This week marked my 20th anniversary of arriving in Los Angeles!
When I first got here back in 1997 I had no plans to stay for more than a few weeks. So many of my friends are intrigued or impressed that I am still here and still happy!
LA is like a magnet. For some people it is has an attractive pull that is hard to resist, but for many others it has a repulsive push that makes it unbearable. I have never really been able to put my finger on what keeps me here. It is almost like Los Angeles chooses you and will either embrace you or break you. As I know it can be a very tough city to get settled in.
Being part of Brits in LA has made the transition easier for some, but it still takes time and effort. This city has plenty of people who seem genuinely interested in who you are/what you do, but sadly these enquiries are often to gauge whether you are worth chatting to. If you dig a little deeper you will start to find the ‘angels’, I promise. We actively discourage traditional networking at our weekly Breakfast Club, as we feel this is a time to nurture friendships and the community. However we are always pleased when business relationships grow organically via one of our get-togethers.
Fellow Brit in LA, Richard Shelton hit the nail on the head when he was interviewed for our weekly Meet A Member feature. He said the best advice he had been given, was ‘Don’t ask what LA can give you. Rather, ask what you can give to LA‘.
So if you haven’t found your feet yet make sure to come along and get involved. We all need to see a friendly face every now and again, we all have our struggles, but being part of a community has really helped me feel right at home in spite of the fact that I am thousands of miles away from many of my friends and family.
All of our upcoming events can be found on our Facebook page @BritsinLA or visit www.Britsin.LA or feel free to drop me a line at eileen@Britsin.LA
Our annual film competition ‘The Toscars’ kicks off on Tuesday January 24th with our Team Selection night at Obica Restaurant on Sunset Plaza. About 100 of our members get split into groups and go off and make five-minute parodies of the latest Oscar-nominated films. If you are still undecided as to whether you want to participate, feel free to stop by for a drink (and the best pizza I have had in ages). All details can be found at www.the toscars.com. You can also view film entries from the previous ten years.
Our Pub Quiz is on a brief hiatus but we will be back very soon.
Lastly, if any of you are fans of Keane you will be delighted to hear Tom Chaplin has a show at El Rey on February 2nd. GoldenVoice have given us a pair of tickets to give away! Email us at britsinla@gmail.com to put your name in the hat – winner will be notified via email on Monday January 23rd
Cheers!
Eileen
