Canned Heat.

As has now become common practice, I took a walk during my lunch break today. I started out in Beverly Hills and just as I was entering into West Hollywood, Jamiroquai's "Canned Heat" came blasting through my MP3 player. I LOVE this song. From the moment it starts my body takes on a mind of it's own...my hips start shaking, my toes start tapping, my shoulders start rocking, and by the time I hit the chorus I am gliding down the street with my arms out. The song is dangerous...It causes a total loss of all sense of social propriety, and don't get me started on it's effect on working out on an eliptical machine. I was waving my hips from side to side, shuffling my feet, and then I did the unspeakable...a turn with my arms in the air. It was then that I noticed that I had developed an audience of about 6 cars waiting at a stop light; 2 of which were wildly applauding. I smiled, did a gracious bow, and kept on dancing down the street. I tried to maintain composure, but there's just no stopping the power of that song. So, if you happened to be cruising down Santa Monica Blvd around 130 today and thought you saw a girl having epileptic seizures down the street, fear not, it was just me experiencing a little "canned heat in my heals."

The Getty...The Work

Today I spent the afternoon at the J. Paul Getty Museum. I love going to the Getty; it's like an event, from the moment you step on the tram until you've seen the very last painting. Here are some of the highlights...
Architecturally, the Getty is phenomenal. It sits at the top of a hill overlooking LA, and when you walk up the stairs from the tram there's a great courtyard that's flooded with people and decorated with fantastic fountains.
The major exhibit was a collaborative collection from Peter Paul Rubens and Jan Brueghel the Elder called "A Working Friendship." Rubens would paint these really intricate and beautiful landscapes and Brueghel would come in and paint characters over and within the existing painting, then the two would finish it off together. It's really unusual for artists to paint together, so to see how well they complemented each other was really great.

Here are some of my favorites from the other galleries...

Tea Set

"Bust of an African Woman"

"Waiting"

I also got a pretty good laugh off of this one, not because it is a bad painting by any means, but the title was killing me...

"Portrait of a Boy in Fancy Dress"

After I left the museums, I headed over to The Restaurant at the Getty for a little lunch...

The Getty...Lunch.

After a lovely morning soaking up the incredible art at The Getty, I decided I would treat myself to a little lunch at The Restaurant. Now, dining alone is always an experience and today was no different. I sat at a two-top that was off to the side of the restaurant, but still in the center of a lot of people...basically, I had my eyes and ears on the whole restaurant.

From my seat I saw everything; relationships at work, wayward glances between customers, criticisms of the restaurant, over-the-top mannerisms...it was fantastic. To my left, sat a couple who I assume was probably out on their second date...still getting to know each other, still excited about the minute details of each other's lives, the shy looks, the awkward hand touches across the table...so sweet, so new, and so great to watch. To my right, sat the only guy in the entire restaurant that I found even remotely attractive...which obviously meant he was gay, but absolutely fabulous nonetheless. He and his friend were chatting about their plans for the night, and making the best restaurant commentary I have heard in a while..."$16 for a hamburger, you'd think they could afford fresh bread...What is this wallpaper? It's not even paper, it's like shellac...it's hideous." Of course I shouldn't have been eavesdropping but I couldn't help it, I was just enjoying them too much. In fact, just as I was wishing that we were all friends, we were brought together by a force greater than ourselves...dessert.

We all finished our food about the same time, and when the waiter brought over the dessert menu there were so many delicious choices that we decided to push our tables together, each order something different, and share. I spent the remainder of my lunch having coffee and dessert with Jim and Paul. Jim is a commercial director, who just completed directing his first film "Pulse," and Paul is a manager at the Pacific Design Center, which is the coolest place ever...it's like an amusement park for interior design. It was great; we talked about our work, aspirations, art, movies...it was the perfect end to the day. We left the restaurant, headed back to the tram, and back to our lives.

I thought that my new friends might think I was weird if I asked to take their picture so, with my covert-op smoothness, I got this shot as they were walking away...

Jim (left) Paul (right)

I think it's safe to say, I'll never make it as a member of the paparazzi.

A Little Stroll.

Today I decided that I would take advantage of my one free hour of daylight and take a little walk during my lunch break. It was such a beautiful day, the weather was perfect, and the sky was clear. In the middle of an office courtyard, I stumbled upon the coolest fountain...

You don't see too many fountains like this, especially without the presence of children. I had this overwhelming urge to go running through it, and if I didn't have to go back to work in wet clothes, I would have. It was a lovely little stroll.

Existential.

I'm not sure where I'm going, but I hope I get there soon.

I used to believe that existential was just a word overused by a majority of college students. That is, until I found myself smack dab in the middle of an existential crisis. Right now, I guess you could say that I am doing the "adult thing;" I get up, go to the gym, go to work, come home, eat dinner, go to sleep, and do it all over the next day. If you're thinking, "Well Folayo, that is the life of a grown up," you're absolutely right but that doesn't make it any easier to swallow. Inside, I am screaming for change, for travel, for experience, for anything that will break up the routine, but I feel like I'm coming to a place where words like "spontaneous" don't exist anymore. Now things like quitting my job and taking off to travel for a few months, or moving just for the sake of a fresh start are considered "irresponsible," but I am plagued by the question..."If not now, then when?" I don't want to fight the transition into becoming an adult (whatever that means)...I just want to become an interesting one.

Little Miss Sunshine

I had high hopes when I went to see Little Miss Sunshine the other night, but I have to say the movie totally surpassed my expectations. The film was endearing and so funny. By the end of it my throat hurt and I was in tears from laughing so hard, but there were also these moments that were so real and heartfelt that it made you want to cry. It's a comedy, but it's also a story about a family that's just trying to get by. A family that definitely has more eccentricites than your everyday family, but one that goes through triumphs and failures and heartbreaks just like everyone else. The writing was really smart, the characters were well developed, and the performances were stellar. Long story short...it's a movie worth seeing.

Barnes and Noble.

I was standing in line at Barnes and Noble tonight, when I turned around and a saw a little boy behind me. He couldn't have been any older than 10, and was playing with the line divider, watching the cord snap back and forth. He was such a cute kid and as I looked behind me a second time, I couldn't help but burst into laughter. In the hands of this prepubescent boy, was a shiny copy of "how to succeed with women." I couldn't believe it...I mean, in what world does a 10-year old need to know how to succeed with women? What women does he even know that aren't directly related to him? It was by far the funniest thing I have ever seen at Barnes and Noble.

Just a suggestion.

I just got this cd and have been listening to it non-stop. KT Tunstall's style and voice have a unique blend of folk and jazz, and the cd has a lot of different levels. Her lyrics are great; sometimes quirky and playing on words, and other times direct and insightful. There are fun upbeat songs that just make you happy, and her softer, slower songs are really amazing. If you haven't heard it, you should really give it a listen and after that...buy it, but like I said, that's a just suggestion.

Celebration.

Monday night we went to El Compadre, a Mexican restaurant in West Hollywood, to celebrate my friend Brianna's birthday. The table was a bit cramped, so this was the best I could do...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY,

BRIANNA!