The Agony of DeSize

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the stores, the shopping shark rears its ugly head!!! But wait, I am getting ahead of myself.

Four years ago, I went to Bangkok for the very first time to visit family.  Not only was I excited about the whole cultural experience of experiencing a new country, but I had also heard that Bangkok had excellent shopping and  I was ready for a great shopping trip in true Ladies Who Lunch fashion.

Now let me preface all of this by saying that at the time, I weighed about 70 pounds heavier than I do today.  Being a workaholic led to eating junk and never exercising, which led to me totally blimping out.  So when I finally go shopping in Bangkok, it was a completely frustrating experience.  Since Asian sizing tends to be smaller than American sizing, I found that the only clothes that I could fit into were size XXL.  That is if you could find size XXL, a size that was in very short supply.  Of course if you asked store employees if they had anything in XXL, it led to embarrassing finger pointing and exclamations of “No, you too big!!!”.  So, on this trip four years ago, I found that even though there were cool clothing lines that weren’t in the US or lines that were in the US had merchandise that was only sold in Asia, I would have to hang my head low and not partake in the shopping frenzy.

Fast forward to this last Christmas in Bangkok.  Having lost 70 pounds, I was ready to dive back into the Bangkok shopping pool.  On the first day, despite the fact that Asian sizing is smaller, I discovered that I was now a size Small in Bangkok!!  I was thrilled and ready to go on a magnificent shopping spree.  But fate had different plans for me.  As I went from store to store, whenever I would find something that interested me, they would only have that item in size Large or XXL.  What?????????  I was flabbergasted and in disbelief I searched in vain for items I liked in size Small.  Why had the shopping gods frowned upon me??  I was finally an Asian size Small and I still couldn’t  find clothes to buy.

Well, looking for the silver lining, at least my credit card bill would not be voluminous upon my return to the states.  I’ll comfort myself by believing that some cosmic force was looking after my economic best interests and aiding me in saving for that penthouse that I want to buy someday.  At least that’s what I keep telling myself :)

Ladies Who Lunch OC Pizza Find

Okay, I admit it.  I am a pizza snob. I am a New Yorker who is used to the best pizza in the world and I eat pizza wherever I go in the world (one of my favorite pizzerias is actually in Paris). Pizza for me is not only one of my all time favorite foods, but it is almost a religion.  And of course, I am always searching for new hot spots for Ladies Who Lunch.

That being said, I pretty much had given up on finding decent pizza in Orange County, CA.  So, when someone told me about Pizza e Vino (in Rancho Santa Margarita) and how amazing it was, i was a bit skeptical.  i finally went last Saturday night and I am a skeptic no more.  Finally a place that knows what a perfect pizza should be!!!  We started with an arugula salad (excellent) and then each had a pie.  I had the Funghi and it was amazing. The mushrooms were seasoned to perfection as was the tomato sauce.  Just the right amount of cheese.  My companion had the misto Salumi (a combination of  fresh mozzarella, sopressata, capocolla, claro's fennel sausage) and absolutely raved (I abstained since i am a vegetarian). But the most amazing part was the crust.  They definitely know how to make a perfect crust: super thin, edges crisp, but chewy on the inside, slight charring on the bottom.  I am in love.  After such a long search for the Holy Grail of pizzas, I am a convert.  Definitely the best pizza I have had anywhere in CA and ranks right up there with my favorites across the globe.  I would have to say that I will be counted among this places regulars, as I am still dreaming about my next venture there. 

Filming the Ladies Who Lunch Pilot

Taking a project from concept to completion can sometimes be a long and twisting road. I have learned that on that road the most important thing is not the destination, but the journey that you take to get there. And what a journey it has been so far!!

Ladies Who Lunch may have taken nine months to pull it all together, but the locations were chosen, I had a director, a model sidekick and a set schedule for shooting. Coordinating everyone’s schedules had finally happened and we were ready to shoot.

In true Hollywood fashion, we shot the last segment of the show first. Getting into the groove of working together for the first time with a director and crew is always challenging. It’s kind of like a dance and you need to know where your partner is going, when to lead and when to follow. That first shoot ran much longer than we anticipated, but we got good footage and it was almost a baptism ritual that kicked off the upcoming shooting schedule. As each segment was shot, we relaxed more with each other and though the days could be long, we actually started to have fun.

As we finished filming the last segment of the Los Angeles episode of Ladies Who Lunch, I was filled with conflicting emotions. On the one hand, I was relieved that all had been shot and that it had all gone according to schedule and had gone well. On the other hand, there is always that feeling of let down when you have been working towards something for so long and then it is over. Before melancholy could set in, I realized that although the shooting was complete, there was still so much to do before the project was ready to pitch.

Over the next months, there will be web sites to be built, footage to edit, voice-overs to write and record, music to choose, and on and on and on. While I could take joy in the finish of the filming, this journey is far from over. It is just beginning and I am ever more curious to see where it will take me!!