When I called my mother this morning, she was absolutely terrified for me, wondering how I can survive in Los Angeles.

There are two wildly different Los Angeles: There's what's on television and there is reality.

The real city of Los Angeles is not wildly rich, but it's not wildly poor, either. It's a Mexican-plurality (if not Mexican-majority) city with a *lot* of different cultures.

Is it safe? Considering that I walk, bike, take the train, or take the bus almost everywhere, (and yes, I have plenty of money to buy a car), I think it's safe enough.

Is it *perfectly* safe? No. It's a big city. There have been three times when I've been nervous in the year and a half. In every case, I moved away from the problem.

But I like it so far.