Tag Archives: la

We are Los Angeles

By Sarah Joh

Culture shock is an expected side effect that comes with being a newcomer in a new place. But as my move to Los Angeles has taught me, there is more to culture shock than simply being confronted by a barrage of unfamiliarity.

Take, for example, Koreatown – which, for me, is a welcome offcampus destination that hinges on the spontaneity of friends with with cars. Thanks to  its proximity and its food, Koreatown (or K-town) is a common outlet for USC students; a stroke of luck for your truly, as it provides me with the gratification of feasting on the closest thing to my mom’s home cooking. However, in addition to belly-splitting meals, the road to Koreatown also promises a much different form of cultural experience.

Driving down Hoover Street, you will pass a laundromat that informs passersby of its title in three different languages – English, Spanish, and Korean. Likewise, even as the title “Koreatown” points to the cultural composition of this particular region of LA, stores catering to Latin-American populations rest side-by-side with their Korean counterparts. As you drive down certain roads, you can observe the frequency of this cultural mixing increase until, suddenly, you are in an area peppered less with Korean barbeque restaurants and more with hole-in-the-wall taco joints. The way these two cultures seamlessly bleed into each other leads me to wonder how such culturally different communities came to coexist side-by-side.

This is the unique, patchwork beauty of Los Angeles. The rapid scenery changes, from gilded facades of affluence to ramshackle buildings with caged windows, from one ethnic enclave to the next, from tall concrete and glass jungles to one-storied plains, is both shocking and wonder-provoking. Los Angeles is anywhere and everywhere mixed together and spread out throughout the urban sprawl. Converging in this one city, different cultures come to exist side-by-side, as well as intermingle with each other.

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LA Orientation

 By Anna Ngo

“Remember to call me when you get off the plane. Don’t talk to strangers!” my mom yelled to me as I got into the security line. I was off to college and this was the first time I was traveling by myself. My mother couldn’t be more worried. In her eyes, I was still her little girl, one she wasn’t ready to see grow up.

As I walked further and further down the security line, the sight of my family slowly disappeared. Walking towards the terminal, a rush of emotions suddenly hit me. I was excited, scared, and nervous all at the same time. I didn’t know what to expect yet I was ready for what was in store for me.

My dream of going to California was finally turning into a reality. When I applied to USC, it was on a whim and I wasn’t expecting anything. When I received my acceptance letter, I had to read it at least ten times to make sure it wasn’t a rejection letter. And now here I was, flying out to Los Angeles for my freshman orientation.

When I arrived on campus, I was completely overwhelmed. There was so much upbeat LIFE going on, from students playing frisbee in the quad to others slacklining between trees. This was college. This was LA!

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Guide to L.A.’s Top Museums

By Shalea Klepner

If you’re staying local during the winter break, now would be a great time to go on a museum-hopping adventure. Many of the country’s finest museums are scattered around the Los Angeles area and conveniently accessible from USC. Each museum features something unique, including paintings, photography, sculpture, and new media, and showcases various time periods from ancient to classical to contemporary. I have listed some of my favorite museums as well as fun places to eat and explore after your visits.

The Broad Museum in Downtown LA – photo by Peter Alfred Hess on Flickr

Broad Museum is Downtown Los Angeles’ highly anticipated
newest museum. The Broad is located next to Walt Disney Concert Hall on Grand Avenue. The museum currently features artworks from Cindy Sherman, Jeff Koons, Ed Ruscha, Andy Warhol, and a special installation by Yayoi Kusama.

MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) in Downtown Los Angeles is located across the street from the Broad Museum, which makes for a fun, double-museum day visit. The MOCA’s permanent collection includes works from Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Claes Oldenburg, Mark Rothko, and Jackson Pollack. Its featured exhibitions are always fun, thought- provoking, and always changing.

The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, located in the Little Tokyo Historic District, is the sibling museum of MOCA  on Grand Avenue. Pro tip: present the ticket stub from your first MOCA visit and receive free admission to the other MOCA museum, if visited on the same day.

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