The 1st week! (LA)

If this is a dream, I never want to wake up. Ever!

7/21 - Wednesday a.k.a. "The Fly In"

Anxiety starts. Butterflies in my tummy. This is the day. The day a whole new journey begins. I was up at 5am. The flight from Ljubljana was at 8. So many thought were running my mind. Felt like a second to get to Frankfurt and minutes to New York. Even shorter to get to the City of Angels (left). Who would have thought it lasted for 22 hours? Got to the hostel pretty quickly. Went for a drink with the birthday girl I've been corresponding with for over a year. "I'm really here!" So happy, I didn't even mind being stuck in a dorm for the first night, because my room wasn't ready. Fuck, I'm in Los Angeles!!!

7/22 - Thursday a.k.a. "When Cyber becomes Real"

Woke up at 6 in the morning. Not much of a jet leg as much as it was expectation of what will the day bring. And man, did it deliver! As soon as I woke up, I realized one thing - people in LA like to sleep :) I walked literally for more than half an hour to find a place to get my morning coffee. Thanks god for Starbucks (and I'm not even religious)!
After getting my dose of freshly brewed caffeine, I headed up for an adventurous West Hollywood exploration. Got back home by noon and got my room. Great, big, comfy, private hostel room! As soon as I unpacked I received a call that some other people I chatted for a while also arrived to LA. I love my Canadian friends! We had lunch at their hotel in Gordon Ramsay's restaurant and the food was heavenly! After the gorgeous meal, we headed up to see their room and rooftop. The view was beautiful! We talked and talked for hours, until it was finally time to get back home and got to sleep. I kinda miss that sleep. But let's not get ahead of events...

7/23 - Friday a.k.a. "Private Parties & NightClubs"

Another day in paradise... I woke up early, had my cup of coffee (yey, now I finally know where to get it) and got a phone call that we're invited to a private birthday party of a clothes & jewlery designer for many rockstars at Peace gallery. "What to wear?!?" was the first question that popped in my mind. Shortly after, I headed up to the Grove, where I got an amazing piece of jewlery that even a random, gorgeously dressed guy came up to me saying


"I'm sorry, I don't want to bother you, but this thing you're wearing is absolutely fantastic". That was a go signal for me, to wear that not only for the party later that evening, but also a concert to come. The party was fabulous, but it ended soon, so we decided to do our own little afterparty in Rage, amazing nightclub (ok, seriously, every night club in West Hollywood is more than amazing). A couple of drinks and lots of dancing makes time fly. The down side of LA nightlife is that clubs close at 2am. "Whaaat?!?" Oh, well, time to go back at the hostel and get some sleep. A new day is coming and new adventures with it :)

7/24 - Saturday a.k.a. "The Beach"

A perfect day for a beach. Or so we thought... When we got there, it was cloudy and windy. Too cold for swimming. Some went for a swim anyway and the rest of us sat on the beach and chatted about... well everything. With wind getting stronger and colder, we packed up and headed back to WeHo. But Venice beach is beautiful nevertheless.

7/25 - Sunday a.k.a. "The Game"

When Neil Patrick Harris tweeted about a new thing, that's supposed to be 1/3 of a game, 1/3 of a show and 1/3 of a city tour, I knew I had to buy tickets! So here it's how it works: One day before the event you get a phone call telling you something serious happened and that you gotta get your ass to Kodak theatre the next day. So when the group gatheres in Kodak (up to 10 people) a PR of famous movie starlet Nikki Desmond came and told us the horrible news - Nikki was kidnapped!!!

And all the kidnappers left was this map and locked bag. PR leaves you with that stuff, because she would be late for her mani pedi and you're left with clues to find Nikki and gather ransom to get her back. For the next three hours, clues take you all around Hollywood boulevard - to stores, streets, bars, coffe shops... and lead you to talk to the producers, writers and the directors of the film she was supposed to star in. It was an incredible experience and I don't want to reveal more spoilers, in case someone here decides to play Accomplice (In NY & LA). Worth every cent!

7/26 - Monday a.k.a. "School time"

Mamma!!! Start of an incredible two week intensive course in Acting for camera & Audition technique! Stupid me set the alarm clock wrong. I should have woken up at 6, because the orientation started at 8 - but with wrongly set alarm (mixed am/pm), I woke up at 7:45. After shocking relevation, I started running as fast as I could to get to the Academy (and thanks tech gods for making GPS maps on mobile phones).



When I got there it was around 8:20. Thankfully, it was just an orientation, the real class started at 9. The negative side of it, that because of my running, I got there all sweaty and the first thing they did, was to take my picture for the student card. Will never show!


The course was all I expected and more. It was so much focused on practical work and when they said it was going to be intensive, they weren't kidding around. Intensive means muchos intensive (more about school deserves its own post and will get it in a month time). Teachers - directors/writers/casting directors were the best teachers/people I've worked with EVER! We got so much out of this experience, that it's unbeliveable. More about academy yet to come...

7/27 - Tuesday a.k.a. "Taxi & Sushi"

The next day I had school 9-18 (and as said, school stuff deserves post of its own) and then I got back to hostel and called a cab to take me to London West Hollywood hotel - to meet friends for dinner. Normally, it would take 5 minutes to get there by car, but I ended up in a bit more weird situation. When the cab came, I told the driver the name and the address of the hotel and he started driving in the wrong direction. He looked at me numbly when I told him he's driving in the complete opposite direction as if he didn't understand a word I said. He didn't know effing english language! I tried to communicate with my hands too, but it didn't help. He kept driving like lunatic in the wrong direction for half an hour! When we finally got in the middle of nowhere (the place his GPS was showing) he realized he made a mistake and called someone (have no idea who, 'cause he talked in a language I couldn't understand). Somehow he finally fixed his little navigation machine and drove me to the hotel. I was just glad I got there. I was still a bit shaken after the taxi ride, went up to the room, calmed down and then we went to this sushi place, where I tried my first real sushi (the first first sushi doesn't count because it was just a raw tuna and soy sauce and here it was rolled up like in the movies) and I have to admit it was actually really good. Dinner went fine, got back to the hostel (safely & fastly), went over some stuff for school and tried to fall asleep as soon as I could, because I knew that tomorrow is going to be crazeeeeee (in a best possible way)!!!


Week 2 & 3 coming up in about 10-15 days (going to Bosnia tomorrow and Croatia next week) - including Adam Lambert concert, more amazing school experiences, lots of trips, clubbing & Rent :)

ok, maybe just a little spoiler (I was THAT close):

Final Countdown

It's the last week before the trip. Still lots of things to do... pack, girls night out, coffee with friends I haven't seen in ages due to studying, beauty saloon...

Anyways, as far as diet is concerned, I've came down to 167lbs so far and planning to lose at least 2 more until the trip. That, my friends, is a breaking point in my diet, because it puts me in normal body mass index. It's not optimal weight yet, but I won't be overweight anymore. How freakin' cool is that? :) (I can not believe I had over 250lbs at some point - NEVER AGAIN!)

I also started reading playwrights for the audition next year. The academy has this list of recommended contemporary and classical dramas (I've got to pick one each), and (aside from suitability of characters) I based my pick on availability of the actual book. So I came down to Chekhov's Three Sisters (classic) and Durang's Laughing Wild (modern). I think it's a good choice, especially since they encourage variety of characters, and in Three Sisters, you've got this young, quite conservative girl who believes in true love, yada, yada, yada... and the Laughing Wild chick is this crazy and unstable girl, so I'm guessing it's gonna work. However, last night I was chatting online with a theatre postgraduate, and she told me there is almost always someone on the auditions that does Laughing Wild. I think I'll read some other modern plays too, just in case.

Damn, I'm in love with acting. "The Show Must Go On" has a special meaning to me. I remember being 8 or 9 (it was 3rd grade of elementary school) and we had this little show at school. That day, I've got an awful ear infection and had about 39˙C temperature. I fought with my parents until they finally let me go there, went on stage, recited the poem I had to, and went back home to bed. I know it must sound crazy now, but I ain't letting anything stay in way between me and the stage.

The definite moment of being sure that's the thing I want to do until the rest of my life was when we had the final production of (the only one in Slovenia) Drama School in theatre of Ljubljana's Castle. We had rehearsals from early morning 'till late at night and being there, doing that, was the most fulfilling feeling I've ever felt. You know, when it just feels "right"?

That's why I feel this trip to LA is going to be a milestone. There's a whole stairway to go to reach the goal, but this is a step closer. And it's all about those little steps. I think I've learned something I was never able to do. And that's to enjoy the moment. Enjoy the journey and not just looking back nostalgically into past and dreaming about the future. It's about now.

See you all in the City of Angels next time!!!

Summertime

It's funny how I get to write most just a couple days before exam when I should be studying instead...

Summer is here!!!

Exams are slowly coming to an end, and people are planning their vacation. And I'm planning to spend my summer in the city of Angels. Yup, the LA!

Ah, the sun, beaches, concerts, shows, malls and beautiful people...



It is going to be my second visit to the sunny state. First time was when I was studying as an exchange student in Tucson, AZ for a year. I went to LA for a couple days for Thanksgiving hollydays. I made one small stupid mistake at that time. There was this hot English guy at the hostel who invited me to see Wicked one night and I said no 'cause I got this really bad cold (who wouldn't get one when travelling from AZ to well... anywhere). The mistake was not in rejecting that guy, but in rejecting to see the show. One of the actors there then happened to become an international star later on. But, as Forrest Gump would say "Shit Happens". I'm planning to enjoy this 3 week trip to LA to the fullest!

7/21 - 7/25

- Hanging out with new friends
- Venice&Malibu Beach
- Window-shopping on Rodeo Drive
- ACCOMPLICE : "Part game, part theater, part tour. Using the sprawling backdrop of the city as its stage, utilizing elements of improv theater and scavenger hunt, Accomplice will make you laugh, think, and experience the city in a whole new way." This is going to be legen...wait for it...dary!

7/28

GLAM NATION concert!!!
Something I'll probably remember till the rest of my life. It's a shame only Orianthi is opening this one (Allison Iraheta is siiick (amazing girl with kick ass vocals)). But the main guy's gonna send us to another universe, and that's for sure. I had a little sneak peak what it was like at NYC concert and if LA is going to be just as half as good as that one was, I'm going to be more than thrilled.
I know excately what I'm going to wear (but not yet reveal to you until then).

7/26 - 8/6

2 weeks intensive course for Acting for Camera & Audition Technique

"The Camera Acting Intensive is designed for the beginning to
intermediate actor who wants a deeper understanding of working
in film and television, including the “Business of the Business.”
These classes are designed to provide a professional and thorough
understanding of the on camera process and alleviate the anxiety
of working on camera. Classes will explore the various genres
within film and television including the television sitcom, commercial
acting, film and live television."

8/7 - 8/11

- some real shopping
- more sun & waves on Cali beaches
- Experiencing LA nightlife
- RENT - directed by NPH! Starring, among others, Wayne Brady, Vanessa Hudgens, and Nicole Scherzinger. I think it's going to be one hell of a show!!! And the location of the show... beautiful (Hollywood Bowl):


8/12
Plane back home :(

I'll make a special daily report once I get there. I really can't wait! Only three and a half weeks away...

Ok, enough of dreaming and back to studying!

And BTW, where are you planning to spend summer's vacation?

Can you keep up the pace? (TV rant)

"They're here 4 our entertainment!"

If you're like me, and don't live in the entertainment capital of the world, you probably have a couple of TV shows that you watch regularly and download them every week.
The thing I love the most, is when I start watching a new show and I find out that there are a couple of seasons out already, because I don't have to wait a whole week for a new episode to come out. There are so many good shows out and it's impossible to keep track of all of them. So basically, if you're bored and don't know what to do, here's a short list of my picks:

• HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER

Oh, Barney. He's the character that makes the whole show so damn funny.

So basically, this show is about 5 friends in NYC in their late 20s/early 30s, pretty much a standard "friends" sitcom, but there's a catch - It's year 2030 and the main character Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) is explaining his kids how he met their mother (thus the title) by telling stories about "adventures" he had with his best friends Marshall (Jason Segel), Lily (Alyson Hannigan), Robyn (Cobie Smulders) and Barney (Neil Patrick Harris). We still don't know who the mother is, but are enjoying the wittyness of the characters and their growing-up in the "city that never sleeps".
(IMDB 8.8/10)

• BIG BANG THEORY

The character we enjoy here the most, is pretty much Sheldon:

It's a sitcom about 4 geeks and 1 blonde. I was thinking of putting this show on the list for a while, because I'm not so sure what is so intriguing about this sitcom, maybe it's just the fact that it's different. It's worth giving it a shot, because it's hillarious.
(IMDB 8.4/10)

• LOST

I could go on and on and on and on about this show. But since I'm recommending these shows, I don't want to give away any spoilers. My character pick in this show is definetely Sawyer (is he hot or what?):

However, he's not the main character - I guess I just like "bad boys with a good heart". The storyline starts pretty simple: Plane crashes on the island and there are some survivors. However, here the simplicity ends. Island is full of mysteries. If you have a lot of time on your hand, I highly recommend watching this without any long pauses. If you miss one episode, you won't know what you're watching.
Ok, so I promised not to give away any spoilers, but please (for your own good), if you start watching the show, be more fascinated by the characters than the story itself. Trust me.
(IMDB 8.8/10)

• NCIS

I much prefer this show than any other CSI variations. Great, diverse characters and always interesting plot is a bombastic combination for a successful show.

NCIS stands for Naval Criminal Investigative Services. So basically, if a criminal act happens to someone from Marine or Navy personnel or their families, they're there to do their job. As much compelling as every episode's story is, the magic comes from characters: Gibbs (Mark Harmon) is the leader of the team. His "strict, but fair" approach makes movie-quoting womanizer Tony (Michael Weatherly), geeky Timothy (Sean Murray) and ass-kicking Ziva (Cote de Pablo) probably the best special agents in TV shows history. Add brilliant goth forenzic scientist Abby (Pauley Perrette) and story-telling Dr. Donald (David McCallum) and you'll get a mix of thrill, action and comedy that you'll never forget.
(IMDB 7.8/10)

• CALIFORNICATION

Sex, booze, drugs & LA - all that is a daily part of ever-charming Hank Moody:

Yeah, it's deeper than that. And compelling to watch. And funny. And exciting. And don't get me even started on the second season. Love it. Watch it!
(IMDB 8.7/10)

• WEEDS

Another brilliant show from Showtime. I mean, who wouldn't want to have homework like this:

The show is about a mom Nancy (Mary-Louise Parker), her boys Silas (Hunter Parrish) and Shane (Alexander Gould) and her brother Andy (Justin Kirk). However it's not a typical american family show. Here's the catch - Nancy sells drugs. And it leads her to troubles. And just when you think things start unravelling, it gets even more complicated. The suspense and thrill you get while watching this show is unbeliveable.
(IMDB 8.6/10)

• HOUSE M.D.

Have you ever wondered how it would be, if your doctor was so openly blunt that he tells you the truth every single time?

Add painkiller addiction and loads of sarcasm and you'll get Dr. House (Hugh Laurie). A brilliant diagnostician who, with the help of his team, doesn't leave any case unsolved. Can you say that for your doc?
(IMDB 9.3/10)

• SUPERNATURAL

Who wouldn't let those two brothers to take them to a fantasy world of monsters?

Outstanding music, hot characters, cool car, mysterious events leads you feeling you're watching some of the greatest 80's shows and not 21st century series. But don't let it trick you. Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) are very up to date. They know what's "out there" and they're there to stop it. Ghosts, demons, vampires, zombies, angels... leaves you asking yourself Rob who?
(IMDB 9.0/10)

Ok, those are shows that are still airing. But what about some older shows that are still a thrill to watch even by the end of first decade of 21st century? (Also a tip for our younger generations to watch)

• THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR

Will Smith at his peak of youth:

I still remember when I started watching this sitcom. I was at home, sick and browsing through channels when I stopped at one that had some guy sitting in a chair singing "Now this is a story all about how, my life got twisted, turned upside down..." Since then (which was about 15 years ago) I never missed an episode. I mean, who would want to miss adventures of a simple Philly boy growing up "in the hood" moving to a villa in rich neigbourhood? Fun not to be missed.
(IMDB 8.3/10)

• FULL HOUSE

Probably the cheesiest thing on TV I've ever watched, but I'm gonna put it up here.

The most typical family sitcom there is. But let's be honest - who haven't watched it? Three guys, raising up three girls can be funny. And it is. It's also pretty unrealistic, but who cares? It's cheesy, but I know you love it (if not for the show itself, who wouldn't want to have an uncle like uncle Jesse? On the other hand, I'm not sure if I want to be related to him...)
(IMDB 6.1/10)

• SCRUBS

Not so old as the others, but it delivers every time. Is there anyone who haven't at least once in their childhood dreamed of becoming a doctor? And to be one, you have to go through medical school, so you can re-live your dreams by watching this sitcom:

We witness the process of becoming a doctor through the eyes of day-dreaming J.D. (Zach Braff). There's fun and there's pain. And people you look up to and people that are there for you. But it doesn't always have a happy ending. The show's keeping it real.
(IMDB 9.2/10)

• X FILES

All conspiracy theories answered in one show:

What really went on in Roswell? What's government hiding? Not to worry, there are two very special FBI agents here to answer all our questions. Always believing Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and always sceptical Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) make a perfect duo for objective research. They can explain every unexplainable event. Or can they?
(IMDB 9.0/10)

• BUFFY & ANGEL

I grew up watching this show. It has absofuckinglutely every genre there is. And probably the strongest characters you'll ever see. Joss Whedon (director) is a brilliant genius and I bow to him.

Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar), hot, strong, and ass-kicking chick is a vampire slayer. And handsome, brooding, mysterious Angel (David Boreanaz) is a vampire. But what happens when they fall in love? But the heart of the show is not about vampires. It's about growing up. It's about surviving highschool. Making friends. Going through heartaches. Learning. Losing. Feeling. Loving.
(IMDB 8.5/10)

• FRIENDS

It's THE funniest sitcom in history of television and I dare you to prove me wrong.

What do you get, when you have insecured-but-hidden-behind-jokes Chandler (Matthew Perry), not-so-smart-but-always-hot-and-charming-aspiring-actor Joey (Matt LeBlanc), tonedeaf-hippie-singer Pheobe (Lisa Kudrow), control-freak Monica (Courteney Cox), spoiled-runaway-bride Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) and recently-divorced-paleontologist Ross (David Shwimmer) as best friends living in New York? A comedy of a millenium!
(IMDB 8.9/10)

Wow, this ended up being a really long post. Ok, I've done my part. It's time for you to do your part. What shows are you watching? I need me some summer fantasy world...

Eating for living vs. living for eating

"Inside me, there's a thin woman screaming to get out... but I usually shut the cow up with chocolate"

Food. Funny thing :)

As I said, weight loss is one of the most important tasks on my to-do list. I've been fat since I can remember. But no, it doesn't have anything to do with genes and biological stuff like that. It has to do with my lazy ass and eating a lot.

I specifically remember one morning when I was idk*... about 8 or 9. We were having breakfast and I reached my hand for a second kaiser roll, when my mom told me not to have it. I told her I want to, because I'm still hungry, and her reply was "fine, but don't blame me when you get fat". I said I will never ever blame anyone but me for my own choices. And I'm still sticking to what I said. I made a mistake by reaching for second, and I'm trying to make it right now.

At my worst, I had almost 260 pounds; That was three years ago. Then right before I went to school exchange to the States, I've lost about 40 pounds and gained some of it back when I returned. January 4th I started seriously losing weight with the UN diet and some exercise and in the past 6 months, I've lost 60 pounds. I'm at 180Ibs now (81kg). Since I'm pretty tall (175 cm/5'74 ft), my ideal goal would be somewhere at 140Ibs.

That gives us only 40Ibs to lose. Everyone has its own way of fighting with the weight, and mine is to forget about all the progress I've made so far and pretend I'm just starting for the first time. Starting today, it's going to be a whole new diet. 40 pounds to melt away. I won't stop until I do. And that, my friends is a promise.

We'll do the UN diet my way. So this is my plan until the end of the month (click to get bigger pic):



My plan is to have at least 165Ibs by the beginning of July. That's only 15Ibs to lose in a whole month. That sounds pretty realistic, doesn't it? I really need this, because I got the feeling that I started slacking in the past week and not sticking to the diet.

That's pretty much my whole magic to losing weight. Eat less, exercise more. I can't lie and say it's a piece of cake (notice the irony), 'cause it feels pretty much like torture, especially falling asleep on an empty stomach. But there's a beauty of it. When you wake up knowing that you made it through the night, you feel like a prince/princess. It is really a great, great feeling. And it's worth it. And not to mention in the long run. It's an achievement that leaves you feeling content, satisfied and proud. It makes you realize how strong you actually are and that only the sky is the limit.

I want to try something else. If anyone's reading this, what are your "top 5" food items?

I'm not a big fan of meat, so my favorite 5 is mostly made of carbs:




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*idk = I don't know
- 1kg = 2.208 Ibs