DAY 4 (8/30/09): Now we are making a movie

Woke up more refreshed than ever and got completely caught up with the uploading of footage - even made a contribution to our HAIKU series. Enjoyed 2 hours of free WiFi at the cafe before leaving for rehearsal - ah internet, you are like a warm blanket on a chilly autumn day - I love you so.

Thanks to reading the Moscow guide book while uploading yesterday and our brief study on Russian last night, I felt much less insecure on the Metro ride - starting to recognize the stations and gaining confidence in my sense of direction. Plus I finally learned how to say "HELLO. GOOD AFTERNOON. HOW ARE YOU? I'M FINE, THANK YOU" in Russian. Nothing compares to daily practice and actual references in life to help you learn a language.

Ran 3rd camera for wide shots at rehearsal and absolutely loved it. It was like doing Viewpoints with Joe, Chad, and everyone else in the room - doing an action while trying to be aware of the entire room and it's physical, emotional, energetic, attention shifts and moving fluidly with it all - and keeping myself interested in what's in the frame. Fun getting to play.

Afterward we visit the creative lab/recording studio GOATIKA where the proverbial hair finally gets let down. Everyone drinks wine - watch & listen to AMAZING world instrument psychedelic rock n' roll music and just kick it. Our host Pasha is more than generous with his hospitality, his space, his energy, and his music. The place is like a giant playground for spontaneous music geniuses to jam and make stuff up.

The concept is international collaboration of music crossing genres, traditions, frequencies, and energies - into a combustion of the NOW as expressed in sound. Truly an inspiration on how to live as a creative artist and not just as a slave to the entertainment grind. Pasha's joy and generosity seem to stem from living the creative life freely - MAXIMUM HAPPINESS. Most importantly...the gates of communication with Huun Huur Tu finally creak open and we are sneaking our way inside.

In the taxi back to the hotel, simple questions turn into magic...what am I talking about? You'll have to watch our documentary film to find out :)

We lose our boom mic mount (accidentally left in the taxi) but the day was worth it.

DAY 3 (8/29/09): Queen of uploads

Spent all day in the hotel room uploading footage while the guys went off to shoot rehearsal, etc. Chad came back and brought me a sandwich and a beer. THAT's why my man is the bestest.

DAY 2 (8/28/09): Let the pain begin

Enjoyed waking up to the smell of rain and refreshed from a full night sleep. Get 99% caught up with uploading footage to hard drives - Yay!

Tried to get 2 burger combos from McDonald's at the mall and somehow end up with 3 Big Macs? (yeah I know McDonald's is not exactly Russian cuisine but we only had 30 minutes to eat and can only order by pointing to things).

Martynov played the piano during rehearsal - another teary-eyed moment - absolutely soul soaring beauty in every note. His wife, who is also the lead and 1st violinist of the orchestra, is a fierce fierce woman with eyes of fire - LOVE her.

Walked through central Moscow to Red Square, a super fast 2 hour walking tour guided by Greenwave assistant Timur who is a wealthy of knowledge on all things Moscow. Joe got beauty shots of landmarks - wish we could have spent the whole day exploring the area and it's rich history. Note to self: walking briskly for 2 hours carrying all our gear sucks ASS - but my honey bought me a tiny pin of Chekov :) St. Basil's cathedral is just as beautiful as I imagined - like a Russian castle made of candy.

Huun Huur Tu played a gig at a Russian nightclub - our first time hearing them acoustic live - to a PACKED room. Beautifully haunting, but at times playful, it really is magical music.

I discovered I am decidedly too old to be in a crowded smoke-filled club for more than an hour, and that I am SSSSOOOOOOOO over cigarettes. Also discovered that I do not do well in environments where I don't speak the language. I just plain don't like it - though I am mastering the art of the sheepish smile as I say "English?" Pretty sure it's the inability to be independent that bothers me the most.

Standing around with no place to sit after a grueling day on my feet (and walking all over Moscow for 2 hrs) makes Celeste tired and cranky. Right hip joint and low back screaming "I wanna go home!" A word of advise: if you are ever in a Russian crowd - don't be polite - just push you way to where you want to go - they are not subtle folks.

In Russia, any car that stops on the street when you wave it down is a (gypsy) cab. No signs - nothing. Grateful to be in a taxi back to the hotel until we get lost somewhere close to the hotel. Get out and walk YET AGAIN. Did I mention how much I love walking with all our gear?

Return to hotel after midnight and door is locked again. "sweatpants and flip flops" answers the door in the same manner as last time: feet dragging and resentful. He hates us. At least this time there was another guy in front of us waiting to get in.

SO SO tired. And it's only day 2.

DAY 1 (8/27/09): Metro & First Rehearsal

• Wake up to sound of power strip blowing up.

• Stretchy scatchy toilet paper.

• Liquid yogurt. yuck.

• Meet Huun Huur Tu (the band)!

• Ride the Russian metro to downtown for 1st rehearsal with composer Martynov.

• Hearing HHT and Martynov live for the first time - so beautiful I teared up a bit.

• Thought I escaped jet lag - found out half way through rehearsal that I was wrong - fidget non-stop and look at everything possible to not fall asleep - SO scared of offending everyone with my sleepiness.

• Me walking out of the music building onto Moscow street by myself - walk into small store - point at coffee machine.

ME: "Coffee?"

HER: "tbuxneuynsioerjlkjdoisk?"

ME: "English?" --{awkward smile}--

HER: "yrutydknladoiualkdsmfnieiour"

ME: --{blank stare}--

HER: --{sigh}--

She puts coffee cup under coffee machine.

HER: "Milk?"

ME: "DA!"

Another small success for Celeste.

• Taken for Georgian cuisine at beautiful restaurant for dinner by co-owner of Greenwave (our host), but so tired I can barely keep my eyes open - eyes keep crossing from effort to focus. Hand permanently over mouth to cover repeated yawning. Reminded of a super tired Sachi deliriously wandering around the living room trying to stay awake. Even chewing takes too much energy.

• Getting more efficient with our working routine.

• Hoping for 8 hours of sleep.

8/25/09-8/26/09: Travel and Arrival in Moscow

• 12 hour plane ride from LAX to Moscow: 1. Chekov-ian Russian novela playing as in flight entertainment: peasant women in head scarves crying, hugging, crying, fighting, hugging, attack men. 2. Woman sleeping on the floor in front of the emergency exit and then wakes up to smoke fake cigarette while walking up and down the aisle. 3. Dropping a bag of pens on the head of a Russian passenger who looked like Marco Neves.

• 1st sensory experience: big waft of cigarette smoke smell as I step off the plane.

• Keep forgetting that if I speak English no one will understand me.

• Trying to poop without sitting on the toilet seat in the airport bathroom.

• Van that picked us up from the airport had the Engine and Oil light light on. The van stalled repeatedly while driving-even on the highway.

• Unloading at the wrong location to reload again. Van almost dies.

• Arrive at hotel: no elevator-1 flight down and three flights up of stair with 12 pieces of luggage.

• SUPER hotel room - welcome to Russia.
  

• Big plate of sausage goodness and tasty pints of beer.

• Crazy stories of Sasha's mom.

• Hotel locked when we get back from dinner: guy in sweats & flip flops answers begrudgingly. "One and only time" he says.

• Power converter blows a fuse after 5 minutes.

• Misplaced tripod plate but found it - without freaking out.

• Fitted sheet=bed condom for old stained mattress padding over a bare stained mattress. EEeeeeewwwwww. Hope I don't get a STD from sleeping on this bed.

• Successful download of a tape without anything blowing up!
  

• Sleep!