dilipmerala

February 14, 2023February 14, 2023

Valentines Radio Show at The Main

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.

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 🙂

February 13, 2023February 14, 2023

A night at the club – Making merry at Globe Theatre

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.

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!

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!

February 9, 2023February 9, 2023

The bring-take and come-go conundrum

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?

February 7, 2023February 7, 2023

Visit to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena

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.

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).

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!

February 6, 2023February 9, 2023

January 2023 recap – Lunes Lobos, Big Bear, JPL, Santa Monica and more

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 –

February 5, 2023

Potato song – My vegetable series

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!

Dilip Merala’s Potato song

January 29, 2023

What I love about Joan’s on 3rd in Studio City

As you take a walk through the short but trendy Ventura Place street adjacent to Ventura Blvd in Studio City, you go through some cool and popular joints. There’s Alfred’s coffee for any cappuccino lovers who also like sitting in the little patio overlooking the street, there’s McConnells ice cream for all ages and then there’s Joan’s on 3rd!

It drew my attention when I saw Maya Rudolph sitting out there one morning. I visited a couple of times and tried some of their breakfast items. With every visit I realized that this place is frequented by some of the best-looking, best-dressed people I have seen in LA. This surprised me as it’s not a club or a pub or a fine-dine place but simply a sweet, cozy, neighborhood deli plus cafe plus restaurant.

What I have come to like most about Joan’s on 3rd though is it’s stunning omelette! I get it with herbs, asparagus and cheese. It looks pretty plain but the way the delicious wonder just melts in your mouth is surreal.

Omelette at Joan’s on 3rd in Studio City

Try it when you can. Thank me later!

January 28, 2023February 5, 2023

Stand Up at Licorice Pizza on open mic night

I walked in a couple of minutes late around 7:02 pm. I thought since I had signed up at such short notice, my performance won’t be up until later. I was surprised to see that it the open mic night was already underway with an impressive musician singing to the piano tunes of a 16-year old artist. I put down my name in the register, literally the last one on a 9-item list.

I had visited this music store Licorice Pizza a couple of times as it was just a 7-min walk from home. Its cool sign outside that lights up in the evening, added to its stunning vibe. The eclectic record collection in the store along with some funky merchandise made it all the more alluring to people of all ages – especially music lovers! And then of course there’s the recent movie that added to its already prominent fame.

Host Aaron Ravioli on stand up night at Licorice Pizza in Studio City

Tanner was already in the audience when I walked in. Summer and I sat at the back listening to one musician after another playing some cool compositions. We also had the privilege of listening to a couple of high school poets – their words so sincere, honest and pure!

And then it was my turn to go up. I was about to perform in front of people after almost a year so I was naturally nervous – but also pumped. It helped that at least two of my friends were in the audience so expected at least some sympathy laughs! My 5-minute piece went pretty well I would say. I got some compliments from people later. I also got some genuine notes from Tanner and Summer which I can incorporate soon. Overall, it was an inspiring evening and provided some momentum for me to get back on the horse.

We went back to Laurel Tavern for a drink and some more talk about music, movies, comedy and more. Tanner and Summer seemed to hit it off over cultural references I was alien to. It was a good time at LT as always and we called it a night with the promise of seeing each other soon!

January 23, 2023

First performance of 2023 coming up

It’s been a while since I did anything in front of an audience. So when I visited Licorice Pizza in Studio City (the kid from New York wanted to buy a shirt) and saw a flyer for an open mic, I thought – “What the heck?! Got to start somewhere!”.

So I’m prepping to go up in front of some music lovers and perform a comedy set on Thu, Jan 26th. The piece is mostly written but I will tweak it a bit this week. Let’s see how that goes!

January 22, 2023January 22, 2023

Playing Guide and Tourist in Hollywood

After fighting the Mumbai Vs Delhi battle for years in Dallas, Nivesh and I had a new one to fight now – New York vs Los Angeles. He moved for work to New York and I to LA. So it was natural that we keep the tradition going. I visited NY last year and he finally decided to visit me in LA this week. While continuing the banter, he was able to take in some pretty things this city has to offer.

Summer started him off with a welcome walk in the Studio City neighborhood. We then ate at HOPE, a wonderful vegan place that has become one of my favorites in the area. I thought he would like that since it’s often difficult for vegetarians to find good food (as we had experienced on our New Orleans trip). We then did another short walk around Laurel Tavern in the evening (of course we had to! There’s a whole new post coming about this pub that’s like my second home). And that was his quiet first day in LA.

Our second day was dedicated to Santa Monica Pier. Summer drove us through Sunset Boulevard all the way to the ocean and then to Santa Monica. We are at the famous Bubba Gump Shrimp Co and walked on the pier. Then, we took a scenic canyon drive back home and kept it quiet and simple in the evening with some leftover food for dinner.

Finally, on his last day in LA, we decided to take the cliche Hollywood bus tour. That’s something I hadn’t done yet myself so this was a good opportunity out for me to play tourist too. Nivesh and I hopped on the bus at 1 pm from Sunset Blvd and the next two hours were dedicated to checking out some lovely houses, spectacular hilly views including the iconic Hollywood sign, and popular restaurants, clubs and hotels that are frequented by celebrities. Seeing all the fancy Mullholland and Beverly Hills houses was a special treat. We had no idea that our very own Shah Rukh Khan had purchased a house on Mullholland but sold it just 5 weeks ago.

After the bus tour, we hopped off the bus and walked around the popular Hollywood and Highland area. We spotted many stars on the Walk of Fame, checked out some cool and famous footprints at TCL Chinese Theatre, walked to the Dolby theatre and other Hollywood hotspots, and finally ate lunch at California Pizza Kitchen (makes sense for a New Yorker, no?) before heading home.

New York based Indian in LA’s TCL Chinese Theatre

Later that evening, we saw our friends Jeremy and Tushar at The Village. Nivesh called it a night after that as he had an early flight. And I went back to Laurel Tavern with my friends for some Saturday night drinks. It was fun to play both guide and tourist over a weekend to a dear friend, who might now have become a convert and lean towards saying – LA rocks!