Little Steps

                                                    

For the first time in two years, I decided to go back to school. After high school I really needed a break, but it came to a point where I got bored and needed stimulation.  So here I am, enrolled full time at Oxnard College.  It honestly feels really good to get back into the game. I noticed I am very rusty at writing, however I am surprisingly better at math than I remember. I am also very excited about my TV class and all the equipment that is available for us to use; I can’t wait to get more projects going. I am also very pleased with my Belly Dance classes I take; it feels good to be involved in so many things.   

Although I have eliminated my boredom, now I feel as though I am fighting for spare time. I am a full time student in addition to working a job in LA. The job in LA is seasonal, however during the Halloween Season I am trying to keep my head above water.  I work at Halloween Horror Nights, which starts at 5 pm and I don’t get home till 4:30am, meaning I don’t get to bed till 5am. Juggling this job and school is a bit of a challenge, however I am glad it is almost over and I will be able to focus on school more.

Overall, I am so thankful that I am back in school with a better understanding of how school works. Unlike High School, I choose to be here in College and I am determined. I am also thankful that there is financial aid for students like me, because that was one thing that was holding me back from going to school. I am also genuinely happy about where life seems to be taking me right now. I am motivated by progress, and once I am on a roll I won’t stop till I hit the top. I really like the feeling of being engaged in projects and being a part of something bigger than me.  I feel accomplished every time I turn in a project or an assignment I am proud of.  Beforehand I was just hanging around the house, working and partying a lot. That was not satisfying to me after a while, because my creative drive wasn’t being fed. So now I plan on staying in school till I get my Associates in TV and Film: my first step to becoming a Movie Director. It’s amazing to see the little steps of life unfold right in front of you. 

Fake Reality

                                                        

            When you turn the television on today, almost every time it will be a pointless reality show playing. Television is not like it used to be, or maybe our form of entertainment is different than it used to be. If there is no sex, drama, or violence, than what’s the point of watching, right? Reality TV seems like a cheap way to entertain the millions, pumping America’s brains with unnecessary drama and raunchy behavior. I do not enjoy Reality TV, however I must admit I’ve fallen into the evil of it on occasion.  Reality Television can indeed be very informative and interesting, however that is only when it is in documentary form, like the ‘Discovery Channel’ or the ‘Travel Channel’.  Although, what Reality TV is in my mind, is mindless shows such as ‘America’s Next Model’, ‘Bad Girls Club’, ‘The Hills’ and so on.  

            Reality TV in the first place is never really ‘Reality’ anyway; it’s Hollywood! I have been in a few Reality shows myself and I was very surprised how scripted and fake they actually were. I hate how reality shows depict people, and it’s unsettling to think how America is depicted in Reality TV. It’s flat and plainly just annoying girls fighting, couples breaking up, shopping, and being pretty.  

            I enjoy shows that have an art to it, such as writing the story, casting the actors and editing. I like shows that have more to them then just random people being followed by cameras. Honestly I think Reality TV is dumbing down it’s viewers, especially the young ones. Imagine how many girls watch ‘The Hills’ and try and act like the girls in that show? Or even a scarier thought, how about the girls that watch the ‘Bad Girls Club’? Reality TV doesn’t show any morals, or doesn’t seem to have any point to it besides brainless TV watching.

            I do have to consider other forms of Reality TV however, like cooking shows, or home improvement shows. There is some good Reality TV out there, however I see that more as informative TV than Reality TV. I do enjoy nature shows and survivor shows too. However, even the survivor shows are fake. I remember when ‘Man v.s. Wild’ came to Hawaii to film. They were filming in the lava fields, which was right next to a populated highway.

            I want to see more actual television shows, however it seems like Reality TV is taking over. I honestly try to stay away from Popular Reality TV shows, especially the ones that portray women as sexual lunatics; there are a lot of those.  It irritates me to watch those kinds of shows, it’s boring to me. Like ‘The Hills’ for example, all it contains is rich kids going out to eat, hooking up, breaking up, and complaining; I don’t understand who those kids are and why America cares.

            If it was up to me, Television would consist of shows like I Love Lucy, American Horror Story, Friends, Workaholics and Misfits. I enjoy anything that you can tell people put effort and passion into. That’s the beauty of filmmaking; everyone comes together to make a story. 

Finding Beauty the Right Way

           It’s funny how people change over time and how their idea of beauty can change with them. When I was young, I had such a close-minded idea of what beauty was in a guy. You can’t blame me I guess; I was only a young niave girl at the time. Nonetheless, I was only drawn to liking a guy by his looks. The only guys who got my attention were tall, skinny, white guys with long dark hair. I was really into hardcore music at the time, so I guess I liked that image: pale, grungy guys who looked like they had issues.  

            This lasted for a good few years, until I matured a little more. I started to realize that it wasn’t how a guy looked that made him attractive to me.  There would be guys that absolutely fit my pre-mature idea of beauty, however when I would hang out with them their beauty faded.  Then there would be guys that I never thought twice about, but as soon as I spent some time with them something would tick in my head.  Their personality would shine through their appearance and they would mold into someone I would absolutely go crazy for. Where as other guy’s personalities would dull them down, until their appearance no longer meant a thing.

            From this, I’ve really learned what beauty means. Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, and it’s like they say, “don’t judge a book by it’s cover”.  It’s amusing, because my boyfriend now is absolutely the opposite of the guys I would go for. If it were 6 years ago, I probably wouldn’t have even noticed him if he didn’t have his tattoos. However, the more I got to know him the more I fell in love.  It’s important to dance with your heart, not your eyes. 

Food: What are you?

           

       What we put in our bodies becomes a part of us: thus the famous saying “You are what you eat”.  In today’s world, time is limited due to our jobs, school and the daily agendas we make. Therefore, our food industry had the smarts to evolve our food along with our busy schedules. Families especially benefit from fast food, children get their cereal before school and Dad swings through McDonalds for a quick bite to eat during his lunch break.  I remember, as a child McDonalds was a common treat after a long day at school.  My mom would pick my brother and I up, then we would swing by the drive through; it was so convenient. To this day, the smell of McDonalds brings me back in time and makes me feel like a child again.  My association with Junk Food is a love hate relationship. Junk Food is a sad part of our American culture, however I do my best to not indulge in such eating habits anymore.

            Now that I am no longer a child, I am aware of the truth behind Junk Food and how it goes much farther then just food.  Not only does it affect our health, but also on a bigger scale it is affecting our culture. These large food corporations have so much power over our food, which directly affects us. If I had it my way, I would shop solely at Whole Foods, Lassens and Trader Joes. These stores are fresh, Organic and is food that we should be used to eating. However, on busy days that I go directly from School to work, it is hard not to stop for a convenient meal; something that just gets the job done.  I usually feel so guilty when I eat fast food, it is just necessary when I get off work late at night and nothing else is open.  

I try and avoid McDonalds and KFC with more effort than most fast food restaurants.  Those restaurants in particular gross me out, especially when you go to eat inside; watching people eat them are the worst.  When I was about 13 years old, I helped petition KFC because of the animal abuse and the way their chickens are raised and butchered.  It’s sad however, because that’s usually the case for all fast food restaurants and large meat company’s.  Try watched Fast Food Nation, that documentary will make you vegetarian for at least a month.

I want my body to get the nutrients it needs as well as the attention it deserves. I’ve been trying to make time to cook food and stop by a natural food store occasionally. Once you make it a part of routine, it all falls into place. Once I have children of my own, I certainly wont be going to McDonalds everyday after school. You must think about it in the long run as well, how will all that junk affect you in 20 years? So if you are what you eat, what are you?