9/19/07 Africa a retrospective

Its months later and Josiah has still not paid me the money owed me for the kit rental fee. I have a signed contract saying he would pay me 30 days from the end of principle photography. I wrote him many times to try and get my money. With little or no word back. He did pay me $200 he still owed me from meds & the confiscated xlrs. The kit rental fee is a bit more money, had to call off my trip to LA because I couldnt afford it. Which probably lost me a job on a film. I was going to meet with the producer out there.

Back to the Mzungu zoo

Awoke rested but still feeling crappy. Still have a fever, my body aches and feels weak. Had a light breakfast of PB & J..After a quick shower the Sofia van arrived to pick up the "crane" that nevr worked for us. We promised it to Sofia. They left & we sat for a while and trid to figure out where I could get a Malaria test. Rajabu came and picked us up so Jason could update Sofia's software for them. Tried to go to a nearby clinic, but no dice the lad tech was out for the day. So I checked my email & posted a blog on myspace about being malarial & habging out in Zanzibar.
Something I forgot to mention the night before I asked Josiah to help me find a hospital or a good doctor. He said he would. Then promptly dissapeard the following day. He left me to find my own way in his country where apparently there is a hospital that has a wing named after his father. I wont even tell you how I felt or what I think of him after this.
Anyway back to my original story. We went to another clinic a chinese one near the brake point restaurant. They had no electricity. Power outages are common in Dar. So we went to The Mission Mikocheni Hospital. A nice place, Rajabu took me in.. A couple ladies in the waiting room laughed when I mentioned Malaria. Some dark humor. So I went in a room & told this guy who I can only assume was a doctor, that I thought I had malaria. Went a few doors down and after a short wait got my finger pricked for the blood smear test. 20 min later I knew, I had Malaria. I had it in writing. So I went to the Catherine & Charles pharmacy near Sofia. They gave me some pills with no prescription thought the paper I had was a prescription. It was just my diagnosis.
Went back to the condos & got ready for dinner in a flash. On our way out the door we saw Josiah. Who asked me nothing about how I felt or if I was sick. What a pompus self absorbed prick!
We jumped in a cab and picked up Xandra the beauty from Colorado, Who works helping out at a local orphanidge. Went to slipway and had another amazing and relaxing sushi meal. I had the tuna platter. There was a ton of food, good convo & jokes. After dinner Sam, Xandra Chris and Jason got ice cream. We sat by the water. Chris Josiah right hand man, went to the bathroom. We briefly discussed keeping the hard drives with the footage on them, till we get full payment. Josiah still owed us all money. Keeping them is still an option.
Tomorrow could get ugly. Ive heard of ransoming the film before with reluctant to pay producers. Never thought I would work on something where we would have to do it..Life is crazy..

Malaria Day 2

I feel a little better rested but still sick...So I had breakfast with Alex, Sam & Chris..Took the afternoon ferry back to Dar it was a bumpy ride a bunch of people puked or looked as if they were ready to. Customs was an open door & few officials hanging around and making conversation. They paid us no mind as we walked through. Every cabbie in Dar was there saying "Sir", "My friend you need taxi". We pushed through them & said hapana(no!). Walked a couple blocks and found another taxi who quoted us a price of 15 thousand shillings. We talked him down to 10 thousand(10 bucks) and rode home slowly through rush hour traffic.
Arrived at the Mzungu zoo(the condos) & said hello to Josiah then showerd went to dinner at that Intlain place Servio's or Stevno's. I still sick feverish & weak. Tomorrow I have to go get a blood test to see if its Malaria

Malaria Day 1

Awoke feeling slightly better..So we all went to the beach including Laurel from the night before...Stupid Idea I felt like a shit sandwich. Slept in the van while they snorkled. It sucked I was feverish & weak all day, hated it...After the beach went to the hotel & slept feel somewhat rested..Was sick all day the rest of the guys dissapeard, except Chris he brought me a juice & a chapati bread..I have no appetite forced down a ew bites & went back to sleep..was hoping to get up intime for breakfast. They are all gone somewhere in the twisting winding streets of stone town. Guess Jason slept over at Laurels hotel =)..Sam woke up early to take soome pics of Stone Town..Wish I felt better wouldve done the same.

Exotic Isle of Zanzibar Day 2

Our plans today were to go snorkling, so we woke up early. Had a great little breakfast of eggs, fresh fruit & toast & got a ride north with our driver Soloman. After a long drive we arrived at a beautiful beach. We being Jason, Sam, our new friend Alex, Chris & Me. The tide was out when we got there so we got our snorkling gear & hiked a bit through all these tide pools with various sea creature hanging out in them. We got in our boat & rode out about a mile or 2 off shore. Where the Mzungu feeding frenzy was going on. About 7 or 8 boats were chasing down a couple of Dolphin. When the boats got close the Wazungu(many white people) Jump in or rather on the dophins to swim with them. Jason & Alex jumped in & got pretty dam close. I was of the opinion that the dolphin should be left alone & stayed on the boat. It just didnt seem right..So we suggested going & checking out a near by reef. Here I jumped in to realize my face masy was faulty..While in the water trying to fix it. I for some reason remeberd theis footage I once saw of a woman being attacked by a great white off the coast of Africa. I promptly swam to the boat & got some sun while the rest of the gang checked out the reef.
After that we went to the Jozani Forest where we saw monkeys & walked through a mahogony forest. We were like 5 feet away from the monkeys. Pretty dam cool wild African monkey just hanging out with us..
That evening we went to the new Africa Hotel for drinks. Sam, Jason, Chris, me & our cute friend Alex All went. There we met a cool male nurse who worked in the DRC(Congo). Also met a cute gal named Laurel who was sitting alone & we asked to join us. Laurel was teaching sustainable agriculture to people who had Aids. Very cool everyone we meet here is doing humanitarin work.
All of a sudden I began to feel...a bit Malarial fever, aches, chills. While feeling crappy our friends from France arrived. We chatted them up for a while & then Jason & I walked them home to the pyramid hotel. After we got lost & walked around till we finally found a guy nice enough to show us where our hotel was..

7/31/07 The Exotic Isle of Zanzibar Day 1

We took the noon ferry to Zanzibar. Arrived in Stone town an hour later. Stone town is like a maze of many little twisting streets not big enough for cars. Lots of mopeds & bikes traverse these charming alley ways. And tons of people..We immediatly met a guy named Eddie who took us to a hotel. The Riverman hotel Ive gotten lost trying to find this place at least 7 times already.
The 1st night we went to this huge outdoor fish market right on the water. They had every kind of fish & sea crustation you could imagine layed out on tables ready to be cooked. I picked out my fish & the guy propmtly put it on a makeshift BBQ to cook. Got my huge plate & sat down with Sam, Jason & Chris. Sam was chatting up these two french girls one of whom was gorgeous.
After dinner we went down the block to Mercury's. Actually Freddy Mercury's of Queen fame. Apparently he was from Zanzibar & owned a pub/eatery there & this was it. So we sat down got some drinks & I began to flirt a bit with Clair one of our French friends. Who were actually were there in Zanzibar helping built a school. After some flirtations & more beers. We found our way to this dance club where we danced a bit. They even played my favorite African jam banchuka chu. After some exhausting dancin, we sat down with some other Mzungus(white folks)..Where we met a cool chic named Alex. I had a great chat with Coleen about world politics & burned one with the locals right in the club which was right on the water & had a huge empty pool in the middle of it. After ll was said & done we walked the girls to thier hotel & went to sleep..

7/30/07 African Nights

Slept till noon, hung out around the Mzungu zoo..In the late afternoon we went to a local Italian place called Stevanos..Saw Sarah the girl I danced with from last night there. A pretty woman even after a long night of partying. I orderd pizza with shrimp and mushrooms..It was good, but I tried some of Jasons totellini & that was better. Xandra the gorgeous aspiring nun met us there, She was charming as usual. After lunch we went back to the Condos to get ready for the One Mic concert. An African Hip hop & r&B concert.
The concert was enormous. There was easily 5000 people there. Saw all te top acts from Tanzania & Kenya. Saw DNA, Prezzo obsession & many other who's names I forget. They only sold warm beer which I thought was a bit strange. The show was amazing but tiring. Tons of acts, they just kept coming. later we went to a big outdoor club with a great band. With like 14 members on stage it was like P-Funk..

7/28/07 African Nights

Had an easy day of hanging with Sam & Jason while they shot some B-Roll & beauty shot around Dar. Stopped by the Emirates Airlines office to check in for our flights home. Went to a humungus open air market where Sammy shot the hustle & bustle of the market.
After the market we headed back to the Mzungu zoo to get ready for dinner at this indian place Garden Bistro. Got back showerd and shaved. Rajabu gave us a ride to the cab stand. We caught a Taxi from there to Garden Bistro. Where we ate like kings, a feast of Indian delights lamb, kingfish, curry & nan bread...I was high fromthe meal is was so good. Nzuri Sana(Very good).
Garden Bistro is not only an open air bistro its a dance club. So we saunterd on over to the bar by the dance floor. Orderd a couple Heinekens & waited for the place to fill up. within an hour around 11pm the ladies and a bunch of dudes filed in group by group. Africans, Indians & Mzungus..Some attractive ladies in the mix, but not a ton. After some initial cheezy music the DJ started playing some hip hop and R&B with a bit of dance hall mixed in. Chris went and danced with Indian cougar(an older lady). Who in retrospect was kinda creepy, but who oddly enough looked kinda sexy in low light. Many cuties filed in after Chris came back from dancing. I had some niice convo with this cute black girl who studied in the staets. Danced with her quite a bit. She was married unfortuanatly. We danced a ton got closer and closer as the night went on..Think her husband got salty. Sam took great pics of that night he needs to send me..Also got a little hindu girls number. Might call her we will see..

7/27/07 Production Last Day!

Shot some scene at the local cemetary..And another couple last minute things
We all went out after work to "Sweet Easy" to celebrate. Our cool friend Xandra came along too. Sweet easy is a dance club/ Restaurant/ brothel near the beach. Had a blast, danced, drank and then danced and drank some more. Saw many a gorgous Indian girl & middle eastern lady..Also saw many ladies of the evening, trying to get at me..Creepy..

7/26/07 Tortureland 2 Day 15

Ive gotten lost in the time & space of Africa..No to mention the movie. Things move slower here..A snails pace at times, but buisness seems to get done eventually. I have made a few friends here, Ibra & Rajabu they are my homies..
Ive learned what I consider to be a ton of Swahili..Enough to know when the Tanzanians are tlaking about me. Some seem to have alot to say. Shot a few short scenes at an office space in downtown Dar. Easy stuff but i think we settled for the local at the last minute. Sounded good..Right now Im sitting here waiting for Hamisi(Kamada in the movie) to get back so I can record some voice overs & ADR..Im going to sleep till then..

7/25/07 Production Day 14

Shot some decent scenes at this restaurant called "Who Told You?" with Juma & Hamisi(who's real name is Shafil)..All went smoothly. Then we were off to Magomeni sorta the ghetto of Dar, Im told. We were at the uncles house location, took a great pic of the house girls baby. Shot a great fight scene with bad audio due to a nearby hotel blasting loud music & the neighborhood..Really hope it cuts together. After the fight I was exhausted almost fell asleep while booming. It was a long day..

7/23/07 DAY OFF

Awoke early to see off Whit & Alex on thier African back packing adventure..Promptly went back to Sleep till 10:30 or so. A well needed rest after 7 days of work & nights of festivities. Showerd had some donuts & went to Mwenge market to shop. Bought many an a cool trinket...Wood carved monkeys, bracelets, a tanga & a masai painting all for 30 buks!
Later that evening we went to Slipway for pizza & beer. We hiked(Why?) from Slipway till we finally found a cab.
Back @ the condo drank some hakuna matata..Went to bed..

7/22/07 Student film Day 14

We revolted today had a noon call & realized production had not locked in actors yet for the scenes we were about to shoot..After a CHEAP lunch we decided to use that day & the following day to regroup the production. Also to recharge our moral which was down..
That afternoon went to Mwenge with Whitney & Alex in a Tuk Tuk & rode a Dala Dala(a small mini van type bus) to the bus station. So they could get thier bus tickets for thier back packing trip across Africa. I actually got to check my email or intranet as it is sometimes called here...No word from the Jobs I applyed for here in Africa.
That night we went to Slipway again for more sushi & dancing..Ran into Rajabu & Ibra there. Stayed up till 3am..Nice!

7/21/07 Production Day 13

Production lurches on like a ship thats lost its way..Wardrobe problems & such to much to mention really. We didnt make our day. We actually got booted from the location & wrapped early..Went back to the mzungu zoo & drank beer & had a modest dinner of a few chicken wings & chips. Not very satisfying for the ole belly.
After dinner(?) Sam, Jason & I went to Slipway(the mall) with Alex & Whitney. We had sushi & vino. It was very tasty. Slipway is like a little slice of south beach or LA. Lots of Mzungu's & Indians spending too much money on stuff.

7/20/07 Bongodrag 2 Day 12

Off to work at 7am this morning & didnt get a shot of till noon. Due to lack of locked locations..We did shoot some great stuff though, amazing performance by the Kamanda Character(real name Hamisi). Took some cool pics of the location & kids there. I think it was Antwan's house. Josiah's cousin who has been helping us out with the movie & is a very cool cat.
Was all in all frustrated by the productions short comings. I beleave the look of the film has been comprimized by the lack of organization, so has the sound. No lock downs all the locations are working practical locations..Strange they call them that because more often than not they are quite unpractical. After work Sam, Jason & I all went to the kilaminjaro Hotel to this loungy club called Level 8. We met some of the UCLA crew there. Very nice place reminded me of Miami.They had a live band & played alot of 80's & 90's tunes so we danced a bit & drank alot..From the patio out side level 8 you could see the whole city 360 almost. pretty dam nice place with little money one could have a nice life here in dar.

7/19/07 Bongo 2 Day 11

Shot a cool sunset scene today at this mzungu place(place where white folks hang). It was like a an American mall with over priced nick naks. They even had a sushi bar & $25.00 towels. Anyway it was a date scene with Juma the protagonist & his lady our new actress who's name escapes me..Not shure it will cut, with all the noise from the restaurant. Lots of Talking, cooking & crows cawing. We shot during buisness hours it wanst packed but alot of people were there.
The high point of the day was when this 54 yr old UCLA student had a temporary laps of sanity & went bananas on everyone. She yelled at poor Allison & Amanda..
We went home & had some beers @ the local pub down the block from the condos. Where Josiah went on a bit of an entertaining rant...

7/18/07 Production blues Day 9

Another doldrum day of production. The actress who was to play the protagonist Juma's love interest decided not to show up. Due to a family dispute over being in the movie. So we settled for this girl who showed up on set one day for an audition..There really wasnt an audition we just chose her because we had no other option.
We lagged as usual got some B-roll & shot 3 other scenes with the new actress. Who had the most wonderful perfume on. Went to a chinese all you can eat today with Tanzania cuisine mixed in. It was VERY tasty.

7/17/07 Production Day 8

Another day in Tanzania, spent most of it in the Sofia production van. Shot one scene with sound & everything else besides one night scene was M.O.S.. A generally annoying day I totally coulda slept in. Did I mention everything takes 2 hours in Tanzania.
After an annoying day, Allison, Amanda & Whitney came by & we went to a bar/restaurant next to thier hotel in Magomeni(I think Ive been mixing up the neighborhood names). It was'nt to exiting but it was nice to escape the Mzungu zoo. Which is what we have been calling the condos. We went back there after a few beers, the bar was closing.

7/14/07 DAY OFF!

We had a rockin fiesta for Sammy's B-day last night. The UCLA crew came over & a blast was had by all..Lots of Kilaminjaros, safari's & Tuskers(local beers). Met a cool girl from UCLA named Whitney who had not been there for most of the shoot..
Anyway fun was had by all even Sam with his twisted ankle..So we drank lots a beer & this local booze Im not fond of called Conyagi tastes kinda like gin & vodka mixed.
The following morning awoke a bit hung over, had a shower & went to have breakfast with the crew. We made plans to meet the UCLA crew at this place called Coco Beach like the one in Florida..Go figure.
The Beach was gorgeous we sat & had lunch & a few beers & waited for the ladies to arrive. Had a few more Tusker when they arrived. Whitney was wearing a sarong that apparently was also her bed sheet..I chatted for a while with Whitney, Amanda & Anne.
Later on we walked up the beach & found a lttle cove with these cool rock islands. wher we dumped our stuff & went for a dpi in the Indian Ocean. sam got some cool pics of some Masai warriors chilling on the beach. The sun was setting so we all got cabs home..
All in all a super relaxing day. Wish we had tomorrow off too..

7/13/07 Production Day 7

Its Friday the 13th a supposed unlucky day. We shot a decent car chase scene with Juma(Peter Omari), Hamisi(Shafil) & Chemi..We actually shot it with out the director he was off locking down locations(hopefully). Basically because there was no one else to do it. Chris the AD(?) was left at the condo's tofinally start doing some of the paperwork..
After the car chase scene & a failed attempt to check our emails..Sam & I shot the opening scene(the Hook) with no director there to explain what he wanted us to do..It was frustrating, Sam was not to jazzed about it..Got some great sound! Recorded some cool ambient noise of the traffic & street sounds of Dar.
When we arrived at the condo's the UCLA crew was there hanging out & actually about to leave. The lack of planning & staff on this production is disconcerting to say the least. Nothing seems to begin without a 2 hour delay. We finally got some contact lists Chris didnt even know the real names of the actors. Ugh!
Anyway Sunday is Sams B-Day so we are having a fiesta at the condos should be cool..Also going to hang @ the beach the following day to recoup & chill..

7/12/07 Production Day 6

2 hours late again today. We got stopped today by what appeard to be a fake cop. Sam had a camera rigged on a car & I had the perfect mic set up. Because of the fake cop, we had to stop & go print out our permits (which we should have had printed).
Anyway we finally began shooting after a decent lunch. Then the lavs crapped out. I had to re-do the entire mic set up in the car. We were rushed to get our shots.
Later Jason & I went over everything that had fallen through the cracks since our last production meeting. Mainly the contracts, contact/crew lists. We have not had acess to email in days..Why the hell does it take 2 hours to get to shooting everyday. Also we wonderd how much of the movie we have actually shot.
Apparently Jason has been experiencing some racism or discrimination because of his white skin..I have been called Muzungu with many a colorful adjective attached. Honestly though I feel comfortable enough here..I think the local guys find me to be pretty cool..But who knows maybe they think Im a dickhead.

7/11/07 Production Day 5

Got off to a slow start this morning..Shot one scene before 1pm & it was a miricle we shot that. Later the revivalists @ the Mountan of Fire Chruch preached, sang & screamed through many takes. I was very dissappointed with that stuff. Later on dogs howeld during takes, that we shot at night. I dont know how this stuff is going to cut together. All in a rough day for the sound department(which consists of me).
On the up side Im learning Swahili and we have the UCLA girls helping us..Very nice! They are all very cool ladies. I have to start remembering names Allison & Anne are 2 that I rememeber. Also experinced the bohemian side of Africa last night..Very cool. I felt the Rains Down in Africa!!!

7/10/07 Production Day 4

Today we shot cu's & coverage of the fight scene. The crane broke today. Sucks!
On a lighter note we hung out with the local kids & took pics. Jason showed them his magic tricks & how to moon walk..Also shot some award wiining scenes. I cant really beleve Im working on this film in Africa..I think Josiah will sell it.
hamisi Olutu & mama Asia nailed the scene totally sold it..Great lighting by Sam Fischer & alot of help from Sofia & the UCLA crew. We are making a great film here in Africa.
Everyone on the crew is getting nick names Sam has taken it upon himself to call me Beans & rice. Im not shure Im to fond of it. Both jason & Sam have been dubbed Cheezy Muzungu..Meaning crazy white man who walks in circles or just circle walker. The kids in the hood today said "Muzungu pic a picha" while we photgraphed them..The kids are the coolest..

7/9/07 Production Day 3

Went to magomeni today to shoot the Hamisi Character fight scene..The UCLA interns appeard, it was nice to chat up some ladies from back in the states although most of them were kinda quiet. All in all a good day everyone was in high spirits Hamisi comes off kinda hard but is a cool cat. So Is the Uncle character whos real name is Olutu..We got some amazing shots the audio peaked a bit due the argument & fight scene. Some usable takes though..

7/8/07 Day Off

What was supposed to be a day off. Ended up being a very long day in the car. We saw a plot Josiah was planning on buying & building a production facility.
Later We had an awesome lunch at the beach. I had the falafle, hummos & pita dish with a Kilaminjaro beer. Sam & I shot a ton of pics saw a camel on the beach giving tourists rides took some pics of that too..Saw the most beautiful Indian girl there. Sh was like a princess delicate & regal walking in her tightly wound sarong. The rest of our day was spent waiting for the ferry to take us back to Dar.

Later that night we met with Josiah about pending issues that had already been discussed but not addressed. Contracts, a need for blankets & pillows(we had none), schedules, crew lists, a ladder, having regular meetings & general logistics. I had had enough & was going to get a ticket home. I decided to stay, hopefully he will step it up & start taking his crew seriously.
Chris was a big issue at our meeting.

7/7/07 Day 2 production

What was suppoed to be a light day ended up being a 12 hour deal. We went to Sofia in the morning & waited around for a location to get locked down. Waited even longer for lunch. As you can imagine folks werent to happy.
The evening before I had a long talk with Josiah about how things are going. Suggested we have meetings every night to keep everyone on the same page & voice any grievinces. I may ask for an AP credit for doing this & also considering trying to get more funding from local buisnesses(the beer company's). Because its appearing more & more that our Producer doesnt have enough money to make this film academy quality.

7/6/07 Day 1 production

We Shot some amazing scenes here in dar today. At the Juma's Apartment Location in Magomeni. Met the nicest actors. I forget the names. Also apparently met the Tanzanian Denzel..Crazy!!
We Started at 10am got to set late(due to transport) & shot till 10pm. Then went to Best Bite for dinner tasty BBQ Koo koo(chicken) & chipsies or french fries. They are served with everything here.
I fell for the house girl briefly today, She was beautiful, glowing dark brown skin & a lovely smile. I took a picture of her when we scouted the place.
The production day went well the Boss man Mr Kibira was very satisfied with everyones proffesionalism & dedication on set. Guess he has never been around a real crew before. He seemed very surprised to make his day(make his meaning we got all the shots we had scheduled). The Talent was for the most part great with very few exceptions. ThebLand lady was awesome wish I could have a grandma like her. The chapati bread girl was a raw talent & driven. An impressive little lady. The Main Actor Juma seemed to be over acting a bit. I think with a little more direction he will fall into place. Alos the hit man Mlapania was dope, that whole scene was pretty dam cool. cant wait to see it.
A side not Josiah beleaves Musa the owner of Sofia Productions is trying to hustle us some how..We will see. He Aint hustlin me..

7/5/07 Dar day 5

Went to Sofia today helped Sam & Jason build the crane. Had a great conversation with Gervas our casting guy. We discussed Hip Hop & Politics. He asked me if I felt i was part of the Hip Hop movement..Funny shit..
I told him I was a break dancer @ 11 & 12. As a teen I was a graffitti writer. In My 20's I made beats for a hip hop group. You tell me who's part of the Hip Hop movement..
Anyway Sam & Jason did the finishing touches on the crane & we went back to base camp (the condos). There we did some camera & audio tests. All went well with very little difficulty. Besides dinner coming an hour late, as usual.
earlyer at Sofia saw a video with some local Emcee's DJ's & 2 Graff artists. All they needed was some B Boys break dancing. I was wearing a Def Jam Shirt that day. All the homies from Dar dug it. Iswa or Ibra Is one of the cooler cats in the Sofia group. I ment to get a ladder today for booming we will see if one appears. it seems every penny is getting pinched on this production.
We still have no contracts. I was paid $100 I was owed for some of the travel meds. By miricle it seemed. Production still owes me for insurance & the xlrs that were confiscated in Dubai. Also it appears I wont be getting my kit rental fee till 30 days after principle photography ends. Jankyness & discontentment Abound..

7/4/07 Dar es Salaam, Africa

Tanzanian dust gives me boogers..However the good out weighs the bad here in Dar. Sam & Jason(our DP & AC/Stunt Coordinator) built or had built a makeshift crane. Musa the owner of Sofia Production hooked us up with parts & welding. The welders with much Tanzanian ingenuety put all the steel & tubing together to make a nice base for the crane, a sort of tripod. It took 4 long hours.
Later we ate @ subway for lunch at a mall in Dar. Where they had a mac store. We didnt eat again for another 10 hours, which generally pissed everyone off. Jason went into silent salty mode an almost catatonic state. I did my venting about expenses & moneys owed to me. Our Director/producer gave Sam the money owed him totally left me & Jason hanging. Discontentment & saltyness abounds the AD Chris is more of a burden than a help all agree. Has no clue waht an AD's duty's are. The Crew is pissed.

7/3/07 Day 3 Africa/location search

Im here in Dar & after staying at the Palm Beach Hotel for the 1st few days. We moved to some pretty dam Pimp condos. That we had to Drive down the worst dirt/mud road to get to. I have to take some pics of the place. Yesterday was a long incredible day. Went to the hood in Dar & I was treated as a local. Words cant really describe it. The smells of burning wood in home stoves & African cooking mixing in the African air. People walking around in bright beautiful clothes. The men in cool shirts & many women in Brightly colored hijab. We found 2 locations.
A side note is we ended up having to do a bunch of pre pro when we arrived because someone had not locked down locations or actors.
Anyway the van from Sofia Productions (our people on the ground in Dar). So we hung out, took pics & drank sodas. Sammy(our DP) got some fresh oranges while we waited. 15 min later a car rolled up & gave us a jump no cables in Dar. They just used a couple peices of steel they had & thier car battery. Also met this smooth kid in A billabong trucker hat. The day was long & we went to many other places & met so many kind people. A secretly shed a tear I was so happy..

7/2/07 Dubai day 2

Super hung over Chris passed out @ the Dubai airport & the bag checkers confiscated all my XLR cables. Ugh! Over a hundred dollers in xlrs annoying..

7/1/07 Day 1 Travel to Dubai

Arrived in Dar es Salaam today after 3 crazy days of travel. Mpls to NY to Hamburg to Dubai & finally to Dar es Salaam Tanzania.
Dubai was amazing & hot like a sauna. After our arrival & a shower went to a dance club in the hotel. Wish I could remember the name. Oddly enough the club was a salsa club. I felt as if I was back in Miami. We danced with & met a group of latin musicians a couple Argentines & a cute Brazlian bird who's name escapes me & a cool British bloke. After chatting them up for a while we invited them back to me & Sams room for beers. Sam Chris Josiah & I all got pretty trashed with them. Drank many heinekens & made a strong play for the Brazilian girl, Who deftly deflected my advance. Treid to get her too come to the pool..She was still feelin me though.
Dubai was cool though awesome archtechture huge skyscrapers. A very Oil rich nation so much so they pay thier citizens 14 grand a year just for living in the UAE.

Day 1 Mpls 6/25/07

Arrived in Minneapolis last night after a bumpy flight. Lots of turbulance due to some large thunder storms. Minneapolis weather is nice not as humid as the M-I-A.
Tonight a pre production meeting is planned at Josiah's(the director) house. Hopefully all problems regarding travel expenses will be resolved tonight. Earlyer in the week they threatend not to pay for travel expenses.
My stay in Mpls was cool Sam was more than accomodating. Slept on his futon couch comfortably. Spent 3 days in Minneapolis met a cool chick named Domenica & hung out with her Tue & Wed night.