New friends.

This is my conclusion: Thursdays in Shanghai SUCK. Last week it was the monkey meltdown (long story and not to be published on public blogs...) among a range of other things including a continuation of not getting our pyro (needed for our explosions and things - yes there is Chinese pyro available but it's not nearly as good or as safe) and just a whole range of problems posed to the producers and in particular my boss. This week (that would be yesterday) it was the temporary leave of absence of one of the producers meaning my boss will have to deal with everything and on top of that he is directing 2nd unit so how on earth he can juggle that... but more on that later. Yesterday was also the discovery of crappy green screens meaning a whole bunch of scenes that were supposed to be shot couldn't be. Yesterday was a whole variety of other problems - a WHOLE VARIETY of other problems. And like last Thursday, this Thursday I wondered why on earth did my boss bring me to Shanghai.

In Hong Kong I often felt helpless in situations where my boss was faced with a whole bunch of problems and a whole load of stuff he had to juggle and I couldn't help him. However when he needed me to do something, I could always do it. If I didn't have the resources, my friends did. If my friends didn't, they would know someone who did. There was always a way to do things. Here in Shanghai where I don't speak the language, don't know anyone and don't know anywhere to get anything, it's much harder. I've often wondered how other people deal with it. But I guess they are not half as helpless as I am in this great big city.

But the good thing about Shanghai is that it's a new place. A place full of opportunities and it's a beautiful place. Streets lined wtih trees, a mix of the old and the new, Shanghai is really the place to watch in coming years. It's nowhere near as civilized as Hong Kong, although they are getting there, and there are still a lot of growing for the city as a whole. But it's up and coming.

The best thing for me here, is that I've come to know the crew better. I've made a whole lot of new friends with the people I have been working with for the past five months, and that could never happen in Hong Kong. Because at home I have my friends, people I hang out with, and I'd rather spend the little time I had off with my friends than with the people I see everyday on set. With all the Hong Kong crew living in one hotel, it's a lot easier to call someone and say let's hang out. With everyone in close proximity, it's easy to bump into someone on the street going to dinner alone and say "Hey you wanna eat together?" Shanghai, in this respect, has been great.

I went out last night with the people from work. It was half business - after all my boss and the producers and the director and assistant directors etc were all there - but it was a good time business aside. Putting the snide comments about my first showing at a club on an evening out aside - I laughed them all down because it's true, I have been a snotty bitch having not gone out with them at all - I had a great time with some great people. It was good to talk, good to hang out, good to see them all having fun and good to see the non-work side of everyone.

There are times when I wish that this job would never end. Right now, I feel that way. Because now that I've come to know people, it's great to hang out with them and once the job ends, most of these people I will never see in my life again. But when work starts tomorrow morning at 5am, I'll be thinking that I wanna leave, get out of this place, return to Hong Kong and start my life of being a bum again.

I had actually started out this blog wanting to write about a conversation with a new friend - one of the stunts - but I guess that will have to come next time. Maybe later this evening haha. Right now, I think I'm gonna bum, read, listen to all the music on my iTunes program (MACS RULE!) and perhaps catch up with some of the outstanding work for my boss :)

God bless.