July 14, 2008 India

As I'm importing a couple hundred pics onto my comp I figure I should write about the past week… cause I've been slacking on the writing. But because I still haven't written about the Big Music interview, I'll start by finishing that.

After we dropped the dog at Ahimsa, we went back to the apt and the guys joined us to go to Big Music. They looked different from their videos -a bit smaller and one of them had had hair till about his shoulders but he shaved it off (on his own accord). When we arrived at the building the music producer of the album joined us. We waited around in a conference room for Music India to set up in a different room. Once they were ready we went in (with no dress or make-up extras). The three of them sat around a table in front of the camera with the interviewer sitting just behind the camera asking questions from a notepad. I sat on the side so that I was out of everyone's way -especially the camera! It was interesting and entertaining to see a 'pre-recorded interview' being conducted. It started late and so it went fairly late. When we all left the building the guys went their own way and didi and I went to the apt but stopped on the way to feed some street dogs that she looks after.

July 15, 2008 India

The next day I went with them to another wedding celebration. This was at Chinese Garden (I'm pretty sure that that's the name of the restaurant). It was another night of all the women sitting around on the floor singing common Punjabi wedding songs, dancing, drinking, eating and being merry. There was also a dj and a little dance floor so everyone sang along and danced there too. There was Chinese food (obviously!) and it was pretty good. I liked the desert. There were a few different things -something that seemed to be kind of like chocolate mousse, ice cream, lichees that I think had been canned, and something else but I really don't know how to explain it.

I was going to go to another night of celebration the next night but I went to Kb & Nd's apt so I didn't. Theirs is the place with the Oceanside pics. I had a really good time there. I ate home cooked Gujarati food and was surrounded by music for a couple days -Kb makes music for various people and Nd is trained in classical singing and was practicing for an upcoming performance. She has a really nice voice. One day we went to Spectral (a studio) cause Kb had to meet with some clients to go over the music so I went along. It was pretty cool!

On Sunday my bhaiyas dropped me at the guesthouse. We should have come later in the day though cause, when I got here, 2 people were out and the other 3 were sleeping. I would have much rather hung out with my bhaiyas but instead I settled in. The guesthouse is in Malad East, which is more or less away from all my friends here. It's in a northern corner. It's on the 7th floor. There are 3 bedrooms but 1 of them is used as an office. The other 3 that are in the film and media program are Amandeep, Sweta and Stephanie. We are all about the same age. They stay in one room and I stay in the opposite room with Mimi and Sherlan. They are kind of like our 'den mothers.' They are here doing an AIDS volunteering.

I have to go get ready to go out to a set now but I'll put up more about my first week in the program soon.

xox-TG