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.

Flashback Friday - Run-DMC - Peter Piper

Man, do I feel old. This song came out 25 years ago.

I saw the Jimmy Fallon/Justin Timberlake clip of the hip-hop medley they did backed by The Roots. Priceless.

One of the songs was this classic. Good times. Remember those huge glasses? I think they're coming back.

RIP Jam Master J.

Have a great weekend.

I'm going to rebuild my wardrobe (eventually). My Style Inspiration: Shala Monroque

Despite having no money, I've been pulling photos from magazines and fashion/design blogs as I dream about rebuilding my wardrobe.

I was having dinner with an expat friend. Like me, she also lived in Los Angeles before moving to Rome. I told her most of my clothes are too casual for Rome and for my age.

When I moved to Los Angeles from New York City, I had a lot of black (of course) and winter clothes in my closet. It was all wrong for sunny Southern California.

The style of the two coasts couldn't be more different. However, one positive thing about moving West was, I started to add more color to my wardrobe. With my dark complexion certain brights, yellows, blues, greens, really pop. When I would wear white (rare as it gets dirty quickly) my friends/colleagues would always compliment me.

Black was a uniform for me and my co-workers when I lived in NYC. It was easy and flattering (so I thought).

My L.A. wardrobe was all over the map and not in a good way. My body and L.A. "fashion" do not mix. I can't wear cute cammies over skinny jeans as my large breasts are real and therefore I need a bra. I think it's weird to see women in their 50s dressing like teenagers. I get it though. The pressure in L.A. to look like a member of "The Hills" is unrelenting.

Now, I'm ten years older and living in a city that's closer to NYC than L.A. when it comes to fashion. I have yet to see an Italian woman or man in the supermarket wearing pajama bottoms.

Thanks to the "Jersey Shore", people think people from Jersey dress like Snooki and Jwwow (even though both of them are from Upstate New York).

That was not the case in Verona, New Jersey, where I went to junior high and high school. It was the 80s and the most popular style was preppy. Sure there were a few girls who had super big hair but looking through my yearbook, there was a lot of L.L. Bean and Izod. And the Madonna influence. Some girls would combine both.

Someone said "Style is what you have, not what you buy." Fashion is different from style. A stylish persons looks great regardless of what is going on in fashion. They know what looks good on their body.

I wasn't sure what the hell my style was when was in L.A. During the move to Rome I had to seriously downsize. Then I realized my style is Classic/Eclectic, bigger emphasis on Classic. While I can appreciate minimalism, it doesn't work for my short, curvy body. Bohemian can dwarf me, or make me look like I'm wearing a costume.

As I get older I have more confidence to embrace color and my Caribbean roots have definitely influenced me. This bring me to Ms. Monroque. It seems like she's everywhere lately. Vogue (American and international editions), Harper's Bazaar, fashion blogs, etc.

Shala's from St. Lucia and moved to New York ten years ago. The editor-at-large of POP Magazine has great style. She was rocking turbans before they became "on trend". I adore turbans and wanted to get one for years but worried I would look like Mrs. Roeper. Having a short natural, there are days I am so sick of my hair.

I would wear scarves once in a while in L.A. but felt like I stood out too much. Now I don't care. I don't have a weave so I will never fit in there anyway.

Shala travels a lot for work and was the talk of the town during last year's fashion weeks. Her boyfriend is influential art dealer Larry Gagosian.

It's fantastic how she mixes high end designers like Prada and Hermes with vintage she finds on Ebay.

Here's a LINK to the Style Spotlight blog with some photos.

I love, love, love, the white and yellow Prada skirt, the red dress and the black outfit at the top of the page.

I started to write down the things I need to get my wardrobe together. Number one is a single-breasted trench coat. They're not easy to find and I can't wear double-breasted. Wait, I'm broke, I can't buy one now anyway.

Also, I'm going figure out how to wear heels on cobblestone streets. I have a few pairs of great shoes I don't wear in Rome. They're just sitting there in their boxes. Sad.

Fatamorgana Gelateria in Prati...I DIE!

Yes, I had to channel Rachel Zoe. It's that good.

Last week my friend Annie, concerned about my mental health, picked me up on her scooter and we went to try out the gelateria several friends have raved about.

I had an hour or so before a conference call with my manager regarding the latest draft of my spec. It felt good to actually leave my apartment.

It's funny that my favorite gelato places in Rome are all in Prati. So despite living within walking distance of the San Crispino by the Pantheon, I find myself in super residential Prati (not close to my house at all) eating gelato.

Fatamorgana is outstanding. It's fresh, made without preservatives and some of their flavors are very creative.

It was so delicious, Annie had to get two cones. The prices are cheaper than what you pay in the Center.

I didn't try the infamous Kentucky flavor as I'm more of a fruit person.

I will be back. It's located two blocks from the Trionfale Market and worth the schlep.

Fatamorgana
Via G. Bettolo, 7 (Prati)
website


I was overwhelmed by the choices. I went with one scoop of cherry and one scoop of blueberry cheesecake. Outstanding. I returned later in the week and had the vanilla with caramel. So freaking good.


Annie with her first cone. She had the Greek yogurt with Cacao. I'm going to get that next time if they have it.

Flashback Friday - R.I.P. Tony Curtis

Hollywood icon Tony Curtis died yesterday at the age of 85. He acted in over 150 films and was an accomplished writer and painter.

SOME LIKE IT HOT is one of my favorite films. I'm also a big fan of the following:

Exhausted, brain fried, overwhelmed, the Tea Party and watching bad reality TV.

I have a new manager. She's great. I love working with her. She's very proactive and doesn't play. She gave me an outrageous deadline for the rough draft of my latest spec. I met it, writing up to 17 pages a day.

With every rewrite the deadlines are shorter. Her notes have been brilliant. We talk about each draft, what's working, what's not. She asks me hard questions about the creative choices I've made.

This weekend was a killer. I wrote all day. Now I'm sitting in my apartment and I'm overwhelmed by the mess. My place is TINY. How the heck did it get so messy so quickly?

I HATE clutter. Like an almost irrational dislike for it (thanks Mom). One of my friends used to have an office with scripts everywhere. I used to get anxious sitting in her office and would wait for her by her assistant's desk.

I can't afford a cleaning lady. I know it's not that expensive but that's my grocery money.

I don't even know where to start. Dishes, ironing, sweeping? Not to mention some of the bigger jobs like switching my closet from summer to fall clothes. Since I live in Europe and have no closet space, all my fall clothes are in under the bed storage boxes.

I also need to mop my hardwood floors, clean the windows, dust everything, clear my dining table of scripts, notes, magazines etc.

I live alone in a 40 square meter apartment (approx. 430 sq feet). My commute consists of walking three feet from my bedroom to my living room/kitchen/family room/office.

As I have mentioned before, my mom somehow managed to work, commute, raise a family, cook, keep a spotless house, etc. Yes, we had chores and my dad helped (mostly outdoors stuff) but it's not like I was cooking dinner.

On the other hand, my mom didn't spend time on the Internet reading about the cast of Jersey Shore. Can I say I find it depressing that Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino is going to make 5-10 million dollars this year?!

Why the hell did I go to college or work so hard again? Why is Bristol on Dancing With The Stars? Why am I still broke?

Instead of cleaning I'd rather read fashion and home design blogs. I had to take a break from the news as this election cycle is making me downright stabby. If any of the Tea Party far right lunatics get elected to the Senate or Governorship, I fear for my home country. Why is the GOP trying to act like this is a good thing for them? The Tea Party candidates are knocking out incumbents/stronger Republican candidates and giving the Democrats a better change to hold on to or to win seats. Are they scared of the Tea Party? Why? Where are the moderate Republicans?!

There are not enough words for me to describe how much I dislike Sarah Palin. I will never forgive John McCain for unleashing this ignorant hypocrite on the American people. What happened to the John McCain from the 2000 election?

I watched a new reality show on E! about an entertainment P.R. firm in L.A. That almost pushed me over the edge. This partner in the firm told a young first year associate she needed to put collagen in her top lip because it was too thin. Mind you the woman is gorgeous. She goes with an older colleague to the doctor's office and starts crying. The doctor gives her a temporary filler that lasts a few hours. Even for that she had to get shots and there was a little bleeding.

She returns to work and her boss is like you look great. The other partner could tell she was upset. Then when she said she couldn't go through the real procedure, he flipped out. He started yelling at her and berating her in front of everyone.

I wanted to reach through the screen and punch him out. This sexist Ed Hardy wearing jerk needs to look in a mirror. I doubt any real client would care about the jr. publicist's face and would be more concerned about her ability to do her damn job. The sad thing is PR is one of the most stressful jobs out there. Shows like this makes it seem like it's a fall back job for people who are shallow but can't be famous themselves so they work for celebs instead. For example, this firm asked Mario Lopez to host a party for a tanning lotion. Mario is Mexican-American and has tan skin. He doesn't use or need tanning lotion. He told them that. He did it anyway. I wonder how much he was paid.

Not all reality is mindless. Top Chef and Project Runway are very interesting.

Okay, so why did I bust out laughing when I saw the photo of Bishop Eddie Long rocking skin-tight Spandex? Why are the folks who are the most publicly homophobic the ones who keep getting busted? Why would Bishop send such a photo to anyone other than perhaps a personal trainer?

Speaking of personal trainer, Tracy Anderson needs to STFU about her "Teeny Tiny body" claims.

Alright this post was longer than I intended. I'm procrastinating. My mind is spinning in a million different directions. I have a lot of questions but will save them for another day.

I'm going to drink a glass of wine and make some dinner. Of course this means I will have even more dishes to clean. Arrrgh

Flashback Friday - Desperately Seeking Susan - Trailer

This movie came out 25 years ago? How is that possible?!

Madonna was living Downtown and was cast before her singing career blew up. She was perfect in the role. I'm not sure what happened to her acting career. Bad choices?

The City has changed a lot since the early '80s. The film captured a pretty unique moment.

This trailer cracks me up. The narration is not great.

Have an excellent weekend.

Favorite Things: Gerbera Daisies.

Yes, I watch my budget closely but decided the 4 euros I paid for these flowers was worth it. It meant one less gelato or glass of wine that week.

I put them in an old milk bottle I bought at Gelson's supermarket in L.A. I know it's kind of wacky this silly bottle made the move overseas but I love it.

When I start making money I will always have fresh flowers in my apartment. Gerbera Daisies, along with Peonies, are among my favorite flowers.

Once I do buy a house in the country, I plan to work with a fab landscape architect and plant a gorgeous flower garden. I'm being optimistic despite having no idea how I will pay rent in a few months. I continue to read home design magazines/blogs and real estate ads for houses in Piemonte and Puglia. Denial is a good thing sometimes.

I wonder if there's a flower mart in Rome, similar to the ones in NYC or L.A. If so, is it near the Center?

Flashback Friday - Lucy Pearl - Dance Tonight - From the Love And Basketball Soundtrack

The first job I had in the film business was on the movie Love And Basketball.

I had moved out to L.A. a few months earlier with a few names and no job prospects. Looking back, I must have been on crack. I should have moved after saving up some money. Anyway, I had to start all over again. I was the oldest assistant on set and was told to lie about my age.

Nobody in Hollywood cared about what jobs I had before. The pay cut was outrageous and I would continue to make no money for the next eight years.

It's one thing to be a broke writer like I am now. It's another thing to be working 24/7 and get paid crap. However, it's Hollywood. There's a line of people who would (and can) work for free.

I LOVED working on this movie. Some of my friends really dislike being in production. Yes, the days are long and can be tedious as you watch take after take of the same scene but I enjoy seeing a movie come together.

It's sad this movie would never get greenlit today. We're going backwards.

Okay, trying to stay positive so will end with this clip from the movie's soundtrack.

Lucy Pearl was a collaboration between Dawn Robinson from En Vogue, Raphael Saadiq from Tony!Toni!Tone! and Ali from Tribe Called Quest.

Have a great weekend.

Some great advice for wanna be expats from Ieishah in Barcelona

One of my favorite bloggers was responding to an American who wants to move to Spain.

While her advice was to a black woman moving to Barcelona, this advice (except the specific catcalling) is universal.

Regarding the catcalls, maybe it's because I'm old or the neighborhood I live in (I notice when I'm by Termini I hear more comments, especially from the African and South Asian men) but all I get is a "Ciao Bella", "bellissima" etc. Not once in all the times I've lived or traveled here has someone made a catcall mentioning my race. Unlike in D.C. where I would get the lovely back handed "for a chocolate girl you're cute" compliments.

I cracked up reading her advice about American privilege. I was at a dinner party during my first trip to Italy and one of the guests told me he had a hard time reconciling his love for Malcolm X and jazz with his strong dislike for America. This was five years ago at the height of the Iraq war .

I wondered why/how this young Italian man connected with Malcolm X in the first place. He's barely mentioned in American schools. Is Malcolm's popularity (like jazz) greater overseas?

Speaking of Malcolm X, the movie was on SKY Cinema yesterday. I hadn't seen it in a while. Denzel knocked it out of the park. He looks nothing like Malcolm but within five minutes you forget and believe it's him.

I digress (which I do whenever I think about Denzel). Here is the LINK to Ieishah's post "Mastering Your Expat Life: Barcelona, The Starter's Kit.

A show celebrating Keith Haring in Rome featuring Jessica Stewart

The very talented Jessica was selected to be one of twenty artists paying tribute to Haring on the 20th anniversary of his death.

I met up with some friends at the opening last night in Monti. The turnout was fantastic. Congrats Jessica!

The popular artist Mr. Klevra was also included. I felt honored to have a piece of his art...temporarily.

I've linked to Jessica's RomePhotoBlog before. She has a great eye. Check it out for more info about this exhibit and to see her Flickr stream of the evening. She was able to take some photos of the art.

I remember seeing Keith's "people" all over downtown Manhattan back in the day.


Mr. Klevra at work.


Too bad I have to take a shower.

I can't believe it's been nine years.

RIP in Nigel.

Flashback Friday - Intolerable Cruetly Trailer

I thought this film was hilarious. The chemistry between Clooney and Zeta-Jones was fantastic.

I don't know what happened to the "leading man" in American romantic comedies. It's slim pickings. Justin Long is funny but is he a romantic lead? Did anyone see the Drew/Justin film "Going The Distance"? How was it?

Have a great weekend.

Jumping The Broom...it's a wrap

First congrats to two of our stars:

Paula Patton was just cast as an operative in Mission Impossible IV. This is a big deal. I'm still over Tom Terrific but I will see the movie to support Paula.


Julie Bowen was nominated for an EMMY for her work on the hit ABC TV (in Italy the show airs on Fox Life) series MODERN FAMILY. I think it's the funniest sitcom on TV. Hilarious.


After shooting in Canada, Martha's Vineyard and New York City, our movie is in the can. The shoot went well. As of now, JTB scheduled for a May 2011 release.

Once a trailer is cut, I will post it.

It's said a film is "made" three times...the writing, the shooting, then the editing. I cannot wait to see how it all comes together.

One of my favorite things: Hotel de Russie's Garden Bar

The other week my friend Erica took me to Hotel de Russie for a Birthday Drink.

This outdoor garden is one my favorites place in Rome. Located just south of Piazza del Popolo, the garden rear ends Villa Borghese Park. You feel like you're at your rich relative's villa in the country.

The prices are at the Beverly Hills/Madison Avenue level. 19 euros for a mojito?! However, they are delicious and very, very strong.

It's a great place to people watch. Last time I was there the crowd was quite eclectic. Chic locals, wealthy businessman from the Middle East, very preppy Americans who were staying at the hotel playing cards with their children, etc. This hotel (along with The Hassler) is very popular with the Hollywood crowd and many stars and producers stay there while in town.

If I had money, I would go there at least once a week.

Hotel de Russie
Via del Babuino, 9

Rientro "aka Back to School"

Slowly, Rome is coming back to life. Thank God.

This summer even fewer of my friends were around. There was a mini-baby boom amongst my friends so many of them were at their parents/in-laws' places in the country/hills/beach for the entire month of August and some for most of the summer.

Some days it felt like I was the only non-tourist in Rome. Everyone in my building was gone.

The upside is, I got A LOT of work done. August was a productive month, despite the outrageous heat. A few days I didn't leave the apartment all day, it was too hot.

The next place I move to must have AC. I'm American, I can't take the heat. Back in early July, I went to a dinner party with my friend G. His friend has a lovely terrace but no AC and not even a fan. I'm perplexed how she lives in Rome without a fan. While I was sweating like crazy, she looked cool as a cucumber. I don't get it.

This morning there was a crispness to the air as I jogged through Villa Pamphili Park. I'm so glad the hot weather of July and August is over.

I'm looking forward to Fall. I have no idea why but I'm feeling very positive about the rest of the year.

Are you excited for Fall?

Hurricane Earl hits St. Martin

Ciao bloggisti,

I've just returned from a last minute quick trip to St. Martin (more on that some other time). I was very worried about this hurricane.

It's the middle of hurricane season. Many islanders are on vacation and business are closed. I did read about some stranded American tourists who have to stay on the island as their flights were canceled.

I've heard from my family and while the power is out in some places, it seems the damage isn't too bad for a storm of this size.

The last big hurricane to hit the island was Hurricane Luis back in 1995. It was the worst hurricane to hit St. Martin in 35 years. It was devastating but the French side was rebuilt pretty quickly, while the Dutch side (i.e. Mullet Bay) took a little longer to get it together.

There are some pictures on this SITE. For those who speak French, there's a clip of a news report from Martinique.

This is the five year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. I can't believe it. Has it really been that long?!

I hope this hurricane season is a mild one. There are parts of the Gulf Coast that are still rebuilding after Katrina.

Siamo in Ferie! (We're on Vacation!)

Well, at least this blog is. I'm starting a new spec and need to focus. Then again, after reading about the Justin Bieber biopic in 3D movie and the movie based on the Magic Eight Ball toy, I wonder if I should forget about writing original material and instead pitch "Slinky: The Movie".

I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their summer!

Art installation next to the Teatro di Marcello

I meant to post these photos weeks ago. I was walking by Teatro di Marcello when I noticed this carriage on a crane.

On the way back, I snapped these photos. I'm not sure how long this will be up. It was installed the same week at the MAXXI opening.

I wonder who the artist is.

Brother, I'm Dying - Edwidge Danticat, Dreams of Rivers And Seas - Tim Parks, Lunar Park - Bret Easton Ellis

My friend Erica let me borrow her copy of Lunar Park. I read it before Ellis recently ran his mouth about why there aren't more female directors. His theories (having something to with the male gaze) were full of crap. Anyway, while I HATED the book American Psycho (I threw it across the room when I was done with it. But I LOVED the movie, which was hilarious and featured an amazing performance by Christian Bale) I did enjoy Lunar Park. It's a weird book. The first part reads like an autobiography where Ellis expresses some regret for his past excesses and talks a great deal about his difficult relationship with his father. He uses real names from the publishing world and writes about how his life changed after Less Than Zero was published. Then all of a sudden, it becomes a thriller. Ellis swears his stepdaughter's doll is alive and is trying to kill them. No one believes him and thinks he's coked up again. I haven't read Glamorama or Ellis's new book but I think this is his best work since Less Than Zero.






I won this book in a contest on Milanese Marsala's blog. I've only read Tim Park's non-fiction in the past. Dreams Of Rivers And Seas is beautifully written but his characters were so damaged, I became frustrated with them. Albert, a well known and controversial anthropologist, has died. His son, John, flies to India from England for the funeral. John's mother, Helen, is a strange bird. I was very impatient with her. She's extremely cold to her son, as if he was an inconvenience. John, searching for an identity, finds India confusing. What were his parents doing there? Why did his dad die so suddenly? John is full of questions but may never find the answers.



A heartbreaking true story, this book by noted novelist Edwidge Danticat was hard to read. I don't want to give away the ending to those who didn't see the newspaper articles/press about the book. Danticat writes about her father and her uncle. Her parents moved to America leaving her and her brother to be raised in Haiti by her uncle until her parents could bring them to the States. The story moves between the present and the past. What happened to her uncle made the international press. Even though I knew about it, as I read about it in her book I became furious. That something like that could happen in my home country infuriated me. I have heard from non-Americans black and white that going through US Customs is not pleasant. Apparently it's so bad, it's one of the reasons Chicago lost the Olympic bid. I do understand why post 9/11 why we have more security. However, I find it a little frightening that the "Underwear Bomber" was able to get into the country (while on a watch list, with no luggage, a one-way ticket he paid for in cash, etc.) but a friend's British girlfriend is given the third degree while traveling to the States with her American boyfriend for the holidays.