Mainstream

I am feeling much better now and a sense of relief has finally settled my way. I can already feel that the pressure I used to feel above my left ear has completely disappeared. The new techniques at the SBI have me confident about the future.

A past work acquaintance of dad's has invited us to stay at his house. They spent some time talking over the phone and then he sent a car for us and we checked out of the hotel. The driver said we'd be going through Hollywood on our way to the house. I sat in the back next to dad with my camera ready to capture all the great stars I would see.
It's never like that in real life is it!
We looked in the supermarket as the driver filled up with gas. I bought some water and fruit and honestly, everything was so ample and roomy. Apparently they serve us Lilliputians with a smile.

As we continued on our journey, I looked out through the open window and it really seemed to be the same as any other city in the world. I saw lots and lots of cars on roads that have been repaired too many times. I saw lots of people with camera's pointing and clicking at just about anything. After a while Dad looked up from his newspaper and just looked at me and at my idle camera and so with a small sense of perversity I too pointed and clicked a few shots of Sunset Boulevard and smiled at signs for Bel Air. Of course I thought of a young Will Smith. We passed the tree shrouded University campus and I am quite disappointed not to have seen at least one of the famous UCLA shirts anywhere. Finally we came to the ocean then turned onto the pacific highway. I think that there are more joggers and cars here than anywhere else in the world. There are probably more palm trees too! As we drove along with the beach and sea on our right and high hills on our left made it all seem so spacious and open. Then we took a small twisting road up the hill and it suddenly became all enclosed with high hedgerows and large spacious but secluded and almost concealed homes.
Dad's past colleague greeted us and we were invited into his lovely home. His home was very well laid out and had been meticulously planned out. It smelled like a new furniture showroom and had that soft, warm leathery feel in a modern sense with just a hint of colonial days about it in its decor. A kindly smiling maid showed us upstairs to our rooms and we freshened up a little and then took tea and an early lunch with our wonderful host.
After a nice chicken salad with potatoes, I excused myself and took a walk outside into his garden for some fresh air.
Bess is his dog and as the old adage recommends, I let this sleeping dog lie. I was assured that she would not bother me and sure enough as I explored his garden, Bess did open one lazy eye at me, yawned and promptly went back to sleep and whatever dogs dream about in the warm lazy sunshine. From the bottom of his garden I could look down onto the wild ocean. I fancied that as I looked across that ocean, Hitomi was on the other side looking back at me. Sadly I believe that my direction of view looked south west and so I guess it would be Australia out there across the waves and a disinterested kangaroo might be looking back at me with a curious gaze rather than loving eyes.

It is time for me to close my laptop now and I will go for a little afternoon nap and tonight we are going out to play the tourist and I will see more of this wonderful city.
I'll put some photos up when we get back home.