Today is the 101st International Women's Day. Women's issues is a subject very near and dear to my heart. Despite all the advances women have made in modern times, I still don't feel we get the credit and respect that we deserve, particularly African-American women (but that is a whole other story).
I definitely feel that there is an imbalance of masculine and feminine energy in the world, and it is the cause of a lot of discord in the world. Many women are forced to rev up their masculine side into overdrive to survive in the workplace.
Not only is it unhealthy for a woman to constantly be running masculine energy in her body, but it can also cause a strain on male/female relationships. In addition, there is an abundance of sexist and misogynistic music and images that serve to reinforce women's "inferior" status and create a hostile environment.
In truth, I think that women/females are the most powerful creatures on earth, and probably the whole Universe. I suspect that many men (and women!) are threatened by that, and strive to suppress the feminine, even within themselves. Ultimately, I think the only way for women to re-awaken that power is to relinquish the desire to be "equal" to men, and fully embrace their feminine energy. Please honor the women in your life, not just today, but everyday. And I'm not just talking to the men, but to the ladies as well.
I'll probably revisit this topic in depth at a later time.
I remember hearing this song on the local reggae station all the time as a child. R.I.P. Whitney...
For those of you in the greater Los Angeles area, phenomenal singer Judith Hill will be performing at the Key Club on Sunset Blvd. this coming Tuesday February 7th. For those of you living under a rock who don't know who Judith is, she was one of the backup singers in Michael Jackson's This Is It Tour. Believe me when I say, homegirl can blow!
You can see her performing a soulful rendition of "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" with Michael in the film version of This Is It. It was definitely the highlight of the movie, IMHO.
As part of the immensly popular "Sh*t ------ Say" videos going around on Youtube, I now present one for my Yardies. This video is hilarious and I really relate to a lot of the things said here. Enjoy!
Blended Beauty is one of my favorite hair product lines. I am especially fond of Butter Me Up. I will probably do a product review in the near future. Right now, the blog Precious Curls is hosting a giveaway where you can win three products of your choice. Enter now to have a shot at trying out these products for free.
I found most people to be very friendly and helpful, remarkably so. I was given several rides for free, both on a tour bus and a regular city bus. I was also allowed to switch to an earlier flight to Los Angeles without charge. Strangers were more than willing to give directions, or even offer without being asked. It may seem like no big deal, but things like that don't happen to me very often where I live, lol.
Since I was only there for a few days, I hit the ground running and tried to see as many things as possible.
What I Loved
1) The Victorian houses, especially the Painted Ladies made famous in the opening credits to Full House.
2) San Francisco Ghost Hunt Walking Tour. Anyone who knows me knows I love anything to do with ghosts, spirits, haunted houses, etc. Seriously, this tour was one of the best $20 I have ever spent. The tour began in the historic Queen Anne Hotel in the Pacific Heights neighborhood. I chose the picture of the doll above because to me it captures the essence of the hotel-old, Victorian and creepy, lol. Forgive the blurriness.
This building was supposedly haunted until the Nichiren Buddhist Church moved in. All paranormal activity ceased at this point. Must be all that good karma.
My favorite stop on the tour was the last one, which is the former site of the home of Mary Ellen Pleasant, one of the most mysterious and intriguing individuals of the 19th century. She was a powerful and feared businesswoman, among other things. At one point, her net worth was estimated at 30 million dollars. No small feat for a woman of this time period, especially an African-American one who was born into slavery.
3) Golden Gate Park
I found this park to be very peaceful and not too crowded. The San Francisco Symphony gave a free classical music concert on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon. As you can see, a lot of people came out to relax and enjoy themselves.
4) The public transportation system. I bought a 3 day MUNI Passport, and boy did I make use of it. SF's public transit is excellent, IMHO. I was able to go wherever I wanted quickly and cheaply. The service is pretty good even on the weekends. The bus is also a low-cost way to tour the city-check out Bus Route 76, which only runs on Sundays from downtown to the Marin Headlands. Riding the cable cars was a highlight of my trip.
5) Chinatown
I like SF's Chinatown because it is a mixture of touristy and authentic. There are a ton of cool stores that sell things you don't really need for good prices. I had a delicious meal here, but I can't remember the name of the restaurant. Oh well, there are
plenty.
6) Exploring ths ships at Hyde Street Pier- cause I like history and stuff. This area reminded me a little bit of Mystic Seaport.
7) Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour- This allowed me to see all of the above in the most time-efficient manner. Plus the driver let me off without paying-yeah! I got on at Fisherman's Wharf and got off at Chinatown, after seeing a big chunk of the city. One word of advice: Don't hop off unless you are prepared to wait a long time for the next bus.
Beach Blanket Babylon Blvd- I had to look it up.
8) How compact and walkable the city is.
Not So Crazy About
1) The chilly weather, although it was sunny for the most part, so I can't complain too much. Just not used to 65 degree weather in the summer.
2) The prices-San Francisco is freakin expensive. It is well worth it though.
3) The TSA at SFO- a nastier and grumpier bunch than usual. At least they didn't molest my hair.
Overall Impression
I don't know what it would be like to actually live in San Francisco versus just visiting, but I wouldn't mind finding out.
I couldn't resist.
An interesting and overlooked perspective on the Civil Rights Movement from Black women's point of view.
As a child, most of my fantasy images of California were tied to Los Angeles. Sunshine, palm trees, the ocean, laid-back lifestyle... So did L.A. live up to my dreams? Yes and no.
What I Loved
1) The weather and scenery. Nuff said.
2) Finally getting to see landmarks that I had only heard about or seen on television. I took a Starline bus tour tour which included the Hollywood Walk of Fame,
Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive and Sunset Drive, among other places. It was definitely a surreal yet fun experience.
3) Griffith Park Observatory. Here's a secret-if you want a really great view of the Hollywood sign and of the city in general, drive up to the observatory.
4) Redondo Pier. This was a really cool place to hang out. There are lots of stores, restaurants, games, and of course, gorgeous views. Every Thursday and Saturday night during the summer there is a live band performing. I had a great time just relaxing, listening to the music and taking in the scenery. The video below is of the indie rock group Fallen Riveiera. I'm not sure what the name of the song they're performing is, but I really like it.
(download)
5) Visiting Michael Jackson's grave at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale.
Not So Crazy About
1)Traffic! Surprise, surprise. Angelinos are really not joking when they complain about huge traffic jams. For the most part, I was able to time my excursions around the worst of the rush hour pile-up. I did get stuck a few times, including on the infamous 405 freeway. Luckily, I left town the day that the dreaded Carmageddon began.
2) The aforementioned freezing cold beach water.
3) L.A. is a lot more urban than I expected and comes with urban issues-crowds, traffic, dirt, noise.
4) Everything is really spread out. For example, Venice Beach, the Hollywood sign and Disneyland (which is actually in Orange County) are far from each other. I knew this before my visit, but it was still aggravating to spend so much time behind the wheel. When you combine that with the traffic, it takes a lot more planning to hit up all the tourist sites. You will spend a lot of time in your car. Oh yeah-dust off that GPS, cause you're gonna need it.
5) Santa Monica Pier. It was just too touristy and un-special to me.
Overall Impression
I have mixed feelings about the place. I don't think I spent enough time in Los Angeles to form a true impression. It's just such a vast area of differing neighborhoods that it can be overwhelming and difficult to define. You can't approach it the way you would New York city or San Francisco, which are much more compact with a defined center. Honestly, I think I tried to do too much in too short amount of time. I would really like to go back and re-explore.
