Name: Marco Vega

Age: 41

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Occupation: Systems Analyst

Status: Taken

Diva Minds Want to Know…

1. Where do you like to flirt?

It would be a shorter list to say where I don’t flirt: The boys’ room, period. Everywhere else is allowed. Elevators, grocery stores, at the intersection, on the freeway. Grocery stores are great because you get to meet great looking ladies who take care of their bodies; and if they do that, they also care for their minds and their men. Trader Joe’s stores and Whole Foods are among the best places with the best looking people.

2. Where is your favorite table for two?

Myself being of the Hispanic persuasion, I am apt to eat accordingly. The Cuban Versaille in Culver City is one of my favorites. Another one is in Hollywood. This is a Peruvian all time favorite: Mario’s on Vine and Melrose. There is also a romantic haunt next to the beach—Italian restaurant in Marina del Rey: C&O. This place has lively music and great food.

3. Where should we stay when we visit?

There is no other place than Santa Monica. Well, there are, but you won’t get the variety of shops, things to do and to see as good old Santa Monica. Although it’s the beach, it is also close to Hollywood and Beverly Hills (all cool, trendy places).

4. What qualities do you find irresistible in a woman?

The eyes are irresistible. The eyes speak volumes and men should learn to listen to them. Another one is a healthy and positive disposition. Women who snarl or just plain look like they’re having a bad day, I avoid like the plague.

5. Where can we find you on a free Sunday afternoon?

Sunday afternoons I’m usually walking at the beach or sipping a cup of joe by the beach reading a book. Another favorite activity for Sundays is the bookstore (by the beach—where else). Sometimes I also cruise on my motorbike along the beach. Notice a trend here?

6. What do you love most about your hometown (besides our arrival)?

One of the cool things about LA is its diversity. Truly, there are gorgeous people from the world over. They’re all healthy, great disposition, great bodies, great minds. Of course, the weather is great too. Because people are so healthy and the weather is so nice, we flaunt it. Other places in the US are usually cold, windy or just plain muggy. In LA, with its gorgeous weather, people show their best assets—themselves.

7. What should we bring when we visit? What should we leave with?

Bring suntan lotion, sunglasses and a bikini because you’ll want to be at the beach because that’s where a lot of people action takes place. The other important thing to bring is your genuine smile. In LA people are very relaxed and easy going and their interactions are the same. Smile a lot. You should leave with a relaxed body and a renewed mind. Put a few grains of sand in a small bottle, to remind you of sunny California.

8. What do we absolutely have to see while we’re there?

A few of the musts for a tourist are Santa Monica beach, The Getty Museum and Hollywood. Two of these places are where locals hang out and the other is a tourist trap, respectively. But you’ll begin to understand the California mindset once you visit.

9. Any areas of town we should avoid?

Unfortunately, just like any big town, there are areas to avoid. Avoid the 405 and the 10 freeways during rush hour. You’ll hate it here if you get stuck in it. Avoid going to South Central—this is anywhere south of the 10 and east of the 405. Think of these areas as your boundaries. Avoid downtown at all costs. Go there if you must, like to see Chinatown or Little Tokyo or the Museum of Contemporary Art, but stick to these.

10. Any local secrets you want to share?

Come to have fun, to enjoy the sun, the beach, the variety of food and it will show in your smile. And when you smile, you’ll see smiles around you. One of those smiles will have twinkling eyes and you will then fall in love—if not with the person, then with California.