Friday night concert

Friday night at the wonderfully grand and retro Wiltern theatre, Los Angeles. Amazing venue, fabulous band....

Citizen Cope-possibly the coolest man on earth..
Favourite songs of the night:
1. Healing hands
2. Sideways
3. Bullet and A target
If you havent heard him...check it out...http://citizencope.com
Kx

Turning 30 in SoCal

This weekend we went on a road trip to San Diego and I turned 30....

 

San Diego is at the Southern most point of California, and borders Mexico but it is only about a 2 hour drive from Los Angeles.  We were lucky to have borrowed Iain’s boss’s massive gas guzzling 4x4 which is totally unnecessary but ensured we didn’t feel quite so intimidated by the SEVEN lane highways!! 

The highlights:
                    Endaevour's-last voyage

 

The first bit of excitement happened even before we left LA when, by chance, we spotted the ENDAEVOUR space shuttle piggy-backing on a jumbo jet on its last voyage and to its final resting place in Los Angeles. Now you dont see that every day!!

                        Sunny San Clemente

 

On our way down the coast we stopped for lunch in a chilled-out surf town in Orange County, called San Clemente.  It had a board walk right out into the sea and we found a little spot to have fish and chips on the pier while watching some very bronzed and buffed surfers show off before heading into San Diego. 

Saturday was spent visiting San Diego’s main attractions including  the famous San Diego zoo-where I saw my first panda (although for Edinburgh folk that’s probably not all that special now a days!!) and Mission beach where Iain plucked up enough courage to rent a surf board and have a go.
                        La Jolla Seals

 

One of my favourite parts of our San Diego trip was “Birthday brunch” spent at the Brockton Villa, La Jolla. La Jolla, (pronounced La HOY-YA) is a lovely little cliff top town in North San Diego famous for its cliff tops views, sandy beaches and resident seals. We spent Sunday morning opening cards, phoning home and sampling some of Brockton Villa’s famous French toast while watching the La Jolla seals and the hoards of eager Sunday morning swimmers who also descended on the cove. The surveillance became slightly more exciting when Iain pointed out this would make a very rich feeding ground for the more predatory sea dwellers such as the 14 ft great white shark which had been spotted off the shores of La Jolla only several weeks ago!!

                   Birthday dinner in Little Tokyo

Once back in Santa Monica, and just when I thought my birthday celebrations were over our lovely lovely American friends took us out to sample some real Japanese cuisine in Little Tokyo, Downtown LA. I was having a fabulous evening and was just commenting how embarrassing it must be for the poor person who was being serenaded by the loudest rendition of Happy Birthday-ever until much to my surprise and horror I realised that person was me!! Totally mortified but secretly touched. Thanks Emily and Merko-feel like I’ve known you forever it has only been three weeks!!
                        Birthday Surprise

Thank you everyone for all the cards, and cupcakes and flowers and messages that made my 30^th birthday so special. I was really excited about joining the thirty’s club, until it dawned on me that my next big birthday celebration will be turning 40-ahhhhhhhhhhh!

Miss you lots,

Kx

Taco Tuesdays

Tonight we drove down the coast to a lovely little beach bar on the ocean front in Malibu where it's $3 fish tacos and $3 beers on a Tuesday.. Just in case you are like me and can never remember the difference between a fajiita, a burrito and a taco.... a fish taco is basically grilled or battered fish in a tortilla wrap...delicious...

Over the last year Tuesdays had got the reputation for being the least favourite day of the week in our household. Mainly because I was always on call on a Tuesday and therefore very grumpy, multiplied by the fact that all your energy and enthusiasm has already been drained by Monday and you can't even console yourself that you are half way through the week yet! Thank goodness for 'Taco Tuesday' which has restored my faith in Tuesdays altogether...

Kx

Fish taco Malibu

Taco Tuesday in LA

California dreaming...

So as most of you will know we have arrived safely in the United States of America with luggage, laptops and tennis racquets intact.

We successfully made it through USA customs but only after being marched through LAX with armed guards for interrogation on why Iain had outstayed his last USA visa while at summer camp! Fortunately for us passport control were just having a laugh at our expense, after 10 hours in a plane we didn't find it very funny.

After a week of the glitz and glam in West Hollywood we finally moved to our rented flat on 3rd Street, Santa Monica, home for the next 6 months. In the words of The Lonely Planet this is LA's cute, alluring hippie-chic little sister, it's karmic counterbalance and, to many, it's salvation! And they were right, Santa Monica is a dream. Right by the sea it has a laid back beachy feel but also has plenty of shops, coffee shops and things to do.  Our flat is perfectly located 2 blocks from the beach and 2 blocks from the nearest Starbucks...bingo!!

Iain has started work at UCLA ( University of California Los Angeles) and I have started on my Dermatology Dpiloma- which to my surprise and horror looks like it  might entail doing some serious work!

We have only been in LA 2 weeks but already there are so many things I want to share with everyone back home..little things we've done or seen, or just how friendly and crazy the people are here. So hopefully with this blog I can keep you updated with pictures and stories and a little insight into life in Santa Monica, LA. Oh and of course celebrity sightings..

Please please comment  on my entries...tell me what you think, let me know what's going on back home, and bring me back down to earth if I get carried away with California dreaming. Kx



PS :I am fully aware this blog is not likely to last till the end of the week and my computer skills leave much to be desired..