CITY OF ANGELS

Last summer, I was in Los Angeles, and it changed me in ways I never expected. I spent very little money on that trip, yet the experience I received was priceless. California might be known for the versatility of its wondrous offerings: great beach destinations, a terrain that's diverse enough for hiking and nature lovers, well-established observatories for sky enthusiasts, a fantastic media industry for any self-professed movie buff or nerd or avid consumer of TV shows. As a physical location, LA is already impressive but my heart was won over by its residents.

I believe it takes a certain amount of passion for anyone to be able to live in LA, and I experienced it firsthand. Regardless of area of expertise, the people I lived with possessed such grit and tenacity, it was impossible not to be infected by.

I stayed with a production designer, who had notes of a play he was writing, stuck on practically every inch of visible wall. I met a man who was so passionate about movies, he successfully started an initiative to save the dying neighbourhood local theatre. I lived with a group of musicians, who were not exactly financially well-off, but were very happy to be making music, music that may not be heard on radio stations the world over, but music they loved and felt very strongly about. The musicians, while not having attained success (yet), were very generous with their literary and media and musical knowledge, introducing me to their favourite comic books and alternative lifestyle practices and so on and so forth. One of them would make me a delicious breakfast almost every morning, and she also shared her suspicious-looking green juices with me (now I've converted, it's deceivingly yummy).

Most of them were behind on their bills, or may not have lived in houses you would see in furnishing magazines, but what they lacked in material possession, they very much more than made up with a desire for life and love and all the things that make life hurt and entertain and satisfy and worth living. They brought me to see meteor showers, they disagreed with laws and protested about them, they taught me to drive and trusted me with their cars (in parking lots) although I have never driven in my life.

The world is what it is because of its people, and LA will always live in my heart as a place where, despite cutthroat competition, everyone fights hard to thrive and appreciate life. If I ever need to rekindle my zeal for life, I know where to head to for a reminder.