Le Saigon

Have you tried Pho? It's a really nice Vietnamese hot noodle soup with bean sprouts and fresh basil. A person from Vietnam told me to pronounce it "Fuh?" with a rising intonation. Well, there's a really good place to eat Pho on the Westside called Le Saigon. They also have delicious fresh spring rolls. It's a small place on Santa Monica Boulevard near Federal. Prices are reasonable. Address: 11611 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90025.

petanque!

I recently discovered the game of Petanque - a French game involving tossing metal balls close to a small wooden ball. Whoever throws the ball closer gets the point. Dolores (pictured) gave me a friendly beginner's lesson for free and explained some of the culture and history of the game, which is popular in the South of France. It costs $40 a year to join the L.A. Petanque club, which is comprised mostly of people from France. The Petanque courts are next to the archery range and near the dog-training area. Even if you don't play, it's a fun place to visit on a Saturday morning. From UCLA, take Blue Bus #8 or #12 and get off at Pico/Motor. The address is 2459 Motor Avenue L.A., CA 90064

http://www.losangelespetanque.com/index.shtml

kayaking

The UCLA Marine Aquatic Center has kayaking and windsurfing equipment UCLA students may use (free - $10). I had fun borrowing a kayak and paddling around the Marina. It's great to go with a friend on a double kayak, and it's really good (I mean hard!) exercise. It's supposed to be easier early in the morning when the water is calm but anytime is fun.

UCLA MAC webpage: http://www.recreation.ucla.edu/recreate/marina_sub.aspx?main=17&sub=451&mymenu=0

Rental Hours and Prices:
http://www.recreation.ucla.edu/site_pdfs/MAC/RentalHours.pdf