Arriving to LA

It's been 3 weeks since we arrived.

After a terrible flight, and not because of turbulence, my lovely kids were incharge of entertainment, they slept 1 hour out of 12 hours flight, if any of you remember the film "Snakes on a plane", it should have been "(my)Children on a plane" there were several moments I felt like jumping through the emergency exit... anyway, after such a lovely flight we arrived to the Hotel and slept through to the next day.

Our priorities were 1st explore the area, 2nd get a flat, 3rd get a car? after one day exploration we decided to focus on Santa Monica, it has a nice environment, nice houses, near the beach and is family friendly, with good schools, and also has a very good bus network, cheap, and it takes you to UCLA in 20 min. (3rd priority evaporated when we found out not so cheap 2nd hand car prices, and impossibility to get credit).

Los Angeles is a huge extension of low buildings, with small areas of really tall buildings that emerge like mushrooms here and there, depending on the area it seems a little devastated, there are no people on the streets, the electricity cables are everywhere and very old, and it is crossed by several 8 rails motorways, plus the Boulevards (wide avenues) every 4 streets. People here use the car for everything, there are McAutos, IceCreamAutos, BankAutos...

Santa Monica is a small town part of LA County, it has a tropical feel with palm trees everywhere, lots of Cafes with people seating outside, and family houses or small apartment blocks.

Although finding a house hasn´t been easy, I used to empathise with all my non-European friends in the UK, now I feel am in their skins, it is difficult for landlords to trust you, especially when you don't have credit history in the country, on the other hand you have to pay huge taxes every time you move a finger. At the end it seems we have found a nice apartment where we will be moving at the beginning of August. In the meantime we are staying in a Holiday flat, small but enough for a month with a reasonable price.

Arturo and Aurora are overexcited, they miss the family and their friends and they seem a little disturbed. They bond together to play which is lovely and very sweet, but also to act like hooligans, specially against mum... I'm telling you I am considering either asking for psychiatric aid or enrolling Aurora in a full time summer sports camp... Aurora is already attending swimming and "creative movement" lessons at the Community Centre (YMCA), and pre-enrolled for pre-school, hopefully to start in September, Arturo may have to wait until December.

My work permit is in course, I will have to wait around 3 months, in the meantime I am having lots of ideas about my future "Spanish Cooking Business", and also looking for a more realistic work until I am brave enough to launch my own stat-up...

If I don't end admitted to a mental hospital I will try to enjoy my children and husband as much as possible, going to the beach, travelling around and enjoying the sun of California.

I will keep you updated about this adventure, love and kisses to our family and friends.

Arribada a LA

Ja fa casi tres setmanes que vam arribar.
Després d'un viatge amb avió impressionant, els nens només van dormir una hora, i quan es van despertar quedaven 8 hores i mitja per arribar, ja us ho podeu imaginar, una experiència religiosa, vam arribar a l'hotel cap a les 4 de la tarda, vam anar a dormir i no ens vam despertar fins el dia següent.
Vam dedicar el primer dia a inspeccionar el territori i a partir del segon dia vam començar la recerca d'un lloc per viure, després de mirar a Brentwood, Westwood, Century City i Santa Monica, vam decidir que ens centraríem en aquesta última, sembla haver-hi més famílies amb nens, bones escoles i l'entorn és molt maco. A més te un sistema d'autobusos que et porten a tot arreu per 75 centaus i el Guillem tarda 20 minuts per arribar a UCLA.
Los Angeles és una extensió immensa urbanitzada amb construccions de 2 o 3 plantes, carrers molt amples i amb zones d'edificis alts que surten com bolets de tant en tant, segons la zona sembla una mica desolat, no hi ha gent als carrers, el cablejat elèctric sembla molt antic i n'hi ha per tot arreu, i no només està creuat per varies autopistes de 8 o 10 carrils, també, cada 4 o 5 carrers hi ha Boulevards, que son com la Diagonal o la Meridiana. La gent va en cotxe fins al WC, amb uns cotxes enormes d'unes marques molt estranyes. Los Angeles ve a ser com una comarca en extensió administrada com una ciutat i Santa Monica és una petita ciutat independent, em recorda una mica a la zona dels xalets de Sitges, amb molts arbres i plantes exòtiques i amb cases baixes, de 2 o 3 pisos o unifamiliars.
Trobar casa no està sent fàcil, ser immigrant a un país no Europeu te els seus inconvenients, aquí verifiquen tots els teus antecedents econòmics i criminals i com que acabem d'arribar no en tenim i és difícil que es fiïn de nosaltres. De moment estem en un petit apartament, d'aquests que lloguen a turistes per setmanes, i esperem trobar alguna cosa aviat per mudar-nos a finals de mes.
Els nens estan molt excitats, troben a faltar la família, la Secuita i els seus amics de Nulles. S'estimen molt, juguen junts i s'alien per fer el gamberro (si segueixen així el Guillem i jo haurem de demanar ajuda psiquiàtrica), no paren... L'Aurora el Dilluns comença natació i dansa al YMCA (el centre cívic de Santa Monica que està super bé) i ja estan els dos pre-inscrits per començar el cole el mes aviat possible ... això ha estat més fàcil del que em pensava, el sistema d'escoles públiques funciona molt bé i a Santa Monica te molt bon prestigi. Potser amb l'Arturo, per no tenir 3 anys, hauré d'esperar una mica, però de moment, intentarem fer el que es fa a les vacances, fer turisme i anar a la platja, i aprofitaré per disfrutar d'ells (el que aquests petits micos em deixin)...
Acabo per avui, tot i que hem passat alguns moments crítics, estem molt bé, estem descobrint moltes coses noves i cada activitat és una aventura.
Ja us seguiré explicant, molts records a les nostres famílies i amics.