[Intrepid Homoludens]

< faints >

*THUD*

[saucyminx]

*administers first aid to Trep*

[Jatsie]

< Rushes in with a cold compress >

[Ninth]

Originally Posted by Intrepid Homoludens

in SoCal

This show I've fallen in love with, The L Word, takes place in Los Angeles (south LA, I believe), and damn it made me want to go there too.
Funny the effect that this region has on me. I've been to many other countries, but the only one where I've felt a need to leave France and come and live there is California.

I may act on this, some day...

[Intrepid Homoludens]

But remember, Ninth, that Northern California and Southern California are practically two entirely different worlds, each one cool and fascinating in themselves.

I know you left your heart in San Francisco, but you'd probably be curious about Los Angeles. It's such a surreal city, a sort of 'Never Never Land' culture (not surprising, considering Hollywood and the idea of youth, fantasy, and glamour). There's a kind of encouragement here to synthetically make yourself into whatever you want to be, to become a work of art, so to speak.

San Francisco, on the other hand, has a sort of 'projected' reality as well as a more intellectual climate. The very air feels different from that of L.A., and the cultures there influence a desire to be a part of some movement, whether political, spiritual, or cosmopolitan. This is where the West Coast's Beat Generation started.

[Jen]

It's hard to be a regular person in L.A. I grew up there and grew to loathe it. The society is so plastic. Gross generalization here, but people there seem to judge each other by superficial things like physical beauty, income, who you know, even what kind of car you drive. Since I never had any of those things I always felt like I was on the outside looking in. The too-hot weather is just an added bonus It does have its good points, though. The thing I miss most about it is the ethnic diversity—there was always something good to eat!

On the other hand, I lived a couple years in the Bay Area and absolutely loved it there. I always felt comfortable just being me. I probably would've stayed there forever had circumstances not dictated otherwise. That's okay, though, 'cause I like it here in the Pacific NW equally well. Except there is not much ethnic diversity here, and the Mexican food sucks!

[Ninth]

Originally Posted by Intrepid Homoludens

But remember, Ninth, that Northern California and Southern California are practically two entirely different worlds, each one cool and fascinating in themselves.

I know you left your heart in San Francisco, but you'd probably be curious about Los Angeles. It's such a surreal city, a sort of 'Never Never Land' culture (not surprising, considering Hollywood and the idea of youth, fantasy, and glamour). There's a kind of encouragement here to synthetically make yourself into whatever you want to be, to become a work of art, so to speak.

San Francisco, on the other hand, has a sort of 'projected' reality as well as a more intellectual climate. The very air feels different from that of L.A., and the cultures there influence a desire to be a part of some movement, whether political, spiritual, or cosmopolitan. This is where the West Coast's Beat Generation started.

Yep, and both are fascinating to me. Of course, since I've only actually been to northern California, I only know for sure that I love that part of the state... but the south is outrageouly flirting with me these days .

Jen, I guess this "plastic society" you speak about grows unbearable after a while, for for someone like me who lives in the completely not plastic society of Paris, that would be a welcomed change. Gray and tormented gets wearysome (is that a word?) after a while...

[Melanie68]

Originally Posted by Ninth

wearysome (is that a word?)

Yes. But you change the 'y' to an 'i' so it becomes wearisome.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Okay, our broadband connection is finally up and running ( I could've done it earlier but I was st00pid enough to forget to switch on the proper connection on my laptop, my brother had to remind me). No more depending on the public library's free wi-fi and going by their hours (though it's just right across the street from us, yay!).

I'll now have to catch up on world news, geek news, and all the excessive drama here at AG.

Originally Posted by Jen

It's hard to be a regular person in L.A. I grew up there and grew to loathe it. The society is so plastic. Gross generalization here, but people there seem to judge each other by superficial things like physical beauty, income, who you know, even what kind of car you drive. Since I never had any of those things I always felt like I was on the outside looking in. The too-hot weather is just an added bonus It does have its good points, though. The thing I miss most about it is the ethnic diversity—there was always something good to eat!

You're quite spot on, Jen. L.A. can be quite a strange deceptive 'experience' to live in. I grew up in the Midwest, in another kind of 'reality', if you will. It's funny, again I feel like an anthropologist living here (after I lived here years ago), especially in Hollywood and West Hollywood.

I know exactly what you mean by L.A.'s 'culture of beauty and status'. When I lived here in the mid-late 90s I partly moved through that culture, going to parties and meeting people here and there. I had opportunities to invest more in it but I was never interested. I prefered to be 'in the corner' watching it happen. It was a really weird time in my life, but definitely memorable. Lots of stories, for sure.

But I actually live in South Pasadena, one of the first suburbs outside metro L.A., and here it's a little more quaint and people sized. It actually reminds me a lot of two of Chicago's 'burbs, Oak Park and Evanston. It's beautiful here, lots of Arts & Crafts style houses and hacienda style bungalows, and trees, trees, trees everywhere! Great thing is that the light rail train stop is 1/2 block up for when I wanna go to the museums or walk around the city.

On the other hand, I lived a couple years in the Bay Area and absolutely loved it there. I always felt comfortable just being me. I probably would've stayed there forever had circumstances not dictated otherwise. That's okay, though, 'cause I like it here in the Pacific NW equally well. Except there is not much ethnic diversity here, and the Mexican food sucks!

San Francisco is ultimately more my kind of cosmopolitan scene. Even physically it's great - everything is kinda layered on top of each other, a kind of steppe pyramid or anthill, topped by the Transamerica building, or my personal favourite, Coit Tower. I'll eventually end up there, as L.A. is enroute for me.

[Jatsie]

I could never contemplate living in San Francisco, what with my rational fear of earthquakes...

[Intrepid Homoludens]

My mum is paranoid. She always finds something to worry about. If it's not the earthquakes in S.F., it's the gangs here in L.A. (and we live NOWHERE NEAR the areas where the gangs are). Every time I announce I'm going Hollywood, West Hollywood, downtown, or where ever, she tells me the gangs will get me. That or the fighting prison inmates. Sheesh!!

Oh, and tabs, if you're reading this - THERE IS A TRADER JOE'S JUST 3 BLOCKS AWAY FROM ME!!! Serious w00000t!!!

[Jen]

Last place I lived was in Burbank, off Hollywood Way about halfway between the Burbank Airport and that Warner Bros. studio. I lived in a duplex that was built to house starlets back in the 30s or 40s. Last place I worked was in Pasadena, so I am (or was, anyway) pretty familiar with the area. If, god forbid, I was ever forced to move back there, I would probably look to settle in Pasadena or Arcadia (or San Marino if I had loads of dough). I love the Arboretum, the Huntington, the craftsman-style architecture, the mountain range looming to the north... I did not love the earthquakes, though

[Ninth]

Originally Posted by Intrepid Homoludens

or my personal favourite, Coit Tower.

In french, coït means coitus. Meaning that I have trouble taking this name seriously.

[fov]

Originally Posted by Jat316sob

I could never contemplate living in San Francisco, what with my rational fear of earthquakes...

Other parts of the world have earthquakes, too. At least in San Francisco all the buildings have been retrofitted to withstand them.

[lakerz]

Jen<----

I'm sorry you didn't like LA, but I have to strongly disagree with your assertion that the whole city is plastic. Sure, if you want to be part of the whole "look at me, I'm a star" scene then ya, you gotta play the game. But for the 99.99% of people who aren't motivated to do that, Los Angeles is a very "real" city. Or maybe the more accurate word is cities. It's so spread out, and each area is quite unique. Personally, I love the beach cities, the mild temperatures, clean air, girls in bikinis. And yet, drive 30 minutes and I'm in downtown LA, full of energy (and smog unfortunately). Drive another 20 minutes and Pasadena awaits which is really a nice place.

Plus, how many areas can one chill at the beach on day, then drive 3 1/2 hours and go skiing? Not to mention, some of the most breathtaking drives in the world are found in LA. Some of the canyon roads like Mulholland Dr., Angeles Crest Hwy., and around Malibu truly have to be experienced. If you are into cars, LA is the place to be. The car culture is here is incredible. Any given weekend you can go to numerous car shows and check out virtually any car ever made.

And don't even get me started about the food. By the way, that Thai place I was thinking about is called Saladang.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Heh heh, I'm taking a little break from my writing. I'm in West Hollywood now (WeHo), at that little cafe on Santa Monica where I used to go all the time and write when I lived around here years ago (the same place I saw Quentin Tarantino reading a bunch of screenplays). Things have changed, things haven't changed.

I have to agree with lakerz, L.A. is one of the most diverse and textured cities in the world. As a city it may not be as striking as, say, San Francisco, or as elegant and and rich with history as Paris, but it's definitely full of life and tons and tons of things to experience. The various areas are very distinct from each other. Life in WeHo is very different from life in Venice or Silverlake or downtown. That whole glamour and fakery is only one of the many, many things here.

I got off the subway at Santa Monica and Vermont and hopped on the #4 bus. It was awesome, I felt like I was in Mexico City. I lost count of how many people there were whose stories I would love to know. That I was reading Hemingway's The Snows Of Kilimanjaro enroute only served to colour the experience even more. Good times. Interesting times.