my first leap

So here it is, Silent Witness the TV series I’m in is playing on the following days. (Thanks Tobias for letting me know.)

Cargo

Part 1  [Monday 10th July 2006, 9pm, BBC ONE]
Part 2  [Tuesday 11th July 2006, 9pm, BBC ONE]

Originally in the script, we were episodes 3 & 4 but there were rumours that it was so good that they wanted to open with it. I don’t know if that is true but here we are. In lots of ways it’s exciting; with the knowledge that over 10 million people will be watching you; but I’m very apprehensive about watching myself so it’s a good thing I can’t. Two things I’m worried about; one, my Chinese accent (did I tell you I do have lots of accents in me but the problem is I can’t control them, quite useless in my mind but unique is a nicer word normally used at first meeting); two, my Cantonese. I’m just imagining my parents cringing at my Cantonese; please lord let them use a translator in the editing so they cut any crap stuff out, please lord hear my prayers. Luckily I don’t have to cringe while watching with family because I am here!! The great excuse that is called ‘Travel’. Anyway, I should say that I’m brilliant and I’m not worried at all! Yeah.

Tonight we watched ‘Superman’ in Ximen; in one of the biggest cinemas, well, I’ve ever seen. I have nothing bad to say about ‘Superman’. It was great. And from Sophia, I get behind the scenes too. It seems that Bryan Singer was sacked from Xmen 3 because he wanted to direct ‘Superman’ as well; that Marvel (Xmen) and DC Comics (Superman) didn’t like it. That’s why Xmen 3, I won’t spoil it for those who haven’t seen it, frivolous fun that it is, could have been much better; it had lots of good ideas that were never really fully developed. Superman though I have no complaints; it was great fun.

This afternoon, Ling took Sophia and I to Taipei Fine Arts Museum to see the ‘New Media Collection 1965-2005 Centre Pompidou’ which was pretty cool and you can get free internet access there (4 computers). Sophia’s last night and I’m at the internet cafe. They’ve been giving me a hard time about my constant need for internet access and cannot understand my obsession. I guess it’s my way of ‘checking in’ to family and I want to remember this, even if it’s censored.

I’ve been invited, along with the others to a U Theatre performance on Friday 7th July, as a member of the audience while they film the performance as part of the film ‘The Drummer’. The U Theatre are a very famous drumming group and I would love to see them but I’ve got to wear something smart, a dress, the production manager Long suggested. Up until now I’ve got used to the idea that I look manky and minging with clothes I’ve brought along because I’m willing to chuck them any time I need to – so not so nice clothes. I’ve got used to looking like I’ve been dragged backwards, sideways and bounced up and down a bit; and walking next to trendy, slim (oh man, you can get a massive complex here in Taiwan – the times I say ‘I’m so FAT!’ I’ve lost count) very pretty girls in short skirts and feminine tops; I’ve got used to it. Anyway, enough of the rant. What I’m trying to say is I don’t have a dress, heels etc and it means I’ve got to buy and dump; and I don’t think I can fit into anything made in Taiwan – I’m going to look so big it might be embarrassing; and nothing goes with a rash; and I’m not going if the others don’t go; and it might take more than 12 hours and being an extra, my agent might murder me. They’re my excuses. The only good reason to go is the opportunity to see this amazing (I’ve been told) drumming group play and I just know they’re going to be brilliant; I heard one of the guys play on set. I’ve been told Jackie Chan’s son and Sinje Lee will be performing as part of the group but they will be pretending to drum being actors.

I have prickly heat (and the only clothes that seem to help are ones that are specially made for outdoor activities, breathable, easy to pack and fast drying) so I’m going to maybe buy some clothes and a UV umbrella to prevent getting more rashes and to hunt down a Body Shop to get hold of calamine lotion to soothe the pumps a little. So at the moment I have the will power of Buddha but also the social and intellectual capacity of an amoeba. The sun, humidity, rash and organised friends can do that to you, make you into a non-talking, non-thinking, non-sociable, total zombie zapped piece of plankton! My friends think I’m totally useless, for example, tonight I say something stupid about catching a taxi back and they had to remind me that the place we’re staying at is just a block away or we’d been walking to a 7-11 and they’d send me on an errand back where we’ve walked from, I had to go back in to ask them which way we’ve come from. See? Non-existent no brain seaweed – actually even seaweed has more intellectual capacity than I have when sun, humidity, prickly heat rash and organised friends are combined in a place called Taipei. And the only cure is being on my own. Blind faith tells me I’ll be okay on my own. Seb, I will try to be in some working condition by the time I meet you in Singapore, I promise. My friends think I’m such a child and they hope I will act more independently further on in my journey! I can! Just not when you’re around. In a group, I’m a follower, okay; it’s easier and I’m lazy! I know, I know, it’s a bad thing not to look where you’re going, I know, I know Nick.

Poster $5.99 (74 x 115 in)

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear – Mark Twain. American Humorist, Writer and Lecturer. 1835–1910

Tags: Calamine Lotion, Prickly Heat, Silent Witness, Taipei, Travel

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 2nd, 2006 at 8:08 pm and is filed under Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.