Petra

Something To Talk About – Update

Unfortunately we broke the record – the season 2006/2007 was the driest for L.A. since rainfall records began 130 years ago.

The total rainfall was 4 inches (10 centimeter). That’s less than a quarter of normal.

Even more disturbing is the fact that the snowpack in the Eastern Sierra Mountains, from where Los Angeles gets about 50 % of its water supply, also marked its second lowest level on record this year.

Officials are hinting that this might force the city into full drought mode this summer, with a much higher occurence of brush fires than normal. The first two major brush fires in May alone (Griffith Park and on Catalina Island) might have been only the first ones of many.

I can’t even think of something funny to say about all of this – it is plain scary.

Enjoy Them… They Might Be Gone Soon

One of the symbols of Los Angeles might be vanishing.

No, I do not mean the Hollywood sign – that’s renovated and well and sitting there as a major tourist attraction – this is what I mean:

Sure, the palm is not native to Southern California, but since the 1880s seedlings have been imported, from 1900 on large palm nurseries sprang up everywhere. For the Olympics in 1932 the city of Los Angeles planted palm trees all over town – PR-savy they where already way back then – and since then they really have been a symbol of the city.

Now these palm trees are dying – from old age and a fungal desease. The city of Los Angeles has decided not to plant new palm trees, but to replace them with oaks and sycamores. Residents however can still buy their own palm trees and plant them on private property – which many do. So there will always be palms in Los Angeles. But there might be a lot less in the decades to come.

Granted, oaks or sycamores are lovely trees. But do they have the “SoCal Vibe?”

The verdict is: No.

Another One Bites The Dust

I can hardly remember the times when I did not work with computers. PCs, mind you; the Apple machines were and are something I love for their excellent design, but for me there are several reasons why I can not use them in my line of work.

I can very well remember the endless quest for the perfect keyboard. It began back in those times I hardly remember any longer. Was it too much to ask for a keyboard with clean lines, all functions at your fingertips, the perfect “feel” of resistance when hitting a key? Certainly not, one would think.

Anyway, the search came to an end last summer when by happy coincidence I came across an Apple keyboard. My, such a pretty little thing, not at all like the cockpit panel in a bad sci-fi movie. I hit a few keys at random and was sold. A quick trip to the Apple store later I was the owner of the keyboard of my dreams, because yes, one can run them with a PC.

This, however

is a dead Apple keyboard. # 3 since last summer. The cause of death was not sheer exhaustion from being pounded on too much. No, it drowned, like #1 and #2 before. A quick spill of a drink, and #1, #2 and #3 were dead as dormice.

Therefore I would suggest one further improvement to an already near to perfect keyboard: liquid-proofing it.

That would bring me as near to perfect bliss as possible while on this Earth (computer keyboard-wise).

Do High School Students Dream of Beautiful Architecture?

Actually, I dont’ know. But one thing I do know: I wish I could be a student here:

Even though I am long past the age of attending high school, I occasionally drive out to South Pasadena just to look at this amazing example of a school evolving through time into what it is today – an architectural monument and a testament to the good sense to keep what is beautiful and impressive. In short, a piece of the past for present and future generations.

South Pasadena High School was build in 1906, with Art Deco additions in the 1920s, bungalows in the 1940s and tilt-up concrete buildings in the 1970s. In 2002 NTDStichler (Architects) finished the project of renovating and restoring the complex, while putting in some additions in perfect keeping with the Art Deco Style.

Yes, it is a place where I would gladly go to school every day. With my mindset of today… it might be different if I were really of high school age.

Something To Talk About

What’s that to talk about, one might say. It is just a photo of some plants and a tree, dripping with rain. Some might even say – hey, there’s nothing dripping there, that are just wet leaves, come here and we’ll show you what rain is.

Well, for us here in Los Angeles, this is all we seem to be getting this year. Rainfall is always measured from July 1st to June 30th, with the rains concentrating on the time from December to February. According to the records, this season might end up to be the longest dry spell in 130 years of recorded weather. Contrary to the usual 13.94″ (34,4 cm) of rain during the rainy season we have clocked up 2.47″ (6,27 cm) as per April 02, 2007. There is some hope that more rain might drift in by the end of April… but we all know what to think about weather forecasts. Good try, but we’ll see the rain when we get it. Or not.

There is after all a record to break, the season of 2001-2002, with all of 4.42″ (11,22cm) of rain. From July 1st 2001 to June 30th 2002.

Somehow I hope we won’t break this particular record.

Herbs, Ginger & Spaghetti

A stroll through Chinatown is always quite an experience. Even though it is a tourist destination, the overwhelming majority of people one sees are Chinese. The babble of voices around one is Chinese. All shops sport Chinese lettering, although the larger ones also give at least their names in English too. Not all of them, mind you, but one does try to accommodate the “round eyes”.

This is Chinatown, quite obviously.

However, when one walks down the crowded main street of the quarter, suddenly one sees this strange sight:

An Italian Restaurant? In Chinatown? Yes. Of course. Because what is Chinatown today was until approximately 1920-1930 the largest Italian community in Los Angeles. The former Chinatown was located in the area where today Union Station stands.

When the plans for building Union Station were drawn up, the decision was made to relocate the old Chinatown by about a mile, adjacent to the Italian quarter. The good Italians took a close look at their new neighbors and fled. Herbs, ginger and spaghetti did not mix well in their opinion. The main thrust of the evacuating Italians was in the direction of Lincoln Heights, but one would be hard pressed to make out any significantly Italian area in Los Angeles today. The Italians by that time and a bit later were so much assimilated into the American culture that they did not need a quarter of their own any longer and dispersed themselves all over Los Angeles.

The only “relic” of that time was Little Joe’s. Yes, sadly, was – the restaurant had to close down in 1998, due to the fact that the structure was not retrofitted to withstand earthquakes. The building is still there, as is the sign; the location is available for filming today.

The city has toyed around with plans to use the building – after retrofitting – as yet another store location for Chinatown. Which brings up the interesting question: How does one write “Little Joe’s” in Chinese characters?

Talk About Efficiency

Does it seem a bit ironic that I had to come to Southern California to see my first live hockey game? Not really, that’s just one of those things which make life so interesting.

So it was off to the Staples Center, located downtown. I like having sports arenas smack in the city, much more convenient than having to trek out into the hinterland. Nicely bundled up to ward off the cold (hey, this is ice hockey, remember) I was looking forward to the events to come.

Things started off with a light show

and after a while the actual game started:

Quite fascinating, lots of fun and action. However, after a while my mind started to wander a bit and I kept asking myself: How do they do it?

After all, the Staples Center is used by the Clippers, the Lakers and the Kings, to name but a few and even I with my limited understanding of certain sports know that basketball is not played on ice. So during intermission I went off to inquire and what I found out pleased my German liking for efficiency.

This is how they do it:

They put in new floors. Quite simple, yes. The ice rink is the base structure. When the Clippers or the Lakers play, the ice is covered with an insulation layer and the floor for a basketball team is laid on top of that. A whole floor, complete with markings and logos for each basketball team. When everything gets switched back to hockey, the floor and insulation layer is taken off, the thermostat gets turned down and out come the guys on the skates.

But the really amazing part is – all of this takes 1 1/2 hours. Now that is what I call efficency. Kudos to the Staples Center. Good job, good job.

P.S.: The L.A. Kings lost against the Dallas Stars, but by one point only. And it was a fun game.

Is The Future Streamlined? (Part 2)

Sadly the Encounter Restaurant at LAX has been closed for at least six months. This came on the radio news today.

The reason seems to be some structural difficulty; a 1,000-pound piece of stucco fell off the underside of one of the arches.

Hopefully the damage can and will be be repaired. On the other hand, knowing the speed with which buildings disappear in this city, I am not quite sure whether it will be repaired.

I am hoping for the best. The Encounter is one of the landmarks of Los Angeles, dearly loved by many Angelenos. Even though we poke fun at it – but always with a smile.

Pretty Critters (Part IV)

Last September this pretty critter

was kind enough to share his habitat with us. He was one of several roadrunners living in front of a holiday bungalow we stayed at.

Roadrunners are uniquely adapted to life in the desert. They are also fun to watch. One late afternoon I saw this particular bird snatch and eat three dragonflies and two lizards. The MO was always the same:

o stroll over the grass

o pretend to be totally oblivious to one’s surroundings

o walk by a bushy hedge several times

o jump up suddenly

o stick beak into hedge

o descend with food in beak

o eat

o don’t mind wriggling tails or flapping wings

The lesson I learned from this: if one gets reborn as a small lizard or dragonfly, never hang out in a bush without making sure first that no roadrunners are around. Those blighters sure have sharp eyes and quite an appetite.

Thank you, Ma'am

Thank you, Mrs. Barnsdale, that is. Aline Barnsdale.
Thank you for being interested in the arts und independently wealthy
enough to commission Frank Lloyd Wright to build a house for you.

Hollyhock House.

Hollyhock House was the first structure FLW built in Southern California,
one of eight buildings ultimately built by him in and around Los Angeles. Only quite
recently Hollyhock House has been reopened to the public after lengthy
and thorough restoration works. This project included not only the building
itself, but also the restoration and/or replication of furniture and
artworks.

The House in Barnsdale Park is well worth a visit, or two, or three. The superb
combination of architecture and the surrounding landscape is quite breathtaking.
FLW knew a thing or two about extending the living area to the outside and
bringing the outside into the interior. Right now the surrounding gardens are
being redone and hopefully in a few months time the ensemble will be complete
again.

There is only one sad fact about Hollyhock House: Mrs. Barnsdale and FLW came
to loggerheads over it. Both had their very distinct ideas about this project
and the final outcome did not overly please Mrs. Barnsdale. FLW had, in a way,
won the battle but lost this particular war – Mrs. Barnsdale lived only
a few short years in the house and then donated it to the city of Los Angeles
as a place for the arts.

So, once again, thank you Mrs. Barnsdale; for the house, the park and the
headache you went through to give us Angelenos all of this.

We appreciate it very much.

(A 30 minute video about the restoration project can be viewed here.)