Doing a Christmas afternoon photo session on the campus of Arcadia High School.

Arcadia is located just east of Pasadena, and 20 miles northeast of Los Angeles; thanks to Arcadia being home to Santa Anita Racetrack, Arcadia's public schools are better funded than in the rest of California, and Arcadia has developed a legendary status among wealthy Asian immigrants (especially those from Taiwan) as a result. Having once lived in Arcadia myself, it's always nice to come back for a new look.

This Porsche, race-ready with racing cage and other upgrades, is indicative of Arcadia's affluence. The Asian immigrants, in particular, not only have money, but do love to show off in pricey cars. While Arcadia High School students in the pre-Asian days often worked part-time jobs in order to buy a clunker out of their own pocket, the Asian immigrant students changed the rules in the late 1980s and the early 1990s, getting a Honda Civic or an Acura Integra (or even a BMW 3-series) as Sweet Sixteen birthday presents from their parents. After all, time spent on part-time jobs is time lost for academic preparation for SATs and a possible Harvard admission (and the parents are probably rich enough to shell out hundreds more per month for top-notch tutors).