An east coaster's day in L.A.

Ok, so to me, an East Coast girl born and raised on the foundations of the work and toil of the power elite and the value of education: L.A. is just a shiny wannabe version of... well, everything. My opinion may not be - actually probably isn't - fair. But I still think that L.A. is the fly trap to every individual who wants to "make it big" by being "someone else." It's fake. Fake boobs, fake actors, fake smiles, fake friends, fake. I don't think it's "L.A." that's fake- I just think it attracts and caters to a certain personality type. bzzzzap there goes that bright blue bug killer again...

Still, I know people who want to be a part of it. I don't fault them for it- America glamorizes and idolizes that flashy stuff. Anywho, I went there for the first time this weekend. And despite the fakeness, I had a whole lot of fun and everyone I met there - whether it was fake or not - seemed reallllllyyyy happy to be in L.A. Refreshing compared to the depressed guldrum "I hate my life and that's so cool" attitude on the east. No wonder midwesterners are impartial.

Ok, so my day was planned out by my wonderful fiance who "surprise!" took me to heaven. Literally, I met God. This place was fantastic - at Hermosa Beach. Glen Ivy Hot Springs is rep't as one of the best spas SoCal has to offer and lemme tell you - between the "relaxation room" with apples and cucumber slices everywhere and the hot stone 50-minute massage topped off by chocolate covered cheesecake and strawberries w/sparkling champagne and 30 minutes to take a 4-nozzle hot shower afterward... angels, every last one of the employees at this place were heavenly messengers. If you haven't gone- go. It's worth the money

Next, I was shuttled over to Alhambra. I met my fiance at salsa dancing so we both dance- and the whole plan was to just go the L.A. to dance (but it was really to go to heaven, the dancing was a ploy). Here that fakeness smacked me in the face. I have never seen so many people look so mad to be dancing. Like, really pissed off angry faces. Mean face. All of them. Too cool to smile. "I am too cool to look happy, I must spin 8 times. spin spin spin. I am amazing." I was looking around like "whooooaaaa" really, I was "like whoa". What about the music? What about dancing because you love it? Naw, it was dancing to make other people want to hate and envy you. I was sad for a moment, mourning the absence of soul in these people. But then I just danced it off with my fiance and a few other L.A. people I danced with (who were actually very nice, it was the better dancers who had the happy-allergy). Again, had a great time and grew a greater appreciation for my dancers back home. The venue was really very very very nice though- Granada, it's called - dancing on the main floor, outside on the patio, and upstairs if you wanted to. Nice floor. Live band was great too. But damn, who dances salsa in big sun glasses and a matador shirt?

My weekend was topped off by great food at this Cuban bistro (as the Chargers kicked the ass out of the Colts' mouths... sad) and this little Soul Food place (Angelenas their catfish was OMG). Spoke to the Liberty Tax girl on the corner for a minute, then drove on home. What a weekend.

So my impression of L.A. : what I expected. But I need to see more of it to get a better idea of what it's really like. And I don't mean driving around Compton or something - I'll stick to the tourist spots.

My opinion may not be popular, but I am an American