Last week's activities included visiting the Santa Monica Aquarium, and having Vietnamese food (pho/ beef noodles, rice paper rolls and a desert of fresh coconut milk and ground beans) for Sunday lunch. Delicious!

Did I mention how delighted I am that spring is here? I'm enjoying the warmer weather, longer days, blossoming flowers and the feeling of sun and air on my skin. I like the ease of wearing looser clothes and fewer pieces, plus putting on my pretty jewellery. Somehow I don't wear much jewellery in colder months, because they get lost among the layers anyway.

Can't believe that I'm headed home in little more than a month. I still have so many matters to deal with. The days have really flown by. I longed to return terribly when I first came, but now I find that I'm actually enjoying myself. The kindred spirits I've met so far are a major part of my positive experience. There are still so many things I haven't discovered about LA.

What I love about LA

1) Great shopping. One can find fashionable clothes at great prices. The Urban Outfitters store's lifestyle concept is a revelation. I'm always tempted to walk out with an armful of clothes, bottles of nail polish, quirky books and a film camera.

2) Eating places with great atmosphere. Whenever I pass by the streets in a car I always see some place interesting that I want to check out. Also, there's such a variety of cuisines available- ethnic, deli, diner food etc. The best thing to do, really, is to grab a spot at a cafe and order a coffee.

3) Farmers' Markets. I love to buy fresh produce there, and sometimes grab a snack or two. Oh, did I mention that you can find jewellery as well?

4) Mexican food! Tacos, burritos and tamales (my favourite) that are cheap AND finger-licking good. I want to buy from a taco truck but I never see one in my area :(

5) Sunshine and good weather. It makes every day seem so pleasant.

6) Being surrounded by both mountains and beaches. I like seeing the mountains in the background when driving, and the calmness of the beach (if you can find a quiet spot) is lovely.

What else?

As part of my pledge to watch more films, I suscribed to Netflix this spring break and managed to finish:
The September Issue
Julie & Julia
Up
Pan's Labyrinth

All were delightful. I think I'll cancel my subscription though as I highly doubt I'll have the time when school starts.

Films have been on my mind lately, including classic ones. I enjoyed both Federico Fellini's 8 1/2 and Alain Resnais' Last Year at Marienbad, which I saw for my English class. Wish I could take film classes.

I also had a marathon of Anthony Bourdain's travel television show, No Reservations. Love that guy's meat-eating, mouth-cussing swagger. It reminded me how much I've yet to see of the world. I mean, Azores? Sardinia? Where on Earth are they? Yet they were two of my favourite episodes. So I'm really excited to be (tentatively) visiting Abu Dhabi this summer. My mum is tantalizing me with descriptions of yummy Middle Eastern flatbreads, dates, olive oil and hummus already.

The light in California is so wonderfully rich and golden. I love how it casts a magical glow on anything it hits. Now I desperately want a film camera to capture the raw feeling of everything I see.

Spring break has been amazing so far.

Elie Nadelman

I recently discovered the Polish-American sculptor Elie Nadelman's works. I'm frankly much less acquainted with sculpture than I am with painting, which is a pity because sculpture can have such a commanding physical presence. I'm intrigued by how classical references have been distorted into something savagely beautiful in these figurines. Tradition and Modernist traces in the form of rough, expressionistic surfaces and simplified forms coalesce into works that are subtly powerful.

The mix of textures, industrial and organic, in this house is so inspiring. Can't remember where I got this photo from.

Spring break starting this weekend. Yay! I'm celebrating by grabbing green tea latte with a friend on Thursday afternoon, and Korean barbecue for lunch on Friday.

California Dreamin'

I love gazing at the mountains and wilderness as I drive by.

P.S. You can check out some of the work I've been doing in foundation year at http://yilincheng.daportfolio.com.