The trip down south was one eye opening experience. I wasn’t able to get as much footage of the spill or the surrounding areas along the coast as I would have liked but I did come across some rich ideas for a documentary. I made the drive from Hattiesburg, Mississippi in the pouring rain to find the rain has barely subsided by the time I got there. I ran across a BP protest going on in the heart of the French Quarter in New Orleans and since it I didn’t want to risk damaging my camera I turned to my darling iPhone. Instead of getting some great HD footage I managed to capture a few shots and talk to some enraged locals.
For next time I’ll have to gather the funds to make a trip with the intention of simply shooting footage. I welcome any ideas or assistance in getting a fund raising off the ground. I have a few ideas of my own but right now I’m in the middle of a party planning project for June 26th. Yes, my dear brother is turning 30 and I was granted the honor to throw a last minute shin-dig.
The Nyumbani Village short has been completed, the first premiere was a success and I’ve been recovering from the past few weeks of intense focus! So, to fully regroup I thought I would take a quick detour. The change of pace I so need takes me to Mississippi and Louisiana for the weekend.
In the wake of the oil spill there is so much talk about what’s really going …I want to uncover what’s really going on here? Why did this happen, could it have been avoiding, and most importantly how is it effecting both the environment and the people living in the areas?
It seems that the gulf coast hasn’t even had time to recover before being hit once again.
I’m taking my camera for this trip so get ready for some stories…please email me with any questions or suggestions! Enjoy your weekend!
Hello – so after long nights of logging, editing, and tweaking shots it’s finally all come together.
The premiere will take place at the Rayburn Building for members of the Africa and Global Health committee tomorrow at 3pm. If you are in DC Please come out and support – otherwise I’ll post shortly!!!
Since I’ve been back I’ve had to care for my father who was rushed to the hospital the day after I arrived – so pardon the lack of updates. Good news he’s recovering. I’ve been the sole caretaker while my mom is away but in the meantime I’ll be updating and editing the film. Deadline: May 21st!
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I’m just minutes away from leaving the airport…there is a flurry of activity all around me so this is going to be short and sweet. Dar es Salaam has been abundant with new experiences: Driving on the left side, jumping in the middle of the Indian Ocean and swimming all the way to shore, getting sea urchin pins in my toes (ouch!), 91 degrees and full humidity for most of the days here, long nights of wedding parties. There has been little alone time to update! However, as for the project I start shooting at the Nyumbani home in Nairobi. I should have internet connection at the hotel tonight…
Lesson I learned from Tanz? Well..you have to be relaxed here because NOBODY is in a hurry…
that is except for me at the moment. Off to the airport!!
Imagine being trapped under a hot blanket in the worst part of a fever….that’s the kind of weather I’ve been experiencing here in Dar es Salaam, the first stop on this adventure. It’s not so bad once you get a waft of a breeze or are in front of the blasting AC but during daytime hours you are definitely in for a sweating session. I am getting used it it, slightly. In the interim I’ll be booking my ticket next week for Nairobi and testing out the camera in this heat. However, most of my time here in Dar is going to be spent enjoying wedding festivities and seeing family I haven’t seen in years. You better believe I am going to enjoy one of my greatest pleasures while I’m here too: the beach!
I haven’t posted lately because I’ve had a sudden attack of stage fright. You know the kind where you’d much rather stand behind the curtain instead of showing off you’re latest dance move? You wait in bated breath hoping all the practice is going to pay off. Ooo the tension in the air! Hopefully it’s an adoring audience that watches as you sway and sashay in your rawest expression. Oh, where would we be if we didn’t need encouragement? Thanks for all the support from my friends and family I’ve been getting these past few months. I’m back to update you on the progress of the trip planning.
Two full days left of checking equipment. So far I’ll be taking:
Panasonic AG-HMC 150
Two batteries
Tripod
Reflectors
Laptop
Two External hard drives (thank everyone who insisted on this)
Lavalier
shotgun mic
All of this will be either carry on or securely smushed into my extra large backpack. Yep, I’m taking a large roll-on pack that includes straps to mimick the rough look and appeal as if I was ‘backpacking across the Andes’ . Heaven only knows if I’ll have any help to carry any of my stuff so this way I’m prepared to roll with the punches and chin up. This is one adventure I am excited to have the opportunity to take. I’ll carry you with me as much as I can to include you on the journey. I’m slightly over my stage fright already. Like any skill, you have to practice…use it or lose it!
So for now I’ll be available on my cell until It’s turned off until the last week of April. If anyone need to contact me please email me!
I’m back in cyberspace to add a little update to where and what I’m doing next. I’ve been surrounded by a mix of planning, researching, and constantly being on the go with much less to report (other than helping friends out with shooting, editing, and editing scripts). However, I have loved almost every minute of it and now I have some really great news to report…I finally got the word that Nyumbani Village has agreed on my visit. I am set to leave March 28th! I’ll be there to shoot a documentary style teaser for the purpose of being a fundraising tool. I’ll also work on the first steps of shooting a full length documentary for the village.
I am excited that this also has worked out perfectly around my cousin’s wedding in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He gets married on Easter and I’ll leave for Kenya a few days after. Once I’m in Kenya an on the village premises I hear there is no electricity and no air-conditioner. So, this leaves alot of planning I still need to get to to ensure I have enough batteries and battery powered lighting. Well, I’m ready.
Here is my perfect example of how good does come to those who wait. I have really wanted to work on this project for quite a while and I feel truly blessed knowing that I actually get to take on this amazing challenge.
The title cliche says it all. Throughout the duration of this blog I’ve kept you as informed about the progress of one particular project in Kenya. Looks like things may be stalling (or not going as quickly as I would it to work). I have been waiting to get the OK on the budget and funding for me to go over to shoot a documentary short for an orphanage in Kenya. However, after waiting to get the ball rolling there seems to be more waiting that I need to do.
To make a long story short I am going to host my own fundraiser to get myself out there to shoot this documentary. This is day one of the gathering of the necessary resources. Why is this so important to me well I’ve done some research and this isn’t just any orphanage, it’s one that has a self-sustaining method to it. Rather than relying solely on aid to keep up the facilities, this one brings in local elder from the area to teach and take care of the orphaned HIV positive children. I was thrilled to bring to light the importance this would have on other orphanages…gathering the efforts from the land, from the roots to continue to raise these children. Like many of us I certainly was listening to when Senator Clinton made that famous “it takes a village” speech and in this case it’s literally the truth.
So where am I starting on getting this fundraiser going? Well, where else… my own father. He’s been the fundraising expert who has been right there all along. I set up a meeting with him to pick his brain on all the steps you need to take to get the right people to support your mission that will have a lasting impact not only in Kenya but globally as well. Do you see the connection in all of this? There are truths to these cliches…but I won’t go on any further. There’s work to be done!
The trip down south was one eye opening experience. I wasn’t able to get as much footage of the spill or the surrounding areas along the coast as I would have liked but I did come across some rich ideas for a documentary. I made the drive from Hattiesburg, Mississippi in the pouring rain to find the rain has barely subsided by the time I got there. I ran across a BP protest going on in the heart of the French Quarter in New Orleans and since it I didn’t want to risk damaging my camera I turned to my darling iPhone. Instead of getting some great HD footage I managed to capture a few shots and talk to some enraged locals.
The Nyumbani Village short has been completed, the first premiere was a success and I’ve been recovering from the past few weeks of intense focus! So, to fully regroup I thought I would take a quick detour. The change of pace I so need takes me to Mississippi and Louisiana for the weekend.
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I’m back in cyberspace to add a little update to where and what I’m doing next. I’ve been surrounded by a mix of planning, researching, and constantly being on the go with much less to report (other than helping friends out with shooting, editing, and editing scripts). However, I have loved almost every minute of it and now I have some really great news to report…I finally got the word that 
The title cliche says it all. Throughout the duration of this blog I’ve kept you as informed about the progress of one particular project in Kenya. Looks like things may be stalling (or not going as quickly as I would it to work). I have been waiting to get the OK on the budget and funding for me to go over to shoot a documentary short for an orphanage in Kenya. However, after waiting to get the ball rolling there seems to be more waiting that I need to do.