626 Asian Night Market in Pasadena




I got an email marketing the 626 Asian Night Market in Pasadena, (Union and Oakland on April 14, 2012). I've seen little posters around and even heard it announced on the radio. The funny thing about marketing, especially if it's the first event, is even when it's done well, you don't know how many people are going to show up so you try your best, trying to create a buzz. Once in a while, the buzz grows into a very large hum and once in a blue moon, that hum turns into a hurricane. That's what this was, a hurricane. You see it coming only when it's too late, really. On one hand, yes, poorly conceived and planned but on the other hand, a highly successful marketing campaign. It was one side-street block worth of tents selling stuff you would see at a mini-mall in San Gabriel and a parking lot, half the length of that block with one long row of tents with food. I can't tell you what kind of food they were selling. It might of been amazing or it might not have been. I have no idea because to get there was impossible without committing to an hour of walking shoulder to shoulder very-very-very slowly. In fact, while I was there, a woman fell and hit her head somehow. She had this welt that looked like a softball was under the skin of her forehead, stitching and all. The ambulance staff with their gurney, took a long time to get from the road to where she was because they had to navigate through the incredible ocean of people all thinking the same thing, "how do i get out of here". I'm posting this partly to warn you if they try to do this again. OK, part of me wants to give them a 2nd chance. There's always room for improvement, etc. but clearly, these folks had no idea what they were doing. I don't even think they even understand what an "Asian Market" means; incredible international cultures and environments. Instead, you're better off going to Chinatown, San Gabriel, Little Saigon, Philippine Town, Thai Town, Little Tokyo, Sawtelle/Olympic or the various neighborhoods in Koreatown. Collectively, we have this already. It was obviously overly ambitious of the events organizers and utopic of us the patrons to think they could create something close to what's taken over a century for LA to create.

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