The festival life
Junior Diem Dang gains a professional opportunity be attending the Beyond Wonderland music festival.
As a media student, it’s important to expose yourself to other cultures and gain perspective. While nothing beats actually traveling to other countries, it’s also possible to gain cultural exposure and study “abroad” in the United States. This semester, I feel like I’ve traveled the world in Los Angeles.
About two and a half hours north of downtown L.A., my roommates and I found ourselves in Denmark. We journeyed the PCH to Solvang, California, a village in the Santa Ynez Valley known for its Danish-style architecture and style of living. The drive to Solvang took us through Santa Barbara and up the mountains of the Los Padres National Forest, providing us views unlike any we’d seen. In Solvang, we ate sausages and æbleskive, warm donut-hole like pastries filled with strawberry jam, until our stomachs hurt.
Solvang also features a wildlife refuge of more than 100 ostriches and emus. For $5, we watched and fed the animals at Ostrichland, USA.
But my travels didn’t end in “Europe.” Koreatown has been one of my favorite neighborhoods to explore. You can find various architectural styles here, from art deco buildings to more traditional Korean forms. In addition to the unique architecture, Koreatown has the best authentic Korean BBQ in the area.
I think one of the most fascinating ways to learn about an unfamiliar culture is through its food. When I visit a neighborhood, I look for an authentic grocery store, restaurant or market. My favorite food I’ve tried this semester are the authentic kebabs that can be found at the Carousel Restaurant in East Hollywood, or “Little Armenia,” which is just 15 minutes from our apartment in West Hollywood.
As the semester continues, I can’t wait to learn more about the world through Los Angeles.