2015-07-17: Casual Cultures

I grew up in a semi rural type environment. We weren't country kids by a long stretch but neither were we city kids. We knew what happened to the testicles of sheep and such without having to actually partake in the exercises.

The are two Almeda drives in Los Angeles. This one has few sandwich places but many trucks and refineries. The sign made me feel better about the extended travel time.

As such the word Dip has specific connotations to me. It is a liquid you throw sheep into which stops something from happening to somewhere on the sheep. Probably to do with bums or poo. Most farming stuff is preoccupied with bums and poo even more than I. And I only have the weird fascination because it is funny. Farmers care deeply about poo and can have long conversations about it rather than the one liners I might chortle out.

I think French Farmers wear those flat caps. They only sell souvenir T shirts though.

Maybe that is why Phillippe's Original French Dip succeeds here? No sheep disinfectant connotations (mapref and http://www.philippes.com/) . I assume any connotations I have regarding The French are shared by Americans and therefore not part of the success / failure equation.

Floor has sawdust all over it. Sandwiches are juicy. Juicy is American code for lots of liquids come out and has no real direct reflection on the state of the meat. Double Dipped means the bread is dunked quite thoroughly. It is not a secret menu.

A French Dip sandwich is some slowly braised meat sliced and put on a bun which has been dipped in the braising liquid. We are learning how to order food here; just because I get excited and want to try everything doesn't mean I should order everything. Instead we should choose the likely candidates and apportion them amongst our motley crue then share.

It is just meat and juice on a roll so sides of coleslaw or potato salad are wise for flavour purposes. Purple egg is just pretty.

This spreading of eating duties means there are varying opinions regarding which is the best of the items selected. Beef got a vote but the correct answer is that the Lamb is the best. Their mustard is pretty good too, they are proud of it, make it themselves and it is a slightly milder than Hot English mustard blend which works well.

German dipped sandwich places would not stand for this kind of anarchy.

Places Review: Venice Beach.

The Italians as a stereotype have less connotations to me than The French. This is probably because I don't know many Italians. In movies the males are usually kind of ineffectively seductive. They often wear nice suits. Although I wouldn't really know a nice suit to look at it doesn't really matter. I assume that Italians at the beach don't wear suits.

Successfully seductive, probably not Italian

Not that I care too much about the Italians. I am here for some different stereotypes. Venice beach featured in Tony Hawk II and I used to quite like the level. I have no idea if it is real or where it is if it does exist. I assume I will hear it if we get close. Recognising the sound of skate wheels is something no skater ever loses.

I was the hugest guy in the photo, I did not expect this

Venice beach also is home to a gym at the beach where lots of huge guys work out. I am really sure this exists as I have seen it in media other than Tony Hawk video games. Schwarzenegger used to work out there occasionally.

She was cool

Weird people also love Venice beach. I know this from the Fletch movies. I think they might have all been undercover cops pretending to be weird but I am not picky with my weird. If it acts or looks weird it is good enough for me.

I assumed it was a Cosmetic Surgery place

Patients can shop here afterwards, certainly endowed.

Doctor may use slightly casual phrasing I suspect.

Oh yeah and Venice Beach people love marijuana. The rest of Los Angeles come here to get their medical notes saying they need it for their sore shoulders and such.

Rating: 1.1/3

0/1 - Did not find skate spot. Half arsed googling makes me wonder if it exists anymore

0.1/1 - Only one guy at the beach gym. He was impressive but couldn't swing it by himself

1/1 - Was plenty of weird, none of it threatening

No idea. View is of the highway. Looks pretty though.

Seeing as we were close to Santa Monica Beach which apparently has custom converse shoes we swung by.

Yes Timmy, we'll get you new shoes, right past the sneaker skull....

Unfortunately the custom shoes is now template based only and none of the templates were what Ewa was after. We had a few beers with Al who flies home tonight, met a local comic who was out with her boyfriend, shared a table and more beers, lost a credit card and grabbed a cab home feeling suitably multicultural and beachy.