Waking up in VEGAS

VEGAS, BABY!

But first, Black Friday happiness :)
Woke up at 4am all ready to go! In the end, everyone backed out except me and faith, so we went without them.
First stop, TARGET, where they have super deals galore. I got DVDs for 7bucks, an entire season of FRIENDS for 8bucks (it's normally 50), and an awesome Canon camera for half the price! It made me very happy :)
The people at Target were so fascinating to watch. 'cause they have great deals on electronics and home stuff (i wish we had black friday at home), EVERYONE had a flatscreen TV in their cart. like seriously, it was everywhere. it was super duper cheap and i wish i could have bought it but then it would make no sense to ship it back for double the price. but everyone was so happy about saving money, they had huge grins on their faces and a little skip in their step.
Next stop, THE MALL! It was so pretty and all decked out in Christmas decorations, and there were sales everywhere... except on branded stuff. such snobs. but whatever! I got some presents and clothes... not a lot 'cause I don't know how I'm going to bring everything back. so it was FUNNN.. but we were exhausted by 3pm.

Road trip to Las Vegas

SIN CITY, here we come!
Woke up at the break of dawn again, 5am, all packed and ready to go. We drove through the mountains, and the view was gorgeous! Snow-capped peaks, beautiful sunny skies, fresh air... and then we hit the desert, and there were random gigantic piles of rocks everywhere, and cactus, and tumbleweed (they're like little scraggly bushes that randomly roll across the highway. it's the funniest thing ever). It was nature in all its glory, and you really can't look at such gorgeous creations and not believe there is a God.

So 4 hours later, we reached VEGAS!!! immediately went to check out what shows were cheap that we could go see, and sadly enough, most magic shows were expensive, and the Lion King on broadway was sold out :(

BUT then we found something cheaper and more exciting - DAVID COPPERFIELD's magic show!! So we were like, heck YES, we want to see the greatest magician on earth!
And we were brimming with excitement before the show, but then it turned out to be rather disappointing. it was more of a comedic act with little tricks than huge crazy mind-blowing illusions. he did make a car appear and 13 people from the audience disappear, and he did 'read' people's minds and make predictions... but i kind of think even pastor khong's show was better. OH WELL! at least now we can say we've seen the magnificent Copperfield in action.

Went to dinner at the Rainforest Cafe in MGM Grand, and it was so cool. the entire place was decked out to the theme - trees and leaves covering the walls, (fake) animals everywhere, aquariums, a tiny waterfall, stars on the ceiling, and even a 'thunderstorm' every few minutes! it was an awesome dining experience.

It was dark by the time we got out, so we walked along the strip and saw Vegas in all its glory. bright flashing lights, neon signs, people everywhere... it was a feast for the eyes. so pretty. and totally not like how i remembered it. but i guess the last time i was there was YEARS ago. so we were all happy and skipping down the strip... until we came across this whole line of sketchy looking guys giving out cards for hookers. and then the mood just went splat. for me at least. it was so gross! they were standing there, snapping their cards, passing it out to anyone and everyone, even KIDS. that's just wrong.

Anyway, we tried our hand at gambling. haha. 'cause we're all 21! finally! and.. it was a fail. an epic one at that. at first the casinos were very alluring and attractive, what with their bright enticing lights and all, but after a while they all looked the same. and it was kind of smoky inside and some casinos were more dingy than others. and even though all the slot machines have different names, they were definitely all the same. and we had no idea how to play them. so after losing a dollar, i gave up. haha. tas won 37cents! but she lost it after another try. haha. so that was it for our gambling career.
The movies definitely make Vegas look cooler than it is - the gambling part at least.

So then we walked down the strip... saw a miniature version of Paris' Eiffel Tower and New York's Statue of Liberty.. that was cool. and each hotel had different themes. so the New York one had streets inside the hotel like real NYC streets. it was awesome. and it had a rollercoaster on the outside, wrapping around the building, but it was 20bucks to ride, so we didn't.
The MGM Grand was cool, it had a LION HABITAT inside, with real lions and cubs and all. and they also offered free poker lessons, which was tempting, but then we realized even though the lesson was free, u had to use your own money to gamble. haha. and The Bellagio had an AWESOME fountain show every 15 minutes, complete with magnificent music, just like in OCEAN's 11 in the last scene! Treasure Island had a pirate show, but it was closed till next year. And The Mirage had volcano eruptions every now and then. it was so cool... so much to take in! we walked practically everywhere until our feet hurt.

And then we got invited to a ton of clubs for free, so we went and checked out one in the New York hotel, called ROK. it was so fun. faith made sure we kept in line with the stupid rule, so we didn't drink, but it was still fun to dance around and let loose :)

So we finally drove back to Marriott at 3am, exhausted, and went straight to bed. The next day faith accidentally locked her keys in the car, so we had to wait a while for the locksmith to come unlock it. And we were too tired to do anything, so we walked around the shops (they were all ridiculously expensive), and got PINK's hotdogs for lunch, the famous LA restaurant. seriously, the PINK's in LA always has AT LEAST 100 people in line. no kidding. so we tried it in vegas, since there wasn't a line, and it was alright, no big deal. i think it's mostly hype.

Anyway, then we drove around and went to look for wedding chapels. haha. i was ADAMANT we find at least one and check it out, because, you know... vegas = ridiculous spontaneous marriages! haha. so we did, and it was disappointing! the elvis wedding chapel?? looked like some crappy motel. so did all the rest. people must be completely wasted to even consider getting married in vegas!

So we finally said goodbye to vegas at 4pm, 'cause the sun was setting and we didn't wanna be driving home all the way in the dark. but we ended up getting caught in INSANE traffic. i guess EVERYONE IN CALIFORNIA decided to go to vegas for thanksgiving! it was ridiculous. so we finally got back to LA at midnight after being stuck in the car for 8 hours and singing Miley Cyrus' Party in the USA and Lady Gaga's Bad Romance. i never want to hear either of those songs ever again. haha.

but yeah! that was vegas! and it was super fun! tas and i are planning to go back again SOMEDAY! :)

Here are some pics, the rest are on facebook here:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=31509558&id=179202856#/album.php?aid=2045097&id=179202856&ref=mf



they actually had a DRIVE THRU wedding chapel in VEGAS! weirdest thing ever!

At the Bellagio fountain show



vegas has a ton of pretty fountains

outside the new york hotel

putting a dollar in the lame slot machine and losing it 5 seconds later

people here sure love to gamble

the strip is so pretty at night!

we were in the food coma...

... after eating this huge volcano dessert. we thought the shiny thing on top was sparklers, but alas, they were normal shimmery paper.

at the rainforest cafe!


waiting for david copperfield!! practicing our amazed faces at his tricks.

still waiting...

the lion habitat in the MGM GRAND

yay david copperfield! you weren't that great, but it's ok, it's cool to say i've actually seen you perform :)

pretty strip in the day





we saw a ton of desert before finally getting to vegas

but first, we saw mountains and snow! i kind of actually miss snow. isn't it weird? it just feels so christmas-y when there's snowflakes falling all around you.

Happy thanksgiving :)

Thanksgiving Day

I really love this holiday and I wish we had it in singapore and all over the world. A day to give thanks? Why not. Everything about it is just so wonderful! And every year has been a different experience for me. From freshman year with sung ah, cartoon and faith's family in Indiana, to sophomore year with cartoon and her friends in Chicago, to junior year with hannah and katie in North Carolina (cooking our own turkey, sweet potatoes and stuffing), to senior year with faith and a bunch of strangers at a church member's house in Los Angeles :)

So we were a little apprehensive going to a stranger's house, having thanksgiving meal with a bunch of people we've never met before... but i'm so glad we went. it was a TON of fun, and it was like a breath of fresh air, so nice to be away from LAFSC and all the 'jesus-haters.' ok, so i was exaggerating, my classmates don't hate jesus, but sometimes it feels that way. how they act, the words (especially swear words) they say, the crap they feed into their minds... honestly, i don't see jesus in them. so it's been a little depressing, seeing them all claim to be jesus-followers and cursing as much as the next person.

Anyway, back to thanksgiving, everyone was SO AWESOME and so nice and friendly and welcoming, and i totally felt at home. the house was in Hollywood, and it was BEAUTIFUL, filled with comfy couches, a quaint fireplace, a gorgeous dining room... and they just moved in 2 weeks ago. it was insane. really thank God for such wonderful people that open up their house and their hearts for people like me with nowhere to go. there were a ton of people there too, about 30, and i loved meeting them and hearing their stories.

One girl came all the way from Texas about 2 months ago, she's 17, and she's here because she believes God wants her here to minister to the poor and the homeless. i was totally blown away. she doesn't even have a place to stay, and she was so passionate about God and on fire for her ministry. i definitely felt a prick of shame and a huge amount of respect for her courage and strength.
And another woman moved to LA to be a screenwriter... she's currently homeless as well, but she knows for sure this is where God wants her, and she's going to stick it out until her films get noticed. i was like... i can't imagine doing that.

But it was so awesome meeting new people and getting out of the LAFSC group. i mean, i like the people here and all, but it was a nice change.
And the food was WONDERFUL. i ate till i was stuffed. turkey, stuffing, broccoli casserole (sounds gross, but it's SO GOOD!), sweet potato casserole (my fav), salads, rolls, cheeses, tiramisu, cheesecake, pumpkin pie... oh so good :)

And we went around our table giving thanks for things in our lives, and i thanked God for family, friends and being at LA (instead of indiana). haha.

Talking about food, we tried Ethiopian food yesterday, and oh my gosh, it was delicious. it was kind of like indian, but BETTER! you eat with your hands, and there's this pancake thingy that you take and wrap around curry/meat/some kind of sauce, and you pop it into your mouth, and it's the best thing ever. haha. and we talked to our Resident Director and her husband... seriously, they are the NICEST people in the program. so sweet and wonderful, unlike most of the other professors here who come across as fake and insincere. i think they've all gotten sucked into the whole Hollywood culture, which is kinda sad, and i hope never to be as jaded and cynical about Jesus as they are.

BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING TOMORROW!!! DEALS GALORE!!!!

Winner takes it all

CNN Heroes award show

Last night, saturday, november 21 2009, was the most glamorous, fun-filled time i've had in LA. definitely beats the New Moon premiere or the Conan O' Brien show. it was the closest i've felt to being Hollywood royalty.

So brent got tickets to the CNN Heroes award show, an annual event where they honor 10 people (out of thousands of nominations from all over the world) who have poured their heart and soul into helping, loving and caring for those in need. And it was at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, right where they hold the Oscars and the Academy Awards! So needless to say, we were bouncing with excitement as we took the bus (both of us didn't have cars). but it was okay, even though people stared at us in the bus, since we were both dressed up.

We got there super early at 2pm. the arrival time said 5pm. haha. we've learned to be kiasu here when it comes to free stuff. so we hung out around hollywood, there's always stuff to do and interesting people to watch (especially tourists). And finally, after hours of waiting in the freezing cold (okay it wasn't that cold, but i was in a dress. so i bought a scarf from Express because i was shivering that badly), WE GOT IN!

The Kodak Theater was smaller than it looked on TV, it was glittering with magic and bright lights, and there was a buzz of excitement from the fellow seat fillers because we were about to see a ton of celebrities!!! (basically our job was to fill a seat whenever someone got up and left so the place would look full all the time. smart, huh)

So we got AWESOME seats, 10 rows from the stage, right in the center. i nearly fainted of happiness. it was prime seating for people-watching. and yes, there were plenty of beautiful people to ogle.


Waiting outside the Kodak Theater


At my seat inside the theater waiting for the show to begin!!!


The band setting up for Leona Lewis' performance


Looking down at the red carpet arrivals


Walking in my ridiculous heels to the bus stop.

Here's some of the people we saw...
-Hiro from Heroes. the japanese dude. he was on the panel of judges for his humanitarian work.
-Cast of The Office - Pam, Angela, DWIGHT SCHRUTE - my favorite. he cracks me up!!! i ran into him after the event, but he looked so intimidating i didn't dare to ask for a photo. haha. but i saw Pam in the restroom and said hi, she was so sweet and pretty.
-Eva Mendez, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Dwayne Johnson (The Rock), Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear, Neil Patrick Harris (from How I Met Your Mother), Randy Jackson (American Idol judge), Terrence Howard (love him in IRON MAN!), George Lopez all presented awards to the top 10 humanitarian volunteers.
-Leona Lewis and Carrie Underwood performed songs. their voices blew me away. so beautiful.
-Anderson Cooper (the only news anchor i recognize from CNN) hosted the show. he was actually funny.

So yeah. it was such a star-studded night, we were giddy with excitement from the thrill of it all. It was also cool to see all the wonderful things these kind people were doing all over the world. one woman started a breast cancer foundation after battling it, one man started an orphanage and adopted 48 kids, one man built wells in third world countries for people dying of contaminated water, one man cooked food every day, 365 days a year, to feed the homeless in New York, one teenager started a foundation to provide kids with prosthetic legs and arms... man, it was a night bubbling with emotions. i just really admire these heroes for the strength and courage to fight for what they believe in and give so much of themselves to those in need.

And the winner was this guy from Indonesia (i think) who had a push-cart and went around his old neighborhood, where kids were living in poverty, and gave them an education. but more than that, he gave them hope for the future and joy for the present. it was incredibly moving :)

Asians in Hollywood!

Ninja Assassin premiere

So last night a bunch of people went to the Ninja Assassin premiere on Hollywood. And... it was an interesting experience. We rushed there from class, so we got there early and received fifth row seats, which sucked, 'cause the movie was so gory, and seeing blood splatter all over the screen up close and personal is not my idea of fun. lesson learned: don't go so early to unpopular premieres.

Anyway, there were tons of screaming as we entered the theatre - Rain had arrived. the not-so-good-looking korean dude known more for his hot bod and slick dance moves (apparently he has 0% body fats, or so i heard). I've never seen so many asians at a premiere before. But he was really nice, he actually CROSSED the street to the fans and waved, took pics, signed autographs. i guess 'cause he's not that huge in USA (only among koreans and several other asians), he's allowed to roam free without risk of being mobbed to death (unlike R.Pat and his ridiculous fans).

So we saw him in the theatre, and hani (my korean friend) JUMPED out of her seat and DASHED over to the aisle opposite where he was standing so she could get a better look at his face. and i followed in curiosity to see whether he was really as ugly as he looked on screen. but he actually looked decent. short, spiky hair, and yes, the famous body. so yeah. we saw Rain. both of us don't really like him, but we just wanted to go to the premiere so we could have bragging rights for the rest of our lives. and yeah, our korean friends are kind of really jealous. haha. i love LA!

But back to the movie, it was awful and gory and gruesome and there was blood being spilled in practically every scene in the most disgusting way possible. Heads were sliced off, arms chopped off, eyes gouged out... i don't know. i wasn't looking half the time. it's not recommended to see a violent R rated movie in the front row.

But anyway, we saw the other stars of the movie on the red carpet after the film ended. and other random asian celebs. and some of the friends i went with actually liked the movie. especially the guys. i really don't get it. are we that desensitized to violence and gore that we manage to soak in such mindless bloodshed without blinking?


awww look, it's the evil master from the movie! he's smiling! he's not that evil after all. haha.


That asian dude was in Fast & Furious. he looks familiar, but i don't remember who he is nor do i care enough to look it up.


it's Rain! or his side/back. stupid cameras that don't work. and annoying ushers that chase us away.
although... those korean girls did keep screaming his name in high pitches screeches. it was a little embarrassing because i'm sure people lumped me in with them as the crazy asian fans. seriously, everytime he appeared on screen (most of the time with his shirt off), people SCREAMED. i was embarrassed for him!


Waiting in line for the premiere


Look at all the lights and crazy platforms with ninjas on them! the red carpet's there.


yayyy for free movie + popcorn


gotta love grauman's chinese theatre

New Moon midnight premiere

So after that gory movie, i rushed down to meet my friends for the NEW MOON PREMIERE at the Grove! two movies in one day! they had been waiting in line since 8pm for the 12.30am showing. 4 hours! insanity. i wish america would just implement ASSIGNED SEATING already, for the love of God! but anyway, we got good seats 'cause we were at the front of the line. so after waiting for two hours (on my part), they finally opened the doors and chaos ensued.

But oh, the movie was so good. totally like the book in every way and a million times better than that crap of a movie they call Twilight. SO GLAD they hired a new director for this one. the acting was SO MUCH BETTER, although taylor was a little stiff, he improved as the film progressed. and twitchy kirsten stewart was actually decent and kind of likeable. and the color of the film was so warm and rich and vibrant and a vast improvement from the cold blue atmosphere of the first. so yeah. way better. excited for the third one!

although, i must say, being a twilight fan is tiring. i think i'm getting too old for this crazy fan chasing celebrities thing. plus i was never that crazy about twilight, i just got caught up in the frenzy and influenced by other friends who were insane about the series. but oh, no more. i don't think i can stand listening to another person swoon about R.Pat's dashing good looks or Taylor's adorable-ness and rippling muscles. can we talk about something else, please.

Snapshots of awesomeness :)

Yes, best semester indeed.


Inside the Disney El Capitan theatre waiting for A Christmas Carol to start

The stage musical before A Christmas Carol began

Disney dancers


Jeffrey the drama king and Brent the guy who goes to every TV show taping. haha.

Conan O' Brien + free sandwiches from Jim Carrey. definitely one of the best moments so far.


100 Monkeys performing at The Viper Room on Sunset Blvd

The Viper Room!!! Johnny Depp's ex-club

Cute guitarist whose name fails me. but so cute huh. and jackson on vocals.

Jackson up close and personal. so cute. and totally gives off the Johnny Depp vibe. and yes, we were THIS CLOSE!

Jackson Rathbone and cute band member who was totally stoned.

Me, faith, dana waiting in line for the concert


'80s partyyyyy!

Maggie's film shoot

My attempt at being '80s. Epic fail. hahaha.

My life is now complete - Twilight mania

Here's why.

I SAW THE ENTIRE CAST OF TWILIGHT: NEW MOON ON THE RED CARPET AT TODAY'S PREMIERE!!!!

:)

New Moon Premiere

After signing up for every single contest in the hopes of getting tickets to the ever elusive New Moon premiere, we gave up and decided that standing on the red carpet seeing the stars was better than nothing.
So... we went to the venue of the premiere at 12pm, realized the line to get on the red carpet was 200+ people long (some people have been camping out since THURSDAY), and went to stand across the street from the red carpet. After hours of waiting and waiting, celebrities started arriving at 5pm!!!!! it was seriously madness. there must have been at least 500 crazy fans there. it was pure insanity. i'm half deaf from idiotic girls screaming in my ear and my feet hurt from everyone pushing like mad.

We saw EVERYONE in the cast, from the werewolves to the vampires to bella's friends. and then random celebrities like Jennifer Love Hewitt and 50 Cent appeared. it was crazy. they were all in limos with tinted windows, and they all got interviewed by the radio station DJ.
And then the big stars arrived!!! Dakota Fanning, Robert Pattinson, Nikki Reed, Ashley Greene, Jackson Rathbone... i saw them but they didn't come sign autographs :(

But guess who did??? Kellen Lutz, he was right in front of me, and he was gorgeous. and then TAYLOR LAUTNER, also like an arm's reach away from me, signing autographs, as cute as ever. i love him!!! and then Kirsten Stewart, whom nobody cared about, but we still got pictures and autographs. it was SO COOL.
And so tiring. But totally WORTH THE WAIT.


SAW ALL OF THEM!! and my throat hurts now from screaming like a crazed adolescent.
And they all looked exactly like they do on the big screen and in pictures. how can people be so beautiful in real life???

Sunday's crazy events

Sunday was SO uneventful.

First we went to the Dream Center's church, called Angelus Temple. It was this HUGE contemporary church, totally like FCBC with lights, a huge worship band, cameras, screens, people jumping and clapping. and i liked it. there was a children's choir that performed Miley Cyrus' song 'The Climb' and they were SO ADORABLE. cutest thing i've ever seen.
And then... of all things, Danny Gokey, who placed 3rd in American Idol and has a new single out, came on stage and SANG. his voice was awesome. And then the mayor dropped by, and we prayed for him. so random!
But overall the church was weird. Way too commercialized and it felt like they were promoting their Dream Center mission because all the pastor talked about was helping the homeless. he was kind of bizarre, felt like some of the stuff he was saying was a little weird theologically. oh well. good experience. and they DO have a lot of good outreach programs, it just felt like their church existed solely for the purpose of promoting their mission.

And then we went to Sunset Boulevard and randomly bumped into KATE BOSWORTH from 'Into the Blue' and 'Win a date with tad hamilton'.

So unexpected! she was at a bookstore browsing, and she looked painfully skinny. like a skeleton! but still pretty.

And then we went to The Viper Room (a club Johnny Depp used to own) and saw 100 Monkeys in concert. It's the band of Jackson Rathbone (Jasper from Twilight), and so of course we went to see him, not knowing what kind of music they played. So when the band members passed us by on the street, we totally didn't recognize them. But they were actually pretty decent!! Their music was like alternative punk weirdness, but they were so charismatic, and all 5 of them played every single instrument since they rotated on different songs. it was so cool. and we were RIGHT IN FRONT of the stage, standing and happily looking at Jackson's coolness. he so totally reminded me of Johnny Depp. has the same weird, eclectic vibe. :)

so cute :)

SUCH a crazy day. this kind of thing only happens in LA!
Although, I must say, this whole 'waiting in line and see celebrities' thing is getting a little old. no wonder all the people who live here in LA don't care about such things. haha.

Christmas Carol

Friday night we went to the Disney El Capitan theatre to see A Christmas Carol in 3D! And it was awesome!! There was a stage performance with dancers and mickey and minnie and singing and all that! Felt so christmas-y. The movie was a little scary for all the kids who were there, but it was cute.


Griffith Park

Saturday we went to Griffith Park Observatory and had an awesome view overlooking LA's city skyline. and we were there at 4pm, when the sun was setting. totally gorgeous. I LOVE when cities have parks in the middle of them, it gives a little oasis away from all the bustling madness. although... i heard there were mountain lions in Griffith Park ('cause it's in the mountains) so that was kinda scary.

But yeah, CRAZY AWESOME WEEKEND!!!!!!!!!