LA, LA, super tack!

Current location: Hollywood, California

YAY I have internet!!
Or more like - I have time to go on the internet!

Robyn and I stumbled into LA early early Saturday morning (feeling like utter frauds, explanations later) and have been out and about on our feet since. The first thing I noticed about LA was that IT STILL SMELLS THE SAME. I don't know. Something about that desert air mixed with the ocean foggy type thing. The last time I was here I was a puny 8 year old and as they say, smell is the form of sense that will conjure up memories the most. And that's what it had reminded me - that it all smelt the same. I don't remember anything else, like how LA looked like.

To my surprise it reminded me a lot of Kuala Lumpur. The hazy white spanse of sky. The lack of green. The concrete. The peeling paint off concrete. The spaghetti freeways. The heat. The humidness. We took this Super Shuttle from the airport to our hostel and since Hollywood was the furthest, we had to go through a lot of other areas such as Silver Lake, umm... I can't remember the names. A lot of these places were really run down. Palm trees everywhere. It was like we were driving through the streets of Kuching! Nothing like what I had expected.

Speaking of which, picture a strip of sex shops with random stores in between selling really skanky type shoes (maybe those stores you'll find in Springvale), tacky souvenir stores selling t-shirts which say "Hollywood" on them. Chuck a really long row of stars in the ground outside these stores and voila - Hollywood Boulevard. The Kodak Theatre and Grauman's Chinese Theatre is smack bang amongst these things... no, not glam.

So the first day we spent walking up and down Holly Blvd trying to stay awake. We hadn't slept for more than 24 hrs and were about to pass out. Especially in that heat! Did some shopping on Hollywood & Highland and yeah took photos... we weren't into walking through masses of tourists. Not at the time. Not anytime!

On Sunday it was Disneyland - need I say more about this place? Other than it was soooo dangerously happy! Which was refreshing in a way. An escape from reality if you will. We had to leave in a hurry to take the shuttle back to our hostel so we were running for the exit during the fireworks - so many great sound effects... so many inspiring words... I was fighting back those tears! Unbelievable!

Monday was July 4th - that's right - independence day!!! It's a huge thing here and we celebrated it in the best way possible - a typical American BBQ in the heart of suburbia (ie: Burbank) with a group of the most fantastic (and very gay) men! We went to "the store" (aka the supermarket) - god, they are HUGE. And then we went to Frank's place to cook. We lounged in the backyard with the US flag draped out the window, drank, ate pickles, corn on the cob, cheese burgers... !! And watched fireworks from the Hollywood hills... Which started catching on fire which was rather funny.

Ok i have 6 minutes left so I'll RUSH THIS.

Today was universal studios... FUN!
Omg so much to say ... so little time....
Will write more soon!!!

Till then...
Miss you all..
Keep in touch!

xoxoxo