MUSEUM OF ICE CREAM

It is HOT in Los Angeles. I mean 32 celsius. In October. For 3 weeks straight.

Two things to do to survive this heat wave -
a) Lots of ice for the fan so you can stay cool on the outside.
b) Lots of ice cream so you can stay cool on the inside.

And even though I don't like ice cream (yes, it is possible, there is a whole secret society that keeps us safe from the ice cream obsessed), it is the most effective way to cool down when you are too lazy to refill the water cooler ice or to stand under the cold shower every time you break a sweat.

So while I was shovelling through my mint chocolate-chip tub, I started reminiscing my visit to the Museum Of Ice Cream. You must be wondering why did I go there if I don't scream for ice scream right? Well, AJ had bought tickets many, many weeks before it opened (which was great because the museum was sold out for the next 4 months straight!) and gave me no choice. But even though I don't like ice cream I do love that perfect ice-cream-not-melting-but-not-freezing weather so I went along with the man-child.

The Museum of Ice Cream is an experiential journey. Imagine if Neverland was made of treats. It started its course in New York City and found its way to being the installation with the hottest selling tickets in Los Angeles.

If you haven't been there/can't go there, let me give you a play by play with photographs along with the voice inside my head for commentary.

🍦 An extremely cheerful guide in pale pink overalls will greet you with a high-pitch Disney voice and then brief you on the dos and don'ts during which at least one person in your cohort will ask him something stupid like "OHMYGAWD WAS KIM KARDASHIAN HERE? DID YOU SEE HER? DID YOU TALK TO HER?" after which you can all finally enter the Museum Of Ice Cream.

🍦 There is a lot of ice cream themed artwork inside - the first one being this really pretty wall.

🍦 There are retro pay-phones phones that have pre-recorded messages where you can hear Seth Rogen melt away your stress with dessert puns. It's fun watching anyone from 2000 and after reacting to the circular number dials.

🍦There is a huge space where you get your very first cup of ice cream and has a couple local landmarks transformed to fit the ice cream world.

🍦 The next room has a lot of aesthetic bananas hanging, a banana swing, and a banana scratch-n-sniff wall. Ba nah, nah the room was not for me because it is my least favourite fruit.

🍦 Then I we entered the next room that filled me with exciteMINT. It had a mint plant plantation (does this sound funny?) and we were served mint mochi. Mochi is a Japanese rice cake with a soft gelatin texture that envelopes the frozen ice cream in the center.

🍦 Caution: Mouth-watering artwork ahead. If you are suffering from a diet mean plan, please leave the page as side effects may include heavy calorie consumption and an angry gym trainer.

🍦 One of my favourite installations was this room with giant melting popsicles all over. Because that was how I had been feeling all summer.

🍦 The gummy bear room where I watched AJ and a little girl compete on who could have more gummy bears. I am not allowed to tell you who won.

🍦 This room was an illusion for my taste buds. ROOM TEMPERATURE CHARCOAL ICE CREAM. Here is where you question everything you know about ice cream. Is it cold? Is it warm? Is it frozen? Is it a lump of mashed potatoes? Is charcoal supposed to taste this good?

🍦 And finally on to the most Instagrammed room of the entire museum - THE SPRINKLE POOL. You think of these things as a child "How amazing would it be if I could dive into a pool of sprinkles!" and then 20 years later you get to do it! Months later I still find a lonesome sprinkle here and there around my room.

🍦 The tour ends with a challenge - eating the pancake ice cream sandwich which is a race against time because it will melt no. matter. what. But there are a few who emerged as champions and defeated the sweet evil and then there is AJ.

And that is all! That was the magical journey through a 5-year-old's mind where dreams and reality were blurred into one giant dessert maze. Even though I am not #TeamIceCream, this museum was definitely one of the most fun things I have done in Los Angeles.