Your’s Truly…Truly Julie!

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Truly Julie

It’s back…Truly Julie segments!!I first launched the Truly Julie franchise in New York at WPIX-CW 11, gosh, about 8 years ago! The morning show TV segments started off randomly. It would air once every few weeks. But with higher viewership/ratings, it eventually aired twice a week for about 3 years. From food, fashion, culture, travel, entertainment, human interest, etc., the goal of each Truly Julie segment was to showcase anything fun under the sun (with a strong touch of my wackiness). For example, I flew all the way to the tiny South Korean Island of Jeju to go deep sea diving with Haenyeos…I entered competitions for double-dutch jump roping and break dancing…I trained for the NYC marathon with the world’s fastest blind marathoner…I cooked with the finest chefs and ate the most exotic foods such as a giant scorpion and a live squid (with moving tentacles!) and the list goes on. When I switched jobs and moved over to WNYW, Fox 5 New York, I put Truly Julie on hiatus. But I tell you what, the viewers from those original “Changsta Gangsta” days have stayed with me! And if this is you: THANK YOU. It’s been about 5 years since I last aired a Truly Julie story in NYC and till this day, when I walk down the streets of the Big Apple, a few people will still yell, “Hey, it’s Truly Julie!”. I rarely hear folks call me Julie Chang…it’s almost always, “Truly Julie”. The success of Truly Julie and loyalty from so many viewers inspired the name of this blog! So with that..I felt it was only natural for me to bring Truly Julie back…but this time in LA!! If the goal is to feature things that are fun in the sun…um…where else is more fitting than Southern California??! I’m fortunate that the folks at Fox 11 LA share my vision. Slowly but surely we are getting Truly Julie back up and running. You can catch it/me every Sunday, around 10:30PM, somedays on Good Day LA & always online. Your’s Truly, Julie

Hello, Hollywood! Truly Julie Joins Good Day LA!

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Truly Julie

Truly Julie makes her debut on Good Day LA!It’s been a monumental, emotional week. After spending almost a decade in New York, I made the 3000 mile leap…with guitar in tote… to the west coast. I had to! An opportunity like this doesn’t come around often…17 years to be exact. I debuted on Fox 11 Morning News & Good Day LA this morning as the show’s entertainment reporter and anchor (some press: LA Times, Media Bistro). Yes, on election day! I’m elated to be part of such a fun, legendary show and! To live in an area that hit the lotto on weather. In the same breath…New York, you will always be close to my heart. I moved in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, which made the experience even more emotional, not to mention it robbed me the chance of saying a proper good bye to all the amazing viewers and colleagues who made my stay in New York exceptional. THANK YOU for everything! Every atom of my body feels nothing but gratitude. And I hope what Frank Sinatra says is true….if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere. Hello, Hollywood!

Scram Sandy! It’s Halloween!

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Truly Julie

Truly Julie showing love to NYC just hours before Hurricane Sandy. Like a true Halloween horror movie, less than 24 hours after these pictures were taken, NYC was turned upside down. Hurricane Sandy gave us no choice between trick or treat…it was full throttle trick. Some neighborhoods look like they went through the turbo cycle in an industrial strength washing machine. Except, instead of soapy water…it’s salt water, mud, city grime in the mix…and dauntingly, the drain cycle is broken. My thoughts go out to all the victims, their families, cleanup and rescue crews, our city leaders, etc. And while millions are still without power, I think it’s often in the dark that we see the light…to appreciate the simple, real things in life. As they say: Falling down is a part of life. Getting back up is living. New York is the most resilient place I know. My love & light for this beautiful, strong city.

Truly Julie’s last subway ride before the Hurricane shutdown (5 days ago!). Since then, 14ft surge waves have shut down the world’s largest transit system. It could be weeks before the trains are up and running at 100%.
And on a lighter note. My favorite Halloween costume I’ve seen so far this year! My friend Dan as Brad Pitt in the silly Chanel commercial! (I highly recommend you see the SNL spoofs).

Complex leaves me flattered and slightly Perplexed:)

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Truly Julie

Truly Julie takes the 19th spot as the most desirable bachelorette in NYC. It ain’t #1, but heck, Olivia Palermo is #20! (Might’ve been a typo but we’re going with it)Two weeks ago, I practically spent the whole weekend repotting plants. I know…sexy! When I told a colleague this, he said, “I think most people picture you being the girl about town…not…plant lady in crocs.” This disconnect between my celebrity-filled professional life and…er…my halfdead orchid-filled private life seems the most evident when I’m part of something like this: 50 Most Desirable Bachlorettes in NYC list by Complex.com. The list includes well known actresses, musicians, models, fashion editors, entrepreneurs, etc., and their criteria:I have no clue how I made the list. And in fact…I’m not sure it’s all positive given my mom’s lament that I’m still a “bachlorette” (her dream is for me to make the ’50 most happily married with kids, knows how to make kimchee from scratch wife list’). I guess at the end of the day…if I’m not a wife, at least it’s comforting to “possess the coveted wifey-material trinity”. No ring…but to be described as “intelligent, successful, and attractive”? That’s solid as gold. Thank you Complex! And thanks to twitter friend Marco for including me in an even more exclusive list:)

Thank You Maxim!

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Truly Julie

Ok…I was almost positive that in my lifetime I would never be mentioned in the same sentence…let alone same category…as Halle Berry or Sports Illustrated cover girl Irina Shayk…but here I am…making it into Maxim’s “Today’s Girl” feature. To say the least…I’m in pretty good company. I know I should feel utterly flattered…but honestly…I’m just in fear that I’m getting punk’d. Either way…THANK YOU MAXIM! And thanks to facebook friend Ed Javaruski for bringing this to my attention! Below is the write up from the feature…here’s the link for more pics.

Truly Julie: A Proud New Yorker!

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Truly Julie

I’m back! Sorry for the pause in posts lately, but I was in Uruguay/Argentina for 8 days. I will definitely be sharing pics and stories from the trip soon so stay tuned. In the meantime…grab the April issue of New York Resident or checkout www.Resident.com…you may see a familiar face there:)

Truly Julie’s Winter Winners

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Truly Julie

NYC got its first dose of snow this weekend! Maybe it’s the Michigan girl in me…but there are quite a few things I love about winter. Well…first and foremost…it gives me hope that not all polar bears are drowning in the arctic. Plus…there are fun…delicious ways to beat the winter blues. Here are my “ups” when the mercury goes down.

1)Moon Boots! If I could wear these everyday…I would. They’re like walking on pillows…plus…they have super grips on the bottom so you don’t slip. Sure…you look like you’re 5-years-old waiting for the school bus…or a hardcore Napoleon Dynamite fan…but I guarantee you will be the only one not complaining about cold feet!

2)Korean soups! On your left is Sam Gae Tang (whole chicken ginseng soup) at Arirang Restaurant in Koreatown. On the right is Yuk Gae Jang (spicy beef stew) from Kang Suh.

3)Infinity scarfs and fun hats! Fashion Front: Grace Sun cashmere infinity scarf, Saks Fifth Avenue cashmere hat.

4)Indoor hobbies. I’m obsessed with playing my guitar…and if there’s ever a drum set within 50 yard radius…I’m there. Superhero Arts & Crafts with my nephew is always entertaining. Oh…I also love to knit! so I hit the yarn store Purl in Soho and have my mom…a knitting genius…help me with my projects…i.e. my white hat with the fun grey pom-pom.

Truly Julie’s Photography needs your Eye!

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Truly Julie

I love picture taking so much that I often joke that I have documentation of my mother’s birth canal. What started as a hobby…became an obsession…and now I’m selling my photographs for the first time at a NYC gallery. 100% of the proceeds will go to charity…so like a good photo…100% of this captures my heart! I’m submitting only two pieces…and I can’t decide…so help! Tell me which ones pique your interest below. The gallery event is on February 7th…and it’ll feature several talented photographers (I may be the only amateur one!). Leave me a comment if you’re genuinely interested in attending or buying any of these pics below. It will be matted and framed and gosh darn it…a tax write-off! This last one may need a little explaining. If I submit this one…it will be titled: “Octopi Love”. When I was in the Maldives…I was able to witness two octopi mating in shallow water. It was incredible to see them change colors and textures as they flamingo danced through the waves. I love how this photo turned out like a psychedelic print.

Encore…Alan Gilbert & the New York Philharmonic! Boooo…Cell Phone Offender

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Truly Julie

Truly Julie with the first ever NYC native New York Philharmonic conductor Alan Gilbert! You recall that silly phone commercial…”Can you hear me now?”. Um..turns out…YES…EVERYONE CAN HEAR THAT RINGING. And ringing. And more ringing. Still going. An iphone Marimba ring rang for 6 whole minutes during the most intimate part of Mahler’s 9th Symphony during the New York Philharmonic concert this week. So…maestro Alan Gilbert did the unprecedented…he silenced his orchestra and confronted the cell phone offender. This is by far my favorite story I’ve done in 2012. Perhaps because Alan Gilbert is one cool cat…and he totally finished on a high note when I “punk’d” him during our interview. You have to see his expression! He raises his eyebrows so high…they almost fall off his head. And folks, if you’ve never experienced a philharmonic concert at Lincoln Center…you’re simply missing out on one of the most poetic cultural events in NYC. Tickets for open rehearsal are just $16 so treat yourself…but please..turn off that cell! Hmm..maybe Alan will make Marimba into a symphony….

Fox Midseason Winter Junket

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Truly Julie

Truly Julie with Steven Tyler…both showing off their wild kicks! Speaking of…American Idol season 11 kicks off January 18th! Fashion Front: Bensoni dress, Alice & Olivia boots.Junkets are basically cattle calls for entertainment journalists. It’s when an entire floor of a hotel is turned into interview booths…and dozens and dozens of reporters go from room to room chatting with different actors. This weekend in Pasadena was the Fox Midseason Winter Junket…so I practically ran out of spit while talking to a slew of stars who are part of shows that are launching January–March. Below are some of the Fox stars who will sizzle your screens this winter…just when you need to thaw out from the cold!

Jon Heder lends his voice on “Napoleon Dynomite”! The animation is just as quirky as the cult classic film…and the original cast is voicing their respective characters.

One of the strongest shows launching this winter is “Touch” starring Keifer Sutherland..and his cast mates David Mazouz and Gugu Mbatha-Raw. If you loved the Brad Pitt/Cate Blanchette movie “Babel”…you’ll totally get hooked on this mind stimulating thriller that also threads random people, events, locations….into a tight quilt…until you say “Ah ha!”.
If you’re a fan of “Lost”, “Fringe”, “Alias”, “Person of Interest”….just surrender now to “Alcatraz”. Like all the aforementioned shows…”Alcatraz” is also the brainchild of producer extraordinaire J.J. Abrams. It does a lot of time jumping and warping…so you’ll be engaged. Plus…it features some familiar faces…i.e., Jorge Garcia (“Lost”) and Sam Neill (“Jurassic Park”)…and some new faces a la Sarah Jones.
Alcatraz launches Monday, January 16th. And just three later on Thursday, January 19th…Fox will premiere the “Bones” spin-off “The Finder”. The cast is super fun…and beautiful! I had a very “giggle maniac” moment with Mercedes Masohn, Maddie Hasson and…(insert dream boat sigh)…Geoff Stults. His exact words to me tonight…”Look at those shoes. Best dressed reporter out there.” You see…his love affair with my shoes began way back when…and I “find” that absolutely charming.

And do not fear my Gleeks…Glee will finish it’s 2nd half of its 3rd season with fresh episodes. Kevin McHale…who’s just as affable as his character Artie…will still be one of the main stars…but keep your eyes peeled for cutie new comers such as Grant Gustin. Meanwhile…I couldn’t see a thing while sporting Kevin’s glasses…it’s like looking though coke bottles smeared with butter! All in all…the junket was a mega success especially because a) I scored an exclusive interview with the Idol judges b) I got to lay a smooch on rock legend Steven Tyler! Relax everyone…it was a congratulatory kiss for his recent engagement!