Today was a fun day. Early this morning, I got up and left with my aunt to go see a taping of Deal Or No Deal, pretty much my favorite game show of all time. We left with plenty of time to spare, or so we thought. We ran into some bad traffic. I know you always here the stereotyping of LA traffic being bad, let me tell you, it is. It took us over and hour and a half to go about 25 miles. The traffic was stop and go the whole way, with a lot more stopping than going. I wasn't sure if we were going to make it. A shuttle left the free parking at the college at 8:45 am, or so we were told. We got to the parking lot at 9:00 am, and the shuttle left shortly after we got there.
We arrived at the studio, and went through security. After that, we formed lines inside and waited for instructions and seating. The studio sat 360 something people. Getting tickets was a big deal, they want all the seats to be full. You had to buy the tickets and call the night before to validate your spot. They also said to wear dark clothes. My clothes had logos, so they made me put tape over the logos.
After we were seated, we had to wait for another hour as everyone else was seated, and the preshow mantra was conducted. Unfortunately, I was not seated in the "hot spots", the seats that get lots of airtime on TV. I was seated about 4 rows above where the family stands, but who knows, I just may be seen by the 20 million plus people that turn in to the show. Look for the funny looking guy with the beard and shorts.
Once the show finally started, it was different than I thought. It was way different than it seems on TV. The audience is instructed what and how they are to do everything, we are like little programed applauding robots. I have never clapped so much in my life. If you had a stopwatch and timed how long I was clapping, it would have been over an hour. Speaking of which, with all the clapping, it was hard to hear at times. When my man Howie Mandel was introducing things, such as after the commercials, the models, the contestant, I couldn't even hear anything he said.
Speaking of Howie, he seemed different in person. He was wearing these pointed shoe/cowboy boot looking things that were very bizarre. It is hard to explain, but they just seemed out of proportion. He also wasn't as friendly as I thought. He didn't ever really acknowledge the crowd. During the breaks, he would leave the stage.
A man sitting a few seats away from my aunt and me was very loud. He would yell really loud for a long time and for no apparent reason. And he wasn't even yelling during the game that much, he would yell during the breaks at the guy who job it was to keep the crowd excited. The crowd keeper awake man kept us awake by having a golf game for shirts, giving out shirts and candy, singing the show rules, having a strange name contest, a drawing contest, and a limbo contest. He was loud, but kept the crowd lively.
Overall, the taping took over three hours. I thought commercials breaks were long on TV, you should see them in real life. People came out and coached the contest and family, they also would redo their makeup. Oh yeah, and the makeup of the models. They also would clean the cases and other surfaces. During the breaks, all the models would get into little groups and talk, sit down, and eat.
When the show was over, we weren't done. Stock shots were taken of the audience obeying the directorish guy's command. We would lightly chuckle, laughter followed by applause, pretend to react to a high offer, a low offer, and so on. All these had to be done for each of the different background lights. It was quite fun, but totally contrived.
The actual game played by the contestant was good. I'll leave it a surprise so you have to watch it to see what happened. It is set to air November 30. Overall, it was a really fun experience. Next time I watch the show, I will definitely pay more attention to the audience.
Believe it or not, today's fun had just begun. This evening, we watched a quarter of my uncle's high school football game. This was about as long as everybody's attention span would allow. After that it was time for dinner. Wow, was it a dinner. It was probably the best restaurant I have ever been to. We went to noodle world. I ordered some fried rice, and got a sample of everyone's meal. It was so good. When I finally finished my huge plate of fried rice, I was stuffed, but had just enough room for dessert. I split a chocolate milkshake with boba with my cousin. What is boba you may ask, well I'll tell you. It is little tapioca balls. You can't really taste them, but man is it fun to suck a whole bunch of them up through your straw. Bring back memories dad? It was a great day. I also have big plans for tomorrow, but I'll keep those a surprise for now.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Danny, I've Got a Feeling I'm Not In Shelton Anymore
Los Angeles is the complete opposite of Shelton. The longer I am down here, the more I come to realize that fact. First off, the temperature difference is extreme. The overnight low of LA is close to the daytime high for Shelton. It would never be 113 degrees back home, the temperature it was when I first arrived here. At home, I usually wait until the middle of the day to do stuff so it isn't too cold, here it is the opposite. You do stuff in the morning, or at night, or else it is just too hot. I am not sure which climate I prefer. With the heat wave finally coming to an end, the temperature was quite nice here today. I think I could get used to it, actually, I think I am getting used to it.
There are other differences. The colors here seem different. Everything looks hot and dry. While in Washington, everything looks green, luscious, and alive. Speaking of which, there are no trees here. Well, there are a few palms trees here and there, but nothing like back home where tall trees are everywhere. There are a lot more fruit trees in LA though. I ate a pear from my cousin's aunt's house. It was quite good.
The cars are different. I have yet to see a real junker of a car down here. Even if there is an older car, it usually has tricked out rims or something. A neighbor down the street has a stretch hummer limousine he escorts people in. Not only are the cars different, so are the drivers. People drive faster, closer together, and with more cars around them. It is crazy down here.
The people are different also. First off, there are a ton of people. I was surprised that "minority" groups down here almost seem to make up the majority. There are a lot more ethnic stores and restaurants. With so many people, there are a lot more schools down here. It seems like around every block there is a different school.
The street curbs are higher down here. I've been told it is because of flash flooding. Some of the curbs are so high you have to plan where you let someone on the passengers side out so there door will not hit the curb. Also, the wild green parrots I spoke of in a previous blog, yeah, those are different.
One of the major differences is that there is so much more to do down here it seems. I am not sure if this is true, but it just seems that way. Maybe it is just because I am visiting. The building are different down here. Even the houses look different. There are also a lot more older buildings around here. I mean really old, well, not Europe old, but still.
The biggest difference though, is the pace at which life is lived. Everything is way faster down here. Not only the cars, but also the people. Everything is just moving so fast. I am starting to like it down here, but still miss Shelton. I wonder what I'll think when I get back to Shelton. I'll probably be really bored for a long time.
There are other differences. The colors here seem different. Everything looks hot and dry. While in Washington, everything looks green, luscious, and alive. Speaking of which, there are no trees here. Well, there are a few palms trees here and there, but nothing like back home where tall trees are everywhere. There are a lot more fruit trees in LA though. I ate a pear from my cousin's aunt's house. It was quite good.
The cars are different. I have yet to see a real junker of a car down here. Even if there is an older car, it usually has tricked out rims or something. A neighbor down the street has a stretch hummer limousine he escorts people in. Not only are the cars different, so are the drivers. People drive faster, closer together, and with more cars around them. It is crazy down here.
The people are different also. First off, there are a ton of people. I was surprised that "minority" groups down here almost seem to make up the majority. There are a lot more ethnic stores and restaurants. With so many people, there are a lot more schools down here. It seems like around every block there is a different school.
The street curbs are higher down here. I've been told it is because of flash flooding. Some of the curbs are so high you have to plan where you let someone on the passengers side out so there door will not hit the curb. Also, the wild green parrots I spoke of in a previous blog, yeah, those are different.
One of the major differences is that there is so much more to do down here it seems. I am not sure if this is true, but it just seems that way. Maybe it is just because I am visiting. The building are different down here. Even the houses look different. There are also a lot more older buildings around here. I mean really old, well, not Europe old, but still.
The biggest difference though, is the pace at which life is lived. Everything is way faster down here. Not only the cars, but also the people. Everything is just moving so fast. I am starting to like it down here, but still miss Shelton. I wonder what I'll think when I get back to Shelton. I'll probably be really bored for a long time.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Back to School: Both at Home and Abroad
Today, I didn't even really notice the heat. That isn't to say it wasn't there, it just is finally becoming bearable and livable. It was a transition day, it is my cousin's last day of summer. My uncle already started teaching.
My oldest cousin and I watched Godzilla while the others were gone. We then went to my cousin's school for an ice cream social. It was fun because it was an ice cream van, and you could ask for anything you wanted. I just wish I was allowed seconds. My aunt was selling some school shirts there. After that, we came home and ordered Pizza Hut for dinner. We had a little picnic on the front lawn. We also helped my uncle clean out his old car, he found a $20 bill in the ashtray. After that, the cousins have been getting ready for their first day of school. I saw some birds fly by, no big deal, but then I thought they looked green. I thought that maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me. Later, I was told that they are a flock of wild parrots. They number up to 30, and are quite loud and obnoxious.
Today, I wished I could have been there for my sister's and dad's first day of school. My dad is my sister's teacher. I've been told everything went smoothly. We will have to take our annual "first" day of school picture in front of the garage when I get back. I am not super excited for my first day of school, but I think I shall enjoy getting back into the school routine.
My oldest cousin and I watched Godzilla while the others were gone. We then went to my cousin's school for an ice cream social. It was fun because it was an ice cream van, and you could ask for anything you wanted. I just wish I was allowed seconds. My aunt was selling some school shirts there. After that, we came home and ordered Pizza Hut for dinner. We had a little picnic on the front lawn. We also helped my uncle clean out his old car, he found a $20 bill in the ashtray. After that, the cousins have been getting ready for their first day of school. I saw some birds fly by, no big deal, but then I thought they looked green. I thought that maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me. Later, I was told that they are a flock of wild parrots. They number up to 30, and are quite loud and obnoxious.
Today, I wished I could have been there for my sister's and dad's first day of school. My dad is my sister's teacher. I've been told everything went smoothly. We will have to take our annual "first" day of school picture in front of the garage when I get back. I am not super excited for my first day of school, but I think I shall enjoy getting back into the school routine.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Return to Abnormal Normality
Today, the heat finally started to subside. It is still really hot, just not freakishly unnaturally hot. This morning, I helped/encouraged the kids to clean the house a little bit before their parents got home. They did a good job.
After lunch, I went with my cousin as he got ready for his first day of middle school. He got his first locker. It took him a while to get used to opening the lock. I remember my first locker and lock. It was hard to open the lock, but it was harder for me to remember the combinations for my regular and PE locker.
After that, we went to a bookstore while my aunt ran some errands. It was a nice cool place to hangout and read. This afternoon, we went to their neighbors house. She graciously provided the huge pool, and we provided the dinner. It was a fun time of swimming, staying cool, and having taco salad. According to the news, the heat wave is coming to an end. The temperatures should return to normal, if you can even call almost 90 normal.
After lunch, I went with my cousin as he got ready for his first day of middle school. He got his first locker. It took him a while to get used to opening the lock. I remember my first locker and lock. It was hard to open the lock, but it was harder for me to remember the combinations for my regular and PE locker.
After that, we went to a bookstore while my aunt ran some errands. It was a nice cool place to hangout and read. This afternoon, we went to their neighbors house. She graciously provided the huge pool, and we provided the dinner. It was a fun time of swimming, staying cool, and having taco salad. According to the news, the heat wave is coming to an end. The temperatures should return to normal, if you can even call almost 90 normal.
Monday, September 3, 2007
This Heat is Not Normal
Today, it was hot again. Surprise, surprise. I don't think I could ever get used to it being this hot, but I am constantly told that this heat is not normal. You bet it's not normal. It is not normal when you leave ripe bananas in the car for a little while and they come out jet black from the heat. It is not normal for the inside of a house to be above 90 degrees after 8:00pm. Not normal for the toilet and toilet paper to be warm, and the shampoo, and the clothes you are wearing or going to wear. It is not right, normal, or cool.
This morning, I accompanied my relatives to their aunt's house. It was a nice place to stay with air conditioning and cable. They also cooked a very good meal for us. The reason we went there was because my uncle was taking his brother in law to go look at a car with him. My uncle ended up buying the car, it is really nice. It is the exact same model of car our family owns, just a few years newer. Riding home in the car, I was reminded of being at my home with my family, and missed them. It also made me think of driving and my driving test that is coming up soon. I am glad that I don't have to drive in LA, I don't think I am ready for that, it's intense down here. Thanks for chauffeuring me around Ed and Kathleen.
After that, we stopped by a Chinese supermarket. It was basically the only store in LA to still have air conditioners, and I was basically the only white guy in the entire store. They ended up buying an air conditioner. It should help with this extreme heat.
After stopping by the house and setting up the air conditioner, we left for another fun day at the beach to beat the heat. The beach was packed, again. This beach had bigger waves, and the boogie boarding was spectacular. I saw a couple dolphins swim by really close to the shore. It was almost surreal, that is not something I have ever seen before. We returned home after the beach, the house was waiting for us with probably 95+ degree heat. We are now in the process of trying to cool the house down, it is a slow process. I got an email from my mom that there was a thunderstorm and rain up in Shelton. What I wouldn't give for a little rain, or even just some cooler weather.
This morning, I accompanied my relatives to their aunt's house. It was a nice place to stay with air conditioning and cable. They also cooked a very good meal for us. The reason we went there was because my uncle was taking his brother in law to go look at a car with him. My uncle ended up buying the car, it is really nice. It is the exact same model of car our family owns, just a few years newer. Riding home in the car, I was reminded of being at my home with my family, and missed them. It also made me think of driving and my driving test that is coming up soon. I am glad that I don't have to drive in LA, I don't think I am ready for that, it's intense down here. Thanks for chauffeuring me around Ed and Kathleen.
After that, we stopped by a Chinese supermarket. It was basically the only store in LA to still have air conditioners, and I was basically the only white guy in the entire store. They ended up buying an air conditioner. It should help with this extreme heat.
After stopping by the house and setting up the air conditioner, we left for another fun day at the beach to beat the heat. The beach was packed, again. This beach had bigger waves, and the boogie boarding was spectacular. I saw a couple dolphins swim by really close to the shore. It was almost surreal, that is not something I have ever seen before. We returned home after the beach, the house was waiting for us with probably 95+ degree heat. We are now in the process of trying to cool the house down, it is a slow process. I got an email from my mom that there was a thunderstorm and rain up in Shelton. What I wouldn't give for a little rain, or even just some cooler weather.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
INside too hot, N' OUTside better, sort of
Today was another scorcher. We went to church in the morning, it was a nice relaxed and friendly environment. After church, we went to Home Depot. They had finally decided to by an air conditioner. They keep telling me this heat is an aberration, that it isn't like this very often. Unfortunately, all the stores are sold out of air conditioners. I guess everyone else beat us to it.
After lunch, we decided to head to the beach to beat the heat. It was glorious. The beach I'm used to has bone chilling water, and it is usually raining. This beach was the complete opposite. The water was warm, and the waves enormous. I went boogie boarding, it was a blast riding 5 foot waves. The only part not so fun was the sand. Now I know where the term sand paper comes from. After a couple hours at the beach, we left to go get some dinner. I finally did it. I went to In-N-Out burger. It was a great experience. We were right next to LAX. The planes would roar by overhead as they were landing. It was dark out, and amazing to look at all the lights of the planes and city. It was basically perfect, in fact, I don't think it could have been any cooler. Well, scratch that, it could have been a ton cooler temperature wise. We got home, the house was super hot inside. I am now sitting outside while I write this while the house is cooling down. Today was a great day, boogie boarding, burgers, sand, sweat, planes, and people.
After lunch, we decided to head to the beach to beat the heat. It was glorious. The beach I'm used to has bone chilling water, and it is usually raining. This beach was the complete opposite. The water was warm, and the waves enormous. I went boogie boarding, it was a blast riding 5 foot waves. The only part not so fun was the sand. Now I know where the term sand paper comes from. After a couple hours at the beach, we left to go get some dinner. I finally did it. I went to In-N-Out burger. It was a great experience. We were right next to LAX. The planes would roar by overhead as they were landing. It was dark out, and amazing to look at all the lights of the planes and city. It was basically perfect, in fact, I don't think it could have been any cooler. Well, scratch that, it could have been a ton cooler temperature wise. We got home, the house was super hot inside. I am now sitting outside while I write this while the house is cooling down. Today was a great day, boogie boarding, burgers, sand, sweat, planes, and people.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Heat Wave Goodbye to Shelton
Yesterday, on a last second whim, I joined my cousins on their return trip to LA. We left Olympia at 7pm after a nice meal at Costco with my family. It was a very long car ride, in all the trip took 19 hours. During the ride, I tried to get some sleep, but could only sleep for around 30 minutes at a time. We reached a long stretch before LA that is especially flat and desolate. We played a game where we looked for exciting stuff, but we really couldn't find any. I mean there was nothing, nothing at all.
After my first step in California, I wasn't sure if I would be able to make another one, quite literally. The parking lot we parked in was really sticky for some strange reason, and your shoes would stick to the pavement. When we finally arrived in LA, a heat wave was waiting for us. It was 113 degrees where I am staying. That was way different from the rain that was predicted for Shelton when I left.
We tried to stay cool, but the house was really hot. We went to Souplantation for dinner. It was so good, almost too good. It is an all you can eat buffet, and I planned to eat all that I could. I reached a point where I could play it safe and stop eating, or risk it and keep stuffing myself. I showed restraint, mainly because I didn't want to pull a Harrison (inside joke). We stayed in the cool air conditioned restaurant as long as we could. After stopping at the store for some groceries, we went to my home away from home. As I sit to write this at 7:30, it is probably 95 degrees on the house. I am now going to try and get some sleep, but it is really hot. LA is sure a lot different than Shelton, about 30 degrees different.
After my first step in California, I wasn't sure if I would be able to make another one, quite literally. The parking lot we parked in was really sticky for some strange reason, and your shoes would stick to the pavement. When we finally arrived in LA, a heat wave was waiting for us. It was 113 degrees where I am staying. That was way different from the rain that was predicted for Shelton when I left.
We tried to stay cool, but the house was really hot. We went to Souplantation for dinner. It was so good, almost too good. It is an all you can eat buffet, and I planned to eat all that I could. I reached a point where I could play it safe and stop eating, or risk it and keep stuffing myself. I showed restraint, mainly because I didn't want to pull a Harrison (inside joke). We stayed in the cool air conditioned restaurant as long as we could. After stopping at the store for some groceries, we went to my home away from home. As I sit to write this at 7:30, it is probably 95 degrees on the house. I am now going to try and get some sleep, but it is really hot. LA is sure a lot different than Shelton, about 30 degrees different.
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