Annocha Gabriella José

Thursday, March 21, 2013

2nd Week.... MADDESS IN LA

Damn, all I can say is that LA is where I belong. WOW!!!

Ventura Boulevard, Studio City

Coolest Thrift store ever

So it is my 2nd week in LA and I have been living in my digs for a couple of days. Now I havent been out and its been tough getting around. I dont have a car and its been kicking my ass. Been late for class because its the first time in my life ive ever taken a bus. The thing that I have been struggling with is getting around to all the spots that everyone is talking about, because its all so far away from each other. In Cape Town, its easy....... LONG STREET. But here its West Hollywood, Downtown LA, Burbank, Hollywood and its all about 20min away. Now that doesnt sound to bad right?? NO! When you dont have a car you have to take 3 buses to get there and sit and wait and wait and wait for the next bus to get anywhere. The

Starbucks - Anoka

problem through is that I have had the luxury of having a car now that I dont have a car or a friends I can ask its just awkward going anywhere. Also the fact that I am not used to asking anyone for list since I was 17. Its a big adjustment for me. So I have been blessed to know some folks out here from a movie I worked on as a coordinator, I tried calling them once I got a local phone. No one answered and I got a wrong number when I tried calling my one friend. I felt so alone. But then after like 4 days I checked the numbers again and realized I was calling the wrong freaking number. It was when I texted my girl Tristin Mays she replied and invited me out for a movie. HAAAAALLLLEEJUAH! What a relief!!

Hummus, pita and veg stir fry....... NOM NOM

She pulled through for me in a big way and this was one of the most epic nights of my life. I went to class and it and then decided to go hang out on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City. Man I love it there, found some great shops,found a really cool thrift shop called Wasteland and bought a really cool leather jacket and bought a sick pair of platform boots for $50. BOOOM!
Trisitin came and picked me up and said we gona have a chilled night and watch a movie. Little did I know what was to come.......... We go for supper in Tahuga street, at a cute cafe shop where for the first time I had a good meal. Hummus and stir fried vegetables with pita bread. This cafe was sooo beautiful and reminded me of Cape Town. Though when I saw the pies, I realized this is not Cape Town. Hahaha I still havent had an American Pie. Not a big deal for most folks out here but I've only seen the pie eating tradition on TV Ive never had a pie other than a savoury pie at 2am in the morning drunk at the petrol station ( South Africans, you will get this.) Anyway, Tristin then says we going to watch a movie with Randy Jackson Jnr........ yeah I know... I was like WHAAAAAAAAAATTTT!!!! Kept my cool and act like going out with a Jackson is normal. We went to the Grove in Beverly hills. Its an outside mall. Amazing and huge........ like everything in America.

Tristin and Randy

We ended up watching "The Exocist... 5" Or I duno, it was balls. LAME! Then after the movie we have a drink at an Italian Resturant, Tristian mentions about going to a crazy club with Midgets flying in the air serving you drinks. I laughed it off and in 30mins it became a reality and we were on our way to a club. Dressed in my sneakers legging and my latino check shirt I was game to get out and experience the infamous nightlife of LA. We meet up with her friend Nash Overstreet from the band Hot Chelle Rae. We arrive at the LEGENDARY Roosevelt Hotel, to find out its an exclusive party called The BEACHERS MADHOUSE. And boi oh boi I should have know that madhouse was the keyword. We stepped into the club and it was madness. We had our own little VIP section and it was OOONN!

I died!! Partying with a PANDA! SURREAL

There was a whole bunch of people dressed in fury costumes, im talking, Emo, Mario Brother, Barney the Dinosaur and wait for it........... a MOTHERFUCKING PANDA!!!! The was a 7foot woman with nothing but leggings and gold caps on her titties. And then......... MIDGETS! And then it happened out of no where I saw a midget harnessed to a the ceiling flying from the one end of the club to the other with a bottle.Yep she was giving everyone shots. CRAZZYNESS!!!! And just when I thought it couldnt get more crazy, the show began, I saw everything from a old lady with the biggest( like double J) titties I have ever scene smashing baseball bats with her boobs, to burlesque dancing, to a midget band rocking it out and a strip show with the oldest stripper ive ever scene(creeeepy) and a midget stripping...... magic mike style. YES, he did a handstand lap dance. Disturbing but simultaneously hilarious. And through everything the music was ON Point! I mean hiphop all the way. I was entertained the entire evening. Surrounded by Celebritites, crazy drunk people and midgets........... 2nd week in LA. The BEST NIGHT OF MY LIFE!!!!
The biggest shout out goes to Tristin Mays, she is the most down to earth, humble beautiful and kindest person I have had the honour of being friends with. She showed me the best time of my life and I am so blessed to have experienced that with her. And just when I think it cant get any better than this......... She tells me we going to Disneyland on monday......... OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So far...... I love class and I love LA!

Dancing next to Elmo... in a club

The circus show.LOL

Night Life. LA

Tristins Bad Ass Ride

Me, Tristin and Nash Overstreet

Blind Folded

Burlesque!!

Tristin and Nash :)

Got milk?........... in those jugs ma?

Photo Booth!!

IT was all just a dream Annocha...............

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

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