Wednesday, October 27, 2004

imported green bananas



i'm in los angeles for an undetermined length of time. not for fun and not for profit, and with lots and lots of downtime (perfect conditions for blogging). since my mindset and location are hardly tropical, i thought i'd create a new blog for the mainland spell.

the title refers to the original farmers market in los angeles, built in 1934 at said address. it is basically a collection of produce and food stands, restaurants, and retail shops, but more than that, it is one of the few places in la where tourists and locals intermingle comfortably and frequently. no mean feat in a city propelled by the entertainment industry that seemingly despises its target audience (and is despised right back). it is an oasis, a nostalgic throwback in the middle of trendy developments, tony malls, gnarled traffic, and overwhelming humanity.

it is not technically the heart of the city, but it is the center of my city--my neighbourhood joint, the center of how far north, south, west, and east i regularly venture. so meet me at the corner of third and fairfax, and we'll go on from there.

11 comments:

chika said...

Hey, how have you been doing over there? Will meet you at the corner of third and fairfax! (when?)

santos. said...

hi chika

i'm glad to see you as my first la commenter. i was thinking about you as i drove past la brea bakery--did we ever figure out if there was a way to mail you those cinnamon buns :-)?

unfortunately i am here because my mom had be hospitalized; fortunately, she's doing very well, and during her convalescence i can spend a little time sampling all that los angeles has to offer (while she learns japanese on her iPod!). if you'll send me your address at green.bananas@gmail.com, i'll send a postcard and maybe something not-so-perishable from la brea bakery!

Anonymous said...

Hey good to see you back.

Japanese lessons on an iPod - do tell, me want.

Anthony said...

oh that was me BTW

santos. said...

hey anthony

it's just your basic conversational japanese course--i'd be glad to send them to you, but i suspect you're skills are beyond that already.

or are you asking for an iPod...?

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
santos. said...

whoops, grammatical error in that last comment. i have many excuses, none of them valid.

Reid said...

Hi Santos,

I'm sorry to hear about your mother. I hope things get better quickly. It's looking like I may not be able to go to SF. If that is the case, maybe I'll just hop on over the Hilo...

santos. said...

hey reid

bummer about sf, but hey, i'd take hilo anytime :-) thanks for the kind words, mom is doing well.

claudine said...

santos, didn't realise you had relocated... sorry for not comin by your new home sooner... your pictures as usual, look gorgeous...

santos. said...

hey claudine

merely temporary. just not in a tropical mood :-) i'll be back on bananas when i get back to the island.