Last Thursday/The Day All The Bakeries Were Closed

All we wanted was breakfast. Is that too much to ask? A donut? A croissant? A bagel? A cup of coffee? After a quick tour of the USCWM, Caroline and I headed out for a tasty bite. There were plenty of bakeries to choose from with workers busy inside, but all of the signs read "Closed". Since when did Thursday become the day to bake? We wandered around aimlessly, led by the growling of our stomachs. Finally, we found one bakery that did not have the dreaded "Closed" sign in the window! Upon entry, we were greeted by cakes, cookies, cannolis. Granted, this would have been any 10 year-old's dream, but Caroline and I are mature adults! We eat our vegetables, brush our teeth, and, most certainly, do NOT eat cannolis for breakfast! We turned on our heels and vowed to come back at a respectable cannoli-eating time.

As we wandered around Pasadena, hungry, dejected, and wishing we were ten, we happened across The Hat. It's an unassuming building (that actually has free parking attached to it!) with a big reputation. Apparently, they've served pastrami sandwiches for 57 years! (You can check them out here.) This place was popular! And, had I been a meat-lover, I would have been in Heaven. The Pastrami Dip came piled high with thinly shaved, red meat on a long bun with mustard and pickles. It was warm and salty and, like I said, if I loved meat, I would've been in Heaven. The businessmen at the table next to us were explaining to the newbie how necessary fries and onion rings were to order. Caroline and I looked at each other and ordered some fries. :) I was in a fry mood, and I'm rarely in a fry mood, so I ate almost all the fries!

Our original plans had been to go hiking, but it was overcast and chilly, so we opted instead for a tour of Warner Brothers Studio! :) I completely forgot that the CW was formerly the WB and that the Gilmore Girls was a very, very popular show on the WB. So, I was pleasantly surprised when, upon the tour of the "back lots", I found myself smack-dab in the middle of Stars Hollow, Connecticut! As you can see from my pictures, I visited all the major places of drama (with the exception of Richard and Emily's house and Chilton)! Sometimes, it really is hard to believe that tv shows aren't real--that the characters and plot are figments of someone's imagination. Yet, there's something magical about that fiction, and it's enough to make ppl want to spend money to visit empty sets. I could wax philosophical, but I think I'll stop there.

One more thing, though. While we were touring the 3rd largest soundstage in the world, I asked our guide (Evan) what happened to all the sets and props once the movie was through filming. He lowered his voice and said "there's a lot of waste in Hollywood". That brought me back to earth. I had been caught up in the glitz and glamor of it all, too. I wanted to see the car from Harry Potter and the Batmobile and walk where the stars had walked, but then I was reminded of how frivolous it all is. And there's that word again--"frivolous"...people in the world are dying because they don't have food and shelter, and here we are spending billions of dollars to make billions of dollars on made-up stories played by tabloid-crazed actors marketed to the average-joe as the idyllic way of life. Nothing is without it's hypocrisy, it seems.

From fake life, Caroline and I moved on to real life: the natural beauty of Griffith Park. It's this country's largest urban park with tons of trails. We only explored a fraction of it, and it was lovely. Afterwards, we took a drive down historic Mulholland Drive and looked at Jack Nicholson's and Warren Beatty's fences. Ha.

The best part of the night for me was the last part of the night: the music at Hotel Cafe. After driving around the block about 5 times praying for free, street parking, we paid for a spot in a lot. My magical guidebook instructed us to enter the building from the alley behind, which was cool b/c we felt like we knew what was going on--we didn't have to suffer through the tourist-embarrassment of shaking a locked door and peering through a darkened window while wondering if we had somehow made a mistake. We had insider's knowledge. :) Contrary to the name, this was neither a hotel nor a cafe. Upon entering, there was a small area to the right with tables and chairs and a full bar to the left. The music was noticeable but enjoyable, and the decor was dark wood with sexy accent lights. It was the definition of "cool". Continuing further into this "cafe", we went through a pair of swinging doors and entered a larger (though still cozy) room. There were about 4 or 6 tables up front by the stage (the lucky ppl who got there in time for dinner (limited menu) got to have the seats); the rest of us got to stand.

There was also a full bar in this room and a smallish stage (I'd say, about the size of my bedroom) up front. Caroline and I were able to hear 3 amazing musicians: Kina Grannis, Tim Myers, and Schuyler Fisk. You should check them out. Just be aware that Kina's album does not do justice to her talent. She is an amazing singer-songwriter, and the production on her album doesn't reflect that. Tim's album is just as good as his live performance (except you can't seem him), and Schuyler doesn't have an album out yet. Be on the lookout! The most amazing part of the whole thing, though, was the crowd. I've been to quite a few "bar concerts", and they're all pretty much been the same: people are drunk, loud, and could care less about the music. This place was completely different! While people were drinking, no one was loud or obnoxious. (In fact, people were shushed when they got louder than the music!) The atmosphere was truly one of listening to, respecting, and enjoying the artists, not getting smashed. It was a truly enjoyable experience. I long to have a place that like, and I would be a frequent patron of that place if I lived there. :)

We hadn't had dinner yet, so we stopped at In-N-Out Burger in Pasadena on the way back to the dorm. It was my first In-N-Out experience (and, really, there was no "in" option), and it was great! I think starving helped, but the burgers were different from other fast food places. Apparently (I found out later from my aunt), In-N-Out pays quite well, b/c the employees work really hard. If you haven't tried In-N-Out, you should!

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