*insert broken heart*
.
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
5/08/2014 The day the earth shook...
....THE DUST OFF MY BLOG!!!
Nothing like a bit of thunderbolts-and-lightning-very-very-frightening to finally end a lengthy blogger's block. For the handful off you who didn't even register a slight tremor, you may now go back to your FOMO pity party. Sooorry ne!
I felt the earthquake.
The little wooden stool I was sitting on starting wobbling
I heard a rumbling noise
The sliding doors started shaking
Scary right?? Except that it took a few seconds to actually realise something not normal was happening. My first thought was that a truck was idling under the building. The others said it was probably the Gautrain passing underneath. We didn't know it was an earthquake until we were told to evacuate the building. Evacuate? Seriously??
We were shooting at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (people call it Gibs so don't look for a sign saying Gibs when you are booked to work there *shakes her vague callsheet*). Our venue was the Pavillion, a small building on the roof, a room with sliding doors really. I set up on the balcony and man was it windy, so windy that I thought my wooden stool was being blown over, yup my stupid brain thought a gust of wind was going to blow me over, bwaahaaa! Not even an earthquake could get me off that stool! Diet starts on Monday. So yeah we felt it, but probably because we were at the top of a building and surrounded by glass doors, not sure it would have been as dramatic in a normal building.
Two GIBS ladies, visibly stressed, came up and told us we need to evacuate the building. I looked down from the balcony and all the Brainies were already in the courtyard
Nothing like a bit of thunderbolts-and-lightning-very-very-frightening to finally end a lengthy blogger's block. For the handful off you who didn't even register a slight tremor, you may now go back to your FOMO pity party. Sooorry ne!
I felt the earthquake.
The little wooden stool I was sitting on starting wobbling
I heard a rumbling noise
The sliding doors started shaking
Scary right?? Except that it took a few seconds to actually realise something not normal was happening. My first thought was that a truck was idling under the building. The others said it was probably the Gautrain passing underneath. We didn't know it was an earthquake until we were told to evacuate the building. Evacuate? Seriously??
We were shooting at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (people call it Gibs so don't look for a sign saying Gibs when you are booked to work there *shakes her vague callsheet*). Our venue was the Pavillion, a small building on the roof, a room with sliding doors really. I set up on the balcony and man was it windy, so windy that I thought my wooden stool was being blown over, yup my stupid brain thought a gust of wind was going to blow me over, bwaahaaa! Not even an earthquake could get me off that stool! Diet starts on Monday. So yeah we felt it, but probably because we were at the top of a building and surrounded by glass doors, not sure it would have been as dramatic in a normal building.
Two GIBS ladies, visibly stressed, came up and told us we need to evacuate the building. I looked down from the balcony and all the Brainies were already in the courtyard
Of course they want to be outside, they are stuck behind desks and in offices all day every day! Us Creatives on the other hand were set up and happy to stay put. Visibly Stressed Ladies became slightly panicky. They felt they couldn't leave their guests behind. No we are fine here really, the evacuation doesn't apply to us, right? We aren't actually part of GIBS, so we can just stay here, right?
Director: "You guys go, if we really need to evacuate come call me"
Producer: "What time will we be back? We are scheduled to shoot 5 minutes ago"
*VSL starting to hyperventilate*
Fine. We'll go. So we ambled along, discussing how it could have been a train, I suggested it might be a bomb in the basement (Hello Alexander Forbes a few weeks ago!")
"YOU CAN'T MENTION THE B-WORD!!!!"
.......Calm down, we're not at the airport, there is no Earthquake Police that will jump out and arrest me.
We sat in the sunshine for about 5 minutes before the Chef and waiters walked back in, they probably thought "Mxm, screw this, I've got muffins in the oven". Ain't nobody got time for earthquakes in Africa! The Brainies started getting antsy, enough fun for one day, back to work people. The big boss Nick let us back in and gave us strict instructions to return to the courtyard in the event of another earthquake, translation for 'Let's cover our bases cause we don't actually have an Earthquake Protocol', we don't actually have earthquakes here in Sunny South Africa! Sure we've had tremors before, but this was an actual earthquake, 5.3 on the Richter scale, sjoe!
Director: "You guys go, if we really need to evacuate come call me"
Producer: "What time will we be back? We are scheduled to shoot 5 minutes ago"
*VSL starting to hyperventilate*
Fine. We'll go. So we ambled along, discussing how it could have been a train, I suggested it might be a bomb in the basement (Hello Alexander Forbes a few weeks ago!")
"YOU CAN'T MENTION THE B-WORD!!!!"
.......Calm down, we're not at the airport, there is no Earthquake Police that will jump out and arrest me.
We sat in the sunshine for about 5 minutes before the Chef and waiters walked back in, they probably thought "Mxm, screw this, I've got muffins in the oven". Ain't nobody got time for earthquakes in Africa! The Brainies started getting antsy, enough fun for one day, back to work people. The big boss Nick let us back in and gave us strict instructions to return to the courtyard in the event of another earthquake, translation for 'Let's cover our bases cause we don't actually have an Earthquake Protocol', we don't actually have earthquakes here in Sunny South Africa! Sure we've had tremors before, but this was an actual earthquake, 5.3 on the Richter scale, sjoe!
Back to work people.
Except no one goes back to work after an earthquake!! Facebook and Twitter were flooded with news of the earthquake. But we South Africans aren't shocked for very long and soon enough most people had Earthquake Fatigue
Except no one goes back to work after an earthquake!! Facebook and Twitter were flooded with news of the earthquake. But we South Africans aren't shocked for very long and soon enough most people had Earthquake Fatigue
Then the jokes started:
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Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Monday, July 9, 2012
Horsing around on the Platteland
And yes, sometimes your office will be wedged between the cafeteria and the toilets
There may not have been a lot of glam but there sure was a lot of fun! Our stars of the day were so great to work with, both teased each other incessantly and had us laughing most of the day. There was plenty horsing around....
There were rolling storm clouds above us the whole day, threatening to cancel our shoot, but luckily just a few drops came down and my last day at Velskoen ended with a beautiful instagram-worthy sky.
Watch the movie, buy the t-shirt, even if you don't know Afrikaans, SUPPORT LOCAL TALENT!
Monday, April 23, 2012
The Lightbulb Moment
Have I always had a fascination with makeup? (apart from lipgloss of course) I didn't think so. My mom was never a big makeup wearer, neither are my sisters. I hardly ever wear makeup. If you see me with mascara and eyeliner on then I'm probably going somewhere important. If you see me wearing foundation too well then I'm probably meeting the Queen of England!
I see your confused faces...'but what kind of a makeup artist doesn't wear makeup?' . You'd be surprised. Most people expect us to show up at shoots with 5kgs of makeup on our faces, multi-coloured hair, leather pants/leopard print and a lot of facial piercings. Oh the so-called glamorous life. When we do arrive looking very normal and with minimal (if any) makeup on, we get a panicked 'are you the model??' No, calm down. Yes initially it's a bit offensive that they reel in horror at the thought of you being the model, what do you mean I don't look like a model?!?! But after a while you realise that the picture in people's minds of makeup artists is insanely far from the truth. Most makeup artists don't wear a lot of makeup. Maybe it's because we spend so much time making other people pretty that we can't be arsed to do it ourselves or maybe it's just because most makeup artists are natural beauties and don't need makeup (told you we could be models!!!) I guess the saying holds true, the mechanic's car is always broken! Oh, and the leopard print obsession is definitely a makeup artist thing.
Back to me. I never thought I had a fascination with makeup until I stumbled across this old photo the other day...
YIAYIA SOPHIA!!!! A lovely old Greek lady that we were family friends with.
As soon as I saw this picture a flood of memories came back to me, and along with those memories I could actually smell her. What did Yiayia Sophia smell like? Makeup, powder and cigarette smoke. Then it hit me *LIGHTBULB MOMENT* this old lady is the cause of my three weird obsessions!!
1. Smelling makeup: I always smell makeup. It is virtually impossible for me to open a tube of mascara or a lipgloss and not smell it. The same ones. Every time. Yiayia Sophia's daughter was working for some or other cosmetic counter and my sisters and I would regularly receive tons of makeup liberated from said counter. The one time we actually received a part of the counter, a whole section of a plastic display shelf complete with embedded testers, only an old Greek lady could manage that!! I must have been about 6 at the time. Every time she would come for a visit she would bring makeup. I remember one elaborate visit that included a real olden day suitcase full of makeup and polystyrene heads (for applying makeup on),hats,scarves and other unwanted items that us three little girls thought were the most precious and valuable things we had ever owned. Yiayia Sophia always wore makeup,she's the only person I remember from my childhood that did. My memory of first smelling makeup is definitely a Yiayia Sophia memory. A lady who always wore makeup and always brought us makeup. That old lady was makeup personified for us.
2. Old people skin: I have confessed to loving old people skin before.
When I saw the photo of her I immediately remembered Yiayia Sophia's soft wrinkly skin. It felt like powder, it smelt like powder. Her skin was so old, so soft. I remember her big arms hugging me and loving the feeling of being wrapped up in all that old squishiness. Wipe that disgusted look off your face and stop judging me!
3. Cigarette smoke: I have never been a smoker. But I love the smell of smoke. I love the smell when someone first lights a cigarette, it smells like burning candy floss, in a good way. I love the smell (and taste, but I most certainly can't attribute that to the granny!) of cigarettes on a man's breath. Yiayia Sophia was also the first person from my childhood that I associated with smoking.
Makeup, old people skin, and cigarette smoke. Told you they were weird obsessions!
I never realised how much of an effect Yiayia Sophia had in my life *nostalgic moment*. And in a bizarre twist many years later, my goddaughter's name is Sophia! Sophia is now 6 years old, and her mother wears minimal (if any) makeup. Coincidence? Maybe I need to be her makeup role model!! Yes! It all makes sense now! I hereby pledge to be Sophia's Yiayia Sophia. Fear not though, I am not about to start smoking or give up Botox!
.
I see your confused faces...'but what kind of a makeup artist doesn't wear makeup?' . You'd be surprised. Most people expect us to show up at shoots with 5kgs of makeup on our faces, multi-coloured hair, leather pants/leopard print and a lot of facial piercings. Oh the so-called glamorous life. When we do arrive looking very normal and with minimal (if any) makeup on, we get a panicked 'are you the model??' No, calm down. Yes initially it's a bit offensive that they reel in horror at the thought of you being the model, what do you mean I don't look like a model?!?! But after a while you realise that the picture in people's minds of makeup artists is insanely far from the truth. Most makeup artists don't wear a lot of makeup. Maybe it's because we spend so much time making other people pretty that we can't be arsed to do it ourselves or maybe it's just because most makeup artists are natural beauties and don't need makeup (told you we could be models!!!) I guess the saying holds true, the mechanic's car is always broken! Oh, and the leopard print obsession is definitely a makeup artist thing.
Back to me. I never thought I had a fascination with makeup until I stumbled across this old photo the other day...
YIAYIA SOPHIA!!!! A lovely old Greek lady that we were family friends with.
As soon as I saw this picture a flood of memories came back to me, and along with those memories I could actually smell her. What did Yiayia Sophia smell like? Makeup, powder and cigarette smoke. Then it hit me *LIGHTBULB MOMENT* this old lady is the cause of my three weird obsessions!!
1. Smelling makeup: I always smell makeup. It is virtually impossible for me to open a tube of mascara or a lipgloss and not smell it. The same ones. Every time. Yiayia Sophia's daughter was working for some or other cosmetic counter and my sisters and I would regularly receive tons of makeup liberated from said counter. The one time we actually received a part of the counter, a whole section of a plastic display shelf complete with embedded testers, only an old Greek lady could manage that!! I must have been about 6 at the time. Every time she would come for a visit she would bring makeup. I remember one elaborate visit that included a real olden day suitcase full of makeup and polystyrene heads (for applying makeup on),hats,scarves and other unwanted items that us three little girls thought were the most precious and valuable things we had ever owned. Yiayia Sophia always wore makeup,she's the only person I remember from my childhood that did. My memory of first smelling makeup is definitely a Yiayia Sophia memory. A lady who always wore makeup and always brought us makeup. That old lady was makeup personified for us.
2. Old people skin: I have confessed to loving old people skin before.
When I saw the photo of her I immediately remembered Yiayia Sophia's soft wrinkly skin. It felt like powder, it smelt like powder. Her skin was so old, so soft. I remember her big arms hugging me and loving the feeling of being wrapped up in all that old squishiness. Wipe that disgusted look off your face and stop judging me!3. Cigarette smoke: I have never been a smoker. But I love the smell of smoke. I love the smell when someone first lights a cigarette, it smells like burning candy floss, in a good way. I love the smell (and taste, but I most certainly can't attribute that to the granny!) of cigarettes on a man's breath. Yiayia Sophia was also the first person from my childhood that I associated with smoking.
Makeup, old people skin, and cigarette smoke. Told you they were weird obsessions!
I never realised how much of an effect Yiayia Sophia had in my life *nostalgic moment*. And in a bizarre twist many years later, my goddaughter's name is Sophia! Sophia is now 6 years old, and her mother wears minimal (if any) makeup. Coincidence? Maybe I need to be her makeup role model!! Yes! It all makes sense now! I hereby pledge to be Sophia's Yiayia Sophia. Fear not though, I am not about to start smoking or give up Botox!
.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
I'm no elf but I work on Christmas Eve
The so called glamorous life of a makeup artist often sees us working at times when we shouldn't, like Christmas Eve. I did makeup for Bronwyn and her daughters, they were hosting Christmas dinner and this family always goes all out no matter what the occassion. They are great to work with, they always have a fully stocked bar and they never let your glass run dry... my kind of people!
.... this is the SPARE fridge, just in case!
Misery loves company so I was thrilled that Shane was the chosen photographer for the evening, hey if I'm gonna work then someone I know had better be working too.
And Shane isn't just someone I know, he is my gay husband's husband, Days of Our Lives! Shane and I both invited him to join us as Bronwyn's family are cool like that, but he ditched us for some stupid online gaming thing, on Christmas Eve!! It was really nice though cause I've never had the chance to spend time with Shane alone, he normally leaves us girls to chit chat. In between working we had a long talk about religion and life, really interesting stuff....is it legal to marry my gay husband's husband? Hmmm I think I should schedule separate visits with each of them from now on!
The only downside to having Shane and his fast fingers there was getting caught pretending to make out with a giraffe, and then being forced to pose for a proper photo! I hate photos of myself!
Holy mother of dwarves my skin is snow white!!
Christmas in this house is more fun than most. Even the Christmas stockings are more fun!
There was also a mobile bar with a cute barman who put on a great flaring show which I totally interpreted as lets-blow-this-popsicle-stand-and-go-live-on-an-island. My hands kept being given yet another fancy cocktail so I didn't manage to get a pic of him (that's not a good enough excuse I know!) but Shane has plenty pics from that night, I just need to make a note to nag him and update this post accordingly (don't hold your breaths people...look, a pretty flower in my drink...see how distracting it is, even you forgot about the cute barman for a second!)
So what does a dad who has everything want for Christmas? A piano that plays itself of course! Super cool right? Let me tell you, when you walk into the room and no one else is there and the piano is playing itself you start believing in the Ghost of This Is Your Last Christmas! What the hell is in these cocktails?? I think the barman is trying to get me drunk!
.
.... this is the SPARE fridge, just in case!Misery loves company so I was thrilled that Shane was the chosen photographer for the evening, hey if I'm gonna work then someone I know had better be working too.
And Shane isn't just someone I know, he is my gay husband's husband, Days of Our Lives! Shane and I both invited him to join us as Bronwyn's family are cool like that, but he ditched us for some stupid online gaming thing, on Christmas Eve!! It was really nice though cause I've never had the chance to spend time with Shane alone, he normally leaves us girls to chit chat. In between working we had a long talk about religion and life, really interesting stuff....is it legal to marry my gay husband's husband? Hmmm I think I should schedule separate visits with each of them from now on!The only downside to having Shane and his fast fingers there was getting caught pretending to make out with a giraffe, and then being forced to pose for a proper photo! I hate photos of myself!
Holy mother of dwarves my skin is snow white!!Christmas in this house is more fun than most. Even the Christmas stockings are more fun!
There was also a mobile bar with a cute barman who put on a great flaring show which I totally interpreted as lets-blow-this-popsicle-stand-and-go-live-on-an-island. My hands kept being given yet another fancy cocktail so I didn't manage to get a pic of him (that's not a good enough excuse I know!) but Shane has plenty pics from that night, I just need to make a note to nag him and update this post accordingly (don't hold your breaths people...look, a pretty flower in my drink...see how distracting it is, even you forgot about the cute barman for a second!)
So what does a dad who has everything want for Christmas? A piano that plays itself of course! Super cool right? Let me tell you, when you walk into the room and no one else is there and the piano is playing itself you start believing in the Ghost of This Is Your Last Christmas! What the hell is in these cocktails?? I think the barman is trying to get me drunk!
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Monday, December 26, 2011
Pretty Christmas
I recently worked for a tv show, All Access Mzanzi, at Emperor's Palace. We shot in the beautifully festive Garden of Lights - a sparkly light display reminiscent of overeager Americans trying to outdo their neighbour's Christmas efforts.
Excuse the el crappo pics, I blame Blackberry. It's almost 2012, a new Earth has been found, but we still can't take decent pics at night, what's the plan Blackberry?!?
And of course it wouldn't be Christmas without a giant Christmas tree....
......and it most certainly wouldn't be Christmas without some tourists 'stealing' the star with amateur trick photography *STREEEETCH*...
"GOT IT!"
Chips! Chips! Everybody on best behaviour!
Yes it seems like fun but I was not a happy camper that day, I had a scissor accident the previous day which got me 3 stitches in my arm and a tetanus injection that hurt like a bitch! My arm was sore, Emperor's is a loooong drive from home, it was drizzling, it was cold, not a happy camper. But luckily the crew was amazing, they all aaah shamed and made me feel a bit better. Glen the sound guy was like an early Christmas present, he carried all my stuff for me, acted like he actually wanted to be at my pity party, and even got me candy!
It turns out Glen is a Taurus, it's my lot in life to be surrounded by amazing Taurus men! He can also be bullied into meeting me at Burnside's at 10pm to bully them into letting us in to feed my cheesecake addiction. Best cheesecake EVER! Burnside's, you might want to write that down.
The presenter was the super gorgeous Pabi Moloi. She has a larger than life personality, a great smile, laughs like she means it, very down to earth, gracious, sophisticated, curves in all the right places and a wicked sense of humour......God I sound like a match making service! She really is fab though. And those cheekbones!!
Damn you Blackberry! That pic does her no justice! ...*click click stalk steal*....here's a proper pic courtesy of her Twitter profile
Too pretty.
Merry merry and happy happy everybody!
Excuse the el crappo pics, I blame Blackberry. It's almost 2012, a new Earth has been found, but we still can't take decent pics at night, what's the plan Blackberry?!?
And of course it wouldn't be Christmas without a giant Christmas tree....
......and it most certainly wouldn't be Christmas without some tourists 'stealing' the star with amateur trick photography *STREEEETCH*...
"GOT IT!"
Chips! Chips! Everybody on best behaviour!
Yes it seems like fun but I was not a happy camper that day, I had a scissor accident the previous day which got me 3 stitches in my arm and a tetanus injection that hurt like a bitch! My arm was sore, Emperor's is a loooong drive from home, it was drizzling, it was cold, not a happy camper. But luckily the crew was amazing, they all aaah shamed and made me feel a bit better. Glen the sound guy was like an early Christmas present, he carried all my stuff for me, acted like he actually wanted to be at my pity party, and even got me candy!
It turns out Glen is a Taurus, it's my lot in life to be surrounded by amazing Taurus men! He can also be bullied into meeting me at Burnside's at 10pm to bully them into letting us in to feed my cheesecake addiction. Best cheesecake EVER! Burnside's, you might want to write that down.
The presenter was the super gorgeous Pabi Moloi. She has a larger than life personality, a great smile, laughs like she means it, very down to earth, gracious, sophisticated, curves in all the right places and a wicked sense of humour......God I sound like a match making service! She really is fab though. And those cheekbones!!
Damn you Blackberry! That pic does her no justice! ...*click click stalk steal*....here's a proper pic courtesy of her Twitter profile
Too pretty.
Merry merry and happy happy everybody!
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