
Visiting Los Angeles
I don’t remember if I’ve been in Los Angeles or not.
I remember being in Hollywood, and Beverly Hill, and Santa Monica, and Venice, and some other places, but I’m not sure if it were different towns close to each other, or different counties, or neighborhoods of the same town.
I belong to a different scale, and always get confused in USA. So, I will write about what I think is Los Angeles. If I’m wrong… excuse-me.
Beverly Hills

Really top class neighborhood.
The shops were so frightening, that even Fernanda decided to stay out of them. Honestly, she did!
Fortunately, they didn’t charge for looking from outside, and I escaped without financial wounds.
But it really worth the trip, admiring the perfection, cleanliness, and safety of everything.
Life would be perfect, with such quality at Portuguese prices.


Rodeo Drive – High Standard
Rodeo drive is one of the most famous shopping areas in the world, and THE place where I would never buy anything.
Why? Because everything gave me the sensation that EXPENSIVE is a mandatory qualification to all shops and articles. If it is important to you to pay the double or more for any expensive object don’t look any farther.
Not for me.
Stay in the line

My name is not there.
I had no time to follow all the walk, but I think that I’m the only movie star missing there.
I knew 85, wrote down more 4322 names, and I’m studying why are they famous.
I promise to end before 2053, to go back there and get some more, and to check if mine is already there!
Address: Hollywood Blvd & Vine St.
American China

Money, ambition and imagination are the ingredients present in most American realizations. The absence (or the disregard) of a local culture, was the reason of a diversified copy of models and styles from Europe, but also from the whole world. The interesting note is that immigration from all the world turned USA in a complex mixture of races and civilizations, giving sense and cultural legitimacy to most of the copies made only to… copy.
Sid Grauman, a theatre producer well succeeded with his experience of a theatre in Egyptian style, decided to build another one in its neighborhoods, matching a Chinese look.
Opened in 1927, the success was even bigger , and the theatre became an icon of Hollywood. Now, you may be one among the hundreds browsing the autographs and footprints of the actors immortalized by the movies, fighting for a ticket to a premiere, or as we did, deciding that… yes, it is there, big, beautiful and looking Chinese, only a few kilometers from Chinatown.
Universal Studios

If you don’t care about artificialism…If you don’t bother staying in long lines…If you have time… and money… that’s a funny place to spend a couple of hours, or more.
I’ve been in Orlando’s Walt Disney’s parks and couldn’t avoid comparisons. The same kind of creations and amusements, but still interesting, with attractions to all ages.
The earthquake in the subway is really convincing.
Address: 100 Universal City Pl., Universal City, CA 91608
Venice

The winter of August the 4th was replaced by the spring of the 5th, but still not inviting to swim. So, I must admit that I left California without entering the Pacific Ocean. Next time I’ll try December…Anyway Venice was nice. The channel area had no resemblance with Italian Venice, except that the water was wet (forgive the joke!), but it is a really nice spot, with everything straight and lined as a good American construction.
The beach was almost as empty as Santa Monica.
Some of the differences that make the “almost” were not advisable, but we met a Brazilian lifesaver curious about our language. It was the first time she listened to Portuguese Portuguese. About the beach… Well, it has sand, and water, and waves, a beautiful lifesaver, and if you want me to say something more, wait for my next visit.
Santa Monica

Good idea, leaving the beach, said Fernanda.
Let’s move to a better place. And that was… shopping area, of course.
Do you believe that I supported the never ending series of malls, shops and boutiques without freezing completely? But I did. Honestly, I survived!
Address: 3rd St. Promenade & Broadway, Santa Monica
Marina d’el Rey
