The Ides of March

So, I have to admit I've fallen behind in blogging. Ah well. I have a few more pictures to upload but it will have to wait until my computer finishes rendering my new documentary.

That's what I've been doing most of the time - editing the footage we shot down in Kanyakumari. It is now a 20 minute rough cut featuring shots of the shell collectors on the beach, interviews, a wedding, some Bollywood tracks, and some voiceover I recorded in the quietest room in our apartment - our bathroom! So it sounds like me singing in the shower. Anyway I'll need a nice man's voice for that. Gilles has volunteered. It will be like a Jacques Cousteau movie! So far the hardest part about this film is that all the interviews are in Tamil. I hired a translator to give me an (Indian!) English version, but somehow the people in the movie seem to speak for 5 minutes for each sentence of translation! Well, I will be sending out rough cut dvds soon, so tell me if you want to see it! Why does India make me so exclamatory?!

I am looking forward to taking a break from India, I must admit. I am pretty fed up with the whole Fulbright thing, which still hasn't come through. Most of the Fulbright scholars are almost done! And I think it's ridiculous to expect anyone to wait around for 6 months for a 9-month grant, but on top of it I'm not 21 anymore and I have things to do, like follow Gilles around;)

We did take a break last weekend, visiting Srirangapatna, near Mysore. We lounged on hammocks, watched the water in the river move, and rode in a little round boat called a coracle. We also visited the extremely tacky Brindavan gardens, where Indian teenagers go to pose for Bollywood-style photographs in front of colored fountains.

This weekend we invited some friends over and made quiche. Well, I made the crust and Gilles made the quiche. We even drank California wine! We're trying to cook more often but it's just slightly more of an effort than we're used to at home.

Anyway, we'll be heading to Europe in five weeks, so right now we're just rushing to get as much work done as we can. I am still trying to graduate in June, using "Shallow Sea" as my thesis film. We'll see how UCLA likes it.