THE SONG OF LONG BEACH

I have been in Long Beach for just one year since I immigrated to U.S. in 2001. The sea is just 10- minute drive away from my place. It is fascinating that I can go to the ocean at any time if I want to. Actually Seoul in Korea where I had lived is very far from the ocean. Accordingly, people need much patience of about 4-hour trip, sometimes over 10 hours during the summer vacation season due to heavy traffic jam, to go and see the ocean. There is a Pacific Ocean in Long Beach. I am living in Long Beach. I can go and see the ocean anytime. How terrific!



I like the Downtown area of Long Beach. That place lools very exotic for me as a foreigner. I always feel some vitality in there. Extremely great variety of people on the street, many kinds of car, the open-air restaurants, tall palm trees on the roadside, the pleasant breeze from the ocean when I drive on Ocean Boulevard, the colorful Shoreline village, Convention Center and the historic Queen Mary...  The nonprofit Aquarium of the Pacific is located in Downtown Long Beach. It's a major attraction visited  by tens of millions of people since its opening. The visitors can experience all from a deep sea adventure at the Aquarium of the Pacific right on the bay. Especially I love the thick fog in the early morning. I often find myself trying to smell the fog when I stand in it.

It is highly regrettable that some dirty areas by some people who seem to lack the sense of public morality. Also some gangsters make long Beach very dangerous and violent. They make the horrific accident such as gunfight. Grocery shopping for Korean food is another thing that makes me inconvenient. Korean Market is a little bit far from Long Beach, so every weekend I need to go to Garden Grove City 30 minutes away by car.
 

People say that Long Beach is one giant playground located right in the heart of Southern California. Also they say that Long Beach used to be very luxurious city long time ago. These dyas the mommoth-sized shopping mall opend in Downtown. It's very good news for the people who love Long Beach. Long Beach gets out of the bed, stretching her arms and yawning. And she is quickening her steps for regaining her past glory. Good luck! (2002)