When in Rome...

Well, at least my blog will be on vacation for Ferragosto.

I have to finish my novel and work on a TV pitch. No vacation for me.

My neighborhood is very popular with tourists and drunk American exchange students so it won't be as quiet as other areas in Rome.

Most of my favorite places are closed until September and the majority of my friends are out of town as well.

This summer has been stressful, but I'm optimistic something great is going to happen soon.

Buon Ferragosto! See in you September.

Jumping The Broom Mondays - DVD & Blu-Ray drop tomorrow!

I still don't have information for European dates, but JTB's DVD & Blu-Ray are being released tomorrow, August 9th, in North America.

There is a featurette. I think I'm in it judging from a clip on the JTB Facebook page. I was crazy nervous during my interview and it shows, &@*%$*!!!

Also, there's commentary track provided by director Salim Akil and actress Paula Patton.

The film did well theatrically (A big thank you to everyone who went to see it) and our fingers are crossed for a successful DVD launch.

JTB is a perfect early Labor Day gift, suitably for the entire family!

Melissa Silverstein of WOMEN AND HOLLYWOOD was very kind to ask me to write a guest post about how our film made it to the big screen on her popular site.

The post is HERE. Thanks Melissa!!

Snapshot Rome - The GAP

Shot on Via del Corso. I'm very curious to see how the clothes in this store will differ from the clothes Stateside. The cuts will definitely have to be smaller. Baggy/loose clothes are not popular here. Even hip-hop loving teenagers don't do baggy.

The last few times I've been in the GAP (at the Grove or Century City in L.A.) were disappointing. The GAP used to be the place to get good, well made basics at decent prices. Now, it's maybe one step above Forever 21. The clothes look and feel cheap. What the heck happened? That said, GAP BODY is fantastic. They have the best cotton underwear, PJs, etc.


UPDATE:
A friend just Tweeted me to say, the GAP opened on Sunday. The cuts are smaller. She bought eleven shirts. Clothes were made in Turkey and Egypt instead of Vietnam.

Italian Driving School Diaries - Back behind the wheel

I'm going to sign up for Rome's Car Sharing program. Since I haven't been behind the wheel in Rome in over two years, I thought it would be a good idea to take two refresher lessons with my former instructor, Bruno.

The good news: I didn't forget how to drive a stick/manual transmission.

The bad news: I get very nervous driving in Rome.

The combination of driving stick (which is new to me) and not being used to scooters or the massive number of pedestrians freaks me out.

In L.A. we don't have to deal with pedestrians. Maybe a few downtown or near Hollywood/Highland, but nobody walks in L.A. You could be driving down Beverly Blvd in the middle of rush hour and count the number of people walking on the sidewalks with one hand.

In Rome, it's a different story.

Bruno said, "have no fear." I know he's right. I hope in time I will get used to driving in Rome.

One my friends who lived in L.A and N.Y.C. before moving to Rome a few years ago, drives like a native. She's going to let me practice driving with her car. I was told (warned) I must drive around Piazza Venezia.

Great.