4 days 3 nights in lala land.
I could have signed up for one of those over-priced day tours
providing a fuss-free yet hectic line-up of schedules
to cover the most of this big city in the shortest time,

OR

I could take my own sweet time and
follow where the LA Metro line would take me to
explore beyond the glitz and glamour of
Beverly Hills and Hollywood.

You won't find Disneyland here,
I'm sorry.

 
 


"Welcome to Hollywood"
¤ Hollywood/Vine Station

The solitary palm tree whispered into my ears as it swayed in the cool end summer breeze.
  

"The Towering Lamp-post "
¤ Hollywood/Vine Station


 

"Elephant In The Sky"
¤ Hollywood/Highland Station

I saw an elephant dancing in the sky.
  

"Come In & Be Awarded"
¤ Hollywood/Highland Station

Packing more stars than even the Milky Way, this is home to the Academy Awards.
  

"How Boring"
¤ Hollywood/Highland Station

Just another star coming to the Chinese Theatre to mark his/her presense
with a hand/foot print. I'll try to look excited.
 

"A Legend Under Your Feet"
¤ Hollywood/Highland Station

Thousands crossed this star everyday, but how many among them
can tell the story behind this one?
 

"Yes, You Want This!"
¤ Hollywood/Highland Station

Strategic advertisement billboards made it quite clear that you
absolutely need to have this baby.
 

"I Wish To See A Star"
¤ Hollywood/Highland Station

Roll out the red carpets, the stars are coming!
 


"Celebrity Look-Alike!"
¤ Hollywood/Highland Station

Sitting at the reception table looking bored, unshaved, and
two hours before the red carpet was to be rolled out. Despite what my eyes and camera told me,
I refused to believe he was Brad Pitt.

  


"Not Just Another Station 1/2"
¤ Hollywood/Vine Station

It helped especially for a half-lost visitor when every station had its own
unique design and identity.

 


"Not Just Another Station 2/2"
¤ Hollywood/Vine Station

 


"Flags"
¤ 7th Street Station

 

"Traffic Lights 1/2"
¤ 7th Street Station

 

"Traffic Lights 2/2"
¤ 7th Street Station

 

"Just Arrived"
¤ 7th Street Station

Immigrants outnumbered the locals in most parts of downtown.
Held on tight to my camera and walked on as I chartered into the rougher parts of the city.
 

"Fuss-Free Advertising"
¤ 7th Street Station

 

"Square Windows On A Square Building"
¤ 7th Street Station

 

"This Is Fashion District?"
¤ 7th Street Station

Thinking of finding Gucci, Prada and LV?
Apparently downtown folks have very different fashion sense.
 

"Garage District"
¤ Pershing Square Station

 

"A Brick Wall"
¤ Pershing Square Station
 

"In Full Bloom"
¤ Pershing Square Station

Pick them up at the LA Flower Market.
  
   

"The Name That Says It All"
¤ Pershing Square Station

Admist run-down warehouses with faded coatings of paint, graffiti and rusty staircases,
my Broadway dream shattered into pieces.
   

"Hand-Picked Fruits 1/2"
¤ Pershing Square Station

A breath-taking array of fresh and cheap fruits at the Grand Central Market,
just begging to go home with you.
  

"Hand-Picked Fruits 1/2"
¤ Pershing Square Station

 


"All The Fattening Food"
¤ Pershing Square Station

These sinful delights looked too good to stay in the shelf for too long.

 

"At The Traffic Junction"
¤ Pershing Square Station

 

"Two Bald Things "
¤ Pershing Square Station

 

"Skyline District"
¤ 7th Street Station

A customary shot of the LA skyline.
 

"Sound Advertisement"
¤ 7th Street Station

On my way to the LA Flower Market, some dramatic singing caught my attention.
 

"Just Another Name"
¤ Pershing Square Station

Where's the glitz and glamour??
  

"Living Quarters "
¤ Civic Centre Station

Bathed in thick greenery amidst a concrete jungle, these apartments looked
appealing enough for a more close-up study.
 

"Shining Tiles 1/4"
¤ Civic Center Station

Exuding calm and coldness on a sunny summer day,
the Walt Disney Convention Center looked nothing like Disneyland at all.
 

"Shining Tiles 2/4"
¤ Civic Center Station

 

"Shining Tiles 3/4"
¤ Civic Center Station
 

"Shining Tiles 4/4"
¤ Civic Center Station
 


"I Needed Some Shade"
¤ Civic Center Station

Needed a break from the sun as the glossy surface of the theater was reflecting
too much UV rays on my face.

 

"Count to 20"
¤ Civic Center Station

At the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. (Yes, it's a mouthful.)
  

"The Windows"
¤ Civic Center Station
 


"Writings On The Wall"
¤ Civic Center Station

Anything else that comes after these two words are most probably
too great to put down on the wall.

  

"Chinese Spaghetti"
¤ Universal City Station

A chinese boy stood outside a chinese restaurant outside the Universal Studios entrance.
 

"Not This One"
¤ Hollywood/Vine Station

Boarded the wrong train a few times at the interchange. Taking almost two hours
to get from my hotel near LAX to the city centre, I needed to make some mistakes
to reinforce the feeling that I was just a tourist here.
  

"Long Way From Home"
¤ LA International Airport

The start of a 27-hour journey back to KL marked an end to my
month-long trip. I was finally missing home.
 

"Right On The Spot"
¤ Chiang Kai Sek International Airport
A window motif during a short stopover correctly potrayed my next travel destination.
My camera was starting to miss an Asian city already.