Sunday 3rd January
I tried to sleep for most of the plane journey. I bought some sleeping pills and popped a couple. They seemed to work, as I slept for most of the journey, only waking for orange juice and egg muffin.
No one told me that it is so cold in the UK.
Jan was waiting for me. He had promised a christmas meal of roast chicken and potatoes. Enough said.
Sunday, 3 January 2010
Saturday, 2 January 2010
Estimating Time
Saturday 2nd January
My plane leaves at 6p.m. this evening, LA time. Who knows what time that is in the real world?
I arrive back in London Sunday afternoon and looking forward to seeing Jan. The last couple of days have been harder and I shall be glad to be back with you all.
Any advice on how to get some sleep on the plane ride back?
My plane leaves at 6p.m. this evening, LA time. Who knows what time that is in the real world?
I arrive back in London Sunday afternoon and looking forward to seeing Jan. The last couple of days have been harder and I shall be glad to be back with you all.
Any advice on how to get some sleep on the plane ride back?
Last Day in LA
Saturday 2nd January 2010
So wouldn't you know it is hot, sunny, glorious weather. I think the rain god conspires against me, so I will notice the difference even more back in London.
On Hollywood Boulevard, as I tried to elbow my way to the metro train, there were at least three Darth Vaders, one Yoda and two Spidermans, or should that be Spidermen. Is there a collective term for people dressed as film characters?
Rodeo Drive and Beverley Hills is odd. There is alost a mythic element to it, signs as you walk along - "Here be immortals".
But the shops are exactly what you get in Bond Street, or Milan or Rome, without the fanfare of trumpest, or the palm trees. Perhaps it is the palm trees which make the difference.
I am going to see if Louis Vuitton have a sale on. It would have to be 95% off, mind.
So wouldn't you know it is hot, sunny, glorious weather. I think the rain god conspires against me, so I will notice the difference even more back in London.
On Hollywood Boulevard, as I tried to elbow my way to the metro train, there were at least three Darth Vaders, one Yoda and two Spidermans, or should that be Spidermen. Is there a collective term for people dressed as film characters?
Rodeo Drive and Beverley Hills is odd. There is alost a mythic element to it, signs as you walk along - "Here be immortals".
But the shops are exactly what you get in Bond Street, or Milan or Rome, without the fanfare of trumpest, or the palm trees. Perhaps it is the palm trees which make the difference.
I am going to see if Louis Vuitton have a sale on. It would have to be 95% off, mind.
Thursday, 31 December 2009
Happy New Year
Thursday 31st December
No rain today, but I spent most of the day up until about 3 or 4 p.m. in doors, getting some work done forthe staff training I am running on my first day back: is intelligence like a balloon or a bucket? Is intelligence fixed or plastic?
I have been sitting in the breakfast room, which overlooks Sunset Boulevard, typing away. I am not sure why it is called Sunset Boulevard, it is more grey tarmac than golden sunsets.
I hope you have a great New Year and that it brings you health, happiness and ballooning good fortune.
Jan and I are going to celebrate when I get back, as it will be too depressing to do it apart. I am going to try and ring him at midnight UK time and at least wish him a good night and sweet dreams.
No rain today, but I spent most of the day up until about 3 or 4 p.m. in doors, getting some work done forthe staff training I am running on my first day back: is intelligence like a balloon or a bucket? Is intelligence fixed or plastic?
I have been sitting in the breakfast room, which overlooks Sunset Boulevard, typing away. I am not sure why it is called Sunset Boulevard, it is more grey tarmac than golden sunsets.
I hope you have a great New Year and that it brings you health, happiness and ballooning good fortune.
Jan and I are going to celebrate when I get back, as it will be too depressing to do it apart. I am going to try and ring him at midnight UK time and at least wish him a good night and sweet dreams.
Wednesday, 30 December 2009
Precious
Wednesday 30th December
It was raining today. I am sorry to tell you that it is the first time it has rained since I arrived. But it meant plans had to go out the window.
I ended up going back to Santa Monica. It had been really sunny when I was there last. I was hoping that it might be far enough from Hollywood to be in a different time, if nor weather, zone. The bus journeys felt like it should be.
I saw two films: “Up in the Air”, George Clooney being very smooth, he could read the sewage instructions and still sparkle; and then “Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire”, which has to be one of the longest film titles and is fantastic although very tough to watch.
I’d recommend them both, but may be not on the same afternoon.
On the way to see George Clooney, I came across someone campaigning to get gay marriages legalised here. They refer to them as same-sex marriages, which does sound somewhat more dowdy.
First they were legal, then they were not. Then they were again, now they are not. I am sure there is a joke there about bisexuality, but it escapes me.
I gave them some money towards their campaign; I explained I had a vested interest in it.
It was raining today. I am sorry to tell you that it is the first time it has rained since I arrived. But it meant plans had to go out the window.
I ended up going back to Santa Monica. It had been really sunny when I was there last. I was hoping that it might be far enough from Hollywood to be in a different time, if nor weather, zone. The bus journeys felt like it should be.
I saw two films: “Up in the Air”, George Clooney being very smooth, he could read the sewage instructions and still sparkle; and then “Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire”, which has to be one of the longest film titles and is fantastic although very tough to watch.
I’d recommend them both, but may be not on the same afternoon.
On the way to see George Clooney, I came across someone campaigning to get gay marriages legalised here. They refer to them as same-sex marriages, which does sound somewhat more dowdy.
First they were legal, then they were not. Then they were again, now they are not. I am sure there is a joke there about bisexuality, but it escapes me.
I gave them some money towards their campaign; I explained I had a vested interest in it.
A Question of Biology
Wednesday 30th December
Watching American TV, there seems to a surprising amount of adverts for catheters. There is a company, appropriately called Liberator, which will supply them to you easily so you can stop reusing them.
In fact there seems to a large number of adverts which go into a lot of medical or biological detail, most of which I do not understand as I don’t have those specific internal organs.
But it is handy to know where I could go, if I did.
Watching American TV, there seems to a surprising amount of adverts for catheters. There is a company, appropriately called Liberator, which will supply them to you easily so you can stop reusing them.
In fact there seems to a large number of adverts which go into a lot of medical or biological detail, most of which I do not understand as I don’t have those specific internal organs.
But it is handy to know where I could go, if I did.
Tuesday, 29 December 2009
Bubbles and Squeak
Tuesday 29th December
I had my first good bit of cheese today. Admittedly I have had bits in salads and in scrambled eggs, but this was a platter of cheese cut wafer thin: blue vein and soft. It came with delicate slices of pear and of apple along with a small jar of quince jam, which makes it sound very Delia Smith.
The result of the beautiful, delicious cheese? Eggy burps.
Not very nice for those on the tube with me travelling back from LACMA.
LACMA is the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, in the way that all museums which want to sound important have to have an acronym as a name. They have some great work and then they have bubbles:
I am not sure about bubbles. There were was a plaque next to it which explained it to me in artistic terms, but I am still not sure about it.
I had my first good bit of cheese today. Admittedly I have had bits in salads and in scrambled eggs, but this was a platter of cheese cut wafer thin: blue vein and soft. It came with delicate slices of pear and of apple along with a small jar of quince jam, which makes it sound very Delia Smith.
The result of the beautiful, delicious cheese? Eggy burps.
Not very nice for those on the tube with me travelling back from LACMA.
LACMA is the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, in the way that all museums which want to sound important have to have an acronym as a name. They have some great work and then they have bubbles:
"Michael Jackson and Bubbles" by Jeff Koons, 1998
I am not sure about bubbles. There were was a plaque next to it which explained it to me in artistic terms, but I am still not sure about it.
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