africa blog

Sunday, 3 November 2013

FEELING AT HOME - SPECIAL DOUBLE BLOG!

STARTING YEAR 3

hard to believe i'm starting my 3rd year in africa. but as time ticks by i have to say it's feeling more and more like home. i had plans to fly home for christmas but i knew in my gut all along it wasn't going to happen. just flight hours to my brother's in tucson is 22 hours plus in transit time in Nairobi, Dubai, and LAX. so, i decided to pass on christmas. i was just there last year and i'm good. plus, if i can festival my sea turtle doco next year, i need to save my travel funds. (although there is always a chance i may sneak down cape town and maybe betty's bay!)

this blog is a potpourri of all kinds of COTW travel stuff. mostly lamu & NBO, but lots of events in the last 2 months. sorry for the radio silence these past 2 months, but Google was giving me issues in signing in to the blog! finally figured out my pilot error on that!

so, many many pics! let's get to it. bottom line, westgate bombing and possible press gag order by the kenyan govt aside, this feels like home to me now. i have gotten my roots down, am feeling more place and purpose here, and i'm settling in. i have great community, great friends, great students, and a great place to live. things are very cool. plus slingshot prods just booked a 4 day shoot for the Peponi Hotel in lamu that shoots nov 12-15th. very excited for that!

end of november i scheduled to act in a film in ethiopia. next blog could have some fun BTS pics from on set!

time for pics...in no order...i can't control that!

my bed in lamu / shela village

looking from my first floor work station up to the upper deck at my crib in shela

looking straight ahead from 1st floor guest level from my desk

boat pulling up to pier at lamu airport on manda island

passengers head to terminal

asian contingency arriving at airport

Orman wedding dance circle at Odo's compound

twilight on manda island

my usual brekky in shela. thanks Dixon!

at low tide the boats wrap around the beach

emily from sweden living in juba working for UNICEF visiting lamu. sundowner cruise.

Skip

my view from my upper deck

friday night dinner at lamu house in lamu town

holly from UK on the dhow to manda for brunch

shakey-shakes at Whisper's cafe in lamu town.

whisper's cafe ext. patio

dhow sail. : )

taking off for NBO

doorman's coffee at karen crossroads. always a good hang. you'll find me upstairs.

another acting workout day at HQ!

Alex bin's house in lamu town. architectural digest anyone????

kate's dhow in lamu. very queen of sheeba!

finally got my Apple TV working!

summer is coming at slingshot HQ at the stable. plus the rainy season!

tricked out landy!

customized by Shumacher land rover in NBO

now that's a tent!

cool awning at travel fare at karen blixen museum

brown's cheese booth

always draws a crowd!

sunday in NBO game park...9 lion sightings!

put it in park and turn off the key. this is the show.

lions never get old. land sharks.

and here's lunch.

german gals on safari in the prado!

stick bug. so cool.

Vito, the new company car.

paka paka finds his light.

new doco one sheet.

fat & happy paka.

always boats in lamu.

Another dhow

safety in numbers??? hmmmm.

yusuf my capt in shela

donkey by fire light in lamu town.

view out my guest floor in shela. a favorite nap spot!

moonlight by iphone...meh.

two asses. shela jetty.

new angle.

peponi hotel upper right

peponi ferry to lamu town..leaves shela jetty at 9am - leaves lamu at noon!

capt. cappuccino

lamu town graffiti

sitting room at roland's house

colorful girls in lamu town

low tide

moonrise restaurant at lamu house hotel in lamu town. great friday night dinners!

giant kon-tiki like catamaran...Kaz-kazi

massai on board....or is he really samburu in disguise for the tourists?

capt cappucino on another run

Mirage getting some maintenance in front of Peponi

sushi rolls...peponi dinner

jetty at shela

skippers on the ferry to lamu town

stealth iphone5 spy cam. inside ferry to lamu

the stand in lamu

more of alex's house in lamu town

colors & texture

great shadows

nice angles

guest room at alex's

old world meets new world

stairs

ready for a fashion shoot

spacious loo

such a beautiful house

top view looking down

escher-esque

great lines

good shadows. paint me!

upper terrace

open spaces

hallway

kid walks in shela

more low tide

palms never get old.

not a foot wash.

new angle of my sky bridge!

Sunday, 8 September 2013

NEW PURPOSE - SEPT 2013

NEW PURPOSE - SEPT 2013

well, this year certainly hasn't gone according to plan. but as my friend in dallas, dminer, reminds me, "maybe God has a better plan?". and so it goes. the leap of faith every month this year has been "God has a better plan", because whatever my plan has been for this year or the last few months has certainly not been my plan. (Didn't i write a book called "God is Not a Smart Planner".com ???) why is this new ground for me?? i guess when the divine plan clashes with the stiff-necked human plan, there is bound to be new conflict, doubts, wonderment, panic! but the overriding kung fu is that i am following my brother's credo "make art or teach art". and august was a busy month of finishing a 9-week Hollywood Acting Master Class and then launching STA...SLingshot Talent Agency.
https://www.facebook.com/slingtalent

we have roughly 12 clients all from the Master Class and it's a big leap into the unknown. lorella my trusty sidekick and producer for sling prods had to jump in as Managing Agent and negotiate a monthly contract for a Nairobi TV show on Day 1.

after i finished the master class i made 12 headshots and cut 12 acting reels for our clients. and hired a webmaster to put the STA site up and running and well organized. a pretty hectic month all in all and was glad to escape back to lamu sept 1 for some much needed R&R.

Sling Prods is itching to get back into production and may have something in south sudan as well as a big US govt gig for MCC in developing countries. we're in the mix at least. hopefully that will pop.

HAMC (hollywood acting master class) is offering a new 8 week course for students 12-18 in NBO and maybe up in Nakuru on saturdays and sundays. Open House next saturday to gauge interest level. but the word is slowly getting out that we are offering something unique in the NBO market and are the real deal in teaching TV & Film techniques. and i have to admit i have a lot of fun teaching, directing, and shooting! each class is a 2 camera shoot. with sound. and lots of distractions to teach folks how to "commit & concentrate". and my students have really grown. that's we started STA, cuz we have folks who are trained now and can compete. fingers crossed they all get nice contracts!

can't believe sept 30, 2 years ago, i left LAX with a one way ticket to africa and everything i owned. have only been back home once i that time and have plans to return again for christmas and new years. last year was definitely more "adventure", and this year it's turned into the "kenya experiment"...meaning i guess the outcome is unknown! not sure if i'm going to fly or sink yet, but i'm here and i'm swinging for the fences. now that we have SLing Talent and are repping actors and singers and performers and presenters, i kid that i'm building an empire! emerging as a starmaker, and idolmaker. who knows?? i love the arts and artists and it's been a blast training up our clients. it keeps me invested over here now that i'm investing in people. and they are cool people. you would love them all. i'm proud of who they are and how far they've come and am eager to see their progress. meanwhile, we still do "work out" days at HQ and work scenes.

on a sidebar, i started yoga again in Lamu this trip. pretty laughable getting my granite slab body on a mat, but it's been good. i sure need it. and need to continue in karen area in NBO.

might be doing a movie in ethiopia in nov/dec. waiting for actualities to take place like a script in english and a plane ticket, but i think something will happen. should be fun.

well, that's all for now. short and sweet. let's get to the pics and some captions.

p.s. oh yeah, to dig my roots deeper into NBO, i bought a share of a share in a racehorse... Trade Secret. he's barely 2 years old, but should be fun to follow.

maryolive has a bright future and is really talented.

tracy is an old-timer with me since last year. her work is getting very good and she's on
a contract now!

our logo. (font: lunar bar)

Sharlyn is a three-time NBO Actor Monologue Champ and just got a show! she's a fellow
"set junky" like me. loves being on set!

Wilfred was a Karen street kid and comedian but becoming a serious actor.

Shirlyne is a triple threat...singer, dancer, actor. lots to develop!

brian is becoming a local star. he started with me last year and has blown up!

Trade Secret. run baby run!

matt chancey is the other share of a share holder.

self portrait last month. i've trimmed up since then.

lorella has jumped in wearing lots of hats now! lunch at Purdy Arms.

Paka Paka is the biggest cat in kenya now i'm pretty sure. he was having dreams of flying.

some STA clients at HQ doing scene work on camera. great bunch!

off to lamu. nothing says vacation like an open cockpit!

another dhow, from the airport back to shela.

peponi hotel terrace at dusk. a great watering hole.

lamu town. always photogenic!

errol's house at dusk. part Morocco, part NYC loft! very cool space!

Peponi terrace the other direction, towards Manda channel.

some lamu bling...masai bangles.

this boat capt snagged a ride in stuart's plane, who took me up to shoot some aerial footage
of the new lamu port. he was stoked...first time off the ground!