Los Angeles, CA (Dec 23 – 26, 2006)

Day 1: This was my first time to meet Rod’s Go-i. She is Mama’s youngest sister and she also happens to have a twin Si-i. She lives with her husband Uncle Valentin, but Uncle Valentin left for a business trip and Goi wasn’t able to join him because she wasn’t able to get a leave from work. My first impression of LA was that people there were not as friendly and laid back as people in Hawaii were. The drivers there were crazy as well! They drive fast, as in really, really fast on the freeways it’s scary. Anyway, this day was a rest day for us. We just had lunch with Uncle Valentin’s sisters at a local Chinese restaurant and had dinner at Whole Foods Grocery store. Rod said the food at the Chinese restaurant was good, but the food at Whole Foods was yuck. Guess he didn’t enjoy all the organic food they were serving for take out.

Day 2: We joined a tour group for the next two days as Goi does not really drive on the freeways of LA yet. First day was going to be spent at Universal Studios, but since we were a bit early, the driver took us for a drive around Hollywood. We dropped by theKodak Center where they hold the Oscars, Graumann’s Theater and Rodeo Drive. After half an hour of taking pictures, we were off to Universal Studios. The whole day was spent enjoying the rides and movies. Some of the attractions we went into were:Shrek 4D, Studio Lot Tour, Jurassic Park Ride, Waterworld, BackDraft, and The Mummy Ride. Jurassic Park featured a huge drop at the end of the ride, while The Mummy Ride was a fast roller coaster, zigzagging its way through tombs and dark alleys. It was the first time that I’ve ever heard Rod scream, hahaha. We had a lot of fun.

Day 3: It’s Christmas Day and we are off to Disneyland! As expected, there were so many people today as most people like spending Christmas at “The Happiest Place on Earth”. We were off to spending the day walking around, going on the rides and eating lots of junk food. We went into rides like Indiana Jones Adventure, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, and Big Thunder Mountain. We also had a chance to watch the Parade where all Disney characters came out in beautiful and colorful carousels. We ended the night by watching a spectacular fireworks display at Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. This was definitely a Christmas Day to remember. We are off to Las Vegas tomorrow.