Milan, Italy

Milan, Italy

Oh, Italia!!!!! How do I love thee, let me count the ways!

I was so excited to wake up and leave for Milan. Milan was one of the first places I had ever been in past trip to Italy, and has a warm place in my heart, so I was excited to return. I was a little scared to practice my Italian language skills, but the flight attendants speaking Italiano were enough to get me primed.  It has been four years since my last visit, so I am rusty but ready to jump in. I'm looking less like a leper now that the eyes are calming down, so it's perfect timing.

We arrived at the hotel and discovered that our hotel wasn’t close to the airport, it was IN THE AIRPORT. DundunDUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN.

Is this a cruel joke somebody is playing on me?

They are going to send me to Italy and then make me stay in an airport ......after three and a half months of living in them!?

It is funny now, but man, I was pissed. Call me a diva for saying so, but really .... isn't anybody's favorite part about Italy walking around aimlessly finding treasures? So to find out this was not a possibility for me was very disappointing. Good news, though..... once we found the hotel, we discovered that it was a new and impressive 60s-style modern pod architecture building with a lovely view of the Alps..... well, beyond the parking lot, anyway. My room was really nice, and it was large so I was comfortable. 

The crew and I created a pact to take the train into Milano every night for dinner, to copensate for our crappy location and get something out of being in Italy. FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!
Our first night at Tratoria Milanese was the best. Classic, rustic Italian food in all the best ways.

We had a day off in Milan, too, so the girls and I decided to go find some culture and some shopping.
We went to the Castello, the Duomo and one the most beautiful parks in Italy.

Milano Castello Videos here:

http://rebeccad.smugmug.com/Other/MilanCastle/15655376_SvSHE

castle moat:

http://rebeccad.smugmug.com/Other/Milan/15655420_z7oMS

I stumbled upon a great art exhibit, which happened to be one of my favorite photographers and one of my favorite subjects. I was totally in heaven.

Working in the Milan hotel was easy as everybody was excited to have us, and they went out of their way to help us. I had flowers ordered for the shoot from Armani Fiori, and it was actually the real Italian Armani........ pretty cool.

But still.... we needed more food.
Have you ever had a three course spagetti tasting (limona, carbonara, tonno) ? Because I have!

Great coincidence, my cousin Steve and his girlfriend, Ana just happened to be in Milan the same time we were! I met them with a bunch of their very sweet friends at a famous Neopolitan-style pizzeria for dinner. We had a great time chatting away and catching up. Steve and Ana are doing GREAT traveling around Europe, and they really cracked me up with stories of their nanny adventures.

Salzburg, Austria

Salzburg, Austria

The morning I woke up for the airport, I was thinking about movies filmed in Austria like The Sound of Music and Amadeus. I soon realized I was having a freaky allergic reaction to something. My eyes were very very swollen, top and bottom lids. I looked like the Elephant Woman, with fuchsia-colored saucers around my eyes. This has happened to me before, so I didn't think it would be a big deal. I took a Benadryl and hustled to get to the airport, but I was embarrassed by people double-taking my eyes, so hid them behind my glasses (which I normally only wear on the computer). I met up with the Art Director and our boss at the airport and we’re ready to go.

We transferred early morning in Dublin and I got to walk across the tarmac…. So technically, I’ve set foot on one of the Mother Lands!

After the first leg of the flight, they eye thing became quite dramatic. The flight attendants supplied plastic bags filled with ice, which I held up to my eyes the entire flight. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO lucky for me, I was seated right next to an English-speaking physician! He agreed it is an allergic reaction. He was super nice and able to talk me off the ledge, as I was beginning to worry about vision, etc. He gave me advice and made me feel better. Basically his answer … it’s back to the allergist for me (memories of childhood!) to find out what is giving me such severe reactions.

Salzburg I’m sure was lovely upon arrival but I was so freaked out about my eyes that I don’t even remember the drive to the pharmacy. I got some drugs, chugged them and went to bed at 7pm.

The next day, my situation looked about 50% better, but my eye area really hurt. Hid them behind the glasses again and went to work…. woh, woh…. Not a great start to this shoot.  The club lounge here was beautiful…. It seems the client has saved the best for last. From the lounge, there was a view of the city's white castle which is from the year 1030 and sits on top of a hill. It is one of those sites that reminds me how rediculously new America still is.

We went for an afternoon walk after scouting. Salzburg it is super quaint and idyllic. It is nestled around a pretty river with many bridges and houses built into the rocky mountainside. There are green, rolling hills, a white castle atop one of them, Mozart’s house is there, etc….. pretty amazing. I don’t speak a lick of German, but manage to find some food. After work, the crew wanted to go find Austrian beer and grub. I ordered traditional goulash and a “dumpling”, which is basically the hugest matzoh ball I’ve ever seen. It looked like a little brain and tasted amazing!

Dumpling (please note the scale to the mug):

Goulash. The real deal:

Apple Strudel in the home of apple strudel!:

By the end of day three, my eye is getting better and people aren’t staring anymore, so I am pumped and starting to dream of gnocci……. these trips are turning out to be workworkwork and then.... dinner. So dinner time is the reward and often the only time we get to see a bit of the towns we're working in. And this also means my blog is turning out to be a food blog!

Quaint little Bavarian restaurant (please note, the preztles hanging there):

Brooklyn, Home Sweet Home

Brooklyn

Back home for ten days, I spent loads of time with Melanie and David, and was so lucky to ring in the new year with friends. Ryan and I did some work on the house and it’s feeling great. Tom gave us an old battleship flag, which we hung up in the “living room”.  Photo from brunch day w/Alice, Dan, their baby, Carl & Livea:

YAY! I'll be home in Brooklyn until Jan 10th, then off to Europe and Turkey.

Prescott, AZ

Prescott, AZ

Straight from Argentina to Arizona to meet Ryan and his parents for the Christmas holiday. I am so happy to be reunited with Ryan, and it is nice to be back in the states,too.... if only because I don’t have to try so hard with communication anymore. I realize I had been exhausted just from constantly having to think about how to say “A glass of water, please”, or “Where is the bathroom”? Ha, ha.

My journey has been a long one, about twenty four hours (Mendoza to Chile, Chile to Dallas, Dallas to Phoenix, PHX shuttle to Prescott!)…. BUT I am lucky as the job flew me there, so the trip was more economical. When we arrive at Tom and Llynda’s house, we were so happy to see them and their new pup, Willie. We jump straight into Christmas-mode and I love it.

I was so impressed by their house, which they spent years planning and building. The house is nestled in the rocks and has an incredible view over a valley. We spent the next week eating, relaxing, eating, going for walks, relaxing, cooking, and celebrating. Christmas morning, we had a feast and then went for a hike up a nearby bute where the guys looked for pottery shards.

It was a great Christmas!

Mendoza, Argentina

Mendoza, Argentina

Off to the mountains!  Finally, I got on a 10pm flight out of Buenos Aires and I am excited to explore another part of Argentina. The hotel is massive, and they are excited to have us. I am speaking espanol like a toddler but proud to have that much. People are patient with me, too, and let me try. The lounge here has a lovely view of the Andes, and the models were sweet and professional, so we had a great shoot. We are tired but very happy with the photos.

We had a fantastic dinner experience at Francis Malman 1884, we sat on the grass of a courtyard that looks like Zoro’s house, with candle light and warm lanterns everywhere. It was luxurious.

It was here in Mendoza, that I have the best steak of my life, at a traditional family-style place called “Patio Jesus y Maria”, it was perfectly cooked and now I feel I can end my quest for that Argentine experience you hear so much about.  I was so involved that I forgot to take a photo of it, sorry. I'm learning that the mornings after I eat steak, I wake up feeling great with lots of energy!

On my day off, I wondered around Mendoza. It is such a nice city to walk through, lots of different architecture and it feels managable on foot. The weather was perfect! I was bummed to find that all the shops were closed ....SAD! So I took a tour to the mountain wine region and had a blast.
The drive up into the mountains was one of my favorite parts of my day off. There was an incredible valley we found on the way.
Video here:
http://rebeccad.smugmug.com/Other/MendozaVALLEYVIDEO/15615251_YHdFp



 The drive took me to Andeluna Vineyard (Thanks, McOsk, for the suggestion!).
The terrain was so beautiful and the vineyard itself was gorgeous, too. I toured the facility, learned about Malbec, the local specialty wine, and I met some nice people there.

I like the people and food in Argentina very much. I feel so lucky I have had a day off here.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Buenos Aires, Argentina

I woke up SUPER excited to take my first trip to Argentina! I was the first one downstairs to meet at the crew van, and couldn’t wait to get there.

Everything seems to move at a much slower pace down south, and it started at the airport (I did learn to love it, btw). Our exciting trip quickly turned reality after we were faced with a flight delay and terrible lines but we of course tried to keep spirits up (Where is Starbucks?!):

Video here:
http://rebeccad.smugmug.com/Other/ArgentinaAirportVIDEO/15600658_GfN46

We arrived in Buenos Aires at nighttime, but I could tell already that the city held some exciting treasures. And... IT'S SUMMER, YAY! I am preparing my sandals.
 Six hours later, I was up and getting ready to shoot in the lounge.... UGH. Don't..... Want...........To............Work!!! 

This job is completely the twilight zone sometimes, as one lounge begins to look like the one from three cities ago. I am feeling a bit like a roadie on a music tour who only sees the view from the (bus/ hotel) window.  My crew bus is an airplane or taxi. The days are very long here now, so we are working 7am to 9:30pm. We are told not to worry as “Argentine people don’t go out to eat until 10pm anyway”.  And it’s no joke!

Two taxi view videos here:
http://rebeccad.smugmug.com/Other/BuenosVIDEOTaxi/15582704_og9Kj

We had some awesome suggestions from friends (THANKS!) and went out for a wonderful first dinner in the Palermo neighborhood. The restaurant was called “Minga”, and we had STEAK and potato and vegetables …. I am seriously wondering how I was ever a veggie. And wow, we can already tell these S.Americans lovelovelove their queso, it is in everything. The ‘hood feels vibrant and looks lovely, but we are so exhausted, we just jump in a cab and head straight to bed. Second day shooting is great, and we have another awesome dinner at night… this time opting for a fine-dining experience at Cluny. Cevice then steak. We are loving the prices in Argentina!!!!

We are meant to get to the airport super early the next day and we’re all feeling bummed out that we don’t have a day off here. Then our taxi driver took us to the wrong airport!!! It was a bit of a drama, but we wound up having the day off while we waited for our rescheduled nighttime flights. We ventured to the Recoletta neighborhood on the advice of Una and Nana (THANKS girls!) where we wondered around enjoying the architecture and sunned ourselves during lunch. I toured the old, gothic cemetery and saw some cool monuments. I had such a great time and didn’t care at all that I appeared the quintessential tourist.

Recoletta Cemetery Video here:
http://rebeccad.smugmug.com/Other/BuenosRecolettaCemetery/15600343_ivGQh

I also very much enjoyed shopping at the local farmacias for my acne RX. What normally costs me $258 in the states was only between $20 and $30 there!!! YEEHAW. And how old lady is that.

I loved this place and can’t wait to go back for a proper visit!

Panama City, Panama

Panama City, Panama

First impression of Panama…. I’m so happy to be warm again! and... holy palm trees.

We arrived in Panama a day earlier than our photographer, so the Art Director and I decided to go out on the town. We asked around for suggestions about what to do and were told “If you go to Panama and don’t see the Panama Canal, it is like going to Egypt and not seeing the pyramids!”. So we did and it was cool. We watched a movie about the canal’s extensive history and toured the four-storey museum.

Video below:

http://rebeccad.smugmug.com/Other/PanamaCanalVIDEO/15582605_GKiAS

The hotel was massive and more modern than most of them. The hotel had a casino in it, I looked for an Elvis slot machine and since there were none, I didn’t play (although a colleague took a quick beating at the blackjack table!). There was a constant party in the hotel, this is just the Panamanian way of life, we're told. The ladies dress "Fancy" here, lots of twin sets in leopard prints and everything matches. You've got to applaud the effort, especially when you're looking as jet-lagged as me.

The lounge here was completely forgettable…… so I wasn’t super excited to get up for work in the morning except to be reunited with my crew buddies (The China trip was so bonding!). There is a huge benefit going on across the street from the hotel for victims of a recent flood, we can hear an all-day marching band even though it's pouring. There is a posse of chicks dressed up like clowns in the lobby.... totally surreal. Ten minutes later, we see them on a monitor performing at the benefit.  

Jinan, China

We've been spending LOTS of time in airports.
It's beginning to feel like I'll need to put "air travel" on my resume.

Our last stop in China was Jinan, which is up North, west of Beijing and had a different feel from the other cities. It feels more "real" China in the sense that it's a city without catering to tourists. Mountains and a "100 Buddha Park" are located here, it's a hub of Buddhism. I am beginning to realize that many Chinese cities have both an "old city" and a "new city", which is something we don't see much of in our "new" USA.

At this point, I realize I really love China. The people are so nice here and the mega-cities are incredible.

Two of our four-man crew are Asian, the other two of us are white. Nick and myself are a novelty, people stare at us and one little girl on the street said what all the people are thinking: "Look, white people"!
I actually love being the minority here because the people are so genuinely curious and openly friendly. Photo attached here of one such encounter:

The hotel staff are treating us like royalty and are doing everything they can to make my job easier, which of course I am thrilled about. The work here was very intense and our models were kind of..... ghetto. We asked all the models to bring their own clothing to supplement what I bring (I am doing both props and wardrobe on this job), but I had a difficult time outfitting them as one model turned up with Disney jewelry. I do not joke. DISNEY (She was 25, by the way). Hilarious.

The hotel assigned us a coordinator, Victor, who became a fast friend. When we asked for local food, he took us out to his uncle's restaurant which served traditional Sichuan cuisine. Yummmmmm! It has been so nice to taste all this Chinese food at the source!
Video here:
http://rebeccad.smugmug.com/Other/Jinan-Dinner/15035668_opkqT

After this nearly three week trip we are bonded and a very close-knit crew. Of course, we are busted and exuasted but hey, that's the price of adventure, right!?

I had to do some extra prop shopping in Jinan the night before our last shoot day. It was intense and fun trying to figure out how to communicate (The clerks were probably thinking 'Who is this crazy, flailing white lady'!?).Video of what I found AFTER shopping here:
http://rebeccad.smugmug.com/Other/JinanFountainVIDEO/15407478_eiLzY

The guys wanted to go out for a drink the last night in China, so we asked Victor where we could find "A mellow bar, not a club, just a pub". What we wound up with was A CLUB of course, they passed out glow-sticks, had amazing live karaoke performers, and a dude dressed in a red bull BULL COSTUME. There were at least 300 chandeliers covering the ceiling. Other people in the bar wanted their photo taken with us (example below) because we were a novelty!  "Mellow" in China, I think does not exist.

Video here of locally "famous" karaoke singer at the club:
http://rebeccad.smugmug.com/Other/JinanClubVIDEO/15600650_AgaJZ


I'm sooooooooo happy to go home to Ryan and our house, it's been a long haul this leg. And part of me also wishes I had more time to explore. This job was a great way to get the feel of the country and to know where I would go back to.