Entertaining company

Once again we are a friendship family, paired with teachers in town for six weeks to learn about other educational systems by taking classes and by working with local high schools. This year our fellows are from Estonia and South Africa.

For our first adventure we took public transportation to Hollywood. We didn't see anyone famous but we ran into someone who had been on our train and he offered to give us his tour of famous houses for only $20 a person.

We showed them the Disney Concert Hall and the outside of The Broad. When we asked to look inside the gift shop the security person pointed out that the line for people without reservations was less than five minutes long so we went to see the whole museum! 

We caught a bus and went to Olvera Street to see the old adobe house. There was a celebration for Mexican Independence Day so we got to see some dancing and have some good food.

This week we stayed closer to home, which allowed the fellows to sleep in and finally feel like they were living in the local time zone.

On a hot day we headed to the ice rink. We got there when open skate started so it was not too crowded, but by the time we left there were a bazillion figure skaters. I am pleased to say that I did not run into anyone and no one in our group required medical attention.

We went out into the heat and to an historic house in Pomona. The house was rebuilt from the middle 1800s because it had sat empty for so long. The guide was good about telling us the stories but also pointing out a few inaccuracies (e.g., the family did not have two pianos in the living room but two had been donated so there were two pianos in the living room).

We had dinner together and talked about what we will do next. There is a desire to hike in the mountains so maybe we'll do that if the weather cooperates.

Saying goodbye

Last August we hosted a Finnish student for five days before the dorms opened. The dorms closed on Saturday but his flight was today so we hosted him again for couple nights. We were happy to host him, happy to take him shopping for an extra suitcase, and happy to take him to urgent care and explain the US health care system.

What I was not happy to do was to take him to LAX. Instead he took the train to Union Station and caught the FlyAway bus to the airport.

He had brought his own squash racquet for the semester, but not a surfboard.

Our official length of day is just under ten hours.

He is going back to a lot less!
I did see that it might go above freezing this week!

Maybe we'll get to visit one day. I think we might enjoy it in the summer.

A Full Day

For the fifth year we are a friendship family for teachers staying in town for six weeks.  For a refresher you can read about previous years here.   Our teacher from Nicaragua had a birthday yesterday and to celebrate we took a train downtown to explore.

 We started with a walk on Olvera Street, which reminded N. of home, but on a smaller scale.

A woman was a driving an empty bus (neither thing would be seen in Nicaragua, I was told) that took us to Disney Concert Hall and The Broad.

This was definitely not like home!  The Broad was not open (always closed Monday, but most places were closed because of the national holiday), but we enjoyed walking around.

We walked through Grand Park, across this seal, and around city hall.

Lunch was in Grand Central Market and I had my first iced latte.  

The paper said it was the best in the country, but I have no basis for comparison

After lunch we took another bus around Little Tokyo, but then took a train

to USC

 and Exposition Park.

We walked around both places and took a quick peek inside the science museum, which was open.

If had known I would have planned differently.  Next time.

We were finally worn out (it probably didn't help that it was 93ºF/34ºC) so we enjoyed two air-conditioned trains back to Union Station and caught the train back to Claremont.

When you come visit we can do these things, too!

Inconceivable!

No, this is not a post about The Princess Bride, but we do have the new book written by Westley, a.k.a. Cary Elwes here and D. has started to read it.  Maybe a review will be in another post.

When I visit my parents my mom asks what food I'd like to have in the house and she makes great meals.  I try to return the favor and keep a list of foods to buy before they arrive.  I have company this weekend and asked about food.

nuts, coconut cream, pepper, olives, pickles, and eggs (not shown)

I went shopping and found not just any pickles,

but my childhood pickles!  

Unbelievable!  I never need to go to Ohio again (except maybe to see my parents).