Childhood memories of garden visits came rushing back when I visited Descanso gardens a few days ago with my wife. The recent Los Angeles rains have provided a fresh bout of lush to all the greenery in the city’s landscape. Spending some time amidst sprawling trees and blooming flowers rejuvenated us and reinstated our faith in the simple pleasures of life – like a weekend drive to a nearby garden!
The more time I spend in Los Angeles, the more I admire all that it has to offer. While the city has its issues (like most other cities in the world), to me the pros far outweigh the cons. You are never too far from spectacular skies with dramatic clouds, gorgeous weather with the sun shining bright (and yet no sweat), gushing ocean waters with acrobatic surfers, bustling pubs with hearty laughters all around, farmers markets laced with celebrity sightings, mesmerizing valley views, lip-smacking food from all around the world, friendly people who always greet you with a smile, and much more. The things I have experienced in my time here have made me feel at home, and I have barely scracthed the surface. My visit to Descanso Gardens was just a small reminder of all the beautiful things around and that I have so much more to see. Sharing some details and pictures below –
Address: 1418 Descanso Dr, La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011 Ticket: $15 Hours: Daily 9 am to 5 pm
It’s been a really speedy Q1 of 2023. You already know about Cambria, Hearst Castle and my engagement. The days following the Cambria trip have been about informing family members and loved ones, eating at our favorite spots , watching a cool production of 1984 at The Main, visiting the office and meeting some colleagues for the first time, hiking, celebrating a friend’s birthday at Anaheim, and of course – wedding preparations. From scouting venues and vendors to picking our guest list, invitation design, website content, and food menu – it’s all been one exciting adventure (and we are not done yet!). For the sake of the 2 readers who check out my website, here are some pictures from the last few days –
Hiking to Top of Victory – Yes, those are my hiking clothesHappy Birthday SaloniOur heartwarming engagement present from Jenny and JoshSummer’s awesome radio showPosing at a Paso Robles wineryOur farm stay 5 miles out of CambriaAfter hours with work colleagues1984 at The MainHearst Castle
Summer and I watched the bulk of the Oscars 2023 event at Laurel Tavern in Studio City. As we sipped on beer and treated ourselves to some delicious salad and fries, I was eagerly awaiting one award – Best Original Song. Naatu Naatu from S.S. Rajamouli’s RRR had gained enough momentum to make it a front runner. However, when you consider that both Rihanna and Lady Gaga were in the running too, you can imagine why every Indian might have been cautiously optimistic.
When the moment came just before the name was announced, I felt both a bit anxious and happy in anticipation that it was indeed going to be Naatu Naatu. The electric performance by singers Kaala Bhairava and Rahul Sipliganj and a brilliant group of dancers had already gotten people in the auditorium rooting for it.
Ram Charan and Jr. NTR performing Naatu Naatu from RRR (Source: Netflix)
And then it happened. Janelle Monae, looking ravishing as ever, announced that the Oscar went to RRR…RRR…RRR! I applauded and hooted as the lone Indian at Laurel Tavern, with Summer and Max joining me in my enthusiasm. M. M. Keeravani singing his feelings away to the tune of ‘Top of the World’ by The Carpenters was a sweet cherry on the cake. It was truly one of those moments where I was proud of being an Indian and a Telugu boy 😊 I had forgotten what that felt like in the past few years. Thank you, Mr. Rajamouli and team RRR!
It was always going to be in Cambria. It was the first place we had visited together as a couple and we had been wanting to go back ever since. I thought I’ll do it from the heights of Hearst Castle with panoramic views of the ocean on one side and hillocks on the other. But the castle tour turned out to be a bit ostentatious for us. Not to mention the fact that we were surrounded by 50 other tourists. So I had to improvise a bit. Thankfully, our plan to watch the sunset on all of our evenings in Cambria came in handy.
My initial plan was to propose at the Moonstone Beach grill. The idea was that I will order beer and onion rings and then use one of those rings to propose. It occured to me later that she might not take this seriously and also that she can’t be wearing this onion ring all the time. So I rejected this idea. Then, while we were strolling around on our second vacation day and she visited the restroom, I disappeared for a bit. I texted her making a lame excuse that I was looking for a birthday present for her (7 months ahead of time!) and that she can wait for me in the car. Then, I walked into our favourite antique store (Rich Man Poor Man) and bought an emerald ring which I thought suited her personality. I hid it in my jacket pocket and carried a different bag with some other purchases making her think that her present was in the bag.
Later that afternoon, we took the Hearst Castle tour (more on that later) and after the bus got us back down, I suggested that we hit our usual sunset point. But Summer had other plans – she wanted to check out the elephant seals which were at a vista point just 3 miles from the castle. We were close to sunset time and I figured that it will still be pretty there so that’s the way to go. We got there at sunset, watched the sun go down, and I was about to take the knee when some seals started losing it! It got a bit loud and Summer started joking about what they might be saying – “Look, look… I can crawl on my belly!”. And I thought it’s the perfect moment for me to get on my knee and go – “I think they are asking you to say Yes”.
Selfie taken a couple of minutes after engagement
I was about to do it when these two kids popped out of nowhere right next to us, all excited about the varying sizes and sounds of the seals. Their parents had walked further ahead, leaving these two menaces unchecked, loitering around ruining other people’s proposals. I waited patiently for them to get bored of the seals and move on so that I can propose. They hung around for 3 minutes or so (it certainly felt longer) before realizing that the parents are too far and it’s time to skedaddle. Then, I was ready again and as I was about to lunge, Summer started getting really cold from the chilly winds.
Typically, whenever we went to a cold place, Summer stayed with me for a bit and then left me alone (as I love the cold) while she went indoors to get warm. It was windy at the vista point and she couldn’t take it anymore so she said, “I’ll wait in the car, you come in whenever you are done enjoying the view.” As she started walking away, I shouted – “But if you go now, I won’t be able to do this!”. She turned around and found me on my knee holding the ring in my hand. I don’t remember my exact words but it was something to the effect of – “This is it for me. If I’m ever going to be a husband, it’s yours. What say? Let’s do this!”
Engagement champagne at Cambria Pub
Ever since we started dating, I had been implying that marriage is not for me. In our conversations about the future too, there was no indication of getting married (anytime soon anyway). So the proposal came as a huge surprise to her. Even with the lame birthday present excuse, she didn’t imagine that I might have been buying an ENGAGEMENT RING. It took her a while to even understand what was going on and if I was being serious. This is where the real ring instead of an onion ring helped. She pulled me up and hugged me and mumbled something I couldn’t hear. I could feel that she was happy but she hadn’t answered me yet. So I got out of the hug and went back on my knee. And then she threw her hands up in the air and said – “Okay!”. And just like that – we were engaged!
Dinner and art appreciation at Robin’s in Cambria
We hit the Cambria pub for some champagne followed by our favourite restaurant Robin’s for dinner. It took some time for us to grasp what had happened. Our farm stay 5 miles from town provided the perfect ambaince for us to take it all in and begin a new chapter in our lives! Exciting times ahead…
When Summer told me she was doing a radio show, I obviously thought it would be a voice performance that’ll be available somewhere to listen to. I was surprised when she explained that it will be staged. I was naturally excited to see what the amazing cast and crew that gave us ‘Nancy, Who?’ and ‘Murder on the Newhall express’ will create this time. And once again – they did not disappoint!
The cool poster for Valentines Radio Show
The show consisted of three stories – ‘Flash Gordon’ and ‘The Thin Man’ before intermission, and ‘The Lone Sheriff’ after. Each one of the shows was crisp, funny and performed marvelously by the talented cast. The interactive element made it all the more engaging. The man playing the MC kept everyone interested throughout and the various accents and voice modulations employed by the actors were quite charming.
The cast and crew at curtain call
It was a great evening for me also because I got to hang out with Summer’s sisters, mom and brother-in-law as part of her cheer squad. I was so proud to see her perform in her third production since I met her. While I have been pondering over what to do next in acting, she has showed up for rehearsals and made things happen for herself. Talk about dedication and love for the craft!
Then, while the rest of the nation was busy watching the Super Bowl, we all got some food and drinks in the Newhall refinery next door. We “murmur”ed and said “Hooray” (just as they asked us to do during the show) to this lovely production 🙂
What’s “BIH”, Tushar asked me. I had checked out their website so I knew that it stood for “Bollywood in Hollywood”. And the evening was pretty much that. Globe theatre in downtown LA transformed into a Bollywood arena as we friends, meeting each other after a while, sang and danced and drank our way into the weekend. The music itself was decent (some weird transitions there) but the venue, lights, ambiance and people were simply outstanding.
The floor burners!
Memorable mentions from the night are – the red ladies who kept stashing their coats in our booth (Rahil literally called security on them 😂), Robby giving me a tour of the dance floor, Tushar’s adventures with womenfolk and the men who accompanied them, our little choo choo train to the centre of the crowd, and Sunil’s biceps and chest popping out of his shirt. The gorgeous ladies in our group were living it up as always, burning the dance floor with their charming moves and infectious smiles. And then when we all stepped out in a starving state at 2 am, the samosas Rahil bought from Mr. Indian Santa Claus saved us from perishing.
Pretty people having a pretty good time
Then, Sunil and Dips pulled up in their glorious Tesla to give everyone a lift to their respective destinations. Everybody on the street watched as the wings of the beast opened to let us in. I said to myself – “Swag level is 100!” And then we all spent 10 minutes discussing how many will sit in the back, who will sit where, and how to move the seat forward. Everyone on the street was watching this too and by the time we left our swag level was minus 20!
SDD
Jokes aside – the most delightful part of the evening for me, as always, was the experience of us together in one place – laughing and chatting and singing and dancing. There’s something quite magical about seeing your dear ones have a great time. And you can’t go wrong with a little dash of Bollywood, can you? It’s often hilarious and heartwarming at the same time to see friends who don’t usually shake a leg, put on their dance shoes and let their hair down. This was one such evening!
I “take” Summer to my friend’s party but she “brings” me to her parents’ house. When I’m going to an event, I ask her if she wants to “come” but when she is going to an event, she asks me if I want to “go”. When deciding what she will do for lunch at work, she says she will “bring” the salad that’s in the fridge. I would have said I’ll “take” the salad. What is this conundrum?!?
When she took/brought me to Santa Monica Pier
My logic is – anything that’s coming where I am is being “brought” to me and anything that’s going away is being “taken”. So since the salad is going from my fridge to the office, I am “taking” it and not “bringing” it. Similarly, if I am going somewhere, then anyone accompanying me is “coming” with me while I myself am “going” there. No?
When I was 10, upon my friend Sai’s suggestion, I wrote a letter to NASA that I love their work. In response, they sent me a packet full of stunning photos of planets and moons, making the Rs.45 stamp on my letter totally worth it! Fast forward to 2023 – I got a call from my friend Tushar one afternoon asking if I would like to go on a tour of the JPL. Despite being a space enthusiast living in LA for a couple of years, all I had done was check out the Griffith Observatory once. So this was an opportunity I couldn’t resist.
On the day of the tour, Sunil, Dips and I met at Tushar’s and took a ride in the fancy TT (Talathi Tesla). We picked up some burgers on the way and reached the facility just in time after a false alarm turn near La Cañada school.
The tour started with an informative video about the human journey to space and our accomplishments in the arena so far. We then began our walk through the campus. Right next to the auditorium was a room with models and exhibits of all the planets in order of their distance from the sun. There was also a cool little sphere marble by each display to get an idea of its size relative to the sun. It was astonishing to see such replicas of Galileo, Spirit, Oppy and also Perseverance.
Oppy replica
The little anecdotes and info about helicopters that accompanied the perseverance to Mars was one of the highlights. It’s amazing how there’s a little piece of fabric on the helicopter (first flying object on Mars) and it’s part of the same fabric that was tagged to the first flight on earth (Wright brothers flight) – simply unbelievable!
Replica of Perseverance at JPL in Pasadena
The most memorable part of this trip was looking into the workspace where scientists were working on the Europa Clipper – scheduled to fly to Jupiter’s moon in October 2024. It was really cool to watch the geniuses at work through the viewing bridge which had a pretty neat vantage point.
Part of Europa Clipper scheduled to head to Jupiter’s moon in October 2024
We were also taken to view the command room – something I had seen in various documentaries including my recent fav Goodnight Oppy – from where most space missions are controlled. It was enlightening to learn about various satellites on the planet sending signals to space, and also the different functions of the various space centers (Florida, Maryland, California).
JPL command room
All in all – it was an exciting outing with friends! It was refreshing to indulge in an activity different from our usual food and drink routine. It was also a reminder of the extraordinary experiences Los Angeles and SoCal in general has to offer!
This year started on a wonderful note with my first snowfall, some cool new friends I made at Laurel Tavern (we call ourselves Lunes Lobos), my friend Tanner’s screenplay reading at my apartment, a visit to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena thanks to my buddy Tushar (Shawn), a Santa Monica visit, a Hollywood tour, some cool hikes (read: Top of Victory) and a gastronomical tour around Los Angeles with the lovely littylovebug!
Special mention to Pedaler’s Fork – a place introduced to me by my boss James Vernille. It’s a bicyle shop, coffee place and trendy restaurant in the heart of Calabassas. We really enjoyed our cocktails as well as the burrito and pulled pork sandwich! And then there’s Gasolina of course – our go to brunch place in Woodland Hills that never disappoints. Not to mention – the spectacular southern California weather that never ceases to impress. It’s been a delight every time I left the house in January. Be it in Summer’s car or on my motorcycle, every outing has been a delightful experience.
Leaving you with some pictures –
The Lunes Lobos at Laurel TavernBig BearBubba Gump Shrimp at Santa Monica PierHollywood signTop of Victory hikePedaler’s fork in CalabassasLa FamiliaChilling at Casa De ShawnGalileo replica at JPLImpromtu hangout at Laurel TavernBelly dancer photo bombChennai Tiffins
I have been meaning to do this for a while – a simple vegetable song series to get kids to eat their veggies. Starting with the one that’s a great source of vitamin C and potassium!
