Getting My Learn On via Edumacation

I have this one Italian professor who i really like because he is super passionate about his profession. He is a fashion stylist and has his own studio in Milan so when he is not at his studio, Conca Studio, he is at my school teaches us kids to be professional. I dont know, i love it when people love what they do, and do it good too. He is the type of person that will call you out in front of everyone and will even make you cry. Not because he is mean but its just the way he is- doesn't sugar coat shit. He is really direct and i think i learned more from him in a 20 minute conversation we had in Italian than i have in a whole year in the Fashion Department at SFSU. This makes me both happy and sad.

He gets so passionate and I could tell he really wants me to understand the process of presenting my idea that he tries to speak English with me. He says he hates speaking it because he is not good. So sometimes, actually almost every time we talk, he draws while he speaks. And i LOVE it!

Oh yea, btw, ALL MY CLASSES ARE IN ITALIAN! yes, and so that means a few things. One, im learning a new language. Two, i have to work twice as hard to figure things out, especially because most of my professors are so vague. This is more like independent studies, if anything. Three, it can sometimes get frustrating especially when your trying to explain your research and work. I mean i speak Italian but i dont have that "presentation voice" in Italian just yet. You know that voice and vocabulary you use when your trying to get a job or giving a presentation. Yea, it sucks sometimes but trust me, i get my point across even if i have to add sound affects! So yea, gotta let my work speak for it self ;)

I took the liberty the other day to record my teacher Conca as he showed us his mood board. I want you guys to see through my eyes sometimes. And so here it is. Its in Italian though, and no i wont translate it. But if you speak Spanish you may probably hear some similar words.

Fired

Blogging is what puts a roof over my head, its what feeds my kids, its what i do to put food on the table. Im currently homeless, childless, and starving looking like a heroin addict. Im not too worried though, because heroin chic is sooo IN right now. So i fit right into the fashion world...


No, seriously, if blogging was my job, i wouldda been fired looong ago. As you can see i have been M.I.A. for a while. School started again and all the work that i procrastinated on is now due! But i do have a more than a few post i've been working on...in my head but im about to slap 'em right onto this here 'ol blogue. Btw, leave me feedback/comments/links/blahzay blahzay, that way i dont feel like im talking to myself.

Thank You Love Note

I just want to really really thank all
my friends... the one's who've stuck around
this whole time
the one's who support me, my ideas
and my lifestyle
the ones that still love me even after
a mood swing,
after finding out i dont really
sugar coat shit
after seeing me evolve and undeniably change
after seeing me fuck up
and maybe even cry

thank you for sticking to me in
my lows and in my highs

fuck this conditional love noise

its not easy loving someone unconditional
but its possible

im so happy to know that i do have a great group of individuals in my life who no matter what i do
still love me...

not a lot of people can do that
i guess
but for those that are ready
to give and receive unconditional love
I thank you

Ashe!

2010 - such a great group of numbers

Happy New Years Erybodi...

Yaaaaaay

New Years, hhmmm....

lets see

ok, so this used to be my favorite day of the year. I always got butterflies in my stomach just knowing it was about to be a new year! i mean a whole new year! in the "new" year, you can make yourself feel better by saying your going to change, stop beating your kids and put the bottle down, get a real job, etc, you know kinda give yourself another chance...
Because in the new year, you can "start over".

ok whatever my friends.

new years is just another excuse to get wasted and go to an overpriced overrated club.
This why its not my favorite day anymore...

1. i figured, you can change your lifestyle at any moment, any day, any time. You dont need it to be a new freaking year... i mean, what about other cultures who start their year on a whole 'nother day?

2. New Years eve can get a bit overrated. I mean with all the "places to be" and choosing the best "place to be" and hoping you choose the best most funnest "place to be" when the clock hits midnight, etc. this night can get a bit complicated.

3. Unless you VIP, all the club parties are overpriced

ok, lemme stop, who am i kidding? i still love new years eve! (I still think clubs can be overrated). but its this vibe in the air that night. you can start conversation and make out with people just because its new years, like you dont even need to say much but, "Happy New Years...muah!"This new year was my first one out of the country so i was even more careful not to get my hopes too high since i do have high party standards, from being around some of the best party people/dancers/dj's. This usually ruins my life when im away from where that exist.
Also, i have an apartment full of bay area fam so really even just us together is a party.

Joicy got sick unfortunately so she decided to stay home with her bf and so me and the other girls decided to toast at home first then hit the streets for some fun...

It was actually a great idea because not only will we all be together but we had the best view from our apartment to see the fireworks.


ok, so Julie, Shivani and I loaded a big plastic bottle with tons of vodka and oj, bcus its ok to drink in the street in Milan, as long as you dont have a glass container, and began on our stroll.
We had a list of all the FREE parties to go to and so we were off, with the occasional pop squat, we made it to what we thought was a party and it totally sucked... so we proceeded, for we were determined to dance this night.
I really didnt want my life to turn into 200 cigarettes where we became lame and desperate for a NYE party (i guess this is what happens when you dont make plans and instead just "blow with the wind" like we did)

We finally decided to go to Plastic, the "place to be" even though it was waays away. We tried to pull a taxi over but they would just pass by and wave like wtf... we then got all self conscientious thinking they wouldn't stop for us because we looked like hookers!!! (we later found out that cabs at that time -1 maybe 2am- dont stop unless you've phoned them or your at a taxi cab stop that they have here...hmm) so even though we probably did look like hookers that wasnt the reason why they weren't stopping.

So we end up at the tax cab station with the help of these young Egyptian boys that were real nice and respectful...

vroom vroom, bottle was absolutely gone and so were we... we were off to the gayest club in town!!! this means a few things but most importantly it means dancing dancing dancing!

Of course we get there, there is a huge line at 2am, and the cover is 70 euro which equals $100. WTF! I kinda already knew that before going since my boys were already there. But come on, this wasn't the first or last time a plan of action had to immediately take place in order for us to party for $free.99.....


So i discuss the plan of action with the girls.


The lil fairy at the door signals us with his wand to come in. the big bouncer man lets us in. we are supposed to make another line to pay. we instead turn left and walk in through the back door- giving us a spare $300!

Yay happy we go straight to the stage of course and begin dancing on top whatever we could get on, or maybe that was just me at that point... hhmm i dont know if its becasue im a shorty or because my inner rockstar wants to come out....

We danced and sung to The Supremes translated in Italian, lol...









and yes we danced danced danced

we even sung sung sung, and i know this time i wasnt the only one singing i heard Shivani hitting them high Prince notes i was just the only one that got a picture taken...lol
The shit got blurry.... oooeeee
"its 6am and we still at the club... this joint isnt closing until 9am"... uhhh things weren't that blurryso we jumped on a cab and went home.
It was a little adventure, like almost always, it was fun just trying to get to the place. We had tons of fun.
Happy 2010.

Holidayzzzz

wow ok so the holidays just rolled on by, in case you didnt noticed all the x-mas deco, extra layers on people, and things of this sort that only happen at this time of the year, then im sorry people, you've just missed the holidays. This year its my first time spending the holidayz overseas, yay! Plus that gives me a great excuse not to buy anyone presents... no actually i still worked my lil butt off making special cards to send to my peeps back home (i'll do a post on them so u can see them). Also, i know im posting this holiday ish sooo late but its all right because like my momma always said, its not really over until jan.6 when the 3 guys come give baby jesus some goodies...

So i decided, im going to just do one BIG combined post on what i did for the holidayz, before, during and after xmas....

And i guess this is the time i should take to say Happy Holidays to everyone. I hope everyone had a great time with themselves and others. I wished i was with a lot of people i wont even mention but you already know, because i love being around good company. Im thankful for having good quality friends who love me unconditionally and support me in what i do. Please dont ever stop for i need that love to push forward. Thank youssssssssss!!!

It it started like this.... i was home alone for 6 days before xmas
because everyone ran away from Milan for the holidayz waaay before I did.

I thought I was going to go crazy not having my friends around but after i realized this may be exactly what I need. It gave me space and time to calm my over active self and recharge or something. But, as much as i love to hibernate this time of year, Im also always reminded that im in freaking Italy and that I MUST go outside just to be like, ggeeaahhh.
And in December 2009 going outside meant being in the snow. Yes, its been snowing in Milan! Its funny people still ask me, "it snows in Italy?" yes people, it does. Im in the north by the alps too so yea, we get a bit of snow. (we? ha listen to me trying to claim Milan...). I've never lived somewhere where it snows either so it was quite the experience. I was getting a.d.d. from not going outside, so i looked for excuses to run errands.... i layered up and hit the streets.

and please dont let anyone tell you, Doc Martins are NOT snowboots because even though there were slippery moments, I was well protected.

This is my everyday pathway covered in snow

my neighborhood

While running around I just took pics and walked into random stores. I came into some pretty interesting vintage and antique stores where i found a bunch of old records and books, i took a bunch of pics which will soon become a post on this blog (this post is looong enough already).

Ok, so then, finally my turn to run off to another country, this time: France...
Lucky ol' me got invited to my friends, Viviane, pronounced: Vi-Vi- YYAAAANNNN, family x-mas dinner in Northern France to be exact. She lives in the boarder of France and Switzerland very close to Geneva, a very diverse city because of its central location near France, Switzerland and Italy.

So of course i was excited! I get to travel and be in 3 different countries in 4days and i can just chill and satisfy my eardrums to the sound of the french language that i love so much.
I hopped on a train heading to Geneva as the snow came down on my umbrella accumulating gradually at the top.

I realized i like riding trains. The thing about trains though, they are NOT like airplanes in terms of timing. When a train says there departing at a certain time, please believe they are leaving at that time. That my favorite part though. Running towards the train with a bag on my shoulder and constantly looking at my watch praying that the train doesnt leave me. Its the rush at that moment that I love.
I also like how riding the train always makes me feel like im in the early 1900's for some reason.

I got to France to a beautiful house with home cooking and heated floors...mmm...got my walnut crackin' on
It was nice to wake up to this view of the mountains which is not justified by this picture.

We went up on a mountain too, I had to, it was so beautiful to see the beautiful mountains (shout outs to Obatala)


We drove to the market and i HAD to snap a pic of these birds on sale at the store who still had there heads covered with feathers and skin.

Here is a lil video at the grocery store in France. Man, im really bad sometimes with the video stuff because i always laugh too much or say inappropriate things...hmm... anyways i thought this was cute...

Then I got to ride on her FIAT (actually i was just imagining this), the ultimate European car.

Her pops also had a vintage Rolls mofoken Royce son, i cant help to cuss at the thought of this car.


The inside was beautiful. It had a bar and some ol' fluffy carpet. Its meant for riding in the back seat for its bigger and more comfortable. But it was parked in the garage and he refused to take it for a spin because it was raining...maybe next time.

Hahaha, i also saw How High in French, i thought it was funnier this way because even thought i dont speak French, I know this movie by heart and know exactly what there saying anyway.
I kinda ruined it towards the end by talking oopps, but you'll get the point.

We had a few great meals brought to us by her Italian mother apparently she drove to Italy just to get fresh poultry and pasta. The sweets her pops brought from Iran, where he is from, when he was there a week before. I didnt actually take any pics of the meals because i was too excited to think of pictures when i was getting ready to eat.

Viviane then took me around to meet her friends and things of this sort. This includes poppin bottles of the good ol' bubbly...


At some point we ended up in Switzerland where i had to make purchases with Swiss Francs.

We went out to a dub step party at this little underground joint. Where i decided to dance as if i was cold and crazy where i quickly became the popular dancer girl as my moves would go from drunk homeless person to a rude gal.
So the day i left back to Milan we had extra time to spare walking around in the lil city of Geneva, and besides I couldn't leave Switzerland without some swiss chocolate, a swiss army knife and a watch.
Ok, so peep this one right here. Were walking down the street and i notice the windows broken in a very artistic way at the local businesses. I thought, "oh what an interesting visual merchandising idea, right?...." NOT! As we kept walking we noticed that places such as the bank, jewelry stores etc, had been "vandalized". But not just any kind, this was an organized statement. These people rioted against these rich ass companies. Of course i had no idea, and so i googled it and found out -not much actually- of course it was related to the oppression of people by the government.
That means: Death to Capitalism in French
Crazy i thought. I mean i was part of the L.A. riots in '93 when i was a super little ghetto kid looting at the video store by my house after all. But still, its always a trip for me to see this type of manifestation, as they call it in France, when im away from home.

So i hopped back on a train and rode home to Milan. I had a very relaxing x-mas. It was non stop eating and i enjoyed being around the family vibes. I appreciated my time there and really enjoyed the view on my way home. It felt like a dream riding the train and looking out the window staring out at this beautiful view.

I dont know its a trip you know, to be from South Central L.A. then all of a sudden being in the other side of the world celebrating life and dreaming the dreams that make me who i am. im so grateful.