Labor Day Weekend

We had some beautiful weather in California for this Labor Day Weekend. To finish off our extremely busy work week, a few of my co-workers decided to throw a little backyard BBQ lunch at Eucalyptus Park. Also to top it off, it was definitely a fresh breath of air for once. Plenty of fun, had time to catch up with each other since we’ve been moved to different positions over the past few months, and nothing but straight hilarity to boot. I’ll have more photos to show once all of them are uploaded, we took a LOT of them for laughs, and I may actually post up a small video too.

Other Side of Home

It’s been a while since I wrote a post…for some reason the end of July wanted to get extremely busy for me out of the blue. As of yesterday, I finally managed to finish off all of the work that we had left over from previous events and finally made it up to date. One of the things that these busy 2 weeks managed to provide me was the gift of travel, and by travel I mean almost all over Downtown LA to Norwalk in which I took a photo of the Green Line at the Norwalk Metro Station. It’s not too often I would travel out towards this way, but I figured why not? It was actually really hot on this day, hitting about 96 to 98 degrees and luckily the loading area is downstairs right under the highway. The photo I took is of the Bee statue that is seen as soon as you exit from the station via Rail (entering if you’re driving), and I was confused. I really want to look into the history behind the Bee as a statue here, considering it could be a local thing. Next project of curiosity? Take a picture at every stop/station on the Green Line route.

Bonus photo: A shot of the Light Rail awaiting departure downstairs from the station. The Norwalk Metro Station is the end of the Green Line, just as the Redondo Beach Station is the beginning. To ride from beginning to end, it takes roughly about 14 stops within Los Angeles County.

A Extra Weekend Pt.2

A quick photo of a selection of buildings that are located within Downtown Los Angeles, this was taken during my trip to Anime Expo 2015 earlier in the month. Surprisingly, I was able to snap a clean shot of the outside as I was walking through the extension that connects both portions of the Convention Center. Normally, crossing from the Entertainment Hall to the West Hall would be literally packed with people at almost all times of the con, just like this:

From the start of the con to practically the finish, there was always a flood of people transitioning from one hall to another. What made it even more unique was that it was such a open environment, especially when it comes to complete strangers who may have never met a day in their life but are willing to share and talk about the same passions and love for the one thing that brought them here. It was quite the feel good vibe that made the whole event that much more amazing. Though I still have more pictures to share,I’m already stamping my dates down for next year to do it all over again.

A Extra Weekend (AX2015)

This past weekend was nothing but fun as I went to Anime Expo 2015 in Downtown Los Angeles. For the first time, this was my opportunity to finally go for all four days, and it was well worth it. Ironically, I had worked a few events around the area while Anime Expo was going on during the past few years, so I didn’t have the chance to fully enjoy it for a half day if I did go, or even attend it. It was truly a great event to attend, not only to see the people there who showcase their cosplay craft, but also to get my hands on some items that I would love to add to my collections. In a day or two, I will have more photos to show of the event. Until then, I’ll be catching up on some well needed rest.

My Second Home Pt.2

Approaching 4th and Santa Monica on a busy and sunny day, this was one of the primary routes I used to take while heading to work. Whether it be via bus (The 3/Rapid 3 Big Blus Bus) or walking from 26th St. (My brother had coaching sessions with kids at a local high school), this exact spot was what we called the crossroads. Each direction led you to something different, and from where I was standing at the spot for the photo, that particular direction would lead to the 3rd Street Promenade, while behind me would lead you to the newly renovated Santa Monica Mall. It still humors me that I remembered a lot of these little tidbits despite having been there in a while, almost as if nothing had ever changed at all…

Bonus Photo: A shot of the bento box from Sarku Japan Restaurant in the food court of the mall. It’s been 3 years since I had it, and it was actually amazing. One of the few places that didn’t raise their prices after renovation.

My Second Home

It has been roughly a year and half before I revisited the place of not only my source of employment, but also a place that I found a strong connection to. Practically located in Downtown Santa Monica, the 3rd Street Promenade was my original locale for work, but also a place for rest and relaxation. The memories I experienced and shared during my 8 years of work at this particular location can never be replicated; This happened to be the location where I would eventually meet some of the most understanding and loyal friends I’ve had in my life. To be honest, it’s hard to explain as to why I have such a strong connection with this area to the point where I’m still trying to understand it, even during the present day. A smile formed on my face as I took the Rapid 3 Big Blue Bus (Which is Santa Monica’s form of transportation via bus) as I was coming closer and closer to the promenade.

For a bonus treat, this was taken at the food court at Santa Monica Place, which is a shopping mall that went through a serious renovation for about 2 years. Definitely a huge change in what it used to be from when I used to work in the area.

A Quick Glance

This particular snapshot taken during a run to Norwalk, California at a red light. I had the opportunity to snap a photo of this interesting artistic concept of a trio of horses in different poses not too far from the McKenna Porshe dealership, or is it one horse in different poses? It was my first time really noticing it in the area despite passing by the location for the few times I traveled towards Norwalk. Our original reasoning for the trip was to find a food spot that a friend of ours had recommended a few days ago, but we ended up taking the scenic route heading towards our destination. It worked itself out in the end, as I’m having a lot of fun taking photos of various or random things as I travel about.

The Second Home

A photo of the Hilton Garden Inn in Redondo Beach, CA. This quick shot could be considered a follow up to my recent post about visiting Redondo Beach on Saturday, but there’s much more to this photo. Before this Hilton Garden Inn was built about a few years ago, there used to be a very special place that was on this property. For some it would be a miniature golfing spot and arcade, but for us, it was different…like a second place we could call home. Almost going on for 10 years, Malibu Castle is a place of vivid memories between me and some of my closest friends to this day, for that arcade spot was where we first met each other and grew from there. Hours upon hours on end were spent there, ranging from a few days a week to almost everyday, even for some to the point of waiting till it closed every night. One of the biggest attributes I can always give to Malibu Castle is that this is where I began to lose a lot of the weight I had gained by playing various dance games such as Dance Dance Revolution or In the Groove, and found myself losing almost 60 to 70 pounds.

KOF Maximum Impact 2 OST – A Secret Paradise

Memories that range from playing various arcade games to even helping each other out with schoolwork, job related issues or problems, or even just to share stories and relax, heading to Malibu Castle quite often did ease a lot of pressure for me during my first year or two in college around 2004, but what made it even better was that it was local and not far at all. Though it closed its doors in 2006, there was often speculation that it would be re-opened after a few repairs or additions, but as time went on, activity ceased over the passing years and the final toll was when demolition trucks was on site to begin the tearing down process. Admittedly it left us a little bit sad considering we never found that secondary go to place, but we always held a huge appreciation and thanks for what Malibu Castle did for all of us, considering that we all still talk on the norm practically everyday.

Visiting Redondo Beach

Taken at the Metro Green Line Station around 3:35 p.m. in Redondo Beach, California. I was heading up the escalator at the side exit, and really wanted to take a picture of the Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems building but this one came out pretty decent. What made this one a keeper for me was the blue sky with a cloud formation in the works, from the extremely hot (Over 90 degrees) day we had yesterday. Surprisingly, the streets wasn’t as crowded like normal for a Saturday. Even with the random visits to the park I’ve been taking more and more, taking various photos of the locations I go to or even visit has helped me relieve some form of stress or even just to relax.

Moments Continued

This particular shot of the palm trees at my local park in the evening is a follow up to my recent post, Moment of Serenity. I thought it would be cool if I could revisit the same spot and snap a photo of the trees a little bit later than usual. Forgetting that daylight savings time just recently hit, which means we lose a hour of sleep, sadness….but the sun will go down later as well.  This was taken roughly about 7:00 PM, and the park lights had barely flickered on. The park was more active with people out and about, as well as children. I’ve always said that I wanted to do a lot more of the photography aspect, but I know it takes a lot of work. One of these days, I’ll attempt to capture a shot of the same trees a little bit later on, more closer to night.