BACK IN OZ

After 18 months away, we returned to Australia for Xmas (Im back for 4 weeks).
It’s a funny feeling returning to your home country after such a long absence… but I have to say, it feels good to be home… and the Australian accent is definitely something one cant help notice.

AROUND ORANGE COUNTY

We spent a lazy Sunday afternoon around the OC beaches (Laguna, Balboa Island, Newport and Huntington).
When I return to LA in January, I’ll be looking for an apartment to rent for upcoming year, and I think it will be around Newport .. so I can surf and rollerblade during weekends, and really look forward to a beach summer.

HOLLYWOOD

You cant actually drive up to the Hollywood sign (and it looks like quite a hike to get up close) … so the photos are from afar.

VENICE BEACH

Pamela flew down to LA for a week (on route to Australia), so we spent the weekend doing the LA tourist spots…with Venice Beach being one of them.

The winter in LA is mild, so compared to London, its great to be out and about.

SAN DIEGO

A colleague from my UK firm also works in LA (on the other side of town), and we decided to head to San Diego for a boozy weekend.
San Diego is only approx 100km south from where I based …and it feels like completely different … there is definitely a buzz about the place …. Or maybe its just because it’s a huge marine port … and all the navy boys run a muck on the weekend during their liberty (time off to recuperate).

Anyway … met a lot of guys from the Navy … and they are actually good fun to drink with… and unlike most Americans I have met in past … they like their alcohol .. and can keep up with an Aussie.
On Sunday, we checked out Midway … a huge carrier which has been de-commissioned, and now is open to the public.

Definitely will head back soon for another boozy weekend.

WEEK 4 IN COSTA MESA

Well a lot has happened in the past month or so…. I have started the project, bought new golf clubs, and moved into an Appartment.
Im based in Cosa Mesa, which is in Orange County, near some very famous beaches … Huntington, Laguna, and Long Beach … it almost makes me want to buy a surf board and start catching the waves.

Compared to London, the weather is great …. It hit 30degrees last week .. not bad for winter (considering its miserable and raining in London).

LA is quite a place … everywhere you go, its using 6 lane highways (in each direction, ie. 12 lanes in total) .. if you think traffic jams at home are bad, you have never experienced 12 lanes of gridlock . Distances are quite large too … I drove to Beverly Hills (and Rodeo drive) .. which was approx 70km away…. And I saw a whole heap of paparazzi .. I think they were chasing Britney!

Its less than a month till I head back to Oz for Xmas … and Im really looking forward to it.

THE CRACK AND THE SPIDER

Last weekend before heading back to US, we went to the TATE museum to see an exhibition … well its actually a crack running the whole span of the floor (yes .. they call it modernism).
Outside the Tate, there is a 9 meter tall metal spider …. I thought it made a very interesting photo.

THE OC

It has been confirmed …. My next project is in LA … based in Orange County (yes ….like in the TV series)….I’m scheduled there till Jan 2009, but that is not definite, and probably will change in upcoming months, depending on how the project pans out, but either way it will be 8-10 months as a minimum.

Once again, it’s a melancholy feeling … arriving in London, just to pack everything up, and head of half way around the world, to start a new life for next year or so.

Having said that, the weather in London is becoming cold and dreary …. And its 34 degrees in LA at moment, so definitely looking forward to sun and beach (I will be located few kms from Newport and Long Beach) … so definitely will start surfing.
(Mind you ... Im flying out in 4 days ... and there are fires that are raging at the moment ... so hopefully everything will be ok by the time I land)

Pamela is also heading back to Australia for the summer (next 4/5 months) …. She has Xmas and 3 weddings, and it’s as good as excuse to escape the UK winter …so we are vacating our flat, and basically taking whatever we can back, and giving everything else away … its all got to go (again!!).

SULLY IN LONDON

Damian is staying with us until he gets his feet on the ground in London …. And Pamela told all the girls at her work about him ….. so they obviously wanted to see photos.
After bumming around the world for 3 months … reality sets in ... and he's looking for a job, and this is him dressed in his interview suit, being a bit shy in front of the camera ….. he was made aware the reason why Pamela is taking the photo (men have feelings too, you know … we don’t like being treated like a piece of meat!!!).

SEVILLA

Another great city …. With an ancient castle/palace.

Another great tapas/beer bar … and by now our waist-lines are beginning to show the strain of all the eating and drinking… not that it stopped us from trying more.
We caught a Flaminco session, amongst other things, unfortunately we arrived on a Saturday, and missed the last bull-fight of the season, which was staged the previous night.