SO MUCH TO BLOG ABOUT!  

Wednesday August 4: 

Luke and I went to the bank again with a financial guy from the company.  The money I transferred to my account in the States was supposed to clear by Monday, but nothing yet.  Finally found out there was a hold on the States end, but will be cleared by Thursday.  It eventually worked.  But, after we left the bank we had to turn around and go back because the Manager forget to give a form to our financial guy.  I haven’t written about the Security checkpoints yet, but here goes.  There are concrete barriers you have to weave around at security checkpoints and basically a guard just looks in your car for a second and waives you to go by.  I don’t know why this time the guard stopped us because we just went through 15 minutes earlier.  Anyway, the driver didn’t stop when the guard halted us, our car just cruised through.  He was tapping his wooden ping-pong like paddle on my window.  But, we were only going about 5 mph.  We were just turning into the parking lot to run back into the bank really quick and then leaving again.  Anyway, our financial guy had some words with the guard and told me and Luke to go wait in the bank.  So, we did.  We waited about 20 minutes.  We were served chai tea while we sat patiently wondering what was happening outside.  Anyway, everything was fine in the end.  It ended up that the guard was just having an ego trip, I guess.    

Thursday August 5:

Since we still don’t have a Producer yet, I decided to take initiative and set up a production office in the conference room at our hotel.  I had chart paper and some markers and other supplies delivered to us.  Hassaan and Ali helped make big calendars and charts for the wall - to post deadlines, to-do lists, etc.  It looks nice, but now we need someone to run it.  Still waiting on the script to be locked.  Deadline is a week + two days.  We will not start shooting for another six weeks, at least.  After working in the office, we went out for ice cream.  We went to Gelato’s - where they serve ice cream on a waffle, except they were out of ice cream.  This gives you an idea of the kind of things that happen here.  So, I just ate a waffle for dinner.  Then, we walked down the way to another excellent ice cream place called, HOT SPOT.  Pictures are below.

There are tin posters on the walls of mock movies and real movies.  

Friday August 6: 

I slept in til about 12:30P.  I get a call at 12:52P telling me to be ready at 1:15P for another meeting.  This gives you another idea of how things work here.  I guess you always have to be on-call at a moment’s notice.  The Director, Writer, and, Exec Producer and I travel to the meeting.  We meet a General who was part of a huge battle last year.  His story is beyond amazing.  I took about four pages of notes.  This General was very, very humble and very intelligent.  It was an honor to meet him and hear his story.  

Saturday August 7:

Not much happened today.  Luke and I went out to eat.  I tried hummus for the first time and liked it!  At our hotel, we haven’t had hot water since I first arrived, so the showers are cold.  The food in the dining hall isn’t too great, except the eggs and toast for breakfast.  I feel bad because the cook is really nice, but his food is…

You turn on the air conditioner with a remote control.  If you make a room service request, it is never answered.    

Later that evening, we were in our pajamas, then we get a call to be ready in 15 minutes.  We’re going to a house for a party.  Once again, you have to be on-call.  Okay!  So, we arrive at his house - it’s beautiful.  I wish I took pictures.  It was for his birthday.  There was a lot of white people there (wife is Scottish) and his three kids were part of the festivities, too.  Outside, there was a buffet of food and drinks.  The Pakistani tradition is to eat the cake first, but we kept the British tradition and ate dessert after dinner.  Mind you this was around 10:00P.  They eat late here.  A couple of guards with guns are surrounding the house.  After dinner and dessert, we all head back inside.  There was a drunk British guy telling bad jokes and making fun of America.  He was calling out all the Americans in the room and telling us to “SING!”  ”YOU, SING!”  ”SING AN AMERICAN SONG. WAIT YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW THE LYRICS.”  Luckily, I was in the corner with two kids sleeping on me, so I was out the discussion.  Phew.  But, Luke kept looking down at his shoes trying to be unnoticed, but that didn’t work.  The drunk called on Luke.  Anyway, there was music time with a guitar, a good Pakistani singer and soft music.  The singer had left, but he was called back to the house to sing some more songs.  Once again - always on-call. We didn’t leave until around 2:00A.  My hair and clothes smelled of smoke afterwards, but it was a good time.  

I miss my mini cooper, thai salad, strawberries, exercising, and running errands by myself. In public, I miss wearing the clothes I choose.  

b.e.d.