Mae Tan (@marxmae) writes from the City of Angels.
Mae Tan (@marxmae) writes from the City of Angels.
Dear CLEO,
Twenty two hours later and here I am, soaking in all the good vibes the City of Angels has to offer. The Californian sun is shining on my face and the salty air is breezy. Palm trees line the streets and they remind me of my favourite film, Drive. I always imagined myself as the hero character in these slick scenes with the quintessentially LA sights as my backdrop. Finally, I get to recreate my own version.
Checking into the coolest spot here in Downtown LA, ACE Hotel, my first thought is to make a beeline for Beverly Hills right after a refreshing shower. There is just so much to do and I really want to make the most of my time here. High on my to-do list is to catch up with my old friends living in LA, and dine at as many all-American burger joints that I’ve been dying to try as I can.
Other things to do: visit Santa Monica pier for the carnival, take a helicopter down the Grand Canyon for a picnic and, of course, take a mandatory drive to Lake Hollywood Park for the best snap of the Hollywood sign. Oh, and I mustn’t forget to visit Bottega Louie for their amazing truffle pizza.
We go check out contemporary art museum The Broad and it’s amazing. Here I am, surrounded by original artworks from the greatest artists that I have only read about and I am in awe. Learning more about Jean-Michel Basquiat from the museum guide was definitely the highlight of this tour!
It’s the next day and we’re driving up to Newport Beach. Think blue skies, birds, sea breeze, beaches and picture-perfect palm trees. We get dropped off at the Urban Decay HQ and visiting this place is a dream experience! We tour the grounds before checking into the filming studio setup for my Urban Decay Confessional session. Being pitted against all these other YouTube beauty superstars, this has got to be one of the most nerve-wracking moments for me, but what a cool story to tell so #NORAGRETS!
Wish you were here, MAE
