CHINA… or at least some things about CHINA

I just got home from CHINA and HONG KONG. My mom was performing at the Grand Opening of the Venetian Hotel and Casino in MACAU (an island off HONG KONG) and I took this as an opportunity to visit a part of the world I have never been (and may never get the chance to go again).

The trip was a bit too long and at times I wished I had stayed home. CHINA is so damn HOT and extremely dirty (I used hand sanitizer like it was going out of style and my skin truly may never be the same. I’m like a teenage boy going through puberty with my clogged pores and new zits). I think it might be pushing it to say that CHINA is FABULOUS, but I did indeed see, experience and taste some things that are definitely worthy of being called FABULOUS.

BEIJING: OUR FIRST STOP
Our first night in CHINA (after a grueling 15 hour flight), we settled in to our hotel and decided to go find a little excitement (and good deals on sweet designer knock offs). SILK MARKET, more properly known as Xiushui is a four-story flea market filled with some of the best counterfeit designer goods at ridiculously cheap prices. Though it’s hard to take at first, (everyone yells at you, grabs and pinches you to get you to shop at their stand) once we got the hang of the bargaining and the exchange rate, we found some great deals. I left tired and dirty, but with a new Chloe purse (for 200 Yuen = about $27) and lots of souvenirs and presents for my friends.

Also in BEIJING, we did some local HOT POT dining. There were neither Americans in sight nor English on menus, so we pointed at other people’s tables and at the fancy Chinese writing and hoped for the best. To the table came a bubbling, gurgling pot filled with broth and spices. With our chopsticks, we threw in raw meats, fish and noodles. (I stuck to the beef and noodles, but my brothers are wild and adventurous and ate fish belly, shark fin and jelly fish salad. NASTY!) A fun interactive and delicious meal (I do miss my usual salads for every meal, but definitely fun and yummy) and definitely FABULOUS!

The next morning, we got up early and headed out to the GREAT WALL OF CHINA (30 min drive). We opted for the open-air chair lift instead of the gondola to take us to the top of the wall. We climbed the never-ending staircases and walkways sweating like sweat shop workers. The wall was built for protection, but proved ineffective against the Mongols and the Manchus (It’s not particularly high, so I guess they learned the hard way). Only crumbling sections still remain, but what is left is breathtaking and beautiful. I have to say the highlight was the toboggan ride down (swooping and swerving through the lush, greenery of the land). This is a must see!!

I also visited a couple FABULOUS temples and imperial gardens, BEI HAI PARK being the most spectacular. The temple sits high on a man-made hill called Jade Island surrounded by lush greenery and a lake full of the biggest lily pads I have ever seen. You can rent boats and paddle around, but I opted for a Popsicle to cool me down and a leisurely stroll through the park and temple. LAMA TEMPLE was also beautiful. It’s the most famous Buddhist temple outside Tibet and is still fully operational with monks and locals praying and offering incense to the Gods. The golden happy Buddha in the first section brought a smile to my face with his tubby belly and huge grin. I also spun the prayer wheel a few times (ok… more than a few, BUT I have a lot of prayers and what better place to put them out there than at a temple in front of a smiling and happy Buddha). TEMPLE OF HEAVEN is also in a nice park. Surrounded by thick, green trees almost like a forest. I walked around the temple and saw the altars where sacrifices were made. I did NOT however enter the Hall Of Abstinence ;) Hehehe…

I also visited Forbidden City and Tian’ men square. Although both are important sightseeing locations, the heat, the dirt and the fact that Evan wouldn’t stop complaining made it less than enjoyable (and not particularly FABULOUS)!

SHANGHAI: PARTY LIKE A LOCAL
In SHANGHAI we stayed at the FABULOUS GRAND HYATT. The lobby is on the 54th floor of the Jinmao Tower which makes it the highest hotel above ground level (also in the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest bubble bath, the highest mini-bar, the highest swimming pool, etc) The views of the futuristic skyline are breathtaking from every room and even better from the viewing atrium on the 88th floor.

My friend Aymeric lives in SHANGHAI with his lovely wife Jacqueline. Seeing a foreign location with a local makes the experience so much more enjoyable. Our first night in SHANGHAI, we hit the town (local style). We started with a western meal. For the first time on the whole trip, I knew what it was that I was eating (Caesar Salad with Chicken). Then we headed to the Ice Bar, a super cool bar in what feels like a meat locker. They wrap you in a North Face Eskimo coats and serve you vodka shots of every flavor. I have never seen one of these in America, but it’s super cool (actually freezing cold).

After thawing out and having a couple drinks at the regular bar, we headed to the clubs. It was only 9pm when we arrived at BABY FACE (the young, hipster club) and it was packed. We danced in the huge room filled with pulsating beats and packed with dancing locals (Shanghai seems to have a mix of Chinese, European and Americans). After making some new friends and throwing back a couple more drinks, we headed to the more mature club, BAR ROUGE. I enjoyed sipping champagne on the outdoor patio. As my head started to spin from all the alcohol it was time to call it a night and we headed back to our super high hotel to pass out.

The next day we cruised THE BUND (the water front) and escaped the heat for a lunch at KFC (there seems to one of this fast food chain on every other corner across from McDonalds and 7-11). That night we went to an acrobatics show at the SHANGHAI GRAND THEATRE. Limber acrobats with amazing balance contorted themselves and threw each other high in the air while balancing on things. A FABULOUS show worth seeing!

Next blog the FABULOUS journey continues…

SUSHI

I have never really been a fish eater (I may have eaten a frozen fish stick or two growing up), but as an adult it just never really appealed to me. I cringle at the thought of a fishy smell (To me it all smells like canned tuna fish. GROSS!)

I’m not sure where my dislike of fish came from. My family is all big fish eaters, but not me (Geneva, our family’s house keeper growing up would always fix me a steak or a hamburger or chicken on fish nights). Maybe it stems from the fact that back in the day I was BIG into Scuba diving (I am a PADI dive master, which means I am certified rescue diver and can lead groups on dives). I spent almost every summer of my adolescence talking to the fish (no, sadly they did NOT speak back ;) and befriending them at great depths of the ocean. But whatever the reason was… it has all begun to change recently.

It seems that whenever a guy asks me out on a date, they either want to go for drinks or have SUSHI. What is it about SUSHI that makes for a good first date? I have no idea because truly I think it’s a bit stinky and gives you bad breath. Anyways, while dating my last boyfriend Brian, we would go out for SUSHI all the time, but I would never touch the stuff. I would order what ever cooked meats they served or a cucumber roll and call it a night.

Then last year on Brian’s birthday, I took him to Katana (A shnazzy joint on Sunset). After major coercing and kisses (a little love can be very persuasive), I gave in and tried a spicy tuna roll. To my surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed it!! What I leaned that night after many, many years of refusing to eat fish of any kind (I apologize to all my fishy friends) is that SUSHI is in fact is FABULOUS!!

Since that night, I have spent many nights (date nights, ladies nights and even family dinners) sampling SUSHI at different locations. I’ve begun to love (and crave) the spicy, very flavorful rolls and Sashimi. I still can’t stomach a plain, old cut of raw sashimi with no flavoring, but the jalapeño yellow tail (at Nobu / Matsuhisa) is to die for!!

My favorite SUSHI spots (and SUSHI rolls):

NOBU (MATSUHISA) in Malibu, in Beverly Hills, in Aspen, CO or in South Beach, FL all have the same menu and the same divine food. I already mentioned the jalapeno yellow tail (but it deserves a second mention because it is so damn good)! I also love the spicy tuna roll, the shishito peppers and the hearts of palm salad.

KOI on La Cienega in LA is not only great for people watching and celebrity spotting, but the food is fantastic! The best by far is the spicy tuna sashimi with crunchy onions (I crave this all the time!) Also good is the spicy tuna on crispy rice (much more fun than rolled up in sea weed like most places do). Also, the miso eggplant and shoshito peppers here are pretty damn good.

I love the outdoor patio looking over Sunset Blvd at KATANA. I had one of my birthday parties there (and my first SUSHI roll). So far I have only sampled the spicy tuna rolls (which I give a double thumbs up) and the Robata grill is fantastic too (and you can’t beat the martinis).

My sister Tracee is always raving about KATSUYA and my friends all love SUSHI SAMBA in New York and Miami, but I have yet to try either. Now that I am a fish eater there are so many new SUSHI spots to try and boy am I excited (and hungry)!!

SUSHI is good, healthy, delicious option for dining (Its great for me to get away from hamburgers and steaks. I love myself some meat!) I look forward to exploring whole new world of fish dining in the future!

GAME SHOWS

I have a bit of an obsession with GAME SHOWS and I think they are FABULOUS! Back in the day, I went to THE PRICE IS RIGHT with my housekeeper Geneva (She was amazingly funny and would have been the perfect game show contestant). We dragged ourselves out of bed at some un-godly hour and got in line at the CBS Studios around 6:00am. When we finally made it into the studio, we were seated in the back row (not prime seats for gorgeous would-be contestants). I crossed my fingers and my toes in hopes that one of us would get called down, but sadly neither of us did. No bidding on the showcase showdown for us. We left empty handed.

Years later, I finally made it onto a GAME SHOW called FUNNY MONEY on the Game Show Network. In the audition I was a whiz at the movie trivia, but when I hit that stage my damn buzzer wouldn’t work (ok, so maybe the buzzer worked just fine and I couldn’t seem to ring in fast enough). Needless to say, I left the show with a whole lot of nothing. I was the lowest scoring person EVER! Later, GSN sold my episode to Direct TV on Jet Blue (I guess my sulking over my low score made for some good TV). I had the pleasure of being humiliated over and over again for passengers flying around the US (I caught it twice. Sweet! When I walked down the aisle to the bathroom, I almost felt like a Jet Blue celebrity. HA!)

Recently I decided that I desperately wanted to be a DEAL OR NO DEAL model (I think that my calling may be to stand around looking gorgeous and holding a briefcase with a number on it). My friend Claudia Jordan is one and she always looks so happy and pretty standing up there (plus, I’m desperately seeking another part-time job to supplement my non-existent writing income).

I drove down to Orange County for the open casting call (thinking I might have a better chance in a sea of blonde women in Orange County). My friends Samantha, Tasha and I stood in line with a bunch of other ladies, preparing for our big shot at fame. While waiting, I was interviewed for Inside Edition who were there shooting a segment on the open call (I still get calls from people who saw the segment and want to know if I made the cut)!

The line moved surprisingly quickly and soon enough we were inside. We got our photos taken and sat waiting for the group interview. When I was taken into the interview room, I was surprised (and disheartened) to find that I knew the guy conducting the interview. He is an LA club promoter that I know (obviously, I go out way too much) and even worse, I had seen him the night before while NOT at my finest (I might have been a little tipsy… ok, possibly I was drunk)! He asked, “Did you have fun last night?” and moved onto the next girl. Ok, Maybe he asked me a couple more questions, but I’m a bit bitter because this was my calling, you know!! Needless to say, I don’t think I got a fair shot at the interview. What ever! The point is I’m NOT a DEAL OR NO DEAL MODEL and I’m sad.

Just last week, I got another shot at my dream of winning big on a GAME SHOW. I was a contestant on a new cool show called TEMPTATION. The show will air during the day on FOX and is a mix of pop culture trivia and the home shopping network. It’s a super cool concept and definitely worth tuning in (the host is pretty cute too)! While I am under contract (they make you sign your life away before appearing) to not reveal my ending, let me just say that ringing that damn buzzer is NOT one of my many talents.

Tune in September 10th to watch the TEMPTATION premiere. I’m on episode 8, which I will venture to guess will appear on Wednesday, September 19th.
Tune in to see if I win BIG!

TEACH FOR AMERICA

People are often surprised to hear that I was once an elementary school teacher. After I graduated college (Georgetown University) I did a wonderful (I may even venture to say… FABULOUS) program called TEACH FOR AMERICA.

TEACH FOR AMERICA (TFA) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to close the academic achievement gap between children from different socio-economic backgrounds. Their mission is to ensure that "One day, all children will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education."

I always knew I wanted to work with children and TEACH FOR AMERICA was the perfect opportunity for me (a bright eyed, young college grad ready to take life by the horns). The summer after college, I headed to Houston, Texas (HOT and miserable) for the intense summer training. They pack in all the training they can in a short couple months with NO distractions. All there was to do was go bowling (I am a bad ass bowler with sweet form), make new friends (I met some amazingly smart and cool people that I am still friends with today) and take weekend trips (to Austin, New Orleans, Galviston Beach).

Even though TFA gives you all the tools they can in discipline and lesson planning, only experience can prepare you for the classroom. I was placed in inner city, Washington DC’s Mildred E. Gibbs Elementary School teaching Fifth Grade. I thought ten year olds would be eager to learn and easy to discipline. I was wrong! Let me just say that I grew up A LOT that year. I struggled (as most first year teachers do) to gain discipline in my classroom (boy, were those kids a handful), but one thing those kids knew for sure was that I cared.

Eventually, many of my students began to listen to me and I was able to teach and make an impact on their lives. If fact, for years I kept in touch with many of the kids I taught that first year. I often wonder where they are now? Diva, Aisha, Princeda, DeHavilland, Carla, Angel (I base many of my children’s book characters on these kids. They are permanently in my heart)

That rough road prepared me for my move to LA, where I sought out another under resourced, needy school to continue my teaching.

Teaching in LA was way better. I was a veteran teacher now with discipline in my classroom. At Coliseum Street School in the Crenshaw / Dorsey Cluster, I taught a second and third grade split class. In my mobile home classroom at the edge of the large cement playground, my kids worked in groups and did creative learning projects that I created. It was wonderful and enlightening, BUT what I learned that year is that teaching elementary school was not for me (I yearned to take my creativity to a larger audience in the entertainment industry). I resigned at the end of the year (though I continued to substitute for couple years) and left with a heavy heart. I miss it often, but am happy to be able to spread my wings in other creative outlets now.

I know the question most people will ask is did people at the school know who my mother was. No, in my everyday life people rarely know (I get recognized more now since I was on the BET awards). It is not something I wear on a sign above my head, but also not something I hide. I don’t lie about it when asked, but many people who know me do not know till they see pictures of my mom at my house.

A guy I was recently dating came over and said, “You like Diana Ross, huh?” I was like, “Yes. In fact I love her.” He thought I was an obsessed fan till he figured it out. I feel blessed that I can have my own life and create relationships and have experiences that have nothing to do with being a celebrity’s daughter, but I also know I am very blessed to have been born into such an amazingly talented family.

TEACH FOR AMERICA is an amazing program that I still feel blessed to have been a part of. I grew up so much with those children, learned about life and struggle, and I am happy to have been part of the TFA family. I continue to teach children in creative programs in LA and write children’s books and educational programming for kids. Educating and creating positive images for children is so important to me and teaching helped me find that passion.

For more information about TEACH FOR AMERICA or for an application please visit: www.teachforamerica.com

MIAMI SWIM

Mercedes Benz Miami Swim (Miami Fashion Week) was FABULOUS. I love fashion shows and I love Miami, so the minute I got a couple invites to shows and parties, I went on expedia.com and booked myself a flight (No, sadly I do NOT have a travel agent).

I love to attend Fashion Weeks from East to West. They are a great place to mingle and network (I do some modeling and hosting, so what better place to network than a fashion event full of the media) and they are also super FUN!

Fashion weeks are funny because most of the time no one cares to take a picture of me or even that I am at their event, but because I keep showing up, have a fashion icon Mother (and not a lot of celebrities were attending the events), they were stoked to see me. I have to admit I like the attention, but I know its short lived and doesn’t mean anything. I pose for pictures (mostly so I can check myself out later on wire images) and do interviews (trying to get myself a hosting gig with the shows and websites that cover fashion events). It’s all in fun and I enjoy it.

The first show I attended in South Beach was Bagley Mischca where I sat front row (the most coveted fashion week seat) next to Kim K and Ariel Stein (Miami socialite and PR agent). Models stalked the runway in classy bikinis, one pieces and cover-ups decorated with crystals and sparkles. My favorite: a black low-rise bikini with ornate pink crystal broach style circles holding it together. Gorgeous!

That night we hit Forge, not only the hot spot for the night but also the site of the Neiman Marcus fashion show. The runway split the restaurant in two where dining patrons gazed at hot models in bikinis (there was one sexy male model named Wes that I took a liking to) while they ate dinner. I mingled in the bar with my girls Sam and Kim C. while I sipped a Kier Royal and munched on passing appetizers (ok… gorged myself on passing appetizers. This was dinner, you know). After we hit Glass, the club next door, where I lost everyone (including the sexy model, Wes, that I was flirting with). So headed back to the hotel at 2:30am for a semi-early (by Miami standards) night.

The next night was my favorite show by far, Ashley Page (Totally my style!) Young, hip and fun suits with bright colors bopped there way down the runway on perky models (one looked just like my Barbie’s little sister Skipper). The highlight of the show (other than tons of bikinis I want) was Caroline D’Amore (she works the runway like no other), Jaselin (last season’s winner of America’s Next Top Model) and Heidi Montag (from The Hills TV show). All the show was missing was CHUDNEY on the runway and the show would have been the BOMB!!

Also that night I attended Shay Todd where one piece suits with sexy cut-outs ruled the runway and I coveted many for myself.

Saturday night, the La Perla show was fantastic. It started with bikinis, then gowns, then panties (Very Hot!) and ended with me getting physically pushed and cursed out by a security guard (which led to me making a not so cute exit…) I don’t care if they were trying to clear out the event quickly, NO ONE needs to put their hands me and push me then curse me out. It’s inappropriate, it upset me and so I cried (but just a little bit. I didn’t want to ruin my eye make-up ;). After taking a minute back in my hotel room to calm myself and breathe, I was ready to head out and party. (Thanks Sam and Eddie for calming me down ;)

So even though a few tears may have been shed, MIAMI SWIM was FABULOUS and FUN. I made some great connections (in business and in love ;) and got to check out some fantastic swimwear while basking in the sun with friends.

Till next fashion week…