Sunsets and Cemetery Screenings ~ 5 Photos 5 Day Challenge

There are gorgeous sunsets all over the world, I’m sure, but I’d venture to say we have the most spectacular of them all.  ♥

So amazingly perfect, they seem unreal.

My choice for the final post of the 5 Photos 5 Day Challenge came down between Watching a Movie in a Cemetery and Sunsets.

The first topic — another one I found during book research — refers to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, where someone thought it was a good idea to show movies projected against the Mausoleum that houses the crypt of Rudolph Valentino. Scary movies. At night. In a cemetery. And people bring blankets for an evening under the stars.

There is a company called CINESPIA as you’ll see if you click the link and scroll to the bottom of the page that sells tickets for such cemetery screening.  I know, I’m shaking my head too.

 

It had to be brought up, you see, but I prefer to focus on our beautiful sunsets.

Go to any So Cal. beach and you will see the sun drowning in the endless ocean, making for a gorgeous painting of the sky and earth and sea, a mixture of orange and red and warm dreamy colors like purple and indigo. Pure beauty.

 

Thanks again to Susan Scott for giving me reason to have so much fun with this challenge. In the second post, I left it open to all my blogging friend — I hope you jump in.  However, today I nominate Dan at No Facilities to carry on, if he so wishes. No pressure, no obligations, and here are the rules:

1) post a photo (photos) each day for 5 consecutive days; 2) attach a story to the photo. It can be fiction, non-fiction, poetry, a paragraph – all entirely up to you; 3) nominate another blogger to carry on the challenge. Your nominee is free to accept or decline the invitation! More importantly, have fun.

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Images courtesy: bestsocalbeaches.com; californiasunset.blogspot.com; travelersphotoblog.blogspot.com; cinespia.com

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History, Hollywood, and Fitness ~ 5 Photos 5 Day Challenge

Lindsay William-Ross-laist.com

Fitness is a lifestyle in Southern California — with Hollywood and Beverly Hills in our midst, the latest diet craze and exercise routine is always right here.

You will often see people speed walking while using small barbells (on the side of the street), jogging and biking. That’s right, despite our crazy love for cars and driving, we exercise on the sidewalks for everyone to see and marvel.

But did you know that before Angelenos pledged their love to cars, we were a city connected by trolleys and streetcars? People traveled from their houses in the hills to transit lines via stairs. Lots and lots of stairs.

I will be writing about the L.A. hidden stairways in my next Zoe Sinclair novel, but in the interim, here is the real-life story.

Robert Guerrero climbing LA

There are about 4o0 hidden historic stairways in Los Angeles, built mostly in the 1920’s, many of them forgotten. Today, Angelenos use the stairs for cardio workouts. 

In the very first picture above: it will take you about an hour to climb this path. These steps are considered the most charming and take you past homes of stars like Humphrey Bogart and Bela Lugosi. 

In the second picture above, this set is located in a place called Silver Lake. The stairs are named after the Laurel and Hardy duo, where the two tried to push a piano up the stairs.

And there we have it, So. Cali quirks — from a mode of transportation, to Hollywood shenanigans. And today? Today the historic stairways are a tourist attraction as well as a place for cardiovascular activity.

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I nominate Hilary at Positive Letters to carry on the challenge.  I know she’s on a blogging break, but for when she returns. No obligation, of course, only if possible, and here are the rules:

1) post a photo (photos) each day for 5 consecutive days; 2) attach a story to the photo. It can be fiction, non-fiction, poetry, a paragraph – all entirely up to you; 3) nominate another blogger to carry on the challenge. Your nominee is free to accept or decline the invitation! More importantly, have fun.

Fads and Languages ~ 5 Photos 5 Day Challenge

Speaking a foreign language is not only trendy in Southern California, but it’s necessary. Still, we are a state of fads, and at the moment learning Chinese (or perhaps Mandarin) is all the craze, with China’s growing influence in the world as large as it is.

I think speaking a second language is wonderful, reason or not. For the writer in me, this opens up the world, so to speak, helps describe characters through an outside-our-borders narrative, helps give them universal ambitions. I am very curious about the world at large, and language is vital in that regard.

 

I speak two languages (English and Romanian), and if necessary I can almost pull off a third (Italian). And although I hail from afar, my name couldn’t be more Southern Californian. Silvia Villalobos.

When I introduce myself to folks, many engage me in Spanish. I can’t blame them. Luckily, I can speak enough Spanish to get a mini-conversation going, but soon I reveal myself as a non-native speaker, and the Where are you from question pops up.

When I say Romania, many people are at a loss. I would be, too.

Armenia, they ask? No, but you’re close. I try again. Some know enough to remember Nadia Comaneci, the dictator, and Dracula. We share a good laugh.

But back to languages, there are hundreds spoken here in Southern California. Next to New York City, California is probably the place with most bilingual, trilingual, etc. speakers in the world. I find that universality attractive.

The chart below is old — at least 10 years — and only a snapshot, but it’s the best I could find to give it all some perspective.

Language       Number          %

Spanish           8,105,505          25.8

Chinese             815,386             2.6

Tagalog             626,399             2.0

Vietnamese         407,119             1.3

Korean               298,076             0.9

Armenian           155,237             0.5

Persian              154,321             0.5

Yes, we are a very international bunch here, fads and all, regardless of the tribe we personally identify with. Maybe the best way to understand and tolerate one another is to live in close proximity and embrace each other for what we all are — just another kid from somewhere in the world.

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I nominate Sammy at Bemuzin to carry on the challenge.  No obligation, of course, only if possible, and here are the rules:

1) post a photo (photos) each day for 5 consecutive days; 2) attach a story to the photo. It can be fiction, non-fiction, poetry, a paragraph – all entirely up to you; 3) nominate another blogger to carry on the challenge. Your nominee is free to accept or decline the invitation! More importantly, have fun.

Two more nominees coming tomorrow and Fri!

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Images: google.com; pixabay.com