Natalie Portman is an Academy Award nominated and Golden Globe winning actress. Being passionate about acting, she turned down a huge opportunity to become a child model. She took on her first real role at the age of 13 and became famous by playing a princess in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.

However, despite the temptation of becoming a major movie star, she opted to attend college at Harvard. When asked about her decision to attend school when she was already rich and famous, Portman responded, “I’d rather be smart than be a movie star.” In addition to being bilingual in Hebrew and English, she has studied French, Japanese, German and Arabic.

Natalie has been in over twenty movies, on the cover of every major magazine, on every major talk show and hosted Saturday Night Live. She is considered to be absolutely beautiful, but people are always shocked by the fact that, on top of “having it all,” she still chose to put an enormous emphasis on education.

She’s one smart cookie. Natalie proves that even if you’re gorgeous, even if you’re rich and famous, to be taken seriously in life, to be truly respected, an education is essential. Her confidence and her beauty is based on who she is inside, not how many paparazzi follower her to the grocery store.

Portman uses her mind and passions to support and promote awareness of different international issues such as the current conflict in Israel as well as organizations such as NEDA.

Natalie is the poster girl for our favorite IATG saying: “Smart is the NEW Sexy!”

photo by gareth harfoot

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It was a story of the serve and a simple story at that: Serena had it; Dinara struggled. Serena dominated; Safina double-faulted. And in the end, it only took an hour for Serena Williams to take her 10th major title and 4th Australian, 6-0, 6-3. And to be fair to Dinara Safina, without any confidence in her serve, she fought and Serena was just unstoppable. The younger of the Williams sisters played better than she’d played all tournament and better than she’s played in years.

It’s no secret that Serena is tough to beat in a major final; that’s why she has a 10-3 record in finals, having only lost to her sister Venus and once to Maria Sharapova. She stepped onto the court to play a game with an attitude that this is no game at all. It was all business despite the misleading quote just prior to the match when she said she was only planning to have fun.  Well, it is rather fun to win and she did it with 23 winners and 7 unforced errors. That’s efficient business.

I kept waiting for Safina to lose it, to return to her old self and break down emotionally.  I was waiting for her to break her racket; but it was more of a slow boil.  You could see it on her face; she was fighting tears throughout the second set. And on match point, she wiped a tear from her eye as she stared at her coach and waited for Serena to serve.

Even though Serena won the #1, Safina still has it in her to take over the rank. She’ll need to work on her serve and make it more consistent if she wants to hit #1 and stay there…but for now, she’s become a consistent runner-up: the French Open, the Beijing Olympics, and now here in Australia.  But she has too much in her to be content with being second best. Be on the look-out.

photo by rob young

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Obviously, the girls we have been working with the past week come from some of the most difficult, unfathomable circumstances: poverty, abuse, neglect, diseases on levels I’ve been spared to see up until this point in my life. However, when a child is accepted to one of the six schools at CCF, they are given room and board in a beautiful facility, three meals a day (plus snacks), endless clean drinking water, one of the best educations in Cambodia, priceless English lessons, new school uniforms, vital vaccines and access to around the clock medicine and doctors.

CCF is to these kids what The Chocolate Factory was to Charlie; only the everlasting gobstopper comes in the form of a brilliant education and the endless chocolate river, a limitless future. One of the perks, along with the obvious, is that each student, once a year receives a new outfit and a fun filled day that would make the wealthiest kids on Christmas envious.

We had the honor of using some of the money we raised to take eight girls on their annual shopping spree. We hopped in the car and headed to the main mall in Cambodia with the youngest of the girls, who had never crossed the threshold of such a goody-filled fantasy land. Her eyes lit up as we walked into the multiple story, mega-complex and it was hysterical to see her little body jolt at the sight of an escalator, like the gods had just handed her supernatural abilities to transport herself from one location to another. She stepped on and looked to me, confused how I could be so nonchalant on such a super shuttle.

We walked into the first store and straight out of Pretty Woman, I beckoned the women over to take “very” good care of our precious girls. For the first time, I understood why our parents spoil us, because I had no problem shelling out money at the site of these little girls’ twirling around in pink dresses that they had only seen in old, ripped-up, magazines among the other debris littering the landfill.

What a transformation, we walked out with eight bonfire princesses and headed to the Mecca of Cambodian pizza. From the outside, we looked like any of the other wealthy, private school outings, until the food came. We ordered more food than a frat party watching football could eat: chicken wings, french fries, several large pizzas and an endless pitcher of coke. You wouldn’t know it by their tiny, misleading frames but these girls can eat three times their weight in food. By the end of the meal, there was a plate full of chicken bones, several empty cups and every plate was shiny, as though licked clean (literally).

Our part three to this trilogy was an ice cream stop two floors below us and, to my dismay, the extra stomach girls claim to have with respect to ice cream reigns true in Cambodia as well. Our girls each got a huge bowl of their favorite ice cream and our day was coming to an end until their excitement exponentially exceeded the four story mall ceiling when they witnessed for the first time ever, balloons.

We bought them the bright air pillow of their choice and came waltzing out of the mall full-bellied, double-fisting ice cream bites, interrupted with rigorous balloon inspection. I don’t care what culture you are from, what country you call home, your class, ethnicity, religion or education level, girls will be girls. There are few things in life as rewarding as a day at the mall with pizza and ice cream except maybe vicariously experiencing it through little Cambodian girls whose appreciation transmission has an addition three gears.

And the best part: the ENTIRE day cost me less than 100 dollars. There were ten girls (including Emily and myself), eight new dresses, lunch, ice cream and balloons for everyone. There is not a thing in the world I could have bought myself that would have brought me as much joy as showering those girls with a shopping spree of love. Officially the best 100 bucks I’ve ever spent.

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There are several numbers a girl should be very protective of: her phone number, her social security number, her SAT/LSAT/MCAT/GMAT/GRE score, and her credit score.

With credit cards being offered out like sample sprays of perfume at the mall and made to entice young people with the ever-tempting free gift, this form of easy money has got this generation in some hot oil.

Your credit score says a lot about you. It is a report that gives you credibility as a responsible adult, and in this case, the higher the number the better.

Before you sign that application and start swiping, read and understand the fine print. As you begin to build your credit, there are a few important things to remember:
•    Introductory rates don’t last forever. What started off at zero can spike to 25 percent, it says so there in the fine print that no one reads. A rate of 16-17 percent is average, and fairly typical when establishing your early credit history. Any lower is a sweet deal; any higher, you might want to keep looking.
•    Annual fees are bad! They are fees often applied in addition to your APR. Don’t get stuck with a card that charges you just for carrying it around in your wallet.
•    Time is money.  A check received a few hours past a deadline can result in a hefty charge.  Most credit agencies are charge happy, they will not hesitate to pile on the penalties for late payments, paying a bill over the phone, or going over your limit.
•    Cash advances are really high interest loans in sheep’s clothing. They come with outrageously inflated rates, and should only be used in dire emergencies, if at all.

Paying your credit balance in full every billing period will earn you major brownie points with the credit gods. Allowing your balance to lapse over month after month will result in gathering more charges and yielding higher finance fees.

The next trick is to fight the urge to CHARGE IT! Every girl has the divine right to indulge. We need pastries to ease PMS, boys to relieve pent up tension and boost body morale, and retail therapy to renew our spirits on those bad days. But as your grandma would say: everything in moderation.

Creditworthiness is next to Godliness. Scoring high marks on your credit report card can be they very thing that gets you approved for the loan on your new car, passing your background check for that new job, or getting the lease on your first apartment.

Years from now, after graduation, when the loans are paid off, after you put in extra hours at the office and establish yourself as a fabulous independent woman, your credit score can help you make some of your bigger dreams come true.

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Five hours and fourteen minutes of tennis. You may assume I’m talking about a couple of matches I happened to catch at the Australian Open but hold your horses and be prepared to catch your breath: this was just one match. It was the longest match in Australian Open history, the highest caliber of the year, and in many ways, the closest. The final tally of points won would read 193 to 192 for the match.

Fellow Spaniards Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco battled through the Melbourne evening and into early morning, fighting cramps, and eventually leading to exhaustion before Verdasco struggled with his serve and double-faulted on a deflating match point to end the semifinal, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 6-4. Nadal collapsed to the ground in equal parts exhaustion, relief, and joy. He would enter into to the final.

The two friends embraced at the net in a show of respect and camaraderie that makes tennis such a great sport to watch before Nadal proclaimed, “He deserved to win, too.”

Undoubtedly, Verdasco had quite a show in this year’s Australian Open, defeating both #4 Andy Murray and #7 Jo-Wilifried Tsonga. His tennis was better than it’s ever been and he proved that in a semifinal match where he stretched the world #1 the further than he’s been stretched since last year’s epic Wimbledon final against Roger Federer.

The match will be difficult to top.  And Nadal’s opponent, #2 Federer will not come out with the goal of competing against the entertainment value of Nadal’s semifinal match (Federer defeated Andy Roddick in a less thrilling semifinal 6-2, 7-5, 7-5), but only with the goal of solid tennis which earns him a victory.

Federer finally looked to be in Federer form in his semifinal, something we haven’t seen since 2007 (though maybe it showed for a brief moment in the ’08 Wimbledon final). He glided across the court, making his success look easy. And Roddick, despite his big serve and chattiness in the match, couldn’t do anything to stop the Fed.

The final presents a lot more for Federer than it does for Nadal. Should he win, he will have successfully competed in 14 major finals, earning him the same number of titles as the great Pete Sampras, the most majors won by any tennis athlete. And he has a couple of things going his way, not the least of which is an incredibly trying, late-night semifinal for Nadal.

The final will be played in Rod Laver Arena and will air live on ESPN2 with coverage beginning at midnight PT Sunday morning (3 am ET).

photos by chris taylor, lucky b photos

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CCF, the school we have been working with since our arrival in Cambodia is like any boarding school in LA accept it doesn’t help if your father is the head of a major studio or your mother serves on the board of the MET. In fact, the criteria is quite the opposite. The majority of applicants are orphans living in/around the country’s biggest landfill subsisting off a dollar a day (if they are lucky) from picking glass shards and metal scraps from the belly of humanity’s waste.

However, despite the often horrific family circumstances these children are extracted from, one thing Scott (founder of CCF) does very well is to have a deep compassion for the importance Cambodians place on family and to ensure his students make regular home visits. Though depending on the voyage necessary, some students get to make the home trek more often than others.

We were lucky enough to follow one of our favorite girls (Nay Hoouy) home to meet her family on a day journey to what seemed another world altogether. The adventure began with 17 girls piled in the back of a truck for a two hour drive to a ferry ride across the river. That was followed by another truck ride to a tiny dock with a long, wooden canoe propelled by a makeshift car motor that, rather than a white stead awaiting her royalty, looked more like a anorexic donkey suffering from narcolepsy.

This trip home was anything but glamorous, but seemed to resemble the silent reverence and anticipation of a pious journey to Mecca. In fact, I was in dismay at the resilience, hardened fortitude and the “do what you gotta” attitude of these girls. Not a single one complained about having to stand in the back of a truck for hours with the sun pounding on their faces, not one whimper about the four increasingly inconvenient modes of transportation and not so much as a frustrated sigh at the dirt swirling around them like Texas Tornado and his motley crew of dust bunnies.

Instead, they were simply grateful for the opportunity to make the trek home in spite of the complicated process because it paled in comparison to what awaited on the other end of the muddy water. I myself had to bite my tongue to not comment on the mosquitoes, the swarming flies, the sweat dripping down my ribs, my empty stomach screaming to be fed and my aching back from the avant-garde approach to my conventional transportation expectations.

However, the moment we arrived, all my pathetic excuses justifying my discomfort and annoyed state of mind evaporated in the midst of my overwhelming sense of wonder. I felt like Christopher Columbus arriving upon an indigenous culture, pure and untainted by any form of outside influence. If there were a Utopia ,this tiny speck of earth on the world map would be in contention for the title. It was a gorgeous island with sprawling palm trees and a lovely, unexpected feast awaiting Emily and me. There were winding paths with final destinations that flirted with my imagination, children’s laughter as though on loudspeaker and kind eyes staring at us from the front door of each tiny, wooden hut we passed.

Greeted with prayerful hands, irrepressible smiles and a generosity that far surpassed the few dollars I drop in the weekly during the church offering, I was honored to be their guest. Unfortunately, “welcome” has lost its luster and hangs alongside the other retired jerseys of rote words, but if our all-star came back for another season, I would very much classify this experience as having never felt so “welcomed” in my entire life. This tiny Cambodian island, no bigger than a mile or two in circumference would give the entire South a run for their money with regard to hospitality.

You wonder why the kids would ever leave this miniature piece of calming heaven, but the reality is not a single person in that village can read or write, their poverty feels every hiccup of Mother Nature’s precocious and finicky personality. Simple sicknesses become potentially deadly because there is no access to antibiotics, most of the people will never set foot off that island and suddenly you realize that our girl, Nay Hoouy and the other students at CCF have been given not simply an education, but a future. CCF has provided opportunities that she could not have fathomed in the comfort of her front porch’s hammock. Maybe ignorance is bliss, but then again once you’ve had a taste of that other world and then given the choice of the blue pill or the red pill, like Keanu Reeves in the Matrix, you simply cannot go back to the life you once knew.

Thus Nay Hoouy’s response to my question of, “Do you miss your family?” makes perfect sense. Her polite response: “Yes I do, but sometimes I do not because I love to study, hard…” Her English is eons beyond most her age and she came home this time with a huge, framed certificate for being the number one student out of over a hundred and thirty. Her reward was five dollars, more than her family could make in two months.

She proudly presented her recent award to her parents who were beaming with pride. Then she pulled out the crisp fiver dollar bill and her mother about dropped her baby brother and fainted. Nay Hoouy is certainly making her dreams come true, dreams she didn’t even know she had at one point. However, in doing so, she is fulfilling those of her family as well.

They always say that to meet a person’s family, to see how they were raised and where they grew up gives great insight to who they are; I beg to differ. I’ll boldly say that it is not merely insight but as critical to the context of one’s life as stage direction is for an actor. Nay Hoouy had already won my heart, but stepping into her world, witnessing her vulnerable, exposed roots gave new depth to a pretty little girl who sits in the first row of the classroom at school.

So maybe we are not in control of what cards we are dealt, even when we ask the dealer for a reshuffle or an additional card. We’re not ensured our hand will be joined by a member of the royal court. In which case, it gives merit to the cliché, “It’s not the cards you’re dealt, but how you choose to play them.” Undoubtedly, I got dealt one hell of a hand in this lifetime, but I’ll tell ya what: I’m looking across the poker table at Nay Hoouy and she’s giving me quite a run for my money.

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Fashion Diva: Tory C.
Hometown: San Diego, CA
The Look: Little Miss Sunshine
Style Icon: Nicole Ritchie, Mary-Kate Olsen

Her Words: “To me, the most important thing about style is comfort. My basics are skinny jeans, oversized tees, and Converses. And I like to add interest by playing with proportions and layering lots of accessories, especially big rings.”

Our Words: Blonde, leggy, and casual – she’s the quintessential California girl! The easy swing of her canary yellow vest caught our eye.  But, the closer we got, the more we realized that it was her bold statement jewelry that made the outfit.  Let this be a lesson in accessorizing, ladies.

The Breakdown
Vest: Target
Tank top: Urban Outfitters
Necklaces and rings: Flea market
Skirt: Hot Kiss

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You’ve traded in your backpack for a briefcase, stopped referring to the holiday season as “winter break,” and mounted that “Alumni” license plate frame on your car.

You’re part of Team Twenty-Something with the world at your fingertips. But on top of apartment hunts and job demands, figuring out the dating scene in post-college life can seem like quite a handful.

No longer part of a collegiate community, we are thrown into the wild, and when it comes to relationships, it can be a jungle out there. If you feel like you’re lookin’ for love in all the wrong places, don’t give up just yet. Consider tossing out your single gal signals at one of these spots:
•    If Harry Potter is your homeboy or your closet doubles as a library, head to a book reading or join a book club.
•    Love sports? Grab a friend and hit up the local ESPN Zone for a drink.
•    Spend a Saturday by volunteering at a cause you care about.
•    If your childhood memories consist of two thumbs up instead of sucking your thumb, check out upcoming film festivals.
•    Always rushing when you’re in the grocery store? Leave your cell phone in the car and take your time – who knew there was someone else out there who still loves Fruit Loops?

Outside of college, people don’t walk around with a virtual “About Me” box hovering over their heads (that’s a challenge, Mr. Facebook!), and getting to know someone may take extra effort. Patience. For a first date, suggest an activity; while sitting down to dinner may seem like a prime opportunity to talk about likes and dislikes, sharing an experience can give you something to talk about as well as show off your natural (dazzling!) personality. For a fun and different first date, try:
•    Hiking
•    Going to a comedy club
•    Taking a cooking class
•    Trivia night at a local bar
•    Heading to a gallery opening or exhibit

Forming a relationship in college tends to occur over time, through casual group hangouts, shared stomping grounds, library dates and quick bites on the run. Post-college, courtship is more premeditated. While the activity may be casual, like grabbing a slice of pizza, it becomes a planned event with the purpose of getting to know one another. Dating takes the form of formal activities as opposed to close proximity. You meet up for a walk instead of walking to class. You head to a book club instead of burying your noses in textbooks across the library table. You meet to watch a movie, instead of ending up on the couch, flipping through the choices OnDemand.

As courtship moves toward relationship, the formalities loosen and time spent together becomes less structured and more natural. When you get down to it, relationships post-college aren’t that different from those in college. Same dance, just a few extra steps.

photo by nick grosoli

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There are only two players left on the women’s side of the singles draw of this year’s Australian Open in heat-ridden Melbourne. Two players who have struggled to find their game throughout the tournament and both of whom undoubtedly played their best tennis of the Open under the roof Thursday afternoon (that’s Wednesday night stateside) will meet this weekend to duel it out for the 2009 Australian Open title.

Serena Williams (USA) and Dinara Safina (Russia) defeated their Russian opponents in the semifinals with power and declaration. The Safina score was deceivingly close over Vera Zvonareva, #7 rank, 6-3, 7-6. It was Safina’s match to win or lose. She was the aggressor, the big hitter who could play rather streaky, going on runs of impressive winners or of big errors. But against Safina, Zvonareva could have been any player on tour as she made no mark on the match. Williams defeated Russian Elena Dementieva, #4 rank, 6-3, 6-4 breaking a 4 year losing streak against Dementieva and keeping her odd year Aussie run alive. Serena has won three Australian Open titles in 2003, 2005, and 2007.  If patterns follow, she should take 2009.  And she will be the favorite headed into the match.

Head to head both women are strong, powerful hitters. Safina’s improved fitness may give her an edge in defensive gets but Serena more than makes up for it with her much more consistent, and therefore more daunting, serve. Serena leads the series 5-1 and hasn’t lost to Safina on hard courts. Of course, Safina has become a whole new player in the last 12 months and their head to head since gives Serena only a slight edge at 2-1.

But it will be a big upset for Safina to emerge the winner, despite the players’ ranks of #2 and #3, Serena with the higher rank – all because of the setting.  Serena has a record of 9-3 in major titles whereas Safina has only appeared in one other major title. Serena has won the Aussie title 3 times; Safina has never appeared in the final.  Tennis is a mind game like no other physical sport and Serena’s got the experience to keep her calm.

The winner is sure to shout for joy when she gets a trophy, a title, a check, and the additional benefit of a WTA rank of #1. The players, of course, tell the media they are fully focused on the title, not the rank (as well they should be…how many number ones has there been in women’s tennis since Justine Henin retired at the rank?), but don’t doubt for a second that it’s in the back of their minds, increasing the pressure of the final match.

In her post-semifinal press conference, Serena spoke of the #1 rank saying, “Right now, that would be just a bonus. My goal isn’t to be #1. My goal obviously now is to win one more singles match here at the Australian Open.”

Well, she’s got one big, tall, fit, intimidating Russian to defeat to finish that goal and I don’t envy her.  Then again, she’s rather intimidating herself.

photos by rob young, christian mesiano

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No one I know jumps for joy at the thought of college admissions, but there are plenty I know who would give an arm and a leg to go back to their alma mater.  Aside from the social aspects (parties, friends and maybe some illicit activities that we won’t mention), college educates your mind and soul.  As someone who has been there –  trust me –  it’s one experience that you don’t want to miss. Unfortunately, there are those pesky little things called standardized tests in the way.  Not to worry; we’ve mapped out the basic facts about those annoying collegiate gatekeepers.

SAT –Scored on a 2400-point scale, the SAT tests critical reading, math, and writing. While the SAT supposedly assesses students’ analytical skills, we all know that standardized tests are less about your intellect and more about your ability to take standardized tests, which means…practice, practice, practice! The College Board publishes its own study guide, so get your practice tests from the test-makers themselves. Most students take the SAT in their junior or senior year of high school, so research tutors, classes and other prep books when it’s your time to shine.

ACT – Similar to the SAT, the ACT is a beast of its own. It spans a wider gamut of knowledge than the SAT covering English, reading, math and science. Each section is graded on a scale of 1 to 36, and your score is the average of those marks. Know that the ACT has an optional essay required by certain colleges – so read up on your fave school beforehand. Most universities accept either an ACT or SAT score, though the ACT is more popular in the South and the Midwest. But just in case, check which one your ideal college prefers so you can determine which test is better for you.

Already have a Bachelor’s degree but want more? Here’s the low down on graduate school admissions tests.

GRE – Think of the GRE as the SAT for grad school. Evaluating math, verbal and writing, it’s the most general of the grad school exams. Note that the GRE is computer adaptive –  so not only is the test administered via computer, but the questions change in difficulty as you take the test depending on how many you’ve answered correctly. This format trips up test-takers, so get accustomed to it before you delve in on test day. Some courses of study require a GRE subject test; so even before you get into school, do your homework and find out what you need to complete.

GMAT – Have aspirations to start your own company? Then the GMAT is your hill to climb. This is the exam to get into that top-notch business school so you can rub elbows with other entrepreneurial minds. Also computer adaptive, the GMAT is your key to a MBA.

LSAT – If the Supreme Court or becoming a lawyer is your calling, brush up on your logic for the LSAT. Make sure that your reading comprehension, logical reasoning, and analytical skills are up to par since this exam tests your ability to argue your way in the courtroom.

MCAT – Planning to don surgical scrubs in the future? Study for the MCAT, stat! An extensive 5-hour test, the MCAT wracks your brain of its knowledge of biology and physics, as well as its capacity for verbal reasoning and essay writing. This one’s a doozy!

Study hard and good luck!

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