Not A Cornfield in downtown LA

Not A Cornfield in downtown LA
Originally uploaded by Faria.

No baseball jokes, please.
There is a cornfield in downtown LA, or rather, a Not A Cornfield. You can see the corn as you ride the Metro Gold Line into Chinatown station.
On Friday night, author Betty Fussell offered 'The Story of Corn'. We went to see her presentation in a dimly lit hut with a round dome. We had to remove our shoes before going inside, and then we all sat in a candle-lit circle blinking at each other.
Believe it ot not, corn is a fascinating crop for its variety and gene-jumping abilities. The ancient Mayans, Olmecs, Zapotec, and the deadly Aztecs had corn gods and wonderful examples of corn art. Dont turn your nose up at them, because good ole Americans even built entire palaces made out of corn! Apparently, the last remaining corn palace is in South Dakota. I've got to check it out on of these days.
http://www.notacornfield.info/ is the site!

Teacher and Student in porcelain

Teacher and Student in porcelain
Originally uploaded by Faria.

Friday October 7 was ArtNight in Pasadena where all the museums showcased their exhibitions for free to the public. Luis & I went to the Pacific Asia Museum. We marvelled at the exquisite ceramics and fine porcelain work from ancient China, Korea and Japan. I was enthralled by the attention to detail in this porcelain sculpture of a teacher and student. My favorite pieces: a regal statue of Bhudda embracing his consort, pottery fit for an Emperor, and a mesmerizing, writhing serpentine dragon: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fariac/