Finding a nice apartment in Westwood is an awful lot like attempting to nab the Fun-Sized Milky Ways from the broken pinata at a 4th grade birthday party. Unless you're unbelievably quick or you managed to weasel your way through the crowd and nab it while nobody's looking, you may end up with something terrible (e.g. broken Dum-Dums) or absolutely nothing at all.
Hence, my quest for a studio apartment has been rather frustrating and a tad fruitless. Going door-to-door with a pad of paper, a pen, and an eager smile just doesn't seem to cut it for a lot of landlords when it comes to competitive housing in a college town.
Luckily, through one of my co-workers, I discovered Leila, a 4th-year student moving out of a... studio!
See, roommates are great. Roommates are wonderful. Next year, however, I'm ready for something fresh, smoething new, and something entirely my own.
Anyway, poor Leila was sick all weekend (we corresponded via text about her illness), yet she let me come see her place because I'm an anxious person attempting to nab those Milky Ways even though I don't stand much of a chance and will typically settle for the scattered teeth-shattering suckers (I probably like this metaphor too much). She was up front: "My parents thought this place was a shithole" and refreshingly candid: "The bathroom looks like a piece of shit" and "Westwood apartments are pretty fucked up."
But you know what? Thank you, Leila, for telling me your parents' impressions and your opinions about the bathroom. While honesty can sometimes be scathing and inconsiderate, it can also reflect a greater measure of thoughtfulness: she wants me to know exactly what I'm getting into if I decide to move into her apartment rather than try to mask the realities of the situation or try to simply tell me what I want to hear so I can get out of her place. She talked to me for as long as I wanted about the realities of living in a studio (does it get lonely?), the landlord (is he a creeper?), and the utilities (does your Internet, like, work?).
When someone offers their time and opinion generously, I can't help but be grateful, knowing that someone is helping me just a touch more with stressful decisions like housing.
Showing posts with label Westwood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Westwood. Show all posts
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Today I Appreciate the Korean BBQ Taco Truck
In my family, the higher risk of gastro-intestinal illness a taco is likely to cause, the more authentic and therefore "better" said taco must be. This, of course, means that I have not yet fulfilled my duty as a true Mexican food aficionado because I have yet to order any food from a real L.A. taco truck. White van, silver heated roof, and aluminum foil-wrapped tacos dripping with the fat of pork al pastor is what comprises a true taco truck and that, my friends, must be what eating real Mexican food is like.
Alas, I attend school in West Los Angeles where an authentic taqueria cannot be found because - well - there's plenty of authentic Mexican food to go around in Downtown L.A. Also, unfortunately, accessing Downtown L.A. without a car (as is my state right now) is a rather laborious task as it requires transferring to different buses and/or subways. Public transportation for me is only an issue when it takes longer than an hour to get somewhere that, by car, would take only 30 minutes. So, my reasoning for never tasing the joys of a taco truck seem reasonable given the expensive cost of my time.
Yet today, I can say that I experienced the joy of ordering from a taco truck, even if it wasn't of the traditional Mexican variety...
The Kogi Korean BBQ taco truck circulates around the Los Angeles area, selling $2 tacos and $5 burritos filled with a choice of short ribs, pork, chicken, or tofu. The toppings on the tacos (alas, I cannot speak for the burrito) include a spicy cabbage salsa with sesame seeds, cilantro, onion, and romaine lettuce "tossed in Korean chili-soy vinaigrette."
Feel free to salivate. It's delicious.
The particular truck I found was on the corner of Landfair and Ophir (a few blocks from my apartment) and a few of my literary journal buddies and I waited, discussing the joys (?) of the Twilight phenomena, David Foster Wallace, and hipsters/poets (e.g. "I'm so cool I don't need a TV. Also, I write experimental poetry."). We traced the path of every passing car and truck with our eyes, glancing around the corner to catch a glimpse at the newest oncoming headlight hoping that it would be our truck.
Needless to say, the wait for food was worth it. I write this one tofu and one short rib taco later and am content reimagining the dripping of the tender cubes of beef, the satisfying spice of the tofu, and the crunchy cabbage topping encased in corn tortillas. While the tacos were decidedly more Korean than Mexican, the spice factor and sweet, sesame flavor more than compensated for any salsa I may have missed.
New food always provides opportunities to explore different senses and to appreciate the melding of different cultures. It's easy to take Los Angeles for granted, but with moments like this, it's difficult not to appreciate the beautiful culture union here and the ways in which people create their own unique, cultural communities.
If you, too, would like to appreciate the Korean BBQ Taco Truck in the near future and you live in L.A., here's the website. There's a schedule posted for where the taco truck will travel next: http://kogibbq.com/
Alas, I attend school in West Los Angeles where an authentic taqueria cannot be found because - well - there's plenty of authentic Mexican food to go around in Downtown L.A. Also, unfortunately, accessing Downtown L.A. without a car (as is my state right now) is a rather laborious task as it requires transferring to different buses and/or subways. Public transportation for me is only an issue when it takes longer than an hour to get somewhere that, by car, would take only 30 minutes. So, my reasoning for never tasing the joys of a taco truck seem reasonable given the expensive cost of my time.
Yet today, I can say that I experienced the joy of ordering from a taco truck, even if it wasn't of the traditional Mexican variety...
The Kogi Korean BBQ taco truck circulates around the Los Angeles area, selling $2 tacos and $5 burritos filled with a choice of short ribs, pork, chicken, or tofu. The toppings on the tacos (alas, I cannot speak for the burrito) include a spicy cabbage salsa with sesame seeds, cilantro, onion, and romaine lettuce "tossed in Korean chili-soy vinaigrette."
Feel free to salivate. It's delicious.
The particular truck I found was on the corner of Landfair and Ophir (a few blocks from my apartment) and a few of my literary journal buddies and I waited, discussing the joys (?) of the Twilight phenomena, David Foster Wallace, and hipsters/poets (e.g. "I'm so cool I don't need a TV. Also, I write experimental poetry."). We traced the path of every passing car and truck with our eyes, glancing around the corner to catch a glimpse at the newest oncoming headlight hoping that it would be our truck.
Needless to say, the wait for food was worth it. I write this one tofu and one short rib taco later and am content reimagining the dripping of the tender cubes of beef, the satisfying spice of the tofu, and the crunchy cabbage topping encased in corn tortillas. While the tacos were decidedly more Korean than Mexican, the spice factor and sweet, sesame flavor more than compensated for any salsa I may have missed.
New food always provides opportunities to explore different senses and to appreciate the melding of different cultures. It's easy to take Los Angeles for granted, but with moments like this, it's difficult not to appreciate the beautiful culture union here and the ways in which people create their own unique, cultural communities.
If you, too, would like to appreciate the Korean BBQ Taco Truck in the near future and you live in L.A., here's the website. There's a schedule posted for where the taco truck will travel next: http://kogibbq.com/
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