Southern California

More than any other cultural affiliation, I consider myself a Southern Californian.  I am part-Hawaiian, and Hawaii is very important to me.  But I have lived in Southern California nearly all my life and it is home to me.

The central feature of Southern California is, of course, Los Angeles.   Los Angeles is defined in many different ways, and usually called L.A.  It contains Hollywood and Beverly Hills, as well as many largely segregated ethnic neighborhoods such as South Central, East Los Angeles,  and Koreatown.  No matter where you live in Los Angeles, you are not far from a freeway and you cannot escape the sound of automobiles.  Nearly everyone has one.  A person without a car is not a true Southern Californian in any sense of the word:  they are a new immigrant or a marginal person or a dissenter.  Teenagers usually obtain a car of their own or extensive use of a car by age eighteen, many are far younger.  Crowded, impossible roadways are a staple of Los Angeles.  People live as many as three hours away from their jobs.  Radio geared to the driver is popular.  These days, some people even watch DVD's in their cars.  An enormous number of people possess cell phones and these are used in cars as well.  A recent trip to municipal court revealed that a large number of people purchase/lease cell phones and then don't pay their bills.   Somehow, as a Southern Californian, that doesn't surprise me.  People hawking cell phones stand in booths in malls - every mall has about five of these booths, usually more.  Phone companies in California fear they'll run out of numbers someday.

Sun, beach and surf.  Sunny Southern California.  Most of it is true.  Nearly everyone lives within two hours of the beach, the weather is intermittently sunny throughout the year.  Outdoor picnics and barbecues on Christmas or New Year's are not uncommon.  Nearly every grocery store, and many small convenience stores, sell the barbecue basics, including disposable grills.  Hop in your car, swing by 7/11, spend $20 and you're all set for a day at the beach.   24-hour convenience stores with ample parking are a staple of Southern California.

Fast food restaurants dot the landscape, everywhere, but especially at intersections with large highways and freeways.  If you lived more than 5 miles from one, I'd think of you as living in a fairly isolated suburb.  There are a huge variety.  Hamburgers, of course, but also more than one fried chicken chain, more than one taco chain, more than one deli sandwich chain.  At the next level up, there are multiple chain walk-in restaurants, in malls, strip malls and elsewhere.  One Southern Californian community is nearly the same as the next one due to this repetition of restaurants, gas stations, convenience stores, etc.