Venice, CA / Are you happy? If yes, why? If no, why?

I often go to the Bank of America in Venice for work and every time I go, I always look forward to seeing Magdiel, the attendant in their parking lot, who greets me with a big smile and an enthusiastic, "Hello Jasmin!" I've been hoping to interview him for The Walking Talk for some time now, and this just seemed like the perfect question for him.


© Jasmin Chang 2011

Answer: Of course, I am happy! I am happy to breath fresh air. I'm happy just to be alive.

There was a singer who sings this song... Celia Cruz. She sings, "Life is a carnival. It doesn't matter if you don't have any food, doesn't matter if you don't have any belongings, just be happy. Try to be happy. To be happy, you don't need many things. To be happy, you just need yourself. If you are not rich, if you are poor, enjoy the life cause it's a carnival."

It's the only time we have to celebrate, when we are alive.

Question: What's the first thing you do in the morning when you open your eyes?

Venice, CA/Do you think that the country is headed toward a more socialistic system than we had before? Why do you think so?

© Jasmin Chang 2010

Answer:  Right now, there's a democratic president and the healthcare issue. That passed so that is more socialistic. But I think the real sign is that everyone is intermixing. Before it was like our culture versus your culture. It seems like people are interrelating more. It's more of a celebration of culture rather than paranoia, which I guess is more social.

Question: Why don't people pay more attention to spaying and neutering their cats and dogs? Why don't people take more responsibility for their pets?

Venice, CA/What kind of food do you love the most?

I was driving home from work, along my usual route through a Venice neighborhood, when I turned the corner to see that these two guys had set up an outdoor studio where they were hanging out and spray painting a canvas. 


© Jasmin Chang 2010
 
Answer: (left) Baked ziti. It's the worst. It's criminal. You put some sausage in... then you put it back in the oven...then there's all this cheese everywhere. It's sooo good.
(right) Eggplant parm. That's what I grew up eating. My grandma's eggplant parm.

Question: What makes you interesting?