August 2014 - Smarty Girl Leadership

Wellness in Washington State: Food Sourcing and Beekeeping for Health

August 20, 2014 by Patrick Rodriguez Leave a Comment

It may surprise readers that L’Honey Beekeeper Rick Samym of Tacoma and Sno-Isle Food Co-op Marketing and Outreach Coordinator Erin Treat of Everett share a common cause. Don’t let Mr. Samyn’s beekeeper veil distract you. Though Rick is caretaker of winged creatures, both he and Ms. Treat are influencing people to eat seasonally, organically and locally.

Photo Credit: Sno-Ilse Food Co-Op

Both Rick Samyn and Erin Treat share a farming background. She studied environmental conservation, food and farming as a college student. He was in farming before he became a beekeeper. Therefore Rick pays attention to what’s in bloom as habitat for the honeybee. Which flowers will be good nectar producers for his bees? Changes in nature, temperature and rainfall matter. Dry seasons mean hungry bees. Rick models simple ways people can co-exist with bees and help themselves in food sourcing. Thoughtstarter? Wait until evening to mow the grass. Allow the clover to grow on your lawns. Allow the bees to harvest nectar from the clover before they return home to the hive. Wait until sunset to mow: people and bees win.

Photo Credit: L’Honey Facebook

Honeyland Sustainable Beekeeping in WA from Renee Marchol on Vimeo.

Likewise Sno-Ilse Food Co-op Erin Treat advocates easy ways people can relax and really enjoy eating. She says, Eating decisions are not a morality. Imagine that eating has no good, bad, right or wrong. Joy comes from eating good food and sharing with friends and family.”

Erin grew from not knowing how to cook and relying on pre-packaged, frozen Lean Cuisine meals to experimenting and engaging with local grains. She invites those who attend the many cooking classes at Sno-Ilse Food Co-op to consider eating what they want, when they want. Need an example?

What’s a typical workweek menu for Erin? Eating what she wants, when she wants means that breakfast might be sushi or bacon and eggs. Lunch might be a salad or sandwich. Dinner can be fast ramen with a bunch of vegetables thrown in. Alternatively, dinner could also be pork tenderloin, roasted brussel sprouts and local honeyboat squash. This squash is distinctive to the Everett area and one of her favorites.

She calls this “complete freedom” with food. Sound good? Wonder how you might make feeding friends and family affordable? “Food is something that nourishes you and brings love” says Erin Treat. The Food Co-op has a variety of teachers for classes that teach kale cookery to eating better on a budget. Add that to your smoothie-making! The Kickstarter cookbook, Good and Cheap, downloadable for free makes eating on $4/day feasible.

This doesn’t just empower SNAP benefits recipients but everyone can prosper by learning how source, select and store bulk grain/spices/produce. The wealth of nutrition comes from “utilizing those pieces in a finished meal you enjoy,” says Erin.

Before you think harvesting from the year-round kale forest that is Everett is the only way to achieve wellness in Washington, consider how taking beekeeping classes taught by Rick might lower your blood pressure. Rick Samyn says that there is zen to beekeeping. Though the bees might not be able to distinguish him from another human as a dog might differentiate his pet owner, bees can read body language. If the human approaches with deliberate, gentle movements the bees remain calm. If rash, rough movements are made to rip open the beehive, then the creatures become upset.

Sweeten your demeanor and you might harvest sweeter kale. Sweetness, by being in the moment and patient can reward you with the less bitter kale that grows in winter. Fun fact provided by Erin Treat: the freeze creates sweeter kale though kale is available year-round.

There, of course, are costs to a lifestyle change. Perhaps spirulina in your fresh pressed, organic juice might take some getting used to. Likewise having a new beekeeper’s immune system adjust to a few low-dose stings is up to the tolerance of the individual.

Curious about beekeepers and “venom therapy”? Get your answers when we upload on-camera videos of both Erin Treat and Rick Samyn’s interviews. Who is our guest reporter? SmartyFella Patrick Rodriquez, a photographer from our #filminwa adventures!

Photo Credit: Christine Rodriguez of Patrick Rodriguez

Seven Questions For An Actor: Interview with Alex Hager of Seattle Part 2 of 2 for 48 Hour Film Project

August 17, 2014 by Tabby Constantennia Leave a Comment

SmartyGirl Chasya Hill interviewed Actress Cami Okins, most recently seen in Seattle’s 48 Hour Film Project playing Cami “Heart Wants“, a road trip movie.

Did you try a few of the thoughtstarter questions from Ms. Okins list lately as small talk with film actors lately?

Not yet? Well, here are 7 more questions that actors are happy to answer and wish people would ask more often. We promised our readers a follow up to our digital shorts campaign, right? Comment below on the results of your DIY summer filmmaking.

Many thanks to SmartyGirl Tabora Constantennia for her phone interview with Actor Alex Hager, a co-star in “Heart Wants”.

Photo Credit: Actor Alex Hager

See below for SmartyGirl Tabora’s questions and SmartyFella Actor Alex Hager’s replies paraphrased by our guest reporter.

1 What got you started into acting?

From the ages from 9 to the present at 18 Alex was involved with a computer company. One

of his chief responsibilities was to marketing, which he accomplished by web design, and web

based commercials distributed by social media outlets such as YouTube. Alex enjoyed producing

and acting in these commercials so much he decided to pursue them outside of his company.

Less than a month before we spoke, Alex had signed on to a talent agency, and was looking

forward to the new opportunities that would offer him.

2 What kinds of work have you done?

Alex focuses his activities to acting and modeling. He still creates and performs commercials for

his company, but he has also appeared in promotionals, commercials, and even a short film for

other companies as well.

3 What is your favorite assignment so far?

One of his first assignments was a promotional for Macys. His job was to dance to the music,

have fun, and hand out promotional items to people as they passed him and his colleagues.

He had a sense of feeling bad that he was being paid to party and have a blast, but definitely

NOT bad enough to reject the paycheck. That experience help encourage him to seek out more

opportunities.

4 What assignments do you enjoy most?

HAPPY ONES!

Alex has an amiable and upbeat personality, and enjoys doing and working in situations that

highlight this characteristic.

But like most actors, he has no intention of limiting himself. Playing personas that extremely

different from his personality and/or that entail intriguing complexities fascinates him,

and presents areas of growth that he is ready to tackle. He would particularly enjoy a role

that would display a person as he journeyed through the struggles and adversities the plot

presented, and give him the opportunities of acting out large varieties of emotions and

responses. But of course, he would not snub any role if the only emotions and responses the

plot afforded were hurtling through the air, or narrowly dodging the bullets and/or fists of a

high action movie with special effects. In fact, to him “that would be SO COOL!”

5 What are your current short term goals for your acting/model stint?

At 18 Alex has deliberately delayed attending college. Knowing that both endeavors require

a lot of time and hard work he has decided to give his attention to acting and model, and

concentrate on developing his skill in this area. He sees his youth, energy, as well as a lack

of any pressing obligations as an excellent reason to take the risk of trying a career in acting

now. College is something he believes can be done at any time, but he may not get such a great

opportunity to act or model again.

6 What are some questions you wish people would ask you about your

acting and modeling experiences?

Alex has two that readily come to mind.

1) Tell me about your first acting/modeling experience?

Remembering his own experiences, he is sure that would bring interesting insights, if not

humorous anecdotes to the conversation.

2) What was your most difficult experience?

Most people love explaining how they conquered the wiles of life with success. For Alex,

that came in the form of a commercial he did as part of his original company. He had to

complete the commercial within a very short time period. But the day of the performance,

it was VERY hot, and the facility has no air conditioning. Fortunately he and the equipment

survived intact.

7 What is your ultimate goal for this acting/modeling season of your life?

Right Alex is learning the complexities of the acting/modeling world as well as enjoying and

improving himself with each assignment. But he see an excellent opportunity to maximize his

positive amiableness would be in the role of a game show host, where he could foster humor

and spirited interaction among celebrities and/or the ordinary participants. He did not specify

which game show, or what type. But we agreed that should quidditch, the broom flying strategy

game made popular by the Harry Potter franchise, should ever appear in a televised game show

format, we would both anxiously look forward to having him audition for the presenter spot.

SF Renaissance Faire Tabora Constantennia

Photo Credit: SF Ren Faire Tabora Constantennia

SmartyGirl Tabora Constantennia is a podcaster for “T is for Tabby” in Northern California and graduate from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Her killer homemade green tea ice cream sweetened with honey is a staff favorite at SGL Media. If you liked her summer reporting here and for last summer’s MakerFaire, then visit us again.

Moving Abroad by SmartyFella Blaine Brount

August 14, 2014 by Blaine Brount Leave a Comment

The Editorial Staff at SmartyGirlLeadership (SGL) Media give a standing ovation to our SmartyFella Blaine Brount. Our prolific journalist who covered topics from tech news to music will no longer be stateside. He’s moving to the land of You are Here Cafe.

Without Mr. Brount’s writing and interviewing contribution, SmartyFella and SmartyGirl readers would have missed out on perspectives by Filmmaker Joe Nicolosi, insights from Wired’s Clive Thompson, branding best practices from Guy Kawasaki and persuasive arguments for marching band. Miss him already? Follow @BlaineBrount.

Photo Credit: Twitter @BlaineBrount

Moving is always really hard. I tried to find how stressful it ranks on lists from every website that Clickhole makes fun of, and Google instead gave me a page of articles dedicated to switching homes. Suffice to say, there’s enough going on when finding a new apartment in your city, or even moving across the country for your first job out of college. Preparing for a long term stay abroad is another beast.

I studied in South Korea for a semester in college, and I’m moving back next week to teach English for a year, so I’ve been thinking about this a lot. There’s plenty of advice out there on what to bring or how to pack for any move, but here are a few extra things to consider when you’re leaving your home country:

Learn about the culture

This one should be pretty easy, as you’re probably pretty pumped about wherever you’ve decided to go. While reading up on customs, history, and food is really exciting, it’s also going to be incredibly helpful. No matter how adventurous you are (And you must be if you decided to move abroad), culture shock is a real thing that will probably affect you at least a little bit. The fewer surprises, the easier it will be.

Another benefit that you might not have considered is how much your research can endear you to the people of your new home. I made friends with my Korean classmates relatively quickly just because I was familiar with some of the customs and was eager to try the food. Most countries don’t export culture through media like the United States does, so your hosts might be excited at your interest.

Study the language

Not quite as easy. You might’ve loathed taking Spanish/French/German in high school, but it’s hard to argue that there’s a bigger part of culture than language, so give it a shot. Besides being necessary for communication, locals will appreciate you at least trying to live within their world. And it’s a lot easier to stay motivated knowing that you’re actually going to use the language in your daily life outside of asking your teacher if you can go to the bathroom.

Get going now. Whenever you start, you’re going to wish you did earlier. The good news is there are tons of resources to help you out. You’re especially lucky if you’re learning a common language, like those spoken in Western Europe. If you don’t like textbooks, look for podcasts that teach your target language. Duolingo can be great if you’re looking to study one of the offered languages, and the community at www.reddit.com/r/languagelearning can help you get started no matter what you want to learn. I highly recommend Anki flashcards for reviewing vocabulary. Oh, and shout out to TalkToMeInKorean in case you’re in the same boat as I am.

Prepare technology

Alright, no more culture stuff. There are tangible things to prepare for, too. You’ll probably need to at least get some outlet converters for your electronics, as the plugs will be different. These will be sufficient for things like your laptop and phone charger which have AC adapters, but you may need a wattage converter for appliances like electric toothbrushes, razors, and hair dryers.

You also want to think about your cell phone situation. If your current phone will work abroad and you plan to bring it, talk to your wireless provider and ask them about getting it unlocked. It shouldn’t be a problem if you’re not currently under contract. This will allow you to get a SIM card and sign up for service in your new country, instead of paying insane international fees. If you won’t be gone for more than a year, you might want to get your old phone number when you come back. There are a number of services that can help you out with this.

If you’re not bringing your phone with, think about selling it at a site like Gazelle. They’ll send you a prepaid envelope so you can drop your phone in the mail right before you leave, and you’ll be able to buy a few more beers when you land.

Stock up on clothes/personal care products

There’s a good chance that wherever you’re going won’t sell the type of clothes that you’re used to wearing. Maybe you’re fine with that, but make sure you’ll be able to find clothes that at least fit. This is probably most important to think about if you’re moving to Asia, but if you’re really tall, pretty fat, or have big feet, you might not be able to buy what you need when you get there. Don’t forget that the weather will probably change while you’re there, so pack accordingly.

The other thing to consider is pretty much everything sitting on your bathroom sink. South Korea’s selection of shampoo/soap/skin care/beauty products is so big, I’m surprised my girlfriend isn’t moving with me based on that alone. One thing nobody told me before I moved there the first time? They don’t use deodorant. Contrary to the standard reaction, no, they don’t stink. I guess they’re just superior beings. Luckily, I made friends with a foreigner who felt my pain. We had to go to a black barber shop in the international neighborhood to buy old spice at $10 a stick. I’m bringing a Costco-sized supply this time.

Spend time with friends and family

The real reason it took me way too long to write this article. (Sorry, editors!) You’re probably talking a lot about how much you’re going to miss everyone; you might want to change your behavior to reflect that. I quit my temp job a couple months before departure largely so I could hang out with people. That’s not an option for everyone (and might have been kind of dumb of me), but do what you can. Don’t say no when your friends ask to go out just because you like Netflix and sweatpants. Take your dog for an extra walk. Find time to have dinner with your mom. It’s little stuff, but no matter how well you adjust to your new life, you’ll miss everyone back home.

10 Things to Ask an Actor: Part 1 of 2 An Interview with Actress Cami Okins

August 12, 2014 by Chasya Hill

Last Thursday, SmartyGirl Chasya Hill interviewed “Heart Wants” 48 Hour Film Project Actress Cami Okins by phone. Make memorable small talk with actors and actresses by using one of these 5 out of 10 Thought-starters:

Photo Credit: Cami Okins

1. What do you see as the main difference between acting for theater vs. acting for film?

SmartyGirl Cami Okins played Christine Daae in a non-musical theater production of “The Phantom of the Opera” by Gaston Leroux, in addition to her other roles. In live theater, facial expressions and delivery of lines are more exaggerated than acting for film. This is so the audience, even at a distance, can follow the story. Movements are wider, more expansive.

In theater, it’s indoor and live. The audience is present so actors “can’t take it back” when delivering their lines. In film, actors have opportunities to do retakes. The camera captures the actor’s expressions up close on film. For film? The more natural and realistic, the better.

Ms. Okins enjoys using her varied life experiences to connect with the character she is playing. She believes that life experience builds an individual into something. She invites playing different types of people and addressing a range of subjects. Understanding the history of a character inspires her as an actress.

2. Tell me more about the research you’ve done for a role.

Ms. Okins researched the character of Christine Daae as created by Writer Leroux. What was the political climate during the time of the story? How did women dress at the time? In what way could Christine Daae’s Swedish upbringing influence her perspective of Paris? Research informs how a character would operate and react to her world.

3. Can you tell me how “cue lines” signal fellow actors and crew during a theater production?

Cue lines are the end of a sentence before another character enters in theater. Cue lines choreograph when to do what. Imagine the sound specialists, lighting effects crew and actors as a big machine working together.

In film there is more room for actors to improvise. In contrast, theater productions require actors to improvise when something goes awry. For example, when lighting fails, the actor might choose to joke aloud about forgetting to pay the light bill to smooth out the production for the theater audience.

4. How are the physical demands for film different from the energy expended for live theater?

For theater, it can be physical demanding for an actress to communicate climbing a mountain when she is indoors and on stage. She must be convincing enough to help the audience imagine the strain of clawing at a rockface. For film, she might do a retakes for a running scene 20 times. Both take its own kind of exertion.

5. Besides acting, what other roles interest you in the entertainment industry?

Cami Okins has an interest in “child wrangling”. This is a designated role of an adult with training how to protect youth actors from emotional trauma. A child wrangler advocates for the child actor and might suggest alternatives for a shot for a body double if a scene might be too upsetting for a young actor.

Check back with SGL for 5 tips from Actor Alex Hager. You didn’t think we’d leave out the SmartyFellas, did you?

SmartyGirl Actress Chasya Hill enjoys time with friends. Quality time with friends, according to Ms. Hill, can be a walk outdoors or a trip to the grocery store together. She believes in living a rich and interesting life. Weird jobs? Bring it on! She currently resides in Los Angeles.

Photo Credit: Actor Chasya Hill