time, and waited in line and then got into the Jimmy Kimmel Live show!!! the show was... not what i expected. i guess having never seen it, i thought it'd be more like Oprah.. you know, lots of talking to the guests and what not. but it was way different.
this comedian came in to hype up the audience, give us instructions and entertain us, then jimmy came in, did some commercials, the band played... we cheered alot. and jimmy got his makeup re-touched every commercial break. it was SO interesting to see how a real live TV set filming happens!! it was so cool! i was on camera!!
and then the guest stars came on.. dylan mcdermott and bj novak. they were both really good-looking, but they only talked for like, 5 minutes! and then they went off! and then the show aired another commercial, or something stupid that was supposed to be funny, but really, wasn't. so it was okay.. wasn't the greatest show ever. don't think i'd watch it on tv anytime soon. haha. but it was cool to see the celebrities. although bj novak spent most of his time talking about CEREAL. who does that??? seriously, this show must be running on advertisements, because there were A TON. subway, cereal, school supplies, everything. but we also got to go outdoors and see The Dead Weather in concert, so that was fun :)
i'd go back again, if i can get free tickets, cuz Boys Like Girls is playing soon!! but their tix are sold out. sigh. oh well.
and then we walked around Hollywood, which is really pretty at night. all the lights and stuff. and had dinner at Johnny Rockets, which apparently had the best burgers in town. it was pretty good. and then walked a lot more, waited super long for the bus, walked even more, and finally reached home sweet home. LA is really, really, really hard to get around without a car. no kidding. i don't know how i'm going to survive the next 4 months.
Anyway, today we went and did a tour of the Kodak Theatre, where Hollywood has all its celebrity award shows... the place was majestic, even though way smaller than it seems on TV. they have all kinds of shows there.. the oscars, the emmys, the academy awards... it was so cool to be there and see where the stars go and walk where they've walked before, and pee at the toilets where they've peed before. hahaha. we got to go on stage, in the auditorium, on the winner's walk...it was way cool.
then we broke off into groups and had lunch. i went to a sushi place with a bunch of other people :) and most people had california rolls. seriously here, sushi=california rolls and nothing else. haha. but it was funny seeing people use chopsticks. hahaha.
and i really like the girls in our program, they're just so crazy and funny and fun to be with. and the guys too.. they're so friendly and funny and also fun to be with :)
there's this girl i found out i had a lot in common with, she cracks me up. so we were talking about how people make connections REALLY FAST here. it's so obvious which guys like which girls, and it's funny how it's usually a one-way thing. the girls here don't seem to like the guys... in that manner. so it's funny to just see how they interact and (most of the time) follow the girls around like a lost puppy. ahahaha.
and then me and this girl found out we both (sort of) had an interest in the SAME guy. sigh. although... it's more of fascination for me. i'm just intrigued by him. but as i get to know him better (we spent most of the day together today)... not so much. haha. a little too quiet for me i guess.
anyway, a bunch of us watched District 9 at the Chinese Theater, where all the stars on the Hollywood walk are and there are people all dressed up in characters walking about. today we saw spiderman, tigger, the joker, elvis, and more. but back to the movie... it was surprisingly GOOD! a lot of people i've talked to either LOVE it or HATE it. but i actually really liked it. ok so it's about aliens. and it's gory. two things i usually dislike in movies. but this time, it worked. i don't know, it just struck a chord in me. i feel like the film had a ton of messages, and it was different and very unique and interesting. it was filmed in a documentary sort of way... and talked about how aliens came to invade our earth, and how people don't like them and want to chase them away, which i thought was an interesting referral to immigrants. and then as the story progressed, the main character got more likeable, and his story was just really sad in the end, and i really liked his transformation, even though parts of it were GROSS. so yeah, although i spent half the movie covering my eyes, i thought it had a good message. it was intense and thought-provoking. you'll have to see it to believe it. if it ever comes out in sgp.
i really like doing this film program, cuz it means people are film geeks and they love watching movies. and i love watching movies too! :)
so after the movie, the four of us attempted to walk back to the apartments from hollywood. we thought it was like a 5-10 min walk. but NO. it was like half an hour before we decided to stop and take a bus. so i ended up hot, sweaty, disgusting, and really exhausted. such a bad idea to walk. but now i know.
and then our program director invited us over to her house for dinner, and omg. her home was SO COOL. it was like french gothic, quaint, like a stone-walled cottage kinda feel. so homey and cozy and wonderful. i loved it. there was even a wardrobe that looked like it could be from the Narnia set. and the food was yummy...been a while since i've had a home-cooked meal. lots of cereal and sandwiches and fruits. so yeah.. got to talk to more people and get to know them better... and again... i really like the people here. some people are so open and honest in sharing. and then they get crazy playing games. haha. i'm already sad just thinking of having to leave 4 months from now!!
ok should go to sleep now. going to church tomorrow bright and early!
and ooh i have progress on the internship aspect, but not gonna say anything till i get the interview. don't wanna mess things up. but it's pretty sweet :)
keep me in prayer that i'll find the right internship!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
TICKETS!
i've been scouring all over the internet to find free tickets to events and talk shows and stuff, and finally this morning i got tickets to the Jimmy Kimmel Live show TONIGHT starring guest stars BJ novak (from inglorious basterds that just came out and The OFFICE!) and dylan mcdermott. i actually really couldn't care less about the stars. i just recognize their names, but i'm not like a huge fan. i'm just EXCITED to go to a live show TAPING!!! IN LA!!! AAAAHHHH!!! i can't believe i just got tickets! cuz they were sold out this whole week up until this morning! some wonderful person must've declined at the last minute :)
I also got some tickets for free premieres of shows on ABC, Fox, CW and all that... but i don't really know those shows. even though it might be fun to just go and see celebs. haha. COOLNESS! my friend saw christina ricci at the grocery store the other day. seriously, why do other people always get to see celebs and i somehow always miss them???
oh but anyway, last night this actor named Doug Jones came to talk to us, and he was HILARIOUS. i've never heard of him until now, and i'm sure none of you have either.
but get this. he was the Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four, Abe Sapien in Hellboy, the thin infected man in Quarantine, Number 7 robot in Benchwarmers, and he was also in Pan's Labyrinth, Three Kings, Men in Black 2, Buffy... he's done SO MUCH STUFF! but the reason why most people don't know him is that he's usually the one who's under all that makeup gunk/costumes, cuz he's the go-to monster/creature actor that doesn't mind all that chemical stuff on his face and body. so in real life, he's this skinny white guy in his 40s, and funny as hell. we laughed for 3 hours straight, with him telling us about his experiences as an actor, and how he's had to persevere and plunge ahead despite lots of obstacles in Hollywood. it was so cool to hear his story, and to be in the presence of an actor!! he was THIS CLOSE to jessica alba in the fantastic 4!!! and he said she was really nice and sweet. awwwwww. and he's rumored to be starring several big upcoming films, so we'll get to see more of him! coolness :)
i don't know why but i've been so tired lately. by 10pm i'm like exhausted, and i've been going to bed before midnight most nights. it's never happened before! but i'm just so tired! maybe i'm still on jetlag.
anw yesterday i got my box sent by carly from new york! so i have all my bedsheets and pillows now. before that i was sleeping on a sleeping bag. haha. and so i borrowed this cart (that's supposed to be for camera equipment) from the center, and pushed it all the way back to my apartment with my roomie. and we stopped to get groceries on the way, and then piled all our plastic bags full of food on top of the box on the cart. people kept staring. i think they thought we stole a shopping cart or something. hahaha. and then halfway we hit a bump, and everything, including the box, FELL OFF the cart. of course we were hysterical and exploded with laughter, and then this nice guy came to help us out, seeing as how we were helpless and rolling on the floor laughing.
today we broke up into small groups and shared about our expectations, concerns and hopes for this semester, and it was encouraging to see most people had similar worries... not knowing what to expect at the internship, not knowing much about film, not knowing if this industry is the right fit for them... so it was nice to have that support group. and now i'm trying to do my laundry, but IT'S CLOSED OFF and i don't know why! sigh. so creepy in the basement, too, but i don't dare to go off and leave my stuff, seeing as how my roomie got her stuff stolen.
ok can't wait for 6pm tonight!!!! JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!
I also got some tickets for free premieres of shows on ABC, Fox, CW and all that... but i don't really know those shows. even though it might be fun to just go and see celebs. haha. COOLNESS! my friend saw christina ricci at the grocery store the other day. seriously, why do other people always get to see celebs and i somehow always miss them???
oh but anyway, last night this actor named Doug Jones came to talk to us, and he was HILARIOUS. i've never heard of him until now, and i'm sure none of you have either.
but get this. he was the Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four, Abe Sapien in Hellboy, the thin infected man in Quarantine, Number 7 robot in Benchwarmers, and he was also in Pan's Labyrinth, Three Kings, Men in Black 2, Buffy... he's done SO MUCH STUFF! but the reason why most people don't know him is that he's usually the one who's under all that makeup gunk/costumes, cuz he's the go-to monster/creature actor that doesn't mind all that chemical stuff on his face and body. so in real life, he's this skinny white guy in his 40s, and funny as hell. we laughed for 3 hours straight, with him telling us about his experiences as an actor, and how he's had to persevere and plunge ahead despite lots of obstacles in Hollywood. it was so cool to hear his story, and to be in the presence of an actor!! he was THIS CLOSE to jessica alba in the fantastic 4!!! and he said she was really nice and sweet. awwwwww. and he's rumored to be starring several big upcoming films, so we'll get to see more of him! coolness :)
i don't know why but i've been so tired lately. by 10pm i'm like exhausted, and i've been going to bed before midnight most nights. it's never happened before! but i'm just so tired! maybe i'm still on jetlag.
anw yesterday i got my box sent by carly from new york! so i have all my bedsheets and pillows now. before that i was sleeping on a sleeping bag. haha. and so i borrowed this cart (that's supposed to be for camera equipment) from the center, and pushed it all the way back to my apartment with my roomie. and we stopped to get groceries on the way, and then piled all our plastic bags full of food on top of the box on the cart. people kept staring. i think they thought we stole a shopping cart or something. hahaha. and then halfway we hit a bump, and everything, including the box, FELL OFF the cart. of course we were hysterical and exploded with laughter, and then this nice guy came to help us out, seeing as how we were helpless and rolling on the floor laughing.
today we broke up into small groups and shared about our expectations, concerns and hopes for this semester, and it was encouraging to see most people had similar worries... not knowing what to expect at the internship, not knowing much about film, not knowing if this industry is the right fit for them... so it was nice to have that support group. and now i'm trying to do my laundry, but IT'S CLOSED OFF and i don't know why! sigh. so creepy in the basement, too, but i don't dare to go off and leave my stuff, seeing as how my roomie got her stuff stolen.
ok can't wait for 6pm tonight!!!! JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!
Friday, August 28, 2009
It's only been a few days
But i feel like i've already been here for months. it's weird. tons of weird/not-so-good stuff has been happening lately. my roomie got her load of laundry stolen right out the dryer, my other roomie was talking on her phone outside subway, in broad daylight, on the street in clear view of people, and this skinny white guy just whizzes by and SNATCHES the phone out of her hand!!!! her blackberry!! and after she gets over her shock of what just happened, the guy is way past gone. so the cops were called and all, but there's really nothing they can do. man, i've heard so many stories about people getting mugged in broad daylight, it's making me kinda afraid to go anywhere alone or hold any valuables in my hand. another friend got her wallet stolen at a CD shop. seriously!!! what is wrong with this place?? i guess we're all gonna be really cautious from now on, since apparently you can get robbed anywhere, anytime in LA.
ooh on tues went to The Grove in the evening (it's EVEN prettier in the evening!! pretty lights and everything! feels like a magical land. haha) to watch 500 Days of Summer. OMG if/when it comes out in singapore, PLEASE go and watch it. it's seriously the best romantic comedy i've ever seen in a while. it's different, unique, a little quirky and eclectic, but so worth it! although the ending leaves more to be desired, zooey deschanel is adorable and weird, as usual, and the story is just so cute and different from other predictable chick flicks. this movie's got more of an indie feel, but i just loved it. and the theatre we went to see it in was like some majestic ballroom! and you could tell by the steep ticket prices -- 12bucks just like in NYC. is it not enough that movies make big bucks?? do they have to rip us off too??? ooh but i learned in class that MOST movies actually LOSE MONEY! isn't that crazy?? so studios rely on one or two HUGE films like The Dark Knight or Transformers2 to recoup their losses. and here i thought they were ripping us off. although.. i still don't feel guilty for downloading movies online. hahaha.
been through several camera labs and equipment labs.. learning how to operate the crazy complicated cameras and equipments.. my head's just exploding with way too much information, and i'm pretty sure i'll forget it all. but it's so comforting to know there are other clueless people like me! there's english majors here, even an art history major! i guess most people, like me, come to this program with a basic interest in film, and they wanna find out for sure if this is where they wanna head into after graduation. we had a student film screening last night, where people got to show off their projects from previous classes, and i was totally blown away! i thought, from what i'd seen before, that student films are pretty crappy. and they usually are. but some of these pieces we saw were sooooooo professional and good! i was surprised!!! they were creative, funny, unique, and had a good message to tell. it was pretty cool, although the pressure's on, since everyone here is talented in some way.
talking about pressure... SO MUCH INFORMATION stuffed down our throats the last few days! i feel like i'm about to explode. so much homework i don't even wanna think about it. a couple who started the Hollywood Prayer Network (to support and pray for Christians in Hollywood), came and talked to us today and said we HAVE to know films if we wanna click with others in the industry and have something intelligent to contribute to conversations. so we have to watch the top 100 films on some list. omg. i looked it over, and i haven't seen like 95% of the films!!!! panicking now. this is what i get for watching mindless chick flicks all the time!! plus another huge topic in conversations is politics. GREAT. two things i'm clueless about. gotta go read up on that, because i gotta know the lingo in hollywood!!
and also we have to write a freaking script by wednesday to compete against each other cuz only 5 scripts will get picked to be made into movies in our Hollywood Production Workshop class. STRESS to the max. since obviously i'm a writer and i want to do good in this area. but i'm totally drawing blanks when it comes to story ideas. i mean, the film is only gonna be 10mins max. which means 10 pages of script. which means.. super short and crammed! and as you can see, i love to write. ALOT. people have trouble writing enough to meet the minimum, i have trouble writing lesser to be under the maximum. that's always been the case. sigh. will have to keep brainstorming.
but back to the couple who came and talked to us today... they were so cute and it was so refreshing to see people still happily married after so long in hollywood. they've worked with all kinds of famous directors, producers, actors... and they're still so grounded in the Lord and they've touched countless lives just by being an example of Jesus' love! it was pretty awesome to hear their stories. so i shall be committed to praying for one person at my office and pray that God will use me to touch that person's life. they keep telling us that most people in hollywood are jewish, which is surprising, and that people are so hungry for someone to listen, because everyone in hollywood lies and cheats and deceives. and their god is not money, it's worldview. some people will fight to the death for their beliefs in politics, saving the environment, gays... everything. it's all so overwhelming.
so anyway, i got to know more people here and there... some people here really look like some of my friends at taylor, it's weird. but everyone's really getting to know each other better, so it's cool. last night we watched Into the Wild at someone's apartment (another great thing about not being at taylor? no open house!! meaning we can go to anyone's apartment anytime! boy or girl! haha).. it was a pretty good movie. very thought provoking and a true story too! it was kinda slow and long, but still recommended. this guy actually removed all traces of his existence and went on a journey to alaska, meeting weird people along the way. he'd conformed to the expectations of his rich parents until after he graduated from college, then he 'ran away' and just started hiking by himself. it's crazy! i can't imagine living like that.. not really having any purpose but just drifting along and hunting for food everyday.
ooh and yesterday we tried to go see the Jimmy Kimmel live show in hollywood, because Robin Williams was a guest star, but we were too late and tickets were gone :( but it's ok, there are plenty of other shows!!! this is like new york all over again!! so many free shows to go to!!! Boys Like Girls is coming to the jimmy kimmel show a few weeks from now, and i signed up but only got standby tickets. hopefully someone cancels out.
so yeah. a lot to think about. have to write about my expectations for this semester, and honestly... the reason i applied for this LA semester was to get away from Taylor. plain and simple. it's not like i hated it there, i love my friends and all, but i just NEEDED to go somewhere else, somewhere where i have more freedom, where there's more stuff to do, more people to meet... i don't know. at that point in time last semester, i was running away a lot. like to new york and then now to LA. but now that i'm actually here... i think God brought me here for a purpose. i mean, i know that, and i'm excited to find out what it is :)
ooh on tues went to The Grove in the evening (it's EVEN prettier in the evening!! pretty lights and everything! feels like a magical land. haha) to watch 500 Days of Summer. OMG if/when it comes out in singapore, PLEASE go and watch it. it's seriously the best romantic comedy i've ever seen in a while. it's different, unique, a little quirky and eclectic, but so worth it! although the ending leaves more to be desired, zooey deschanel is adorable and weird, as usual, and the story is just so cute and different from other predictable chick flicks. this movie's got more of an indie feel, but i just loved it. and the theatre we went to see it in was like some majestic ballroom! and you could tell by the steep ticket prices -- 12bucks just like in NYC. is it not enough that movies make big bucks?? do they have to rip us off too??? ooh but i learned in class that MOST movies actually LOSE MONEY! isn't that crazy?? so studios rely on one or two HUGE films like The Dark Knight or Transformers2 to recoup their losses. and here i thought they were ripping us off. although.. i still don't feel guilty for downloading movies online. hahaha.
been through several camera labs and equipment labs.. learning how to operate the crazy complicated cameras and equipments.. my head's just exploding with way too much information, and i'm pretty sure i'll forget it all. but it's so comforting to know there are other clueless people like me! there's english majors here, even an art history major! i guess most people, like me, come to this program with a basic interest in film, and they wanna find out for sure if this is where they wanna head into after graduation. we had a student film screening last night, where people got to show off their projects from previous classes, and i was totally blown away! i thought, from what i'd seen before, that student films are pretty crappy. and they usually are. but some of these pieces we saw were sooooooo professional and good! i was surprised!!! they were creative, funny, unique, and had a good message to tell. it was pretty cool, although the pressure's on, since everyone here is talented in some way.
talking about pressure... SO MUCH INFORMATION stuffed down our throats the last few days! i feel like i'm about to explode. so much homework i don't even wanna think about it. a couple who started the Hollywood Prayer Network (to support and pray for Christians in Hollywood), came and talked to us today and said we HAVE to know films if we wanna click with others in the industry and have something intelligent to contribute to conversations. so we have to watch the top 100 films on some list. omg. i looked it over, and i haven't seen like 95% of the films!!!! panicking now. this is what i get for watching mindless chick flicks all the time!! plus another huge topic in conversations is politics. GREAT. two things i'm clueless about. gotta go read up on that, because i gotta know the lingo in hollywood!!
and also we have to write a freaking script by wednesday to compete against each other cuz only 5 scripts will get picked to be made into movies in our Hollywood Production Workshop class. STRESS to the max. since obviously i'm a writer and i want to do good in this area. but i'm totally drawing blanks when it comes to story ideas. i mean, the film is only gonna be 10mins max. which means 10 pages of script. which means.. super short and crammed! and as you can see, i love to write. ALOT. people have trouble writing enough to meet the minimum, i have trouble writing lesser to be under the maximum. that's always been the case. sigh. will have to keep brainstorming.
but back to the couple who came and talked to us today... they were so cute and it was so refreshing to see people still happily married after so long in hollywood. they've worked with all kinds of famous directors, producers, actors... and they're still so grounded in the Lord and they've touched countless lives just by being an example of Jesus' love! it was pretty awesome to hear their stories. so i shall be committed to praying for one person at my office and pray that God will use me to touch that person's life. they keep telling us that most people in hollywood are jewish, which is surprising, and that people are so hungry for someone to listen, because everyone in hollywood lies and cheats and deceives. and their god is not money, it's worldview. some people will fight to the death for their beliefs in politics, saving the environment, gays... everything. it's all so overwhelming.
so anyway, i got to know more people here and there... some people here really look like some of my friends at taylor, it's weird. but everyone's really getting to know each other better, so it's cool. last night we watched Into the Wild at someone's apartment (another great thing about not being at taylor? no open house!! meaning we can go to anyone's apartment anytime! boy or girl! haha).. it was a pretty good movie. very thought provoking and a true story too! it was kinda slow and long, but still recommended. this guy actually removed all traces of his existence and went on a journey to alaska, meeting weird people along the way. he'd conformed to the expectations of his rich parents until after he graduated from college, then he 'ran away' and just started hiking by himself. it's crazy! i can't imagine living like that.. not really having any purpose but just drifting along and hunting for food everyday.
ooh and yesterday we tried to go see the Jimmy Kimmel live show in hollywood, because Robin Williams was a guest star, but we were too late and tickets were gone :( but it's ok, there are plenty of other shows!!! this is like new york all over again!! so many free shows to go to!!! Boys Like Girls is coming to the jimmy kimmel show a few weeks from now, and i signed up but only got standby tickets. hopefully someone cancels out.
so yeah. a lot to think about. have to write about my expectations for this semester, and honestly... the reason i applied for this LA semester was to get away from Taylor. plain and simple. it's not like i hated it there, i love my friends and all, but i just NEEDED to go somewhere else, somewhere where i have more freedom, where there's more stuff to do, more people to meet... i don't know. at that point in time last semester, i was running away a lot. like to new york and then now to LA. but now that i'm actually here... i think God brought me here for a purpose. i mean, i know that, and i'm excited to find out what it is :)
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Livin' it up in LA
I'm in LA!! Livin' up the sunny california life! and so far i'm liking it alot! haha.
Anyway, backtracking to the past few days... whoa. it's been kinda overwhelming. the flight here was alright, went by really quick. 7hrs to japan + 8hrs to LA. i slept a lot, was so tired. but of course watched movies also, being the kiasu singaporean i am. watched ghosts of girlfriends past, obsessed, coraline and something else i can't remember now.
And then i got to LA, lugged all my 3 bags around till i found the taxi stand, prayed hard that the taxi driver would be nice (and thank god he was), hopped in, and started toward Miracle Mile. it took us like an hour to get there, and i gave him google map directions that dad printed out the night before, and we still got lost several times. but he was nice and didn't charge me more. and at least i was only 5 mins late to registration. so i got registered, realized i didn't have enough money to pay registration fees, went to the bank, realized i only had a 200dollar limit to withdrawing cash from my debit account, went back and lugged my bags to my apartment with the help of a very nice guy.
So i'm living at this place called park la brea apartments, which is HUGE. it's like a town by itself! there's like 12,000 people living here, there are tower apartments, houses, cafes, a swimming pool, a gym, a small movie theater, everything! i don't even have to leave this place if i don't want to. (but of course i do). and there's Kmart right outside, with Ralph's and Trader Joe's and the 99 cent store and The Grove... omg. i'm in total paradise. NO MORE CORNFIELDS for the next 4 months! i don't know how i'll ever drag myself back to indiana after stints in NYC and LA.
Anyway, my apartment's pretty nice. HUGE living room, we call it our 'dance floor,' and plan to have many rockin' parties here. haha. nice kitchen, with everything from pots and pans to a fridge to a dishwasher. two bathrooms, two rooms. i have 4 other roommates, and i share a room with two other people. they're all SUCH nice people! i'm so glad this is a Christian program, because i was initially really apprehensive about moving to a huge, corrupted, cutthroat, money-minded city like LA, but it's been SO awfully encouraging having all these great people around me who share the same anxieties and offer good support. And yeah, they've talked about how our internships might be horrid, our bosses might treat us like the lowly unpaid interns we are, but it's ok, as long as we keep in mind who we answer to and who we are in God.
So yeah, they keep stuffing information down our throats. info about LA, about living in our apartments, about internships, about our 3 classes, everything. it's really overwhelming, but at the same time, really exciting, and i can't wait to get started. Although this really feels like an extended vacation. everyone agrees that this is TOO GOOD to be true! i mean, i get to spend a semester in awesome LA, with sunny weather, great people who love God, an internship in Hollywood... where's the catch??? -- as my roommate so correctly described it. we actually sat out in the sun by the poolside yesterday, absorbing sunny rays and doing our homework - reading a screenplay. THIS IS THE LIFE! haha. but i'm sure it'll get much busier and crazier as the semester goes on. And then we went shopping last night, at The Grove, which is RIGHT NEXT to my apartment complex. and OMG. it was SO COOL! it was like disneyland, but an adult version! quaint shops side by side with big brand names, a little trolley bus thingy going round the outdoor mall, shops by the side, shops everywhere, a farmer's market.. it was so cool i loved it :) Also, some guy told me Disneyland is FREE when you go during your bday, so i'm definitely gonna try!! even though my bday's on a tuesday.
Only thing is, our classes are held in this building, like 20 mins walk away from my apartment. which isn't so bad, but compared to taylor, where i walk 5 mins to class, it's far. haha. and under the hot sun, it's even further. now i totally regret bringing all my long sleeved shirts and jackets. sigh. it's SO HOT! but classes have been fun. the LAFSC offices are in this tower, and there's computer labs, edit suites, tons of camera equipment i don't know how to use, a tiny classroom/lecture hall, a lounge, TONS of DVDs and books we can rent out... oh and there's so much to do here! live bands, comedy clubs, broadway shows, it's like NYC again!!! only there's no public transport. i haven't seen a bus here. NOT ONE! which makes me kinda nervous cuz i don't drive and i'm sure i'll need to take a bus to my internship. sigh.
oh and there are these DEMON BIRDS (as my other roomie calls them), that SCREECH AND SCREAM every, single, morning. AT 5AM! it's insane! they go on for a whole hour, and all of us (except one, she sleeps through it all, lucky) have been getting up at 5am. also cuz our apartment's on the ground floor, so we hear all kinds of noises at ungodly hours. like the rubbish truck clearing the trash, random people talking in the morning.. it's really annoying. i might have to become a morning person this semester.
But other than that, everything else is good. ooh although.. people do get mugged here more often. my roomie lost her load of laundry the second day we were here. some idiot took all her jeans and shirts! and obviously she couldn't get it back. sooo.. i guess i'll have to sit there and WATCH my laundry go round and round in the machine every time. for 45 mins. and then the dryer. sigh. and the basement's creepy too.
Went grocery shopping to stock up our fridge. man, the 99cent store is a LIFESAVER! everything there truly is 99 cents OR BELOW! i got 6 packets of ramen for 99 cents altogether! so that was cool. and then Trader Joe's, which i was introduced to in NYC and totally love. there's tons of organic and natural stuff there, so i got lots of fruits/veggies/stuff that i don't have to cook cuz i don't know how to cook. haha. my roomie suggested we alternate cooking weekly for family-style dinners, and i was like.... uhhh i don't know how to cook. now i feel dumb. can't cook, can't drive. seriously!
Anyway.. i think that's about all. i just wanna say again, the people are so nice. and it's such a change from being around non-Christians in the New York program. and they're all so funny. we've only known each other for a few days, but we already have so many inside jokes, it's crazy! today my roomies and i were watching this show called 'Home Delivery' during lunch (yes, we have a TV and DVD player! YAY!), and totally laughing until we couldn't speak. it was meant to be touching and sappy, but we found it hilarious. the TV production was awful. it was like they were trying to squeeze 10 mins of actual footage into 30 mins for the show. so lots of repetitions and what not. totally lame. but so funny. and i fed them my dried mangoes. and told them about singapore and its no-gum policy -- that never fails to amuse americans. they're all like, 'seriously?? omg!! i can't believe this!! wait till i tell my friends about this!! how could you live without gum??'
and i'm like, it's really no big deal. and then i tell them about how we smuggle gum from malaysia into singapore. haha
oh i have my internship interview on friday morning... so pray hard i'll get a good internship that's suitable for me, and that i'll get nice people to work with and not crazy tyrant bosses. oh and LA's 15 hours behind singapore.
ok that was a very messy update but gotta go to class now. that's all! :)
Anyway, backtracking to the past few days... whoa. it's been kinda overwhelming. the flight here was alright, went by really quick. 7hrs to japan + 8hrs to LA. i slept a lot, was so tired. but of course watched movies also, being the kiasu singaporean i am. watched ghosts of girlfriends past, obsessed, coraline and something else i can't remember now.
And then i got to LA, lugged all my 3 bags around till i found the taxi stand, prayed hard that the taxi driver would be nice (and thank god he was), hopped in, and started toward Miracle Mile. it took us like an hour to get there, and i gave him google map directions that dad printed out the night before, and we still got lost several times. but he was nice and didn't charge me more. and at least i was only 5 mins late to registration. so i got registered, realized i didn't have enough money to pay registration fees, went to the bank, realized i only had a 200dollar limit to withdrawing cash from my debit account, went back and lugged my bags to my apartment with the help of a very nice guy.
So i'm living at this place called park la brea apartments, which is HUGE. it's like a town by itself! there's like 12,000 people living here, there are tower apartments, houses, cafes, a swimming pool, a gym, a small movie theater, everything! i don't even have to leave this place if i don't want to. (but of course i do). and there's Kmart right outside, with Ralph's and Trader Joe's and the 99 cent store and The Grove... omg. i'm in total paradise. NO MORE CORNFIELDS for the next 4 months! i don't know how i'll ever drag myself back to indiana after stints in NYC and LA.
Anyway, my apartment's pretty nice. HUGE living room, we call it our 'dance floor,' and plan to have many rockin' parties here. haha. nice kitchen, with everything from pots and pans to a fridge to a dishwasher. two bathrooms, two rooms. i have 4 other roommates, and i share a room with two other people. they're all SUCH nice people! i'm so glad this is a Christian program, because i was initially really apprehensive about moving to a huge, corrupted, cutthroat, money-minded city like LA, but it's been SO awfully encouraging having all these great people around me who share the same anxieties and offer good support. And yeah, they've talked about how our internships might be horrid, our bosses might treat us like the lowly unpaid interns we are, but it's ok, as long as we keep in mind who we answer to and who we are in God.
So yeah, they keep stuffing information down our throats. info about LA, about living in our apartments, about internships, about our 3 classes, everything. it's really overwhelming, but at the same time, really exciting, and i can't wait to get started. Although this really feels like an extended vacation. everyone agrees that this is TOO GOOD to be true! i mean, i get to spend a semester in awesome LA, with sunny weather, great people who love God, an internship in Hollywood... where's the catch??? -- as my roommate so correctly described it. we actually sat out in the sun by the poolside yesterday, absorbing sunny rays and doing our homework - reading a screenplay. THIS IS THE LIFE! haha. but i'm sure it'll get much busier and crazier as the semester goes on. And then we went shopping last night, at The Grove, which is RIGHT NEXT to my apartment complex. and OMG. it was SO COOL! it was like disneyland, but an adult version! quaint shops side by side with big brand names, a little trolley bus thingy going round the outdoor mall, shops by the side, shops everywhere, a farmer's market.. it was so cool i loved it :) Also, some guy told me Disneyland is FREE when you go during your bday, so i'm definitely gonna try!! even though my bday's on a tuesday.
Only thing is, our classes are held in this building, like 20 mins walk away from my apartment. which isn't so bad, but compared to taylor, where i walk 5 mins to class, it's far. haha. and under the hot sun, it's even further. now i totally regret bringing all my long sleeved shirts and jackets. sigh. it's SO HOT! but classes have been fun. the LAFSC offices are in this tower, and there's computer labs, edit suites, tons of camera equipment i don't know how to use, a tiny classroom/lecture hall, a lounge, TONS of DVDs and books we can rent out... oh and there's so much to do here! live bands, comedy clubs, broadway shows, it's like NYC again!!! only there's no public transport. i haven't seen a bus here. NOT ONE! which makes me kinda nervous cuz i don't drive and i'm sure i'll need to take a bus to my internship. sigh.
oh and there are these DEMON BIRDS (as my other roomie calls them), that SCREECH AND SCREAM every, single, morning. AT 5AM! it's insane! they go on for a whole hour, and all of us (except one, she sleeps through it all, lucky) have been getting up at 5am. also cuz our apartment's on the ground floor, so we hear all kinds of noises at ungodly hours. like the rubbish truck clearing the trash, random people talking in the morning.. it's really annoying. i might have to become a morning person this semester.
But other than that, everything else is good. ooh although.. people do get mugged here more often. my roomie lost her load of laundry the second day we were here. some idiot took all her jeans and shirts! and obviously she couldn't get it back. sooo.. i guess i'll have to sit there and WATCH my laundry go round and round in the machine every time. for 45 mins. and then the dryer. sigh. and the basement's creepy too.
Went grocery shopping to stock up our fridge. man, the 99cent store is a LIFESAVER! everything there truly is 99 cents OR BELOW! i got 6 packets of ramen for 99 cents altogether! so that was cool. and then Trader Joe's, which i was introduced to in NYC and totally love. there's tons of organic and natural stuff there, so i got lots of fruits/veggies/stuff that i don't have to cook cuz i don't know how to cook. haha. my roomie suggested we alternate cooking weekly for family-style dinners, and i was like.... uhhh i don't know how to cook. now i feel dumb. can't cook, can't drive. seriously!
Anyway.. i think that's about all. i just wanna say again, the people are so nice. and it's such a change from being around non-Christians in the New York program. and they're all so funny. we've only known each other for a few days, but we already have so many inside jokes, it's crazy! today my roomies and i were watching this show called 'Home Delivery' during lunch (yes, we have a TV and DVD player! YAY!), and totally laughing until we couldn't speak. it was meant to be touching and sappy, but we found it hilarious. the TV production was awful. it was like they were trying to squeeze 10 mins of actual footage into 30 mins for the show. so lots of repetitions and what not. totally lame. but so funny. and i fed them my dried mangoes. and told them about singapore and its no-gum policy -- that never fails to amuse americans. they're all like, 'seriously?? omg!! i can't believe this!! wait till i tell my friends about this!! how could you live without gum??'
and i'm like, it's really no big deal. and then i tell them about how we smuggle gum from malaysia into singapore. haha
oh i have my internship interview on friday morning... so pray hard i'll get a good internship that's suitable for me, and that i'll get nice people to work with and not crazy tyrant bosses. oh and LA's 15 hours behind singapore.
ok that was a very messy update but gotta go to class now. that's all! :)
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Now boarding
This is probably the most 'mah fan' trip ever. After discussing about the trip for days and days, we finally got to booking the tickets two days before we leave. it was a wonder there were even tickets left. but now that it's settled, bangkok here we come! :)
i'm kinda glad i'm not going for a week, so i get to come home and spend more time with the fam. and friends.
Musing
I love how the Dawgz (friends from cedar) are still pretty much the same, even though we've all gone down different paths since secondary school. we still laugh about the stupidest things, we make the stupidest comments, and we do the stupidest things. but it still cracks me up.
and i love how we've kept up our bi-annual sleepovers, complete with stuffing our faces with junk food that's evolved over time (from unhealthy chips and maggi mee and chocolate to gummy dinosaurs and sushi and dried mangoes) and lame chinese movies (usually starring edison chen/daniel wu/any other cute male actor) we'd never watch in any other situation.
if you're wondering how we got our name, limpin dawgz, it was a rip-off from linkin park, the rock band. we 'attempted' to form a band (jokingly, of course) in secondary school, with different weird positions for each of us, like red-bean shaker and triangle-hitter. and then there were our self-written songs, like 'p-o-p is pop, p-o-p is still pop!' we cracked ourselves up just thinking of silly songs like that.
i'm glad i still keep in touch with some of my sec sch friends.
not so much NJC friends though. everytime i think of NJ, i think horrific nightmarish experiences. i got my first taste of biasedness and being prejudiced against just 'cause i wasn't following the normal singaporean kid science-route. boy, there were tons of discrimination against the arts students (all 40 of us), and how we hated that. but what i forgot about were the great times we had fighting against the system, and how that common enemy bonded us together. actually, thinking back on the times i had with my clique, we did have many good times together. memorable ones too, like climbing the school gates like desperate prisoners wanting to get out. i guess i was better off than them, since our form teacher liked me (apparently i looked 'guai'), and would let me get away with murder, while the rest of them got reprimanded for anything and everything. and so they made fun of her ruthlessly all the time. i felt kinda bad for her; she was short and single and walked with a limp. i always thought there must be something awful in her past to make her act this way now, but i never got to ask her about it. and then i was just glad to get out of junior college.
i guess the memory of awful teachers and being treated unfairly suppressed the good memories with friends. although NJ really is a school filled with studious chinese-speaking people. my friends and i would be hanging out in the empty canteen during break, slacking away, and we'd wonder where the rest of the student population was. later we found out they were ALL squeezed into the library, mugging away, months before exams. being an avid last-minute studying person, i was obviously horrified. but then i got my 3 As, so that proves you don't need to be a nerd to do well in school. kinda sad i don't really keep in touch with my JC friends, but i guess we never really had much in common anyway.
that being said, i love the surprise of finding an old friend on facebook, and looking at how they've changed over the years :)
i'm kinda glad i'm not going for a week, so i get to come home and spend more time with the fam. and friends.
Musing
I love how the Dawgz (friends from cedar) are still pretty much the same, even though we've all gone down different paths since secondary school. we still laugh about the stupidest things, we make the stupidest comments, and we do the stupidest things. but it still cracks me up.
and i love how we've kept up our bi-annual sleepovers, complete with stuffing our faces with junk food that's evolved over time (from unhealthy chips and maggi mee and chocolate to gummy dinosaurs and sushi and dried mangoes) and lame chinese movies (usually starring edison chen/daniel wu/any other cute male actor) we'd never watch in any other situation.
if you're wondering how we got our name, limpin dawgz, it was a rip-off from linkin park, the rock band. we 'attempted' to form a band (jokingly, of course) in secondary school, with different weird positions for each of us, like red-bean shaker and triangle-hitter. and then there were our self-written songs, like 'p-o-p is pop, p-o-p is still pop!' we cracked ourselves up just thinking of silly songs like that.
i'm glad i still keep in touch with some of my sec sch friends.
not so much NJC friends though. everytime i think of NJ, i think horrific nightmarish experiences. i got my first taste of biasedness and being prejudiced against just 'cause i wasn't following the normal singaporean kid science-route. boy, there were tons of discrimination against the arts students (all 40 of us), and how we hated that. but what i forgot about were the great times we had fighting against the system, and how that common enemy bonded us together. actually, thinking back on the times i had with my clique, we did have many good times together. memorable ones too, like climbing the school gates like desperate prisoners wanting to get out. i guess i was better off than them, since our form teacher liked me (apparently i looked 'guai'), and would let me get away with murder, while the rest of them got reprimanded for anything and everything. and so they made fun of her ruthlessly all the time. i felt kinda bad for her; she was short and single and walked with a limp. i always thought there must be something awful in her past to make her act this way now, but i never got to ask her about it. and then i was just glad to get out of junior college.
i guess the memory of awful teachers and being treated unfairly suppressed the good memories with friends. although NJ really is a school filled with studious chinese-speaking people. my friends and i would be hanging out in the empty canteen during break, slacking away, and we'd wonder where the rest of the student population was. later we found out they were ALL squeezed into the library, mugging away, months before exams. being an avid last-minute studying person, i was obviously horrified. but then i got my 3 As, so that proves you don't need to be a nerd to do well in school. kinda sad i don't really keep in touch with my JC friends, but i guess we never really had much in common anyway.
that being said, i love the surprise of finding an old friend on facebook, and looking at how they've changed over the years :)
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