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Post #3: Write Something About the NFL

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Welcome to the third post of the Great Writing Challenge of 2012.
Five days a week for six months, I will be given a topic to write about. The stipulation: it must be 250 words (or more), and positive in tone.
If you would like to suggest topics for me to write about, please email me at therebeccaproject [at] gmail [dot] com.

Post #3: Write Something About the NFL

I live in a city that has two NFL teams, neither of which have been any good since I have moved here. I have trekked down to see the local soccer team, the San Jose Earthquakes, and I have seen the greatest team in the world (FC Barcelona) play Mexican side Chivas at Candlestick. I have even watched the Superbowl live in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland (if mostly for the half time entertainment), but never have I been to a Niners or Raiders game in the flesh. And I’m totally fine with that.

Coming from a sports obsessed nation, particularly one that likes to remind you that we’re such an athletically gifted for a nation of only 20 million (25, if you count the talented New Zealanders – we always do), sport has always played such a large part in my life. But getting into a game that interrupts the play for commercials? Wears padding and helmets? I just couldn’t get into it.

But then the American told me about a footballer who bucked the trend: someone who was interesting and funny and honest and candid and… real. Chad Ochocinco. And I was sold. The guy’s amazing. He’s prolific on Twitter, and is just so positive in the face of adversity. One of the best attributes is his generosity. He cares and provides for his family, as well as his fans. Literally. He often invites his fans to join him for a movie and popcorn, or breakfast at IHOP, or for coffee at his favourite establishment, Starbucks. At his expense. So few professional athletes would invite that level of interaction with their fans. In fact, I don’t know anyone else who would do that, but Ochocinco. And we love him for it.

So when he came to town to play the Raiders, he tweeted the invitation to his local fans for lunch at the rather swanky Scott’s Seafood Restaurant. The American and I were so excited to meet him, yet a little wary.
“Should we go? What do you reckon he’ll be like? Would it be weird to just… show up?”
With a little trepidation, The Plan was to go, and see if it all is for real, maybe meet Ocho and see what happens.

We hung out in the plaza outside Scott’s, and waited. Seemed there were quite a few others hanging out with much the same plan in mind. An air of excitement mixed with cool nonchalance. Ochocinco stepped out of a black limo, minus the entourage, and was mobbed from all directions. He seemed shy, but answered questions and signed autographs as he led us into the restaurant, as the American poetically recounts, “like the Israelites following Moses into the promised land of Hors d’oeuvres”.

There were already a few hundred in the banquet room awaiting the wide receiver, and so we opted not to stay for lunch. Just meeting him was the chance of a lifetime. Nevertheless, he stopped by each group that was making a quick exit to say hello and pose for photos. It was fantastic to meet him in person. I made a point to thank him for his generosity, and he was most humble. A real good egg. 

“No way! We just met Ochocinco!”

If I were to ever meet him again, I would love to ask him about his skin care regime: his skin is fantastic!

* In 2008, Chad changed his surname from Johnson to Ochocinco (8-5 in Spanish) for his shirt number. Awesome.

Post #2: The American South

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Welcome to the second post of the Great Writing Challenge of 2012.
Five days a week for six months, I will be given a topic to write about. The stipulation: it must be 250 words (or more), and positive in tone.
If you would like to suggest topics for me to write about, please email me at therebeccaproject [at] gmail [dot] com.

Post # 2: The American South

In a recent New York Times posting, ‘An American Dream – In Switzerland?’, it discussed a photographer Yann Gross’ travels around a section of Switzerland where the locals have adopted what I would associate as the culture of the American South: honkey tonk, tattoos, Confederate flags, line dancing, motorbike clubs, drag racing, trailers, roadside diners.

Gross published a book, Horizonville, of his travels through this industrial region of one of the world’s most scenically breathtaking countries. His subjects have woven a fascination for American culture into their lives and produced a Swiss-American hybrid, and Horizonville explores the connection to America in the context of living life in the Rhone Valley.

What’s interesting to note that most of those people photographed for the book were Swiss who had never travelled to the United States. They’re living the ‘American Dream’, but in the Swiss Alps.

“They feel a sense of belonging to another culture that they don’t really know. Far from the Swiss stereotypes… [they exist in] a dreamed reality that doesn’t exist in facts.”  — Photographer and Author, Yann Gross.

The appeal of the foreign is something I can relate to: it has captivated me from an early age. In much the same way as those in the Swiss-American subculture, literature and films took me to far off places. When I was in high school, I daydreamed about living in the US. More than any other place, this country has captured my imagination, but in a different way to those Gross photographed. I may not be tattooed, dig drag racing and fly the Confederate flag proudly from my windows in the most liberal city in the US, but I understand the appeal of freedom. The sense of freedom resonates with all.

Post #1: Why I’d love to own a minivan

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Welcome to the first post of the Great Writing Challenge of 2012.
Five days a week for six months, I will be given a topic to write about. The stipulation: it must be 250 words (or more), and positive in tone.
If you would like to suggest topics for me to write about, please email me at therebeccaproject [at] gmail [dot] com.

Welcome to Post #1 of the Great Writing Challenge 2012.

***

It was Dexter who convinced me that I needed a minivan. With his low, slightly awkward voice, he told me my life would be so much better. The footage of Happy People Doing Great Stuff in the advertisement sealed the deal.

So here I am. A city dweller, minus the tribe of children, with no parking space and hankering for a ‘mom van’. Totally practical. But think about what you could do with it:

I would chase the sunset down Geary, and watch the sun disappear into the Pacific from my comfy position in the boot/trunk. Of course, with some Martinelli’s Sparkling and camembert.

I would go to Ikea and haul my purchases home with me. New bed? Done. New sofa? Easy. No need to hire a U-Haul. No surcharge, or waiting three weeks for delivery. Now.

I could offer a shuttle service to those on the always crowded Muni line 30 to the Marina. And airport pick ups? No problem. I can even fit the random Aussie you met onboard. Hop on in.

Doing the grocery shopping would be a breeze, and I could leave the backpack at home. No longer would I need to make a decision between food and beer. I can buy both! Revolutionary.

The American and I could spend date nights at one of the remaining local drive-in theatres. We could spend Sundays cruising Golden Gate Park for the perfect spot to have a picnic and play frisbee with our adorable new puppy (I mean, how can you have a minivan without having a puppy?).

Trips to Tahoe? Yes, please! Can I pick up the desk I just bought from a Craigslister? No worries! Do I have a ready-made guesthouse for when I’m in the doghouse? Absolutely. The possibilities are endless.

But the thing a minivan would most afford me as a carless city dweller, is freedom. It is the perfect vehicle to make my life easier, and would provide me the freedom to be a more mobile version of myself. I can do what I want, I can go where I want, and most importantly, when I want.

Oh, next weekend? Sure. I can help you move house.

A new year, a new look, and a new challenge

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Happy New Year!

2012 has arrived, and it’s going to be an awesome year. For me, it’s going to be a year of doing. Less talk, more action. I don’t subscribe to the notion of resolutions, but over the last few weeks travelling around Europe, I really took the time to take stock of where I am in my life. And there’s plenty more I could be doing, that I should be doing. So 2012 will be about not treading water.

What do you wish for in 2012?

[Source: Pinterest]

And what better way to start the year than with a new look for the blog. But that’s not all: I have decided to take this site in a new direction. Previously, it was feeling lost, directionless and a little trite. I lost enthusiasm last year because I wasn’t moving forward, and I have not been developing my writing, my voice. But’s that’s all going to change.

The Challenge

Commit to writing five blog posts per week for six months on specific topics.

The American has challenged me to write five posts per week for six months about set topics. It will mirror a challenge I have set for him: attending six months of classes at the comedy college, attending a set number of open mikes throughout the week and publishing his daily comic strip ‘The Chronicles of Larry & Gary’. The aim is to keep is to keep each other accountable.

I believe these topics will be rather interesting: they’ll be part writing exercise, part critical thinking exercise and part therapy. Some of the things holding me back need to be exposed – they’re completely ridiculous. No doubt you will soon find out I have some crazy and nonsensical ideas about things.

One of the conditions of this challenge is that I only write positively. Humourous writing is fine, even encouraged, said the American. But it has to be positive. I think that was a gentle hint that perhaps I’ve become a little negative recently, and I’m happy to see that perspective altered. I don’t want to be old and bitter. I may be where I want to be yet, but I’m getting there.

Whilst writing about set topics doesn’t provide me an enormous amount of flexibility, I feel I could really benefit from the structure (and discipline) this challenge will bring. It’ll enable me to develop my writing (outside of what I do for work) and start pursuing the goals I have set for myself. As the American said, “You’re going to get old. So you might as well spend your time doing something”. Wise words.

And why only six months? That’s how long the American’s comedy classes are and it’s not as daunting as a year. At the end of the six months, I’ll evaluate the project and see how it works for me. Perhaps I’ll continue on, perhaps it’ll be an opportunity to start something fresh. But starting something is the main thing.

I am looking forward to growing, developing and challenging some of my crazy ideas, and I welcome your feedback.

The gauntlet has been thrown and I have accepted the challenge. Are you with me?

Fall inspiration

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Fall inspiration

Dorothy Perkins navy dress
£50 – dorothyperkins.com

Carven merino wool sweater
$560 – net-a-porter.com

Knit cardigan
$60 – llbean.com

H M button shirt
£35 – hm.com

French Connection striped shirt
£32 – cureuk.com

H M boat neck shirt
£13 – hm.com

H m cardigan
£9.99 – hm.com

Old Navy pea coat
$60 – oldnavy.gap.com

Camper
190 CAD – gravitypope.com

GAP tall khaki pants
$50 – gap.com

Levi’s levi jeans
$36 – amazon.com

H M knee length skirt
£30 – hm.com

Legging
£14 – warehouse.co.uk

Camper boots
$209 – zappos.com

CAMPER ballerina flat
140 CAD – gravitypope.com

J Crew ballerina flat
$110 – jcrew.com

Puma shoes
$65 – dsw.com

Ballerina flat
$59 – heels.com

Chain necklace
$50 – modcloth.com

Club Manhattan black necklace
€20 – welikefashion.com

I heart SF

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From Russian Hill, by the American with our new Nikon D3100

San Francisco is unique, and so breathtakingly beautiful. Sometimes I forget to stop long enough to take notice.

Thankfully, someone captured it for me, and edited it into an easily-watched 4m56s.

[Source]

I heart my city.

One of my favourite part of the city has always been the fog. It seems to crawl in over the hills and down the valleys like fingers. It’s a living organism.

At 33 seconds in, check out the exact view I get each morning as I step outside my front door.