Monday, May 01, 2006

California so far



I'm staying in Venice for now. So far I've gotten a Henna tattoo, had my belly button pierced, bought a huge bong in the shape of a penis, purchased an oversized painting of a peace symbol, stocked up on tie-dyed t-shirts, blasted The Doors music while rollerskating, and got my Tarot cards read.

Or not.

But all of these amenities are at my fingertips should I develop the vomitous urge to make use of any of them.

What the hell am I doing here? It's like St. Mark's Place times a thousand, but with an extra helping of hippies and hobos. Oh, and strangers actually try to, like, talk to you here. It's utterly bizarre.

The reality of my trip so far (I arrived yesterday) is that I rode shotgun from the airport to Venice with my friend who just got her driver's license all of two weeks ago. It was a huge effort resisting the impulse to knock her out and take over the wheel as she either accelerated into stopped cars or drove ever so slowly, unintentionally veering into the other lanes of the freeway.

When I wasn't screaming in fear or silently gripping the dashboard, I tried to be supportive and teach her some little things about driving, like how to change lanes without causing an accident, or the one about how green lights mean "go" as opposed to "slow down and think for a second," which is what I think they teach the students in Driver's Ed classes out here. Oh, and the rumors are true: No one honks in Los Angeles. There must be lithium in the water or something.

I also ate chicken wings on the Venice boardwalk while some hippie acid casualty with track marks on her arms and an inside-out umbrella in her hand stared vacantly at us and laughed like a hyena from the other side of the outdoor cafe's ropes.

At this point I'm just hoping to make it back to New York in two weeks without any bad tattoos, white-girl dreadlocks, or an STD.

114 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh goodness. I swear not all of California is like that. You should come down to San Diego. It is much much much more pleasant than Venice Beach. In fact, I wouldn't recomment Venice Beach to anyone for more than 2 hours.

However, you're right... us Californians don't honk.

Anonymous said...

Not a really bad Ca. experience so far. I am glad you're having a good time here in my state. Professonal drivers are like pilots; no one elses driving or flying is quite as good as our own!! Glad you restrained yourself and did not knock your friend out.

MJ06 said...

Well you know what they say the California the land of fruits and nuts.

Any how its good your freind can drive but its hard to live up to your standards I mean Im just a guy from the midwest and I drive and but you cab drivers espesically in New York are like the best of the best.

Anonymous said...

I honk! I didn't used to, but driving in Oakland made it a necessity. Come up to the bay area, it's better than those socal cities. ;)

The Lone Beader® said...

One of my good friends is in San Diego this week, and he texted me saying that he surfed with dolphins!! Maybe you should go down there instead....Or to San Fran. I've been there, and loved it. It has everything: ocean, mountains, sun, beach, city, and forests. If I end up wealthy, I might retire there. Have fun in Cali:)

jin said...

Well, it sure made for an awesome post! LMAO!!!

veronika said...

I'm from Toronto (which is like the little brattey sister to NY), and am living in Vancouver now (which is like L.A but the Canadian insecure version). I as well have felt the effects of a city on adavan.

pelican1 said...

Yup - that is California

Anonymous said...

finally a post that was entertaining to read. i'm not talking about the events, i'm talking about your style of writing. previous to this post i found the ideas interesting but poorly presented.

stoked to see a change, hope it sticks with you instead of a tattoo...or some std

PHASMATROX said...

yea...henna, penis-shaped bong, honkless drivers, and sun- that is sooooo SoCal.
Hope you enjoy your trip!

Anonymous said...

you're definitely in the wrong half of California ;) hit up old Sactown or San Francisco!

Anonymous said...

I'm not a professional driver and I think I would have felt compelled to take over the wheel had I been riding with your friend.

I may not be in New York, but here in Texas, green do mean go, and go quicklike,hear?

Hope you have a great time!

Anonymous said...

You must have been driving 10 mph past the speed limit. Slow down a bit, they'll honk at you. Or drive naked, that works too.

C. Nicholas Walker said...

Wow. California is sunnier than ever, eh?

Anonymous said...

She got her license just two weeks ago? What is she, 16? Or is she a native Noo Yawker who just moved out there? :D Anyway, what kind of wheels did the greenhorn driver get herself?

If, by some crazy turn of events, you should find yourself decking someone, don't forget to shout, "Welcome to New York, motherfucker!" after doing so. :D

Paradise Driver said...

Honking a horn in SoCal is very impolite. Shooting at other drivers is acceptable behavior though. ;)

Wish you were headed to Mau'i.

Lots of sun, sand and surf but the pace of life here would probably remind you of a morgue, compared to just about anywhere else in the world.

Nice thing about a henna tattoo is that it will eventually wear off.
=====================
personal to skrauntor.

I bet that you don't like the works of Mark Twain or Ernest Hemmingway either.

I notice that you don't list a blog where we can appreciate your style of prose.

Be nice or be gone.

steve said...

Absolutely nothing good to say about Venice? I lived about two blcks from your first picture for 5 years and absolutely loved the place.

Not for everyone, sure... but it's certainly not without merits.

Dig the blog, keep up the good work.

Anonymous said...

They flash instead of Honk. I think thats more suitable in any case. Honking just pisses everyone off.

DS said...

Cool Blog, California is a different world than NY. Grew up in Ny lived IN california for a while. When i got there i seemed to be the angriest person then i realized that everyone is high. So when in rome.....

Anonymous said...

im origianlly from the tri-state but moved to san diego 10 yrs ago and LOVE socal! now my hubby and 2 kids moved to germany for the next 3yrs and now realize how awesome cali realy is. cant wait to come home - especially after this winter!!!!!

Anonymous said...

You'd have trouble here, everyone talks to you!
PT

High Power Rocketry said...

Yo yo enjoy CA, ill be over on that side later in the month.

Bono is Brian Peppers!

Joanne said...

nothing like california huh? - i def think that a lot of sun makes for really happy people - that and any illegal drug they can get their hands on... =)

enjoy the sun - we're getting rain on the east coast

hows your bookthingie coming along?

Yanks played boston last night and lost booooo so i get ready for the chatter of redsox fans - quite like the crap you get when you drive in the city =)

come home soon- i'm sure there is no soul left in cabs until you return =)
l8r

Anonymous said...

Have a wonderful, sun and fun filled trip. Don't forget the sunscreen on the beach! West coast sun is different.

Anonymous said...

Oh shut up, drop some acid, smoke a fatty and relax!!!!

Rayne said...

I lived in Germany for three years and it is actually against the law to honk your horn unless it's a life threatening situation.

Anonymous said...

Driving in different parts of California gives you different experiences. For example, if you want to experience a bunch of steep hills and one way streets, drive through the downtown area of San Francisco. Or drive down Market Street trying to find your way around the City and get lost in the Castro.

As for honking, it really depends on where you are. I hear people honking their horn around Anaheim all the time. Then again, it might be the fact there are a lot of tourists here.

I don't personally drive though. I am merely a passenger in these crazy parts. Thanks to my native San Franciscan upbringing I can honestly say that I do not own nor have I ever owned a driver's license. While I live in Southern California, I can walk to work and my husband drives in the event we need to go farther. Yes, I seem to be some sort of anamoly here. A freak of nature if you will.

Eitak and Nairb said...

Awesome post as usual. Keep it up!

royleeub said...

Found your blog awhile ago, i like your style of writing. Its a fun read. I tipped a cab driver and extra two bucks cause of your blog. Anyhow keep on writing

Anonymous said...

OK, I'm stupid.
What is, or could be, 'an STD?'

Anonymous said...

Sexually Transmitted Disease

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Doctor.

Anonymous said...

After living 9 yrs in SoCal- I found CNN to be the local news.
See if you can pick out the local accents i.e. Valley, Orange County, Bakersfield, Pasadena, etc.
Notice how many people aren't working during the day?
Follow their eyes when they talk to you...then you'll understand where their thoughts are.

Anonymous said...

ur too funny. love reading ur blog.

Anonymous said...

"Oh, and strangers actually try to, like, talk to you here. It's utterly bizarre."

That's how I felt when I moved to Alabama. The best post I've read on here so far.

Anonymous said...

OMG You need to get out of Venice! It's like a fricken carnival... Go to Huntington Beach, or Santa Monica, or San Diego... Just leave Venice... I rarely honk. You COULD get shot for honking in CA you know...

Unknown said...

you need to come up north to SF where people do honk at each other and flip each other off. sometimes drivers even honk at pedestrians.
but really, you are on the wrong end of califonia.

Tiffanie said...

Laughing about the trying not to hit her upside the head thing.

Anonymous said...

Hey MP, St Marks Place?? Venice is the perfect place for your first TRIP to California. People in California DO honk...just not when it is necessary. When i left home at 17 Venice is where i landed, i worked at a hamburger stand on the boardwalk, worked out at muscle beach and watched a friends LITLLE pad for that summer and had the time of my life :) Well i hope you enjoy your time here and I absolutely dig your writing.
Peace

Anonymous said...

Honey, leave Venice. Too many weirdos. Don't go to Santa Monica beach - it's not clean. Instead, head over to Hermosa and Manhattan Beach and take in some beach volleyball and watch some awesome surfing.

Go to Rodeo Drive and bring money.

There is nothing to do in Long Beach except go to the Aquarium.

And head over to Howl at the Moon at Universal City Walk for the evening. Sing to your heart's delight to some great songs. The guys on the piano rock over there.

Don't go to Hollywood Blvd like all the tourists do. Instead, go to the Key Club on Sunset Blvd at night for some LA dancing. Look good.

Be sure to go to Disneyland/California Adventure. Buy the hopper pass. You know about the Fast Pass, right? If you don't, just ask a Disney employee.

Into seeing where movies were filmed? Go to Pasadena.
The Father of the Bride house is on El Molino. Brandon and Brenda Walsh's house from 90210 is on Mountain - and Dillon's house is one block away on the corner. Emmett Brown's house from Back to the Future is on Orange Grove. Pasadena City Hall acts as a front for Beverly Hills Cop's city hall, and also for "Europe" in many movies. Sorry, but the Rocky House/Clue House/and 'many other movies' House burned down several months ago - but you can see the remains of this brick mansion overlooking the Pasadena bridge. Have lunch in Old Town Pasadena on Colorado Blvd.

Take a scenic drive to Wayfarer's Chapel along the south side of Rancho Palos Verdes. This is a great drive.

Want to relax? Go see the Gardens at the Huntington Library in San Marino. They filmed the Duran Duran video 'Ordinary World' there, and also 'Memoirs of a Geisha', and 'Indecent Proposal' - and probably more stuff there, too.

I'll post more if I can think of anything else.

Anonymous said...

I'm not defending venice beach or anything... but the west coast isn't all like that. Ok, maybe it is, sort of, but the northwest is more laid back with less hippies.

Annie said...

Too funny! I'm a native Californian and I often wondered why out-of-towners get so uptight about our way of living. I suppose any place other than your hometown is quite "out-of-sorts". I would imagine that if I were to visit NY, I would have about the same (or worse) reaction as you did of California. But like "anonymous" said...you should pick and choose the areas to visit. Venice is hardly a proper representation of ALL of California. There are far more civilized cities in which are populated with well-to-do's, career-minded, and better-living-standards-people than that of Venice Beach. Try Anaheim, Newport Beach or Beverly Hills, even. You will see a far better side of the mass population that is truly indicative of Californians.

As far as the driving in concerned. I don't know that California freeways hold a candle to that of the overcrowded NY streets, but I believe we are close second. Your friend, having acquired a new license, should learn from someone as experienced as yourself as to how to maneuver in bottle-necked areas. She shouldn't even be allowed to drive the freeways since she is such a newbie to driving. Perhaps, for the duration of your visit her in Cali, YOU should take over the wheel? You'll probably get to where you want to 10x faster than if she were driving.

Hope the rest of your stay is a better one!

Anonymous said...

I moved to CA from NYC (after 31 years)- You could not be more right (not just about CA) The drivers... if you can call them that... I drive from LA to San Diego every Fri evening and it just gets worse and worse... I envy you the light at the end of the tunnel for when you go back home. Keep on writing- you're keeping me sane!

Anonymous said...

Hey y'all Venice is a great place, Yes there are better places to represent Cali but Venice is great, and no i do not live there i am living in Long Beach. There is much more to do there besides the Aquarium for sure... good music , good food. Yes and it is best not to honk in Cali unless you have bulletproof windows :)
Peace
P.S. i got chased on the boardwalk by a crazy guy who wanted to kill me just because i asked him to move on, he walked up and interupted my friend and i while we were having a conversation. I was asking for help and everyone must have thought we were a side fuckin show

Anonymous said...

It's important if you live in SoCal to embrace the stereotypes and make fun of them, because it's really quite amusing. Pretty much everything you hear about Cali is true, and I wouldn't change it for the world. Venice is definitely gonna hit u hard if u go there 1st, it's like the weirdest place in SoCal. There are more normal places, I swear. Enjoy yourself!

Anonymous said...

I always loved Venice, its like free entertainment. I usually just sit on a bench and watch the people - better then watiching TV.

Anonymous said...

If you do get a tattoo or a piercing, be sure to post a picture!

about plantain: said...

Have someone take you thru the 'walk' streets in venice...What's with everyone claiming the no honking thing... maybe it's just because I live near a 99c cents store frequented by 87 year olds and crack heads who block traffic on a major 'cut thru' street - but people honk in my hood all the time... Welcome to Cali (I've been here for 9 years - from Australia - and can't wait to get the feck out)

Anonymous said...

No taxis in CA?

Anonymous said...

LOL! You are in Venice beach, and it does have quite the reputation! I like the other comments, try some other areas. Little tidbit, people in AZ make CA drivers look sane, yet we use horns, constantly! Hope your trip continues to bring you such excitement, and hey, get the tarot...you are in CA on vacation!

Mucho Maas said...

lol, this is one of your funniest posts. nice clear stark contrast of a new yorkers view of venice beach. and as an east coaster i can't say i can find much with which to disagree. i feel for you, really.

Anonymous said...

I just have to thank you for ALWAYS making my day when you post a new blog. I can be having the crappiest day... and then I read your blog. Your adventures and insights either makes me smile or laugh my butt off! Thank you!

Anonymous said...

The reason we don't honk is because we don't want to get shot by some banger. DCSLB

Anonymous said...

Listening to The Doors is always a worthy thing to be doing

Bumble Bee said...

WELCOME TO CALI. NOTE: Venice Beach is a tourist trap and a bad one at that. I hope you get to see the better parts of California. Sounds like you should surely be driving though.

Anonymous said...

I think having strangers talk to me would be the hardest thing to get used to. Here in CT ya don't talk to strangers unless they've lived in town for at least 15 years. when I visited CA. everyone would say hi and it just gave me the creeps!

Anonymous said...

I didn't realize I could so quickly lose, then regain respect for someone. Seriously, halfway through that first paragraph I was thinking, "Fuck this blog. I never picked up on what a dirty hippy this person was."

s.o.e. said...

I did not expect to like Southern California, but I've been to Orange County twice and it's kinda stuck with me. If you want a less stressful driving experience, head out to Catalina Island and zip down some twisty hillside roads in a golf cart at a whopping 10 miles an hour. Gorgeous views.

Anonymous said...

you picked a GREAT week to come here! It was raining and ICKY for about a month!
And, as the previous comments say, Cali is the NO HONKING state. We just flip you off under the dashboard! :)
Enjoy your vaca!

Anonymous said...

next tme you carp about sterotyping NY cabby drivers, I'll remember your LA post and smile at your hypocrisy.

LA has everything NY has, you just have to know where to look.

Anonymous said...

Maybe in your wanderings around Venice Beach you will get to see Harry Perry. He is a legendary turbin-clad roller-skating minstrel w/ electric guitar and small amp who has some great songs. One is " Hitch-hike In Hollywood". The lyric goes; Hitch-hike in Hollywood. You'll get there just as good. Its kind of a diss on cabbies, but so is walking. Nobody walks in L.A.

Anonymous said...

Venice is the armpit of Southern California without a doubt!

Get out of there and see as many other areas as you can. San Diego, Orange County, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, etc. Take your pick, they are all amazing and are so much more of what California is all about.

At least that's my opinon.

-Chris

Nestor Family said...

I have never been to NYC or California as an adult... but love your take on everything!

Thanks for the great blog and photos!

Anonymous said...

Hello, my name is Liz. I'm a native Southern Californian and I am an inveterate honker.

The problem is, you're on the Westside. Everyone over there is on lithium.

Enjoy your trip!

Rockenheimer said...

Nobody honks??? I'm so moving there!

Joann said...

All the leaves are brown
And the sky is gray
I've been for a walk
On a winter's day

I'd be safe and warm
If I was in L.A.
California dreamin'
On such a winter's day
~ The Mamas and The Papas

You will be singing this song next winter and missing us.

Anonymous said...

Oh GAWD, Puhleaze do NOT come to San Diego, we have enough frickin tourists!!!
Seriously, go to the Hare Krishna Temple on Rose Ave in Venice for all you can eat cheap healthy grub, tell 'em KMo sencha.

Anonymous said...

Laughing at you coping with the differences in the coasts.

Doh! I should have told you to take a bottle of Atlantic Ocean water with you....

It is supposed to be good luck to pour it into the Pacific.

It could have prevented the dreads we all know you are coming home with.

:)

Anonymous said...

Get a grip you moron.Your not in NYC.You honk because its neccessary not because it makes you feel better or yor dick hard. And I would think you would know that Venice is freakshow city and does not represent the entire state of California. Go back to NYC if you can't sit back and enjoy the show.

IcedSavant said...

I just wanted to let you know that I (along with the untold millions) LOVE your Blog. New York misses you! :)

Karen said...

i lived in california till last year, and when i drove i had to honk plenty! only problem is, other drivers have their music blasting (or are busy on their phones) so they can't hear horns. and most drivers in the l.a. area drive like they're the center of the universe....and you are an annoyance to them. i will never go back to even visit the area. 48 years was enough. be glad you don't have to live there. hope you get a chance to go visit northern california....monterey and the redwoods are worth the drive!

Leann said...

Wow, I'd think you would prefer California sunshine over New York Smog. My bad.

KSG said...

Hey there, from New Zealand! I sincerely promise you, we honk out here - usually to wave "hello!" at people and smile and stuff. Yep, we're backward, sort of.... Come out here some time - strangers do not just talk to you, they offer you a place to stay and a free tour of wherever - kid ya not!
Have been reading you a coupla weeks, since I started blogging, and your writing is astounding, outstanding.... Thank YOU for it! Take care out there - SoCal sounds like a seriously freaky place... Gimme NY anyday - I wanna come visit! (will ya pick me up at La Guardia...?) *wink/smile*

luke said...

hey hack, just wondering if you were planning to mention the protest on the 1st may or give us your opinion as a cabbie, as it affected both cities right?

Anonymous said...

cali has some sick fucking fucks. People are always smiling at you even when plotting to kill you. Everything fake and too many losers. San diego is white boy country with lots of uptight assholes. Stay away from those fuckers.

High Power Rocketry said...

Im goin back to cali, cali cali, im goin back to cali...

R2K

Anonymous said...

Midwest guy here - have been a visitor to San Fran. I sure didn't see the friendliness of Ca. Everyone seemed to be in their own little world, avoided eye contact, unfriendly, etc.

Spend a day in a typical MW city and you will be treated with courtesy, have doors held for you, be greeted by strangers, just a totally different experience.

Oh, you will also see a domestic car every once in a while!

San Fran is a neat city, and up north through wine country is beautiful. I'm glad I visited, but I wouldn't choose it as a home.

BBC said...

So go down to Long Beach, take the last exit before the bridge going on to the Queen Mary. It puts you in a working folks area, container ships and all that. Find the pier 55 seafood market, they will cook you up a nice seafood platter there. Like I said, it’s a working folks place, you would like it there. And you can take a fishing party boat out for a day at a fair price. BBC

Anonymous said...

Please if possible - look to the skies of (Telegraph Hill) & tell me if you see my friends "the Famous" Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. They are beautiful birds - that are wild & fly the skies up there. They are red & green & full of character & charm. Lucky you to be so close to see them !

Anonymous said...

Ah, I love your blog. It makes me laugh hysterically and makes my day. I'm from Texas, and yes, I've been to California (San Diego,Orange County and Venice Beach). San Diego was beautiful I have to say and I would definetely go back to visit. Venice Beach? Ahhh, no, I can say with certainty that I'll never go back there. Everything you said on your blog about Venice Beach though was right on the money.

Anonymous said...

HA HA! St. AMrks. That's priceless and so true. Biggest difference is that St Marks is always in shadow from the buildings and the sidewalk is dirtier. :D

AllBeehive said...

You know what L.A. does not have? Enough cabs! I was there a month ago and completely disenchanted with the cab service. Where do they all hide? Or are people too busy being shuttled around by their personal limo services?

Anonymous said...

Venice IS like St. Mark's Place in the same way that Burbon Street in New Orleans is like Hoboken exploded.

go to Big Foot Lodge in Los Feliz. that bar rules.

Anonymous said...

you should adjust the aperture of your camera. it's still set to New York, but California is much sunnier and your pics are all blown out.

Good Company said...

Love it or hate; it really has no impact on me. I can find freaks and living wonders almost anywhere I go. I don't like much about CA but I LOVE NYC! The only city where you can feel the pulse of the population as they pound the pavement!

kyle said...

Awwww, now I'm all homesick and stuff... thanks. ;)

Actually I'm from the bay area, but even with all the differences and sometimes animosity (*ahem* water *ahem*) between north and south (*ahem* fascists *ahem*) it's always nice to see that lovely pacific!

F.B. Cabby said...

sounds like fun. Ive always wanted to see california, almost as much as new york. A friend of mine was born and brought up in yonkers, he's living up here now but said he would take me down for the "tour"

Burt Likko said...

Get your friend to tell you where Yamashiro is. Go there for drinks at night.

If you're in Venice, there is a Tokyo Delves in the Marina. The original, in the Valley, is much better, but it's still a good time. Be prepared to take a cab home.

Eat a Fatburger. Next day, eat a Double-Double. Decide which one you like better.

See a Dodger game. Eat a Tommy's Original afterwards. The real original one is on Alvarado and Beverly.

Don't be ashamed to do touristy stuff, like Universal Studios.

Have fun.

jmcd said...

Don't get to relaxed in LaLa land, Stanly is on the war path. When you get back you will have to work Mon Nights and pay $3.50 a gallon.
Fellow Hack at 55 Stan

Anonymous said...

California,New York I haved lived in both and with out a doubt they are the best two freak shows on the planetjust soak it in and fucking enjoy.

Anonymous said...

P.s. go to the Belly Up just ask any one in california where it is

Elizabeth said...

Yes, it is a bit weird out here, but some of us DO know how to honk. However, the people we honk at don't have any idea what we're doing, or why we're honking. I think they don't hear us, as they're too busy yakking on their god-forsaken cellphones.

Anonymous said...

Don't forget about those damn random pee tests. I figure you'll be able to try out the new Penis shaped bong with some of that good California herb. Have fun.

Anonymous said...

I love your blog. And LA is like a world in and of itself- I highly recommend San Diego or San Francisco. My take on LA is being crazy- not really in a good way- is not only the norm but the necessity to fit in... and liking breathing in concentrated smog.

Oh, Miss! said...

Welcome to the west coast! *open arms*
CA is not bad... it's just...NOT NY :)

EverJack1 said...

Lol! I'm enjoying this! Kind of like A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court..... :o)

Very good writing, M.P.

EverJack1

Anonymous said...

The real deal deli to go to is Jerry's.

Heather said...

People don't talk to you in New York? I must go there now! Perfect for a reclusive blogger like myself. :)
Enjoy the sun! And get a *good* tattoo. :)

Anonymous said...

Awe c'mon - you would look cute with your belly button pierced...

Stitchin-Liz said...

mezOH MY GOD, you're staying in Venice? What were you thinking?! Quick, drive either up or down the coast an hour or two and it will all get better, I promise!

Anonymous said...

The sky in Cal looks a bit grey - or is it my screen? Enjoy your trip and hold on tight in the car! Great blog. I have been rading for a while now - when I come and visit NYC again - will get you to give me a cab ride - generous tips of course!!! lol(http://www.maztalk.com)

Anonymous said...

Going to Venice beach and calling it California is like going to Coney Island and calling it NYC.

Its part of it sure but it ain't all. Gawd I miss no honking. Civilized.

paco said...

i live near venice beach and think its nice there, the reason no one honks is because everyone is too busy using their cellphones to drive. once i saw a lady reading a book while driving. and no one honked at her for driving so slow! however today we were stopped at a red light and a truck honked at us for no reason whatsoever.

Anonymous said...

hey, come up to LA, you might get some of the who the hell are you look that seems to be the norm in NY

Anonymous said...

LA is it's own state in Cali. So don't rope all of Cali in with it. Also, that honking thing is BS. I grew up in Seattle and no one taught me what the horn was for. Then I moved to San Francisco for 10 years and found it for myself. Now that I'm back in Seattle, I use the horn religiously and I thank Cali for it. BEEEP BEEEP, yeah!

Anonymous said...

i live in LA and trust me! people honk. if you're waiting to make a right hand turn for a pedestrian to cross, their on the horn. i could rattle off 20 examples because it's really infuriating but maybe people are more reasonable by the beach.

meesh said...

As a fellow New Yorker now living in the land of fruits and nuts (a.k.a. Los Angeles) I feel your pain. Be careful if you find yourself in the car with your friend while it's raining this week. People in L.A. seem to think that if they go faster they will get home sooner and thus, be safer. This is why we end up with 18 car pile-ups on the free way. (sigh) I wish I were kidding.

I hope your friend gets you out of Venice and into some less ...um...unique neighborhoods. You might want to check out L.A.'s Chinatown, or maybe the pier in Santa Monica. Oh, if the line isn't around the block, Pink's hot dog's are pretty close to the real thing. They say they import the water from NYC. :)

There's just something about New York. No matter how pushy the people are, how hot and sticky the summers get, how terrible the city traffic is, it's ALWAYS better than anywhere else we go. Must be something in the water.

Anonymous said...

I'm the only driver in Santa Barbara who leans on the horn and yells out my car window "You idiot, where did you get your drivers license --- at K-Mart?" The awful driver I yelled that at recently turned out to be John Cleese. So what he's still an idiot driver. Aww, to tell the truth, we both ended up laughing.

Anonymous said...

go back to NY

Cheetarah1980 said...

Where I live, EVERYONE drives like your friend. The concept of green meaning GO is lost on Midwestern drivers. I feel your pain completely.

Noor Al-Amal said...

Henna!!! i'm crazy about Henna!
Do u :)
i wished u took closer pic of Henna printings there

Anonymous said...

MacArthur Park/Mid Wilshire is all that matters.

TheWayfarer said...

OMhfG...You've taken the plunge.
Into the Land of the FRUITS and the NUTS!
I'm not suicidal/a hippie/crackhead, so I'll never go that far west, because that place is full of them.
Hope you make it back to New York with your sanity.

Anonymous said...

I THINK NEW YORK IS BETTER THAN CALIFORNIA. THE ONLY THINGS CA IS KNOWN FOR IS WARM WEATHER AND FAMOUS PEOPLE. LOOK AT NEW YORK, YOU ALSO SEE FAMOUS PEOPLE ROLLING THE STREETS OF MAHHANTAN, MAYBE NOT AS OFTEN AS YOU SEE IN CA, BUT ATLEAST YOU SEE THEM. NEW YORK HAS WARM AND COLD WEATHER NOT LIKE IN CA JUST HOT AND HUMID AND STINKY. NEW YORK HAS OMG SKY SCRAPPERS, FABULOUS SHOPING MALLS, ICE SKATING,SKIING. LOOK PEOPLE U R MAKING A BIG MISTAKE TO THINK THAT CA IS BETTER THAN NEW YORK. NO EARTHQUAKES IN NEW YORK OR FOREST FIRES OR DROUTS.WE GOT OUR COUNTRY BACKED UP. HEY THATS HOW WE NEW YORKERS ROLL.