Arts

8 Alhambra discoveries revealed

Sarah Grear — Thu, 24 May 2012 20:44:10 +0000

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May 28, 2012

We asked readers and contributors about unique and under-the-radar places and events that make Alhambra special. Their responses found a lot beneath the surface in the town that Phil Spector once called "a sleepy hick town." Some responses were downright poetic: If you close your eyes and listen to the traffic of the 10 Freeway you can hear the ocean or the serenity of early morning Tai Chi as the sun rises over Almansor Park. Most though, not surprisingly, had to do with food.

Alhambra's Central Park - with Tai Chi

One respondent said the pond at Almansor Park is a natural reserve in the middle of the city, free of charge. Another described the serenity of early morning Tai Chi as the sun rose over Almansor Park...

Bowling, beer - and dumplings?

All this and more at the old school Alhambra Bowling Center. What more could you want? Just if you're going to take leek and fish dumplings from Mama's Kitchen you'll have to go incognito...

The original Korean taco?

One respondent alleges Burrito Kingdom may just have created the "original Korean taco," an honor currently claimed by a certain, hugely popular food truck phenomenon.

Sing your heart out at Applebee's

On Thursday nights at Applebee's, be prepared to stand back as karaoke singers duke it out in intensely competitive sing-offs. Newbies are also welcome, according to another respondent.

Top tiles - and a donut

A contributor writes that the New Metro Tile Company will appeal to anyone with a discerning eye for interior design, as it offers up "one of the widest selections and best prices on nice, unique tile that you will find anywhere in LA." And on your way out, grab a free donut.

Alhambra's own time trove

The Alhambra Historical Society museum is the best place to get the scoop on Alhambra lore and how things have changed. And have they ever. The respondent should know: Her home was once a landing strip.

cityofalhambra.org

Super-duper Store

Make sure to also check out the small selection of videos for rent when making a run at Super Store, a family-run 99 cents liquor store.

At the 10 Freeway or the beach?

If you close your eyes and listen to the traffic of the 10 Freeway you can hear the ocean. Or so we hear.

We plan on investigating some of these tips in the coming weeks at See|Hear|Do. And we know there are more. Tell us what's missing on this list and we'll add it to the map.

Lights! Camera! ALHAMBRA!

Firing Line — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:39:42 +0000

Release Date:

May 24, 2012

7:00 p.m., Thursday, May 31, 2012

Join Alhambra Preservation Group as two professional film location managers share their trade secrets: what they look for in selecting homes; how to make your home attractive to film scouts; the range of compensation available to homeowners; and how Alhambra can be more film-friendly in its policies and practices. Come and learn how to make your home the star of the show!
Alhambra Civic Center Library, Reese Hall
101 South 1st Street, Alhambra, CA 91801

Free and open to the public! Call APG to RSVP (626) 755-3467.

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Top Cantonese opera troupe will have shows in Alhambra

Jue W-Yolanda — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:22:11 +0000

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May 18, 2012

The Shunde Cantonese Opera Troupe, a leading Chinese national troupe, arrived in Los Angeles on May 16^th and will perform three shows in Alhambra on 19^th and 20^th, reports World Journal.

According to American Guangdong Community Association director Luo Ruzhen, they invited the Shunde Cantonese Opera Troupe to bring back Chinese immigrants’ childhood memories and enrich residents’ leisure life. Two shows will be opened to the public at 7 p.m. on 19th and 20th in the Mark Keppel High School auditorium. (Address: 501 East Hellman Ave, Alhambra, CA91801; Price: $25,$35,$50). Tickets can be purchased at Tak Shing Hong and N.H.K. BOOKS. Contact: Ms. Luo 626-422-0978.

The Cantonese opera is one of the Chinese operas from the Qing Dynasty. The melody developed from Peking, Hebei, and Henan operas. It also absorbed folk songs of southern China music. Cantonese opera is popular in Guangdong, Southern Guangxi, Hong Kong and Macao.

Making music with the Guitar Guys of Rick's on Main

Elizabeth Hsing-Huei Chou — Thu, 17 May 2012 01:44:50 +0000

Release Date:

May 18, 2012

For most of his 68 years, Jorge Ramos “had no notion about any kind of musical instruments, except for the radio.” Then, a couple years ago the retired X-ray technician found out about the “Thursday Night Guitar Guys" at Rick's. Now he's there every week, working on a new chord.

“It’s what I call my therapy session,” Ramos says.

The Guitar Guys are not so much a band, but a loose gathering of amateur musicians, many of whom met in beginning guitar classes held at Alhambra High School. Two of the core members, Jeu Foon, a retired engineer, and Craig Hall, a handyman, began meeting each Thursday evening at the Rick’s on Main Street to practice what they learned in class. Even after the classes were cut three years ago, they continued showing up on Thursday nights. By then, they were playing whole sets, and bantering to their audience of passersby and diners.

Last Thursday, Hall and Foon were the first to arrive. Foon brought with him a tattered binder of sheet music that has grown to 300 songs. They play everything from Bad Romance by Lady Gaga to Travelin’ Man by Ricky Nelson.

The group had the courtyard mostly to themselves. Every so often a motorcycle’s roar as it tore down the street or the hiss of a public bus coming to a rest nearby would interrupt their session. A man getting pastries next door wandered over and requested the group play Guantanamera. And two girls sang along to the group’s rendition of a recent pop song.

As the night wore on, more musicians trickled in, the group doubled, and the bongos and a cajon, box-like drum, were brought out. Foon suggested we bring their show to the cafe down the street. Before I knew it, I was on a small stage, bopping away on the cajon with "the guys," while they strummed and belted out a cover of Bad Moon Rising by Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Foon says music has always been important in Alhambra, with the summertime concerts that the city used to hold, as well as the community of musicians who attend open mic nights at Etnia where we played that night.

“It’s a family. Everyone eventually gets to know each other,” says Foon. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a great player or not, it really doesn’t, as long as you love music.”

The group meets every Thursday, around 6pm or 7pm next to Rick's In & Out's outdoor stage located at 132 W Main St., Alhambra, CA 91801. The open mic night at Etnia, formerly known as the Cafe on Second Street, (7 S 2nd St, Alhambra, CA 91801) is also on Thursday nights.

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San Gabriel Valley's "Power Babes"

Sarah Grear — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:16:00 +0000

Release Date:

May 10, 2012

The regulars at the Jay-Dee’s on Main Street looked up from their bar stools at the “Power Babes:” An accountant, courier, clown, hair dresser and podiatrist and more walked to the back room to network.

For the past two years, in locations as diverse as these "babes" themselves — including an auto repair shop, youth center, lingerie store, and the most recent meeting in a bar — nearly 100 women have joined forces to form the San Gabriel Valley Power Babes. The lead babe is the ever exuberant Julian Chung, an insurance agent and Alhambra resident since 1997 who happens to be my sister-in-law.

The group started when Chung created a regular luncheon with five business women — Ruccsana Ahmed, Michele Colon, Nickie Chan, Isabel Wu and Drue Lawlor — and one man, John Bingham. One day, he told them the name of their group: Power Babes. The name stuck, and Bingham earned himself honorary Power Babe status.

By the time I joined in March to promote my creative writing business and cardio ballet classes, the group had already grown to 95.

At the most recent Power Babes meeting at Jay-Dee Cafe, about 30 women came out for the luncheon. Chung stood in the middle of the dimly lit room and said, “We are here for two hours to relax and make friends.” But, as we ate homemade soup and sandwiches, she made clear this was also about developing our businesses, the importance of networking, and being the first line of referrals for each other.

Then we began our one-minute introductions, to be followed by brief presentations from a credit repair expert, a journalist on pitching your story, and motivational speaker.

Michele Summers Colon, a podiatrist from El Monte, stood up in her medical scrubs. She pulled out three-inch heels from a shoebox. “The shoe line is called 34 minutes,” Michele said. “I want to show women that you can wear heels for more than 34 minutes and still be comfortable.” Much hooting followed.

As the luncheon introductions continued some new faces were hard to miss: Vanessa Hidalgo from the Compassionate Clown Company came dressed in costume and Jennifer Gaulden from Kiss My Buttons had on her favorite “bling.”

Hidalgo, dressed in her clown outfit complete with purple wig and pink headband, pulled out a balloon she had twisted into the shape of Cinderella. A few seats down Gaulden proudly displayed her “Bling it On” rhinestone-encrusted t-shirt. She is a dance mom who built her home-based business in Temple City. Both Colon and Gaulden got connected to Power Babes through Alhambra’s Joanna Vargas.

Apparently, bling was popular among the Power Babes. Brenda Kyle, marketing assistant at Douglas Auto Body, held up one of Colon’s shoes when it was her turn to introduce herself. “I love these,” she said. “And my favorite color is bling. So if we can put Jennifer’s bling on Michele’s shoes then I will definitely be buying them.”

The next Power Babes meeting will be May 17 at the LifeWave (acupuncture patches) office at 407-3 West Valley Boulevard, Alhambra, CA 91803. If you’re a Power Babe, write to Julian Chung: jchunginsurance@yahoo.com. She said the qualifications are simple: "If we like you, you're invited."

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Alhambra art walk debuts

Wed, 09 May 2012 01:05:39 +0000

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May 9, 2012

Scores of Alhambra residents came out on Friday night for the first of a monthly series of art walks. The event — where local artists, musicians, and vendors display their skills and wares at the intersection of Garfield Avenue and Main Street — was still far from the scale of developed ones in Downtown Los Angeles or Venice, but it got a nice bump due to the debut of the Avengers movie at the Edwards Theater.

Friday night's artistic line up included live painting, colorful car hoods, hand crocheted scarves and more. Alhambra Source was also out silkscreening our t-shirts and creating a mural. (Conspicuously missing, though, was Main Street's Gallery Nucleus.)

The food trucks of the other art walks were not there yet, but Menchie's ice cream was popular and benefits supported Fremont Elementary. Proceeds of the art walk go to the entertainment fund to support other events such as the summer cultural series, the "Hot Spot" and Hallowscreem. The next art walk will be Friday, June 1.

Alhambra launches an Art Walk of its own

daniela.gerson — Fri, 04 May 2012 00:10:03 +0000

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May 3, 2012

Downtown LA has one, so does Venice, Culver City, Silver Lake and South Pasadena. And starting Friday night, so too will Alhambra. From five to eight pm the city will host its first Mosaic Monthly Art Walk, where local artists, musicians, and vendors will display their skills and wares at the intersection of Garfield Avenue and Main Street.

Friday night's artistic line up includes henna body art, live painting, photo buttons and "car art." (Alhambra Source will also be out silkscreening our t-shirts and with prints from some of our articles. If you come out, be sure to say hi).

Don't expect the food trucks of the other art walks — at least not yet. For now, the Downtown Business Association, which is sponsoring the event, hopes visitors will eat at local restaurants. Proceeds go to the entretainment fund to support other events such as the summer cultural series, the "Hot Spot," Hallowscreem, and the upcoming Cinco De Mayo mariachi players.

"The Mosaic Art Walk will be an inviting, all ages, family friendly night out and relaxing evening," organizer Joanna Vargas said. She encouraged people interested in getting involved to sponsor a vendor booth, showcase their art work, perform if they're in a band, help spread the word, and, of course, "visit the Art Walk and support our artists."

Downtown Alhambra Business Association brings you the Monthly Mosaic Art Walk

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 19:59:33 +0000

Release Date:

April 30, 2012

Every first Friday of the month, beginning this Friday May 4, 2012. 5:00 - 8:00 pm.
Join us as we celebrate art!
Alhambra Renaissance corner
1 East Main Street
Alhambra, CA 91801

Featuring:
Painters, chalk art, digital art, and more...
Local business vendor booths
Arts & crafts
Live music & dancing
Fun for the whole family!

If you are an artist and interested in displaying your work OR if you are a local business interested in hosting a vendor booth, please contact us at: downtownalhambra@gmail.com

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Pacific Asia Museum Announces Free Chinese Culture Sundays 亚太博物馆推出免费”文化中华.周日共赏”系列!

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 19:57:45 +0000

Release Date:

April 27, 2012

Free Chinese Culture Sundays: Be a Chinese scholar for a day!

Sunday, May 6, 2012 at the Pacific Asia Museum
46 North Los Robles
Pasadena, CA 91101

FREE and open to the public

ALL Day: Free admission to the Pacific Asia Museum, a scavenger hunt and crafts!

12 - 4:30 p.m.
Chinese calligraphy, traditional tea tasting, decent tours and more!

1 - 4 p.m.
Rosa Zee presents three-hour long sessions on the Song Dynasty arts including flower arranging, calligraphy and the tea ceremony. Space is limited; sign-ups open at noon.

4:30 - 5:30 p.m.
Dragon Renaissance presents original poems in Chinese and English in classic and contemporary styles.

敬請即時發布!

亞太博物館推出免費“文化中華.週日共賞”系列
Presented by MetLife Foundation由大都會基金會贊助

免費“文化中華.週日共賞”系列旨在推介中華文化精品及其豐富內涵，通過表演、示範、講解和互動，讓民眾全方位體驗中華傳統文化精髓。系列包括5月6日“唐宋學者的一天”，6月3日“相約功夫大師”和10月7日“中秋合家歡”，所有活動免費向民眾開放。博物館所有展覽免費開放。

5月6日的“唐宋學者的一天”活動包括：
上午10時至下午6時：趣味手工、尋寶遊戲
上午11時至下午4時半：中國展廳導覽
中午12時至下午4時半：中式音樂表演、書法講解和練習、茶文化介紹和品茶
下午1時至4時：三場浸入式講座介紹插花、書法和茶藝等宋代文人藝術和生活方式，由徐陶家琪主講（中午12時在現場接受報名）
下午4時半至5時半：詩歌朗誦（中英文）

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626 Night Market: stop fuming and start planning

Elizabeth Hsing-Huei Chou — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:11:09 +0000

Release Date:

April 27, 2012

For days leading up to the San Gabriel Valley’s “first ever” Asian night market, the excitement mounted: All my friends — along with their mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts and grandparents — were planning on going. But on the night of the inaugural 626 Night Market, that eager anticipation transformed into a furor.

I never made it to the market. The rants about two hour searches for parking and the pictures of the near immobile crowd of people crammed into a single Pasadena block flooding my Facebook and Twitter feed were enough for me to call my relatives and cancel my plans. But I don't believe the Asian night market was a failure. The masses that got turned away may still be fuming, but organizers of the 626 Night Market tapped into a thirst for a reinvention of traditional cultural event for a new generation of Asian Americans.

What was touted as a Taiwanese-style market was, in fact, more “626”-style, powered by the boba-crazed, second generation wearers of t-shirts printed with cute anthropomorphic characters.

"There were a lot of second generation or younger entrepreneurs," said Jonny Hwang, 31, who organized the event along with his wife Janet Lan, 29, and friend Brian Gi, 30. "They caught onto the idea a lot faster."

Hwang and Lan, residents of Alhambra who spent many years in Taiwan, wanted to recreate the good times they and their friends and family had at the night markets there, where stalls brim with delectable street foods and people bargain over goods and chat with friends into the early hours of the morning.

Memories, as well as tales, of night markets buzzing with activity carry a much longed for sense of excitement and community that can be hard to find in the placid suburbia of the San Gabriel Valley. After all, there are not many engaging local nighttime activities that involve the entire family, save the popular Hong Kong style cafes.

Hwang, as well as some of my friends who have been to night markets, say this is the key difference in lifestyle between Taiwan and America.

Some vendors feel the same way. "The thing is, the people who are slandering the night market people, they should just be happy that there is something like this in L.A. cause without 626 Night market, there would be nothing else," Pei Yen who runs the organic dumpling company Bling Bling Dumplings said in an e-mail. "It's something that was started from three people that [have] full time jobs and this was just something fun for them to do and who knew it was going to blow up like this."

But the next 626 market, and clearly there is a demand for one, should not try to be that nostalgic Taiwanese market. While it was impressive that in many cases entire Asian American families attempted to come out to this event, if there is still interest in these night markets from anyone, it is likely not going to be from the first generation folks.

The vendors that brought the market to life were not just the ones who sold stinky tofu (though that element is important). Many were actually the kind who operate Facebook pages and Twitter feeds with names like “Ray Ray’s,” “Bling Bling Dumpling” and “Mad Mochi." They run around eating kimchi tacos and flock to food truck festivals. Many probably did not read, and probably could not read, the Chinese newspaper articles that alerted their parents to the event.

Like these vendors, a 626 Night Market should reflect a different kind of cultural authenticity, one that is not fixed in a nostalgic past, used to ease homesickness or serve as a glimpse of the East for non-Asians. Yes, it should have a San Gabriel Valley flavor, something that evokes the culture of the Asian residents in this area. But it should also highlight the inventive spirit of an ever-evolving, and diverse population.

Grumbling about crowds aside, we all know if another night market happens, lots of us will be out there again. Instead of going back to driving to our usual spots around the San Gabriel Valley, maybe we'll bump into each other at the 626 Night Market instead?

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