Los Angeles has 26 sister cities. You may ask, “what is a sister city?” The definition stipulates that a sister city distinguishes two politically and geographically distinct regions that share a common goal of fostering human contact and cultural links.

Basically, a sister city is a place that a Mayor or dignitary visits, meets with officials in the host country and they bilaterally come to the conclusion that they like each other enough to label their friendship.

Here’s our list. If you’re on it, I consider you a sister as well. If you’re not, send me an e-mail, an airplane ticket and I’ll come visit to let you know if you made the list (I will not be accepting invitations from brother seeking brother):

Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Athens, Greece
Auckland, New Zealand
Beirut, Lebanon
Berlin, Germany
Bordeaux, France
Busan, South Korea
Eilat, Israel
Giza, Egypt
Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
Jakarta, Indonesia
Kaunas, Lithuania
Lusaka, Zambia
Makati City, Philippines
Mexico City, Mexico
Melbourne, Australia
Moscow, Russia
Mumbai, India
Nagoya, Japan
St. Petersburg, Russia
Salvador, Brazil
Split, Croatia
Taipei, Taiwan
Tehran, Iran
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Yerevan, Armenia

The advantage of working in Downtown LA is recognizing places you see in movies you thought were made somewhere else. One day the Biltmore Hotel on 5th Avenue is the ritzy property left in the background of an upscale London-based scene, next thing you know you recognize it in Ghostbusters.

The disadvantage is waiting for the damn scene to be shot. How the hell am I supposed to get my work done when I’m waiting for Bruce Willis to be chased in a Porsche down Hope Street while shooting Die Hard 4?

Some of the signs read: “Walkway is Closed” or “If you walk down this street, you will be filmed and not compensated.”

My face may not be as valuable as that of Bruce Willis, but I at least demand an hour’s pay. If there are any industry execs out there, please reimburse me for that embarrassing scene with the painted elephants waiting ahead of me in line at the public library.

In trying to explain the iconic Scotch Egg to a group of friends, I felt the need to use a gnomic-style expression: “the egg is the yolk.”

Absolutely puzzled by the proposition, they urged me to prove it. Packed like sardines in a four-door on a Saturday night, just like any other night out in LA, we headed down Sunset for the Cat and Fiddle in Hollywood.

Serving up the egg since 1982, the Cat and the Fiddle is a restaurant and English pub set amongst the backdrop of a Spanish hacienda. The early 1920’s Mission Revival building boats a lush patio where music- and movie-industry execs come to socialize and create tomorrow’s “Hollywood hit.”

After a few drinks, the Scotch Egg made its way to the table. Perfectly split open like a gem unearthed, the hard-boiled egg was encased in a thick layer of sausage and lightly fried. Although it may not be the ideal healthful snack, consider it a drunkard’s delight.

With the entertainment ambiance and a cheap alternative to clubbing, the Cat and the Fiddle should be on any visitor’s list of places to go out at night. Even though there is a $5 cover on weekends, the inexpensive drinks will make you take a double-take when you see the tab.

LA’s lounge scene has always been considered fashionable and trend-setting. Slow-moving posh bars for the glamour-seeking throngs are being created every day throughout the world and LA can be seen as an inspirational catalyst for some of their layouts.

When visiting LA, there is no better way to experience a potentially influential wave of culture than by rolling up to a new lounge. From Hollywood to the Valley, those that want to be seen breaking off the daily fabric of norm head to a locale where music does not overwhelm the conversation and new designs are flaunted to catch the roaming eye.

Lounges seem to be popping up all the time here, but one of the newest hot spots is located in Brentwood, WEST. As you drive the 405 northbound coming from LAX or San Diego, you will notice an aberrant hotel tower peering over the freeway. With views you could only dream of during a commute that can create nightmares, Hotel Angeleno (used to be the Holiday Inn) has recently been renovated and WEST is their feature dining/lounge venue on the 17th floor.

“The sun is shining in Southern California and all is well.”

This is the nonchalant callous quote proffered by the Mayor of Los Angeles in 1938, Frank L. Shaw, following a flood that killed more than one hundred people and left thousands homeless. Sound familiar…

Mayor Shaw was recalled for not only making this remark, but leading LA’s most corrupt government; as recounted some years later in James Ellroy’s film adapted crime novel, L.A. Confidential.

In the years following the flood, the good ol’ Army Corps of Engineers stepped in and began embedding the river in concrete. Fortunately, no levee has breached.

The cement eyesore you might have seen if you have traveled to LA is known as the LA River (a euphemism if you will, but in god’s honest truth it’s the actual moniker). For the next few days I will be blogging about the history of “the river” and what the city plans on doing to elevate the status of our anti-aesthetic channels. Hopefully, no longer will we consider it LA’s blind spot that runs adjacent to miles of freeway.

You’re eyes are not deceiving you, that is actually undeveloped land in Los Angeles. From a bird’s eye view, the Ballona Wetlands in Playa Del Rey (across from Marina Del Rey) appear to be the last remaining unspoiled natural environment.

Adjacent to LAX, the Ballona Wetlands hosts hundreds of animals, including 19 endangered species, amongst more than 1,000 acres of an ecosystem that is in jeopardy of becoming condos/restaurants/etc.

Click here to learn more.

…on down to the slender nation of Chile and discover a magical island surrounded by poetry. Click here to read my Isla Negra article for GoNOMAD.com.

Aroma Cafe in Studio City is the place to go if you are looking for a creative solution to a script that seems to have hit the literal crossroads. Take a time-out, sip some joe and chat it up with others who are probably in a similar situation. Apparently, celebs show up from time to time. A friend of mine ran into Billy Corgan the other day. Yet, I haven’t seen anyone of consequence - besides a rastafarian that resembled a white version of Bob Marley.

While I was sitting here last night, I came up with the following to describe the cafe/bistro:

Aroma Café on Tujunga Boulevard in Studio City boasts lush garden patios that wind around tables full of people, regardless the time of day. Whether you are in the mood for a six-inch-high piece of Chocolate peanut butter cake, a writer’s block remedy or a place to placate the palate, Aroma provides the environment you are looking for.

It seems Grady Little (Dodgers Manager) has grown accustomed to losing important playoff games - at least that is what the local newspapers are saying.

Personally, I don’t care how they do it but next year needs to be a successful season. I’m growing tired of watching opponent fans enter Dodger Stadium wearing their team’s uniform and walking out as victors.

However, most of the time their smiles are beaten off by LA die-hards. Some say NY has the most boisterous fans and Boston has the most loyal, what you don’t know about LA is that most of the fans here are crazy and some even belong to gangs rooted in Central American blood. So, if you’re planning a visit to Chavez Ravine as a fan of the visiting team, refrain from excessive cheering.

I saw five fist-fights, one guy spill a beer on another guy and two girls in a parking lot melee. Regardless the excitement, the Dodgers still lost and this is going to have to change - even if I have to play myself…after all, even I can strike out, hit into a double play and pop out a million times with runners in scoring position.