i will be leaving LA for hong kong tomorrow! i can't believe 1 month just passed by like that:( but i am glad that im going home. like my parents have been reminding me quite so often these days, it's time for me to come home! haha. yup im really looking forward to seeing my family in hk:) i miss them soooo much! im also excited to be able to meet elaine, steph & freda in hk too! anyway this will be my last update before i leave LA - i will update on my trip to san francisco, my touring of various places around in LA as well as all the farewell gatherings in vancouver, when i get back to singapore! till then, ciao!
pinkberry yoghurt - the latest fad that is taking LA by storm! branches of this successful chain are appearing almost everywhere - and there always seems to long queue all the time, throughout the day (or so i have seen so far!). apparently, pinkberry yoghurt was started by a korean lady!
i just had to try it:) i finally realize why it is so popular! the yoghurt, which is fat-free, was extremely tasty - the fruit toppings were really fresh too! the other half and i shared a medium cup with fresh kiwi, mango and cookies&cream toppings! yummy:) but it is really quite expensive though!
the beverly hills post office - probably the only one in the world that provides a valet service for its customers!!
the very majestic-looking building which is home to the prestigious beverly hills police department..
doesnt it look like a resort or a tourist attraction? it is no wonder that the beautiful premises of the beverly hills police department was the set for hollywood shows like the beverly hills cop series!
posing with various signs of the BHPD..
the other half, posing with a BHPD policecar
at the beverly hills residential district - this tranquil residential estate is probably one of the very few which has an outdoor park for its residents, complete with water fountains and water coolers, made of marble..
at melrose avenue - which was inspiration to the hit tv series melrose place. this well-known street houses a number of high-end boutiques and salons - it has been described: melrose is to the young, cutting trendies of the west side what rodeo drive is to the affluent elders: a place to shop, a place to stroll outdoors and most of all, it's a place to see and be seen. very apt indeed!
the hq of british academy of film and television arts (BAFTA) which is a famous british org that hosts annual awards for film and television, is also located along melrose avenue
an interesting shop name - mel & rose on melrose!
9:02 AM
::venice beach::
venice beach is located along the coast of california, further south from the city of santa monica! this bohemian residential area is best known for its canals and beaches, as well as a vibrant and eclectic street market along its paved pedestrian promenade, the ocean front walk..
at pacific ave/windward ave - taking the big blue bus down to venice beach..
loving the sun & the beach!
me in front of the lifeguard house..
the other half lending his support to the adopt-a-beach-keep-the-beach-clean campaign..
at the oh-so-happening street market along the ocean front walk
there were also performers entertaining the crowd too..
the interesting architecture of the shophouses which line the ocean front walk..
the famous muscle beach..
which is really, an outdoor gym! most of the gym users are guys who clearly enjoy showing off their brawn or the lack thereof.
the exterior of the muscle beach, which is shaped like a dumb-bell!
venice beach also houses numerous tennis courts.. (it seems like their version of tennis is slightly different from what we know of here - for one, the players use really small rackets)
there were also a fair number of handball courts (again, this game is a slight variation from the squash which we know of here)
dinner/snack part 1 - we tried argentine-styled empanadas! the empanada, which is essentially a stuffed pastry, that is akin to our currypuffs - supposedly originated from spain! my spinach empanada was pretty good:) the other half enjoyed his beef empanada!
in my opinion, the venice canals is the best thing about venice beach!
the venice canals, which are modelled after those in italy's venice
the beautiful view was really breath-taking..
ducks were waddling in the canal.. the lovely houses lining the 2 sides of the canal mostly had deck chairs for owners to enjoy the charming scenery!
and of course, this gave us the perfect excuse to photowhore! heh..
after that, we made our way back to the ocean front walk..
the other half and i playing the fool with interesting road signs!!
gingerbread court- a small cosy open-air shopping mall housing unique shops, along venice beach
like this one!
dinner part 2 - was at the waterfront cafe, which was located at the northern end of venice beach! nice food, atmosphere, music & company:)
enjoying fish & chips..
and a pint of erdinger..
while enjoying the gorgeous sunset:) perfect end to the day!
::the late late show with craig ferguson::
about 2 weeks ago, i went to the cbs studios in hollywood and got to be part of the live audience for the taping of the late late show with craig ferguson! it was such an interesting experience - i must say that it was a great way to see hollywood at work! it could be quite a painful experience too - coz we (the "show-enhancers") had to laugh at everything and anything. but i must admit that craig ferguson is one witty entertainer;)
here's the charming craig ferguson, who really looks like al pacino in person!
a photo of craig ferguson in action - that i ripped off a random website on the internet! coz we couldnt bring our cameras into the studios:/
after the show, the other half and i headed down to the international house of pancakes nearby - all thanks to my craving for pancakes then!
we shared a fried beef steak breakfast set (they serve breakfast all day!), which came with 3 their signature yummy buttermilk pancakes!
dessert was cheesecake covered in a crepe-like batter, fried to perfection and topped with banana slices and caramel - omg it was sinfully delicious:)7:26 AM