JUMBO CHRISTMAS EVE PHOTO BLOG - 2016

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL! wow 2016 almost a wrap!

well i try to post monthly but i'm very far behind! my last post was end of september...oh well, guess i'm busy living life!

the pictures tell a thousand words so i'll resort to captions to explain!
let's get to it!

with paula & flippie (whom i met in israel in 2013 and we're very instrumental in me moving to RSA in
2014) at Rugby 7s at cape town stadium.

another shoot in front of my flat in cape town, 'church on the square'...quiet for me this season.

i did a student film when i got here back from the states...norwegian crew studying at AFDA!

cool shot of vilde, writer/director from norway.

at the fitting they asked if i could do an american accent, i said i hope so.

it was a period hollywood film from the 40's...on location in africa.

meet emily adair. remember that name. mega talent. our leading lady who does musical theatre. 

kristin did hair, makeup, wardobe, and was production designer. she won an award. she deserved it.

Vebjorn on an Arri alexa. no slouch gear. he won a "cine" award for DP.

we cheated south africa for our location in africa...hang on, that's still africa!  the rest of the film was a cheat for hollywood.

my character was a pervy director abusing leading ladies...slimy bad guy. 

my naughty room in the film with the young leading lady and where i stayed. pure africa. 

ah...La Perla...our new fun hang in Seapoint.

italian food that feels like the south of france on the atlantic but could be the Med. 
the Geoffreys of Malibu of Cape Town. 

Around Signal hill from me is another world. la perla, bantry bay, clifton, camps bay. stunning.

secluded beach in camps bay.

public pool in seapoint. opposite la perla.

i'm a card-carrying bus user now. great bus system here!

flippie & paula's home in raithby (where i landed when i moved to RSA after kenya). idyllic.
they actually let me bbq! tough stripes to earn in the land of the mighty afrikaans braai! 

seapoint

reverse angle.

facing west to the atlantic. seapoint. before the long promenade begins.

the aperol spritz...be very afraid. they will creep up on ya...i speak with experience.

Another character at la perla, the effervescent anri de klerk.

former soap star dean slater visiting our master class. zola on boom. Raw Espresso bar.

lion's head mountain out my window in town. the trees to the right is Company's Gardens park.
parliament buildngs on the left. the lion is perched on top facing to the right. 

the Mother City, this day in the clouds. 

A closed fire road i walk in training for the Camino de Santiago next september across spain.

ahhhh...La Perla. feels like the Med. the cape town riviera?

suitable for framing...at The Waterfront. a kodak moment

my alabama ex-pat bestie, Matt, whom i met in nairobi, then he moved to stanford well before me...with his alabama mama Mimi. apres shopping at The Waterfront and La Perla. i hope she's
taking good care of my hat back in the States!!

table mountain workers heading up the hill to work.

myCiti bus. nice.

i never mind the rain here in western cape. 

a foggy training day walking to signal hill. they shoot off a cannon daily at noon. the windows rattle.

my La Perla girls...anri, lisa marie, and Ilecia. the waiters love me there.  

opera night at Artscape...Carmen. hmmm...i had some story issues. and they didn't know how to end it!

my friend murray who lets me use Raw to teach my class has opened Native on the Waterfront.
location, location, location. 

an instant hit. 

i like riding in the back of the bus.

is it time for another Spritz already????

old school food park at the end of the promenade in seapoint. la perla across the street.

one day i took the bus to camps bay, walked up to the Twelve Apostles Hotel, then back to camps bay
past clifton and bantry bay to seapoint for La Perla. a good day!

ibid.

more stunning coastline along cliftons and camps bay.

camps bay. pre-christmas rush. and odd site to see no one in the water...it's too frigid. 

The Mynt in Camps Bay...a favorite brekky spot. 

table mountain with a super moon low tide.

when your big in germany...for the wrong reasons...psoriasis!

overhead walkway from the mini-taxis to Golden Acre. not many white guys my age and size ride the
mini-taxis...like a kenyan matatu...but i dig it.

Tiger's Milk bar annex...DTCT. 

urbanites. love this place. but i'm a country bumpkin now living mostly in stanford. 

pre art walk sneak peak on the wednesday night before the first thursday. Youngblood gallery.

grabbing the reaction shot of an AA meeting for the master class to be used in folk's showreels.

found a new place on Upper Bree. looks good!

most recent HAMC grads...we did 3 courses in 2016! 30 students started but not all finished the boot camp!

back in the booth. here's a recent spot i did for askari conservation...always love doing voiceover.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0YTIJFnFUY&feature=youtu.be

And now my cottage in stanford. ta-da! got the keys in november 1-ish. an instant life changer.

the flower mart in old cape town. near my flat.

exterior back yard, cottage, night.

the view from my sundowner stroll.

yup, i live in the rural now. 

HAMC grad and a very dear friend, stefan schweizer, died last month in germany. we held a memorial for him at
signal hill. afterwards a paraglider flew his photo to the shore. stefan loved cape town. he is sorely missed.

we started at noon with the cannon blast. it was sad and sweet. he was deeply loved. we all miss him.
he was meant to fly into cape town dec 3, instead we were holding his memorial that day.

looking across the city bowl from signal hill.

kirsten poses for a portrait. 

we held stefan's memorial here, overlooking seapoint. and beyond. signal hill.

meanwhile back at the cottage...

some cottage, right? talk about an understatement. but i'll take it. 

it's been fun creating lots of living spaces. the patio and the pergola in the BG.

i walked in and said yes. took about 3 seconds. what's not to love?

kirsten and me above cape town.

capturing street art being captured. 

my clock tower at the church next door. never gets old. it's where i shot Finding Messiah.

exterior cottage, pool & pergola, day.

the tape line is where i cut the wall to. it needed opening up. when you were braai-ing you couldn't see the pool!

USA pep squad for the rugby 7s, a very big global deal now! 

matt & alex, go team!

cape town stadium is absolutely stunning.

flippie & paula, i went with them to rwanda to see the gorillas in Volcano National Park last year.

EXT. STADIUM. STUNNING.

a kenyan who lives in washington d.c. and travels with the eagles globally. a new country every week during the season
for Rugby 7s. everyone dresses up, it's a party, and the fastest growing sport in the world!

looks bueno.

nelly kibura, from kenya, at 7s. we screamed like crazy for kenya as well!

the games are 2 7-minute halves, with 7 men per side. it's fast and furious. really fun to watch!

the old wall now taken down a few notches. muy better. 

i found a new favorite. 

lower wall with beautiful blackwood bar top. made a negative into a positive. 

made the upstairs into my live/work space. 

it's called a trestle desk. feels right.

my film crew and cast lovelies. we fast became family. dinner at my flat, lunches at company's garden. 

the studio annex bedroom. with it's own bath. my secret nap space.

my friend grant at his stanford cottage. you getting the idea?

these old landys are so classic. my old friend johan who i did the bread shack with is helping me with the cottage.
he fixes these old landys up, i may be partnering in that!

is this cityphile becoming a country muffin? hard not to like this place.

the vistas are quite brilliant.

my secret nap room, reverse angle onto the stoep.

stanford. and a river runs through it. 

then i worked a day on a friend's feature film, The Roar. Broadway director this time. good guy.

christmas in stanford.

enjoying a beer and some za in nearby hermanus. lovely.

lose the wall...add the blackwood bar top. yes.

african mask was my first house warming gift. he is now known as Edwin. 

my new extended loft space. there used to be a wall where there is no paint. nice.

2016 re-cap:
taught first HAMC course
worked a few big international commercials in cape town (including Humira for USA)
taught second HAC course
went to sardinia in early may via addis ababa to see dear old friends
(and learned the Snapseed photo app Drama2)
made an offer on the cottage in mid july
applied for a bond for the cottage
had a date with an Marstronaut...adriana maraias.
rejected for the bond on the cottage
discovered La Perla
rejected again on the cottage bond
taught third HAMC course
was approved for the cottage bond
1 nov got the keys to said cottage
24 dec writing christmas blog in said cottage

feels like a small year in terms of big jobs or big outings of travel.
but i survived and somehow got approved for a home loan!
the miracles of the lord never cease!
wishing you all a very merry christmas and the best new year yet!
love from the cottage,
ddm