What I know

View my resume

The Rowan Opera Company Presents: Carmen

What Influences Us?

What event, world or personal, changed your perspective on life and yourself? I asked several college women this question and I received many blank stares. “Sheesh Brianna, what a conversation starter,” they would say.

But honestly, certain things happen in our life that make us think differently, act smarter, and appreciate things more. Through my Dipity timeline, I hoped to capture those moments.

When I first started this project, I thought people would identify world events, but it turns out that it is only recently that we realized that their is more to the world than just our personal life. Before college, the things that changed us, had to directly effect us— the world revolved around us.

It was interesting to see this project transform into personal experiences that are representative of the whole. Everyone is effected by their first family death or a family adversity. But all these stories have something in common, the struggle has made us stronger and smarter.

Enjoy!

Guerrillas: The New Type of Feminism

Guerrillas roam the streets with curvy silhouettes!

That’s because these women, dressed in Guerrilla masks are taking a stand for equality in art, politics, film and culture at large.  They post stickers, fliers and are even in the midst of raising money to buy billboard space.  You might have seen these publications with the quote, ” Does a woman have to get naked to get into the Met?”

The Getty Research Institute recently bought the archive of the Guerrilla art work, past fliers, and other Guerilla Girl memorabilia , marking success for the women.

Some criticize the women for encouraging  male and female art quotas within an museum. Other’s say  its the lack of artisitic ability that prevents these Guerrilla women from entering museums.

Whether poor skills or marked success the Guerrilla Girl Web site is definitely worth your time to check out. Using humor, whit, and pure sassyness the women have made for some great entertainment and probably quite an exhibit that I know I can’t wait to view at the Getty Research Institute.

Grandma’s Life in South Africa

Christine McCabe had the same idea I did when she decided to travel to South Africa and stay with Jacqueline Moli, a grandmother, in a small town called Grahamstown. In the process, she learned much about grandmother’s household, lifestyle and family.

Moli takes in international visitors as part of a home-stay program to allow outsiders to get a feel of a different culture. Grahamstown is known for its many museums, university housing and a rejuvenating land of farms becoming private game reserves.

Moli is excited for the arrival of her house guests as she sees McCabe walk up the path. The guests grub on some authentic South African cuisine. The next morning, dawn marks the busy morning hours for Moli. Her extended family bustles in and out of the house before most people even awake in the United States. Daily, her grandkids and great grandkids enter and leave the house ironing school uniforms and dropping off their wash. In this community, grandmothers lie at the heart of the family and community.

In South Africa, with the coming of the 2010 World Cup, home-stay living is emerging. But with such programs as couch surfing it is possible to survey the world from one couch to the next all over the world.

As the World Cup approaches the FIFA Web site will post numerous home-stay and bed and breakfast programs to provide housing to fans and tourists. It will be interesting to see, with poverty stuck African nations so close, if the World Cup will provide a venue for tourists and activists to bring a call to action on the many injustices Africans endure daily.

Even more, that the Dalai Lama has been denited access to South Africa because of hastened relationships between the Dalai Lama and China and China’s trade relationship with South Africa.

Roccio spills on life as young, Mexican women

As I approached the front desk of the spa at the GR Solaris in Cancun, Mexico random Spanish words from my numerous years of Spanish classes crossed my mind. Should I address her in English or in Spanish? Should I attempt to communicate to her my purpose through the little Spanish I know?

When I reach the desk, she smiles welcomingly ready to accommodate my every need for my spa get away. Instead I attempt, “Hola, mi espanol es no bueno. Yo escribo para los mujeres. Tu habla engles? (Hello, my Spanish is no good. I write about women. Do you speak English?)”

She laughs and replies, “Yes.”

During my four days in Mexico staying at a pseudo-Spanish-cultured hotel I met many hotel workers and tour guides. I wondered if for these tour guides this was a part-time job or if they were in school or if they hoped that by starting somewhere within the company they would soon move up. That is why on the last day of my trip, I asked my new friend Roccio, a front desk receptionist at the spa, if she would be willing to do an interview with me talking about her life in Mexico as a young women.

Roccio Hernandez has worked full-time at the GR Solaris Hotel for almost two years, ever since she moved from her home outside Mexico City to Downtown Cancun. Roccio’s move from her parent’s house in the center of the country to the laid-back beach/party town of downtown Cancun is the equivalent to a Jersey girl’s journey to New York City or Miami Beach — like any twenty-one year old women, Roccio hopes to find her identity.

Roccio explains her reasoning for moving out of her parents’ house and the difficulties she faces with her family.

Prior to leaving her parent’s home she studied psychology at a nearby university, but stopped going, joking that she was, “sick of hearing about Freud.”

At twenty-one she lives by herself in Downtown Cancun. Roccio admits that this is not common among young women, but is now happening frequently.

It was interesting to hear Roccio’s thoughts on American women. Although, first scared that I would be offended by her response, I assured her I would pass no judgment and take the criticisms constructively.

Roccio explains her thoughts on American women and her experience in the United States.

People go away on vacation to unwind and relax, seemingly at the expense of the “ vacation workers” they encounter. As described by Roccio, vacationing brings out the worst in people (odd, because vacationing usually brings out our most relaxed self). No wonder Roccio has harsh opinions of Americans and women (although, United States culture is traditionally seen as materialistic even without vacations) when she primarily deals with vacationers.

While in some cultures people balance work and play, Americans are known for working to play. That is why a man will work 51 weeks out of the year and spend 1 week of vacation obliterated twenty four hours of each day so much that he embarrasses himself multiple times at dinner (I met a man at least forty years old who was legitimately drunk the whole time he was at the hotel and at dinner was standing up screaming obscenities. No wonder we look like idiots to these natives.)

In America we have this obsession with people speaking English. Yet Roccio, at least, expresses her openness to multiple languages. She felt that all children in Mexico should learn English very young and encourages vacationers to ask how to say certain Spanish words. Her motto, it’s better to try then not speak at all.

I was impressed and surprised by Roccio. Prior to talking to her, to me she was just another worker at a spring break hotel in Cancun, but she is so much more. To most vacationers, I think that is how most of the “help” they encounter are viewed— simply as the help. The dollar tips are seen as fortunate gifts to these peasant workers, but really they are working to support a family just as we all are.

And we thought being a leash baby was bad…

We have all seen the commericals for your very own Snuggie to wear at soccer games or while reading a book. But now, the multi-functioning, stylish blanket-cloke goes one step further with the Baby Snuggie.

Gizamodo describes it as a kangaroo type pouch. The techie blog explains that mothers everywhere say that the baby head hole is not enough. They want a sun shade!

Being graced with the opportunity to live with a former leash baby, their tendencies to run off and wonder is increased! There is no controlling a former leash baby!

Who knows the consequences this will cause to now-snuggie’d babies! DUN..Dun..dun.

Clinton On Women’s Rights

Women News Network finds and brings readers international news important to women everywhere. WNN is a portal of information on the progress (and shortcomings) of governmental and intergovernmental agencies trying to end the inequality of women.

In their latest post via AllAfrica, Sierra Leona uses International Women’s Day to revive the need to end women’s struggles around the world. In America, we fear that this economic crisis will bring an end to our expensive bags and China-made Australian Uggs, but elsewhere (if you can believe it) people are starving (like actually starving).

Dwindling funds to impoverished areas provide little aid to starving populations. Of these populations, the poorest are usually women.

Even in economically booming areas like China, women’s rights are restricted. Chinese women are subject to forced abortions if they exceed one child and work in harsh, underpaid jobs. But due to United States’ interests these issues are not addressed (and because we refuse to stop shopping at Walmart and Target we refuse to see those issues).

Knowing that criticizing China’s human rights policies will tarnish a much-needed financial relationship, officials turn a blind eye. The National Organization for Women (NOW) applauded Secretary of State Hilary Clinton’s efforts to “advocate for women and girls in every corner of the world.”

Yet, on her last stop on her Asian tour, Clinton did a fine job kissing China’s ass, assuring China that their investment in U.S. treasury bills is a good investment and thanking them for their continued confidence.

Clinton must not be using a Swiffer WetJet for all those “hard to reach corners.”

Celebrating International Women’s Day

Restroom Manners

We all know the feeling of waiting twenty minutes in a line of cranky, drunk ladies to get into a stall and see pee all over the toilet seat. Or even worse, there is no toilet paper. OR, even worse  the toilet has not flushed properly for the past hour, leaving you with a sea of toilet debris.  Of course, we can’t prevent the aftermath of an intoxicated women once she enters the bathroom stall, but we sure can try. While Frisky helps to remind us of appropriate restroom etiquette, Venus has some of their own.

One stall, one girl. There is no need to fit 5 girls in a stall that has one toilet. It holds up the line and plays with your head. The line seems to be moving swiftly, but all of a sudden hits a lull. Why?Because it takes fifteen minutes for 5 girls to go to the bathroom.

Patience. Getting yelled at to “pee faster” doesn’t actually work. It’s funny how people get angry and find the need to yell and scream about how bad they have to go.

Don’t take towels from the towel person unless you plan on tipping. From experience, towel ladies get very angry when they are not tipped for the strenuous job of handing paper towel. If you don’t want to tip, grab your own towel!

Stay out of the men’s room. As we get deeper into the night and the urge to pee becomes unbearable, it always seems appealing to jump into a stall in the men’s room. Although the “lushious” bars seem to embrace this choice (I’ve been to a bar that has intentionally redirected me into a men’s room ) , classier bars will throw you out.