The Vanity (Af)Fair

Chapter 30: The Vanity (Af)Fair

With it's many facets of beauty -
an exceptionally attractive
crowd and a splendid scenery
and nature as far as the eye can
see - Los Angeles defines the
commandments of The Bible of
Esthetics - celebrating a true
"feast for the eyes" with every
single clause.
Being a beauty magnet, L.A.
attracts charms and style with
it's irresistible magical appeal
accumulating a magnificent
blend of beautiful gems living,
loving and twinkling bright all
over Hollywood - like Tiffany's
diamonds. This is the stuff
that dreams are made of:
Welcome to The Vanity Fair.

Did you know? Gorgeous beauty
can even be spotted at the 99Cent
store (on Wilshire and Fairfax).
How can that be? Read on and
find out.

"Every item 99Cent only" - read
the banderole over the wide glass
door. Ready to tackle my first 99
Cent store experience - after
arriving in the US 7 days ago - I
reluctantly wandered inside this
much advertised "bargain-Mecca".
While coyly strolling around the
long aisles, a sprawling scenery of
floor-to-ceiling shelves unfolded
before me, and every end of an
aisle was primped by a masterpiece
consisting of a staggering high
pyramid of various Campbell's
soup cans all neatly towered up
forming a red pattern - Andy
Warhol would have loved it.

Oodles multicolored, glossy
packaged foods, were squeezed
into wide shelves, side by side
with their competitors adjacent.
The ridiculous abundance of
sweets and snacks, fizzy drinks,
fresh produce, frozen goods,
and all sorts of paraphernalia for
house, kitchen, bathroom and
garden, including tool kits,
gardening utensils, all kinds of
toiletries, stationary and books
were available for 99Cent at this
middle-sized cut-price joint.

Swarms of buzzing bargain-
hunters hustling and hovering
over the ample choice of items
and foods were scrambling
around me, when somewhere
between soya milk and vanilla
yogurt I perceived somebody
calling "Miss"?! I froze and
sheepishly looked around,
when suddenly discovering a
middle-aged man eyeing me.
Sporting a blue jeans, paired
with a faded black shirt, a rough
leather belt matching his black
rugged cowboy boots, a pair of
black Ray Bans casually
hanging from his collar and
with a neat haircut he seemed
like an average bloke. Taken
aback I only managed to utter
a meek "Hi", when he went on:
"How ya doin miss? He smiled
and went on: "I am a people
photographer, and always on a
mission to discover intriguing
and unique faces." With those
things said, he reached out his
hand with a business card in it.
"Give me a ring!", was his final
word. Totally baffled and flushed
I wanted to disappear on the spot.

Totally bewildered from the
encounter and with the guy's
business card in my jeans pocket
I made my way home, strolling
down Fairfax Ave and pondering
about this typical-Hollywood-
proposal.
Sporting dark skinny jeans, an
orange halter-neck top - lovely
embellished with beads and
spangles - golden strappy
sandals over bare feet, big-ass
shades - mandatory in La La
Land - and my hair loosely,
streaming in a mellow breeze,
when I noticed a non-descript
car pulling up and parking
right alongside the sidewalk.

Minding my own business I
went on, striding unhurriedly
alongside the traffic-loaded
street. This was when I noticed
a young man sliding out of the
just parked car, heading towards
me? I coudn't believe it when
he approached me, first I froze
and then cringed when he
reached his arms out and
slung tightly around me. He
was all smiles when suddenly
proclaiming: "You're Paris
Hilton, or what?!"
Backing off abruptly and yanking
my shades off from my nose, I
shyly smiled back at him after
sensing that this non-descript
stranger won't cause any harm to
me. Finally, after freeing myself
from his embrace he added:
"You so look alike."