SoCal Aspies, please help...

Post Reply New Topic

Greentea, I'm in the San Diego area, so if you plan to get down this way from Irvine and need travel advice, feel free to PM me. San Diego Zoo is very nice, and some of the hotels here have packages where you will get a free ticket into the Zoo with your room. Some also have transportation in to the Zoo from the hotel by shuttle. This time of the year is the "off" season, as it's a bit chilly, and so room rates should be more reasonable if you are staying overnight. The good side to the season is that the tourist places are not packed with people, so will be more enjoyable.

Good luck, and safe travels! - Nan

I live in the Pomona Valley area (about 20 miles east of LA) and the small cities there are very friendly. It is great having the mountains minutes away and the beach less than an hour away. I used to spend a lot of time in the downtown LA area (35 years ago), but rarely go there now. I didn't feel at all threatened then, but now I feel fairly disoriented, pretty much like being in any unfamiliar place. But as everyone has said, it is quite cosmopolitan and multinational. Your "Middle Eastern cultural" difference line will work perfectly.

They just informed me that I'll be 3 days in Golden Grove and 3 days in Bend, Oregon.

I live about four hours from Bend.


So you're moving to the USA I assume since you say you're supposed to start working soon?

No, not moving, just going for training, as I'll be working for an American company. Pity 4 hours is so much driving...

I think maybe that should be "Garden Grove", which is near Irvine. I don't know of a city/town called "Golden Grove" in this area.



Well, I love it here in the suburbs of L.A., but I think it really depends on what kind of environment a person wants to live in. There is great freedom here to live whatever life you want, but some people prefer to have more structure or guidelines. You could call it a lack of culture, but really I think it's many cultures - and you get to pick, or invent your own. The anonymity of a big city is also appealing to me, but some people hate that. And as other posters have said, there are many different parts of L.A. and Orange County. I would also be willing to bet that, whatever part of the world someone is from, there is a community of people from that same place somewhere here in SoCal.

In any case, if you will only be here a few days, everything will be fine. And I love your "this is how we are in the Middle East" idea - very nice.

JSB

Yes, it's Garden Grove. My mistake.

Orange County is generally better than LA county. BOTH have their NICE sides, and LA has a BAD side. Orange County has LOTS of amusement parks, and is home to places like Disney Land. Well, disney IS in LA county also, like Buena vista. There is beverly hills(whcih some of it is like slums). There is holywood, where some is like slums. South central, home of the rodney king riots!

So just check out areas and paths. You'll PROBABLY be fine, but California represents the best and worst on the planet!

Steve

Steve, I already visited all those places, on my honeymoon, and my brother lives in LA (I'm not in touch anymore with either of them, and LA brings me bad memories). So no tourism this time...

Hope your trip went well!

garden grove's the place to be