i less than 3 LA

So today my parents picked me up from cathy's house (lame right?) and said "man cathy lives in a really mexican area!" Anyways every now and then my parents like to take long drives around LA and see the sights, visit their old haunts from when they were young, and generally act like tourists. One time they drove into down town, parked the car, and got on one of those 8 hour bus tours through the greater los angeles area because they said "we wanted to see what they put the tourists though." My parents are funny like that. My parents were also hardcore partiers in their day and basically kept it going until they hit 50 so there are always good stories to tell. First we hit up east la and my dad showed me Whittier Blvd which apparently all the messicans used to cruise down in their low riders. Reading the next convo you have to imagine my dad's thick accent yelling to me in the back seat while reliving his youth with alot of excitement and emotion.

ME: wait, so why did people cruise here?

PAPI: to have something to do. You know i used to cruise down here when i was younger! La weeettier boolevard.

ME: no way!

PAPI: yeah!! i was in a car club!! It was called "Latin Esex!" I made a t-shirt for myself!! I was the only member!!! I drove my 54 chevy! (pictured to the right)

ME : wait what? it was called "latin sex"

PAPI: yeah!! esex!!

ME: like sex?? What?? Did you say sex like s-e-x???

PAPI: no like e-s-e-x! it was short for "executives!"

ME: Papi, that makes no sense.

PAPI: ehh??? (This is spanish for what?)

ME: nevermind.

This is the same 54 chevy that my dad used to sleep in when he first came to this country. I tell you, having immigrant parents really makes life alot more interesting. They always talk about doing the craziest, most random shit. They then went on to muse on the fun they used to have when they'd go clubbing at the Paladium. Then we hit Cesar Chavez which apparently used to be called "brooklyn street." And then my mom brilliantly noted "ay there is nothing more mexican than la brookleene, remember ernie? We used to say, 'vamos a la brookleene y calle primor'." translation, let's meet at brooklyn and first. We drove around some more and found the first house my dad's family lived in when they came here which eerily enough was on rowan and michigan ave. wierd!! My dad could not get over the fact that there had to be some meaning behind him moving to america and living on michigan ave and me going to university of michigan for grad school. follow the signs in your life, people! They are all around you!

So then we drove up to this really famous tree on top of a hill in boyle heights where you have a view of all of los angeles and my dad says he used to go up there to dream about all of the things he wanted to attain in life. It felt all deep and i always get a little bit emotional when we take our family trips back to where we came from so we can see how far we've come and it always amazes me that i went to stanford and am going ot grad school because i feel like wiht our background i should be working as a checker at the safeway or something not writing a dissertation on minority identity. Anyways it always touches me to see that stuff.

We drove on to the hipper more trendier version of boyle heights, also known as silver lake. This used to be a ghetto, and still has ghetto parts but it also has another most bodacious view of los angeles and thus through many years of gentrification it has gone from poor ghetto to upscale rich white neighborhood. Ah yes, the joys of reverse white flight. Anyways in addition to being where the somewaht in the know upper class live it is also where the wannabe super cool hipsters live and walk around with their ipods listening to a band so they can say "i liked them before it was cool to like them." They even have an american apparel. at one point i saw this total skinny jean wearing hipster who was sitting in a cafe, listening to his ipod, reading "life of pi" and wearing havaiana sandals. And then i noticed that everyone around him in silver lake was wearing havaiana sandals. And i hated them with such a passion because damnit i have like 3 pairs of havaiana sandals and damnit they are really the best sandals i have ever owned! and damnit i read "life of pi" at one point in my life! And i wear skinny jeans some times! And damnit despite my apparently loathing i secretly really want to live in silver lake!!!! I am so very jealous of people who live in cool parts of LA because living in the suburbs in your parents house totally blows.

Anyways we saw all of the new lofts being built in downtown and i'm kind of excited to see how LA is going to be different when i get back because i have a feeling it will be. Also we went to the cathedral of our lady of the angels which is so beautiful! the old cathedral got ruined in the earthquake i believe so they built this new one that is modern and kind of austere and very duomoesque in it's gradeur yet emptiness. that sentence made no sense but whatever. the entrance has this really simple and elegant mary and the doors are all carved with different depictions of the mother mary. And instead of having mosaics or stained glass depictions of the saints they have these beautiful woven tapestries hung all over the church walls
At the gift shop i was really tempted to buy kitschy religious stuff because the mexican catholic in me can't help but love religious paraphenalia. I am currently amassing a collection of religous things like crosses from around the world and things of that nature so that someday i can have a wall of religious art in my house with a giant virgen de guadalupe in the center. It's gonna be very bohemian. eemagine my wall of crosses in my silver lake house over looking downtown la?!! ugh, self loathing kicking in.

Anyways if you are ever in LA i recommend you call up Grace and Ernie, and they will show you a great time in LA. They know all the cool hip unknown spots and to be honest they are way too cool for me. Hey should i make a shirt for myself that says "LATIN ESEX"?? i kind of think i should.