Filmmaking is driving me insane!

You know you lost your mind when you wake up at 4 am to polish the sound of your film and then run to the school at 9:30. Since you can't find the classroom, you text your classmates to ask... just to find that... it's SUNDAY! Class is only tomorrow, crazy girl! That's how intense this whole filmmaking thing has been to me. LOL

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Você sabe que pirou de vez quando você acorda às 4 da matina p/ polir o som do seu filme e depois corre pra escola às 9:30. Como você não consegue encontrar a sala de aula, manda torpedo pros colegas perguntando... só pra descobrir que ... é DOMINGO! A aula é só amanhã, maluquinha! Isso dá uma idéia de quão intensa essa coisa toda de virar cineasta tem sido pra mim. rsrsrsrs

Going out in LA | A noite de Los Angeles

(leia versão em português abaixo)

Yesterday - after long long journey - we went out at night for the first time. It seems that Americans don't know how to have fun. First, almost everything closes at 2am.

My classmates and I went to Universal City Walk, kind of an outdoors mall, with dozens of shops and theme bars. Kind of a tourist thing, I thought. A little cheesy.

We walked and walked and finally sat in a bar called Samba. Guess why? Brazilian theme. Curiously, they only played salsa and rumba. what the heck is that? We don't have these rythms in Brazil!!! C'amon!

After a while, we went to Saddle Ranch (at UCW as well), kind of an outdoor nightclub with country motifs. Music was nice. But it looked like all the latinos of the world were there. Where the Americans?

Weird for me: they check the IDs at the entrance. And sad: over half of our group had not an official document. Although they're mostly in their 30s, were all barred. Pure nonsense. Just entered myself and another couple. It was already 1am. We stayed only until 1:30 a.m. cause the DJ began to warn they'd be closing soon. Very disappointing.

Fast facts: 1) A long neck beer costs $ 5.50, but they don't give change in coins. Then it's US$ 6. It's very expensive to get drunk here. 2) A pack of cigarettes costs the same: US$ 6.

PS: My friends were impressed with me dancing.

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Ontem -- depois de longo tempo ralando direto -- saí à noite pela primeira vez. A balada foi legalzinha. Mas esses americanos não sabem se divertir. Primeiro, quase tudo fecha às 2h.

O pessoal da minha classe foi pro Universal City Walk, tipo um shopping a céu aberto dos estúdios, com várias lojas e bares temáticos. Meio coisa de turista, eu achei. Muito neon e pirotecnia.

Rodamos, rodamos e finalmente sentamos num bar chamado Samba. Adivinha porquê? Brazilian. O curioso é q só tocava salsa e rumba. Um absurdo. Eles não têm noção, né?

Depois saimos de lá e fomos prum tal de Saddle Ranch (também no UCW), tipo uma boate ao ar livre com motivos country. A música tava até boa. Mas todos os latinos do mundo estavam lá. Cadê os americanos?

E foi o ó porque eles checam a identidade na porta e mais da metade do nosso grupo não tinha um documento oficial. Embora quase todos estejam na faixa dos 30, foram barrados. Aff... É muito sem noção. Só três de nós conseguiram entrar. Isso já era 1h. Ficamos só até 1h30 pq o DJ começou a avisar q ia fechar a casa. Bem decepcionante.

Detalhe: 1) uma cerveja long neck custa US$ 5,50, mas eles não dão troco em moedas. Então sai por US$ 6. Um porre sai muuuito caro por essas bandas. 2) Um maço de cigarros também custa o mesmo: US$ 6.

PS: Meus amigos ficaram impressionados comigo dançando.

Cinematographic lies 1: car chase | Mentiras cinematográficas 1: perseguição de carros

One of the weirdest things I've ever seen here... When a car with a siren (police, fire fighters, ambulance) passes, by the American driving rules, every car on the street ought to stop immediately.

I was at traffic the other day and suddenly I've heard a siren. Everything stopped and I couldn't understand why. Later I've heard the explanation from my host. I would never know! In Brazil we just make space for this kind of car pass by.

Then, a click on my head: I've lost the count of the movies I've seen with car chases. On none of those I remember to have seen the cars stopping because of a siren. We see lots of crashes on citizens cars that are riding where the chase's taking place. Are they cinematography lies? On the other hand, knowing that is forbidden to ride when you hear a siren gives a completely different perspective of what these car chases mean to Americans.

PS: My friend that lives in Memphis told me they don't have to stop when they hear a siren. So maybe it's just California's law.

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Uma das coisas mais esquisitas que eu já vi por aqui... Quando um carro com sirene (tipo polícia, bombeiros, ambulância) passa, pelas regras de trânsito americanas, todos os carros na rua devem parar imediatamente.

Eu estava no trânsito outro dia e, de repente, ouvi uma sirene. Tudo parou e eu fiquei sem entender o porquê. Mais tarde minha hostess explicou. Como é que eu ia imaginar! No Brasil, a gente só abre um espaço pra esse tipo de carro passar, nada mais, né?

Daí veio um clique na minha cabeça: perdi as contas dos filmes que já vi com perseguições de carro. Nas telas, nunca vi carro de cidadão algum parar por causa de sirene. Será que eu nunca reparei? A gente vê aquele monte de batidas, tanto dos vilões quanto da polícia nos carros dos cidadãos/figurantes desavisados que circulam no trajeto onde ocorre a perseguição. É licença poética ou mentira cinematográfica?

Por outro lado, saber que é proibido andar com o carro quando você ouve uma sirene confere um peso completamente diferente a esse tipo de cena pros americanos, certo?

PS: Minha amiga que mora em Memphis disse que não tem que parar o carro quando ouve uma sirene (só reduzir). Então talvez seja apenas a lei californiana.

Challenge: What time is it? | Diga-me se for capaz: Que horas são?

Yesterday, I went to a hospital 'cause my sore throat was getting worse. In the waiting room, I saw these two clocks. What do they mean? Why two clocks? Do they show the same time?

Funny how they put the hours in our system (24h). We just say 19 o'clock, for example, but our analogical clocks actually show 7 (pm). Never seen one like that, have you?

But the one from the left... It's more complicated, right? Realize this: you're sick and trying to figure out what time is it. Detail: they were both not working.

So now answer me, please, what time was it, according to those clocks?

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Ontem, fui fazer um tour pelo hospital daqui, porque estou com uma baita dor de garganta (brasileira) desde que cheguei. Na sala de espera, vi esses dois relógios. Fala sério: dois relógios, um do lado do outro? Porque cargas d'água?

O da direita, tudo bem, engraçado ver como eles colocam as horas no nosso sistema (24h). Nunca tinha visto um assim, vc já? Mas o da esquerda... Difícil, né? Acho que é pra vc passar o tempo quebrando a cabeça enquanto espera! hahaha

Detalhe: os dois estavam parados. Então, falaí, que horas eram de acordo com esses relógios?

Psychic powers, please! | Meio-fio vermelho = multa, sabia?

Just a simple warning on the curb, 
like this one, could've prevented me 
from getting a ticket

Today the City of Los Angeles gave me its first gift: a ticket for parking violation. Of course it doesn't seem fair to me because I know very well how to drive, but I would never had imagined that a red curb indicates that I can't park in that spot. In fact, according to my hostess, any kind of colored curb means that is forbidden to park.

How could I know? Only if I was a psychic! It's not an international signing system. Huh... Whatever... I can't say this to them to get rid of the ticket, can I? So I have to shut my mouth and pay US$ 80. Anyway, it's cheaper than any ticket in Brazil, I guess. Welcome to America, I hear. It's touristic city for God's sake!

Homestay - epilogue | A piada do ano: descobri de onde surgiu Roberta!

Remember I told you there's been a misunderstanding about my aplication to a homestay service? They took me for a certain Roberta and placed me with a Phillipine family in a Latin neighborhood. All I didn't order for. At that time, I complained about the service and compared it to the Brazilian one.

Nothing like a day after another. Today I went to Universal Student Housing office to pay my invoice and... discovered it's owned by a Brazilian!!! hahaha

He explained (and apologized): a Brazilian girl named Roberta told them that her friend was going to apply for a homestay the very next day but didn't told them the girl's name. Coincidentally, I applied. So they assumed I was Roberta's friend and would stay with her. A very Brazilian situation. hahaha

Fortunally, everything was solved. But it's a huge irony, isn't it? The joke of the year. By the way, they're very friendly and concerned about my confort. I recommend them! If you're comming to LA and want a nice place to stay try USH. They also have apartments near UCLA.

What's more expensive: renting a car in US or Brazil?

Two months ago, I've rented a car for a holyday here in Brazil. A well known company sent me an e-mail with a great offer. I accepted and almost lost it on the counter when they told me the true price. Yes, because here they tell you only the rent rate without insurance fees and all that stuff. But those extras just doubled the total amount. It's outrageous, I know.

Today, I was searching rent a car companies over the internet. And I realized two things. First, companies hide the total amount in Brazil. And those same companies show the total price in US (with and without extra fees). Why is that? They use the same software in both countries, I guess.

Second and most important: renting a Hyundai Accent in US or a Chevrolet Celta in Brazil for 10 days costs virtually the same amount (without insurance fees), wich means almost $ 290 USD. Can you believe that? I compared Brazilian and American rates from Hertz and Avis. It's preposterous.

Don't even try to lecture me about taxes. I've been an economics reporter for a long time. Let me just clear this. The minimum wage in Brazil is $ 3.680 USD/year. And 49% of Brazilian families (4 members) live with $ 8.570 USD/year.

Now you can try to explain me why do we have to pay the same as Americans to rent a car in Brazil. I guess we can start this conversation by comparing the profits that American companies earn in Third World Countries with the ones they get at home. Would it be too much to say that we somehow are financing America? I don't know the answer for that but I'm sure I want to learn from Americans how to make movies and how to make money as well.

PS: I've rented a car for 10 days from Alamo for $ 360 USD with all included. Hope's been a great deal or I'll shoot myself. hahaha (Try this if you're looking for a bargain: www.holidaycars.com.)

Homestay soap opera - Happy ending?

That's the difference between third world countries and "first class mankind", I guess.

Remember I told you there's been a misunderstanding about my aplication to a homestay service? They took me for a certain Roberta and placed me with a Phillipine family in a Latin neighborhood. All I didn't order for.

Well, I complained and they apologized, than fixed it! I'll stay in 100% American townhouse in Valley Village. Cool! Is this a happy ending? I hope so!

By the way, I'm officially unemployed since yesterday.

Homestay soap opera - Episode 2

(or Are aliens all the same?)

If an ordinary citizen treats all aliens as the same, ok. I can understand that but I disagree, of course. But what about a company tailored to welcome foreigners?

As I told you in my last post, there's been a huge misunderstanding about my stay in US. They've put me with a Phillipine family with a roomate called Roberta. (Who the heck is Roberta?) Now the mistery is solved. "It seems your application was confused with another Brazilian student who requested a roommate", they said. All right. One Brazilian, two Brazilians... What's the difference? Put them together and colect the money!

Of course that's nothing I asked for. My special requests were completely neglected. Still, I insist with USH.

Let's give them another chance. Why not? I'm fair enough to do that. But I won't give up on my cities list! Or my private room! Neither make a fool of myself if my host family starts to speak Tagalog among them in my face knowing that I can't understand a word of that. And then USH replied:

Please be aware that homestay is based on availability which means that hosts must be able to accommodate you in their schedule and based on your profile information, agree to host you. So the locations that you indicated in your file will be based on availability. Regarding your preference for an "American family," we'll be happy to place you with one of our many diverse, American hosts. Since we do not indicate host's ethnicity in their file, we can only ensure you that they are American, have been visited and interviewed by the Director of USH, have undergone a criminal background check and thus, determined as quality homestay hosts for our students.

Why do I have the feeling they're really saying "stop complaining and be happy with what we get you, alien"? Maybe because those are the standard excuses from Brazilian companies on any subject. They always say they'll do everything possible -- and then offer the only thing they actually want to provide (preferably with no effort and great profits). Humpf...

Let me tell you a naked truth about Brazilian culture: Brazilian means survivor. We never ever give up. We always find a way -- with or without the system.

I've got the contact of a friend's friend that is living in L.A. for years. I guess he's "majored" in American way of life. I'll start with that. Maybe he has some good tips. I'll find the best place to stay. That's a promisse.

Homestay soap opera - Episode 1

(Or who the heck is Roberta?)

My Goodness! I thought that kind of thing only happened in 3rd world countries. I was deadly wrong. I've signed for a homestay by USH. They've sent me six messages at once confirming the applying. And you know, I must confess I'm kind of lazy to read all that.

But when I finally read them I found that was the smallest of my problems. I wrote on my application that I would stay until July 6th. They've sent me a nice confirmation:

Welcome to the US and to sunny California! We are pleased to have chosen a homestay for you while attending New York Film Academy. Your 4 Weeks 5 Days stay will be from 04/25/2010 to 05/27/2010.

Are they kidding me? I'll stay for almost three months! So I've sent them a message warning about the slightly little mistake. They replied just to be sure:

Thank you for your email. So I understand that you will be staying until July 6th, not May 27th. Will Roberta, your roommate, also be staying until July 6th and sharing the bedroom with you? If she is moving out May 27th, then you will be charged for private room from May 28th until July 6th. Please confirm if that is correct. Thank you!

I beg your pardon, but who the f... is Roberta?

After that, I decided to read all the information really really carefully. And I notice that my family speaks Tagalog. What's that? Never heard of it! Thanks to Google now I know they speak it in Phillipines. And thanks to Wikipedia I know Philippines is a country in Southeast Asia.

As if it wasn't already too much for me, they live in North Hollywood, and this city wasn't in my list of special requests. (Read here)

What do I do? Couldn't help myself. Had a serious talk to them. Now I'm really worried about where I'll sleep when I arrive in LA.

Is that just because I'm Latin American? Is this the way I'll be treated during all my stay in US? Do they think I'm stupid? Can't they care about offering a good service? Do they think I'll accept anything just because I'm a foreigner? Nobody's doing me a favor, I'm paying for all and it's a lot. Really expensive. I'll take nothing but what I asked for. Period.

PS: When I started this blog I thought of telling my adventures. Should've remembered: be careful what you wish for!