Episode 21 - Family Planning

Feeling thoroughly settled in Club Taormina, we feel that as an engaged couple that it's a ripe time to start work on a family. Sure we're along way from home and family, but we've got a lovely place and we're well equipped for additions. This certainly isn't a decision that Sam or I want to rush into, but we are ready. We discuss at length various ways to make it happen right - I mean, we've both done it previously, so we not what is required but I still think it best to do some extensive research online. We settle on two kids for a range of reasons, jump in the car, and go and pick them up - along with all the paraphernalia required to keep them alive. Welcome EFISHent and Syd FISHous to our happy home. Syd, the punk goldfish with the mohawk colouration is obviously my son, whilst Frosty's gets to work cleaning the tank incessantly! We're so proud of them, growing up so fast...

Like the many moods of the weather, or women for that sake (cue outrage from readers), LA seems to be all about occasionality. We have supermarkets for when we're feeling flash (Gelsons - expensive, but glamourous with celeb lookalikes), healthy (Whole Food Market - all organic food, more celeb lookalikes), lazy (Ralphs - just around the corner, capable) and broke (Jons - more of a 'South of the border' feel). At all levels however, the choices are astounding, with prices generally being much lower than in Australia - $3 bottles of reasonable wine? Hello! We were going to attend a live taping of 'The Price is Right' here, but decided we'd be way off the mark and would end up ridiculed rather than with 'a neeeeeew car!' Even restaurants have embraced this tiered system, with every business having to display a rating in the front window. In West Hollywood you know they're all A, but the further east you go, B's and C's start to appear - but on the flipside, the prices get cheaper and cheaper!

Having both traveled many parts of the earth, it brings us joy to reflect as we drive around the global microcosm of LA. Rather than deal in suburbs like Australia, most regions have an international moniker - we are close to Little Armenia and Thai Town. Sam and I independently comment on the smaller portion sizes at restaurants in Little Ethiopia (we are a good match!). Filipino Town, Little Tokyo and Chinatown are all here too. In Korea Town, Sam honestly believed that the ‘Ped Xing’ sign painted across the road were road rules in Korean. Then there is Compton which has a loyal gathering of gangsters gentlemen sporting red and blue colours, Fashion District has fluoro Ray Bans and skinny jeans, West Santa Monica Blvd has lovely rainbow coloured flags, and much of the rest of LA seems like Mexico!

Sam's experience of more time working with locals here has aided her assimilation into LA culture deeper than mine. Her belief that everyone that steps off the plane in LA is handed a neurosis, leads to her troubling insomnia. Personally, I'm adamant that it is her heightened awareness of the significance of what looks likely to occur, as the LA Lakers flatten all before them in the NBA Playoffs.

That's right, LA erupts into a sea of Purple and Gold as the Lakers win the NBA Finals. An ongoing ritual of Sports bar Happy Hours come to a crashing halt - no more $2 wings, 2 for 1 drinks and half price nachos every second night! But it leaves one triumphant event yet to occur - the Lakers Victory Parade. Whilst waiting amongst the 250,000+ other tourists (presumably none of them had jobs?) and 50,000 police, the crowd started getting restless which in turn prompted this note to self:

Musings from the Curb

When the collective mass of humanity is congregated together, what should inspire us as a unified collaboration of the fruits of evolution never materializes. Instead the reverse is true whereby the mass becomes more akin to primates entertained by the inane and the fools, which only serves to inspire other primates to imitate and draw focus upon themselves to distinguish themselves from the mass.

Darwin would be ashamed as group mentality erases millions of years of progress.

Although once the team are in sight, an entirely different mood overtakes the crowd. Despite the lengthy wait, it is easy to become caught up in the genuine admiration for these athletes and what they represent to LA. Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant and all the team are there and they seem sincerely moved by their reception en masse. Having never attended a tickertape parade, this seemingly random exercise is a real highlight. Plus now all the Lakers know who I am - I'm pretty sure Kobe indicated to me he wanted to hang out at the club... D

NOTE FROM FROST (ed):

During the parade I showed my appreciation by blowing my favourite player, Pau Gasol, a kiss, he sees me and smiles. Now I am not sure if it was a coincidence, but he did lick his lips straight after this. Pau and I go way back sharing a bond over our love of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. He recently received the Sam Award for the most obscure early 90’s reference in an interview. The Fresh Prince of Bel Air was one of his favourite shows and consequently my favourite rap. This opinion is not affected at all by the fact that it is also the only rap I know all of the words to. I once rapped to it at a party in London wearing the hosts ski suit whilst doing a back spin on a piece of a lino. My break dancing did require help from my lovely assistant Pippa as my foot was broken, in a cast and wrapped in cling wrap – this is an even longer story...