Welcome to Los Angeles #2

Time in Pilsen was running fast ... a language class, english test, talks to give and visit, new Biomedical Center, new friends, new colleagues .. so much more to tell and talk about, but so much more time to do it once I am back!
Until then - let's talk about glamorous and vivid Los Angeles... I was sooooo worried to move into this big pile of cars, houses, streets and people ... scared to get lost and to not feel at home - but pretty much the opposite happened!
I found a beautiful home with great people! So amazing colleagues ... and a city full of possibilities, new things to see and visit each day and a beauty I haven't quite met before... This is just a start, but there will be more to show - I am sure! And I will try to put special events up or just random, but interesting things!

Predatorrace 2015 in Obora

If you run for a couple of years it is not really a challenge anymore  except maybe to get up on a regular basis to go out there for your routine.

When I saw my colleague looking at this website for a czech obstacle run, I was instantly interested. Running through the forest, crawling through mud, climbing obstacles - that just seems to be the opportunity to be 8 years old again. I am happy that I had a friend by my side to master this challenge, but it also was sooooooo much fun and I will definitely do it again!

Plzen

When I applied for a PhD position with a professor in San Diego - I never thought I would move to the Czech Republic one day. It never even had crossed my mind. I had seen Prague - about two years ago during a business trip and loved it, but that was all I knew about  the people, the language and the country just across the border from Germany. But - things change, people get offers and my future boss moved to Los Angeles.. and well - Los Angeles sounds great at first, but it is a big, expensive city far, far away and it did not sound tempting to me to spent years of my life there.

 One year on the other hand sounds great, so I was offered to do a colaboration - with the Charles University in Prague.
And I took it.
And here I am .. in a city about 50 min away from Pague and 30 min from the german border. The city of beer - Plzen. New language, new culture, new work, new people. Let's see how that goes. A new start always comes with an end.. and to let something go - is the hardest thing in life. But sometimes we have to do it - to be able to move on.

Saying Goodbye to San Diego

 It was time to say goodbye to this beautiful location and those great people around me.
But I know I will be back - even though it will be a different location.

I am thankful for the time here, the great beaches, regular surf, fun roommates, helpful colleagues, amazing food, lots of sun and this cool cake Elvia got me for a last coffee break in the garden of the institute... Thank you so much!

Los Angeles

San Diego has been great, but in order to get a little prepared for living in Los Angeles for a while I have been up there for a weekend to check it out. Last time I have been there is over 10 years ago - crazy! And I must say: It's not as bad as I thought! There are nice parts of the city like Long Beach, Santa Monica with the pier, the beaches and the whole surfing vibe. But there is Venice as well with it's gallerys and all the street art and the colourful beach walk full of the most different people.

 

Of course Hollywood with all the famous, but not so shiny places in real life like the walk of fame. 

Or 'The Getty' in Bel Air and of course Beverly Hills... 

 

Nice neighborhood.. If somebody likes to donate a couple of million dollars - great! But actually  it could get a little boring .. I think Venice or Santa Monica would be great, but Culver City is the last Metro Stop and the vibe there is a little like in a smaller city - a bit in between Santa Monica and Downtown.

 

I definitely look forward to moving to LA! It seems like there is a lot to see, do and experience! And they even have some decent surf!

One of the things I had to see was: Rodeo Drive. I had never been there and only knew the strip from some TV shots, but I was especially interested  in the hotel from 'Pretty Woman': The Regent Beverly Wilshire! 

It is located at the end 

of Rodeo Drive and you can even have a coffee and some fancy snacks in their own very, very fancy Café! On Rodeo Drive itself you cannot really shop, but it is beautiful and strolling through the street while window shopping is definitely worth a visit!

White Party

Party Location: Beachwalk!

On my last visit in San Diego I already had the luck to be invited to one of V's and Shereen's famous parties. And this time I got lucky again. They threw a 'White Party' at their house at the beach walk in Mission Beach. 

The occasion was to have fun, but also to promote a new app that one of their friends developed: 'In or Out'. It is an app to invite friends. You send them the request with time and location and they simply klick 'in' or 'out', no questions asked, no long explenations why not.

The party started around 1pm, I showed up around 3pm and stayed until after dark. And the later the hour, the more people showed up . They had a DJ on their 'Party Patio' who was great and after a while everyone was dancing - on the patio, on the little stage, on the handrail or like me - on the wall!

Of course there was a bar with all kind of drinks and any time you get tired of being within the crowd, you can just hop over the little wall and take a walk at the beach.  And because V is a collector of sunglasses - Becky and I got to try a lot of different models :) Thanks Becky for including me in all those events and introducing me to your friends. And thanks V and Shereen for throwing those cool parties - I really had a great time!

Brian's Famous Ribs!

This time I got so lucky to be invited to a BBQ party. Everyone brings food andso I was able to whitness Brian's magic... He is really making the best ribs in the world! They taste amazing without any kind of glace or sauce - they just turn out perfect right from the grill.
And he is even teaching people how to do it right, which everybody can pick up at:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBlUPkoLVaM

And that wasn't the only thing .. there was pulled pork as well, pork sirloin and BBQ chicken - it was aaaaaawesome!!

Lunch time and Burgers

 Every time I am on a trip in the US I always crave for certain foods - burgers, steak, but also stuff like sweet potato fries with a lemon dip.

Lucky me we have an organic restaurant in front of our lab door - the 'Green Acre'. It serves salads and veggies from the own garden, which is positioned between the three buildings of that research site. Gardeners are working all day and the restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch:
http://www.greenacresd.com/
I took the pictue on the right during my lunch break - so yes, it really is that pretty and nice!! And hot! The first time ever my phone shut off and showed the message: iphone has to cool off before use Crazy!

Other important thing: Get  a burger of course!

So two days ago my room mates took me to this place in La Jolla downtown (if you can call it that - La Jolla really isn't that big..):

http://www.burgerlounge.com/

The best part: Because I surf every morning I still drop some pounds even after eating all that!!!

And if somebody now thinks - 'hm, she must have dropped her gluten free diet'. No! Here in America they are a little ahead when it comes to that. In most places you have the choice of a gluten free bun! It's heaven.

'Orientation' how to behave in California

In order to start working for an institute in California there is an orientation for all new employees where you learn how to behave in California. Which - in some ways is a really good idea to share that information because it is very different from Germany.

Do not touch your coworkers unless it is a handshake and so on..

The most amazing part was where we talked about harassment at work and special protected groups..

See how it starts with AGE
(40 and OLDER) !!!

Well .. only 5 good years left then.


But after all that (and getting a pair of lab safety glasses) I finally became an official employee of TSRI (The Scripps Research Institute)!  Aaaaaawesooooome!

Welcome to San Diego!

It is August 2014 and finally I arrived (after a lot of visa issues of the US embassy)  in San Diego! I found a beautiful place to stay with a great crowd of people - my new roommates! I got a car with 'dirt cheap car rental' - a tiny little Nissan, but it is big enough to fit a surfboard.

I was able to buy a 9'1 15th Street longboard and hopefully it surfs as good as it looks. And it was a total coinsidence that it fit absolutely perfect into my little car - it is definitely made for me! And I even 'let the cow fly' (as my brother would say) and spent some extra money on a nice brand new, colour matching leash..

 On my first weekend I visited the beaches around - drove all the way up to Newport Beach, which is beautiful, but packed! Got to meet some old friends from Hawaii and enjoyed a day cruising the beach walk there thanks to BJ and Joleen!
Now back in La Jolla I go surf every morning and hopefully my skills will refresh and I get better each day.
I am exited to see how work is going to be once everything is organized. So far I know that I have to undergo a welcoming event and some safety presentations before I can really start - I am curious and look forward to being a full member of the scripps team!

Best Life Advice

That 'song' came up on the radio while I was cruising through Washington state one night and since than I think it really is the best summary of all life advice that can ever be given!

'Do not read beauty magazines - they will only make you feel ugly!'
(Baz Luhrmann - Everybody's Free To Wear Sunscreen )

Elderberry Flowers

Every year starting with the end of May the Elderberries carry their flowers. It smells already very special and gives us the option to make a great jelly! Because not only the berries taste good - the flowers have a very strong flavour as well.

How to do it:

Take a basket or bag and collect about one pound of flowers. Collect them in a clean area not next to the street! If you like to wash them, only drop them carefully in a bowl with water - do not rinse them under running water!

What you need:

2 pounds of preserving sugar

2 big preserving jars

2 natural untreated lemons
clean glasses

Take two preserving jars and fill them with elderberry flowers and slices of lemon. Mix both ingredients nicely. Fill with water all the way. Let the jars sit in the windowsill for about 3 days. Sieve the content and collect the juice in a pot. Than weigh 2 pounds of juice and boil it with 2 pounds of sugar for about 4 minutes. You can stick a spoon in the jelly and check if it hardens out after a while.

Fill in clean glasses (rinse with 54% alcohol; rum) up to the edge and close immediately.

Sailing the Netherlands

Since 1993 the Netherlands and some little sailboats called 'Valken' have been an important part of my life. I've been 13 years old, puberty kicked in and boys became more attractive than they should or really were ... Once a year a big sailing camp took place in Sneek, a small city close to a water canal system that runs through the northern part of the Netherlands. And the next two weeks have always been the most important time of the year...
To celebrate youth, our sailing roots and dutch beer we have a traditional holiday trip each year. We go out to still rent the same little sailboats that have been the location for first kisses, overboard maneuvers and heartbreak.
The location is just perfect - we start in Sneek but we sail several hours each day and wherever you end up, it is allowed to tie your boat to the next pontoon, light up a fire and enjoy a barbecue. People are friendly and helpful and make it a perfect trip to the past...

Time to leave...

The last days of surfing have been great!! I enjoyed 'pops', 'three's' and 'first break' - even though the last week the waves have been a little smaller - but maybe we have just been spoiled this summer!
I decided to sell my surfboard. It is an 'Ole' - Bob Ole is one of the best! He makes fantastic Longboards and is famous in Hawaii. He lives on Maui and has a little, tiny shop there, where he shapes custom boards. My 9'6 custom 'Ole' has been a wonderful companion and sometimes I got the impression that it's not me improving - it's just the board making up for my mistakes ..
So many people asked about it and than one morning this guy comes along - Chris. He loves 'Ole'-boards and was interested in mine straight away .. I did not really wanted to sell it, but to let it sit for so long hurts as well. Like giving away a loved pet - it always is most important to find a good home - and I did! Take care of my pet and have fun! Thanks Chris!
I wanna capture every moment on my last day, inhale the vibrant morning breeze, remember the picture of the rising sun behind Diamond Head...

"Things turn out best
for the people who
make the best
of the way things
turn out."
(John Wooden)

Surf Experience

Enjoying the walk in the morning,
carrying your board to the beach.
The first strokes through the water,
awaiting the rush.

Every surfer knows

Resting in the lineup around friends,
waiting for the waves,
to finally catch the one,
that carried your name
all along.

Every surfer knows

It's the one love...

Every surfer knows

Dawn Patrol

It is a lifestyle, a passion and the one love we all share - SURFING!!!
And there are some special people that I got to meet over the last 4 years who shared some precious moments with me, a lot of fun, accidents, rainbows, turtles, dings, waves and I miss them dearly!!
The early morning surfers are a very special crowd and have become something like family. Every morning one after one comes along the beach walk and meets behind the police station ... drinking coffee, watching the waves and than finally with the first signs of sunrise boards get unpacked, waxed and ready to go ... Catching the first waves out there with the sun slowly rising above the hotels is like magic and everyone who experienced it will feel with me.
I hope I'll surf more waves with you and I am happy and thankful for everything you guys and girls showed me. I am proud that I became brave enough to paddle out to Pops by myself :)
ALOHA

The Hitachi Tree

Companies are always hunting for the one logo, the one icon representing them and bringing good luck on the way to profit... and so it happens that in the year 1973 the japanese electronics giant 'Hitachi Ltd.' stumbled across Moanalua Gardens, a privately owned park, that is open to the public not far from Honolulu and houses the most beautiful Monkeypod tree in Hawaii.
Now 'Hitachi Ltd.' pays the park owner $400.000 a year for using the tree as their icon. The contract lasts for 10 years and brings the owner $4Mio. !
Isn't that the most valuable tree in the world??
But the amazing thing about the tree is ... the masses of japanese tourists that come by every day to take pictures!!
More infos @ the Honolulu Advertiser

Aging

It is the last day of August and that means that my birthday has just passed by ... And it is a significant age - 30! What am I supposed to feel? Different? Maybe .. Old? Maybe .. Or like my brother said it: 'The thirties are full of hard work'. Well - I am exited! And I found a nice quote today:

'Age does not diminish the extreme disappointment
of having a scoop of ice cream fall from the cone. '
(Jim Fiebig)

So let the party begin and the changes unfold. Definitely a time to grow up, think things through and make some 'hardcore decisions'!
Aloha folks!

Sailing, sailing, sailing ...

And there I was ... crewing on a 'Cal 20'! A dream comes true - finally I am able to do some 'small-boat sailing' in Hawaii and gain more experience in spinnaker handling and racing.

On Wednesdays a special crowd puts together a small boat regatta and the course goes around Kihei lagoon, a boat harbor near the airport. We started off pretty good and even though our bowman had his doubts about our weight (first time with 5 people on board..), but we made it first over the finish line with about a minute ahead!

That has to be celebrated .. so we took our captain for a beer to the famous 'La Mariana' - a sailing club and restaurant directly on the waterfront. Absolutely stunning location and perfect to watch a sunset!