Soon, my wrestling games were stopped by a mother who said "Girls can't wrestle with boys. Go home." and soon, the idea of my sisters and I being crass like my brothers wasn't tolerated at home. 
I am glad that the spitting we did got abolished, since it isn't a flattering habit on anyone, but the barriers and rules of how to be a girl made me so angry that for a long time, that I didn't want to be a girl and started to use "Like a Girl" to separate myself from the "Feminine Women" and "The Warrior Women." 
Most of my life, I hated being a woman. I looked up to characters in film like Princess Leia in Star Wars, and Marion "Mary" Ravenwood in Indiana Jones 2 but still, in the real world, I would constantly try to prove my masculinity while struggling with my femininity.
It was only in the last 4-5 years that I have truly started to accept that being "Like a Girl" is a good thing. Being a Girl is not a bad thing, nor should it be and I am so happy as a woman/girl/lady in the entertainment industry, that there are people proving that "Like a Girl" is great! 
Thank you to those who are helping those of us who were once afraid to be "Like a Girl" and for the many young girls who are growing up in this world who will hopefully grow up thinking that "Like a Girl" is a positive phrase, rather than a negative.

One of the great things about being a female actress is getting to talk about comedy that men just don't understand or have a very different perspective of. This Comedy written, directed and starred in by a Fellow Lady Filmmaker and actress, Kristine Gerolaga, is about the trials and tribulations that women go through before, after and during that very special time of the month where you just don't know what to do with yourself. She and her team are  putting together this hilarious comedy and after watching the indiegogo campaign,  we at Diabla are  supporting the hell out of it! 
So as they say "If you have a vagina or like them" you will be rolling when you see this! 

Please watch the clip she put together and consider supporting a wonderful women  filmmaker in their endeavor to continue making great films with fun women roles! 

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/a-period-film

Love it and will be donating this weekend!

I watched Elysium tonight and loved it. 

When I heard that it didn't do so well in the critics reviews, I was shocked. 

From the makers of "District 9" another great film, which got mixed reviews, Elysium is about our world in the future. Earth is a cesspool of over ran, dirty slums,(or at least in the Los Angeles area) with crime, a disheveled and rundown city filled with robotic police and what seems to be very extreme conditions. 

Elysium, a beautiful ring of paradise, hangs over this distressed earth as a sign of beauty, power and what seems to be a world created for only the wealthy to obtain getting only the best food, water and of course medical care. 

The story follows Max, a product of this earth and how he saves it with a ragtag team of justice fighters, desperate to help the population of earth. 

What I loved, and the reason I think it might not have done so well is because of the social reflection of the grouse gap between "rich" and "poor" as well as the reflection of America today and what social injustices are occurring. 
 
Even though, I think we would all love to believe that in the future, medicine and the ability to become unified as a world is possible, just like Star Trek would suggest, this movie shows us what else might happen if we as a society go down the path we are currently on. Reflecting what greed, power and money can and is currently doing in society. 


There is also a great few clues to C.Chaves, which a little girl is named at the beginning of the film, as well as the United Farm Workers symbol snuck in. 


Basically, I feel that this movie reflexes greatly on what is going on in America with regards to immigration laws, the corruption of powers, the extreme economic separation between the classes and might predict what could occur if these major issues are not addressed and really, fixed. 


And just like a fat cat looking at itself in the mirror, some viewers might not have liked what they saw.


If you want to see a relevant movie that is not only well acted with a lot of action sequences AND deals with real issues that sooner or later we are all going to have to face, then watch this movie!

I was reading an article a day or so ago on my vacation to Pennsylvania that I believe all women should here. 
I was feeling a bit out of shape and nervous about getting into a hot tub with some country girls. In Pittsburg all I ate was french fries and cheese whiz, porgies and other very unhealthy things for my body. Very different from my usual diet of Thai food and roasted veggies in California. But when you are on vacation...eh...you're on vacation! 
I went to see some of these crazy fun girls at the lake and we had a great time! It was nice to see that they were average weight just like I am. Still, I knew I wasn't staying here and soon that good old guilt of being pudgy would be coming back and the daily grind of gym, veggies and self loathing would continue. 
I started looking up what the 24 hour in Seattle had to offer (Since this is where I am moving next) and decided that I really needed to spend my time trying to get down to a size suited for my weight but as I looked at magazines in the stores, t.v. commercials and movies, I kept feeling like my goals of getting in shape would never match up to what reality would be like. I know what is good for me, I know what my body can look like but to get to a size 0-4 would be murder on my body and frankly, I would never have fun! I am a size 6-8 girl, healthy. Anything less than that would be a head on a stick. I like curves, personally. I agree you should always be conscience of your weight and try to maintain a healthy lifestyle but the length women and men have gone now a days, is becoming un-appealing and personally unattractive.
Then I was surfing the net and found this article. 
It talks about the way women are perceived in the media and brought a fresh perspective to a frustrating visualization of the misleading media. It talks about how women say their one size but when you look at the reality, there could be no way they are that thin. It suggests that women in the media are lying about their weight to appear thinner than they actually are and the evidence is quite revealing. 

For those of you who want to read more on this article CLICK HERE or paste:
http://www.beautyredefined.net/weight-size-media-lies/

We have had some great crowds for the first Interactive Murder Mystery Western I've ever written/directed/acted in. Its been quite an adventure for sure. Between filming a 30 minute movie with the cast and going through the theatrical performances as well. I have to say, I feel so honored to be around so many talented performers and to have reached over 500 people with our show, so far! I am so proud of the cast, so proud of the crew and so VERY proud of the community we have built here in SF and the support we have gotten from family and friends who have either donated money, time, seen the show or worked on the show/film with us! 
For those of you who don't know, I am branching off from the Diabla SF branch to expand our horizons to the North West. As of November 5th, Sean O'Connor and I will be moving to Seattle for a few years to try and establish the Film portion and connect with the music scene there. I will miss San Francisco. Over the last 5 years it has been my home and where I have found friends for life. As I slowly tell people, I've gotten a lot of "Why?" and "Are you serious?" which, I'm not gonna lie, has made me feel good that people will miss us, but also makes me feel more and more sad that I am leaving. I am hoping to bring out a few of the amazing artists I've worked with here to Seattle and meet new and fun people there as well. Currently, Sean and I are working on a Web-series that we are filming there and Christine Jovan, Co-Owner and soon to be SF contact of Diabla and I are working on a Film Musical which should be in the works as of 2015. Until then, look at what we got going on below with our reviews for "Flower Shop of Whore-ers".

Today was amazing day for filming. We have such a great cast and crew I cannot believe it. First off, the THE CREW: I have two of the best minds behind the camera. Sean O'Connor and Edoardo De Armas. These two guys truly know their craft. The shots are so eloquently executed and their working relationship flows like they've been working together forever. As the Director and Writer of the script, it is refreshing to be able to just work with the actors on their acting and not have to worry about whether or not the lighting is right or if the ISO on the camera is correct. These guys have it all. 
MUA and HAIR: Christine Jovan and Suzil Von Schtupt. The other two ladies who run the company with me have stepped in to do Hair and Make-up and they are doing a fabulous job. With a crash course in a "how to" tutorial, they have gone above and beyond the call of duty, with not only their MUA and Hair but also with the ability to act and help with crew work as well.
THE ACTORS: I cannont say enough about the amazing cast. Tonight we had the pleasure of filming Marc Berman, Jeffery Schmidt, Kathy Mello, Christine Jovan and Sean O'Connor. That's Right! Our cast and crew both do dual roles. 
This is what is so great about working with dedlcated individuals who love what they do and want to have fun while doing a project that is fun and they are passionate about.
TONIGHTS SHOOT:
Tonight we were filming a scene that will NOT be scene any where except for on the DVD and at film festivals (once we send it out) where The Sheriff has seen what the small city of San Francisco is all about and the Deputy is guiding him through it. They have some fun banter and run into two suspicious ladies with their "Gentlemen friend". 

Want to see and hear more? Please Check out the show on Diabla's Film Page:
www.diablaproductions.com
Film or Live Categories!

Thanks for reading and I am so excited to share more soon!

For those of you who don't know this, I wrote an Interactive Murder Mystery Western called "Flower Shop of Whore-ers".(I am also directing, acting and video taping it) Its been so much fun and I can't tell you how excited I am to get it off the ground. 

This past weekend my company Diabla Productions had auditions for the show. It was a little rocky at first, being double booked at our rehearsal space and all but we made it work! With good old lady ingenuity (Plus lots of signs, tape, and phone calls) we got everyone to where we needed them to be! We had some amazing performers come out for the show. There were many new faces but also some older, familiar faces as well. It was a real treat hearing everyone and seeing what they could bring to the table. 

Well, without further adieu, I am pleased to announce the Cast for The World Premiere "Flower Shop of Whore-ers"


CAST LIST
Madam Paige- Joni Ward
Sheriff Melvin- Jeffery Schmidt
Deputy Lawrence- Marc Berman
Gypsy Esmeralda- Miyoko Sakatani
Juniper- Suzil Von Schtupt
Grace- Molly Gazay
Belle- Tari Osaisai
Rose- Valentina Lugo
Chrissy- Christine Jovan
Missy- Kathy Mello 

Band: Anju's Pale Blue Eyes