I don’t think anyone else in the world could possibly make the following statement that I’m about to make: “In the past 12 hours I have been to: Malibu beach, the Getty Centre for sunset and then to a Lakers vs. Bulls game”.

Spent about 3-4 hours in total driving today, especially during peak hour traffic from the Gettys Centre to the Staples Centre. Dammit, I know here in America they spell it as “center” but I just can’t do that without forcing myself to. On the way back to Malibu from the Staples Centre, a bunch of cop cars closed down a huge section of the Pacific Coast Highway, causing me and all the other confused drivers to take a huuuuge detour around the Malibu hills, down Sunset Blvd in a huuuge circuit. They did it in the most unconventional (aka inefficient, confusing and STUPID) way ever – instead of just parking and blocking the road with their lights on like the police usually do, they decided to turn their lights on and start driving in a zigzag pattern down the PCH, confusing the hell out of us all.

Anyway, I’m too tired to recount my whole day now. I took a roll and a half of black and white film as well, but here are just a handful of digital shots from my epic 12 hours today:

Went to the beach at Malibu – froze our butts off.

California number plate! The car I’ve been driving around.

Obligatory jumping photo. Wish I could fly. It was so windy it sure felt like I almost could.

At the colony in Malibu. CUPCAKES.

Red Velvet was mine, and Chocolate Snowball was Liv’s. Weird iced tea I had with my macchiato.

Fancy schmancy.

If my life’s work ever got analysed, this would be the “epitome” of “me”: monochromatic, shadows, frames, self. All it lacks is reflection.

At Getty Centre.

Sunset. Reflection. Frame. How typically-Amanda of me.

More reflections.

Post-dusk view.

Tram.

STAPLES CENTER!!! There, I spelt it the American way.

Proof!!!

Lamar played amazingly tonight. Top scorer for Lakers. Sorry Kobe.

JACK! I didn’t have my long lens with me so had to wait til he got on screen to get a better shot.

Crowd goes mad.

Final score.

I’ve been having SUCH a good time in California that I’ve hardly found the time and energy to even download my photos onto the computer, let alone post them anywhere. I’ve been in Los Angeles since last weekend, but I’m really missing San Francisco, so here’s a handful of random photos that I took.

I’ll hopefully, eventually get around to blogging all the details, but for now I’m just going to make a list of my San Francisco highlights:

- $2 Tuesdays at The Ambassador – includes shots!
- meeting and hanging out with a bunch of awesome people from all sorts of different places
- SF Museum of Modern Art
- ferry cruise around the bay which entailed going under the Golden Gate Bridge and going around Alcatraz
- CABLE CARS!!! And acting all blase on it, trying to not piss the locals off like all the other tourists, haha
- walking miles and miles instead of using my transport pass so I can see the streets and details
- staying up all night hanging out with the night shift people at the hostel
- nobody thinking I’m anywhere near underage here
- the Exploratorium being next to the Palace of Fine Arts (last photo)
- the intense customer service at Victoria’s Secret
- finding out that the hipster bars are universally the same, apparently
- and that people try to make clubs like on MTV + skanks are the same on this side of the Pacific also
- meeting someone I wish I never met because it got my hopes up about someone breaking my “golden standard”
- TOUCHING A SHARK and stingray (ref to photo)

and so many other things that my tired brain cannot think of right now. But it’s a city that I will definitely revisit as soon as I can. I just loved so many things about it.

Back to current reality though, I moved out of a hostel in Hollywood today and am now crashing at Malibu. Watch this space.

Everytime I hear the word “California” I think of that Phantom Planet song that used to be on The OC. Point is I am now in California! Currently, I am sitting at a kitchen table in a hostel in Hollywood, and tomorrow I am heading up to San Francisco.

Somehow I was very lucky wth my flight that, not only were my tickets so cheap, but I managed to get 3 seats to myself! Cheapest, BEST seats onbaord, I’m pretty sure, and  I savoured the luxury of being able to spread my legs out to sleep. Liv and her roommate picked me up from the airport and we headed off to a mall, for Pinkberry’s frozen yoghurt and then later dinner at a place called the Grand Lux Cafe.

Very irrelevant, but I really feel the need to show off the rainbow cake and cupcakes that I made for my friend Liz’s birthday party on Friday night:

Moscow Mule:

Deadly walking stick: