Student Blog
Living in LA

Deep Thoughts About the Interwebs ⟩
February 28, 2013, by Ricky

Life Hacks Living in LA

Thursday, last week: I get out of class at 8:40pm, as I usually do on Thursdays (my long day). I hurry home, do a quick 30min workout, shower, and eat. Next, I fire up my laptop and prepare for my weekly quiz, due before Friday’s 9am class. No, I am not procrastinating — this is really the only chance I have to complete it and I know that I will have plenty of time to do it . . . unless the internet doesn’t cooperate. So it’s a little past 11pm, and I am having internet connection problems. I troubleshoot for a few minutes (to no avail) until I notice my landlady is in the kitchen downstairs. I coincidentally decide I could use a glass of water. In the kitchen, I greet my host and casually add the “by-the-way, have you noticed anything about the internet?” She looks a little embarrassed as she searches for a way to explain that the internet goes out from time to time. Before she’s finished apologizing, my creative OT abilities kick-in and I’m thinking of ways to do the assignment that needs to be completed like-right-now. I quickly remember that I had seen a coffee shop on yelp that was open pretty late.

We didn’t have internet for a few days. It was bittersweet. Some of my productivity was lost, but at the same time, I benefitted from having less distractions. The whole experience got me thinking about how much we rely on the internet. I’ve always wondered why municipalities didn’t make an effort to offer internet for free. I mean, we all use the internet so much, it should be public access, right? I was chatting with my barber the other day, and he was complaining about how the last few times he needed to apply for any of his permits, he was sent away and told to do it online. I guess the answer is the same as all others these days: money. But I think it’s still fun to ponder, even without sequestrations and such, if money was not an issue, would free internet help or hinder? Will more of us waste our productive time glued to computer screens streaming Gangnam Style, moreso than spending time contributing to our society? Hmm, good questions. I don’t know the answer, but I do know there is always a place nearby that offers free wifi. 😊 If you’re in Boyle Heights try Primera Taza, oh and get a Taza de Mocha (Mexican chocolate latte . . . mmm).

If you’re near Little Tokyo, try Tom n Toms, they’re open tilll 2 am and have plenty of study space.

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Discovering New Places ⟩
February 19, 2013, by Amber

Living in LA School/Life Balance

Over the long President’s Day weekend, I mostly did one thing: schoolwork. However, I did want to do at least one thing out of the ordinary to feel like I properly celebrated the holiday. My husband and I both love being outdoors and hiking, and the weather this weekend was beautiful, summery, and clear. So we decided to go for a hike. I had heard that a park near our neighborhood had good trails, so I looked it up. It turns out that Elysian Park is the oldest and one of the largest parks in Los Angeles. In less than 10 minutes, we were enjoying a wonderful hike with lots of shade and great views of downtown. It was refreshing and a great way to spend the holiday! Please leave a comment and let me know what you did over the long weekend!

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New Digs — clarification ⟩
February 14, 2013, by Ricky

Living in LA

I would like to make a clarification about my comments in last week’s post, entitled “New Digs.” While I didn’t really bad-mouth my new neighborhood, I am feeling bad about calling it “not-the-nicest” area of Los Angeles. I don’t think that was a fair representation. So, I am staying on the eastside of LA, about a mile and a half south of the Health Sciences Campus. Again, not a recommendation for everyone — but I love it. I live just near the heart of a pivotal region in the rich history of my people, the Chicano people. If you’re open to it, you may find it is a great place too. Not only is it culturally rich, but the location is prime and it lends itself to easy travel in and around LA. LA rocks!

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New Digs ⟩
February 7, 2013, by Ricky

Housing and Transportation Living in LA School/Life Balance

Some of you might remember me venting about all the things I had going on last semester. Winter break gave me some time to reassess and consider making a few changes. I concluded that the likely best thing I could do was rent a room nearby campus, just for the last semester. But being the budget-conscious ex-accountant that I am, I was still hesitant . . . up until my first week of classes. After sitting through all 6 classes for the first time, I was like, “oh heavens no. I need to move closer . . . and then I have the comp exam to worry about . . . oh my . . . looks like I’m moving to LA.” All I really needed was a place nearby to lay my head and shower — I planned on going back home on weekends anyway. I came pretty close to renting a couch in someone’s living room — so glad I didn’t. I ended finding a great place down the street from campus, with my own bed and bath for a very affordable price. It’s in “not-the-nicest” area of Los Angeles, but it’s really not so bad for a guy who can hold his own. It’s close, clean, gated, has pretty much all my preferred amenities, and my landlady is great. While I wouldn’t recommend it for everyone, I just thought I’d let ya’ll in on the fact that options like this exist. While searching for a place, I looked on Craigslist, asked classmates/friends, and checked for postings around campus. Take note of that last point because the best places I saw came from ads in the med-school buildings across the street from our building. I’ve only been living there for 2 weeks and so-far-so-good. I’ll be sure to give ya’ll an update later down the road. Cheers!

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Fun in the Sun ⟩
January 22, 2013, by Amber

Living in LA School/Life Balance

After just one short week back in school, I was gifted with five days off over this Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend. I had already hunkered down mentally for the semester, so it was pleasantly jarring to realize I had five days of freedom ahead. And as if on cue, the winter decided to take a break and become summer for a while. Being a Northern California native, it will never cease to amaze me that there are days throughout the winter when one can have a proper beach day in Southern California, bikini and all. Armed with said bikini, along with bikes, roller blades, boogie boards, and surf boards, my husband and I escaped to the beach for two days. I spent a good amount of time perfecting my boogie boarding skills, which are meager to say the least. We enjoyed a long bike ride along The Strand, picking out which beach mansion we would most like to live in. We soaked up the sun, visited with various friends, and I even got a tan! It was a beautiful weekend, and I feel rejuvenated as I start my semester this week in earnest.

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