2 days in Los Angeles and despite the fact I'm probably still suffering from jet lag and despite the fact I have a cold from the germ breeding ground of the 10 hour plus Virgin Atlantic flight, I think I'm beginning to understand this city....
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Westwood.
If Fulham was ever transported to a tropical paradise, I think Westwood would look very much like that new creation.
Still it feels good to finally make it to Hollywood, La La Land, L fucking A!
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You see I'm a LA Faker, one of those non-Americans who always dreamed in California vision.
It's not hard to uncover what brings these types into being, a steady diet of US TV, the sunshine, the beautiful people, the money, the status of actors and actresses and all those around them.
But this is nothing that others are not exposed to, yet they do not leave their loved ones, hop on a plane and head to the city of Angels.
The majority of Brits, Italians, Finns, happily stay at home and live their lives.
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Right now I'm thinking of heading to Denny's for a burger and fries. The amazement of my first meal still glows and gnaws for more, all for less than ten dollars, it just doesn't seem right. But so many things I've seen in only 2 days, just don't seem right.
The movie theaters don't seem right. Growing up in the UK, I have grown to love my small movie houses, a larg-ish screen and overpriced ticket prices.
Then I went to my first movie theatre in LA.
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The cavernous theatre took my breath away, the sound scared me, the screen was an ocean, the seats better than in any English home.
Tomorrow is the first day of my flat hunt, K-Town, Hollywood, again this is early 2008 and the rental prices blow me away!
For the price of a tower block studio in a knife wielding sink estate in Newham, I can live in fucking Hollywood!! How can this be!?
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But wait a minute, I haven't seen the 'single' apartment yet and I've been chilling in Westwood...
KOREA TOWN to HOLLYWOOD
Sunday is a good day for flat hunting ( apartment hunting) well to be precise, Singles/Studio hunting.
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First stop Korea Town.
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Now I heard K-Town is the next big thing 'Hood' wise in LA and when I get to the 'open house' viewing, I tick off all the things I associate with up and coming:
- Mattress left in the street - TICK
- Shops with Non English hoardings - TICK
- Graffiti - TICK
- Skinny white kids in cool clothes who's parents probably could buy up the whole street, but hey there keeping it real with the 'people' - TICK
I was reminded of the East Village - New York/ which in turn reminded me of home,
Haggerston - London.
Even 5 years ago, I would of jumped at the chance to live here; edgy, boho, cheap, all the right ingredients I loved when I was in my 20's, but I'm well in my 30's now.
Now I need my calm, now I need smooth.
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Next stop Hollywood, tomorrow the world! No, Hollywood.
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The single was in hip building a stones throw from the tourist traps of central Hollywood. While my neighbours in K Town were mellow looking Mexicans, this place had a few extras from day time TV and was charging 350 Dollars more to boot.
I took a cab ride back to Westwood to think things over, the driver was happy to show the highlights of LA as we cruised past the Viper room and wound our way through Beverly Hills, descending past the mini town of UCLA, home for my certificate in Feature Film writing.
K-Town or Hollywood? Hollywood or K-Town.
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Later that afternoon I took my first real bus ride, one long ride down Wiltshire to the beach at Santa Monica, saw the Pacific for the first time from the western side, having seen this shining sea from the Japan last year.
I say the bus ride was 'long' but it took no time at all. Santa Monica is a magical place, the sea shimmers in the sun, even in this heat and it being a weekend, it wasn't too packed with people neither.
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When I got 'home' I realised it didn't really matter where I lived in LA, not when I could always pay a Dollar and twenty five cents and come and dream by the sea.
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