Life in LA for people moving from Europe (Los Angeles, Orange: sales, home)

[Lindushka]

Hi everyone,
I am coming to LA this summer for 3 months via a program called "Work and travel" , bachelor graduated in international business. I move from Prague, Czech republic, never been to the US before. I have a few questions about the life in LA that I couldn´t find the answers on the internet. I ll be glad if anyone here can help me out with those questions.

1) Is it possible to find a part-time job for 3 months in LA? I just want to cover the high cost of living. I ll work in Hard Rock Cafe but with that salary I don´t think I can survive, so I need to find the second job - 2-3 days a week in bookshop or cafe or something like that. Any advice how to find that kind of job? (some links?)

2)How hot is the weather in LA during June-August ? Do I need to bring jacket or something like that as It could get cold at night?

3) Do the US government offer some free courses of English for immigrants? where can I register for that?

4)Is it possible to go to classes of UCLA in the summer just to listen to the lecture ? Or to enter the school I ll need to be UCLA students?

5) I want to do some volunteering work, do you know about something like that? I like a lot foreign languages, I can offer Vietnamese, Czech and French.

6) Question for ladies : I am living in a country far from the sea, is it nessasery to use night body cream? LA is humid? About the clothes, when do the sales start? Is there something like mass-fashion? or LA has only really high expensive brand?

7) All people say that the public transportation in LA is terrible and all people drive car, I ll need to get home from work at Hollywood blv to Veteran ave. Is there any night public transportation in LA (leave work at 11 pm)? how safe is it?


Thanks a lot in advance for any advice!

[jaypee]

2) Probably not.
3) Courses, Westside CAS, DACE, LAUSD
4) No
5) Check on craigslist > Community > volunteers ; interesting that you speak Vietnamese
6) there's clothing for every budget, LA is dry in the summer so bring lotion
7) LA Metro Home

[disgruntled la native]

1. Most of those jobs don't advertise online so you'd have to walk through the neighborhood and apply in person. If they even hiring. Remember job market is super tough.

4. In theory, you can enter a large UCLA lecture hall and just sit and listen. IT'd have to be a big class though. And do you really want to waste your time

[bouncethelight]

Originally Posted by Lindushka

Is it possible to find a part-time job for 3 months in LA?

You might get lucky, or you might spend the entire three months looking for a job and filling out applications. Our unemployment rate is high right now, so it will definitely be more difficult than you're probably hoping.

Originally Posted by Lindushka

Do I need to bring jacket or something like that as It could get cold at night?

Bring a sweater or two! It's not cold, but it can be chilly on some nights, so layering on a light jacket or sweater, particularly if you're going to be outside, is a good idea.

Originally Posted by Lindushka

Is it possible to go to classes of UCLA in the summer just to listen to the lecture? Or to enter the school I ll need to be UCLA students?

UCLA Extension offers classes during the summer to non-UCLA students - you have to pay for them, but there are a lot of really fun choices!

Originally Posted by Lindushka

LA is humid?

Not really. It's near the ocean, so there are overcast days, but there are very few days in a year that are actually humid.

Originally Posted by Lindushka

About the clothes, when do the sales start? Is there something like mass-fashion? or LA has only really high expensive brand?

Sales happen all year long, and there are probably more cheap options for clothes in LA than anywhere else in California. Maybe try spending a day in the fashion/garment district!

[Samoi137]

-The terms of your visa allow you to work, but are there any restrictions on the types of work? Does the sponsoring organization provide any help at all? Getting a job for 3 months would be very tough, though a bit less so if you have specialized skills. Employers often want someone who will be around for a while. You should have written confirmation that you can work in order to show a potential employer (who will want to avoid any problems with immigration authorities). If in doubt, check with your sponsoring organization and the U.S. Embassy in Prague. You mention UCLA. Will you be based near there?

-You are supposed to be registered in order to attend a class. You pay to attend, as well as for class materials. UCLA has extension classes. You can also find classes at community colleges (tend to be cheaper) and some school districts. Timing could be tough during such a short stay: odds of a class startng and ending during your stay could be small, though there may be short-term courses, and even special one-time lectures, you could attend.

-Not clear to me what kind of volunteering you want to do. Of course there are volunteering opportunites (assuming your visa allows that). Where? When? Doing what? L.A. is a huge city. There are umbrella organizations, such as Volunteer Los Angeles, that can direct you to specific places to volunteer. You can also directy contact community centers, churches, schools, police departments, etc. 3 months is a fairly small amount of time in whch to get to know a community and be able to provide help, but you might well find opportunties to translate (e.g., translating for immigrants), etc. I'd guess Vietnamese would be the most in need. There's a Los Angeles Vietnamese Community Association in Glendora, and an organization called Vietnamese Community Health at UCLA, which says they "are a student organization at UCLA working to improve the health needs of the Vietnamese community in Southern California." There at least used to be volunteers at LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) to aid travelers.

-Note that for working, volunteering, taking classes or just getting around in general, Los Angeles is generally car-dependent. It is a huge area (and "Los Angeles" is used by many to refer to not just the City of Los Angeles, but also the much larger County of Los Angeles and even adjacent counties in the region, such as Orange County, where Disneyland is located. See www.metro.net for information on public transportation in Los Angeles County.

Your sponsoring organization should have info on opportunites for volunteering and where you could take classes. You might even contact the Czech Consulate General in Los Angeles, which may have gotten such questions in the past. It's located near UCLA.

[Lindushka]

Originally Posted by disgruntled la native

1. Most of those jobs don't advertise online so you'd have to walk through the neighborhood and apply in person. If they even hiring. Remember job market is super tough.

4. In theory, you can enter a large UCLA lecture hall and just sit and listen. IT'd have to be a big class though. And do you really want to waste your time

I just want to try the university environment to see how It s different from here and maybe to hear and learn new things :-) is there something for Business classes in the summer? I am supposed to be there like just sit and listen.

[Lindushka]

Originally Posted by jaypee

2) Probably not.
3) Courses, Westside CAS, DACE, LAUSD
4) No
5) Check on craigslist > Community > volunteers ; interesting that you speak Vietnamese
6) there's clothing for every budget, LA is dry in the summer so bring lotion
7) LA Metro Home

The links for English courses are perfect ! Vietnamese is my mother tongue

[Lindushka]

Originally Posted by Samoi137

-The terms of your visa allow you to work, but are there any restrictions on the types of work? Does the sponsoring organization provide any help at all? Getting a job for 3 months would be very tough, though a bit less so if you have specialized skills. Employers often want someone who will be around for a while. You should have written confirmation that you can work in order to show a potential employer (who will want to avoid any problems with immigration authorities). If in doubt, check with your sponsoring organization and the U.S. Embassy in Prague. You mention UCLA. Will you be based near there?

-You are supposed to be registered in order to attend a class. You pay to attend, as well as for class materials. UCLA has extension classes. You can also find classes at community colleges (tend to be cheaper) and some school districts. Timing could be tough during such a short stay: odds of a class startng and ending during your stay could be small, though there may be short-term courses, and even special one-time lectures, you could attend.

-Not clear to me what kind of volunteering you want to do. Of course there are volunteering opportunites (assuming your visa allows that). Where? When? Doing what? L.A. is a huge city. There are umbrella organizations, such as Volunteer Los Angeles, that can direct you to specific places to volunteer. You can also directy contact community centers, churches, schools, police departments, etc. 3 months is a fairly small amount of time in whch to get to know a community and be able to provide help, but you might well find opportunties to translate (e.g., translating for immigrants), etc. I'd guess Vietnamese would be the most in need. There's a Los Angeles Vietnamese Community Association in Glendora, and an organization called Vietnamese Community Health at UCLA, which says they "are a student organization at UCLA working to improve the health needs of the Vietnamese community in Southern California." There at least used to be volunteers at LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) to aid travelers.

-Note that for working, volunteering, taking classes or just getting around in general, Los Angeles is generally car-dependent. It is a huge area (and "Los Angeles" is used by many to refer to not just the City of Los Angeles, but also the much larger County of Los Angeles and even adjacent counties in the region, such as Orange County, where Disneyland is located. See www.metro.net for information on public transportation in Los Angeles County.

Your sponsoring organization should have info on opportunites for volunteering and where you could take classes. You might even contact the Czech Consulate General in Los Angeles, which may have gotten such questions in the past. It's located near UCLA.

My visa status is J1- Cultural exchange visitor, the sponsoring is INTRAX but I ll stay in UCLA campus I ll ask the Czech Consulate General :-)

You mentioned the public transportation, if it safe at night? I ll have to catch the night bus (midnight - 1 am) from Hollywood blv to Westwood Village then walk to Veteran avenue.

[Samoi137]

Originally Posted by Lindushka

My visa status is J1- Cultural exchange visitor, the sponsoring is INTRAX but I ll stay in UCLA campus I ll ask the Czech Consulate General :-)

You mentioned the public transportation, if it safe at night? I ll have to catch the night bus (midnight - 1 am) from Hollywood blv to Westwood Village then walk to Veteran avenue.

UCLA (lovely campus; I was a student there years ago and recently stayed in Westwood Village when my wife and I had appointments at the medical center) should have an office to help you with many of your questions. I am sure they have a foreign students association. You could contact them in advance even if they aren't active during the summer. I'd also ask them about walking in the area that late at night. Hollywood at midnight might be dicier. You're sure there are buses running on that route at that hour? Good luck.

[disgruntled la native]

the only late night public transport will be the 24 hour sunset blvd bus, which you can take from hollywood (i.e. sunset/highland sunset/vine wherever you are) to bel air (sunset/hilgard sunset/westwood) which is right above the ucla campus.