Imagine me right now in the hotel lobby at 5:45 am. Now make sure your computer is plugged into some high powered speakers. Turn them WAY UP, Now play this song by Ian Carey
I hear that at least twice every day, usually before I leave for the studio in the morning!
So from the title of this post alone you can probably figure out where this is going! Taxi rides anywhere in the world can strike terror in your heart at the very thought. It’s certainly the case here. In general people obey the traffic laws here and drive in a logical and predictable way. Predictably aggressive, yes, but at least you know that the cars are all going to be pushy.
The taxi however was completely unpredictable, and more aggressive than I have ever experienced, even in China! The streets are narrow and winding and driving is on the right side like America. We pulled up behind a line of maybe 6 cars waiting to go through an intersection (most are uncontrolled, no stop signs or lights). He overtakes them all on the wrong side of the road, goes through the intersection on the wrong side and on the other side of the intersection, predictably, is heading into oncoming traffic. Does he get back over on the right side? NO! Of course not, he’s a taxi! He jogs LEFT and keeps going down the street not only on the wrong side but totally making a new lane for himself to the LEFT of oncoming traffic.
You have to admire cab drivers who want to make good time for their riders.
It was pretty uneventful recording today. We almost finished Mary M and completed seven other characters. And Jesus comes tomorrow.
The People’s House is the world’s heaviest building. If you see the post with the picture below this you have to imagine that there is as much building in the ground as above it. During the overthrow of the communist government back in 89 -the organization for which I work- was able to use it as an underground storage bunker for thousands of Bibles! Pretty interesting considering the illegality of that at the time.
I just had to mention this about the hotel. They play American dance music in the restaurant all the time…VERY LOUD!!!! I’m down in the lobby right now at 6:30 am waiting for breakfast that starts at 7. It is so cranked up I can barely hear myself think. Did I mention I’m in the lobby and not actually in the restaurant? It must be deafening in there right now.
It’s kind of strange. We haven’t seen another guest in the hotel the whole time. Neither John or I have seen anyone in the restaurant for breakfast or dinner. No one in the lobby, and no one in the hall. But plenty of workers to take care of us. Right now there are four guys getting the restaurant ready for breakfast. Seems a bit much!
We finished up our first day of recording and it went very smoothly. We had no technical issues and all the actors were top professionals so thank you for your prayers! Hopefully tomorrow I can get some of the pictures out of the camera and post some.
John and I just got back from a run up around the fountains in front of the peoples’ house. Outside it is bustling and the streets are jammed and the sidewalks packed with people. It was hard to dodge everyone!
Now we are back and winding down for the day. Tomorrow we record more of Mary Magdalena and Jesus.