Tuesday, April 23, 2013

LA: Hot Pods for Buff Bods

This weekend my bookclub had a field trip down to the Pacific Palisades in LA to see one of our lovely past members Cameron. (You might have read about my other Palisades trips here and here - it's between Santa Monica and Malibu.) What's new in La-La Land? For a start we found out that the latest (pricey) way to lose weight is using Plexiglas heated workout pods from Argentina and triple oxygen cabins.

Iobella Pods

*Iobella: A course costs thousands of dollars (the company won't disclose how many thousands.) After you work out in a pod heated to 98 degrees you can rest in the O3 pods which are supposed to soften skin and muscles. Or you can have electrodes taped to your body... apparently clients say they're addicted to the feeling afterwards. Would that be the same clean zing you get after waving your bikini line, perchance?

On the bookclub field trip: Me, Carson, Ellen and Cameron at the Getty

Arriving at Cameron's house

Ellen on Cam's front lawn

Cameron's house

We were the only ones walking the stairs, old skool

The walk allows you to have a good old gander into everyones' backyards

* We re-visited the Secret Sweaty Stairs of Santa Monica and my friend Ellen saw Matt Damon. (Of course I was looking at my feet.)  One particular set of stairs is where the Hollywood wannabes mix with the Alreadytheres.  People park their Black Escalades or yellow Lamborghini's at the top of a gorgeous palm tree-lined street, meet their trainer and start the stairs. No one just walked it old skool like we did. I didn't see anyone walking it on their hands which is the latest extreme way to do it - but many were carrying bikes, skipping or dancing sideways. You can imagine how much the neighbours are complaining about this influx of bodies.

If you want to do the entire two-hour Stairs Walk which is a great way to see into people's backyards, start at the bottom of Amalfi Drive, the home of Tom Hanks, Sugar Ray Leonard, Steven Spielberg and formerly O.J. Simpson (the new owners changed the street number so we weren't sure which house was his.) This book will show you the rest of the way.

* We did Group Reflexology - all four of us in one room and masseurs performed a melee of pressure point stuff, massage....and flicking, slapping and light punching! Only $25 each for an hour...no weight lost but the existing fat was much happier. 

Other random stuff:

Art: We saw the Turner painting which was recently purchased by the Getty for $25million. I would have only paid $24.5million, but that's just me. Apparently the curators bond with new work by kissing or licking it.

Food: The latest ingredient obsession is a salted fish roe called Bottarga. Mexican bar snacks have been updated with cubes of Coca-Cola gelee and freshly made chips and onion dip. 

Cool kidstuff: We saw a studio where kids could learn to mix and sample music. (Whatever that is...) 

Not so cool kidstuff: Kids as young as 13 are using a new i-Phone app to call Town Cars to take them to where ever they want to go. Presumably cutting out the middle man, er, parent, who can spend more alone time in their pods. 





39 comments:

  1. I'd think you were joking or making all of this up like the invasion of the aliens radio broadcast of 1938, but knowing LA, know you are not. At least that population will always be a source of entertainment. A chuckle and an eye roll as we sip our drinks of choice ...

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    1. Drinks of choice...or "crafted cocktail" as they call them in LA!

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  2. That is ridiculous! but i imagine that if i had thousands of dolars to spare id try it out just so i could feel oh so futuristic! Also you look great!

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    1. HI Eloise - thanks for popping by - great to hear from another Kiwi!

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  3. So if I go to LA and find those stairs is there a chance I could run them alongside Jessica Biel or some other Hollywood super gorgeous actress? Because honestly, that would motivate me a lot more than the snake I ran past the other day.

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    1. There are also some circus-like acts that are puzzling (and could perform well with that snake..)

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  4. As film buffs, when me and the mister were in Washington DC there were some steps in Georgetown that we had to visit....I walked up and down once and that was enough....the local students used them a lot apparently.....the steps feature in a famous film that scared the bejasus out of me when it came out...you know the one.

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    1. Now I'm trying to think of those stairs - but they're not the ones Sly Stallone (who also lives near the stairs) run up in Rocky?

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  5. The pod sounds (and looks!) like another crazy fad. I can think of a million other ways of spending thousands of dollars.It might feel a tiny bit claustrophobic. Would love the chance to peer into those gardens, but I would have to be carried up those steps.

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    1. Actually SK - I "clean" forgot to mention the most intriguing new trend: Neti Pot Parties. Yes those Neti Pots that people clean out their sinuses with. People ask friends around and get a yoga teacher to show everyone how to use the Neti Pots. The yoga teacher is paid a fee and of course gets the commission for selling the Neti Pots. Everyone goes off into separate bathroom (I suppose this only works here in the US where people have loads of bathrooms!) and try it out!
      As a few people have had infections from them, they are even more interested how to use them properly.
      http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/neti-pots/ID=361387-tier3
      You heard it here first!!!

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  6. Sounds like a nice weekend with friends! Your friend's house is gorgeous.

    That pod - what nonsense. I wonder what would happen to the world if we all started put our time, money, and effort into something other than weight loss.

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    1. Or just run around the block and eat less? Costs nothing. Or as someone said to me: if I did my own housework I wouldn't have to exercise an hour a day!

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  7. A piece of me is missing LA right now! Those stairs are a beloved workout spot (as well as a seen and be seen location!)....

    Glad you enjoyed your time with friends!

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  8. Pffft what a waste of money
    That is so pitiful its funny
    Never heard of the stairs though
    Must be quite the peep show lol

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  9. Being LA, I'm not surprised at the latest fad!

    Were you at the Getty Villa in Malibu? Love that place!

    I would probably do the 2 hour (snoop) walk. I have been known to stake out places before.

    Totally LOLing at the 13 year olds taking Town Cars everywhere! Heck I would do the same thing.

    p.s. love your sunglasses!

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    1. Yes at the Getty in Malibu - that is my favourite one. I wish they had more modern art though apparently they don't want to compete with the two places in LA. We had dinner there too which was really beautiful. Glasses are Tom Ford, the only big glasses I suit

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  10. I'd just lose weight running up and down those steps... maybe just walking up and down...

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  11. Hahahaha...I actually want to try it, not because I'm in need of it, but because it's so bizarre, I must see it for myself!! What will they think of next really. Trippy, I love it! xx

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  12. I would so do those stairs! and I bet it would be more fun than the plexiglass, which just looks weird...

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  13. Sounds fun! I love how stairs are 'old skool'! I would love to do the stairs too if it meant having a gander into backyards!

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  14. Hahaha! You are hilarious! I suspect the Iobella addicts are not really addicted to the workout, but to the extra oxygen inside the pods, which gives them a high. Sigh.

    Wish I could have walked those stairs with you, ladies.

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    1. Wonder if the technology is the same thing as sucking on Whip Its, God forbid....

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  15. What can I say it is most definitely another world. But you did have fun great post

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  16. Oh I love your posts! A wonderful glimpse into a world that is soooo different to mine :)

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    1. That world is so so different. Forget first class, this is where people have their own jets, the wealth is unimaginable. (My friend Cam just said she could go to sleep in those pods - losing weight and having a good old snooze - efficient!)

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  17. Wow, pod exercise? For pod people?

    I've so much about the santa monica steps. I'm so bummed on your behalf on missing Matt Damon. I love matt damon.

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    1. Same. And why is he so much more attractive and appealing that his mate Ben?

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  18. Replies
    1. This should be used for the billboard advert when they cordon them off and charge for the pleasure (they are thinking of doing the latter...)

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  19. Where is the outrage at adding all that extra ozone to the atmosphere? Titter, titter...

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    1. Didn't think on that! Those millionaire work out peeps are cutting down on my clean air

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  20. I always get a good laugh whenever I read your posts. I just can't get my head around those strange alien pods coupled with oxygen being pumped in (??!) or something like that. And crazy food too. It's like the world has gone mad and pretentious.

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  21. Pods?!? I always amazed at the lengths to which so many will go to lose and extra few lbs, though I would venture to guess that most LA hot bods in the pods scarcely have a pound to spare!

    I love LA just for it's absolutely and unabashedly pretentious nature.

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  22. OK. Those pods are interesting. Thousands. Wow!

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  23. Jody, Love the Palisades and the Getty. You were so lucky to get down there. Interesting about those stairs. I'm checking them out next time we are down there. It is great that you do all these fun things with your friends.. Always something cool!
    Love your L.A. report!

    xx
    Kim

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