My last day!

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Hey!

Well today was my last day of classes as a Visiting Affiliate at UCLA. I must say that this has probably been the best three months of my life - I've learnt so much in such a short space of time and from the most important academics in the field. Incredible!

Today started with class at 8am - "Talk and Social Institutions". It was about applause. Then I went to have a massage which was very nice. Afterwards I wandered up from Le Conte and Westwood for one final walk around then went to Northern Lights to meet Satomi for lunch. After lunch I checked my emails and then went to the "Conversational Structures" class. This was fun - we just looked at questions people asked until the break. During the break I gave John, Manny and Steve chocolates and spoke with Steve for a little about things to do in LA. Back to class and after some technical glitches and a class photo, we moved from A6 into A33 and had a data session on "Virginia". Then it was off to Acapulco bar - we got there around 6pm and left around 8pm. It was great - big margaritas, happy hour priced tacos ($1 - eat your heart out Flying Fajita Sistas), and general merriment. Manny and John came later, but the few of us sitting near Manny were regaled with some funny stories and we had a great conversation. Then we headed off, saw the filming of something, I waited for a bus and came home. There ended my time as a Visiting Affiliate at UCLA! How sad!

So what else have I been doing since Joanna left the weekend before last? Ummm... well... lots of school work and lots of hanging out with my lovely friends! Some highlights:

Eating at Sepi's Subs and Diddy Riese
An awful presentation in one of my classes (by me - all the others rocked - Go Lisa!)
Studying
Having a massage or two at the Dancing Body
Buying DKNY jeans
Going to Britannia in Santa Monica with Lisa, Laura, and Robin
Pinkberry - original with banana, coconut, and milk chocolate shavings
Working on my presentation for the safety and quality conference
Going to the Santa Monica farmers markets and trying chilaquiles from the Border Grill stall
Having baths
Exploring kitchen shops - Williams Sonoma and Sur La Table
Waiting two hours at LAX for my mum
Showing mum 3rd St Promenade and coastline in Santa Monica
Going fabric shopping, to Saks and to In N Out between my Tuesday classes with my mum
Going to R&D Kitchen and Blue Plate in Santa Monica for dinner with my mum
Introducing mum to quesadillas, black beans, pinkberry, ben and jerry's, sephora, papyrus, and williams sonoma
Going to Leonida's chocolate cafe in Santa Monica and having the orange hot chocolate
Meeting with my professors at UCLA
Doing a fun tour of UCLA with my mum
Having drinks at Acapulco with my 244B classmates and professors

So have actually had a pretty busy time over the past almost two weeks, so busy that I didn't really blog or journal and now I don't remember everything! Oh well!

I'm really beginning to love LA and now I'm close to leaving!

Your Hollywood Correspondent,

Sarah

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