All posts tagged: life

All-time favorite TV shows

Published by

I’m a creature of habit when it comes to entertainment so starting a new TV show is kind of a big deal. I also stick with shows way too long, even after they have ceased to entertain me and I only watch out of loyalty to the characters. Occasionally the creativity picks back up but most of the time I guess I’m just wasting my time. (Although I vaguely remember something about reading bad books is better practice for writers than reading good books, and since being a screenwriter is my end game I’m hoping it works the same way with TV and movies. But I doubt it!) I’m also going to admit that I choose TV shows based on the level of attachment I have to an actor or show creator. What this usually means is that I will watch anything with any member of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer alumni. Read my love story with Buffy here. Sometimes this turns out to be a mistake (re: How I Met Your Mother. WHY WON’T IT …

If this was happiness

Published by

Rita Hayworth was the most beautiful woman in the world. She said the happiest time of her life was with her second husband, Orson Welles. She was so proud he picked her; at the time he was the wizard of Hollywood, everyone wanted a piece of him and he wanted her. He’d seen a picture of her in Life magazine, a picture of her sitting on her bed in a satin slip, and he said, “That’s the girl, I’m gonna marry her.” And he did, and it was the happiest time of her life. The shyest girl in all of Hollywood who never wanted the title “The Love Goddess.” She worked so hard for him; reading the literature he gave her, took a stand on current politics, his, of course. Everything to keep up with his restlessness and nationally declared genius. He left her. Twice. Then her beloved husband later said, reflecting back on their time together, “If this was happiness, imagine what the rest of her life had been!” In The Lady from Shanghai, …

Notes from my travels: Los Angeles (2006)

Published by

I’ve been wanting to write but then it’s also been the last thing on my mind all summer. I’ve searched for perfectly constructed sentences but I’ve contented myself with finding them in other people’s work. And I did, only they weren’t always written. Sometimes it was a sunset. On certain evenings the sky in California turns pink, not just around the horizon — all of it; cotton candy pink. I’ve been meaning to write about Los Angeles. So I might as well do it now, while my nails are drying. I’ve been alternating between blood red and aubergine for months, several times a week I’ll switch back and forth. Today is purple but when little children in restaurants and shops confront me about it, they insist it is black and their voice commend me for such a bold choice. Some mornings I wake up alone. He’ll be gone already but never without touching my lips with his and, “I love you.” We hardly ever part without those three precious words. I didn’t think I wanted …

Things I love about Hawaii

Published by

Sunshine. The perfect balance between sun and rain, making the rain almost always welcome when it comes for a day or two every six-eight weeks. The hardly-ever-below 20 degrees Celsius temperature, even at night. The hardly-ever above 32 degrees Celsius heat. The many fine sandy beaches. The fact there is still possible to find an empty beach if you know where to look. The color of lush rain forest – deep, crisp green! Tropical flowers. All the palm trees, although imported. The fact that, even carefully planted and strategically placed, palm trees always looks natural and lifts the spirit. Most Hawaiians know how lucky they are to call the islands home and do what they can to preserve and protect them. Kona Longboard beer. Fresh seared Ahi. Hono/Turtles, and the fact that they are treasured and protected. Swimming with a  turtle is the most amazing form of meditation and you emerge with a new sense of calm of spirit and a desire to protect all marine life. Hawaii’s past. Every time I drive up Pali …

TV’s strong heroines

Published by

It’s no secret that I love storytellers. They come in all forms; writers, filmmakers, journalists, musicians, painters, photographers. It is the basis for this blog – that the stories we tell ourselves shape the way we live our lives, and so they are very important. The question is what kind of stories are we exposed to? What were the stories that shaped my core that holds the beliefs after which I construct the world around me? Do my stories correspond to those of the people around me enough so we can co-exist peacefully together? In many places around the world the stories people tell themselves cause very real conflicts leading to suffering, plights and death. Politics is about making your beliefs into a reality that benefits the majority of the people living in that area, but leaving enough liberty for those who do not agree with you to also live fulfilling lives. But every day we witness the terrible consequences when people in power take it upon themselves to force their stories, with violence, persuasion …

Weekend in Maui

Published by

A belated celebration weekend in Maui with my love. There were no end to the things we had saved up to celebrate; our fourth anniversary, my birthday, his end-of-semester, Christmas, Valentines, our engagement, us, love and life! It was the perfect way to close this chapter and I’m ready to embark on the next one now. I can tell because I have a very strong desire to dye my hair back to brown. The blonde me was a knowledge-gathering drifting student in Honolulu. Brunette me means business, in more ways than one. I really want to start a little business of my own because if there is one thing this year has taught me is that a sustainable life means live your values and value how you live. Dozens of job applications later it dawned on me that most jobs advertised are about making already wealthy people wealthier. The best thing I can do for this planet and my happiness is to make my living from an ecologically sustainable source. What a win-win situation! I …

Hello world.

Published by

My name is Joey. It’s short for Josephine and it’s the name I gave myself when I was fifteen. I live in Honolulu, which is an exercise in not taking paradise for granted and something I am working actively on. I thought this blog might help that. I have long blonde hair, which isn’t my real hair color. I have cool blue eyes, and for the longest time I wore deep brown contacts because I thought it fit me better. It’s hard to wear a lot of makeup with blue eyes, it tend to just make your eyes look small and beady. Warm colors blend better. That should tell you something about me. I’m not always comfortable in my own skin. I want to be, but then I don’t think I would really be me anymore. I write stories. Or I used to write stories, but I want to be a person who writes stories again. I believe in stories. It’s what separates us from anything else – our ability to give life structure and …