California, Here I Come

Or, much rather, I am already here. I will be introducing Berlinica, especially our newest book, The Berlin Wall Today, in Los Angeles, within the German Currents, a German Film Festival presented by the Goethe Institute, at the Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard, and the Areo Theatre in Santa Monica. That'll start on October 26.

So far, I did a tour up the coast to Oxnard (where I used to live as a child) with my little brother. Oxnard is somewhat remote from L.A., and not really that prosperous. It has a tremendous amount of pawn shops, never a good sign, and really not much else except Chinese and Mexican restaurants, albeit a huge Marina. I‘m not sure whether all those boats are belonging to locals, though. When I used to live there, there was not a single Hispanic kid in elementary school, now it's like 50 percent. On the way back there were numerous lots for sale in Malibu, so far out of my reach, I reckon.

In Downtown L. A. they also are occupying something, right in front of City Hall. The neighborhood is a bit scary, but it's a couple of hundred people in tents, so they should be safe. In New York, Occupy Wall Street seemed a lot more fun and outgoing, I must say. They were also occupying Venice Beach, at least two people were, with a banner. No a lot of bankers down there either.