Life imitates Art
Oscar Wilde
I had never dreamed of so near travelling to the USA, but here it is - I've just come back from another side of the planet. So let me start.
Our group was small enough - only 11 children and 2 leaders (one of them now lives in LA constantly), also there was an American guy (from China) helped us. Almost everyone of the teens was from Khabarovsk, but me and a boy from Vladivostok, and it didn't prevent us from making great friendship.
Flights from Khabarovsk to Beijing and from the Chinese capital to Los Angeles were long but we felt ourselves well, and when we were on our way home, flights were fast and we were kinda sick.
Well, here were we, a little bit tired, but so happy - we'd finally arrived in the city of angels. The first fact I learnt is that LA doesn't have a core and contains many districts, everyone of them has each own centre.
In the beginning we lived in Norwalk, Guest House Hotel. It was a nice place with a cool swimming pool and an awesome jacuzzi. Our boys liked jumping into the pool making splashes as much as possible. I finally learned how to swim there! Probably the only disadvantage was a restaurant in Guest House with the lack of food variety.
Our first excursions were Hollywood & Highland Center. It's just a p-a-r-a-d-i-s-e. We visited Beverly Hills, and I discovered where the heaven situated. Chanel and Dior, Bugatti and Ferrari, Tiffany and Swarovski - everything you could only dream of, you may meet there. Then we went to The Madame Tussuads Museum, where I made some photos with the celebrities I like. Perhaps, the best photos are with Iron Man LOL
The next day was about to be a free day in the hotel, but our leader Denis offered us to hike the Hollywood Hills and reach the Hollywood Sign. "Why not?" - said we, but we didn't know how hard it would be. I can compare the way to the Hollywood Sign with the way to the Great Chinese Wall, but Denis said the Chinese Wall was harder to hike. Anyway, we did it - we were on the Hollywood Hills, watching LA with having bird's eye view. We were heroes. I felt myself as Doug on the roof from "The Hangover", it was HOT HOT HOT. And to to feel relief, I rolled my shorts up, so the shorts ended up looking like diapers! I'm so sad about my shorts on these photos!
During the adventure (yes, yes it is) we were in Disneyland twice, though the second time we were in the park called The Adventure Park, but it's still connected with Disney. It was my first Disneyland, and it was like I found myself in a fairytale. Even though there were no dangerous roller coasters in Disneyland, but there was a miracle for every child. By the way, The Independence Day we 'met' in the Adventure Park.
We visited Santa Monica whole three times. The first time we spend time near and in the Pacific ocean; all we got the hardest sunburn, and I drank a lot of ocean salt water. Oh, every time I recall ocean waves, I feel badly again lol. Besides, the ocean took my red sunglasses away! It was so pity! Also my friend Ilia lost his sunglasses in the ocean, and the waves tore a dress of another friend and roommate Vicka. Since then we've called Santa Monica Santa Damn Monica. The second time we came to Santa damn Monica, we went shopping. I bought some books, flip-flops ('cause I damaged my previous one [spoilers] in San Diego) and OMG I don't remember. Some souvenirs. And the third time we wanted to rock out in the ocean too, but it was cold weather enough, so we played some games with the ball and said "farewell" to Santa damn Monica.
And now... LAS VEGAS TIME! A city of vices, of lights and absence of nights. Due to our age (under 21), we couldn't feel Vegas fully, but anyway we touched it a little. We visited The Venetian Resort & Casino and some shows near the hotels Bellagio, The Mirage and one more, I don't remember the name. The second day we spend in LV, we went shopping in a big moll. Well, on our way to Vegas, we stopped to go shopping in the Outlet in Nevada desert. It was like natural selection, because the air temperature was about +50 C in Nevada! And also on our way back to LA we went shopping in another center. Sooo, if we can't match our Las Vegas with casino and parties, we can do it with shopping.
As I've said, we had shopping on our way back from Vegas to LA. We had 2 hours to shop in a big moll. Of course, we, girls, were exasperated by that fact, but we had nothing to do against it: 2 hours meant 2 hours. So, we came almost to the core of the shopping center, even had our own lunch, everything was ok until my phone started ringing. I picked up the phone, and then heard an angry voice of Denis telling me, that all group had been waiting us for an hour!! Shocked, we ran to the place of meeting, thrown away things we wanted to buy in the shop. Certainly, Denis was offended with us till the end of the day, but now we recall it with laughing.
~ ~
While we were in Vegas, we take a trip to Grand Canyon. I'd never been keen about that place, but it's really worth being watched. Fortunately, the weather wasn't hot hot hot, like in LV or Nevada in general, or maybe we just become adopted to that high temperature. And we probably really did, because when we came back to Los Angeles, those Californian +30 felt like something ordinary. So I'm keeping silent about the weather on Sakhalin.
Days went by, and we headed to Universal Studios Park. There we fell in the atmosphere of film industry. Almost every movie of Universal has each own side-show - The Mummy, The Jurassic Park, The Simpsons - they're some of which we visited. Also we were on Universal Studios Tour, when we were explained how and where films were made, were shown locations of filming. Moreover, Christina and I was looking for cute guys while we were waiting in the lines, but it's another story lol. Talking about the lines, so in every park we've visited we had to wait from 15 to 60 minutes to enjoy about 5-10 minutes attraction. But we always tried to find ways how to spend the time of waiting; mostly we were talking (oh, Gosh, we're always talking), playing games, taking photos and videos and etc.
There was an excursion which reminded me about my home, and it was San Diego. It reminded me home, because it's a seaside town with lots of sea creatures and sea atmosphere as well as here, on my island. In the beginning of the day, the weather was cold, and I looked like a bird trying to get warm, but it didn't make the photos bad. Then the weather became typical Californian, and we entered "Seaworld". Seaworld is a park focused on - you wouldn't believe! - sea world. Aaah, I'm done. So, I liked that place, because I saw some of the animals for the first time in real life, for example, dolphins and killer whales. It was a nice trip :3
I'd never cried in those situations, but I cried at our last evening for the first time. Although I hadn't known all these guys before the USA, they all became my people, and it was sad to understand all of them were from another city. Of course, fortunately, we all have holy Internet nowadays, so we can text, but you know, it's never enough.
In the beginning we lived in Norwalk, Guest House Hotel. It was a nice place with a cool swimming pool and an awesome jacuzzi. Our boys liked jumping into the pool making splashes as much as possible. I finally learned how to swim there! Probably the only disadvantage was a restaurant in Guest House with the lack of food variety.
Our first excursions were Hollywood & Highland Center. It's just a p-a-r-a-d-i-s-e. We visited Beverly Hills, and I discovered where the heaven situated. Chanel and Dior, Bugatti and Ferrari, Tiffany and Swarovski - everything you could only dream of, you may meet there. Then we went to The Madame Tussuads Museum, where I made some photos with the celebrities I like. Perhaps, the best photos are with Iron Man LOL
The next spots were TCL Chinese Theatre, Hollywood Walk Of Fame and The Dolby Center. With all those places we felt ourselves closer to the world of showbiz.
The next day was about to be a free day in the hotel, but our leader Denis offered us to hike the Hollywood Hills and reach the Hollywood Sign. "Why not?" - said we, but we didn't know how hard it would be. I can compare the way to the Hollywood Sign with the way to the Great Chinese Wall, but Denis said the Chinese Wall was harder to hike. Anyway, we did it - we were on the Hollywood Hills, watching LA with having bird's eye view. We were heroes. I felt myself as Doug on the roof from "The Hangover", it was HOT HOT HOT. And to to feel relief, I rolled my shorts up, so the shorts ended up looking like diapers! I'm so sad about my shorts on these photos!
During the adventure (yes, yes it is) we were in Disneyland twice, though the second time we were in the park called The Adventure Park, but it's still connected with Disney. It was my first Disneyland, and it was like I found myself in a fairytale. Even though there were no dangerous roller coasters in Disneyland, but there was a miracle for every child. By the way, The Independence Day we 'met' in the Adventure Park.
We visited Santa Monica whole three times. The first time we spend time near and in the Pacific ocean; all we got the hardest sunburn, and I drank a lot of ocean salt water. Oh, every time I recall ocean waves, I feel badly again lol. Besides, the ocean took my red sunglasses away! It was so pity! Also my friend Ilia lost his sunglasses in the ocean, and the waves tore a dress of another friend and roommate Vicka. Since then we've called Santa Monica Santa Damn Monica. The second time we came to Santa damn Monica, we went shopping. I bought some books, flip-flops ('cause I damaged my previous one [spoilers] in San Diego) and OMG I don't remember. Some souvenirs. And the third time we wanted to rock out in the ocean too, but it was cold weather enough, so we played some games with the ball and said "farewell" to Santa damn Monica.
And now... LAS VEGAS TIME! A city of vices, of lights and absence of nights. Due to our age (under 21), we couldn't feel Vegas fully, but anyway we touched it a little. We visited The Venetian Resort & Casino and some shows near the hotels Bellagio, The Mirage and one more, I don't remember the name. The second day we spend in LV, we went shopping in a big moll. Well, on our way to Vegas, we stopped to go shopping in the Outlet in Nevada desert. It was like natural selection, because the air temperature was about +50 C in Nevada! And also on our way back to LA we went shopping in another center. Sooo, if we can't match our Las Vegas with casino and parties, we can do it with shopping.
~Time of Awesome Stories~
As I've said, we had shopping on our way back from Vegas to LA. We had 2 hours to shop in a big moll. Of course, we, girls, were exasperated by that fact, but we had nothing to do against it: 2 hours meant 2 hours. So, we came almost to the core of the shopping center, even had our own lunch, everything was ok until my phone started ringing. I picked up the phone, and then heard an angry voice of Denis telling me, that all group had been waiting us for an hour!! Shocked, we ran to the place of meeting, thrown away things we wanted to buy in the shop. Certainly, Denis was offended with us till the end of the day, but now we recall it with laughing.~ ~
My other roommate and coeval Christina and I promised to each other to come back to Las Vegas when we're 21. Talking about 21, I learnt about and started loving a brand "FOREVER 21" after shopping in LV. What cool things!
While we were in Vegas, we take a trip to Grand Canyon. I'd never been keen about that place, but it's really worth being watched. Fortunately, the weather wasn't hot hot hot, like in LV or Nevada in general, or maybe we just become adopted to that high temperature. And we probably really did, because when we came back to Los Angeles, those Californian +30 felt like something ordinary. So I'm keeping silent about the weather on Sakhalin.
Days went by, and we headed to Universal Studios Park. There we fell in the atmosphere of film industry. Almost every movie of Universal has each own side-show - The Mummy, The Jurassic Park, The Simpsons - they're some of which we visited. Also we were on Universal Studios Tour, when we were explained how and where films were made, were shown locations of filming. Moreover, Christina and I was looking for cute guys while we were waiting in the lines, but it's another story lol. Talking about the lines, so in every park we've visited we had to wait from 15 to 60 minutes to enjoy about 5-10 minutes attraction. But we always tried to find ways how to spend the time of waiting; mostly we were talking (oh, Gosh, we're always talking), playing games, taking photos and videos and etc.
There was an excursion which reminded me about my home, and it was San Diego. It reminded me home, because it's a seaside town with lots of sea creatures and sea atmosphere as well as here, on my island. In the beginning of the day, the weather was cold, and I looked like a bird trying to get warm, but it didn't make the photos bad. Then the weather became typical Californian, and we entered "Seaworld". Seaworld is a park focused on - you wouldn't believe! - sea world. Aaah, I'm done. So, I liked that place, because I saw some of the animals for the first time in real life, for example, dolphins and killer whales. It was a nice trip :3
Moreover, we learnt a little about American education visiting a college, a private high school "Maranatha" and Griffith observatory. The observatory's situated opposite the Hollywood sign, so we could see the same view of LA again. What about the education, so I'd already known a lot about it having learn all that stuff for my English lessons.
During the travel we had some lessons of English and TV art. Certainly, English lessons weren't lessons of learning the language, but our teacher told us some facts about the English lessons and the USA structure. What about TV art, so it was more interesting. We were divided into two groups, and each group had to make some videos. In the beginning we were about to make 3 things: advertisement, news and a music video. But Denis didn't have sufficient time to arrange music videos. Maybe, it's even alright, because I think we'd die doing it. Well, in the end now I know how to make videos right.
I had some time in Khabarovsk waiting for my flight to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, so I spent it walking around Khabarovsk with Ilias, because no one else answered my calls. The weather in Khabarovsk was awful, gloomy and even rainy, so symbolic. In the airport I even fell asleep waiting the boarding, and I slept all the way to my city, and all my condition wasn't so good. And here I am in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, writing about Los Angeles. I hope one day I'll return in the city of angels.
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