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?
Who knows. Regardless, I step inside...after taking some exterior shots of the place.
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.
That was Our Lady of the Angels. And I got to meet Cardinal Mahony once again. Next!
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.
I hope no one ever has to go through nine years of waiting for this gem to go back running. In fact, I don't want this thing to stop running. It's too sacred to be shut down anymore.
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.
This was the first time I drank a McDonald's Frappe. This will be the cold drink that saves McCafe. Well to be honest, it's not like it really
needs one, but it will add more to the bottom line in a really big way. It's smooth, goes down easy, and provides a nice pick-you-up. Perfect. And it's cheaper than the Starbucks version, too. Great stuff.
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.
This will be where the Foothill Extension will take place. That's right, ladies and gentlemen, this Gold Line will be going all the way to Azusa...and then Montclair. Not Anaheim or Rancho Cucamonga, unfortunately; the secod phase will not reach that far even though there is a Metrolink service to Anaheim. The next station from here, once the Foothill is complete, will be Arcadia Station.
San Gabriel Mountains...delicious.
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.
30 minutes and some sore feet later, I took some shots.
Such class. And then I filed a complaint at the Vons on Fair Oaks and Orange Grover decrying the vandalism of the restrooms. If they don't do something about this...this could be problematic.
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 7: Memorial Park. I then decided to take a few shots of Memorial Park, specifically the amphitheater.
Part 8: Little Tokyo. Oh, this was fun. I couldn't eat one of the cornets because they only accept cash. They are not going to gain a lot of customers if they can't accept cards. Not like I would care too much; the cornets have icing. The ones in Lucky Star and the Mitsuwa Marketplace don't. No matter; time for some yuri.
Oh, I'm so sorry. Did I creep you folks out? Too bad. Girl love is here, and it's here to stay, Prop 8 flaunters!
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.
Part 10: The long ride home. I was lucky to get in a car that smelled good. The one I originally sat in, according to one teenage passenger in a loud voice, "SMELLS LIKE SHIIIIIIIT!!!" So I decided to move to the one above. Now I originally didn't know who came into the compartment like his body decomposed in broad daylight, but I wasn't going to stand for bums stitting in the car I'm riding, so I moved up to the front.
And would you believe it, the car is dedicated to my favorite Long Beach suburb: Lakewood.
That concludes the trip. And you can see more of these photos
here.
