Sucra?

I am now back in Nepal and have to travel far west to where my character is and his family. And to get there I have two options. Well…I suppose I could say three or four if you count horse….or foot…..but lets talk logically. :)  So the choices ARE……plane or bus. Plane or bus. Plane…..or …..bus.

Last time I visited, I opted plane. 

Why bus is shit choice?
http://dolphindocu.blogspot.com/2014/01/advice.html

Mine? Mine bus?

This time the flights within country were much pricier. So I had no choice. Bus. Fuck. Where did I put my will? Ok. Fine. Thanks to super awesome help of Gopal’s friends in Kathmandu, I get my ticket, I get to the bus depot, and most most MOST importantly…..I get on the right bus. :) They tell the girl next to me….to watch out for me. And off we go! 

It is an all night ride. Through switch backs,  through the mountains….with zero guard rails…at speed….IN THE FOG! This is EXACTLY why they said 30% chance of death! Yep.

FUN? F NO!

So how do they keep us calm? Bollywood! 

The quintessential Bollywood dance sequence. 

I did not know what they were saying but I totally understood the film…Twin men…One kinda bad……one kinda good…crazy insane girl tries to kill girlfriend…and…and….and THEN WE DANCE! :) Too bad is only 2.5 hours of a …like 9 hour trip. Ok. Fine. The night goes like this…close eyes…everything is fine…bump bump…open eyes…EDGE!

We go trekking along and I finally fall asleep at about 4 am.  Then they stop and wake me up.  They all say Sucra. Sucra? The girl next to me says…”You want Sucra?” I think….TEA? is that what they are asking? Um…yes…Tea good. I say Yes.

Sucra?

She says “then you have to get off bus.” Ok. I get off bus. So I start to walk towards the little village shop with maybe tea….and then I think…...HEY. Isn’t it weird that in a country of tea drinkers….that NO ONE else is wanting tea but me? Yeah…and then…….Isn’t it weird that I hear the bus engine starting up again?..... And then as I turn around….Isn’t is weird that my bags are here on the curb and the bus is driving away…..from me. :( …….Yeah. ….F……. I wonder what the name of this village is? And if it starts with an S and ends with an a?

Now what? Well…Sigh…….Maybe I should get some tea? :)

Kids make the best production assistants ever!

So I am working today to photograph doors throughout these little fishing villages for a fund raising project. (http://theriverdolphin.blogspot.com/2015/01/hope-in-bhaglapur.html). At first it is quiet. Just me and my guide. He

Door from Bhalgalpur, India (Photo: JLewis)

thinks I am nuts for wanting to photograph….um….doors. It is sort of like I told them, “You know what? How about we photograph each section of this here toilet paper roll today? Yeah! Trust me I say… Americans will love photographs of this!”

We are walking about…..alone at first, and then the local adults start to take interest…who also think this is insanity. “She wants to photograph….old rickety doors?” “She’s from where? Oh!! That explains it. Crazy MF American.” :) Fine. Just let me get the shots please.

We are bobbing and weaving through the little villages. It is

Best production assistants ever! (Photo: JLewis)

going great. And then the kids come. To be honest, this has a tinge of creepy, especially since this tiny height crowd just got bigger and bigger and bigger ……ending with at minimum 50.

But as the kid numbers grew, they started to work as a team. All screaming together as we walked, (https://vimeo.com/134523183) and then they would go quiet when we found a door to shoot. Every single one would then check the shot in the camera to determine if it was good enough. They were tough but good critics. :)

Eventually they began to help me pick the doors! I just explained to them what was shit in English as if I was talking to an adult set designer. It was hilarious. I would point out the flaws in each "bad door" choice. They would look at me all serious. They would take it in…..somehow…I don’t know how because I guarantee none spoke a word of English. And they would then help to edit their choices and the choices of their friends the next door we came upon. “Blue on blue again! No Good!".... "Shadow on the top! No Good!"…."Purple and red is just Gross!"…..and then….."OMG! Look at the way the wood grains show through the chipped paint. Holy Mary MOG GET THAT ONE!” :) Best little 5 year old crew ever!

The doors project is for them.

For them. (Photo: JLewis)