I went on an Easter Sunday journey. One that I never knew would be so fruitful. It took me to Downtown Los Angeles, East L.A., Pasadena, Little Tokyo, the Rose Bowl and Angels Flight.
Part 1: Mass. I went to the 8:00 a.m. Sunday Mass, and I was a bit sleepy, but energized. Actually, my mom didn't even wake me up. I dreamt I was in the middle of a swimming pool, ablw to swim from one end to the other without drowning. And once I rose up, I suddenly looked at the time.
3:45 AM!? The first bus already left Del Amo Station! Actually, I missed two more trains heading northbound. Now I had to transfer to a special shuttle because of road work on Pico/Chick Hearn Station. You see, the new Expo Line is being built. Therefore, some roadwork had to be done.
Once I got to the Cathedral (I transferred via Civic Center), I see that the gates are closed. Well this will give to eat breakfast. So I think that I head off at McDonald's. Instead, the place is occupied by a Famima!!. Drat. So I decided, ah well. Four hash browns, two curry buns and a hatful of tea shouldn't be too much to ask, right?
So after I eat breakfast, I go back on the train, get off at Civic Center...lo and behold, the place is open. Divine intervention, maybe?
The pastor of this church is a clergyman by the name of Monsignor Kevin Kostelnik. He talked about the trip with his company of clergy to Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and of the local Franciscan Friar who asked why they traveled 8,000 miles to come here. Now I don't know if a Friar would logically be so rude as to turn someone away after they traveled so long out of a labor of love to come to a sacred spot as this. Doesn't make any sense, you know?
I didn't say this at the mass, but now that I thik about it...it was just a clever cover-up to hide the real issue, which is the scandal that all you blogging minds have been inundated with and chose to inundate other vigin blogging souls with. Yes, you know what I'm talking about.
But we'll save that for another time.
Anyway, the place is swell. The masses here are a little longer, a little more elaborate, and the architecture is different from the churches you see elsewhere. Now, I understand the anger some parishioners had regarding the design, but let's be honest. This was made in 2002, not 1902. There is a difference. A 1902 design would be consistent with the other churches not affected by the Northridge quake. Heck, if the Big One of 1994 never happened, this Church would never have been constructed, and we would've been stuck with St. Vibiana's Cathedral (which is a now degenerated into an mere events hosting venue). And this draws over 1,000,000 churchgoers a year. So if whoever decries the architecture still goes to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels for mass, the Bedlam will right now lay the gauntlet and declare the said person to be a hypocrite and a fool.
Part 2: The Angels Flight. I learned about Angels Flight a few days ago. This was a little, unassuming, historical railroad that only returned to business a few weeks ago. Now Angels Flight, with its two cars of Sinai and Olivet moving up and down the track, shut down in 2001 after the death of an elderly couple riding it. The operator of that train fled to Mexico to avoid being extradited. Ouch.
So it took nine years-NINE YEARS!-before Angels Flight was ready for takeoff. To celebrate, I brought the plush version of the band minus Azusa (she is still being shipped and won't arrive until mid-April), to sit down and ride the train. It was beautiful to ride something as old as this-and the band is riding it, too. Magical.
Part 3: Atlantic. So now, I decided to tour the Eastside Extension of the Gold Line for the first time. Just a few months ago, the Eastside Extension to Atlantic Station opened. It included an abandoned subway originally intended for the Red Line. That is now part of the Gold Line. I took a few shots here and there of the station...and one of the popular eateries nearby. I think this should be familiar to you, if you are a citizen of a country on this planet.
Part 4: Sierra Madre Villa. Okay, so I've already gone to the southern terminus, why not the northern terminus? Oooh. Northern terminus. Let's see....hmmmm, that has to be...Oh! I got it! Sierra Madre Villa Station!
I am such a genius.
And so I took the Gold Line all the way to Pasadena. This was the first time I entered the city since the Tournament of Roses on January 1. So it's been more than three months. Couldn't resist. So I went to the northern terminus and took some shots.
Part 5: The Rose Bowl. My feet were hurting like heck when I went to the Rose Bowl. But I did go. This is the plan.
- Get off at Memorial Park
- Walk up Fair Oaks north to Mountain St.
- Turn left at Mountain St.
- Follow Mountain St. until it becomes Seco St. Keep going.
- Stadium is at your right.
Part 6: St. Andrew's Church. The main church in the heart of Pasadena is the oldest. I love the campanile that's there. I couldn't locate the city hall because I was short on time, but I decided, I'll just take some photos of this instead.
Part 9: A Sikh Festival!? Now this wasn't what I was expecting. I head up the stairs to try to get to the shuttle on 7th and Hope, and I find that I am stuck in Slumdog Millionaire...without being blown up by some uncultured female suicide bomber. Aren't I lucky. Non merde.
And would you believe it, the car is dedicated to my favorite Long Beach suburb: Lakewood.
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