We watched the documentary “Art & Copy”* last night, and it featured this old (1995) Nike ad, “If You Let Me Play”. They got to it differently than we hope to, but this ad leaves me with the feeling we want Girlworld to bring across.

That chest-heavy, head-spinny mix of possibility and empowerment and urgency and responsibility.

Only this is 30 seconds and we want to sustain it for 90 minutes.

* (I gave “Art & Copy” a super solid four stars and Amy wished Netflix offered half-stars so she could give it three and a half.)

The first time we went to Pragya’s with Nutan to introduce ourselves and to tell them about our project, Pragya pointed to a cozy little bed with carefully placed stuffed animals on top of it and told me, “This is our bed.” 

The three of them, mom, Pragya and her eight year old little sister, Praynena, all sleep together. I remember how I used to LOVE sleeping with my mom when my dad was traveling. It was the B-E-S-T Best–as good as Saturday cartoons–if not better. I felt so bonded with my mom when curling up with her in bed. I have heard this same sentiment from other pre-teen girls I have taught throughout the years. I have a theory that it might be a ’universal’.

So, leaving Pragya’s after that first visit, I knew that to get to their story, a sleepover was in order.

The problem with this was, Scott does not fit in that house. He doesn’t fit size wise–the house is tiny and our lens wide–and he is a man. The three of them clearly adore him, but you cannot deny, he is a different gender and therefore brings a different vibe to the house. I was the only one going to this slumber party, meaning I became instant First Shooter for Pragya’s story.

A little personal Nonfiction Media history here. Scott is the Big Picture guy. He is good at the visuals–really good. He is also the tech guy. He knows our equipment backwards and forwards. I want to know our cameras, gadgets, knobs, cords and cables this well because I love people and their stories, and I want to tell them up right. However–I know this sounds lame and girly (and I am actually cringing myself at this…truth(?)–I am inherently not that interested in our equipment.  

There. I said it.

I so hope I am not compared to the President of Harvard regarding his infamous comment about women and science–I know there are women who can drop major science on video/camera equipment. (We have been emailing some of them regulary for advice.)  I just happen not to be one of them.

I haven’t even read Scott’s recent (epic) techie blog entry.  I am logistics and editing gal. I know what needs to happen next in our schedule, remember that we have to eat at some point, and I can Final Cut Pro a kick-ass story.  It is a pretty even split, work-wise.

Practically, it has worked well for our business. This does not mean, however, that this divide does not cause tension. I feel that my job is less glamorous. Also, Just because I am not interested in the gear, doesn’t mean I don’t want to be good at using it.

It is complicated, see, I want to be visual/camera/tech gal too. However, the responsibility of this freaks me out as much as I want to do it. But…the more I don’t do it, the more I don’t get better and more confident at it. Scott wants to be a better editor as well. But this is easier to remedy. I get sore editing wrists. He takes over at the editing bay. If I happen not to like something he does, I change it so I like it.

There is a bit more pressure with collecting footage: When you forget to turn on the XLR mic… you don’t get the sound. I happen to know that it really sucks when this happens. So, I WANT the video camera. I DON’T WANT the video camera. I WANT THE CAMERA. It scares me.

So, anyway, the sleepover at Pragya’s…

I knew I had to do it. Even if this meant that the footage gathering was ALL on me. In fact, I didn’t even much think about it. I practiced setting up beforehand and worked up notes with Scott about things not to forget, and really I wasn’t too nervous.

I would love to report that all went amazingly and that I got Born Into Brothels meets Iraq in Fragments footage. I didn’t.

I spent the night lying in bed listening to pack of dogs barking in the distance… slapping bugs and ticking off the things I had missed getting into my camera.

• Pragya’s little sister, Praynena, asking Pragya how to spell “Barbie”.
• The electricity coming back on after hours of darkness and Praynena jumping up and saying in English, “The lights are on. It’s my birthday.”
• Praynena tiredly and sweetly asking her mom if there is a cure for blindness.
• Mom turning off the T.V. after a long day. (I was readjusting the tripod to make it even–AGGHH!)
• Had the camera rolling the second they were stirring to wake up, but it was 5 am and there was NO LIGHT, (not even on ‘high gain’ which I was taught only to turn on if you find Osama Bin Laden in his cave.)

 However, this is what I got:

• Pragya helping her sister getting out of her uniform and into her play clothes after school in pretty bedroom light.
• Pragya being quiet, sitting in the kitchen, recovering froma long day at school.
• Mom and daughter talking about their day (don’t know what they are saying yet. Sending the tape home with the transcriber today and I betcha it is sweet.)
• The lights going out and mom picking through rice by electric lantern.
• Family of women slowly waking up. (Again, can’t wait to know what they are saying as they rub the sleep out of their eyes.)
• Little Sister watching big sister as she does 5:30am karate in a class of mostly boys bathed in morning, mosquito filled light.
• It is hard to watch  my own footage. For me, it is full of “should haves”.
• As a filmmaker it was a roller coaster. As just a regular person spending the night at some really nice peoples’ house, it was a total fulfilling blast.

I loved being with the girls. They are both REALLY funny…goofy. I love that.

I loved eating Dal Bhaat (traditional Nepali food-rice, curry, lentils and a fried egg). It was so good. They were so excited that I liked chiles. I poured them on. Manita, Pragya’s mom, had made them into this yummy chutney. SO GOOD!

I loved hanging out with Manita. She reminds me of my sister-in-law, Denise. Super strong, determined, feminine, a  hardcore self-made woman. We couldn’t really speak to each other much, but it was one of those deals where it didn’t really matter. We just smiled a lot and knew. 

The next morning, Manita and I ended up walking about 3 miles together in the muggiest, sweatiest of heat because there was a transportation strike.

We walked 30 minutes out from her house (I supposed to be filming her getting on a tuk tuk to work) to the big road only to find it full of bicycles and people walking. I had three heavy bags with me. I got sun burnt and rashed, but eventually found a bus in the next town over.

Later, Manita called Nutan to be sure I had made it home.

The sleepover? It was good in a lot of ways. Really good.

You might even see some of what I got in the film we’re making.

(Phil and Amy stretch a bit in Bangkok)B

After the longest plane ride of our lives, 17 1/2 hours, we’re in Bangkok, awaiting our plane to Kathmandu. There’s internet here, and showers. Nice place. I mean, like wow, nice place. Thai Airways? Mmm, I could get used to that too.

Caught up on some snafus–Canon Professional Services may not rock quite as much as we first announced: The camera and lens did not make it to us in LA. In fact, it seems they weren’t even shipped off. Good thing Trevor is coming later. Nothing the director of the program needs to be doing more than messing about with our camera maintenance issues, right? 

No worries, if it makes it to his hands before they leave on the 31st, it’s all golden.

Not a lot to report. Things are good. More later, when we’re chilling in Kathmandu.

We went to Marmot MountainWorks. The Un-REI as far as I can tell. First of all, it was empty. Second, it was affordable. Third, the people that work there actually go outside. Like, big-time outside. Gary, the one who sold me my sweet new treads (the same ones he had on his own feet) has been a guide for 20 years all over Nepal and Tibet 5 months out of the year. The cutie that I met at the cash register, he climbed Mt. Everest–like, probably yesterday, because he was barely growing whiskers he is so young.

Gary did that thing that people do when you tell them you are going to Nepal. His eyes lit up and he started with the questions. “When? Where? For how long? You are going to love it!” It was probably twenty minutes before I even got to trying the boots.

He was so full of useful advice. Advice that I was not necessarily expecting. I mean, he knew a lot about altitude sickness and what to wear — all really useful information. But what really hit me was what he said about our first days in Nepal. “Take it easy,” he said. “Really easy.” He explained that it is very common for soon-to-be-trekkers to arrive in Nepal exhausted. When they get to the Himalayas they almost crash before they begin. Gary told me how overwhelming it all is and to just allow yourself to stay in your hotel, read the guidebook, sleep. It will all be there in the morning. 

This is excellent advice for me and Scott who tend to want to eat all the street foods and walk down every bustling street selling prosthetic limbs and refrigerator parts on the first day in a new city. 

Gary at the Marmot MountainWorks store said take the first days in Kathmandu and then on the mountain slow. There is no need to rush. Let your body adapt to its new environment. I know, pretty basic stuff. But I think with all the complicated stuff we have to figure out, like where to stow the battery chargers or how to get good sound on a windy mountain, I believe meeting Gary to remind us of the basics was no accident. 

Oh, and the boots were on sale!