It was back to getting out of bed at 7 AM for me today. My one project for the day: obtaining a single-entry tourist visa to China. The nearest consulate, of course, is in LA. With well-founded fears in the delays of bureaucracy, I (and the rest of my family, because organizing logistics was a group effort) wanted to get an early start.
Ride from little brother Kahmyong to Tustin Metrolink Station; Metrolink from Tustin to LA Union Station; Outbound Redline to Wilshire/Vermont; 2 blocks walk to Chinese consulate. Much to my surprise, 15 minutes later (if that), I was done. I guess it pays to arrive within an hour of opening.
However, this left me with the dilemma of what to do with the rest of my day. The next train that went all the way down to Tustin didn’t leave until 2:50 PM. And here comes why I found LA more bearable today.
I took a Rapid Bus from Wilshire and Vermont a few miles down to LACMA (LA County Museum of Art) and La Brea Tar Pits. LACMA didn’t open for another hour, so I strolled by the methane releasing tar pit sites until I reached a shady spot (sans CH4) where I sat, read some Murakami, and ate the pre-peeled, pre-sliced apples my mother packed for my long day away from her cooking. Sometimes it’s good to be back home.
LACMA was surprisingly accessible, with multiple buildings separated by theme (visit Ahmanson for African, American, European, and Islamic Art – the Asian exhibits on the lower level are closed for renovation; Hammer for Post-Impressionism and Photography; Pavilion for Japanese Art for, well, Japanese Art; Bing Center for Film and Music; and Modern and Contemporary Art Building for what its moniker implies).
The Ahmanson had the closest feeling to a Met or Rijks – impressive and overwhelming. I was, of course, duly impressed (and overwhelmed). I was much happier in the Modern and Contemporary Art Building, which was large enough to be interesting and small enough to grasp (much like the Van Gogh Museum or a good city). There is a mesmerizing glass exhibit on the second floor, and Weeping Woman with Handkerchief was the highlight of the third floor.
To get home, I took the reverse public transit route back. And to top off a good day in so-Cal, on the way home I dutifully spent more than I was planning to spend, at Target. All in all, the day wasn’t terrible. The subway (“Metro”) system isn’t very extensive, but riding around on it all day made LA seem more human.
As a side note, an interesting thing I’ve noticed about the public transit system in LA is that it is all based on the honor system. In place of turnstiles are open walkways. The only way you know you are in a pay-zone are signs that say something like, “Beyond this point, tickets are required.” Of course, if they do a check, you could incur hefty fines for not having a ticket, but I don’t think they check all that often. The subways were never very crowded, though, so maybe there is a subsidy at work to try to get Hummer-drivers underground (ah, wouldn’t that be nice).
