A Day in LA

Thanksgiving is a special day to spend with family enjoying some great food and celebrating all that we are thankful for. It seemed like the majority of students in the ICLA program did not go home to the East Coast for Thanksgiving, opting to say in LA and tough it out a couple of weeks more until the end of the program. With gas prices and the economy the way it is, an extra ticket home is just too cost prohibitive.

Since almost everyone was here, it made for a fun atmosphere as people came together to create, what was for many of them, their first thanksgiving away from home. The RAs for the ICLA program took the lead and organized a Thanksgiving dinner at the Oakwoods, determining via email what people would bring.

I actually spent my Thanksgiving with a big group of mostly Ithaca alums who orchestrated a massive Thanksgiving extravaganza at their apartment. The day started at 2 pm and didn't even begin to wind down until about 11 pm. There were hors d'oeuvres, countless side dishes, two turkeys, and a delectable assortment of over seven pies for dessert! Of course everyone had to go around the table and say what they were thankful for. I believe that for the majority of the alumni there this was also their first time away from home for this holiday.

Naturally I missed my family, but it was such a warm cozy feeling to be a part of this IC "family." Aww. It was the definition of cuteness, really it was.

My two IC roommates, my friend from UT and I were hardcore tourists this weekend in San Francisco. We did just a little bit of everything and it was a blast!

We all rushed home from interning/working on Friday and hopped in the car at 7:30 pm sharp to make it to San Fransisco before our hostel check-in deadline of 3 am. We weren't sure if there was going to be traffic so we were a bit nervous, but the trip was very easy and there were hardly any cars on the road so we made it in with plenty of time to spare at around 1:30 am. Needless to say, we crashed when we arrived at the hostel located in the heart of Union Square.

Saturday morning we woke up at 7 am, showered, grabbed breakfast and jumped on the cable car down to Fisherman's Wharf where we walked around, saw the sea lions on Pier 39 and then headed over to the farmer's market on the Embarcadero and Market St. The farmer's market was right in front of and behind the Ferry Building where there are incredible little restaurants and food shops. It was truly a foodie's delight and there were a million samples. I had a fig coconut ball, a mushroom leek turnover and sampled some delicious fruit. Oh! There was a stand with incredible almond brittle which I purchased and consumed on the spot. We headed back to the famous Boudin sourdough bakery and ate clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl which was incredibly delightful.

After a rest from lunch we took the street car down to the Castro district, did a little shopping, grabbed some chai tea and then walked to the Mission district to spend a bit of time in Dolores Park. It was approaching 5 pm and the park was filled with families and groups of friends just hanging out, playing chess, talking and waiting to enjoy the impending sunset. It was such a cool scene; dogs were running everywhere and people were dressed in all sorts of crazy fun clothes.

My roommate's mom told us that we had to go see the "Painted Ladies" which is a row of brightly painted Victorian houses by Alamo Square. Well, we walked for a good hour trying to find them, and might I remind you that San Francisco is hellacious for a walker considering the intense hills. By the time we finally did, the daily San Franciscan fog had rolled in and we could not appreciate the view that is supposed to be so crucial to the "Painted Ladies" experience that features the stark contrast of the buildings of the financial district behind the Victorian beauties. Oh well, we got a good laugh out of it.

We finished off the night with a Chinatown visit, a walk through Union Square and milkshakes at a diner by our hostel.

Sunday consisted of another early morning to make it to the Alcatraz tour, another trip to Fisherman's Wharf for some souvenir shopping, a drive down Lombard Street which is the "crookedest street in the world," a Golden Gate Bridge photo shoot and a trip to Muir Woods to see some California Redwoods.

On the way home we went about 20 miles out of the way to go to a Sonic Drive-In that I discovered with my UT friend on our trip to Napa. Sonic advertises all over the country but only has locations in select states and regions. For many East Coast residents, Sonic Drive-In is this mythical burger and drink stop that exists only in TV commercials because there are no locations there. Well, my roommates were very excited about a chance to FINALLY go to an actual Sonic, so my UT friend and I gladly obliged them and we stopped. They were so excited and ordered practically everything on the menu. It was quite a funny experience to see people so excited about a fast food place that is located literally a block from my house in Texas. I must admit though, I adore Sonic and nothing hits the spot like a diet strawberry limeade.

We made it back late on Sunday night and I was definitely exhausted when Monday morning rolled around, but it was totally worth it! San Francisco is an amazing city with such a distinctive feel and culture. The homes, neighborhoods and history are just beyond cool. A visit to San Fran is a must for ICLA students!

I am extremely excited because recently I have been focusing all of my attention at my internship on a special project that needed some extra intern lovin' and now that it is over I can finally redirect my energy to Mars Petcare again. Because everyone was so busy, this was a unique opportunity for interns to grab a piece of the action and pick up the slack on a major presentation endeavor. It was quite time consuming, however, and took me away from my typical intern duties with Pedigree.

At Chiat\Day account team members start out by giving their interns small assignments, and then if you do a good job, the assignments get progressively bigger and more involved. I have had the opportunity to sit in on a couple of meetings and complete some interesting research and presentation materials that have enhanced by knowledge of the advertising industry. 

My latest project entailed quite a bit of research into the fashion industry and advertising trends within that category which was a fun break from pet industry work. I had a chance to flip through some fun fashion magazines and learn a great deal about some brands that I new very little about. Comparing the brands and their communication strategies was particularly engaging as it allowed me to realize that there are certain consumer touch points that are must haves in a brand's media mix.

It feels great to get back to reading about dogs and cats and looking at ads of precious pets. Not that looking at models in killer outfits isn't fun, but there is something far warmer and friendlier about looking at puppies and kittens. I certainly am feeling my self esteem lift with the absence of the subconscious jealousy that creeps in after looking at unaffordable clothing on unattainable body types day in and day out.

For Ithaca alumni living in Los Angeles and current ICLA students, it is hard to be away from IC during the Cortaca Jug game between Ithaca College and SUNY Cortland. This game is steeped in tradition and dates back to 1959 according to the Wikipedia entry that exists detailing this famous rivalry. 

Three years ago, some ICLAers and alum decided to have a big get-together to watch the game and celebrate Cortaca from afar. This year, a couple of Ithaca graduates took the production to the next level by opening a bar and grill in close proximity to the Oakwoods at 9 am (12 pm ET) for students and alumni to watch the game, eat breakfast and enjoy some great IC bonding time. It was a huge success with over 60 attendees! IC students from all different years came and it was amazing to see so many friendly faces. The operation was very professional - there was a website (cortacal2008.com) and a t-shirt incorporating the "Ithaca is Gorges" shirt and the classic Cortaca chant, "Cortland...Cortland...Cortland...You suck!!"

Besides the fact that Ithaca TOTALLY DOMINATED, the whole morning was just a terrific experience. It was so surreal to be at a bar in California, watching the Cortaca game on a big screen TV, surrounded by a million Ithaca College kiddos. Wonderful.

Jon organized for us to go to a Lakers game at a reduced price yesterday at the Staples Center! It was a very close game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets. The Rockets broke away with an early lead but the Lakers eventually caught up with them and far surpassed their score to become the victors of the evening.

The Staples Center is really a nice venue and although we were sitting in literally the last two rows of the center, we could still see great. It seems like there isn't a bad seat in the place. I can't remember when I went to a NBA game last! I definitely didn't expect to go to a Lakers game. I am from San Antonio, so that automatically makes me a Spurs fan which is synonymous with Laker hater. I kind of wanted to purchase a Lakers shirt, but I would receive some very nasty glares in San Antonio. Seriously! Even people who put Lakers bumper stickers on their cars are really taking a risk. The city is so devoted to the Spurs  and the teams share a very emotionally charged history.

It was cool regardless to see the venue and some awesome basketball. Yao Ming is so huge! I had no idea how big he was! Whenever he scored all the announcer did was say his name very dramatically. No, "Yao Ming with two points," simply, "Yao Ming." This story translates strangely to the written word, but trust me, it was hilarious.

While I was in Spain last semester everyone was crazy for Pau Gasol who plays for the Lakers and is originally from Spain. Gasol jerseys were very popular in Seville. After the game I was able to tell my friends from Spain that I saw him! Of course they made some snide Spurs remark in response.

There has been quite a bit of buzz surrounding President-elect Obama's deal with his little girls that he would get them a dog if he won the election. Well, now it is time to pay up! There have been endless online quizzes and discussions on the breed of dog, but many groups are not concerned with the breed but rather have been calling for the Obamas to simply rescue a dog from a shelter. Michelle Obama eventually told the public that they would indeed be adopting a dog.

Pedigree took the discussion to the next level and in a full page spread in USA Today, asked Mr. Obama to please adopt a shelter dog! The ad read: "Dear President-elect Obama, We'd love to help you fulfill your first campaign promise. We are thrilled that you are celebrating your victory by adopting a dog into your family. We think you'll find that shelter dogs are among the most loyal, loving and special dogs in the world. And no dog is more in need of a little hope. You can find a great dog and learn more about responsible adoption at www.DogsRule.com"

It was easily the cutest thing ever.

So, today it was the job of my fellow intern and I to round up about 20 copies of USA Today for the account team members. One would think this would be a fairly simple task- however, after about two hours and a million grocery stores, bookstores and newsstands, we FINALLY found enough copies. It turns out that USA Today is extremely popular here and is usually sold out early in the morning, leaving the Wall Street Journal and NY Times by their lonesome selves on the newspaper rack for the rest of the day.

I was not at my internship yesterday on election day because I had class, but it would have been interesting to see the whole process of everyone leaving throughout the day to go vote. In class we watched "Wag the Dog" as an over-the-top intro to crisis communication and because it seemed appropriate considering that it was election day. It is a fun watch about how a PR team creates a war to distract the public from a scandal involving the president, all in an attempt to get him reelected. What is kind of scary is that it probably isn't too terribly far away from some of the shenanigans that take place in certain situations.

After class I went to volunteer with an organization that distributes food to different socioeconomically-challenged neighborhoods in Los Angeles each day. I was so excited to find that they needed some help! The goal of the program is to provide families with support while they are trying to get on their feet. The program director said that, although the goal is for this to be a temporary solution for families, he has seen some of the same people line up for food for five years. 

Several individuals who were queuing up to receive the food that we offered had "I Voted" stickers on and that was really powerful.  We all have the right and responsibility to vote, to try to improve our lot in life, no matter who we are or where we are on the economic ladder. Furthermore, I feel like people had so much hope this election and really believed that they could make a difference.

In the evening some ICLA kiddos and myself got together to eat some pizza and watch the election coverage. Such an exciting evening! However, here in California it was a little bittersweet considering the passage of Proposition 8.

Today was the ICLA Volleyball tournament and there was a pretty good turnout. I wasn't part of a team but I stopped by to see how it was going and to watch my roommate Abby. She was playing on a team called "Yam.," Too cute! In the end the older boys in the program (they were the only team of three, the others had four) won hands down. Everyone seemed to have had a great time though.

Another famous ICLA cook-out took place at the clubhouse. Everything was delicious; we ate potato salad, burgers, chips, five layered dip, wild cherry Pepsi, hot dogs, brownie bites, and a ton of leftover Halloween candy. It was terrific! It was nice to start the month off with a little Ithaca College get together.

Halloween is a great holiday and it is always fun to see people in costume! Well, take a normal Halloween and basically imagine it multiplied in intensity by 5 million...that is about representative of Halloween in Los Angeles.

At my internship there were many Halloween festivities- on Thursday at around 2 pm all of the employees' children descended upon the agency in easily the cutest costumes I have ever seen. There were princesses, lady bugs, supermen, batmen, pumpkins, bats, and more! My favorite costumes had to be a little chick, worn by a two year old girl, and then a shark sported by a one year old carried by his mommy. The little chick was a costume/body suit that was so incredibly soft and a precious pale yellow. The little girl had on the cutest orange stockings and orange shoes for the legs. The little shark outfit was just hilarious! It was basically a foam shark suit and the hole for the little kid's face was in the mouth.  The office managers decorated the office in preparation for the event and hung apples from the trees in the park are of the agency, set up games, and had catering organize a candy/caramel apple making station. The whole thing was beyond adorable.

On Friday the celebration was for the employees and their dogs. Dogs are very much a part of the Chiat\Day office and everyone brings their dog to work. Friday the annual costume contest for dogs was held and it was a riot. The employees had to register their dogs in advance for the competition and when their name was called they would walk their costume-clad dogs around the basketball court. One dog was dressed as a shooter waitress, another was Michael Phelps, and another great costume was tiny tiny tiny dog dressed as a cowboy. I had a project to finish up so I had to run back to my desk, but the whole thing was hilarious. Yummy snacks including pretzel balls and apple cider were served.

During the evening I headed over to West Hollywood to check out the scene there, but really the big Halloween extravaganza was on Santa Monica. There is a parade from 6-11 there and then chaos ensues. I saw some amazing costumes, some not so amazing costumes, and just a ton of people!! I didn't make it down to Santa Monica, but from what I hear it was insane. Parking down there becomes almost impossible after 8 pm and the street is totally packed.

Halloween is great in LA because everyone really gets into it. I have never seen so many people dressed up during the daytime on Halloween!