OLESYA SALNIKOVA
Staff Writer
When people think of entertainment, some things that instinctively come to mind are movie theaters with buttery popcorn, concerts with screaming fans, or just the comfy cushions of our couches with a television softly flickering in the background.
Usually, movies, TV shows, music and gossip magazines easily entertain us. We do not stop to think that there might be something else out there for us to do, and are a bit hesitant about using our free time for things not normally considered entertaining.
What initially got me thinking about these places was what started out as a forced trip by my roommates to the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. I had never before had any strong interest in astronomy and going to a planetarium was not going to change the past 20 years of my life. Well, that’s not all. I personally thought that a planetarium was a bit dorky and reserved for geeks with large-rimmed glasses and Stephen Hawking-like aspirations.
Needless to say, I was mistaken. I didn’t turn into an astronomy whiz, but I was entertained. What surprised me the most about the observatory was that the viewer becomes an active participant in the entertainment. Unlike a movie or a play that is usually passively experienced, the observatory is a hands-on experience that allows us to discover new meanings of the word “entertainment.”
From watching the moon’s effect on tides, looking through the world-famous Zeiss Telescope at stars and planets, to creating your own little earthquake in the seismograph, everything in the observatory is waiting to be discovered and experienced. And the “Centered in the Universe” show in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium is a unique theatrical experience, retelling the story of the cosmos. The three-dimensional planetarium, combined with the booming sound effects, creates a literally out-of-this-world experience.
This trip unavoidably led me to think about other unlikely places for entertainment. The more obvious venues are museums whose educational activities are unexpectedly engaging. The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, for instance, features interactive learning stations, walk-through habitats, multi-media shows, and volunteering opportunities to work alongside museum curators.
The Science Museum is similarly interactive in that visitors can take part in real research with real scientists. If you are not much of a science buff (as I definitely am not) and would rather go to the beach any day, then check out marine life at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, where touch tanks allow visitors to touch everything from rays to sharks.
For gutsy, artsy types, open mic coffee shops and poetry slams are bound to make you want to strike a chord on your guitar and start singing, or slamming for that matter. The eclectic Talking Stick Coffee Lounge and Kava Dume are two places that showcase a wide range of talent with any level of experience. To perform, simply sign up (for free) and start singing.
Poetry junkies can show off their rhymes at poetry slam competitions, where poets perform their work and are judged by the audience. At “Underground,” located in Ventura, many of the performers are first-timers. Events are held every second Sunday.
While they may be not as obvious, unexpected entertainment options are out there. With so many opportunities, we should not limit ourselves to typical venues, but find uncharted avenues of entertainment. So go explore. You never know what will surprise you.
01-25-2007