HEARTC♡RE

I always knew I had arm hair of course, I remember thinking in high school that my arm hair was something I would never remove. It wasn't until my sophomore year of college, working at a cellphone store, when my boss suggested I wax my arms (more than once) that I became unduly fixated on my arm hair. I felt discomfort when a customer would look at me typing on the computer, discomfort when someone would rub against or feel my arm, in fear that they found me repulsive. It's taken time to love my arms again. It's taken time to say fuck it, I'm going to butter up my legs, go out in shorts, and have my leg hair shine in all it's glory. Just yesterday, though I left home confidently, upon reaching my destination I felt uncomfortable knowing the older women present might catch a glimpse of my legs and judge me. What would they think of me? 

This topic seems so mundane, and feels as if I am blowing it out of proportion. But it's not, this is a real problem that girls and women everywhere experience. We go through painful, time consuming treatments just to take it off. Sometimes it's for others, sometimes it's for us. Believe it or not, I love freshly shaven legs just as much as the next gal, but I should also be able to feel at peace weeks and months after shaving.

I saw a photo of Blac Chyna breastfeeding her newborn daughter on Instagram and one of the first comments I saw was "am I the only one that sees the hair on her breast." Are you serious? other than the fact that the hair was barely visible, nipple hair is normal, hair on your breasts is normal. The worst part for me was that the person commenting was a woman, let's band together not apart. Sometimes your biggest critics are those close to you, maybe your parents or friends. I remember a couple years ago I felt nervous telling my close friends I had purposely grown out my underarm hair. & I still get disapproving looks from my mom when she sees.

I don't tolerate my body hair, I love it. 

It's a process,

melissa

positive election news: 

Sorry you guys, I really am.
On MIKE PENCE (Vice president elect)

This video popped up on the "trending" section of my Facebook home page. John Oliver is always a good time and I was interested in learning more about these toxic pyramid schemes (emphasis on scheme). It is a thirty minute video, but it's a crack up and it might just save you from some very bad decisions.

Here is a link from Investopedia that also helps define a pyramid scheme. (AKA Multilevel Marketing)

Essentially: "A pyramid scheme is a business model that recruits members via a promise of payments or services for enrolling others into the scheme, rather than supplying investments or sale of products or services." Thanks Wikipedia! 

I don't want to sum up the video, so I encourage you to watch it. One thing that is no secret, is the point that John begins at minute 19:23. In the last few years Latinxs have, unfortunately, greatly contributed to Herbalife's success and billion sized profits. Latinxs make up 60% of all recruited distributors, and only 11% of Herbalife's distributors actually see any profit. Many have been conned, and have fallen victim to debts as great as 10,000 to 30,000 dollars just to maintain their businesses. I am speaking directly on the Latinx experience as it feels that products like Herbalife are almost ingrained into our culture. We all know Herbalife, MaryKay, Avon and how they work. I am sure every Latinx has been invited to or known someone who has held a MaryKay party or an Herbalife demonstration. We see the cars in the church parking lot with these companies logos tagged on their windshield or the odd fully customized car every now and again. It's sad to see people break and strain relationships over the facade of "owning their own business" and "working for themselves". It's sad to see vulnerable immigrant latinxs preyed on because they might be less knowledgable and less likely to speak out on the injustice. It's sad to hear that 60 hour a week working, working class people are thousands in debts in their attempt to reach the American Dream.


I was on Facebook one day and a young woman that was part of a weekly group I attended messaged me out of the blue with a basic how are you, how you've been message. I was a little caught off guard and my first thought was. . . is she inviting me to a pyramid scheme meeting? And after I replied, she replied with something along the lines of "Are you interested in getting a free facial from MaryKay" and let me tell you, I cracked up at the irony. I asked her how it worked and she said that she won coupons from a contest at a festival she attended. She thought it was legit, and didn't make it seem otherwise. I thought "oh, that sounds legit."  Boy was I wrong. I was able to invite my BFF because of an extra ticket, we picked her up and were on our jolly way. We came to this building that DID NOT look like a spa at all. . . omg. So we go in and right at the entrance there is a table with a sign up sheet and were like um, is this where you get a facial? & yes, it was. So we go in and there are tables lined up. And I'm like oh f*** it's a gotdang pyramid scheme meeting. So we sit at the seats we are directed (meanwhile I am trying my hardest to stop shaking from the laughter), and we kind of just looking at each other like WTF. There was another "I'm here for a facial" woman apart from us, and before us were small bowls and MaryKay products and we're like okay. Turns out we would be the ones to give ourselves facials. . . on half our face. . . and trying every product under the sun in the next three hours. But before that, every MaryKay distributor present went around saying any accomplishments they had made since their last meeting while we wiggled our plastic clappers in the air. Omg, I'm crying tears from laughing. We eventually split the room, while the current distributors held their meeting, we tried on the products. We ended the meeting, again three hours later, by standing and reciting "words of empowerment" and doing some sort of eccentric sounds or motions that for the life of me I cannot recall at the moment. Oh, and we got points for every interaction we made, which we could redeem at the end for prizes. I have to admit, the woman who managed the entire seminar, and guided us through our facials *cough* "facials" was very charismatic. It was no surprise that several of the women there were probably recruited by her, she was so close to getting her "MaryKay pink" Cadillac that was "totally free", and I even witnessed her drive off in her "lipstick red" . . . . Ford? Sorry to the friends that I listed for her to send a text. I was pressured!! At least it was only one. I was still getting those damn emails until last month. I tried to unsubscribe but not surprising at all their unsubscribe button was always inactive, but I think I finally got it. Overall, it was fun, for all the cringe-y reasons, and definitely a memorable experience. By the end of the night we were all starving, so our friend invited us into her home to enjoy a delicious home cooked Indian meal, that OMG was delicious. So worth the MaryKay experience. 😉

But one last thing, to trick people into going to your pyramid scheme meetings under false pretenses is just ridiculous to me. I'm no saint, but really I wouldn't be able to show my face. Maybe they feel better by lying to themselves saying "well, they are putting stuff on their face." The only good thing, I guess, was that there was no pressure to join as a distributor or make a purchase.

I'd like to finish off by saying that at minute 4:03 (on the first video above), CEO of MarketAmerica, JR Ridinger's big intro reminded me of The Boss Michelle Darnell's (Melissa McCarthy) big intro. Below is the best video I could find on it, it's a behind the scenes but you get the idea. 

Last summer while scrolling through my Instagram I saw a trailer for a movie set in Saudi Arabia (KSA). It is called Barakah Meets Barakah (2016), an independent Saudi romcom, that is also the KSA's second submission to the Oscars. It caught my eye and since then I have been itching to watch it. Although it was featured at the Toronto International Film Festival, I have yet to find any information as to where I can purchase or rent it here in the states. 

I am not a big on movies or TV, but I wanted to watch a film in Arabic. As you all know I am trying to learn the language and films are a guaranteed way to help get a grip on authentic conversation and colloquial language. The big problem is Arabic is different from country and even more so region to region. Just like Spanish in Latin America, but to varying degrees. There are sooooo many varieties (click here), but I automatically split them into three (which honestly feels taboo, because there are so many).

Maghrebi (North Africa), ex. Morocco, Tunisia, Libyan

Levantine (East Mediterranean), ex. Jordan, Palestine, Syria, 

Khaliji (Arab Gulf), ex. Kuwait, KSA (I don't even know if I should name KSA because guess what, they don't classify under gulf arabic), Bahrain, Oman (Oman itself splits into two)

Unmentioned include Iraq, Egypt, Sudan, etc etc etc. . . . etc. I can't even stress it enough LOL. 

Although they are different from place to place, I rather obviously listen and watch a film from the Gulf countries. The problem is, Levantine and Maghrebi music and film is not only more in numbers it's also much more readily available. Netflix has a eleven Arabic language films, none that have caught my eye enough to complete or begin. Mostly because they look like they will make me cry and I can't take it. I really want to watch Academy award nominated, Omar (2013) though. I was on minute two and already emotionally drained. 

After the trailer I had to watch it and lucky for me, it was available on all platforms (YouTube, Amazon, GooglePlay, & itunes included). I opted for Amazon and it was only $2.99 for 48 hours rent. 

Wadjda, pronounced WAJ-DA, is the name of our young protagonist. Wadjda is an eclectic, rebellious, and march to the beat of her own drum kinda girl. She works hard and hustles to achieve her goals. Her story revolves around her quest to conjure up enough money to purchase the bike of her dreams. The goal seems easy enough, until you realize that girls or women riding bikes in Saudi is taboo. The events and backstories that occur throughout the film are a glimpse into Saudi society as well. Although there were a limited amount of characters in total, I do think it showed a range of women and how they cope and act under the same societal pressures and expectations. 

Although the story is simple, and follows a steady pace, I didn't at all feel bored or uninterested. On the contrary, my heart was beating from the first second with anxiety. Though that is due mostly to the fact that it is me, Melissa Ortega. I just always have this impending doom with expectation of the worst. The ups and downs were done very well, there wasn't anything out of the ordinary for shock factor and it did not end on a ridiculously and unnaturally positive note. By the end, I was sobbing, happy sobbing but again that is just me 😉. I couldn't choose a favorite character, and even those who are at the bottom (very bottom) of the list, I understand. 

What is remarkable about this film is not only that it is the first feature film to be fully filmed in the KSA, but it was also written and directed by Haifaa al Mansour. In a country where women face a lot of suppression, including the inability to drive, the prohibition to mix freely with men, and even the use fitting rooms (as you can see in the film), it is a great feat. It took a total of five years to complete mostly due to lack of funds and receiving proper permissions to film in Riyadh. It is noted that the majority, if not the entirety, of the directing was done from a van. Mansour, unable to mix with the men of the crew, often used walkie talkies and monitors to direct and manage the filming. She could have taken the easier routeof filming in a different country, but Haifaa al Mansour endured the struggle to fulfill the authenticity she desired. 

I fully recommend this film as an introduction to foreign film, a change in perspective, insight to Saudi culture, or just a plain good, heartwarming film. All the applause.

Coincidentally, yesterday and today there was an event held in Hollywood called "Saudi Film Days" where Saudi talent was showcased for two days, and premiered a film by the name of Wasati. I follow the (Omani) guy on Instagram who worked on Wasati as art director and poster designer. He is attending the event and only naturally posting and promoting it so that is how I know of this. He also created the poster for Barakah meets Barakah. And funny enough I ran into him on Tinder last year when I only recognized him as a friend of another artsy guy in the tumblr/insta sphere. 😭

Now someone link me to Barakah meets Barakah. 😫

Melissa

(an article on movies from the gulf and the reception of them in the gulf)

 Bombay, Our City (Anand Patwardhan, 1985)

This is not a critic on journalism (and the photography that usually accompanies), I understand that journalists and photojournalists are not missionaries and that journalism is a necessity for global awareness and democracy. Rather it is quick idea meant to spark your thoughts on the fact that there is a thin line in this art or line of work. One whose flip side can lead to exploitative, colonial, and dehumanizing photography.

This is all I can muster up as I'm having a hard time articulating my thoughts. I hope you can understand my gist as what I've written sounds slightly incomplete. 😅

Melissa

Women's Traditional Dress