Annocha Gabriella José: Day 5 of Pande(la) in Hollywood

Been a minute since I've blogged.................. guess life has been too busy you know MOVING TO ANOTHER COUNTRY and all.

Yes folks, I’ve made it. To Los Angeles and that’s it.

Now if you know me well enough, I might in passing have mentioned that it has been my dream to come to the States. I’ve been fortunate to know my whole life what I wanted to be and do. Though as life progress it has changed slightly. So ever since I was about 16/17 when I was choosing my subjects for school, I knew I wanted to study Drama/Acting at New York Film Academy. But once looking into online reality set in, I couldn’t afford it. Then my wise and awesome supportive mother told me that I should study at a University and obtain a degree in whatever I wanted so that I can have a degree behind my name, once I have that she said I can then go overseas and figure out how to get into the school or do whatever I wanted. And as the universe has it, I randomly one day decided to open up my subscription mail from New York Film Academy (that I have been getting for years) and there is was…………. OPEN AUDITIONS FOR ACTING HELD IN CAPE TOWN. I kid you not. Usually I am so wrapped up in my production work that I let many casting/auditions slide. But for some strange reason that day I opened the mail and said, okay let’s do this. What do you have to lose Annocha? Another day doing production Admin, take the one day off and go for it, if you get it cool if you don’t carry on with life and try something else but don’t let this opportunity slide. So I went for it. Got it and well loooooooooong story short……… Day 5 of being in LA.

Today I got lost……….. Again. Sold my car last Monday, it’s the first time since I was 16 that I haven’t had a form of transportation. Spoilt? YES! But I’ve been fortunate enough to live a good life. However I don’t have a car here and taking the bus. Luckily the bus system here is waaay better than in South Africa. But being the first time I’ve ever used a bus in my life and in a new country for the very first time in my life, suppose challenging would be an understatement. Yesterday I thought I was smart and went to the Academy to see how I would get my way around so that I wouldn’t be late for Orientation………….. WELL. I took one of my house mate’s advice on taking another bus line that would be easier. Let’s just day arriving about 3 hours late for orientation did not make it easier. I walked and took buses all over LA. Still can’t explain my stupidly though, just tired of getting lost and tryna figure out how to get from one place to another. Once I made my class everyone kept saying I got a British accent. SMH. Americans….. they truly are a special breed. Hahaha the whack questions I’ve had to answer.

1. Do you drink coconut juice from the coconut?

2. Do you know who has Aids?

3. Oh you from Africa (Correction South Africa but ya) do you know, I know someone from Nigeria, do you know *insert random name*

4. How did you get here?

5. If you from Africa why are you…….Oh wait that’s Mean Girls. Haha Love that movie.

I am currently staying in North Hollywood, in like an acting digs, sharing a room with 3 girls. And living with about 12 other people in one house. Yeah sacrifices to live the dream. It’s been REAL. Only been here for about 2 days, so tryna settle in. It’s not ideal but it’s cool to be around people. Not as helpful as I anticipated but I guess we all adults and everyone is here for their own reasons. Everyone is an artist and hustling, every man for himself. Kinda the life I’ve been living, but it’s been tough doing it by myself in a new country. But hey….. gotta man up, no one said its gona be easy. So I stay on my steez, you can’t get nowhere in life if you don’t put the work in. Simple. But overall its quiet refreshing being in a house filled with creative’s, staying up late working on your craft is normal. Real cool. I do hope to find a place closer to the Academy, will just make my life easier. *Side note……..living with girls……. I realise I’m sooo far from girly. Just to gangsta for my own good….. or bad, however you look at it. All I’m saying is…. ‘Bitch don’t kill my vibe’

Anyway soooo obviously the glitz and glam of Hollywood has faded, but let me throw in a little cliché line; ‘Every Cloud has a silver lining’ and on this very clouded day, there was a light. I got to class, met my fellow classmates and got to see a glimpse of what my life will be like for the next 9 months. If all is in God’s will, it will be an incredible experience. This is defiantly the best decision I’ve made and it is everything and more than I expected. I can do anything I want…….. act, dance, write, film, and produce, ANYTHING. It blows my mind that I have basically everything I dreamed of at my disposal. Obviously this is an opportunity and it’s how you look at it, the world is your oyster.

I’ve decided to create a bucket list for my time in LA:

1. Direct a short Film

2. Producer a short Film

3. Create my own TV show and Film at least 3 episodes and Upload it

4. Start a BlogTalk Radio show

5. Write at least 2 plays

6. Be in a Music Video

7. Dance – at least 5 different studios

8. Act in as many things as possible

9. Go to New York

10. Meet Idris Elba( I can’t leave this earth without this becoming a reality)

11. Start my own Company in SA