A Reprieve

Have been writing dark-ish entries lately, and it suddenly occurred to me that I haven't posted pictures in a while. If you're not interested, you can either scroll down or go somewhere else. Exercise your free will, people! ( I still sound pissed don't I, haha... )

Here's a very nice shot of David Archuleta from his memorable performance last week ( Dolly Parton's Smoky Mountain Memories ). Definitely his best so far!

Rumours are circulating that his father is quite a control freak who puts a lot of pressure on the boy ( considering the big winnings at stake ), and allegedly yelled at David during a rehearsal, reducing him to tears.

Of course, I'm in no position to speculate, but it would be naive to dismiss such reports completely. As the saying goes, there ain't smoke without fire.




More from the U.S.A.

Don't know why I let this fizzle, but here're a few of my favourite pics from California.



Here's a sight that made me pretty ecstatic for the following reasons:

1) I stumbled upon it totally by chance ( passed it en route from my hotel to Rodeo Drive )

2) It is none other than the world famous Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, which caters to Hollywood celebrities of all shapes and sizes.


More recently, it admitted Owen Wilson to the psych ward after he attempted suicide, almost killed Dennis Quaid's newborn twins with a whopping dose of IV heparin ( a really bad medical error for which the hospital is getting sued ), and welcomed Halle Berry and Gabriel Aubry's baby girl a week or two ago.

It's actually quite an ugly building, and I regret not walking into the lobby and seeing how far I could go without being stopped ( heh heh ). Looked pretty quiet the afternoon I strolled past, but still, it's something I was happy to have caught a glimpse of.

Here's the super-famous Hollywood Walk of Fame, where believe it or not, Grauman's Chinese Theatre and the Kodak Theatre sit right next to each other ( I didn't know this until I visited the place ).

The whole area was positively swarming with people, and I had a great time strolling around the open area outside the Chinese Theatre, 'cos that's where major celebrities' cemented handprints are displayed. These are sometimes switched around ( with newer ones put in and older ones taken out ), but I managed to see those from the cast of Harry Potter and Ocean's 13, among many others.

You can walk all over these things, which was kinda fun. At least they're not put in glass cases for you to gawk at from a distance.



A shot of the Walk Of Fame from a sidewalk angle.

Boy was it hot that day! We were drenched and dehydrated.
There're a lot of shops nearby, selling everything from fast food to souvenirs to CDs / DVDs and such. I believe Jimmy Kimmel's TV studio sits right smack in the middle of all the action, though I didn't have the chance to try for tickets to a recording ( one of the disadvantages of travelling with parents who don't know who Jimmy Kimmel is ).









Last but not least, the beautiful Kodak Theatre, home to the annual Oscars ceremony.

I was really awed by this structure, which is truly magnificent when you stand before the entrance staring up at those shimmering gold letters as they bask in the blinding sunlight.

Our guide took us to the lobby area, where we gazed at the long flight of carpeted steps leading to the theatre's interior proper. The pillars on both sides are pretty special - they feature the titles of all the Best Picture winners from the year the Academy Awards first began.

Our tour group had a lot of fun with the so-called treasure hunt, as we walked around searching for our year of birth in order to find its corresponding Best Picture. It was pretty cool. :)

Another thing I recall is a publicity blitz for the TV series Dexter, which was premiering its 2nd season. There were loads of young people dressed in white overalls splattered with fake blood, handing out free DVDs of episodes from the 1st season - and I didn't take any of them! Argh! I shouldn't have walked so fast dammit.

Anyway, I'll try to post more another time. Just taking a break from life for a moment. Have already booked my next holiday ( for September, woohoo! ).