The rest of the O.C.

Last we left it, I was visiting my friend Jolene in sunny California in early January...

Jolene and I headed north up the PCH, past the gorgeous beach-front homes, rocky cliffs and rolling waves, and landed in Laguna Beach. Having seen the MTV "reality" show Laguna Beach: Richest Teenage Bitches Ever, I was expecting some hoity toity snobberiffic town. Much to my surprise, Laguna Beach was an artist/surfer community that reminded me of a very, very wealthy Franklin, TN. It actually had a HOMETOWN type feel to it! The streets were full of art galleries, cafes, clothing boutiques, and surf shops. We stumbled across a small art village with open-air stores, a courtyard, and a patio restaurant called The Cliff. We also took a self-guided driving tour of Laguna Beach's original bungalows and cottages from the 1920s-1950s.

Our visit to Laguna was followed by a birthday party for one of Grandma's caretakers, Jon (short for the Filipino name Djonji). We spent the rest of the evening enjoying a massive feast at the house with Jon's friends and family. A whole roasted pig was the center of the Filipino feast. Also on the menu: grilled squid, mini Filipino egg rolls stuffed with pork (I forgot the actual name), seafood paella, flan, and sweet sticky rice with coconut and raisins. After the feast and a few more drinks, we busted out the karaoke. Jolene made me sing some Tony Braxton song TWICE! It was the God-awful-make-your-ears-bleed kind of singing, and it was wy out of my range. My throat was so sore...

The morning after the birthday party, I woke early (8:00 a.m.) to the sound of hammering. BANG! BANG! BANG! Due to some over-indulgence in Key Lime Martinis the night before, my throbbing head was in no mood for such loud noises. A couple hours later, Jolene and I emerged from the bedroom and into the kitchen where we smelled the world's most delicious aroma. Come to find out, the banging was the harsh dismemberment of the leftover pig. Jon was busy slow-simmering a Filipino pork stew called Paksiw. I couldn't stop raving about how wonderful it smelled, and finally Jon convinced me to try some of the stew. I dipped my spoon in, past the pig foot and something else that resembled brains, and slurped the spicy liquid into my mouth. It was - to this day - the most delicious thing I've ever eaten. My mouth is watering just thinking about it...

Tuesday was my last day in California. Joelene's boyfriend Zack drove us up to Dana Point where we explored a wildlife preserve on the coast. The 3 of us strolled through the sand and climbed along the water's rocky edge. We stood atop massive boulders and watched the tide roll in, and also spotted a few sea urchins. Watching the sun set along the water was breathtaking. Satlwater, warm rays, fresh air, and bare feet -- what a perfect ending.