City of Angels: First Impressions

It is easy to forget just how big United States is. Even today, with the frequent communication and transportation, the differences between states can still be surprising. I remembered United States as the harbor city of New England: cool breeze, seagulls, stone-paved streets, neat little cafes, and people in long coats. Walking down the streets of LA on my first week was the strangest of experiences: Everyone was in sandals, short jeans and sunglasses; People talk in all kinds of languages; The hills were bare except for palm trees and bushes; And there were more sports cars on the road than I've ever seen. There was no trace of the romantic European feel that I was expecting. I was, to be honest, slightly disappointed.

Today, however, if anyone asks, I am in love with this city.

LA is like the ocean. She seems flat and unchanging on the surface, but underneath, she is full of life, beauty and unknown adventures. One just needs the right gears and some time to explore. Visiting any one museum or art gallery can take up a day. I've spend my time in art galleries and museums, seen some of the most famous masterpieces in the world, and many more expressive contemporary artworks. Whether it was the overall atmosphere or the inspiration from these experiences, I found myself taking up drawing even when I had abandoned the paint and brushes for many years. The city is also filled of history, even though the west coast was developed much later than other parts of the US. From  Felipe de Neve[1] to the Mexican-American War[2] to the rise of the film industry[3], a trip to the Natural History Museum can only tell so much of all the fascinating stories.

On a more practical note, one can live in LA without a car. Isn't it great? There are places to shop and dine within walking distance. If one is picky and wish to go to specific places that happened to be farther away, there is always the bus. Bus lines are spread out like thick spider webs here and most of them come and go fairly frequently. For those that are unfamiliar with the system and need to look up what bus(s) to take, however, it may be slightly confusing. Google Maps only shows a fraction of the bus lines and does not specify which buses belong to the Metro System and which belong to the Big Blue Bus or Culver City Bus System. For bus info and how to look for bus schedule in LA, see this post here. Once you get your head around the system, however, it can be more convenient than driving around town. No need to worry about parking spaces and gasoline prices!

Steadily, as the city became more familiar, and the initial shock passed, I felt like this is the city to stay in. The weather is perfect, getting around is convenient, and there are plenty to do year-round. My todo list is infinitely long and growing! Browsing through all the theatre productions and music festivals happening around town, it all came down to the same problem: Either I don't have time to go to the cheap/free events, or the pricey tickets put too much financial pressure for a jobless student. So much is going on all the time that instead of feeling bored, one worries about missing all the excitement!