I love LA!

According to LA Times, visitors ranked Los Angeles the rudest city in the US. The question is do you agree? Do I agree?

I browsed the comments from readers and I could say that most negative reactions posted bear truthness to it, specifically the car culture and the lack of common courtesy among drivers. I had a couple of first hand experiences of this lack of civility and even wrote about it in this old blog. What makes matters worst is, LA also has many uninsured drivers in the streets. My car was hit by one of them.

I have resided in Los Angeles for nine years now and despite the not-so-good things people said about this place and its indwellers, my fondness for this place grows more and more as the years go by. Infact, I could no longer imagine living anyplace else. The true beauty of LA lies in its fullness of life. It’s a buffet of everything you are looking for, starting with the weather, the beaches, the mountains, the forests, the entertainment, the food, and the shops. Dull moments? no such thing here. The place boasts of history, of melted cultures, and just enough noise that tranquility is still possible to find. Not to mention, my favorite basketball team is headquartered here, the Lakers.

I could go on enumerating the best of Los Angeles which I have seen and experienced as a resident which unfortunately the visitors who responded to the survey was not able to experience during their visit or short stay here. I cannot blame them. During my first visit here in 2000, I am not impressed as well. All I remember is the coldness of the tired employees at the shops, in restaurants, and the long lines of irritated people at theme parks.

LA's transport system is inferior compared to the commuter-friendly New York, the streets are definitely not as clean as Japan's, my favorite place of all, but because you are in the heart of everything, work and fun combined, I find Los Angeles a nice place to live.

There was a time I favored Orlando after my first visit there in 2006. I was impressed by the friendliness of the people, the clean environs, and the simplicity of living, I asked my children if they would want to move there. To which they responded, "Mommy, LA is where things happen, we are here, there is no reason to leave." There you go!

Come; live with us…in the city that is a world in itself. Here, I am sharing you the view from my bedroom window in the afternoon. In the mornings, it's even better :-)

Better yet, here’s another picture from a billboard in Nokia Plaza.

Jobs' reliever is a Job's reliever

When Steve Jobs announced yesterday he is taking a medical leave to focus on his health, the stock market went ballistic and shaky. It’s so strong an impact; it stole attention from the massive flood that hit Australia. To holders of Apple stocks and those technology driven individuals, the earth somehow misaligned with its axis and won’t revolve properly until Jobs has a definite announcement of when he is returning to Apple. Why because, Jobs is not only a CEO but a doer, someone who makes things happen, right in this modern world we live in.

A lot of people, me included, are so amazed by the gadgets introduced by Apple, although, I do not own any of their product because of the cost to buy and cost to own factors, I still follow their launchings and new developments.

This morning, as I do my regular browsing of what’s going on with the world, I came across this video of Pranav Mistry, a student from MIT who developed a wearable computing system that turns any surface into an interactive display screen. As I watch the video, I said to myself, Steve Jobs should just hire this guy and concentrate on his health.

Shhhh...

The sun shone brightly on the first day of 2011. It was inviting to drive to Pasadena and view the floats of roses which Brack and I initially planned to do. However, we decided, finishing Brack’s online course would be better than struggling to find a clean portable restroom in Pasadena, like what happened last year. I snuggled in bed and tuned-in to EWTN. The low volume of the TV lulled me to sleep and woke me up again about an hour later when the silent documentary movie called "Into Great Silence" was being played. Even without commentaries or sound effects, the solitude of the Carthusian Monks enriched me spiritually.

I know I could not live in great solitude like the Carthusian monks and nuns but recently, even before seeing this movie, I attempted to be quiet. In my silence, I read, listened, observed, and prayed more which made me more aware of those that matters most in life. I know this quietness is nothing compared to those of the monks, but somehow I felt serenity.

I told a friend I am enjoying the remoteness, when she asked why I’m no longer on Facebook. It is a breeze sometimes to take a break from the noise and chaos of this "chase the wind world" we live in, just don’t forget to go back to reality soon.

So for 2011, why not start it quiet?