FrogBlog | Translating Los Angeles

Always watchful in case something wicked this way comes.

We don’t want that.

A trip to San Francisco is always fun: Walking along the streets, hopping on buses, going down to the Bay and…

…yes, having sushi at my favorite restaurant in SF – Isobune in Japantown.

Not only is the food delightful, eating at Isobune is just fun! Sitting around the moat, watching the boats with their tasty morsels float by, grabbing one and then waiting for the next little dish which is just calling out to you…

As a kid you were never allowed to play with your food – here the eating experience is playtime in a big way!

Classic cars – simply gorgeous.

No problem – take the car and go down to Long Beach.

As far as pyramids go, the Mike and Arlene Walter Pyramid on the CalState University Campus is quite impressive. And very pretty in blue, which makes a change from the hue these structures normally come in.

Yes! Today was THE day! First Tom LaBonge, Councilmember for the 4th District, gave a short speech and a shout out to all those who helped to get the much needed and long petitioned for traffic lights up and running.

Then we had a short blessing ceremony – never a bad idea.

Finally the big moment came – one, two, three and hit the switch!

The first family to cross the street safe and sound.

Yes, our little corner has become a much, much safer place for all who live here.

Nothing easier than that!

A trip to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach brings one right into the most spectacular octopus’s gardens imaginable.

Swimming jewels.

What Old Grumpy and friend are lacking in color, they more than make up in size.

If that isn’t enough, one can always pet a Manta ray or a shark.

Now I can distinguish a shark (small) from a Manta ray (huge) by touch alone – and yes, it is a completely different tactile experience.

One TV commentator called the German soccer team the “bright young things.” I agree with him – that game today against Australia was action packed and pure delight.

Congratulations for a well-deserved 4:0. Now keep it up, will you, please?

The opening game (South Africa v. Mexico) for the FIFA World Cup was reason enough to have breakfast at the Vinoteca. Never mind that it was 6.55 AM – there were plenty of guests who did not mind to crawl out of bed early for this event.

And it was all worth it: Good game, lovely atmosphere, tasty breakfast. Not bad for a Friday morning.

Oh, and the two teams tied 1:1.

As luck would have it, I saw one of the new traffic lights being erected.

Rumor has it that they will all be up and running in about a week and a half.

How about eating less junk and sugar and saving the $12,000 – $25,000 for the procedure for something rather more fun than an operation?

But then again, maybe this common-sense attitude re. food and weight-gain is just a bit less fashionable than the “quick fix” advertised on bill boards.