I Believe I’m Losing Focus.. But It's All Good!!

Successful Women

Lately I have realized that even if I am really involved in school, most of the activities I am participating into are not strictly related to my major or what I think I will be doing in life. In fact, most of the times, my positions in the clubs I’m involved into are Public Relation Leader/Historian/Event Planner etc and not Filmmaker or Film Producer. However, even if these positions do not directly relate to what I believe is my interest, they still give me numerous opportunities to learn, expand my mind and become more independent! For example, who would have thought that organizing events would make me develop the skill to build strong and useful connections?? Well, if you don’t make connection in the film industry, I assure you, you don’t end up ANYWHERE! 

We pretty cool 'aight?

The last decision that is really far off from where I come from or where I want to go to is to attend the Sacramento Internship from the 1st till the 7th of April. I have never been interested in politics and I have to ashamedly admit that I know NOTHING about the politics of my own country. It is embarrassing but I know more about American than Italian political affairs.. However, lately the college environment has exposed me to many different political and social issues that previously I would have never thought would interest me. I finally understood how much potential each individual has in making our community a better and more just place, and I am ready to learn more about all this political stuff!! Now that I think about it, if one day I want to make a meaningful movie, it is necessary to have great knowledge on a variety of issues such as politics, society, culture, history etc… I will be one step ahead with a bigger luggage filled with knowledge.

We'll spend lots of time in here...

Today we had a formal meeting on the SBCC campus for the Sacramento Internship and I realized that I know most of the people that are coming!!! It will be such a fun and great learning experience.. All the interns will be sharing a room with another student in a nice hotel in Sacramento and the school will provide us with breakfast, two dinners and transportation. During the day we will meet with important politicians and experts to further our political knowledge on a variety of different issues.. I cannot wait for this, and I more sure than ever that it's not a loss of focus from my future goals, but just an indispensable addition to them. 

Let Women Be

Such a beautiful day

Today was a great day because it was International Women’s Day!!! Isn’t it crazy that women have a special day just to celebrate how unique and powerful we are? Oh yeah, we need this day to acknowledge how awesome we are!! Ook.. Let’s not make it an extremist feminist post… However, we don’t have to forget that there is a reason for having a women’s day that is not only to celebrate how great women are. As many of you might know, just a few decades ago women weren’t even considered eligible to vote! Nowadays we think that giving the right to vote to both women and men it’s an ordinary and not surprising thing… But gender inequality is still dominant in many departments of our and foreign societies, and this is way we need this special day.

Lately on Facebook there was an official SBCC Event that promoted International Women’s day and that asked to wear read to symbolize unity among the female community. When I woke up this morning, to support this amazing day I wore a red T-shirt, a red hat and red shoes and I was ready to shine! I was waring so much red that I felt like a juicy tomato walking on the SBCC campus. But, oh well, red is my favorite color, so why not wear it for such an important purpose??

A red spot on the lawn

As I was walking on the SBCC West Campus I saw a bunch of people standing or seated down on the West Campus Lawn. In front of them a microphone hold by a woman dressed in red. Powerful speeches concerning gender equality, unity, love, and peace were delivered by different speakers that would get up and grab the mic. It was so emotional to see how much people care about making society better for every individual regardless of their gender, characteristics and preferences. I am so glad that in America women’s day is such a great day.

iHeart Radio Music Awards!!!

Amazing ticket of mine :)

What a wonderful experience today!!! I cannot wait to tell you all about this overwhelming Sunday… Well, let me start right now! This weekend I had the great opportunity to attend the iHeart Radio Music Awards held at the Los Angeles Forum in Inglewood. My friends Christian, my friend Claire and I put our names in a ballot and we all won a free ticket to the Awards pit! Isn’t it all incredible??

Chainsmokers with the Mic, and me on the right :)

As I mentioned, the awards were in LA, and as probably I have mentioned I have a driver license but I don't have a car! Besides, my friend Claire doesn’t have a car either and at the beginning Christian, the only person with a car, wasn’t supposed to come.. Not to mention, the Californian public transportation system sucks and there was no way for us to get to LA but getting an Uber for 200$… Ok, the search for a transportation lasted about two days and then Shivani came up to me and said that I could borrow her own car for the weekend… Wooooooww! Problem solved, yo. So, on Sunday morning, Claire and I left Santa Barbara at 11.00am with a shiny car and two awesome tickets. It was my first time driving to LA all by myself but I made it out all in one piece!! 

The best....

When we got to the address typed on the ticket, we parked the car and then we lined up for the check-in. At about 2:30 the event organizers loaded us on big buses and escorted us to the Forum… After a quick debrief on how to behave in the pit once the show would start, we waited for an hour in the forum’s pit… That hour was one of the longest of my life, but then… Light, Camera, Action!!! The live show had started!!! Awards were given out and outstanding performances of artists such as Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, The Chainsmokers, Coldpaly and Ed Sheeran were taking place all around us… Even Miley Cyrus, John Legend and Justin Timberlake were in the same room as I was… Craaaazy!!! Oh and I forgot to mention that I for the whole day I didn't have time to eat ANYTHING.. So after the show I went with Claire and Cristian to Rusco’s and got the best Fried Chicken & Waffles…

Lots of Goooooooddd Food!!!

And this is the time of the year when the awesome SBCC Ambassadors organize the International Food Fair!!! Yesterday, all the Ambassadors brought at the Antioch University patio lots of food from their country of origin that they personally cooked!! Each country had their own table with the correspondent flag hanging in the front and lots of good food was being served!! I would day that the International Food Fair is one of the most successful Ambassadors’s events because it gathers lots of people from City College, but also from Antioch and UCSB and it is able to celebrate diversity just though tasting.

Friday morning I went to Tino’s (the only Italian grocery shop in SB) and I bought all the necessary ingredients to make TIRAMISU!! Last year, I made two trays and I didn’t even have the chance to try it!! This year instead, with the help of my friends Brian and David we made four trays!! Its took us an hour and a half but it was delicious and at the food fair it finished in just 30 minutes!!! People just loved it and I am so glad that this Italian dessert is always such a success.. Proud of my country!

After finishing serving all the four trays of tiramisu, I went around and socialized with new people and grabbed all the possible food!! This event is amazing to meet new people, chat, have fun with friends and try foods that I have never tried before. Even if there was lots of good stuff, Linh’s Vietnamese egg rolls are always the best… She made nearly two hundred of them and they finished as quickly as my tiramisu!! Wow!! Luckily she saved me two and i had the opportunity to savor this delicious egg rolls. I am so sad that this will be my last Ambassadors food fair… We can have it just once a semester and this is going to be my last… Uff… Maybe I’ll create my own international food fair wherever I transfer next year!!!

Beautiful Minds and Beautiful Shows

Looking sharp at Finch & Fork

This week has been filled with events and great meetings!! It is impressive how sometimes the week gets inexplicably busy! But you know, once you get involved with school activities and projects, it is like getting sucked into a black hole and it is impossible to get out of it!!! In particular, this Wednesday I have attended the Our Revolution screening of the documentary “Requiem for the American Dream” followed by a discussion between Professor Bobro, Professor Martorana and Professor Zare. On Thursday, I had the amazing opportunity to attend the panel called “Untold History, Uncertain Future” held by screenwriter, film director and producer Oliver Stone and History Professor and Nuclear Studies Institute Director Peter Kuznick. And finally, I went to my old host family house to watch the most wonderful show of the year: THE OSCARS!!!

Bla Bla Bla

Both the documentary screening and the panel were super interesting and addressed important issues in a very interesting way. The documentary starred Noam Chomsky, one of the most brilliant minds of the the century, and he “discussed how the concentration of wealth and power among a small elite has polarized American society and brought about the decline of the middle class”. Very interesting and eyeopening! Instead, the following day the whole Phi Theta Kappa leadership went to have a formal dinner at Finch & Fork and then attended the panel organized by the notable Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. It was unbelievable to see that even famous and affirmed film directors such as Oliver Stone can have a clear interest in the issues regarding war, government and politics… Really cool!

Walking on the Red Carpet

As for the Oscars… Well, it has been an amazing night! At about 5.00pm I took an Uber and went to Marcella’s house, my favorite host mum, and as soon as I arrived could tell the party was on!! She adorned the house with “Hollywood and Celebrity” decorations, and inside the house there were also prompts such to take Hollywood style pictures. The TV was screening the oscars and pizza and snacks were served!!! The Oscars were an amazing show this year, starting from Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue to the big screw up in delivering the award for best picture to the wrong nominated movie. So much fun!!! Besides the Oscar, I loved being back.. It feels so much like home and I really miss being at Marcella’s house. She had done so much and took care of me for whole year she is truly my American mum. Can’t wait to be back and visit her again!! 

Let’s start this Spring Break…

Not bad uh!

Oh my goodness…. Finally some time to sleep and relax… I NEEDED this Spring Break to start more than anything else in the world. I have been doing so much this semester that I really needed to stop for one second and take care of myself. Initially I was planning on leaving and going somewhere with a group of ten friends… But then, destiny made me stay at home and enjoy relaxing days with my closest friends. This weekend, I have organized a BBQ at my place and then I went on a hike today at the Gaviota hot springs. Let me tell you more about it!!!

Typical Rooftop Picture

As you may know if you have been reading my blog, BBQs at my place were tradition last semester. However, this semester is has been rainy and cold until a couple of days ago… So, after checking the weather app on my iPhone, I have created a group chat and invited everybody over for a barbecue this past Friday!!! It was a little cold and windy, but this didn’t stop us from savoring delicious barbecued meat and chips! The music was playing and the fire was worming us up… I felt like I was in a movie and I can’t wait to organize another one.

Mud Time!!

Today instead, when I woke up at 11:00am, my friend Farbod called me up and invited me to go on a hike with him, Brian, Alec and Stellan. It was a long time that I had been wanting to go to the Gaviota Hot Springs hike and enjoy the natural thermal waters… We got in the car and we went straight there!!! We hiked for fifteen minutes and there the hot springs were waiting for us.. Nobody was in them and everybody was questioning if we should get in or not. I wanted to get in but nobody was supporting me and so we continued hiking up the mountain. After an hour or so we got back to the host springs and about five people were enjoying the warm water. At that point, nobody could have persuaded me not to get in… I put my swim suit on and I jumped in!!! Then, Farbod, Alec and Stellan joined me and we even put “healthy mud” on out faces!!!! Nice way to start spring break: a free SPA session!

Ice Skating with the PODS!!

This Spring 2017 semester I am again a PODS Leader for the Honors Program and I am loving it!!! (Right here you can read my post about what PODS are) This semester POD has changed a lot because I have five new people who joined, and different people create different vibes. It is amazing how the dynamics of a group change in relation to the people who join the group. This semester in my POD there is still one of my old members, Maddy, but also four awesome new people called Cameron, Jamela, Moritz, and Melissa. Since the first day we immediately clicked and we have already organized an amazing activity together: ice skating at Ice In Paradise!!!

Maddy aiding Shivani :)

Even if six people was already a really good number we decided to open the event to any other Honors Program friend who wanted to join. We met at the ice rink in Goleta at 7.30pm and we ended up being ten people!!! Maddy and I had already been skating for a while and so we were the ones helping out our honorable honors people up on their feet! But we didn’t have to look after them that much because they were all pretty amazing!! In particular, Brian had never been skating before but he managed to stand on his feet the whole time without even holding onto the  sides of the rink!! WOOOW! Congrats, Brian!!!

At 9.00pm we started feeling a little cold and tired and we decided to leave. It was really such an amazing experience and we all had a blast! I am so happy we decided to organize this wonderful event and involve so many people in it. As soon as it will be warmer, we have already planned to go kayaking as last semester, but also to hike to the Gaviota Hot Springs and have some dinner together one of these nights!! The PODS are just so much fun, and it is so enjoyable to spend time with this amazing group of people… Love you all guys! You are awesome!!!