Follow my dream? (Ruth Zapico)

Should I follow my dream? Should I think about being stable? Is my major going to make me succeed somehow? But wait, is there many job opportunities in this field? What would I end up becoming? How much is my profit going to be?

Hello Readers! My name is Ruth Zapico Mancebo, I am an international student from Spain studying at Santa Barbara City College. I am sure that many of you have all this questions running around your head, going also back and forth, doing couple sprints until you get headaches. I would like to talk to you about my dream job and I would like to share the advice I got from my dad which is what keeps me strong and motivated to fight to achieve my dreams. Since we are young we dream about being a productive individual and doing something valuable with our lives. Many kids dream about being police officers, singers, pilots or some kind of professional athlete. However my dream was to be an actress.

While I considered my choices, I saw a lot of advantages in acting. It is a very dynamic and social job, and it is also a job with a good salary. I believe acting is a kind of “art” because not everyone can convincingly create a fictional character by layering emotions, on top of attitude, on top of actions. I believe acting can teach us to know and control ourselves in a deeper way, and it can gives us a higher self esteem. On the other hand, acting is a really competitive profession and is a hard field to get into. In the acting world, your level of experience or education may not earn you the job you are looking for.  No matter how hard you work, if you are not liked by your viewer you will not get the job. Another downside to acting, is that it is not the usual 9 to 5 job. You may be employed one day and then looking for work opportunity the next. In my opinion acting is a talent which can not always be learned, but can be improved upon. Acting does not depend on the effort, the hours or the work you put into it, but in fact, acting is a job that has a very subjective way of being judged. Not everyone has the same kind of humor, fears or feelings and all acting is open to interpretation.  

Therefore, I decided to avoid acting as a major and just take couple classes at Santa Barbara City College. (Which was a wrong decision. I should have made acting my major because I spend all day waiting desperately for those acting classes to start. A passion, is a passion). I decided to have business as my major. My plan is to graduate with a degree in business entertainment, media and technology. This degree hopefully takes me somewhere related with acting and film. After graduating I would like to receive my master’s degree either in advertising or marketing. I imagine myself working for a big multinational company in their marketing and advertising departments. I picture myself working for brands such as Nike or Adidas but my dream would be working with either Versace or Gucci. I would love to work for either of these brands because they are big, high end, and exclusive brands that need a really powerful marketing to keep their high status.

In the end, I have no idea where I am going to end up or what I am going to end up doing. All I know is that the harder I work and prepare myself for the future the better my resume is going to be and the easiest and faster I will find the job that makes me happy. My dad always told me that we have to do what makes us happy. If it makes us happy, we are not going to care about the amount of effort we put in or the hours we spend doing it. For this reason it will make us succeed easily. The money will come with that success; in fact we will have a personal success too. It looks like everything is a proportional and related logic. With happiness we will succeed and with the success will come the money.


Thank you Reader for getting all the way here. I hope you find whatever makes you happy!!

See you soon!

Ruth.

My Top 4 Outdoor Activities (Vanessa To)

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” - Helen Keller

Taking pictures on East Cabrillo Boulevard in Santa Barbara

Since I was little, I have traveled a lot in the world with my parents. I really like to discover new places and take some unforgettable unique pictures to have some nice memories afterward.

So now, it’s my turn to discover in the United States by myself.

I'm going to present to you my top 4 outdoor activities in Santa Barbara and some close areas to Santa Barbara for discovering wonderful places and as well as taking gorgeous pictures. I hope you like it.

1. The Chromatic Gate was designed by an inhabitant called Herbert Bayer from Montecito and positioned in 1991. He was inspired by Wassily Kandinsky.

I have been recently at the Chromatic Gate for taking some beautiful amazing pictures. This gate is a 9-minute walk to East Beach. I really love colorful places like these places. This gate looks so tall and aesthetics. I can't even believe that I was there. You have to check this curiosity out, it is eye-catching pure and great for your Instagram feed! You can also check this picture on my Instagram page if you want.

2. Stearns Wharf (established in 1872)

I love especially sunsets and they always look different no matter how often you see them in your life. I really recommend you to go to the Stearns Wharf before the sun goes down! It’s so pretty there. You can see the beautiful pink-colored colors on the mountains, which are reflected by the sunlight. Moreover, you can also walk along the pier there.

3. Butterfly Beach is located in Montecito where you can see lots of celebrities living in this area.

The reason for choosing this beach is because of a spacious view of the ocean and you can see there the endless long Pacific Ocean. It's a perfect place to see the sunset here because it is a west-facing beach. You can see the sunset over the water!

4. Superior Court of California is conceptualized and finished by William Mooser in 1929.

By going up in the Superior Court of California, you can see Santa Barbara from above. It’s a great choice if you want to see this view!

The court is open from Mondays to Fridays between 8 am to 5 pm and from Saturdays to Sundays between 10 am to 4:30 pm.

Here you can find more motivational quotes for traveling and discovering new places: https://maketimetoseetheworld.com/travel-quotes-to-fuel-your-wanderlust/

Here you can find more information about the top 4 outdoor activities:

1. http://www.seecalifornia.com/art/santa-barbara-chromatic-gate.html
2. https://www.santabarbara.com/activities/beaches/butterfly/
3. https://santabarbaraca.com/businesses/stearns-wharf/
4. https://www.sbcourts.org/gi/loc/sb.shtm

You can find me on social media to stay tuned:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/xunxianvanessa.to.1

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifestyleblog.vt/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xun-xian-vanessa-to-379517179/

vanessaa.to

Snapchat: vanessaa.to

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYQJM_pBEpokvVAQYvvvfAA

Best wishes,

Your International Blogger

Vanessa

Activities with friends (Astrid Sidibe)

Sandbar

I have found a super cosy bar with a tropical vibe down on state street. Me and my new friend Ann-Kathrine were looking for a place to hang out on a normal wednesday. We went to this place called Sandbar and ordered the best burgers in town (so far) and a killer mango drink. We choose a great evening to go out because we stumbled into their reggae wednesday so we also got a live performance. I love reggae and the band that played was really good.  Apparently this is something they do every wednesday with different reggae bands. So if you are looking for a good place to hang out with good music and great food you should check it out on wednesdays.

Creamistry

Last week we celebrated my friend Vanessa’s birthday by going downtown for some good Thai food and Ice cream. We ate the creamiest ice cream I have ever tried in my life. It’s  called Creamistry and it’s a nice place downtown located on state street. They make the ice cream right in front of you with a special liquid that makes it freeze. It was such a great experience! When they make the Ice cream it looks like they are doing some kind of magic potion in a secret lab somewhere. It is super cool! But the best part is that you get to create your own ice cream by choosing  what type of base (dairy or non-dairy), flavor and toppings you want. I am a vanilla flavor kind of girl so that was my pic, with fresh banana pieces on it. My husband on the other hand tried the espresso flavor and the other girls chose coconut and chocolate. There were so many different flavors to choose from so I am sure that they have something to offer everybody!

Pilates at SBCC

I have always been a yoga girl but this semester I wanted to spread my wings and try something else so I am taking pilates. I am taking a great class in school and loving  this type of workout. It is a great workout that really focuses on your core and breath in a very similar way to yoga yet it is very different. I have come to understand that yoga is a workout that is on a deeper spiritual level while pilates is more about the physical. In our pilates class we get to work with different types of equipment such as balls, bands and bricks. I do love the feeling after every class because I feel so focused on what I am doing. I feel extremely connected to my body and it makes it easier to move and be present. Our teacher Deborah is really good and always shows up with high energy and ready to teach.  So if you want to strengthen your core then I strongly recommend for you to take a pilates class. I am finding activation in muscles that have been asleep for way to long. It is bringing me back to the now! Amazing!!!

Food sharing Event at SBCC!

Last but not least I want to share a great thing about our campus. The food pantry had an event called “Food Sharing” were all students are invited to get lots of free food. They gave us big boxes that we could fill with vegetables, nuts, pasta, drinks, candy, cans of all sorts and they also gave us burritos. They had so much more than what I mentioned but I just wanted you to get the picture. This Is AMAZING! They fed hundreds of students and played music and spread the love. I had a great time and I feel so thankful that there are so many givers out there. It is not something you see everyday and it is truly appreciated as a student to be able to save some money on things like that.

Student life at SBCC (Antonio Monteiro)

1. Relationships

One of the main things that you're going to realize that is different once you move away from home, is the development of new relationships. As soon as you get here, you won't have any attachments to people, which therefore might boil some loneliness and homesickness inside of you. But don't think that you're the only one that has faced these issues, it is more normal than you imagine! Sometimes could be difficult to make new friendships in the beginning, primarily if you're international, since the language could be a barrier at first. I highly recommend that you sign up in a club, sport, or even seek to meet some veteran people that are from your country in the begging, this could be helpful to make new friends and connect with people, because we're social creatures, and by not having any relationships you could get on a rut of being depressed or sad with your choice, believe me, because I've been there.

One thing that I advise against, however, is to close yourself with your nationality. I do know a lot of Brazilians, Chinese, Swedish, etc. that normally only hang out with people from their own country.

By doing that you're missing a lot of important lessons on learning how to deal with differences, understanding how relationships work in different cultures, and of course, improving your English skills. In other words, you're missing out on a lot.

2. Education and Career Opportunities

This comes in two ways, academic education and cultural education. People here are different from your country, and therefore, they act and talk differently. This could be an issue if you're not open to learning from them how to properly interact, but if openness to new experiences is a part of who you are, it won't hurt to learn their culture, because you can teach them yours also.With regards to academic studies, the educational system is something that most people struggle in the begging, on my previous blog post I've shared some advice on how to cope with that, I believe you should check it out.

Talking about professional life, career is something that is going to be a bit challenging here. Unfortunately, our visa allows working on campus or in an internship mediated by the college. At the same time that this could limit you, it could also force you to look for new alternatives to develop yourself professionally.

Nowadays with social media, the internet, and this huge amount of connections and knowledge that you can make, there could be a possibility of developing a unique set of skills that will benefit you in the long run. Give it a shot, try something new. This is the best time to experiment and learn new things.

3. Lifestyle in Santa Barbara

I love Santa Barbara, so this section is a bit biased towards the positive side (luckily). In short words, Santa Barbara offers a lifestyle that fits most peoples', because even though the city is small, there are a lot of things to do. Mostly, the city emphasizes the local community in general, so there are a lot of activities, such as the farmer's market, that you can enjoy by just being here.

Also, Santa Barbara hosts its famous Santa Barbara Film Festival, a full two-week of movies, speakers, and cool stuff to watch. And yeah, all the Hollywood famous people come over, so you'll probably see them around.

In addition, Santa Barbara is a very cool spot for nature lovers. So if you like hiking, surfing, relaxing at the beach and gardening, for example, you'll have a great time while around.

California (Ruth Zapico)

The first President of the United States, George Washington was born on the 18th of February. Which means that we do not have school on the 18th. The perfect reason to make a trip to Los Angeles and to always keep exploring.

Hello Readers! My name is Ruth Zapico Mancebo, I am an international student from Spain studying at Santa Barbara City College. I just wanted to tell you how my experience is going so far as well as my personal opinion about California and what I have learned about myself.

First of all, in Spain, when you mention that you are going to the United States, without a doubt the next thing to be asked is: are you going to California or New York? California is well known for its good wealth, weather, health, freedom and for being a romantic place. In fact, if we think about it, how has California become such a well-known place? California has earned itself all these titles due in part to its socially accepting sanctuary for the diverse and unique number of people living there and for the initiation of companies like Apple, Disney or Netflix as well as millions of other clothing brands known all over the world such as Patagonia, The North Face or O’Neill. To explain the titles that define California, we could put more emphasis on the multiculturalism that takes place in California, which allows the exchange of knowledge between people with different mindsets, cultures, and desires. Having a larger amount and more diverse array of knowledge only encourages the production of trends, creativity and marks the difference between California and other states in the United States.

California became a dream to many because of the high expectations and speculations. Thanks to the entertainment California acquired a great image. I am sure many of you have heard “Malibu,” a song from Miley Cyrus which has an awesome video clip with images from the California beaches. The band Sweet California already has the message on their group name and songs like “Hotel California,” “California Gurls,” “Californication,” or the classic “California Dreaming” are many pretty letters dedicated to California that make you imagine something that does not always match the reality. As far as my experience has gone, I came to California with the high expectations that media, including movies, social media, marketing, and society put on me thanks to the globalization. I was looking for a good life or for the “summer” life that movies have shown over time. However, this weekend I visited Los Angeles and nothing was as I imagined it. Or maybe it was but the expectations were so high that it felt like it did not matter. Nothing surprised me, neither the restaurants, the streets, the buildings, the beaches, or the lifestyle. Nevertheless, this did not bother me and I decided to see the good side of everything because every place, and every moment has always a good side. The good side and the reasons why California keeps me here is because of Santa Barbara City College. The resources here are incredible but even better are the professors. They make learning to be fun, motivating, based on understanding and in a way that it hooks you and makes you want to learn more and more. In my English 110 class, we are learning about California and Professor Jason File makes us think and be creative which is something I love because he is giving me the opportunity to express myself and have a voice. Professor Cindy Benelli teaches me ECON 101, and her class is amazing because she explains everything with real-life examples and situations to which most of us can relate. Professor Caren Adorni teaches Acting for the Camera and it is the class I live for since acting is my passion. Last but not least, my BUS 101 class is taught by Professor Dorthe Walker who is really interesting listening to because of all the knowledge and experience she has.

To sum up, if you are one of the Readers that is feeling like for some reason you have not connected with California, try to relate by looking at the good facts or the positive points it has. Be open-minded to situations, and travel to grow personally and discover new places. You never know where and when the biggest opportunity is going to call your name, so keep the positive side of every place you go to.

Reader, thank you for getting all the way here! Remember always to be critical with your opinions and to have a comprehensive, optimistic and open-minded view of life, it helps to live your every day in a happier mood.

See you soon! Ruth.

My Welcome to Santa Barbara (Astrid Sidbe)

Astrid Sidibe

Campus

I want to start off by saying that I fell in love with this campus the moment I set my foot here. The view is amazing, the buildings are very nice and everyone I have met on campus so far have been really friendly and helpful. One of my favorite buildings is the library on west campus. You can come here and use computers, get tutored or just read. The best part is the beautiful view right outside the building, this is the first thing you would see when you step out of the door. Isn’t it beautiful? Imagine to study in such an inspiring environment! I am very excited about my time here.

Classes

There are a bunch of different classes to take here. I have decided to take dance, acting for the camera (which is something I never done before), music and I am also taking introduction to business with Bonnie. He was so inspiring during our first class and I knew right away that I can learn a lot from him. I felt the same way when I met my dance teacher Tracy, he has so much experience and a great posture. To be honest I have felt extremely inspired by all teachers I have met so far and it makes me eager to learn.

Places to go while you are in Santa Barbra

I love the ocean and I bet there is a lot of people out there who feel the same way. There is something about the sound and the smell that makes me feel at ease. So for the person who feel like there is time for some healing in their life or if you just want to go for a bite to eat, the pier is amazing. It is peaceful and it has a bunch of restaurants and also a palm reader if you into that. 

There is a little pizza place downtown that I would like to recommend. It is called N.Y Pizza and they have a great pepperoni pizza that is worth trying! I bought a slice for about 5 dollars, it is pricey but it was worth it! The slice was really BIG and I did not have to eat anything more after that, it kept me full the entire evening.  

I am absolutely thrilled to be here and I am going to make the most of it!

All the best, Astrid S