A visit to LA

I made two trips into downtown LA in the last 24 hours. To get there I must drive a section of the 101 freeway that is heavily covered in graffiti. As I sat in stop and go traffic I shot some of it from my window. This was the best shot.

A police officer saw me and waved me over to the side of road. I was expecting a problem but found the officer to be in a good mood and friendly. He asked what I was doing. When I told him I like graffiti and was just killing time by shooting some of it while I sat in traffic. He laughed and told me that his wife liked to shoot street signs posts. Go figure.

I stopped by the Chinese Consulate to renew my visa. Every time I visit I’m bum rushed by Falun Gong practitioners who try to push there story on me. It’s hard to say no to an 80-year-old pushing CDs into your hands. And with no trashcans nearby, I now have two complete sets in my truck. I should say had, I pitched them a few minutes ago.

The people who run the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles should be granted the right to run California’s DMV offices. The consulate’s passport and visa office is a model of efficiency. I can only describe it as bureaucratic nirvana. From start to finish on both visits I spent no more the 10 minutes waiting for window service. The place is so well organized it almost makes me want to go back to China. I said almost, I do not want to go back, but I must. I’ll be commuting monthly for most of next year. 2010 is going to suck.

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