I’m with Johnny LA on the weather thing…I’m from the Midwest and LOVE the change in weather up here. I think the fact that the weather can range from -30F to +100F within the space of twelve months is incredible.
I also had the misfortune of spending 3 years in Hawaii…and found the weather INCREDIBLY boring. Sunny and 80 nearly 350 days a year really wears on a person who’s used to thunderstorms every couple of weeks in summer and lovely, leaf-changing football weather in the fall.
Phouka, I didn’t like SoCal at all for the couple of weeks I spent there, but I really hope you do well there and enjoy yourself…
If you don’t like LA i’d suggest San Diego. I love it here.
I love to visit other places fairly often but I cannot leave cali. Its perfect here (for me) and I can’t imagine making anywhere else home.
You think LA is bad? Try Silicon Valley. What a dump.
I notice people keep mentioning palm trees, and the wide range of produce available in California. That’s some of the things I love about this state. A wide variety of produce is grown here. I remember my mom saying her uncles were surprised when they first came out here, and visited the fields in Salinas. They had never seen so much land NOT devoted to corn and wheat, and growing all kinds of vegetables. I think even irrigation was an odd thing to them.
We can get fruits like Cherimoyas (it’s a tasty fruit,with a creamy pulp, and is only grown and sold commercially in California, really, since they dont ship well). Can also get a wide range of fruits and veggies from all over the world here too (a chinese market in SF was selling Durians).
I love the fact that so many things can be grown here in Monterey. We can grow apples, cherries, and things like that, as well as plants like oranges, lemons, etc. We can also grow the usual symbol of travel agencies for California, the palm (well, a wide variety of them grow here). Subtropicals do very well here (such as bougainvillea), and even plants that normally stay small in other stated get huge here (great grandma was surprised at the size of the geraniums here).
It’s so great having so much stuff available to you year round.
Oh, no, someone got Doob talking about plants! Run for your lives!
Seriously, anyone who’s known me for any length of time knows that I despise Southern California. I have lived in the Bay Area for my entire life, and would be happy to stay here if it weren’t for the insane cost of living, and the annoying hi-tech carpetbaggers. I consider it a misfortune that both of my parents are native Angelinos and I am dragged to LA at least once a year to visit family (presently have been to LA/Orange County about 25 times, plus or minus a couple). However, I wish you only good luck and good times in your stay in SoCal, phouka, and cordially invite you to the next Bay Area Dopefest, if you can make it.
Of course, I cordially invite EVERYONE to the next Bay Area Dopefest if you can make it.
Ah, Hawaii… Hot and humid. I thought about going there though because they seems to have a lot of helicopter operations. My mom (who worked in aviation for about 20 years) said that people go there to fly helicopters and then realize, “WTF, over? I’m on a friggin’ island!” Yeah, that about sums it up. A friggin’ island. Isn’t that what people are supposed to be rescued from?
Doob: Durians??? I spent several weeks in Singapore trying to avoid them! Are they growing here now, or did they finally find someone willing to ship the stinky things? An all durian airline, perhaps??? I cross the street to stay downwind.
phouka, be sure to check us out in northern CA. I live near Lake Shasta and wouldn’t go back to the SF Area where I came from.(No matter how many people ask me to!) Here in the north state there are actually undeveloped areas in between the towns and cities! You can tell when you leave town without looking at a “Now Entering…” sign. And Big Sur IS something special. Almost a religious experience.
Welcome, we’ll all move over a little!
Well, the nice thing about the teacher cert is that I’ll be able to teach anywhere in the state. A lot of where that’s going to be will depend on where my parents are. Currently, they’re in Escondido, but if my mom quits her job (which I’m praying for), there’s a very good chance that she could end up in San Bernadino. That’s further north than here, right? I figure I need to be at least 100 miles away from the parents, but no further than 300. Sanity measures, you know.
Welcome to LA, phouka. May your stay here be as long as you wish, and better than you hope.
Gotta disagree with the nay-sayers about LA. I lived on military bases most of my young life, and trust me when I tell you that you do not realize how good you have it here.
The weather: yeah, it’s a tad too perfect. And?
The traffic: I work from home. My commute is about five seconds.
The heat: Hmmm. I live about a half-mile off the ocean. Haven’t noticed anything like you could call “heat” lately. Now, when I lived in the Valley… <<shudder>>
The people: Try being friendly, and not cynical or pessimistic. Works wonders. I know all of my nearby neighbors, and a few of the farther ones, too.
The smog: see above RE: heat.
My only complaint is that I live a bit too near LAX, and my place isn’t as soundproof as I’d like. So what? It’s pretty cool sitting on my deck with a cold one, watching 747s take off…
It was cool and interesting and fun and exotic and beautiful for about 6 weeks. Then it was just another place to live, and was not the nicest place I’ve been.
One more place you might want to check out is Santa Cruz. Lots of fun to be had, esp. if you’re young and you bring some friends with you. Worth the trip. Do bring a little cash.
Here’s a link for ya;
Oh see, now you’ve done it, I have to make a smartass remark now :). Well it’s a good thing Phouka didnt mention Israel, or we’d never get Kyla out of this thread!
(you know I like ya kyla, but you tease me for my obsession, i gotta take a jab at yours ;))
