PERSONALDEBRIS  

i’ve been back at home in los angeles county for five days now. today i was in the fashion district and the california flower market. i had actually never been down there before (though i’ve driven through a few times). my mother’s good friend took us around, having a longstanding insider’s knowledge of the area from his many years as a southern california florist. santee alley was pretty overwhelming - with copious merchandise and bargain deals everywhere - the open market stalls reminded me of mexico city, my mother’s friend commented on how it reminded him of hong kong, and it was also a lot like canal street in nyc… but with sunshine and salsa music playing in the background and the great blue cloudless california sky overhead.

the flowermarket was pretty interesting… lots of japanese-american businesses, most of which i’m sure go back generations - an unmistakable marker of continuity from the past (japanese-american growers were key to the development of the flower industry in california) and a fascinating complex of warehouses strung together, spaced between city streets with each vendor’s stall overflowing with color and greenery. we got there long after the early pre-dawn peak hours, but the past activity seemed to echo with the abundant leftover flowers and emptied space.

my days here have been very rewarding. the weather has been amazing (my very own california fantasy, the one i entertain when i’m out in the grey abyss of “you know where“) temperatures in the mid-eighties, dry heat, flushed skin - i’ve been surfing every morning, and though the water is crisp the pacific ocean is as welcoming as ever. when i’m out there, cliffs and houses on one side, the blended chain of beach cities leading out to LAX on the other - everything is all right with the world and my place in it very clear.

i miss surfing, and living away from a wave-generating ocean beach certain physical sensations are so acute when i re-experience them after a long absence. skateboarding may be the urban practice darling, but i was reminded of something the first time i hit the water since i got back - when i act upon and in the ocean, the ocean pushes back. at trinity, when my brain is falling out of my ears and i need a dose of movement and speed i do take the skateboard out for quick runs on the limited smooth asphalt i can find - but i don’t really like it too much. perhaps it is different for other people, but i don’t experience the city and architecture as an adaptive and responsive force to my movement on a skateboard. ultimately the experience seems a little hard coded, a little pre-programmed…

going surfing again tomorrow - will probably have to skip on thursday - going up to SB to visit a friend. more on that…

this entry was posted 03/31/2004 at 7:21 am and is filed under LOS ANGELES. you can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. you can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.