I once met a "Little Bean"...

Fagiolino is what I call him (little bean in Italian).

Have you ever met someone and had that instant feeling you already know them. You're not sure where or when you have met this person, but you are certain that they used to be in your past life and the universe has reunited you. That is what I felt when I met Fagiolino. He was family, he was the twin brother I was missing.

I worked with him eight years ago on a crazy independent movie in Florida. We were both cast as vampires. We had a blast while filming, and we have been connected ever since.

I'm talking about him today because I just left him at the station. He had the brilliant idea to visit me and I believe his presence was therapeutic to my soul. Fagiolino is the kind of person that will go the extra mile to make you laugh. He has no limits and has no boundaries. He says the most outrageous things to complete strangers in the streets... and all he gets back are smiles and people offering him their phone numbers and skype IDs!!! Anyone else trying the same approach would probably get slapped in the face or at least a dirty look! No, not the Fagiolino! People LOVE him! It's quite entertaining to witness. He has a gift, he was born this way. His mood is contagious and up-lifting.

I'm very lucky that I have a Fagiolino in my life!

Where is my iHorn?

Let me explain. I'm sure most of you remember how everyone at some point had a Walkman, right? You carried it with you all times! It was necessary and fun. Well I wish I had a portable device I could carry with me on my walks from/to work. What type of gadget? Not a music one. I already have an iNano. I could use full advantage of blowing a horn while walking on the busy streets. I'm not joking! Some people just can't walk, they sort of wobble in the middle of the sidewalk with no destination nor purpose. To make it even more annoying they are usually right in front of you and they like to place themselves in a way that you can't pass them neither from the right nor left side. Since I don't have a car in London, my legs have officially become my way of transportation. Trust me when I say that my short little legs can move quite fast. Is this town turning me into a rush-freak? I just don't like wasting time. That is why I would love to have a Walk-horn, or maybe I should call it a Walkie-Honky (Walkie-talkie)... or even better I should keep up with fashion and name it the iHorn! I think that is my most favorite option at this particular moment. How wonderful would it be, when you find yourself stuck behind the sidewalk-sloth-hogger, to blow that tiny little iHorn and scare the hell out of them? It should project a very loud and intimidating sound. That thought made me realize how loud it would be out in the streets if they were freely sold to anyone. On a second thought I think I should be the sole owner of a iHorn!!! Ok, I admit it... at this point I just like repeating my made up brand.

YES to Stem Cell Research!

I was just following the news and I was very happy to hear that President Obama has signed an Executive Order on stem cells research. It was about time! In other countries there is already stem cells research in process. It is really unbelievable that the former "President" refused to sign such an important order in favor of medicine and research for cures. We should always welcome progress which leads to improvement. We know that stem cells can reveal "miraculous" solutions for some diseases. I find this process fascinating and necessary. The fact that we are so close to be able to rebuild a damaged body part like we fantasized in Sci-fi movies not too long ago, it's astonishing. What is appalling to me is that I had just heard on the news that President Obama is being criticized for this choice! I guess that the same movements against abortion are obviously also against federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research. That makes me feel like some of us are still stuck in the middle ages with their bigot beliefs. I'm sure that the same people however had no issue to raise against the funds wasted on a never ending atrocity of a war, on building more weapons that can ever be used, on sending thousands of thousands of young soldiers to give their life in honor of their country, on banning same sex marriages, on keeping the masses ignorant to hide their inconvenient truths. But they dare to call Obama's decision profoundly immoral!?!? This is outrageous! I'm really, really, really happy that Obama just reversed this madness, and he still keeps on reinforcing my belief and vision I had the day I voted for him. If all this medical research would have already been in function years ago... chances are that probably my father could have taken advantage of it already. Intelligence needs to prevail over this religious rubbish!

"Rather than furthering discovery, our government has forced what I believe is a false choice between sound science and moral values," Obama said. "In this case, I believe the two are not inconsistent. As a person of faith, I believe we are called to care for each other and work to ease human suffering."

Kew Gardens

This is a very impressive ensemble of gardens and green houses. It showcases the world's largest Victorian Green House. It's fascinating to imagine who visited those gardens in the mid 1800s. It reminded me a little of the Huntington Gardens in Pasadena. My favorite section was this amazing green house divided into different sub-tropical zones displaying different types of Orchids. It is really a scenery that looks like it popped out of a fairy tale! The colors are so vibrant. The shapes are unbelievable. It's really amazing what nature can do. I seriously kept on waiting for a fairy or some other sort of strange creature to jump out from the greenery. What a treat to find a place like that on a cold, windy and rainy day. The park is in the Richmond area, which doesn't even look like London. It looks like a little ritzy colorful English village. It was definitely worth the trip and ticket. I just wish I had more time and that the weather would have been nicer. It was so cold that my ears were experiencing the most acute form of pain ever. I have now blasted the heater at home so high that it feels like I'm recreating the Palm House climate!

Higher standards and lower tolerance

I'm aware this does not apply to everyone. In fact I feel like this posting is somewhat related to the previous one (The city of "pairs"). I think that a lot people lower their standards as they get older, especially when is relationship related. I think they fear to be lonely, to grow old and alone. So they compromise by lowering they standards and raising their tolerance levels.

I qualify under the opposite list. As I get older my standards get higher, sometime way too high! To the point I'm not sure I'll ever reach them but I'd rather try and fall then settling for what is available. This subject includes: jobs, love, food, clothes, or anything that I get to chose.

Let's start with jobs. When you're younger you just need a job sometime, then you learn, you go to school, you gain experience and discover what is your talent. Once that is nailed, I want to pursue it and additionally I want to grow and reach higher position levels in that particular industry. I will not chose a job that forces me to back-track and I would not be happy working for a company that does let me fully sparkle (I like that word!). I also find that as years go by my urge for chasing my dreams becomes more and more maniacal. I feel like I need to accomplish everything! The sooner the better! I need to get a show running in London, Rome and Paris. I need to win an Oscar! I must direct and shoot a documentary in Africa or South America!!! I also need to find some time to at least once do some volunteer work in a third world country!!! I must be recognized world-wide for some sort of achievement that helped animals! Write a thriller/novel. Write a comedic book about my life in the USA. Learn how to pilot an helicopter. But I just feel like time is running out, and my projects in my head keep on multiplying even before I have the actual time to start working on them. Yes, I'm an ambitious workaholic with no sense of reality.

Love in a way is similar. When you're young you think you fall so hard for someone because it's new. My standards were pretty low. I think that cute and funny was all it mattered! And I surely did find "cute & funny". I would lie if I said that I didn't go that route again... obviously I have a weakness for cute and funny men. The difference is now that I'm older I know it will only be funny and cute for a very short time. I would not consider the "subject" to be a possible candidate for a long term relationship. I must admit that I still will not give up the looks on my ideal partner, nor a good sense of humor! But now I have become incredibly judgmental about men's IQ, their goals and ambitions and whether or not they accomplish to reach them, their taste in shoes, their political views, their choices in hobbies, their opinions about being green, their level of spirituality not being related to any particular religion, their passion for nature, their ability to actually be a man. I know it's really close to impossible, especially because I decide on daily basis to add more "toppings" to my flavor. How would I describe this impossible creature? I guess it would be a mix of the following: The genius of Einstein, The looks of Pearce Brosnan, The irony of "Rhett Butler", The humor of Roberto Benigni, The creativity of Leonardo (NO, NOT DiCaprio!!), The green passion of Al Gore, I won't go on because it would really become a Frankenstein creation of my psyche. As a result of my over elaborating of this fiction man, my tolerance for anyone who does not share my list of "must haves" decreases more and more. I still think I'd rather be alone than accepting a meaning-less substitute. I also refuse to "search" for him on a website! It has to happen like it was meant to be. I can only meet my perfect match either at some outdoors venture, museum, art gallery, or acting rehearsal I almost forgot that one!! He must have a real love and understanding of the acting craft. See? This is The Never Ending List!!!

Food and clothes classify under shopping. I've become quite the snob on this level as well. I'm truly obsessed by organic foods. I also am in a constant search for vegan products! Although I'm not vegan. I also am very picky about grocery stores. I was quite happy to find Whole Foods here in London. I now also like Waitrose and Tesco. I religiously take my vitamins, various supplements and potions daily. I like personally picking my fruits and vegetables. It's a ritual. I really love to eat, cook and therefore do my groceries. Clothes.... Here in London I swear they have the same stores lined up on the streets at intervals over and over again! You see Clarcks, H&M, GAP, Benetton, Zara, and then it starts all over again! Obviously if you have the budget there is also plenty of choices for the designer brands. I love shoes and clothes. I must touch everything when I'm in a store. If it looks good but does not feel good to the touch, then it's not good for me. It must fit like if it was made for me. I can't just buy something because it's on sale! Luckily I'm not a shopaholic! I like quality over quantity. I follow trends to a point, I think I have my own style. As a dear friend of mine would say, the style of "Purple Movie Star".

The city of "pairs"

I honestly don't think I have ever seen so many couples as I am experiencing here in London! They are everywhere! Young and old, of all shapes, sizes, religions and races. You find them on the tube, on the street, in the stores, at work, at the museums, at the pubs... you can't escape from "couples".

Are there any single people in this city? I went from the capital of Singles (LA) to this? My theory is that is so damn cold and grey here, that people get bored. They need another human being to keep them warm at all times. That explains the constant snuggling, kissing, hugging. Once they find a compatible "match", they keep it! They have no intention of going out in the cold again to look for another one. It doesn't matter if they don't perfectly match! At this point they have already decided to move into a flat together... it makes perfectly sense, they will now not only keep each others warm but they will also share bills.

Often the couples I see don't look like a match at all, not visually nor intellectually! It looks like they went to a "partner" end of season 80% sale! It's the last day of the sale, there is not much left, you just need to pick the piece of garment that is leftover because it's a good deal... not necessarily because it was what you were looking for, but because it was there and you just needed to pick one up. I find all this to be sad and hopeless. Will I eventually end up thinking that way too? Just because I realized that I used the word "eventually", I know it will never happen! That is my least favorite word! It's a lazy way to say "never". I just don't see myself adapting to a new environment to the point of transfiguring my beliefs and standards... and with this thought I must end this posting as I will save it for my next related subject!

Post-trip rant

When did my parents become so old-fashion? I used to think of them as free-spirited souls and anti-conformists. However as time goes by they regress in their beliefs and ideas. Every time I go visit them I get so mentally exhausted. They need to make sure to remind me of any mistakes I have made in my life... although I consider them experiences instead. It's a constant past digging of events, it's negative, and time-consuming. Additionally they now love mentioning religion!! They were never religious! What happened??? Is it because they are getting older? That is terrifying! I just got back and truly feel sick! I have made myself sick by absorbing their annoying complaints. I feel like no matter what I do they will never be proud of me, they will never be grateful of my efforts to help them. Having these feelings in the end it makes me also feel guilty... which it doesn't help.
I'm too annoyed to even write about it. I just need to go on. I just need to go back to my solo-brainstorming for a multi-million dollar idea, that would allow me to book post-parental holidays in very fancy spa/retreat locations around the world.