Not wanting to forget my thoughts and observations, I wrote about what was fresh in my mind back in November when I was just back from the Adobe Max Creativity Conference 2019.
But, there was a ton of photographs that I’ve only now gotten around to looking at and editing. So, here we are. I’m starting with photographs from the Delhi to Los Angeles part of the trip. This will be followed up by photographs from the Creativity Conference, and then some more from the part of my trip after the conference.
( Images are a mix of #TeamPixel and DSLR photographs. )
Since this was my second time at an Adobe Max, I wanted to make sure I kept my energy levels high throughout the trip. Starting with what I was going to wear, during the flights ( to and from ) and even during the conference. having never planned my wardrobe this thoroughly, I did feel a bit like I was trying too hard, but it WAS FUN. I painted a pair of jeans specifically for the flights. A plain CottonWorld t-shirt ( the fabric seems a lot thinner compared to the same t-shirt that I’ve purchased from them earlier ). A custom upcycled Jaypore jacket ( which the brand had sent to me ) and a silk scarf / stole. Obviously, there a KhaosPhilos brooch under there as well.
One of my Uncle’s ( Dad’s friend ) picked me up from the LA Airport and drove me to their home in Santa Clarita. Picking someone up from the airport is supposed to be quite the big deal outside India – especially in the US. It was a really big deal that he drove all the way from Santa Clarita to the airport and then back, with me. An Uber, one-way, s about $50 and the traffic on the InterState Highway is always maddening.
I was caught unaware by how cold it was in Santa Clarita. It’s supposed to be within LA boundaries but temperatures are nothing like LA City. Which I was unprepared for. And public transport in LA is as good as non-existent. Especially if you’ve seen New York. The most reasonable way for me to get to DTLA from Santa Clarita was the MetroLink. I bought a ticket to go see a friend for dinner and it was my first time on the MetroLink.
Ended up spending about 7-8 hours on the train, never made it for dinner, Uncle had to come pick me up from a train station too. I’m not sure exactly what happened but the rumor was that a homeless person jumped in front of the speeding train and was killed. Police, EMTs, the Fire Service, they all showed up. They checked on us, the passengers. The train was basically stalled and all service along the line was cancelled. What an epic mis-adventure.
MetroLink was prompt and transparent via their Twitter handle, so I was able to track the progress of the situation and even an Uber voucher for a similar journey. I wasn’t able to get a refund however, because by the time they got back to me on email, I was back in India and I just let it go.
California light is something else and once I had a handle on what time the light shone through the blinds, I knew I had to make some photographs. Below, the shadow of a woven hemp scarf by ASLEE on my face.
In that glorious light and under that glorious blue sky, anything looks wonderful.
Then, it was time to head to DownTown LA for the hotel stay that Adobe had arranged at the Intercontinental. The lobby is at level 70! My room was on the 51st floor and while I’m always greedy to want a room at the highest level, level 51 wasn’t so bad. As a hotel guest, I could also access the top most levels for free – for non-guests, access is chargeable. I’m guessing the staff is sick of people wanting to come to the top level for sunset photographs and selfies – I was told, not politely, twice, that I needed to get out of their way. I was there for 3 minutes tops and the restaurant / bar wasn’t even crowded. I was standing next to the glass pane to catch the last sunset light. It is a slick-looking hotel but I am always surprised at how bad the service is outside India’s hospitality industry.
I barely spent any time at the hotel, which is a good thing because it means that I was super busy with the creativity conference. I recorded an episode of my podcast from the hotel room towards the end of my stay. The conference was about 6-7 blocks from the hotel if I remember correctly. The hotel is located smack in the middle of most of the cool spots in DTLA ( DownTown Los Angeles ) and if I was going out shopping / eating, everything was walking distance.
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