Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Day 2 - Los Angeles - 2nd Dec


A yellow fire hydrant, from the valley into the ranges and a yellow schoolbus

The jet lag really hit about 4am this morning. I work up underneath the thinest blanket shivering and unable to go to sleep. Why I didn't ask for another blanket I don't know but damn I was really freezing. LA is bone dry, drier than Sydney, if such a thing is possible. We passed hills and mountain ranges just covered in small Cacti. It's a formidable and harsh environment and it's a wonder why this region was once referred to as the "wild west"

Went for a walk around the streets this morning, marveled at the gigantic cars and jogged with Tracy whilst trying to breathe in the dry air and wondering why Americans got so fat cause no one was walking or running on the streets. All we saw were cars, cars and more cars.


That's a MONSTER TRUCK, in someone's driveway

Quite slow day today, went shopping at the LA version of DFO at Camrillo. It's insanely big, just like everything else in this city. All the major brands and non-brands have factory outlets in an area the size of a small suburb. I think it probably has it's own postcode. I bought a pair of Timberland hiking boots which I'm extremely happy about for $60, which is insanely cheap for good quality brand name hiking boots.


This is one small section of the complex. It's set up randomly in the desert and very big.

The funny thing is that clothes in the US is possibly cheaper than China, if that is possible, without the need to actually worry if the clothes you are buying are fake or not. Levi Jeans are $25, jackets are the same and T-Shirts are about $10. But since I can't be bothered lugging crap around Europe for a month I can't really buy much, only what I need.

Megan's family is crazily funny. I often love being around big families cause the social dynamics of such families are just brilliant (since I only have quite a small extended family). I had a similar experience with Connie's family in Hong Kong in 2005. Except in Hong Kong I half understood the language, I can't understand a lick of Vietnamese but it's still funny.

Megan's aunt was driving us back from the DFO at night, doing 110km/h on an 12 lane freeway. This is the following exchange in the car.

*we hear a cracking noise from the driver's seat*
Megan (To Tracy, her sister): Hey Tracy can you help Aunt with whatever she's doing?
Tracy: How? She's cracking nuts.

Yes indeed, her aunt was cracking and eating watermelon seeds whilst driving her giant SUV Jeep on an 12 eight freeway at 110km/h with 4 passengers. Did I also mention that like every other American she plays with her mobile whilst on the freeway. And occasionally she'll ask if we'd like some chocolate which she'll rummage for behind her. Tracy, Megan and I collectively gasp and ask her to concentrate on driving.

It's a crazy crazy town.


At the DFO there was a shop dedicated to just apple on a stick covered with different flavourings.

2 comments:

Teru sensei said...

They need one of those Apple shops right next to Reading in Market City.

That would be awesome.

Lam Nguyen said...

hahaha that freeway story is quite funny. and i'm guessing that's just one of many high-larious anecdotes available. But man, those cars are scary. You look so tiny in comparison ... and you're in the foreground!