Rome...should I stay or should I go?

When I went to L.A. I was told by a producer I need to move back if I want to be taken seriously as a screenwriter in Hollywood.

My head was spinning. Of course my career is important to me. I had sacrificed a personal life since college for it.

Well, the joke's on me. If I were paid in full, perhaps the years of working for unstable people 24/7, the migraines and the panic attacks from stress would have been worth it.

I am fine with being single and child free. I'm not happy about being so broke when I first started in Hollywood, I missed weddings and other big occasions in my friends' lives back East. I'm not happy I let my former boss with his passive aggressive bullshit get to me. I'm not happy that at my age I don't own a home and still have no idea how my bills will get paid next year.

I'm older now and once again I made another big change in my life.

It's different this time. The move was to Rome was for my life. I was drowning in L.A. I kept a lot of things to myself but during my return trip every single friend commented on the physical and emotional differences.

Two of my closest friends from L.A. visited Rome during Thanksgiving. We all grew up in the "biz" together. They said it was interesting to see me in this environment and the kind of life I had here.

I thought long and hard about my trip to L.A. Could I move back? Would things be better as a writer vs. an exec? Am I doing great harm to my career by not living in Hollywood?

I did a pros and cons list (hello, I'm a Virgo). At the end, it was no contest. Not even close, I'm not going back.

The simple fact is, there is no guarantee returning to L.A. will make this what I do for a living any easier. One of the top screenwriters said to make it in Hollywood it's in your best interest to be a rich white Jewish male under 30 from the Westside of L.A....extra points if your father was in the business.

I'm none of those things. It's going to be a struggle regardless. I'd rather be in a place I love and where I have a better quality of life.

My lawyer and my manager reminded me that things really started to click for me once I moved. They stressed how difficult the business is and things are only going to get worse. Why fix what's not broken?

One of my friends who visited Rome over Thanksgiving is a producer. She said that the goal is to get movies made, all the rest is BS. We know so many writers who have sold scripts but none of their projects have been made in over twelve years. You can't build a career that way and eventually those writers leave the business.

If I wanted to work in TV I would have to move. Film is different. When I mentioned all the successful screenwriters in the UK, I was told, "you're not a white male and I'm a little worried that you're comparing yourself to Peter Morgan."

I wasn't but I realized at that moment I really can't deal with American ethnocentrism anymore. Film is a global medium. I resent that as a black woman I'm constantly being put in a very narrow box in my home country.

I find it fascinating that an Italian company had no problem buying an idea of mine set in an Italian high school.

I wonder sometimes if my parents were not from another country, would I have the same rah, rah, rah, America is the ONLY country that matters attitude? Of course as a super power we're important but we are part of the global community. Without international box office profits, the studios would go bankrupt.

I don't know what will happen with my career. I do know living in Italy at this point in my life is better for my mental health.

Favorite Things: Restoration Hardware's Cashmere Hot Water Bottle

When I was in Los Angeles, my friend Nichelle gave me this present. She heard about it from another writer.

At first I thought, "What in the old ladies gift is this?" Now, I have seen the light.

It keeps the bed nice and toasty. Very helpful for us single ladies. heh

Over priced Italian restaurants and a list of my fav. restaurants from my L.A. trip.

I met a writer for dinner at AGO. Our dinner for two, with three glasses (not a bottle) of wine and no dessert, came to over $170. Yes, the food was delicious and it was fun to speak Italian with the host. However, that is bananas for some pasta with porcini mushrooms. Really.

I noticed in general the wine lists were very expensive. I get there's a markup and I understand why the Italian, French, South African, etc. wines are pricey but why the heck are California wines so expensive? Are they carrying the wines down the coast on foot from Napa Valley?

Unless an exec is taking me to Ago, I will have to stick to La Buca on Melrose or avoid Italian until I get home. Not sure what it is about L.A. and super expensive Italian restaurants (like Giorgio Baldi). In NYC there's more of a range.

I forgot how insanely huge portions are in most American restaurants after being gone for almost three years.

The only meal I could finish was my lunch at sushi restaurant The Izaka-ya. What's the deal with these massive portions? How do the restaurants turn a profit?

I had lunch with an actress from Canada at a place in Century City Mall. When we picked up our bowls, she said I had to take a photo.

I don't think the picture does it justice. I was starving that day. I could barely make it though 1/3 of this dish...a serving for one person. My friend couldn't finish her's either.

One serving of noodles is half a cup. I'm pretty sure my dish had at least four servings.



Here are the places I enjoyed during my trip.

TLAPAZOLA
A small Southern Mexican restaurant my hosts took me to. I would have never found it as it's tucked away in a small strip-mall on the Westside.
11676 Gateway Blvd (near Pico)
310-477-1577

TASTE
A big fan. Used to eat there all the time.
8454 Melrose Avenue (West Hollywood)
323-852-6888

THE IZAKYA-YA BY KATSU-YA
This is the more laid back version of Katsu-ya but it's just as delicious. Returning for a lunch with my former co-workers was a blast. If you're into celebrity sightings this place is full of them.
8420 West Third Street (West Hollywood)
323-782-9536

BOTTEGA LOUIE
700 South Grand Avenue (Downtown)
213-802-1470
This restaurant opened after I left. It's Downtown with a great energy. It's loud so not the place for a quiet dinner. I was told the Lakers (not a fan) go there after games at the Staples Center. I had a very good burger and their cocktails are outstanding.




BLD (BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER)
Very popular for brunch
7450 Beverly Blvd. (West Hollywood)
323-930-9744

BORDER GRILL
1445 4th Street (Santa Monica)
310-451-1655
An oldie but goodie for Mexican food.

HOUSTON'S
202 Wilshire Blvd. (Santa Monica)
310-576-7558
Does anyone remember the original restaurant in Georgetown (DC)?
I always get the chicken salad. I say I will try something new but then I don't.

TART
115 South Fairfax (near The Grove)
323-937-3930
The restaurant for the funky hotel, The Farmer's Daughter, TART is known for their somewhat pricey but good breakfast.

I also went to Quality on 3rd. Their biscuits still rock but the service was terrible. Especially since it wasn't crowded.

Lo Shopping: Los Angeles edition. Club Monaco and J.Crew FTW

It's election day in the States today. I dropped off my absentee ballot while I was in L.A. Tomorrow we will have a new Speaker of the House.

Speaking of Los Angeles (okay, that was a stretch) I didn't have time or the budget to hit any of the fantastic boutiques on 3rd, Beverly, Abbott Kinney, etc. I desperately needed some basics, like one pair of jeans.

Clothes in Europe are a slimmer cut. What is a 6 in America is a 10 here (seriously) and most stores do not go much higher than than.

Having a limited budget forces me to pay attention to every single thing I buy. Even when my financial situation improves I will continue to do so.

THE GAP
What is going on with this store? Patrick Robinson is a very talented designer. I do not understand why the clothes looked so awful and the fit sucked. I used to have excellent luck with their jeans. This time no dice. The fabric felt and looked cheap and none of the styles fit.

I know they are opening one in Milan and Rome soon. We'll see what they'll sell here. Maybe I've aged out of the GAP? Then again, how can you age out of classics? The GAP has been struggling for years. They're getting slammed on the lower-end by H&M/Zara and on the higher-end by J.Crew.

GAP BODY
That said, I went to the Gap Body section in their store at The Grove. Hands down one of the best places for yoga pants, cotton panties (much better quality than Victoria's Secrets) and PJs.

KIEHL'S
I went to the one on Robertson. Friendly, helpful and generous with the samples. I finally tried the Olive Fruit Oil Deeply Repairative Hair Pak after hearing so many people rave about it. Blogger Afrobella also said it was a great product for black women with natural hair. Worth every single penny. It's an excellent conditioner.

BLOOMINGDALES
I interned at the flagship NYC store during college. I've always loved this store, especially for cosmetics, shoes, housewares and bedding.

I stuck to my list and stayed on the first floor. I wish Bobbi Brown sold her cosmetics in Rome. New color lipstick for me, her Blackberry. It's a pretty plummy color and the closest I could get to a discontinued Trish McEvoy shade. I almost got sidetracked at the Chanel counter but remembered they sell Chanel all over Rome.

CLUB MONACO
The J. Crew of Canada. I can't find any of the dresses I bought online for a photo so believe me when I say I scored. I wore one of the dresses, this Jackson Pollack type print, to a drinks a friend hosted for me at the Avalon pool bar. I received so many compliments on it. Several women said they were going to buy the dress. I have a particular shape, it's hard for me to find things that fit. I always find well-cut, fashionable (without being too trendy) clothes at Club Monacao. Their color palette is not as wide as J.Crew but I think both stores do Modern Classic well. Club Monaco is more Pradaish while J. Crew is preppier.

J. Crew
I have worn J. Crew since it was catalog only, then became a regular at their first retail store in NYC's South Street Seaport. The founder was from Montclair, NJ and the clothes used to have a very East Coast, outdoorsy prep school vibe. I've seen the brand struggle when they tried to be too fashion forward and when it because super popular. First Lady Michelle Obama has definitely increased the brand's profile. When her daughters wore J. Crewcuts (the online store for children) to the Inauguration, so many people went online it caused the site to crash. At J. Crew's 3rd Street Promenade store I finally found a pair of jeans. They fit perfectly. There were so many things I wanted to buy but remembered I have to pay rent.

BANANA REPUBLIC
Stuck out here. I did buy some tights and a sweater but their clothes seemed too business casual to me and kind of boring. I used to find great dresses there but that was over six years ago.

FRED SEGAL on Melrose
Went to look for a turban but all they had were headbands. The clothes in this store are too fabulous for mere mortals as myself. I went into the shoe department. There wasn't a pair under $500. Even when I have money I will never spend hundreds of dollars on a T-Shirt. I go through white v-neck T-Shirts pretty quickly. I'll stick with J.Crew and Club Monaco's.

However, it's a great place to buy gifts, books, candles, stationary etc.

NYC's Magnolia Bakery has opened a bakery in L.A.

Back home in Rome.

My trip to L.A. (my first to the States since moving aboard) was very productive. I will write later about the whole "you need to move back for your career" advice I received.

I feel like I gained at least half the weight I lost. I went a little bananas with the junk food.

My former co-workers took me to lunch at the amazing sushi restaurant, Izaka-ya by Katsu-ya, on 3rd street. George Clooney's girl friend Elisabetta Canalis was at the table next to us. She's stunning in person. As is Kelly Osborne who was with her mother and brother at the table behind us. Has Kelly spoken about her weight loss? It seems like she's everywhere lately.

After lunch we walked up the corner to Magnolia Bakery. The bakery was one of my favorite places in NYC. This branch opened a few months ago in a former dry cleaning store.

If I still lived in L.A. I would probably eat a cupcake, a slice of cake or the banana pudding everyday as it's walk distance from my old apartment. Delicious.

It smelled so good in there.





CAKE!!





I really like the decor. This shade of blue is very pretty.

Flashback Friday - The Mamas & The Papas "California Dreamin'"

I heard this song the other day zipping down Olympic Blvd. The weather has been cold, foggy, and rainy. I forgot how thick the marine layer can be.

I love the harmony in this song. Simply gorgeous.

Have a great weekend.

"WTF. Are you aging backwards?!"

A producer asked me that question. I feel like Benjamin Button.

Here are some more quotes from my L.A. trip:


"If you move back to L.A. I will kick your ass."

"Why do you look younger?" Studio executive.
"Because she moved out of this crazy ass city," Agent.

"You haven't aged at all."

"How is it possible you've lost weight eating pasta?"

"Are you dating?"

"Who are you dating?"

"Do you have a hot lover?"

"What's up with the sexy times?"

"I like your hair. You found a hairdresser in Rome who knows how to cut black hair?"

"Do you speak Italian?"

"Tell me what do you do everyday." (I heard that one a lot)

"Do you miss L.A.?"

"What do you eat?"

"Are you in love...what's his name?"

"How do Italian women wear high heels on cobble stone streets?"

"You're glowing."

"I hate you."

Flashback Friday - Swimming With Sharks

Perhaps this movie from 1994 should be filed under documentary.

Check out Benecio in one of his first roles.

The shoulder pads are huge.

Have a great weekend.

Randomissimo - Hollywood Edition

Ciao Bloggisti from "The Big Orange". Hmmm, I was never a fan of that nickname.

This is my first trip back to America since moving to Rome. Many expat friends told me I would have reverse culture shock. However, other than almost passing out in the supermarkets (more on that later) and the strangeness of not hearing Italian all the time, it feels like I never left. The traffic still sucks, people still complain about the "biz", and barely anyone walks on the street.

With three hours of arriving at L.A.X. I saw my former boss in Beverly Hills. I went to buy a phone at AT&T on Santa Monica Blvd and Bedford. As I crossed the intersection, a car beeped at me. I thought the driver was honking at the lady next to me who had a ton of cleavage going on, so I ignored them. Then someone rolled down the window and said my name. It was Don Cheadle in the back seat. Random.

You know you're on the West Side in L.A. when there's Valet Parking at a supermarket. That the store is already in a mall with plenty of parking and there's still Valet, says a lot.

I walked into Gelson's and almost passed out (same thing happened earlier at Ralphs). So big! All the choices! The fruit is perfectly lined up (and super expensive). I was paraphrasing Kanye in my head, "Yo Italy, I'mma let you finish but America has the best junk food of all time!"

Seriously, I forgot about the soda, chips, cookies aisle. Where did all these new products come from? There are like ten different versions of the Oreo cookie.

I bought the Entenmann's Raspberry Danish. It couldn't be helped. I was craving it a few weeks back. I was filled with joy as the lady rung it up. It takes so little to make me happy. It's kind of sad.

Within the first 24 hours of my arrival, I was told by two industry execs I need to move back to L.A. if I want to have a career in this business. Heavy thing to think about. Still processing.

Why the hell is there June Gloom in the middle of October? The marine layer is so thick.

Club Monaco, how I've missed you. I'm loving the new items for fall.

The friend I'm staying with went with me to Club Monaco and told me I need to accept that I have lost weight since moving to Italy. I keep trying on clothes a size too big. She insisted I go down a size. She was right.

I have no money yet I went to J. Crew and other places anyway (I'll do a Lo Shopping post later) as I have no clothes. I have a zillion meetings, lunches, dinners and I can't be looking crazy. I'm justify the spending the money as early Christmas present. Plus I'm super stressed about my career (especially after the "you need to move back" comment) and some retail therapy was needed ASAP.

I'm looking for a turban. Haven't found any.

Nobody flirts.

Mexican food, hello, I've missed you too.

Downtown L.A. more restaurants and services (supermarkets etc.) have opened in the last 2 1/2 years. I had a dinner meeting at a new place called Bottega Louis. It's Italian so I had a burger as I can eat Italian when I get home. The burger was amazing. More on that place in a upcoming food post.

The weaves are still out of control.

There is an Obika (an Italian restaurant based in Rome) in Century City Mall! I can't believe it. It was packed at lunch time.

Traffic is still horrendous. Nobody should talk smack about drivers in Jersey until they have tried to go anywhere in Beverly Hills during the middle of the day. People, please use the freaking turn signal and get off your cellphones.

I was worried about driving as I haven't been behind the wheel in a year. It's fine and fun (when not sitting in traffic). I have an automatic. I can't imagine trying to tackle that hill at La Cienega and Sunset with a stick. I slide backwards with an automatic. Maybe next time, if the rental car company has them, I'll get a stick. I don't want to forget how to drive one after spending all that money at the L'Autoscuola.

I miss Rome.

Air France has great service.

Going through U.S. Customs was interesting. Very intense. We had to put all our bags on the ground so the cute security dog (a beagle) could sniff them. I was asked a bunch of questions. The officers were friendly but for foreign visitors it must be a pain to have to get your fingerprints scanned, etc.

The mood of the electorate is beyond angry. The mid-term elections are going to be brutal.

There's a lot of Spanish spoke in Los Angeles. Thanks to learning Italian I can understand some of it.

I met a black security guard named O.J. I feel bad for brotherman.

Century City Mall, not as amazing as Short Hills (Jersey for the win) but it's a darn good mall.

All the leaf blowers, that sound is so L.A. to me.

Trying not to have a panic attack about my career. Could I move back? I have a lot to think about on this trip.