Archive for October, 2008

Scott Amendola with Larry Ochs Sax & Drumming Core

My favorite drummer friend Scott played a show at the Hammer Museum as a part of Larry Ochs Sax & Drumming Core. I took the couchsurfer Mark Stangroom with me for this treatment of improvisational music. I felt a slight reservation in imposing this on Mark on this, but how could one go wrong with introduction to any cultures? 
  

Satoko Fujii (on synthesizer and piano)

Scott Amendola

Bader and Nagat

Nagat and Bader are quite a pair. They are loving and excited about people, to learn, to talk, to share. The Arab Israeli couple met and married in Israel before moving to the US. Their 2 children were very coy, engaged, and all in all – adorable. 

I got the chance to meet them at their home when I went to pick up another couchsurfer Meysam who was staying with them. We got on talking about all types of things, mostly about people and social situations. They both seem to think that it’s hard to find people of like minded to hang with in LA., I disagreed. Then again, my own interests and lifestyle are far different than theirs.

Bader is especially hilarious. His crazy enthusiasm for all kinds of things cracked me up. For instant, he just got the cappuccino machine, and he was SO DETERMINED to get it right. The 2nd time I hung out with them over dinner that Meysam was treating all of us, this first part of the evening was evolved around him making and remaking the perfect cup of cappuccino. Then later he insisted that Nagat go find his new digital cameras to show me, seeing that I’m into photography. Later he wanted to show both me and Meysam these ornate  eggs he got from Russia. All the while Nagat looks on with the combination of putting up with and unconditioned acceptance, the love…
 

Nagat approves this cup of cappuccino

Bader and Meysam

the playful Emma

the adorable Yury

Couchsurfer Meysam

I heard about this couchsurfing website somewhere along the internet buzz line. I never gave that much thought about it UNTIL I suddenly found myself laid off of my (near) 6 year job. This brought me to reexamine my life. The first thought that comes to mind is that I want to travel everywhere all over the world. But for the specific moment, my situation has to be drastically reconfigured. In the meanwhile, I was looking around for  ways to travel when I visited the couchsurfing site. Looking at it more closely, and it dawned on to me that it might be the answer! What a concept it is… people networking with people, across different cultures, all over the world. I was immediately sold. 

Since I’m not going out into the world anytime soon, I thought I’d bring the world to me. I’d better collect traveling brownie points by start hosting first. SO – my first was to be Meysam, from Germany, traveling through for a few days before heading to the east coast. Somehow our schedule didn’t connect, he ended up with a different host instead in West Los Angeles area. 

On Wednesday, I picked him up from his host to take him to Rockreation, an indoor climbing gym. I failed Meysam by not passing the procedural belaying test using the stupid atc belaying device. So we could only messed around bouldering instead. I was hugely disappointed by letting him down. I haven’t climbed for ages, and when I did, I never took up the responsibility of belaying….. and if I ever did, it was some years ago with the figure 8, and shady piece of gear.

Afterward I drove him across town to my place for a hang. On the way we passed downtown LA, so he got to see the magnificent city’s center (magnificent being sarcastic.) We had some wine and chatted about this and that. A moment like this I recognize for being unique for couchsurfing community – As you are being open to host someone, or to be hosted at someone’s home – you seem to be more open and chilled. I supposed it maybe the same personality trait, and our type just found the right channel to connect. At the moment of my writing this, I can think of ZERO of my friends… that would even considered surfing or hosting. I wonder what the percentage is?

Meysam, a German of  Iranian descent living in Koln. His German accent makes me smile. He does some sort of engineering work back home. His demeanor was always considerate and easy going. We had fun chatting for a couple of hours before I took him back to Nagat’s.

Thursday I checked in about 7 to see what he was up to. He happened to be finishing up cooking dinner for his host and invited me to join. I drove over and got there a little bit late, but he whipped out a plate for me anyway. The food was so delicious, being as simple as chicken, rice, with spices. His awesome host Nagat made a really incredible salad using pomegranate.  Then we hung out chatting with Nagat and her husband Bader for a bit before heading out for a drink. I took him to Marina Del Rey’s famous turtle racing Thursdays at Brennan’s bar. But we got there too late and missed the turtles. So we each had a drink before I took him back to Nagat’s and bid farewell. 

Meysam at rockreation, West Los Angeles

Maysam at dinner table

CS Meysam with hosts Nagat and Bader

Aaron at the piano

I try to keep an eye out for some visiting musician friends playing in town, especially the Brooklyn guys. I had on my calendar that Mike Moreno was supposed to come through. Not until the day before the gig did I look up who he was playing with. And not until after the actual show did I learn about this Aaron Parks, whose Quartet he’s a part of. On the rhythm section were Thomas Morgan on bass, and Marcus Gilmore on drums. I ran into the Jazz Cat LeRoy Downs along with Josslyn Luckett. You know you are at right place when you see them in the mix.
 

Marcus Gilmore and Mike Moreno

Thomas Morgan

Marcus Gilmore

Aaron showed me a notebook

Ruth Price queuing the band

Mike

Marcus

Thomas

Aaron

Mike - solo

Thomas

Aaron and Mike