LA

Finally found somewhere to go online (a photocopy etc shop).

It's really hot over here. The temperature is only 20 but it feels so much hotter, it's very humid and the sun is very hot.

My flight over was okay. It was a very long trip. I watched three movies on the way over but there was so much choice. I watched Becomming Jane, Man of the Year and History Boys. I could have watched more if I hadn't tried to get some sleep.

They turned off most of the plane's light's halfway through the trip (and it got dark outside the plane) but I just couldn't get comfortable enough to sleep. I couldn't stretch my legs out or recline enough. I did doze off for about ten-fifteen minutes a couple of times but mostly I just spent a couple of hours with my eyes closed. Wasn't the same as sleep.

Once we got to LA immigration took ages. There were only four people having to process the entire plane. My seat was at the back of the plane (third row from the back) and although I tried to disembark quickly I still ended up near at the back of the line.

Got through ok, picked up my bag but the terminal was very small. Nowhere to buy a drink, only local payphones. I got a shuttle bus to my hotel which took sometime too. I was the third drop off. (You know you're in LA when your bus driver has a photo resume on hand).

The hotel room is very nice. I have a good view of the hills (and can see the Hollywood sign). I rang home as soon as I got to the room -- sorry about the late hour, but I said I'd call so I knew I had to.

I've done a bit of sightseeing. LA is very VERY spread out. You really can't do anything on foot, although I tried. Buses are pretty frequent though but there's two competing lines so if you get an all day ticket with one you have to let the others go past. (Our system's better).

I walked around Beverley Hills shopping area (all very pricey looking stores) before lunch. Then I went down to Santa Monica in the afternoon. That was where I was going to stay and if I came back I would. There's a lot more variety of shops and stores and the beach looks pretty nice. (But what the guidebooks said about homeless people was right - lots on the foreshore area - but they're easily avoided).

I didn't do much last night because I was pretty tired. Still awake and alert but feeling fatigued. I spent time flicking through the TV stations. I get a lot of channels but American TV seems to have more ads, that or they all have ads at the same time so when you're flicking through channels it's all ads.

I couldn't watch 24 or Heroes which were too far ahead, but I could watch new episodes of "Old Christine". I saw some of the US Dancing with the Stars too. It's much quicker show they had two dances danced and judged in the first 13 minutes.

I slept well, about 12 hours sleep, catching up on yesterday. I went walkabout again today, checking out a few shops, including visiting a Westfield shopping centre! There's no general discount department stores around. No Target or K-Mart type store which is bit annoying.

When you just look around the shops and streets it doesn't feel very different to Australia. It's only when people talk and you hear the predominant accents that it really feels like another country. I also did ask for toMAto on my sandwich at lunch today and got looked at strangely and had to correct myself to say toMAYto.

The driving on the wrong side of the street is annoying. When I was in the shuttlebus yesterday I kept getting worried each time the driver would turn left from the middle of the street! It's now ok when I'm in a bus but I haven't learnt it yet for crossing the street. I keep by instinct looking in what here is the wrong direction. Even when I'm half way across I still look to the left to see what's coming. The other problem is that the pedestrian traffic lights don't make any noise, so I keep standing there and not noticing when it's a green light!