To the Moon Productions / Angela's travels

1 week across America!

2011-10-07T13:01:00.000-07:00

This is actually my 2nd cross country road trip, but the last time was VT - CA. I also have done CHI - CA after college for my move. This time it was CA - VT.

It's all about the journey...blah blah...but no, really, it is. Sure my car is loaded with all of my belongings (except 2 shipped boxes) and sure the goal is to move my home base to a new city, but before that huge new chapter begins, I had a week of pure FUN on the road. A perfect vacation. Being stuck in a car forces me to do nothing and enjoy.

In the words of my road buddy, oldest college friend, and DJ GPS,

"We have to hit the road to get somewhere tonight."

Somewhere was along this route....

THE MAP

I started the trip up CA HWY 1 to San Fran and then the "official" trip began...

The first day was an adventure, which is what we asked for, but we quickly learned to ask for maybe..."a little easier adventure". After Yosemite, Day 1 was an amazing roller coaster road that caused extremely high pitched screams to echo across the empty desert in the middle of no where.

After considering sleeping in a very creepy casino desert town (ALL hotels were booked - what??), considering camping at a rest area (rest area = epitome of bad ideas), and considering camping by a recommended crater (crater ended up being created by a missile, proven by the missile next to the road and the "testing area" sign), we instead drove into the night imagining the other worldly desert landscape around us and ended up a the nicest hotel we could have hoped for!

The 2nd night was camping in Flaming Gorge, mostly chosen for the name, which provided amazing water front views and fields of grazing antelope. An old man in a pickup came at dusk to collect the required $10. The 3rd night the landscape changed as we

climbed in elevation to Rocky Mountain National Park. A view of spectacular yellow aspen leaves, and yes some snow, met us. Our fire was shared by a friend who I made 2 years ago on a show I worked on, time means little on the road. Night 4 & 5 were a hotel night in Des Moines and then couch in Chicago, for time with the best of college friends. We barely made it through Indiana on day 6...but did...and then just one more night on the road before the destination.

Wondering when all this will set in....because this isn't real life.

work hard, play harder

2011-09-19T22:15:00.000-07:00

Endlessly am I amazed at the group of people Luis is able to pull together to one table in the jungle of Peru. After a FULL day of complicated surgeries, holding cameras and filming, painting, and teaching kids and adults (all with no time for food, in between down pours of rain, and often lacking a common language) each person is still standing - or sitting - at the table at midnight clinking their full glasses of pisco sours and laughing. Thank you Luis and happy birthday, may we all be half as amazing as you when we are on the "other side" of 70 years.

Only two more full days in the Yantalo area - the fastest trip here yet. It does feel like the right amount of time though, since really all the film needs now is a finished clinic, fully functioning. But - isn't that what everyone needs?

But, this trip was made 100% worth it yesterday. Sometimes when filming a documentary for over 5 years, you loose track, or wonder what the film will look like. Other times, it is perfectly clear. Yesterday as the group of over 20 volunteers / visitors saw the construction

site for the first time, Luis got a call that parents with a sick baby had flown all the way from Lima to see the visiting physicians. When they arrived in Moyobamba, they heard the American doctors had just left the hospital to go to Yantalo. So, the parents drove to Yantalo - came to the constructions site - and there, among the blue prints, mud floor, and construction material, the doctors performed an examination. The Yantalo clinic's first patient.

Now this is the film.

Peru Trip #6

2011-09-18T08:49:00.000-07:00

After over 24 hours of travel from Los Angeles we landed in the jungle. We had to stay thenight in Tarapoto (where the airport is), since we landed in the dark and the drive to Yantalo is not safe at night. We got a good 4 hours of sleep and then climbed in the van at 5:30am for a sunrise 3 hour drive to Moyobamba. We arrived at the hotel with 10min to unload before heading to Yantalo for a full day of filming. Welcome to the jungle. The arrival was made complete by ice cold Cusquena beers and a cold shower before bed. Always a reminder here how much less people,including myself, can live with and how much we have in the US.

Day 2 was AMAZING due to stumbling upon a circus in a town we had followed Luis to for ameeting at the city hall. I got up the guts, after filming the outside of the tent, to wander in and find the owner. We had the most wonderful interview. Even in the jungle of Peru when asked what circus means he replied, "it is art, it is culture, it is in our veins."

On the way back to Yantalo we passed fields of pineapples, I don't know why they made me so happy... just the FUNNIEST thing I had ever seen. Think of small plants in a huge field with a whole pineapple just sitting on top of them. It's like someone went out there and glued them to the top of each plant in a HUGE field.

I also ate a fried ant, actually really tasty, kind of smokey, salty, crunchy snack. But as soon as I thought about what I was chewing I gagged. Just don't think. Nothing like post meal turning to your friend and asking, "do I have ant legs in my teeth?"

Mis amigos. The best of the best. :o)

New York departure & return

2011-08-03T20:51:00.000-07:00

After two weeks apt / cat sitting in Harlem, I headed north to Nyack, NY luggage in hand (barely as my trusty strap on a suitcase of my dad's I'd used since grade school broke). After a screening of my short doc, Runaway Circus, I caught a ride with Karen a little further North / East to Westport, CT where I took the train to Springfield, MA where I got picked up by my mom & Tom for a delivery home in VT.

The sky was such a rich black and filled with so many stars it was if a sheet had been laid out right above me I could touch. And the quiet. And the breeze.

Two nights in my downstairs room and then packed up and moved to the 3rd floor in preparation for guests, then packed for a night in CT. On return home, I re-packed in preparation for a stop in Chicago to see friends and then landing in LA. August in LA for work, 2 weeks in Peru in September, and then...move to NYC. Yup. Road trip and the whole pack up & sell everything thing. Surreal. Slowly telling people as I slowly believe it myself. Could it really be this easy?

Am I coming or going? I've lost track if I'm unpacking or packing. But, what's new?

Vermont to Hawaii

2011-06-03T01:06:00.000-07:00

The only place I know I'm really home is Vermont. I'm like a robot that needs to go re-charge. Laying in the thyme covered yard reading and drinking make shift mojitos. Wading in Stickney Brook, such cold water my bones hurt, remembering sliding down the rocks as a kid completely unaware of the temperature. Going to bed smelling like campfire, fingers still sticky from marshmallow.

Then a night on a New York couch in the stagnate humid heat & the constant city noise.

Then Hawaii again, you know, to work. :o) My hotel room has a doorbell and a dining room table. I just love that there is a door bell...really the room is so big I might not hear a knock?! Amazing.

This is what I woke up to the first morning.....

Life is kind of amazing. Thank you.

New York City

2011-05-18T21:04:00.000-07:00

A city you step out into the streets and feel surrounded by people. Well, because you are, but I feel this impulse to run around and hug everyone. People exist. They aren't just mad drivers in LA traffic, they're human and all so so different.

Bars close at 4am, some adjusting there, but makes the weekends seem much longer. Well, I guess they are - adds a good chunk of time to your awake-ness.

It's been raining. It is wonderful. Just like the people - it exists. Weather and change and mother nature exists. I love sun and blue skies, I do, but I also love rain, snow and wind. So what? I want it all.

Maybe I'll get annoyed by it, but for now I welcome the humid mist blurring my glasses and puddles making my feet soggy.

Karen's loft has always been a haven for visiting circus performers and friends. And it doesn't stop now. I'm in the upstairs guest attic room, but people still come and go down below, including Karen. If only the walls could talk.

Hawaii for 1 1/2 days

2011-05-16T20:55:00.000-07:00

Missed a few posts about travels this past year...but here I go again...

Arrived in Hawaii on May 2nd from LA after packing up my room (my favorite).

The couple on the plane next to me asked if I was going for business or pleasure. I said business, and couldn't help but smile, for I really meant pleasure, but feel beyond lucky for being able to say the former.

After my usual excruciating plane ride ridden with fear, we landed to a breathtaking view out the left windows. I have never seen a tornado (or in this case a waterspout) in my life and there were two, so so close. For some reason I felt no fear.

Then, I met my boss at the car rental, and due to the green shirt and red hair I was told to look for, climbed into a...strangers...car and took off down a highway in Honolulu. Like what any production job or travel adventure feels like, I picked up where I left off with the last person and we casually chatted as we maneuvered in a horizontal downpour full of lighting and car shaking wind.

Reminded me of my first on location film shoot in college. I'd convinced the Producer I knew what I was doing as a Script Supervisor and was picked up in a car full of guys and took off to some cornfield town to stay in a hotel for a week. You just act natural and carry on.

The rest of my day and a 1/2 in Hawaii was a few meetings and doing some work on the balcony of my hotel looking out to the bluest ocean. Met the rest of the crew and scouted the location we would return to film at in a month. Not a bad start to a job, to say the least.

As I took off from Hawaii, I remembered as a 5 year old - 21 years ago - I flew back from Hawaii & vowed never to fly again. It took me about 10yrs to fly again. I feel like this is one of those markers of growing up. One may be stubborn, but we shouldn't be scared to change our minds, it's worth it!

3,000 feet up

2010-10-01T21:02:00.001-07:00

We hiked El Morro today. Josh and I do this hike most trips. El Morro is the only mountain that peaks out of this jungle area we're in. The view is spectacular of everything around. (Thanks to Josh's fancy phone app tracker...) 8 hours later, 3,000 feet up, and about 15 miles we made it. I'm tired. The hike is always a reminder that we're in the jungle. Vines, huge trees with crazy roots, lots of bugs.

The day before though was a huge day of construction, cement was poured and Josh and I ran around like crazy with our two cameras, nice to feel like we're actually capturing a complete story, rather than one that might come together over the next 5 years.

Sunday

2010-09-26T15:23:00.000-07:00

Everything is a big event here. The papers were signed to get the road from Moyobamba to Yantalo paved. Something that has been talked about since the first time we arrived 4 years ago. Luis was a main event and three journalists followed him around with cameras...as did Josh and I.

Josh and I spotted our favorite kid today, a little girl, Rosalita, who isn't so little anymore. She remembers us and we have massive amounts of video footage of her. We met her and her sad eyes in the police office on our first visit and later learned she and her brother had basically been abandoned. Seeing some of the other kids that used to follow us around, all so much older, makes me kind of miss them holding onto every part of me as they swarm after us around town. Filmmaking means you
have to hide behind the camera sometimes - a balance between personal connections and a safe distance in order to observe. I think I like it there, in the middle.

We had lunch at a meeting with Luis. It was more like a company picnic Peru style. Winston, an older relative of Luis's who owns an amazing restaurant, brought me special veggie food. SO nice to have people looking after you...especially when they're good cooks!!!

perfection of Peru

2010-09-24T14:37:00.001-07:00

Got up early early this morning for a potential interview with the future mayor. I always feel bad saying, OK let's be ready to leave at 7:30, but just know we might not leave until 10:30. Oh Peru. The interview didn't happen...maybe later. Did another interview and then stopped at a tiny airport where Luis plans to land "his plane"....the plane was donated to the Foundation by

Wings of Hope. That's right, Luis got a plane and pilot donated. This is what I have to keep up with. IMPOSSIBLE, but amazing. He also thought I said we were meeting friends to go out tonight and he got all excited and wanted to come....no Luis, we're meeting friends in the morning for a hike, not to go to the club.

(PHOTO: Luis y Milagros - an amazing friend here who is learning English, but it doesn't matter b/c our charades conversations are the BEST)

After a quick stop at the construction site we're spending a day of perfection at the hotel with food and the coldest beers in the world. I can't help but find perfection here.

Meeting tonight with the Engineer, which will last 3-4 hours....I'll sneak out probably half hour in, I already made Josh and Annah sit through a meeting over drinks for an hour and a half the other night. For them just sitting and staring at some guy talking in an unknown language, for me pretending to pay attention and ask questions when itseems appropriate so it sounds like I know what is going on. Strange how good I am at that.

(PHOTO: Wuilman's interview. I think my favorite person in Peru, we bonded over making fun of each other in English / Spanish and haven't been serious since)

Peru for trip #5

2010-09-23T07:01:00.000-07:00

Decided to re-start this, since I'm on the road again....not that I haven't been. I'm in Peru for my 5th here! Amazing to realize.

First though, I'll do a quick re-cap of where I've been since I wanted this blog to also be a record for myself of where the hell I've been.

December-January - Europe for circus

? - 3 days in Florida at Disney World for a Job with Josh

? - 4 days-ish in Chicago for a quick job acting as an excuse to see friends

June - 3 days in Canada for Cirque du Soleil filming & 2 weeks in

Vermont for amazing nothing. Of course with a stop in NYC.

Now I'm back in Peru where the second I stepped on that flight to Lima I could smell it. 5 hour flight to Miami, 5 hour flight to Lima, 5 hour layover, and 1 hour flight to Tarapoto we were stepping off the plane and were hit with the humidity and green surroundings. Waiting for our car to Moyobamba we chatted with one of the moto taxi drivers and he knew of the clinic being built, even commenting on how many volunteers from all over the world that had been showing up. Basically....everyone knows what Luis is doing!

We arrived to 22 volunteers, 3 of which we had met from a previous visit, which was a complete surprise. It hasn't rained for awhile here, which means the electricity goes in and out (electricity is hydroelectric). It went out our first night. Luckily our hotel had a generator, but it still meant water was hard to come by. After two days of travel I was ready for a shower, but all I got was 10 seconds of strong cold water, turn off and wait 5 minutes, turn back on for a 10 second spurt. Basically you better have that soap all ready! I was rather frustrated but after drying off I couldn't help admit that was the best damn show I'd ever had - anything to get travel grossness off.

The next day in the morning we filmed a pathologist dividing blood samples in her hotel room. We had actually interviewed her in Milwaukee - her story is Luis walked into her office 2 years ago, laid out the clinic plans, pointed to a room, and said, 'I need a lab, can you help me?' This is her second trip here and she is the head of the some-day-to-be lab in the clinic. Nothing like an early morning lesson on blood, a whole populations different reaction to drugs, and a new serum from sea horses that could possibly keep blood samples longer in the hot jungle. Oh how I love my "job". Then, we took the bumpy ride to Yantalo where construction on the clinic has finally started! holes, foundation, tall towers, workers with hard hats! All very exciting.

new blog for this trip

2009-12-09T23:31:00.000-08:00

Had to start a new blog specifically for my Europe circus filming. Follow where we go & see videos & pictures. I'll try to keep it updated...but not going to try to do both blogs.

GO HERE for Europe trip Dec 10- Jan 31st

http://worldcircusculture.blogspot.com/

7 weeks in Europe

2009-11-12T00:35:00.000-08:00

PLANE TICKETS ARE BOUGHT!!!!!!!!!!

Europe: Dec. 10th - Jan. 30th. WOW.
Germany, Holland, France (Paris & Nice), and Monaco.

GOOGLE MAP LINK!

The last few days I've felt like a little kid that's so excited to go outside in winter they can't get their snow suit on. It also felt exactly like Christmas eve last night as I lay in bed at 2am, completely unable to go to sleep.

WORLD CIRCUS CULTURE UPDATED WEBSITE (click on link)

with VIDEO!

One last stop - for now - Seattle / LA

2009-10-29T19:45:00.000-07:00

Chicago was it's usual - or not so usual - wonderful stop. Only thing it was missing was sleep. Still Best City Ever. Edited Peru trip #4, which will be up online soon.

Then, because I couldn't just fly directly to LA at the end of my wanderings, I stopped in Seattle for some Halloween partying and catching up with a wonderful friend who has stuck with me through my travels.

Now I'm back in LA, in MY room, in MY bed. wow. This is stranger than any of my other sleeping arrangements thus far. But man this is the best bed EVER. My room is empty from packing it all up for the sublet. I don't think I'll unpack though because - big news - I'm moving out Dec. 1st. Not 100% where to, but I have a security blanket plan of sharing a room with a friend. So, at least there is a pretend plan, although strangely this decision was a really hard one. Not sure why I cared so much about an apartment I hadn't been in for 5 months.

I've also noticed time zones don't exist to my body. Go to sleep now? OK. Stay awake now? OK. Helpful I guess.

CIRCUS!! December & January

2009-10-21T21:57:00.001-07:00

As I return to my boxed up empty room, perfect bed, and food cravings from boredom due to sitting at my desk, I have to remind myself...I'm leaving in a month.

It's happening. Somehow.

I will be spending my first Christmas away from home this year - France, or maybe Germany.

In 2006, I took Documentary and Social Change in College - strangely my only Documentary class. We had to write a treatment for a documentary. I chose the Circus, of course, but wanted to travel, of course, so figured a way to combine the two, of course.

Who knew, four years later I would actually be making this extravagant dream and slight obsession come true. Around December 10th I will head to Paris, Germany, the Netherlands, and Monaco for my World Circus Culture Documentary. The circus has a culture of its own, a culture outside and beyond age, country and time; that's what makes it so unique.

7 weeks in Europe here I come. I was / AM feeling overwhelmed with moments of panic from the prospect of traveling again, especially for the cause of my biggest film yet and the one I care about most, but day 2 in my LA apartment finds me ready to leave, ready to pack....so, I'll be fine.

WEBSITE PROJECT INFO

Everyone please dream piles of money for the film and spread the word to all those interested in investments or donations!

This is a logo WORK IN PROGRESS by Karen Gersch

home is....

2009-10-21T21:41:00.001-07:00

"Where are you from?" is one of the hardest questions people ask me. When I pause and look confused, well that's not the normal reaction, they're not looking for a story, just one word. I'm definitely from Vermont, but I grew up in St. Louis. I love Chicago and went to College there. Now I live in LA, well kind of. But for being on the road for 5 months, I'm surprisingly unfazed. I'm pretty comfortable where ever I am.

I once spent a month on a job in DC and slept on an air mattress behind my friend's couch. This is the conversation she had with Josh regarding where I'm staying for two weeks in Chicago.

Laura: : so you are making me look like an awful friend
Josh: what! por que!?
Laura: : you give angela her own closet to live in, and all i gave her was a nook behind the couch...now i look like the assholeI've been calling it a closet, but I've realized it's directly off the kitchen - it's a pantry.

Romania Habitat Video

2009-10-18T16:54:00.001-07:00

Here is the link to the 3min video Lindsey and I put together for the last night in Romania. Habitat asked for this to show at the closing dinner...right because we had time to edit a video in between filming 250 people. Anyway, not too shabby for staying up to 4am in the middle of shooting. More videos and a documentary to come from Lindsey.

THE ROMANIA VIDEO

snow in October

2009-10-16T09:12:00.000-07:00

Definitely home in Vermont. Saw lightly falling snow this morning. Walking home last night I could see my breath, the crisp air smelled like snow, with the crunch of fallen leaves below and the massive sky of stars above. Why would I want to live anywhere else?

I leave Monday for Chicago. I can't wait.

New Orleans has been canceled on my end, although the project is still underway. Unfortunate, but maybe it will give me a moment to breath and I'll no doubt be involved in future projects. www.blackpattiproductions.com

I fly into Chicago Monday and am picked up by Josh to drive to Milwaukee Children's Hospital by 3pm for 5 interviews with the doctors who were on the last Yantalo trip. I'll probably stay in Chicago till the end of the month when my LA apartment is available to me. Editing, seeing my wonderful plethora of friends, and just maybe a day or two paid production work should keep me busy.

northern ireland, not ireland

2009-10-13T07:53:00.001-07:00

I wont try to cover the whirl wind of last days at the Big Build.

The last night / one day in Belfast. I took a train to Bangor (pronounced BangHer, Ha.) to wander along the water and get some country views. I figued a tour of Belfast could best be accomplished in a few pubs, I was right. Lindsey and I met up with 2 of her work friends and as we walked to our third pub, one commented we were entering a Catholic chunk of the city, they were Protestant. The pub was perfect with five musicians hunched in a circle in the corner enjoying thier own music as much as the rest of the bar. Two fiddles, 1 guitar, a tin whistle, and a drum. Lidnsey's friends commented 10 years ago they never would have been caught in this bar, I asked if they felt uncomfortable, they said no. But, as the night wore on and the bar thinned out we chatted with the bar tender and the few other drinkers and Lindsey's one friend changed her name on introduction to what she claimed was a less Protestant name than her own.

It was a night of music, whiskey, and a glimpse into a culture and historically segregated past.

NOW: home in vermont, slightly chilled, and with fire in the atumn woods.

sunrises across the world

2009-10-08T16:17:00.000-07:00

a camera is the best excuse to force yourself out of bed for the most beautiful part of the day.

behind the scenes

2009-10-06T11:47:00.001-07:00

After spending so much time in Peru, I think I have a different view on poverty, or maybe am decesorized. We went on a "poverty tour" today. That means two big tour buses full of people with cameras went to "one of the poorest" Roma communities. Awesome (sarcasim- in case blogging doesn't translate that). I was so excited to see the gypsies at home, but it just didn't feel the same. They've been discriminated for so long- from slaves, to the Holocast, to communism. Forced legalling out of their traveling culture and "given" land, which they do not own and is far enough out of town to stay hidden. Who knows what their culture really is / was, they're just crammed in with "poor" here. There are different kinds of poverty, depending on where you are, maybe they are all equally in need of attention and not meant to be compared. You can't change everything, but if you start some where at least a ripple has been made, don't think about the wouldacouldas, there's too many

When we visited the houses of the Romanian's who are getting the Habitat Houses, all I could think about was - well, they have houses / apartments. Yantalo is full of one room mud houses with dirt floors and 5 or more people in a family sleeping on the floor. But, Habitat does have a good concept, the houses are a "hand up" not a "hand out". Meaning homeowners do have to pay, but this just means they are responsible and show the promise of seceding in the world.

I think in order to make a good film you have to be slightly obsessed with your subject. When they take a drink of water you're scrambling to push record because in your head this is THE moment you need. Of course, hopefully you have a clear enough vision to stop yourself and stick to the story. But, I think you need that slight insanity. Also, I think the best way to understand your job is to do every other position first.

The only reason I'm actually being awesome at this blog stuff is I have to sit here every night while tapes capture, that's at least 2 hours of sit and stare time. And I would like to retract my "sony sucks" statement from the previous post. This camera has been relatively good to me, it deserves more than that.

day 2 construction, feels like day 10

2009-10-05T13:05:00.001-07:00

I think I figured out, partially, what it is that fascinates me about gypsies. They seem to exist in a parallel universe, timeless. We followed a woman in neon green, orange, brown, and purple flowing long skirt with headscarf wandering into town, skirt blowing in the wind. I'm happy to say I shot it, from a distance I saw her walk across the main bridge.

Tiles went on the roofs today. Some nice visuals. Also shot the interview of one homeowners, Doru. Pretty much all homeowners were orphans or homeless. Doru now lives at the closed orphanage building. wow, what a sight. Moments like that I really thank people for sharing their stories.

There always seems to be one person who becomes the "do it all helper" for my travel filming. In Peru it's Wuilman, in Romania it's Florian. He received a Habitat home years ago and now works for Habitat, is on the selection committee, drives Lindsey and I around, translates during interviews, practically directs when necessary in Romanian, sets an amazing example around the work site and for the soon to be homeowners. I can't wait to hear his story and where he has come from, because it can't have been a good place, but to me he's at the top now. Um, and please note, shout out goes to the US - Josh - considering he never stops answering my texts, calls, IMs, emails regarding my technical panics over the camera or final cut. PS, Sony sucks.

I've been capturing some of the footage due to the "fun task" of editing together a montage piece at the end of this week. Glad things are looking better on my computer than in the bright sun and dusty viewfinder during the day!

NOTE: didn't figure out how to write captions for photos on the last post. Obviously- the site, me having issues with hard hat plus headphones, and Lindsey (friend who brought me) on top of the hill w/ camera.

winning game of charades

2009-10-04T14:49:00.001-07:00

The universal language of the world is charades. I had the winning hand tonight as I mimed for maybe 5 minutes that I wanted to borrow a power strip for the night to the woman at the front desk. There is a major LACK of outlets in pretty much every country other than the US. I gave a full mime show... unfortunately she wasn't laughing. There was a breakthrough moment when I found a power strip behind the fridge and proceed to mime taking it to "bed" with me and "waking up" with it and "returning it". I tried some spanish every now and then just to make myself feel better...didn't work. But, I do have a power strip for the night. I'm not even sure if the woman knew I was staying in her hotel. The language here is the strangest combination. I clearly recognize words from French and Italian, actually sometimes use "Merci" for "thankyou". Unfortunately they don't seem to combine Spanish, although I keep trying. I'm really not sure what to make of it.

Shooting today was, well, overwhelming. One camera (me) is not enough for 300 people and 10 houses- all with the frames going up. Such an amazing day visually. Oh and SO dusty, I think the dustiest situation I've ever had to shoot in (Josh correct me if I'm forgetting!).

Saw gypsies...or Roma...or Ramani... again today. I'm not sure who is staring and smiling harder at whom though. They have the biggest grin and biggest eyes, and as I smile and stare wide eyed at them, they look just as intently back. Hopefully it's a mutual fascination.

Day 3...or wait 4? oh who knows: start with a sunrise then tiling the roofs etc.

gypsies!

2009-10-04T13:08:00.000-07:00

Most amazing thing EVER, my hotel has wireless, and the strongest connection EVER! Aside from the disco that shares a wall with our (very nice) room, which blasted music with DJ and flashing lights till 3am, this place is great. I will say I didn't notice the music after my head hit the pillow last night. Tonight it's quite

Arrived to Romania with a full moon rising on the left and a golden sun setting on the right. I kept falling asleep but would force myself awake every two minutes to look at the sights, too beautiful to miss. The landscape and towns aren't necessarily anything to rave about though. Some nice brown and gold fields, hills, corn, and concrete houses with tiled roofs. Girls have big sunglasses and lots of eye liner and boys have that European sports wear on. The only thing that has made my day, my week, my month is I saw gypsies!! Or, I'm pretty sure I did. I mean, horse and wagon and big family. What is it that fascinates me about these people?! The travelers. hmm. They have quite a horrific history, especially in the communist time of Romania and the very unknown tragic tale during the Holocaust.

Anyway, first day of filming went pretty smooth. Quick what the project is: Habitat for Humanity BIG BUILD 2009. 10 houses 1 week 250 volunteers. Most of the new house owners were orphans, they will be working side by side to build the houses with volunteers mainly from Ireland.

We interviewed 3 of the soon to be homeowners and looked at their old / now homes & living conditions. Pretty impossible to imagine editing an interview when it's in a language completely unknown, although we did have a translator.

House frames go up tomorrow, good for a timelapse!

hello Ireland

2009-10-02T07:06:00.000-07:00

I think the only time I get to sleep is on planes these days. Arrived in Belfast Ireland this AM. Green fields, sheep, small cars, brick streets, students in uniforms (think Harry Potter!), and my taxi driver calling me 'love' made me feel like all those movies on Ireland are real. Luckily the coffee is strong here and my body is confused enough already that I'm not noticing jetlag. Explored the city a bit (meaning took a bus and walked quickly to breakfast) and then had production meetings with Habitat and Lindsey. 2am tonight the Habitat group meets for a bus ride to Dublin, plane to Budapest (woah I'm going to Hungary!), then 6 hour bus to Romania, arrive 6pm the next day. Again, atleast I'll get some sleep in, no other time.

HEY! look at me, writing in a blog on my travels.

LA, STL, CHI, VT, NYC, LA, Peru, NYC, Ireland, Romania, NYC, VT, New Orleans, LA

2009-09-30T17:42:00.000-07:00

Ok, to start this strange thing of a BLOG, I'll quickly go over the last 4 months of my life and my coming month... I haven't been able to find time to keep in touch with and update enough people, which is also the reason for starting this whole thing. Anyway, at this point I'm having a hard time remembering what I'm doing, so I'd better write it down somewhere.

I also will start this by saying, I want to hear from all of you - this is my alternative to an email...BUT not your excuse to not keep in touch with me!

June
-Sublet my apartment for 4 months and flew to St. Louis to see my Mom and Tom & help pack up the house for selling.
-Drove to Chicago and saw highschool & college friends
-Flew to Vermont
-Drove to New York

July & August
-Lived in NYC
-Filmed the dramma and wonderful characters of Amazing Grace Circus's first year of shows under a little big top in Nyack New York.
SHORT VIDEO THAT PLAYED ON msnbc online & two other news stations
-Worked part time on a reality show for TLC in the city.
-Realized I needed to extend my sublet until November...offically will live out of a backpack for 5 months.

September
-Got a great job as Supervising Producer on the 13th Annual Prism Awards and flew to LA for two weeks to finish the Post on the show.
-Made my 4th visit to Yantalo Peru to continue the documentary "Solo No Puedo"
YANTALO FOUNDATION PROMO VIDEOS
PHOTO LINK (from this last trip)
-Decided with 7 wonderful friends also on the trip to buy land in Yantalo and build a house, which will also act as a volunteer house for others.
-Sept 29th returned to NYC. Do laundry, buy camera gear, and see my NYC aunties. Only 1 full day in the states before leaving again.

October
-Ireland for the offices of Habitat for Humanity & then with the Big Build group fly to Romania
-Film 10 houes being built in 1 week by 250 people in Romania
-1 week in Vermont
-2 weeks (including Halloween) shooting "Bounce" music documentary with Benjamin in New Orleans

November ?
-Back in LA for what might just be a month.
-Edit etc