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Published: June 10th 2009
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Hi Everyone,
Well its been 6 days since Ive left home to start my USA adventure and I thought I should provide you all with an update. I arrived Sunday in LA after a 4 hr delay in Sydney (but business class you can't complain when they give you champagne for the duration) and headed out after dropping my bags at my hotel on Sunset Blvd and began looking about. Went past the usual, Viper Room its just dark inside and unfortunately it was a damn Pussycat Dolls tribute WTF? I also ventured to Whiskey A Go Go and hung out in the heart of West Hollywood. What I did notice is in WEHO (that's what they call it here) is that there are way too many men with handbags, no not man bags, handbags. Now Dave I know you carry a manbag and its your lifeline but these guys leave you for miles. I did the touristy stuff and headed to the Hollywood sign the Hollywood bowl, Hollywood itself, Santa Monica, Venice Beach (where that muscle park is), Melrose, Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive. Beverly Hills is a nice area as you would all expect and we did some
star house sightings. Some of these places are unbelievable! People such as Streisand, Dr Phil, Ellen, The Beckhams, Sean Connery etc. I spent a night at the Comedy Store where Richard Pryor, Roseanne and some other big names started out. It was open mike night so it varied from funny to just dull. No-one was laughing so one guy eventualy started ripping into the crowd for the rest of his set, that was funnier then his lame jokes for sure. I had the next night at the Chateau Marmont which was pretty good although a bit celebrity stricken and therefore upmarket. Maroon 5 lived there that idiot Lindsay Lohan was up the back and celebrities are there all the time....well that's what people kept saying, I just liked the ambience. I got there early (10pm) so ended up chatting to the bar guy who gave me half price drinks after I struck a deal regarding his tip I ended up chatting with a few people so that night ended up early morning getting back to the hotel around 4am in my alcohol induced state I decided it was a good time to ring people.
Next day suffering mildly (euphemism)
from too much red wine I decided to walk it out....(idiot). I walked to Farmers Market at the Grove which is a fresh food market with eateries and other shops. My stomach wasn't overly impressed with the plethora of food so 2 grapes under the watchful guise of teh suspicious Asian owner and a litre of water saw me walk back up through Melrose and onto Sunset. Still feeling poor I figured that it was time to fight the feeling so I ended up at the House of Blues, where I apparently saw the Jonas Bros 3 blocks up, but had no idea who they were. I then ended up at the Rainbow Room for dinner recommended by a guy I had been chatting to at a bar down the road. Its run by the mob and the Italian food is delicious, not that you would complain to the 6"5 giant Russian man serving dinner. Although the mob have moved out of Hollywood the guy let me know that they still have a presence and we chatted over some interesting stuff. I didn't mind LA, though its definitely Disneyland and eveywhere you venture people are all trying to get ahead
in the movie business. The buildings are concrete and drab and although there are some nicer areas (mind you Beverely Hills is wedged between a ghetto and a canyon), its not really my thing. I stayed in a great spot which was central and allowed me to walk to a lo of things but keep in mind its expensive and essentially a big parking lot, concrete everywhere and loaded with rubbish and the homeless. If I had another day I would have ventured to universal studios or something really trashy but my 3 days were up. 4 days is enough if any of you plan to visit.
Being the bloody genius I am I have decided on the Wednesday to fly to Jacksonville, the day before thanksgiving.....stupid stupid stupid. I cop attitude from the 300 pound bag lady who tells me not to step over some imaginary line when handing her my bags (no we do nothing like it at home). So she's standing there in all her powerful glory of airline bag lady beckoning me to argue however instead of fighting with her I chose the path of resistance (gasp).....I could see these bags being re-routed to Ontario.
I end up in Jax after a change out at Dallas Airport which is huge...bigger than LAX although apparently everything is bigger in Texas.
I meet Fi and Dan the people I am replacing and had a great night of Mexican food and chatting. Thursday is Thanksgiving and a family has invited the Aussie crew over and I must admit it was a blast. A 28pd turkey....massive f*cking bird and soooo much food that half is in the fridge. Beer, wine board games and cards and street footy (rugby) which ended at about midnight, not bad with a 1300 start. I understand why they make so much of this holiday, its like our boxing day just earlier and they cook as though its Xmas. The people were wonderful and I had an amazing time. Friday was shopping, not my favourite activity but I really do need 'stuff', clearly my idea of not effecting a removal and bringing 2 bags and a laptop may have been hasty. I bought a few shirts and a cooking set, (laugh it up people). Its just to get me started..... 3 saucepans of which one may get used, a knife set frying pans etc....all
for $40. Comparatively over here, stuff is cheap but everything is in damn strip malls and the shops are spread about the whole town. No doubt this will be an interesting stint over here, my dry sense of humour is likely to fall on deaf ears, and my patience and tolerance for the slow and... well.... most things will no doubt provide some stories.
My new apartment is amazing and the water view is on my balcony and bedroom.
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