Aditi Harsh

Author: Aditi Harsh (page 1 of 2)

January 11, 2016 / 0 Comments

Pop Culture Corner: Golden Globes 2016

This year’s Golden Globes were the perfect combination of glamorous Hollywood moments and career-making surprises. Before going into my personal favorite highlights and awards, I wanted to explain the difference between the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards (the Oscars) because it can definitely be confusing with so many award shows with what seems like very similar nominees. The Golden Globes are voted on by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which is an esteemed group of top print and television journalists from around the world. The Oscars, on the other hand, are voted on by the Academy, which consists of fellow actors, directors, editors and other filmmakers – so it’s more of a peer vote. Additionally, the Golden Globes are the only award show that include both film & television.

I thought Ricky Gervais did a great job and unlike most award shows, I was happy whenever he re-appeared on stage and I really do appreciate his sense of Hollywood-deprecating humor, and the fact that he says what everyone is thinking in a totally unapologetic way. Although I did feel like his bit about the award show being long and boring was a bit overdone after the second time. Another early highlight was Jonah Hill dressed as the bear from The Revenant, but at the same time it also felt like a lame attempt to re-remind everyone that he’s friends with Leonardo Dicaprio so, it’s cool guys, he can joke about the alleged bear rape scene.

I was thrilled that Kate Winslet won for Jobs, she was great in that role and she’s just an overall gem in my heart. Her winning the same year as Leo was the cherry on top. So was this moment caught by the cameras during commercial break:

December 31, 2015 / 0 Comments

2015: Year in Review

As we move forward into 2016, we’d like to say a quick thanks to everyone who has supported us in our first year. Since our launch date this past June, we have accumulated over 4,800 total views on Island & Hills, with readers in more than 59 countries. We are so blown away by these numbers and truly appreciate your readership and feedback. We have tons of new content in store for 2016 and can’t wait to share this next chapter of Island & Hills with you all. Wishing you & yours a fantastic new year!

Sincerely,

Aditi & Maddie

December 4, 2015 / 0 Comments

December Favorites: LA

DECEMBER 5TH – LOS ANGELES HARBOR HOLIDAY AFLOAT PARADE

This holiday tradition has been around for over 50 years and features elaborately decorated boats. The Battleship Iowa hosts guests to watch the event with cocoa, cookies, carolers, cocktails, and a visit from Santa.

DECEMBER 10TH – HOLIDAY HAPPY HOUR @ LA ZOO LIGHTS

Starting at 6:30pm, guests can enjoy a heated private lounge with complimentary snacks, wine & beer. There are even special holiday cocktails for purchase. What’s better than Christmas lights, animals & booze?

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/la-zoo-lights-holiday-happy-hour-21-tickets-1895847029

November 6, 2015 / 0 Comments

Pop Culture Corner: Must-See Fall Films

SUFFRAGETTE

October 23, 2015
Directed by Sarah Gavron

Trailer:

STARRING

Carey Mulligan
Helena Bonham Carter
Meryl Streep

The timing for Suffragette couldn’t be better. I think it’s an important story and I’m happy to see it being told on screen with three strong female leads. It’s the kind of movie that makes you appreciate the past and feel hopeful about the future. I think Landslide playing in the background of this trailer is making me feel all warm and emotional inside…

October 21, 2015 / 0 Comments

Noomi

I originally thought the topic of Noomi would be a simple one to write about. I have been wanting to write about her ever since I adopted her four months ago because she has become such an important part of my life, but I had a few different ideas about how I should approach the subject. I wanted to make sure I included the importance of adoption and the many ways that she has actually rescued me. I also wanted to do a fun post about the best dog parks and most dog-friendly establishments in Los Angeles. But as I’m sitting here writing this in my bed with her dozing off next to me, what I’m actually thinking about is what time I need to wake up in order to take her out and feed her before getting ready and heading to work on time. Luckily, I take Noomi to work with me every day which definitely made getting a puppy an actual possibility.

October 6, 2015 / 0 Comments

I&H Spotlight: Madhulika Banerjee

Madhulika Banerjee is a 24-year-old graduate student in Arizona, working on getting her Master of Science in Cellular and Molecular Medicine. I recently spoke with her about her degree, her research in working to solve colorectal cancer, her recent international experience in medical school in India, and how she stays motivated while maintaining her rigorous schedule.

Aditi: You’ve got two more years at the University of Arizona, and you’re also working on some research. What do you like about it and dislike about it?
Madhulika: It’s a small department, which is nice because it creates an intimate environment between not only my peers but professors as well. It’s definitely a difficult program though. It’s like mini-prep for med school. My program focuses on viewing what’s inside the human body at a cellular and molecular level and relating it back to the medical field. That might include relating things to different disease presentations, drug discovery, or experimental research, just to name a few.

A: What do you hope to accomplish after you graduate?
M: My end goal is to finish masters and get into med school. As I’ve gotten older I’ve definitely realized that it’s incredibly easy to fail at a goal but it doesn’t mean that you stop dead. My back up plan is to apply for a PhD, either in the same department at my school or maybe a different place, doing cancer research. I’m not sure yet what type of doctor I would want to be once I complete med school. Sometimes it’s easier to identify what you don’t want to do. I know I don’t want to be a surgeon or an OBGYN.

September 21, 2015 / 1 Comment

Pop Culture Corner: The Emmys 2015

THE HOST

I thought that Andy Samberg was an overall good host for the Emmys. He’s definitely a safe choice, about one step above Seth Meyers. I thought he was funny but his hosting also seemed like an obvious effort to pull in a younger audience. My vote for next year is John Oliver or Kate McKinnon.

I did appreciate the lack of cheesy song and dance skit. The opening video set the tone of his opening monologue, which was playful, but honest. As was portrayed in the opening – it is a little ridiculous to expect anyone to keep up with the amount of good television that’s available today. Living in LA, the billboards and constantly changing posters along the sidewalks make it difficult to ignore the shear quantity of pop culture to keep up with. Since the summer is such a down time for “good” television, the recent visual promotions and repetition of the titles of upcoming shows, makes me excited for fall television, but also wondering what I’ll have to miss out on since I also care about sleeping, socializing and having a full time job.

If Hollywood wants to pull in a younger audience for award shows, a more obvious, and possibly effective route would be to make the show available via live stream. It’s still frustrating that award shows are not able to be live streamed. If you can watch any sporting event on the ESPN app, on any device, why can’t you get on a FOX app and pay a certain amount of money to just stream the award show? It seems mutually beneficial and is mostly frustrating because I know we have the technological capability to make it a reality.

September 3, 2015 / 1 Comment

VMAs 2015: Kanye, Miley and important topics the internet failed to mention

So the VMAs happened on Sunday night and subsequently dominated the internet this week. While watching the show, it seemed obvious that certain things would grab everyone’s attention (Yeezus2020 & Taylor Swift domination), but there were also some aspects of the show that deserved more attention (Twenty One Pilots and A$AP Rocky’s performance), and others that over saturated my news feed in the worst way (it doesn’t matter that Nicki Minaj called Miley Cyrus out. It really doesn’t). Here are my thoughts.

August 25, 2015 / 0 Comments

Distance

Despite not being in school anymore, this time of year surprisingly still feels like a new beginning. Though there are no major changes going on in my life right now (#blessed), some very close people in my life are going through changes and it’s been affecting me too. Some are starting college or graduate school, some are starting a new job, and some are taking on new roles (like fiancé and mother). Thanks to social media, I never miss anything. Although I’m eternally grateful that we have these technological capabilities because it makes my world feel smaller, there are also moments when I’m watching my brother’s graduation on FaceTime or taking a tour of my best friend’s new apartment on Skype that I can’t help but start to miss them more than I did before I called. It’s amazing, but frustrating because you’re so close but you’re not actually there. For me, it’s these important moments that I miss out on when I feel the distance the most.

August 5, 2015 / 1 Comment

Refreshed & Reenergized

In my first post, I talked a lot about drive, passion, and the importance of going after what you want, but along with those things comes some type of pressure, or stress. As AlunaGeorge says it best, “Life can be cruel, if you’re a dreamer.” This line resonates with me because I feel like anyone with a goal, or an ambition, naturally suffers along the way, but I’ve recently realized that it’s healthy and beneficial in the long run to find out what makes me feel calm and self-aware. For me, it has always been important to achieve an equal balance of ambition and peace of mind, and an ability to recognize what is important in life.