Cheap Date: Recession-Proof Romance
I decided to launch the first blog from the so-called romance capital of the world Paris, even though I had my doubts.
Our first night did not go well. After an amazing dinner, my husband C. and I had a huge blowout. I found myself storming out of a French hipster bar and huffing down cobblestone rues in the Latin Quarter alone. I rolled my eyes at couples with their arms around each other or riding bikes down the street- what a stupid cliché city! The second night it happened again, this time after a carafe of vin. But he held my hand with an iron grip to make sure I didn’t have any more ideas of fleeing into foreign territory. To people sitting outside of brasseries with their chairs facing Montparnasse Blvd, we probably just looked like another couple c‘est la vieing the night away.
The third day, I knew I had to make a change for the sake of my relationship (and this article). We decided to go to the Sacre Coeur in Montmartre. We took the RATP (3.20 euros) to the Butte of Montmartre where you must walk flights and flights of stairs to reach the basilica. After the third flight up, my face was damp with sweat, I thought “shit, breath-taking view is literal.” When we reached the top, I’m not sure if it was the light-headedness or the sun’s orangy rays beaming onto thousands of Parisian rooftops, but my LA knees weakened. I grabbed C.’s hand. We walked around dodging the souvenir shops until we found the majestic white Sacre Coeur. It was swarming with tourists- mostly families with children not old enough to be shellacked on Spring Break. For respite, we walked to the Place de Tertre for a drink. We sat at a beautiful historic art nouveau cafe, Le Jardin Cafe (13 euros). We drank, munched on peanuts and talked about Toulese-Lautrec & Picasso. Afterwards, we decided to head back to our hotel for a dinner not under budget.
In the crowded metro, someone played the accordion and C. kept an arm around me until our stop. We walked to our hotel holding hands. He showed me the cafes Hemingway used to hang out at and Montparnasse Cemetery where our favorite philosophic lovers Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir are buried. This time- I was afraid to let him go.
Paris seizes your heart, a coup de coeur, they would say. You fall in love. Again. And again. There are so many fabulous things you can do in Paris for under 40 euros—whether it’s grabbing street food and sitting in a jardin or going to one of the many incredible museums like Musee d’Orsay or Le Centre Pompidou and sharing a carafe of vin. But, whether you’re in Paris or in LA, most importantly, a cheap date should prove to you that money can’t buy you good company.
Via her monthly column, “Cheap Date,” Anna Badua will give us some ideas on how to stretch our money in this economic recession via her own firsthand experiencea. Her focus will be on presenting options for dates in the LA area budgeted at $40 and under. She will also mix it up every now and then by adding special editions of “Cheap Date” that will include ”Super Cheap Dates” of $20 and “Splurge Dates” with a budget of $60.
Anna Badua has recently published or forthcoming work in Chiron Review, Beggars & Cheeseburgers, and Spot Magazine. She also advises and writes curriculum for a leading west coast design institution.
The Great Debate: Medical Marijuana and the City of Los Angeles.
In the press, as of late, there is much talk about closing down Medical Marijuana Dispensaries. So much so that our fearless D.A. Steve Cooley has taken it upon himself to go to war with the dispensaries and the City Council that continue to try to regulate these establishments.
The issues that the City Council continue to struggle with is attempting to make dispensaries maintain a certain number of feet from public schools, parks, libraries and or any other places children could gather. However, a bigger issue seems to be lurking from behind.
That issue is the D.A Steve Cooley, and what I’m now referring to as his lack of understanding when it comes to the constituents that reside in the city of Los Angeles.
I’ll explain. (more…)
Out in TRAffIK – Let Them Know: The Story of Youth Brigade and BYO Records
“Let Them Know: The Story of Youth Brigade and BYO Records” will be screening in Los Angeles for the first time this Thursday, September 10th. We will be bringing you an interview with director/producer Jeff Penalty soon, but in the meantime check out the trailer and screening info below. We’ll see you there.
This is the story about two brothers who formed a band and a record label that were very influential in the early ’80s LA Punk Scene.
The movie has screened at the San Francisco Independent Film Festival and the North By Northeast Music and Film Festival and it will be part of the Southern Circuit Film Tour in late September.
This is the first time the movie will be publicly screened in L.A.
The screening will take place this THURSDAY, SEPT. 10th at the Ricardo Montalban Theatre in Hollywood at 7PM SHARP!!
Date: Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009
Cover: $17 (All Ages)
Address: Nike Sportswear at the Montalban
1615 Vine St., Hollywood, CA 90028
Doors: 6:30pm
Movie: 7pm sharp!
Show To Follow Featuring Performances from:
7 Seconds
Swingin’ Utters
Youth Brigade
Click here for tickets
Also, in addition to the documentary, there is a box set available for purchase that includes an 80 page coffee table book and a 31 track double LP compilation of current punk rock bands covering songs from BYO records extensive back catalog includes the following tracks: (more…)
Part 1: Looking for the Music Scene in Vancouver
Vancouver. I’ve always wanted to go to Vancouver. I have some Canadian friends who insist that Vancouver ranks as the most beautiful city in the world. So recently, I decided that instead of just thinking about it, it was time to just do it. I needed a vacation. And so off I went by myself.
One of my goals while in Vancouver was to check out the local music scene so that I could write a column for TRAffIK. The search started on a Friday afternoon at a Burbank Barnes and Nobles. I went to the travel section and started to scan through a couple of the Vancouver books. Two music venues caught my attention: The Brickyard and Sonar. On a Sunday night, I mapped out the two locations.
I got to Vancouver Monday afternoon and decided that evening to see if there was anything happening at these two locations. Now I couldn’t help but transfer some of my Los Angeles based knowledge over to Vancouver. You can find some decent stuff on Monday nights in Los Angeles. You have free shows at Spaceland and Silverlake Lounge. The Key Club has Steel Panther (Metal Skool) and every so often some of my favorite local bands play that night. So I couldn’t help thinking that perhaps Vancouver had some Monday night shows, as well.
Both locations were within a kilometer or two of where I was staying so I headed off on foot towards these two locations. I got to Sonar first. It was closed and actually it wasn’t called Sonar anymore. I then headed off in the direction of The Brickyard. I soon found myself passing by groups of people who didn’t look all that well. I soon realized I was walking through Vancouver’s version of Skid Row. This wasn’t exactly where I wanted to be, but then I was close enough to The Brickyard so I headed over there. There was no Brickyard. The building was getting remodeled. A total strike out. A lesson learned: don’t trust those travel books.
I headed back towards the Sonar – walking on the road part of the way to avoid certain folks of questionable emotional stability. There was a pub right next door to the Sonar. I walked up to the door guy and asked him, “Is there a local music scene around here? You know, local bands.” The door guy responded, “I don’t know, but maybe John [made up name] might know. Hey, John, this guy wants to know where the local music scene is.” John came over, “What are you looking for?” I replied, “I’m looking for the local music scene – local rock bands.” He answered, “I’m not sure. I’m a DJ in the area. You can try out Honey. They’re doing 50’s/60’s music.” His girlfriend (or female companion) jumped into the conversation, “There is something going on at Richard’s on Richards tonight. M83 is playing.” She said it with a conviction that this was a well known band. Perhaps I should feel ashamed to admit that I hadn’t heard of this band. Anyways, John gave me some basic directions and off I went.
When I got to Richard’s the door guys there told me it was $20 Canadian. I did have some Canadian dollars that I’d gotten at the LAX airport – what a rip-off by the way, but I felt like I needed some Canadian currency should I find myself in a situation where only cash was accepted. I walked up to the ticket gal who then said, “$30.” Now that was all my Canadian money. I’m a cautious person. Giving away all my money just doesn’t sit well with me in general. I have this penchant for always wanting to carry some cash around with me and that feeling only grew stronger while in Canada. I had to pass. I regret that I did. I later found out that after Richard’s M83 was going on tour with Depeche Mode in Europe. (Note: I’ve read – in doing some post-Vancouver vacation research — that Richard’s on Richards might be closing down to make way for a condo project. (more…)
Panic Attacks / Michael Jackson / The Soothing Sounds of Elvis Costello
Some people are very lucky in mood and temperament. I am a high-strung, anxiety prone, insomniac, with a flair for panic attacks. Obviously, I am not one of the chosen people. If that make me a weirdo so be it, I am willing to own it and share it with whom-ever reads this. I don’t know why I’m such a lucky girl but I think it’s my lot in life to suffer. At one time I thought it made for really good art…now I think my genes just suck.
Anyway from time to time I get panic attacks. If you’ve never had one I’ll explain them to you. First – imagine you can’t breathe enough air in. Then start to focus on the fact that you aren’t getting enough oxygen. Next, think the more you inhale the better your oxygen intake will be. Then, start to freak out about what’s wrong with you? Start to wonder if you breathing this erratically is going to give you a heart attack? Then check your pulse, at this time your pulse is racing. Next you attempt to time it. Now as you count your rising heart rate, you begin to convince yourself that you are definitely having a heart attack and contemplate calling 911. It doesn’t matter that you are in good health and don’t have heart problems…what else could it be? More erratic breathing ensues – on the verge of passing out from hyperventilating and so on, and so on.
It’s really terrifying and no fun at all.
The worst one I had once lasted for an hour and a half and I thought surely I was about to die. I grabbed a brown lunch bag and breathed into it (like I’ve seen done in movies) and hoped that it would help. I still don’t know if it did, especially since I was basing my technique on something I’ve seen Gene Wilder do in a movie from the late seventies? Nevertheless, after I had consumed 8 bottles of water and a gallon of milk (my panicked reasoning was, there is H20 in water/liquid) I returned to normal. Now every once in a while I still get them but I try to control them before they turn into full blown – I’m going to die–attacks.
The latest and greatest was at work on a rather boring – nothing to speak of Thursday. All of a sudden I started to have some breathing problems. I was reading CNN and boom – I can’t breathe? I don’t know why, I don’t know how…but that’s the beauty of those little fuckers – out of nowhere and bam you are about to freak out and pass out. My first thought was – I couldn’t do this at work. It’s bad enough in the privacy in your own home, but passing out amongst people you work with sounds like a horrible nightmare that I don’t think I would survive – strictly thinking of the humiliation factor. I got up and walked around – attempted to thwart what was coming by talking to friends who could help. Then I decided that I should drive home…because that sounds so much better than passing out in the hallway? Sometimes I think my brain likes to fuck with me.
NOTES FROM VIVACE – Out to See: The Shakers
I’m plugging my friend’s band. A friend of mine joined a new band called The Shakers. The band only has a handful of gigs under its belt – though they did travel as far as Philadelphia to play one gig. I missed every one of their earlier gigs. One of their gigs (or perhaps it was two) was off in Venice so an easy excuse on my part was that it was just too far away. On a recent night; however, they played at the Bordello, which is much closer to home. So off I headed to see my friend play in her new band.