The Rainbow Spotter

It's a Friday night and I am fishing for new martini recipes while soaking in the orange glow of my little flat. My little nest this home has become, comforting me with its 70 F temperature while the Tundra outside threatens me with arctic frostbite like symptoms. I am waiting for someone to join me and I am so happy that I came home tonight to share my single-hood with Q instead of falling asleep to yet another night of an episode from Mad Men (don't get me wrong, it's a finely written and brilliantly directed series but sitcoms make bad bed-fellows. You know...they are addictive, you feel miserable falling asleep alone, so you watch one more and then one more until your eyes hurt with sleep. You then wake up next morning looking pathetic)

I have travelled two continents and I still stand by this solemnly: no one in this world can compete with your women friends when it comes to companionship in times of joy and sadness. Yes the cliche stands true that we do blabber our heart's content about EVERYTHING. I see my male friends and how clammed up they can be, denying their inner feelings to be vented and thereby building layers and layers of emotions suppressed unhealthily. God knows what that self-inflicted silence hides beneath the tough exterior of most XY species.

I am privileged. Yes I am....to meet the confident, independent, funny and inspiring women who befriend me wherever I go. JJJCQ....I look at these women and I wonder if there's a larger cosmic reason we all are yet to be found by worthy companions.

I say "found" and not "we are yet to find". We chased - in some cases relentlessly - men whose intellect fascinated us. Normally, I am all for the new order of courtship that my generation of women practice. Woman spots/meets guy, tests his sense of humour and intelligence, checks to see if he is compatible and then zeroes in to lock herself emotionally. But, of late, I get a sense that maybe the old order of courtship needs to be revived. I am not suggesting you play coy and wait for a man who is IT. But why not give them an opportunity to seek us out. Someone I knew very well used to say "It's all about the chase". I finally get it even if I want to deny it.

 If only all of us can resign ourselves to this: fate and timing often have more to do with meeting people. Not "right" or "perfect" but individuals who are confident of themselves yet humble and up for a challenge.

It must be a bit of the wisdom that my professor shared with me tonight or the good Hendricks drink she fixed for me...but I think I can see myself a bit clearer today. Being a woman, an Indian and turning 26 , in this country is sparking off the epiphany that all of us have parallel identities, co-existing and supplementing the extremes of the other. And if we all managed to live the most honest and healthiest of each of those identities, ONLY then would we be truly doing justice to ourselves.

Enough diatribe! I shall now sit back, cross my feet and enjoy my chilly lemon martini. Cheers Q! Your presence really brings out the zany side of me...albeit in a good way. Now only if I can find a guy who does the same.

DAy 5 @ LA: 101 Hollywood for an Indian

Today was the last day on our schedule and I almost feel a little upset that this fantastic week of learning from industry professionals out here in Hollywood has come to an end.

Today’s set of lectures combined information on technology and valuable advice on how to build and sustain relationships and hence one’s future in the entertainment industry. We traveled back to the Writer’s Guild and first met with Chuck Slocum who upon graduating from Newhouse had gone on to join business school. Chuck advises the guild about technology and sure enough this man was speaking tech trivia in context to the changes taking place in the industry in almost every new sentence. Here are a couple of things I am now curious about – net neutrality vs piracy policing, residuals, vongo a clause that allows stars online benefits (I need to read up on these as much as I can) and high speed internet being streamed to the television and how this will change TV viewing.

I learnt a couple of things that hadn’t struck me before and found out why: cable companies as owners of internet connections purposely slow down content (I need to understand why and how this is benefitting them); more things have been digitally shot in TV because AFTRA has been more co-operative than other guilds; one and a half percent of your earnings as a writer is given to the guild; that eventually the goal is for AFTRA and SAG to merge but this is proving to be a challenge because they have separate health plans; the contracts department of the WGA can be of help to even a producer, however it does not negotiatte your personal deal and to do so you need an agent or entertainment lawyer; you can call and ask WGA to help you set basic clauses/minimum wages in your contract; directors like Spike Lee use unusual credits and they can do so because they are outside the guild; the two separate offices of WGA (East and West) do not have a national board authority; Netflix has star titles because some stars have the vongo clause in their contract; Netflix is a significant element to the studios today, they have 15 million credit card users and hence are now an incumbent. However Netflix has problems regarding rights and therefore only has 1% of films and finally coming back to tech again Blue Ray is going to be big by 2012.

After the lecture, I interacted with Mr Slocum for a while and asked his advice if I should join a business school given my interest in the business side of the entertainment industry and aspirations to facilitate Indian-American collaborations in film. He said I absolutely must but after I work for a couple of years in the industry. That gives me something new to factor into my ‘five year plan’. There is something else that Mr Slocum advised I am going to try and live by: “live on half of what you make for the first five years”.

Next we had a Line Producer speak to us. Steve Grossman moved out to LA in 1977 and had no job to go to. He sold shoes and as one hears of many of those “by chance” stories landed his first job in the entertainment industry through one of his customers. Steve said something very poetic and yet so accurate to the attitude required in order to survive this industry, “Every shoe I sold was a mile further away”. We learnt about the different functions of the line producer and how s(he) works with writers, producer and actors to afford the canvas upon which the project comes together. The line producer also facilitates and sometimes resolves dialogue or conflict between writers and actors. Ultimately, a lot of the Line Producer’s job is to be a conduit of information to people who are on and off the set as well as deal with talent and cut down tension on the set. Something that Steve mentioned took me back to what I was discussing with Norm Guzenhauser the night before at the cocktail reception. Steve said that, “TV is familiar topics re-represented and re-generated”. In order to do so or even successfully work in the Television industry, I must set out to read and see sitcoms as they have evolved over the last three decades. Steve had many other wise sayings for us which all of us meticulously made note of and having worked myself, I couldn’t agree more with him: “don’t deny an opportunity that can provide you a living so you can do the bigger things”; “at work what will make you stand out is the attitude”; “don’t shy away from older people”; “observe people as much as you can”; “don’t forget to live”;” write to people in shows or the networks who you admire and appreciate. You never know what it will bring”; “depend less on technology and read more. This country is at a very interesting time when a 25 year old fired from Wall Street is competing with an unemployed 45 year old”; “personalize you passion”; “despite technological advancements, it is the ancient art of storytelling that will dominate. It’s the content that is king not the tools”

The day ended with a meeting with Mitch Messinger who handles Publicity for ABC Daytime and SOPnet. We spent a few minutes understanding how the publicity department strategizes General Hospital’s episodes and characters to garner attention from existing and potential viewers. Following this, we made a quick round of the set where an episode of General Hospital was being shot and also spent a little time watching the directors in the production room. I was so amazed to see how Sitcoms like Young and Restless and General Hospital are directed and switched in the production room as if it was a live TV event. Makes me wonder if daytime soap operas back in India function the same way.

So here’s the end to what has been a fantastic journey so far. I can say this with absolute surety that what I observed and heard on this trip has been priceless learning not only towards my future in this industry but added to my growth as an individual. I am grateful that I am a part of an school which prides itself on the relationships it has forged with its students and to see Newhouse alums come together to give back to yet another new batch re-assures me of the importance of forging genuine bonds with individuals first and not merely as professionals who can help advance your career.

A lot of perspective has been added to my immediate goals and a plan is shaping up to make the most of what is now on my plate. Going back, a systematic strategy to set out exploring opportunities in LA will be underway.

I can’t help but recall what my mother told me back in India when I was unsure of coming to Newhouse since it was not my first priority. It is overwhelming to realize that perhaps there is a reason why we are offered certain opportunities which at that moment do not seem to make much sense but hold a lot for us in the future and eventually when this dawns upon us, it is incumbent that we make the most of the small or the big opportunities. Spring semester will be painful since it is my last one at Newhouse but it also seems to be the promise of the most exciting time at Newhouse given that the LA trip answered many of my questions. Here’s to making every second left in school as productive as possible.

Day 4 @ LA: 101 Hollywood for an Indian

The industry seminars has been so far packed with writers and producers but today’s itinerary had two areas of the media which may not have interested me as career options but definitely made me learn a lot more than I knew of them so far.

First up, we visited the Rhythm and Hues Animation Studio and met up with an animation artist and a producer. I could recall most of what I had learnt of the process of animation when I was producing a feature story on the animation industry in India but there was so much else about this craft and its business that was new to me. It was interesting to learn that there is a designation such as ‘Production Executive’ in an animation studio and that his/her task is to scout for new projects. We were also told that Rhythm and Hues is presently in collaboration with a movie company and for the first time R&H is a profit participant and not just a service provider. This new understanding has piqued my interest to learn more of profit sharing models for creative collaborators in the industry. So, a step forward in this direction will be to ask Evan Smith -- who is teaching us Film Business this semester -- links and articles to catch up with this facet of the business side. I also had no prior idea that the budget of an animation project is calculated shot by shot!

As we moved from one side of the studio to another, I noticed a couple of Indian men in conversation with employees of Rhythm and Hues and I instantly thought of Pixar, Framebox and the less recognized but equally efficient numerous little animation units across Mumbai and Hyderabad that are executing a chunk of the ideas developed here in the US. A decade after the IT boom and call centre outsourcing phenomenon, here we are, Indians and Americans working on the same germ of an idea through the same models of outsourcing. I am now keen on finding out if someone with my interest in development and learning the business side of the entertainment industry, can explore job opportunities in the animation industry. I would be excited to intern with the development department of a studio and also help facilitate dialogue and strategy with animation outfits in India who are at the other end of the outsourcing spectrum. I raised this question to Scot, the producer and after a bit of quizzing me on my background, he offered his e-mail id and said he would get back to me with a suggestion if I could write to him soon. And I am definitely doing that first thing when I get back.

We then returned to our hotel where a panel of Producers and directors all working in live TV was to engage with us. Production on live TV is something I am familiar with and hence assumed I would not have much to take away from the ongoing discussion. But once again I was surprised. Mr Rosenblatt explained how one’s personality drives one’s professional advancement in this line and also emphasized that the strategy to bettering one’s craft is to, “take things that are good for you and not those that will pay you a lot of money. Money will come if you enjoy and are good at what you do”. Yet another panelist saying the same thing all over again, but after all clichés are nothing but the truth often repeated. I interpreted his advice as this: a creative professional will thrive if he does what he can to apply himself to his work spontaneously and sincerely. I also made a note of Rosenblatt’s statement that the present crop of producers in live TV are less familiar with the history of this business. I have realized that despite my familiarity with American sitcoms and films growing up we watched more American content than any other), I need to read and watch TV series over the years and see how the styles have evolved. This will help me not only understand the popular culture references but also be more engaging with potential employers while I explore job opportunities here.

The day progressed to the most anticipated event on this entire trip’s schedule – the networking evening with Syracuse alumni. Walking into a room packed with a little over a hundred people and knowing that most of them were accomplished or recognised names in the industry was initially a bit intimidating. So, I started by talking to people who had started out in LA just a few years ago after graduating from Newhouse. I first spoke to a group of three men: Adam, Pete and Brent who go by ‘boardbrothers’ and are Syracuse graduates from 2006. I found out how they moved out to LA and got them to share their experience and efforts in sustaining their own creative aspiration on the sidelines while working on other jobs that help them sustain their group’ creative pursuits. I must have spoken to Adam alone for 40 minutes and was enthralled as he drew me deeper and deeper into his personal experiences that have shaped him as a writer and producer. The conversation must have really engaged him because he made sure that I had his contact number and mail id and asked me to get in touch with him whenever I need to for help. Feeling much better and more prepared to forge new friendships in this room, I moved on to interact with Steve Kent (Senior Executive VP of Programming at Sony Pictures Television), Doug Robinson (Executive Producer, ‘Rules of Engagement’) and Norm Gunzenhauser (writer of Newhart and Murhy Brown amongst many other sitcoms of the early 80s) for more detailed one on one conversations . While Mr Kent did not have enough time for a long conversation he has been kind enough to provide his contact information and ask me to get in touch with him. I am excited at the possibilities that might arise from this meeting and hope to learn more of Sony’s business plans in India in the motion picture and television industry. The evening ended with a heart warming conversation with Mr Gunzenhauser and I am glad I had this incredible opportunity to meet and talk to people who share a bond not only through Newhouse but by their passion for this industry. As Mr Gunzenhauser said, now it’s time to be calm and receptive while small and big opportunities come by in their most inconspicuous form at me. Only then will I be able to make the most of what LA has to offer.

Day 3 @ LA: 101 Hollywood for an Indian

Day 3 has been undoubtedly the most packed since this trip began. Packed not only with a larger number of industry professionals but also information that I have been seeking for a while but not been able to get answers to. Today’s meetings gave me a very good insight into both business and creative aspects of the industry.

The day began with a panel of Producers, a writer, a Senior VP and a Manager, almost all Syracuse alums working with Sony. This is the first time we had people working in the film industry speak to us and being more interested in the development and business aspect of filmmaking, I gained a lot from this panel.

It was disheartening to hear that there is a 30% decrease in production of films and that a trend of being hired as an executive within a shorter span of time in one’s career is no longer true. But along with the reality check, there was other information that our panelist shared with us that proved to be valuable given my interests. Jason Blumenthal explained how he had to turn entrepreneurial as a producer when the movie industry began its phase of a big slump and his emphasis on the concept of branded entertainment further drove the reality that movies are increasingly integrating strategies that ensure commercial success. The writer on the panel Andrew Mazer, however explained that regardless of what is being made for the big screens -- for those interested in the creative side of filmmaking especially writers and directors – we must stay true to our passion and avoid making things for the “marketplace” because what is relevant today might be passé day after.

The concept of “shrinking windows” was also raised by a panelist and therein, I learnt something new about the technological aspect of films becoming increasingly accessible within the confines of one’s house. A classmate of mine brought up this question and I realized, I need to spend more time reading the trades in the section of technology as well to understand the shift in viewing and marketing trends in the entertainment business. Finally after the panel discussion was over, a personal Q&A with Andrew Grumpert revealed that he knew Ronnie Screwalla, my ex boss from UTV back in India because of a deal that UTV was involved with SONY. Yet another example of how small the world is and how everyone in this profession knows someone invariably! I really wanted to build on this little piece of information and ask Mr Grumpert what kind of companies I should be looking at for an internship if I wanted to learn more about the Indian end of business negotiation with American studios here but we were asked to vacate the room. Going back to Syracuse, that’s the first thing I am doing of course after sending a hand-written “thank you note” to Mr Grumpert.

Talking about thank you notes and the etiquette side of the media industry, I learnt more today about cover letters, resume and networking, all in the span of an hour than I have on any other occasion. And I am going to fast-forward a good seven hours after the panel with Sony ended. Post dinner we had Kimberly Koser (a Syracuse alum again) the Director of Human Resources at Bank of Manhattan educate us about the most crucial aspects of the process of job applications. I finally have a better understanding of how I can organize and structure the next two months into executing a plan for my internship and job applications. To begin with I know now that I need to do a self-assessment of my weaknesses and skills, think of my 20 PAR moments (Problem Action Resolved) from my previous work experience and develop a 90 second pitch of myself. I may be trying to stay focused on getting through this journal entry but even as I do so, I am already on my list of 3! Also, I realized that my sister was absolutely right. Cover letters like Kim mentioned take a long time and the sooner I get started on narrowing down the potential companies/ production houses I would like to work in. The earlier I can start working on the cover letters. So going back to Syracuse, I am getting down to my top 10 places to intern in LA and New York.

Now rewinding back to the block of time I have not accounted for in between the Sony panel and our meeting with Kim. We had met with writers and producers from the TV and film genre and now it was moving onto a wholly different genre: reality TV. Dan Goldberg of Freemantle Media and two other speakers I knew little about until now provided us with an understanding of the business of the reality genre and why it was working for a lot of youngsters who are trying to break into the industry and although I have been allergic to most of reality TV, I have to agree that the advice we got from this panel was arguably what aspiring producer/directors in the class have never been privy to before. The aforementioned two young speakers were Dan and Ben Newmark, young producers/actors/writers who came out to LA to become actors and still intend to but until that happens they have found a way of having their ideas recognized by using the basic resources, network of friends and some great team work. To have two people closest to your age tell you their strategies of writing, forging friendships over the often overused term of ‘networking’ and understand that it was important to keep churning out visual work for people to see was refreshing and comforting. The Newmark brothers had all of us entertained, enlightened and engaged. No doubt they are able to tell the stories they are. I definitely for one, now see the benefits of partnering with a like minded class-mate to develop and pitch ideas and I can only hope (after this encouraging interaction) that we will do this sooner than we thought we would.

Day 2 @ LA: 101 Hollywood for an Indian

Imagine this - a meeting with one of the most successful and powerful agents in the entertainment industry. And we are not talking about that accidental elevator trip. I am talking about a two hour meeting, set in one of the most fancy sleek conference rooms with a man who would be otherwise impossible to get for even two minutes.

That wasn’t a scene out of one of my scripts or a film I am recommending. This was the opportunity of a lifetime and one that I am privileged to have had thanks to Newhouse. More so thanks to a Syracuse alum who chose to provide a bunch of confused, starry eyed young aspiring media professionals with the most expensive and sought after thing: his time and his advice.

Day two started with a meeting with the Managing Partner of the Creative Artist’s Agency. Rob’s first piece of advice for us was something we all instantly jotted down onto our notebooks in that automatic instinct of student behaviour: “Information and knowledge is power”. Of course and how correct! Only a second later, after he narrated his personal experience to supplement this point did we realize that it was perhaps the most self-serving but ruthless way getting ahead. When Rob told us f how a tip shared by his friend while he worked in the mailroom of ICM, helped him bag that job, I was left wondering if hiding contacts and opportunities from fellow classmates was going to be more of a norm than a rarity come internship season. Going by the next thing Rob mentioned, “Life is not fair”, I guess it will be the norm.

In those two hours, we had an exclusive insight to the Rob Light “personal experience” lessons and added to that the understanding of how an agent works and why working at an agency is perhaps one of the smartest “first jobs” to start off with. Rob’s effort in personally putting together articles, quotes and a reading list of crucial books for our benefit not only impressed but overwhelmed me. True enough as faculty have mentioned, SU alums are always ready to give back and help mentor a fresh crop of Newhouse students. And making the best of it, I posed a question about the possibility of an international student with my work experience fitting into the financing area of films in an agency. Rob Light’s response was positive and I am following that up immediately when I am back in Syracuse with some research on present collaborations with Indian studios and companies in the entertainment business.

The rest of the day was spent almost entirely on the set of a show that I watched every afternoon back at home with my father and what unique cycles of the cosmos should this be! I was watching my favourite actors Patrick Warburton and Adhir Kalyan act on the set of the latest episode of the ‘Rules of Engagement’. I kept my eyes on the multi-cam set up throughout and learnt something new about blocking shots around a table, something I dealt with in my last project on campus. Later we spend time with Doug Robinson the producer of the show and once again an SU alum and this is the best part, Tom Hertz as well, the show’s creator and one of the writers of F R I E N D S. I held onto every thing Doug and Hertz said, be it that we must read as many scripts as we can everyday to the opinion that working as an assistant to a Producer or literary agent is much better than serving time as a Production Assistant (although I feel more confused about this and need this clarified). But what I valued most was Doug’s explanation of the differences between a Creative and Executive Producer and also how being close to the marketing side helps a Producer. Learning what I have from my last job as an Associate Producer, I could not agree more. This trip is beginning to make me realise that I should not shy away from learning more of the business aspect of the industry and development is something I want to do seriously but also make sure that I have a strength over my peers about the process of strategizing, negotiation and financing aspect of the creative projects. To quote Barney from yet another one of my favourite sitcoms ‘How I Met Your Mother’ this day according to me was “legendary”.

Day 1 @ LA: 101 Hollywood for an Indian

So winter break is technically over even though this is the last week before school starts. And yes, my Hawaii sojourn NEEDS to be chronicled for posterity but given the time crunch and the fact that I have begun my LA industry trip, I will be updating this space with my quick journals (mandatory course work btw) from each day's lectures, networking and other interesting tid-bits from Hollywood.

Before I begin, a quick update. I landed in Burbank yesterday after a painful parting from my sister and sunny Berley. 27 of us from the Television, Radio and Film program from Newhouse School are being put up in Beverly Garland in Burbank which is located in North Hollywood and on the "other side of the hill" as locals say .

In my dictionary (as updated from wikipedia of course) Burbank is interesting because it is referred to as the 'Media Capital of the World' what with significant production facilities of Warner Brothers, PBS, NBC Universal, Walt Disney and Cartoon Network. It's becoming tougher and tougher to weigh New York over LA with such trivia being discovered at every moment of this trip that I am paying for with precious 3 credits.

By the way, I learnt that 'wiki' is Hawaiian for 'fast' and the idea for this name struck the creator when he saw the wiki shuttle at the airport. Ta da!!

So this series of LA chronicles begins here and there will be four more to come. I promise I"ll try sprucing them up later. Write now my fingers are itching to simply type it out and hit the sack before my 7 am wake up call for our breakfast with CAA tomorrow. The no sorry THE Creative Artist's Agency!

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Day 1 of the LA industry Seminar started off with a note of encouragement: “We are in a great spot” and “being clueless is good”. Both statements came at time when my anxiety and anticipation of this trip were at its peak. Needless to say, it was a relief to understand that not only was it good to be at a phase where you are still putting together the pieces for that puzzle but also that we were at the right place to start making sense of what that puzzle could look like when we got down to assembling it.

And sure enough, the speakers for the day started giving us some of those missing pieces. We were given a sense of what these industry professionals did when they started out and if they were to start all over again, how they would do things differently. But perhaps the most crucial feedback that all speakers had in common was that if one wanted to make the right start to a ‘career’ in the entertainment industry, one must move to Los Angeles. Most of our speakers had been shy or intimidated of moving to LA and some even regretted that they did not start their careers here. Some had done what a lot of us in the class think of doing which is to take up jobs in New York because that is where we saw ourselves living. But as the day drew closer, I had a better understanding as to why these people made the choice to move here and why they advised us to do the same.

Our first speaker for the day was Jonathan Greene, a producer and an established writer. Greene is known from Law and Order: Special Victims Unit but started off in his younger days as a documentary filmmaker in New York. What interested me most was how Jonathan related his days in broadcast journalism to his present skills as a writer. Having worked in the Broadcast Television industry myself back in India, I have always been curious as to what I took from my skills in a completely different industry to my present interest in fiction. When Johnathan pointed out that ‘brevity’ in writing as an inheritance from his journalism days has served him best as a Television writer, I could see his point. I also valued Green’s comment when he said that we “must keep an open mind” and “don’t let anyone discourage you”. Some very interesting industry trivia that I took away from his lecture was that in comparison to feature writers, staff writers for TV were required to be out of LA mostly because this is where they had to report to their bosses and work together as a team; that May is when TV series get picked up and that a lot of Producers also have writing credentials; every studio has a writers program that one can apply to with one’s material and the best job that one can start with as an aspiring writer is to be an assistant to a literary agent.

Our second speaker for the day was Kevin Mock, editor of Chuck and America’ Next Top Model. Kevin had very good pointers on the difference between direting for scripted as compared to reality TV. I was surprised to hear Kevin explain how he found directing scripted content to be more relaxing than reality because there was a game plan to follow in the first. As someone who aspires to be a Director someday, Kevin’s tips were priceless. I have heard this before and the fact that yet another industry professional mentioned it, reinforced this idea: that post production is a good route to directing. The single most advice that was of the most value from Kevin’s lecture and perhaps one of the best things I heard today was that as freshers, we should find jobs with people and companies who inspire us and rather than sticking to the theory of “small pond, big fish”, we should aim for the big names in the business.

Our second round of lectures was at the office of Writer’s Guild of America. The pane; comprised of Syracuse alums Danny Zuker, Norm Gunzenhauser and a third writer Bill Diamond. Zuker was thoroughly entertaining and had the maximum laughs from the class as he explained the eccentricities of writers and celebrities. I have often wondered if I writing is feasible for those who are more inclined to production or the creative aspects of the trade but when Zuker revealed that he had started out as a PA before landing up as a writer in LA. Norm’s tip that “there is no real formula of things” and his experience that the industry is at it’s most exciting time with writing avenues no longer limited within the US was also insightful. Bill Diamond also had valuable advice for starters especially this one, “ some of the worst experiences are the ones you learn from the most”. Recalling one of his own experiences while pitching, he explained that while pitching one should project what one does best rather than offering multiple options. The writer’s panel summed up their ‘gyaan’ for us by emphasizing that aspiring writers in the class must get an agent or at least pass on their scripts to writers with agents. Also, the best way to get noticed as a writer is to write work that is original.

The last event of the day served more as entertainment rather than enlightenment. We scuttled across the studio lot of Warner Brothers and waited amidst many others to watch the live taping of the “Lopez Tonight Show”. Of course we had VIP passes but after the hour and half wait, I was more interested in seeing how the set was constructed and how many floor managers, steady cameras and set directors comprised the show unit rather than watch Lopez himself. However, the host did prove out to be quite a treat as much and with the exception of a ‘filler’ who had me cringing with his sexist and racist jokes, my first experience of a live taping will remain a memorable one.

I am excited to be at the Creative Artists Agency office tomorrow having researched how this organization grew from a makeshift office to the leading talent agency that it has become to be recognized today with clients like George Clooney, David Letterman and Julia Roberts to mention a few. Also, I can’t wait to be on the sets of ‘Rules of Engagement’. I was watching this show dutifully during my sabbatical back in India and I can’t believe I am finally getting to see Patrick Jon Warburton in flesh! If only another Patrick Warburton fan could be here with me :/ Baba I shall miss you.

23 F - 76 F; Adventures across the US in 10 days

It’s been precisely ten days since school shut down for the winter break. Pictures speak louder than words sometimes. Hence, my increased dependency on still images to mark my adventures as I travel through the US. They are littered across my facebook page. It’s true that facebook is a platform for narcissistic indulgences or a convenient page that lets you show to your extended family/ friends that you are having the time of your life. I don’t shy from admitting that mine is probably the combination of both besides the fact that my father is on facebook now and my friend (yes, yes) and a mere click on my page is all he needs to do to see the wonderful places I visit or the architecture, museum and even food that I digest delightfully as I move from one city to another.

Which finally brings me to where I have been. Leaving the snowy confines of Syracuse (we received a ground breaking 70 inches of snow this year) I moved on to New York. The goal was to get a visa for Peru and get to see South America finally curtsey the generosity of my sister and bro-in-law. I get to NY and barely do I step off that my sister calls to inform me that there are no more tickets available for Peru. I was on the sidewalk of 44^th and 9^th heading to a Thai restaurant with a friend and I swear, I was so upset and upset more so for having to keep my calm, all I wanted to do was scream out loudly for everyone there to stop. :/ No Machu Pichu, no sunny beaches of Lima…sigh.

But simply being in NY for the next two days paid off. J and I walked around a lot of places that I hadn’t seen before. The first day we walked three blocks down to a flea market so that he could get an antique lamp for his tangy orange room. I suspect it was to please a special lady friend arriving from Sweden soon J. Then we took the subway to Union Square and spent the next three hours moving from one stall to the next in the farmer’s market. Fresh cider, decorated Easter eggs, glass jewelry…..name anything that would make for a good Christmas gift and it was there. Being the poverty stricken student surviving on an educational loan, I pushed my wallet into the nether regions of my bag and forged ahead in the crowd clicking away. J bought a Christmas decoration for the party that we were to attend later in the evening and I a pair of deadly black pumps. Then he insisted that we eat the BEST chicken rice (a middle eastern equivalent of our more shahi biryani) from a vendor close by. That gastronomic obligation having been fulfilled, we headed back.

Three hours later, dressed in our most fancy clothes and singing old Hindi ads in our loudest voice possible (warm cider and whiskey can do great things to your voice and yes your confidence) J and I took the subway to New Jersey. J’s ex roommate from undergrad found the best deal in NJ thanks to him and this was a house warming come pre-Christmas party at her pad. Musicians, dancers, non-profit workers and the whole gamut of what baba jocularly terms ‘artsy fartsy’ were there. I was mostly on my own while J said his hi and hellos and settled into a conversation with an ex. So I waited in the terrace overlooking the lights of New York in the distance for a wine infused epiphany. I waited for people to come up to me and strike up a conversation and then I simply waited for J to tell me we could leave. At 2, we were finally back in the city munching fried chicken to help me get over a weird nausea that was threatening to ruin my ‘vomit free’ streak since 2005. It didn’t work and I was beginning to panic. J introduced me to Listerine gargling to get over that weird creepy nausea post great wine consumption. It worked.

Next day Q and I caught up over coffee. My roommates are more my sisters and less the people one just has to get along with or carry out domestic chores and pay bills. Q is the younger sister that I never had and our chats often range from China-India politics to why there are few good men around. At 7 after J was done with his football game, he suggested we go for a walk to work our appetite (Puiya his Iranian friend was baking salmon for us to get over his anger at the loss of his favourite team in the game). J made Grand Central Station sound like this crappy new building, which has replaced the old heritage structure and kept whining about the loss. When we did finally get to GC, I realized what he had done. There towering a 100 feet above me was the impressive façade of a gothic structure looking like it was built just yesterday. Inside, a green dome with every constellation painted on it and brass chandeliers glowing brightly left me speechless. J knew I had little idea of what GC looked like so he had intentionally made it sound crappy. It worked again (somehow his methods most always do). I was unprepared for this marvel of architecture. We stayed for 40 minutes or so just taking everything in and walking around. We then walked over to the New York Public Library and headed home. That weekend in NY has been one of my most unforgettable.

Next day I headed to Chicago. I was spending all my time looking up historical buildings, visiting the beach and meeting Jack’s family until the 25^th. Chicago exceeded my expectations. Jack’s family lives in Highland Park, a residential area for the affluent, mostly Jewish community and contrary to what you would imagine for such a place, it looks like it was placed conveniently in the middle of the woods and close to Michigan Lake to be forgotten by the rest of the world. Her house is atop a hill with a ravine flowing by below. While we eat our lunch we spot deer.

One morning, I grapple with how ice can exist in the most surreal forms I’ve see so far. We are standing on the lakeshore and taking pictures endlessly while the ice could crumble beneath our feet any moment. I also spent time at the Chicago Loop, which is a common term for Downtown Chicago. Much of Chicago’s grand town planning is thanks to an American architect called Daniel Burnham. Burnham took a leading role in the development of several cities in the 19^th century including Chicago and Washington D C and for those who have seen the Flatiron building in NY, well that’s Burnham’s ingenuity for you.

Chicago was all about walking and more walking than I did in New York. One day we walked through Evanston, Fullerton basically the famous old residential areas and ended up in the evening after walking close to 10 miles at Green Mill to listen to a Jazz performance. Green Mill is one of the oldest pubs in Chico Town (Chicago dubbed by locals) and was a favourite hang out of Al Capone, the famous gangster during the prohibition days.

A trap door in this pub led to Aragon, a theatre near by and allowed people to escape if a police raid were to happen. Aragon has witnessed performance by leading bands and the likes of Sinatra to Duke Ellington have performed here. On the second day, Jack and I visited the Art Institute and proceeded to walk through Millenium Park, The Chicago Cultural Centre and finally through more historic buildings before returning home exhausted very happily for all that we managed to see in one day. For those visiting Art Institute, don’t miss out the Thornton Room and the New Media room. Thornton room has miniature replicas of living spaces from the 18^th century in England and France and for those who love old furniture and wish to emulate some into your own homes someday, this visit will serve you well.

Christmas eve was a delight at the Hurwitz residence. I got meet all of Jack. ’s relatives and spent close to two hours talking to her grandpa who she refers to as Baba. It’s always great to meet people who are in denial of their age and remain ever curious and spirited about everything in the world. Baba promised me that he and I will start our production company soon and went on to describe the motion picture camera manufacturing company he worked for that also happened to supply cameras to the makers of ‘Gandhi’. Baba reminded me a bit of my own grandpa minus his infamous temper and I grew a little sad that evening knowing that I was so far away from my family.

I left next day for San Francisco and arrived at the Oakland airport and made a mental note of yet another airport terminals I could trace on my map, that of an itinerant. Chicago’s International O’Hare remains my favorite so far. SFO to Berkley and the next day itself back to Oakland where my sis, bro-in law and I set out to Hawaii. So so tempted to be corny and say Hawa , Hawa, Hawaii :P

And here I am! In Maui island the most picturesque of all Hawaii….minutes away from a beach with jade green waters and a bright sun waiting to seep into my skin and soul. From 23 Farenheit to 76! If I were to roam around Hawaii with a camera, I would probably be doing injustice to making the most of all natural beauty around me. So a hold on pics for now and instead, promises of more tales to come from this lush tropical paradise.

Aloha!