Another country?

Not really, although sometimes Burbank feels like another country. People in Burbank who have lived there all their lives have a weird dedication to the place. I mean, I've lived in Van Nuys (admittedly a whole different ball of wax when it comes to almost everything) for 35 years, but apart from a certain fondness for my immediate neighborhood, the idea of loyalty to "my" city seems pretty absurd to me. But there are people in Burbank who won't go to a restaurant or a hairdresser outside the city borders. I mean, I'd understand if it was, say, Paris...but Burbank?

Anyway, with this sketch I guess I'm expressing the same sort of parochial behavior, because instead of finding a photo of something from Japan to paint, I chose to paint the teriyaki and tempura place down the street from my library. (I did throw in the cherry blossoms as a nod....) I'm a vegetarian, so I don't go to "the Yak" much, but they do make a nice veg and tofu stir-fry, when I'm desperate for lunch and only have half an hour to spare.

The odd thing about this place is the concept of "drive-thru." There is no order window like there is at a fast food place; instead, you drive up to a window at the side of the indoor counter, you place your order just like you were standing at that counter, and then you sit in your car and wait for it. The window is screened, so somebody has to run your order out to your car and take your money. I can't imagine being patient enough (lazy enough?) to sit with my car running (or sit three cars back from the front) for the entire time it takes to make a tempura platter or five--why not just come in? But there is a constant line of cars next to the building every day.

I drew this with a Uniball pen, which surprisingly didn't smear, and painted with watercolor. Oh, and this one is for Suhita Shirodkar--although I can't approach her atmospheric drawings of odd signs around town, she's the one who inspired this idea.