New Moon Week!

This week has been New Moon madness!! It's true: I am a Twihard! Monday night was the official premiere and Sindhuja and I walked to Westwood to see it. It was absolutely amazing and it was so much fun seeing all the celebrities; especially Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Kristen Stewart, and many more. There were so many people there but we still had a fairly good view- I couldn't believe that some of these people flew in from out of state and have been waiting in line since Thursday! That is one of the great parts about going to UCLA- you can literally walk to the most famous movie premiere of the year in under 10 minutes! Seeing that premiere helped me realize how much I really do love acting and how much I want to pursue it- I had such a great time shooting the promo this summer and I want to continue. I'm really hoping that I can spend this summer auditioning and working on my technique.
Also- last night (Thursday) was so much fun! I went with a group of Chi O's to go see the midnight premiere of New Moon in Westwood- I had the best time! We went to Ditty Riese for ice cream and cookies and then we waited in line from 9:00 to 12:00- that's true dedication. Kelly and I had a great time talking though so the time passed quickly. It was my first midnight movie and I'm so happy that I was able to stay awake for it- it was that good! Can't wait to see it again with Evan!

UCLA Volunteer Day

What a busy week it has been! It's almost Thanksgiving and I can't wait! Last Saturday was the annual UCLA Volunteer Day and my roommate Sindhuja and I really wanted to participate. We didn't exactly know what the day had in store for us but we were ready! (Or so we thought). It turns out we went to a homeless shelter called Central City on Skid Row. It was quite a shock to the system to put it lightly. I have never seen so many homeless people and it was so sad to see. It was our job to clean up this shelter for Thanksgiving and it was my specific job to clean the refrigerator and kitchen. It smelled pretty bad and there was peanut butter that expired in 2001! Not to mention we saw at least 100 cockroaches. Afterward, the employees gave us a presentation on homelessness. It turns out the average age of homeless person is 9! I couldn't believe that! It was quite a day but we were so glad that we were able to help in some small way. The best part of the day was meeting some of the children and seeing their reactions when they saw how we cleaned up their classrooms. They were so happy! Experiences like this make me all the more grateful for life's blessings. I am so thankful to go to such a beautiful and academic school, have such a wonderful family, and that I feel healthy and happy. I hope that this Thanksgiving brings you many blessings to be thankful for and please keep these children in your prayers!

Al Gore: Our Choice

I had such an amazing night last night! I saw Al Gore speak at the Saban Theater in LA and he was excellent. I went with my Chi O sister Parisa who is the sweetest and most welcoming girl. We had so much fun talking and getting to know each other and I loved hearing all of her stories about her year long study abroad trip to Paris. Al Gore spoke about his new book, "Our Choice" in which he discusses new forms of energy storage, collection, and conservation and he also stressed the importance of our generation making a difference RIGHT NOW. I'm going to do as much as I can do help the environment- the little things do add up. Even eating less meat is helping the environment; I learned that the production of meat produces more methane gas and pollution than cars do! It is crucial that we remain aware and active and I was so thrilled that I had the opportunity to see Mr. Gore share his knowledge with me. I definitely want to rewatch "An Inconvenient Truth"- I feel like I would have a whole new perspective. It was great that we were each given a "free" copy of his new book- which he signed! YAY! Also, being in LA, I was sitting next to the actor Chris Kline from American Pie and Just Friends- but of course I played it cool and acted like he was just a regular joe...we can't feed these stars egos you know...
Also, yesterday was my roommate Christina's birthday and I'm happy to say that she had a great day. My other roommate Sindhuja was so great and bought her balloons from Westwood and we woke Christina up at midnight to sing "Happy Birthday" and give her the balloons and card. Also, we enjoyed a delicious chocolate cake that her mom had sent to her! I'm so blessed to have such great roommates and I'm glad that we have fun together. By the way, mom, if you're reading this, Christina's mom sent her a cake...hint hint...

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Tom's Walk

Today I participated in Tom's Walk at UCLA- with the Hanson boy band group it no less. We walked a mile together- barefoot- to raise money and awareness for AIDS in Africa. Hanson donated a dollar for every person that showed up- which was hopefully over $200. They do these walks all throughout the country and the cumulatively, we've already walked a lab around the globe! The walk goes along with Tom's Shoes. Their company donates a pair of shoes for a child in Africa each time you buy one of their shoes. I am definitely asking for a pair for Christmas! The website to order these amazing shoes is: http://www.tomsshoes.com/default.asp. I highly recommend that you buy a pair and spread the message! Children in Africa have to walk barefoot which leaves them susceptible to multiple parasites, diseases, and cuts. It's amazing how just buying a pair of shoes can save a child's life- it doesn't get any easier. I had a great time walking with my Chi O friends Brigitte and Shannon and I'm so glad that we were able to be part of such an amazing cause. And it was fun hearing Hanson sing a little- too bad they didn't do their one hit wonder Oom Bop!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

All Star Raid

On Tuesday Evan visited me for our last minute date raid! I'm not even sure what venue we went to but Evan and I had fun dancing and spending time together. Also- it was fun getting dressed up for the sports theme. I didn't have anything to wear but of course Evan had a lot for me to wear! It was a great night and I look forward to many more fun events! Hope you enjoy the pictures. The girl is my friend Julie who is our philanthropy chair and of course the rest are of Evan and me.

Out of Darkness Walk

A couple weeks ago I volunteered with some of my Chi O sisters in Santa Monica for the Out of Darkness Suicide Awareness Walk. It was a very touching experience and I was shocked by how many people had been affected by suicide. I am thankful that I have not had any family members or close friends that have done this- I can't imagine how devastating it would be. I said a special prayer for those that I have known and I made sure to sign Judy's Law which will punish online predators that have encouraged people to commit suicide. This was an amazing walk and I'm so glad that I was able to help.