So I'm smack in the middle of my vacation and enjoying all this free time. I've been bopping around Bangkok, scouting out places I haven't been before, like Little Arabia (for Middle Eastern food and culture) and Pantip Plaza (for pirated software and super cheap techie stuff). I'll probably take a couple of overnight trips to places near Bangkok. It's too hot to do much pleasurable traveling around Southeast Asia, but that's okay. There are plenty of sights to see around here, and for the three days of Songkran (Thai New Year, also celebrated in Laos and Cambodia), most people hole up in their dry, air-conditioned apartments with a stockpile of DVDs and food anyway. You see, Songkran is like cilantro. People either love it or hate it. For three whole days (a week in some parts of the country) it's one big water fest outside. People rebel against the hottest time of the year with hoses and buckets of water. You can't go outside without getting completely drenched. As I said, people either love it or hate it (You could say most Thais love it and most foreigners hate it, but I've talked to passionate exceptions on both sides). I have a feeling I'll be more in the "hate" camp, but to see for myself, I'll venture to Khao San Road, the prime spot for acquiring swimmers ear in Bangkok, one day during the festival.Now, though, let me hop back to last weekend and my three days on the set of Streetfighter. I was there Friday as an extra and Saturday and Sunday as "American dialogue instructor." I had a great time, met some really interesting people, and came away with a true understanding of the phrase "hurry up and wait." Friday morning, I showed up at 5:30 to wait for breakfast at six. Then it was on to costumes and makeup. About sixty of us were there to play the crowd at a martial arts show. We were all dressed to the nines by ten, and then we waited. Waited in our evening attire, caked-on makeup, and lacquered hair. I believe it was two before we were ever filmed. When not sitting on the set with my "husband and child" (both Russian), I mostly hung out with a woman in her fifties who has traveled all over the world. Her name is Lela and she knew Eric Clapton way back when. The song is not about her, but he did borrow her name and change the spelling. Just think, so many girls today are named Layla because this woman's parents once lived in the African village. Sometime soon I'll go rent a room in her guest home on the beach, about two hours from Bangkok.
Saturday and Sunday were more relaxed. Although I had to beat the sun there, my job was simply to be available in case my student wanted to practice her lines and to stand by during her scenes to make sure she said them correctly. Due to an argument among powers that be over set furniture, they never got to her scenes on Saturday so we spent a lot of time napping and reading in the trailer. She had a short scene Sunday morning and the next one wasn't until about nine that evening. That was her biggest scene, her death bed scene. It was so interesting to witness the process and all the reasons for another take (someone's phone, pesky Bangkok traffic, bad timing, etc). I got the biggest thrill when I suggested two changes to the director (unrelated to accent) and he agreed and implemented them. At the last minute, my student received some new lines, which were really hard for her to say. She eventually got it, but I'm holding my breath until the movie releases because they filmed so many takes, I'm worried they'll use one of her faulty lines (so to speak). I was extremely proud of her, though, and we were both on a squealing high during the van ride back to our apartments around midnight. Definitely not something you get to do every day.
