Blogs from Long Beach, Los Angeles, California, United States, North America - page 5

Friday 3rd July to Saturday 29th August, 2009 There was precious little time for recovering from the stresses and strains of trans atlantic travel following my touchdown at LAX, it was after all just over twenty four hours to the start of the nation’s biggest shindig, an over the top remembrance of the day over three hundred years earlier when a rebellious bunch of traitorist colonial swines rejected any previous allegiance to the Crown declaring themselves a brand new nation in the process and, with the decisive assistance of Dutch, Spanish and of course French armies defeated their homesick former countrymen audaciously pilfering a language into the bargain. It is one of the planet’s foremost not to mention over the top displays of nationalistic pride, flags raised and faces painted and one which naturally gives an ... read more

Southern California, or ‘SoCal’ as the locals like to call it, is the place to be. Oozing with trendiness and confidence; overflowing with bronzed bodies and hyper-real colours. Whilst Santa Monica had a considerably different atmosphere to more laid-back and less image-conscious Long Beach, they both uphold their Southern Californian roots and traditions of promoting excessive sun-basking, refreshingly cool cocktails and über-cool small beachside businesses. Anaheim, being the other SoCal locale that we ventured to, is home to Walt Disney’s Disneyland. The Disneyland, with the original spinning tea cups and the Disney Castle and Mickey and Minnie Mouse running amuck. We got in early knowing full well that being the summer school holidays, thousands of little shits i mean kids would be running around causing chaos. Some of the rides were incredible, such as the Pirates ... read more

Tuesday 5th May to Sunday 10th May, 2009 Forty six years ago to the week my dear mother for the final time pushed in a way she would never push again and, accompanied by a noise resembling a cork being sucked from a bottleneck popped me out into the world. I’m told I was a bonnie baby. I must have been because with my arse still crimson and smarting from the doctor’s welcoming slap I was unwittingly handed my very first derogatory nickname, May Yao, my mother’s Chinese pigeon English speaking midwife and soon to become my Godmother presenting her with a pair of the tiniest woolly mittens to keep her new born’s little pinkies warm, the word ‘Baby’ neatly embroidered on one and ‘Fatty’ on the other. Hours old and already the name calling had ... read more

Perhaps due to the turmoil which has been brought to my life as of late, the time has come. In 18 hours I shall be departing on a journey of epic proportions. My flight takes off at approximately 6:10 PM on Monday, March 30, 2009. The duration is 7 days with a 1 day layover in Maui before my primary destination at Waikiki in O'ahu, the surfing mecca of the world. I hung out in San Diego over the weekend with friends and family for few last minute words of wisdom. Anyways I have high hopes and low expectations. Please be advised for updates. - Dennis Rubi... read more

Saturday 15th November to Thursday 20th November, 2008 If Peter, my first Stateside visitor of six weeks earlier had warranted renaming The Rain Man, his visit heralding the first precipitation in over four months since my arrival then big brother Jerry had to be the God of Fire. Jerry was due a tea time landing at LAX and so on a freakishly warm and clear skied November Saturday afternoon with temperatures touching the late eighties and in an attempt to provide a welcoming fridge full of cheese and Stella Artois I nipped to the local Ralph’s for a grocery stock up and emerged half an hour later and two hundred and fifty dollars lighter (things are getting expensive out here too) to the distant smell of burning and to see that half the visible skyline to ... read more