California Queen: Wayfarer's Chapel, Abalone Cove, & Redondo Beach

Sooooo, Amanda, one of my close friends sent me a link from buzzfeed featuring some GORGEOUS places in the LA vicinity. Looking at the article, I was pleased to say that I've been to a good number of them, but far more excited to see all the places I've yet been! Sooo, after looking through the article, I just had to hit up some good friends for some adventure! So, this past Saturday, I am happy to say I visited Wayfarer's Chapel with Grace! It was about a 30 minute drive from where I lived, and the area around the chapel is so pretty! The drive was really fun because we got to cross a bridge, and the roads were so hilly I felt like I was back in San Francisco. Plus, the view just getting the to chapel was so nice. Just imagine blasting your favorite music, feeling the wind in your hair, smelling the salt of the sea, and admiring the ocean view right by you. There was also some seriously pretty flowers lining the streets so I felt like I was in a Studio Ghibli movie! The chapel itself is STUNNING. I mean, I already had high expectations just looking at the pictures on buzzfeed, but goodness gracious, Lloyd Wright did a great job designing the building. It's basically a glass building held together by wood, and it's surrounded by lush greenery so it's as though you're in a green house. Located right by the Pacific Ocean, you get a great view of the Abalone Cove (which is also on the list)! There's also a really pretty small garden right by the church where you can stroll around and take pictures. If you plan on going to the chapel, I recommend going there between 10-5 because that's when the Visitor's center is open! When Grace and I went at around 6, there was a wedding going on inside the Chapel so we couldn't go inside. I doubt they would hold weddings during visiting hours, so I think it'll be far safer to go between 10 to 5 if you want to check out the interior. For more information: Wayfarers Chapel

The backside of the Chapel!

Trees!

Grace and I!

The fountain! Doesn't it look like fairies would hang out here? 

The view!

Close up of the church! 

On the Road!

 If you want to visit Abalone Cove as well, it is open from 12 to 4... so if I were planning the trip, I would suggest going to the chapel at 11 and then head over to Abalone Cove around 12 to look at the tides and admire the sea creatures! There are tons of fascinating little critters around, and it just a gorgeous place to hang out. I would definitely recommend bringing a towel, and wearing close toed shoes so that your feet don't hit rocks or anything like that! There's also areas near the cove where you can hike so it's far easier to do that wearing sneakers rather than sandals. Last time I went with Grace, I got to see Sea Urchins, Star Fishes, little crabs, and teensy fishes! So exciting! There's apparently sea cucumbers that can be spotted there, too! Ooh, and I can't forget the seal that we saw sunbathing on a rock! Oooh, and there was a really pretty cave where I swear mermaids lived. In fact, I jumped into the water because I was so tempted to hang out with them, haha. If you are gutsy enough to jump into the water, please be aware that this is the ocean and the waves move quite rapidly. So be careful and try to swim away from the rocks as well as not float off into the great horizon. Also, climbing out of the water after is really hard if you're not wearing anything beyond a bikini. Soooo, have someone there who can pull you out if needs be or be prepared to have lots of little scratches. Or, you can also wear a wet suit that will protect your skin. Thankfully, there were tons of guys there just jumping in and out who helped me out so I was out of the water with relatively few scratches. I have no regrets, though. The water was so refreshing and soooo pretty. As a mermaid, Abalone Cove was pure perfection. For more information: Abalone Cove

Unfortunately, the day we went to Wayfarer's Chapel, Abalone Cove was already closed... So instead, we headed over to Redondo Beach which is only a 20 minute drive from the Chapel! It was my first time there and I really enjoyed it. It seems to be a popular fishing spot because there were tons of families on the wharf with fishing poles, and it was so exciting to see that glimmer of silver whenever someone caught something! It was a really busy place, and there were tons of people just hanging out. It probably has to do with the fact that the pier at Redondo Beach is packed with yummy eateries! After a long day of hiking and swimming at Abalone Cove, Redondo Beach's pier is the perfect place to unwind and grab loads of yummy seafood. The parking at Redondo beach is 2 dollars per hour. We stayed for 3 hours which was perfect to stroll around the pier, grab some bubble tea and ice cream, and eat dinner at a really popular place (aka long lines!). For more information: Redondo Pier

The food there was really multicultural, and it was interesting to see that there were three different Korean seafood establishments there! Intrigued, we went to the place with the most people (sometimes, you gotta trust the crowd) called "Pacific Fish Center", and I felt like I was back in Korea. Packed with tons of Korean families with giant tanks filled with sea creatures near the window, I felt right at home. It was a really, really busy place. To the point that you have to pay in advance, get a number, and wait till they call you. We went around 8 PM, and our wait was probably about 15 to 20 minutes. The food was quite pricey which was understandable since their menu was based on sea food including lobster and sashimi, so Grace and I decided to split a large "Hot Fish Soup" which totaled out to be only $32! This was super filling and we couldn't finish the entire thing! In fact, the left over took up two styrofoam containers! So, if you're ordering for two, definitely get the small. The large is probably filling enough for 3 to 4 people. Based on what I was seeing inside the restaurant, it was clear that the crab was the most popular option. Families were eating crab by the plateful. My dad apparently went with his coworkers a couple months back and he told me the crab was fantastic. So, my family is currently planning a quick trip to Redondo Beach for a crab fest, woohoo! Yet, even with no crab, the "Hot Fish Soup" was a perfect meal. Super spicy and packed with fish, mushrooms, tofu, radish, and kimchi--it satisfied my empty stomach like no other. For those of you who never tried it, it kind of resembles the Thai dish, Tom Yung Soup. It was so bomb, and even the day after, it tasted fantastic. If you do take leftovers, instead of just microwaving it, make sure to heat it up via stove. It tastes far better that way and heats up everything thoroughly. The restaurant is a super chill environment. In fact, they don't even use silverware, everything is served on styrofoam bowls and with plastic utensils. What makes the environment feel super nice though is the fact that we're sitting right the beach. We were there during the evening and it was so chill to eat food that tastes like home, chat, and listen to the waves rolling right out the window. For more information: Pacific Fish Center and Restaurant

Redondo Beach Pier!

Candid of Grace and the food!

 All in all, we had a fantastic day exploring that area and I definitely recommend you visit!

Mermaid Music with Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey the Queen

Have I ever mentioned how obsessed I am with Lana Del Rey? I am obsessed. In fact, my college decision may or may not have been just slightly influenced by her. She is one of my favorite artists, and her music has accompanied me during my best and my worst. I met her music when I was a junior in high school, and was intrigued by the hype about her on tumblr. This was around the time "Born to Die" music video was released featuring her in her iconic white gown and her rose crown. Initially, I wasn't sold. There was something dull about it, and the song seemed far too dark for my taste. However, Senior year, I listened to "Diet Mtn Dew" on my friend's playlist and I loved it. I couldn't believe this was the same artist who sang such slow, sultry songs. I looked up her songs and I recognized her amazing ability to change the pitch of her voice drastically, and just make melodies that humans have never heard before. It's hard to describe her. She's a mermaid. A siren. An angel. A goddess. She's an artist. She can create such diverse sounds with her voice, and her music is full of melancholy, sultriness, pleasure, and otherworldliness. And just to mention, she is beyond gorgeous. With wavy locks that even mermaids will be jealous of, broody bedroom eyes, kissable lips, and the body of a Greek goddess, she's one beauty queen. I honestly don't know what genre to peg her under. I feel like the music she makes can only be described as "mermaid". She infuses many different kinds of musical vibes including swing, jazz, pop, (dare I say even) rap, psychedelic rock, indie, baroque pop with a healthy dose of dreaminess into the songs she creates. Literally, I call this genre "mermaid" on my playlists. (The only artist who I have given that honor as well is Florence and the Machine.) With a penchant for mentioning daddy (and we're not talking about her biological dad), cola, lolita references, California (Yes! California represent!), and pop culture references from the 50s and 60s, listening to her music is a surreal and unique experience that leaves you feeling like a seductive siren or a magical manic pixie princess. 
Not only is her music perfect to listen to while cruising down the PCH or just chilling in my best friend's room, honestly, her music is one of the greatest sources of comfort and company in my solitude or sadness. Just yesterday, I was feeling blue and listening to "Honeymoon", Lana Del Rey's latest release, kept me from losing my mind. Her voice is magnetic and soothing, and it's far more fun to fantasize what she means by this and that rather than focusing on what hurt me. More on "Honeymoon", I honestly didn't have high expectations for the song after reading the lyrics she posted on Instagram. It seemed pretentious in a way and very faux-artistic; the lines didn't add up to anything significant. (Why does she keep mentioning dark blue? What is honey dew?) It all seemed elusive, and the deeper meaning behind the lyrics (if there are any) were lost to me and seemingly only visible to her. Plus, a good portion of the song was just the words "honeymoon" repeated over and over again. I know that a lot of her songs are like this and I do enjoy them, but I never really realized how simple her lyrics could be until I actually took the time to read them over. My expectations didn't grow any higher when I listened to the teaser she posted on Instagram. But as usual, her songs usually hold a pleasant surprise where I fall under her spell. For "Honeymoon", that moment was right when she starts singing,
 "There are violets in your eyes, there are guns that blaze around you. There are roses in between my thighs and fire that surrounds you. It's no wonder every man in town had neither fought nor found you." 
Holy shit. That part is heavenly. Pure magic. This slow and sad song just completely metamorphosed into this wide ranging, gorgeous sounding work of art. I was stunned. I listened to that part on repeat. When listening to "Honeymoon", I highly recommend blasting it in your car or listening to it with your earphones, loud. That way, you can hear all the details far clearer and it truly matters. Without a doubt, Honeymoon will be listened on repeat for at least a week before I get tired of it.
 After listening to "Honeymoon", I just had to re-listen to all her songs I can get my hands on and let me tell you, she has made lots and lots of songs beyond the ones that she released into albums. Even as a huge fan, there are still many songs of hers that I have yet heard. I have noticed that the songs that feature in her album are more of the "seductive siren" vibe that really highlights longing, desire, romance, and mystery. Her more popular songs such as "Born to Die", "Video Games", "Blue Jeans" all have her singing in a very deep, haunting voice. However, the unreleased ones tend to have a far more playful vibe that suits the "magical manic pixie princess" side of her. My favorites would have to include "Teenage Wasteland (Prom Song Gone Wrong)", "Queen of Disaster", and "TV in Black and White". 
From the unreleased songs that I've been listening to, "Because of You" is currently my favorite song. There's a playful energy to the song, and something quite giddy and glamorous about it. This is one of those songs of her's where I feel like she's feeling nostalgic about her past love but in a happy way. As though she's looking back at these moments fondly and living in that moment. While her other songs that are nostalgic are brooding and sad, songs like "Because of You" and "Lucky Ones" really seem to reflect how much she enjoyed whatever she was in. I can totally picture her dancing at a club before noticing a man looking like a millionaire and approaching him all seductively and asking for his number "before she turns stupid" (she sounds so cute when she says this!). I can totally just see her rolling her body and staring at him playfully on top of a piano or like tossing her hair and grinning with this mischievous glint in her eye. Another song that I found relatively recently that I ADORE of her's is "Playing Dangerous". She is such a babe. Just listen to the lyrics. If I was the cop she was flirting with I'm sure I'd be wrapped around her fingers like a tangled yoyo. It's really seductive and she's more talking than singing... it's almost like a chant mixed with rap. Then of course when she sings, she sings like an angel. Just listen to it. In fact, I'll add the link right here. You know what, I'm going to add a nice little playlist for you as well. 
Since I feel like a lot of you who know Lana Del Rey are aware of songs I dub "sultry siren" because they are mostly in her released albums, I'm just going to recommend songs that have been unreleased or not as popular that hold the magical manic pixie princess vibe of her's that I appreciate. If you're completely new to Lana Del Rey and am still intrigued, I would say check out the more well known "Born to Die", "National Anthem", and "Ride". Ooh, and of course "Young and Beautiful". Some of her sultry siren songs that I'm super fond of are, "Black Beauty", "American", "Brooklyn Baby" and "Bel Air".

Lana Del Rey as Magical Manic Pixie Princess:

1. Paris

2. Queen of Disaster

3. Teenage Wasteland

4. TV in Black and White

5. Lolita

6. Serial Killer

7. Diet Mountain Dew

Estelle's favorites (excluding songs mentioned in previous playlist):

1. Black Beauty

2. Bel Air

3. Brooklyn Baby

4. Money Power Glory

5. Without You

6.  This is what makes us Girls

7. American

Hope you all enjoy my recommendations~

Hopefully, her music left you feeling magical ^^

Thoughts on Porco Rosso

Porco Rosso (the boss)

Long time no see, readers! Soooo, today, I watched two fantastic movies. Them being Hayao Miyazaki's Porco Rosso and Jake Schreier's Paper Town a film adaptation of John Green's novel of the same title. Porco Rosso was a movie that was on my "must watch" list for the longest time; I finally got to see it when I lucked out and found it available at my local library! It's one of Miyazaki's older works and was released in 1992! Honestly, I find his old movies to be the real treasures from his long and illustrious career. My brother suggested that it might be because as time passed, people tend to get less creative no matter how brilliant you are. Makes sense, I suppose. Anyways, as expected, the movie was a gem. Packed with action, GORGEOUS art, strong female characters, amazing music, and a story that is innocent and fantastic, Porco Rosso quickly moved into one of my top five from Miyazaki's films.
For those who are new to Miyazaki films, I think Spirited Away is the best film to enter his world with. It was critically highly acclaimed and shows off his interests (strong female protagonists, magic, complex antagonists, protest for the environment) and thus giving a little taste of what most of his movies are like. For something more light hearted, I would recommend The Cat Returns (one of my favorites!), Kiki's Delivery Service, and Ponyo. For something a little more intense, I would recommend Princess Mononoke (my favorite!!), Nausicaa: The Valley of the Wind, and Castle in the Sky. His movies are such a surreal and gorgeous experience, and even though I was having the worst day, Porco Rosso had me giggling and entering a gorgeous world set in the Adriatic Sea. As usual, Miyazaki's works are often strange, childlike tales interwoven with some serious deeper meanings. The movie explores concepts like identity, politics, anti-war, independence, and feminism in an utterly delightful way. The story follows Marco (known as Porco Rosso throughout the movie), the protagonist, a sea plane pilot/bounty hunter who was cursed into looking like a pig (the specifics are never given). He spends his time stopping sea pirates or chilling in his hide out (a gorgeous hidden beach), until all the pirates that he stopped decides to pay him back for all the times he stopped them. They enlist the help of Donald Curtis, an arrogant and silly American Ace who agrees via contract. Porco Rosso's plane is heavily damaged after another scuffle the sea pirates, and when Curtis chases him down, the plane completely breaks down. Rosso goes to Milan to have his plane fixed where he meets Fio, the 17 year old grand daughter of Piccolo, his mechanic who engineers his plane. They quickly development a strong friendship (and dare I say romance?), and uses their strengths to right wrongs and gain back Porco's honor.
Now from here on is going to be some spoilers! Okay, can we just appreciate how bloody beautiful Miyazaki's art is?

Stunning. Just pure gorgeousness. I can't deal. When we were shown Gina's home/future hotel, I was blown away. It's pure paradise. A gorgeous home for a gorgeous gal. Okay, so Gina is such a babe.

Gina (the babe)

She is Porco's friend, three time widow, and the crush of every sea pilot back in the day. She is respected by both pirates and pilots alike just oozes glam, charm, sophistication, and beauty. We're introduced to her singing some stunning French song and how can someone not fall in love with her? She's one of the few characters that Miyazaki designed with obvious amount of make up with her signature sea foam colored eye shadow and plump pink lips. The only character with that much noticeable make up from the films I've seen of his is probably Lottie from Howl's Moving Castle. And Gina's voice. Oh Lord. Pure sex. So distinct. It was no other than Susan Egan the voice actress for the sultry Megara in Hercules and the amazing best friend Lin from Spirited Away. She is such a talented actress. I found Gina's role in the film to be very interesting. She is so respectable and loved by all but so alone! And we soon find out that it's because she's waiting for Porco Rosso's signs of affection. Porco Rosso clearly respects her. Admires her even. But I'm honestly not certain how he feels about her. Sure, there was that scene when he turned beet red when Curtis was trying to knock him out and explaining that Gina liked him... but his chemistry with Fio is so strong!! Before I get into his chemistry with Fio, lemme just tell you all what a bomb character she is. She's an extremely talented and hard working engineer. She won't bow down to sexist bullshit. She commands the respect of an entire fleet of seaplane pirates by discussing honor. She becomes friends with a woman who could've easily been pegged as her rival. She shows courage even when's nervous. She's bright eyed and bushy tailed and just an overall cheerful cutie.

Fio (the cutie)

 I mean, there's the whole attraction from the beginning kind of thing. And everyone constantly calls her cute and pretty. Porco also admires the guts she displays in front of the pirates and her skills as an engineer. Furthermore, when he sees her changing in the beach, he blushes. He also fights to keep her away from Curtis! (Of course, it may simply because he doesn't think Curtis deserves her) And he clearly becomes human because he is kissed by her. There's just so many signs!! However, just based on the age gap between Porco Rosso and Fio (Which is constantly brought up throughout the movie), I doubt that would be the case simply because I feel like Miyazaki wouldn't support that. Also, it's SO rare to see obvious romantic attraction in Miyazaki's film. Love is a major theme in his movies, but there's nothing romantic about the love he portrays in film--it's all very companionate. There's something delightfully childlike and innocent about the love he portrays on screen. The only objections (as in really apparent chemistry) I can find are probably Sophie and Howl's case and Sosuke and Ponyo's case (which was also pretty innocent--kinda like puppy love?). So, it was really difficult for me to arbitrarily establish Porco's relationship with Fio as something romantic just based on Miyazaki's other works and because there was also Gina in the picture. I'm also very reluctant to describe their relationship as a love triangle (between Porco, Gina, and Fio). The movie made it clear that Gina and Fio become very good friends, and I don't think Porco would be torn to choose between the two. Even as a known womanizer, I doubt he would want to wreck his relationship with either of the women by hurting the other or by choosing one over the other. Yet, the movie closes by suggesting that whether Gina's bet (someone will find her in the garden and fall in love with her) came true or not is their secret. Which means... if it is true, Porco fell in love with Gina. If not, who knows what his relationship is with either women post-canon. Honestly, it's hard not to linger upon the romantic relationships Porco Rosso may develop because the film did happen to end with an open ending specifically suggesting that Porco may or may not have fallen for Gina. It would be the safer choice to have Marco end up with Gina rather than Fio, but who knows? Apparently, Miyazaki was planning on making Porco Rosso 2 if his next few movies after Ponyo were a suggest. Unfortunately, it never happened... and it probably never will because Miyazaki retired. <cries> What is certain by the end of the film though is that Fio maintained her badass attitude, skill, and ambition because she becomes Piccolo's president, Gina is still the amazing, business savvy babe that brings all the pirates together, and Porco Rosso is back to becoming a human! At first, I thought him becoming human again is simply because of the kiss but after researching a bit, I am most happy with this idea! It was Gina's love and Fio's innocence that turned him back into a human. Her kiss carried the innocence that Porco Rosso thought humanity had lost. According to a press conference, Porco Rosso became a pig because he lost his faith in humanity after the war. Miyazaki stated that "When a man becomes middle-aged, he becomes a pig". Basically, because of all the emotional baggage he carried, he decided to stop becoming a human and transform into a pic. How bizarre. How very Miyazaki. Ooh, I love this bit, (I just copied and pasted it from this link), "The official story goes as follows: Captain Marco Pagot (named after an Italian animator, who is a friend of Miyazaki) was an ace pilot of the Italian Air Force during World War I. He quit the IFA since he saw fascism on the rise, and he wanted to fly following his own will. He became a bounty hunter, assuming the name "Porco Rosso". He crossed out his own face as a young man in the picture that Gina had hung on the wall of her restaurant, so that no one would know what he looked like as a human.
Miyazaki said that Porco once intended to marry Gina, but then World War I broke out, and Gina was living on an island which was Austrian territory. As a military officer, he could not bring himself to marry an enemy national. Torn between his loyalty to his home country and his love for Gina, he chose his country. But when he witnessed the deaths of his fellow pilots, including that of his best friend (Gina's husband), he started wondering about the meaning of his actions, and the meaning of flying and dying for his country. Unable to resolve the conflicts in his mind, he became a pig."
Man, leave it to Miyazaki to turn a children's movie into some deep movie about serious conflict and depth. Well, reading that snippets from that link really did explain a lot of the questions I had. With this explanation, I believe the reason why he didn't turn back into a human the first time Fio kissed him on the cheek. Thinking about it, Gina says don't break another girl's heart, and he doesn't by letting Fio go. Instead of pursuing his own interests in a pig-headed way (heh, a pun--by the way, tons of pig puns in the English dubbed version), he considers what is best for Fio. Perhaps the pureness of her intentions and the purity of his acceptance of that kiss is what made him turn back into human. Once again, Miyazaki suggests that love is the answer to the most difficult issues we can possibly encounter. Overall, I just felt like this movie was a very refreshing change. It has been a while since I saw traditional 2D animation, and I missed the sense of wonder I felt from Miyazaki's previous works. Honestly, I was pretty disappointed with movies starting from Ponyo. Although Ponyo and The Borrower Arrietty still had that magical element that makes his films unique, there was something missing that captured me like his previous works did. Porco Rosso contained a certain energy that kept me hooked on the screen, and had me rooting for the characters. As usual, the antagonists Miyazaki portrays are incredibly vibrant characters with more than just the typical antagonist traits of EVIL. They are daring, funny, charming, and thoroughly entertaining. I love the strength and the guts that the characters show. The humor. The personality. It really takes a genius to incorporate something as dark and intense as fascism into a children's movie without freaking out kids. Even when discussing such themes, the film maintained a good vibe and I really love how blatant Miyazaki's support for feminism is in this movie. I mean, a team of women working on a plane. A female engineer. A female hotel owner. I love it.
As per usual, in my film reviews I include a brief paragraph about my favorite scenes. Sooo, to cut to the chase, as mentioned earlier, I LOVED just looking at Gina's home. The setting shots were just gorgeous cutting from the lush garden to the patio. I also thoroughly appreciated the scene when Porco Rosso flashbacks to the time when he rose up to meet his dead comrades and there's that milky way and you're just left wondering, what is that? Are those birds? Is this like Spirited Away? Is it paper? Is it stars? No! It's planes! It's a milky way or a stream of clouds made of fighter planes. So gorgeous. The scene where Porco Rosso is eating spaghetti with all the female relatives was a gem as well! That prayer inclusion, that spaghetti (it looked so bomb), and of course, the entire scene where all those women were working! So great. Another favorite would have to be the scene where Fio is swimming in the bay after she confesses that she was so nervous. She's just so innocent and adorable and strong and brilliant and swimming after stripping down to her undies like it's no big deal just won me over. Oh and I can't forget those cute little girls when the pirate first attacks. They were so frigging cute!!!!! I died when they were like we are all part of the swim club and just dives out casually into the ocean. 
All in all, I give the movie an 8.5/10. It was fast. It was entertaining. It carried a significant meaning. It had gorgeous art. The music was fantastic (God bless Joe Hisaishi). It made me want to fly to Italy, dress like I'm in the 30s, and fly around islands. It was made by Miyazaki. Need I say more?

This was really fun to write and I will definitely post more thoughts on movies. With all the time I have this summer, movies were one of my favorite ways to spend time. I actually have a couple of movie reviews from tumblr I will paste over here for your enjoyment! Hope this review inspires you to watch Porco Rosso! I will post my thoughts on Paper Towns tomorrow!