India: WEEK ONE PART 1

So I got a little busy. The first week of work was an experience to say the least. We traveled to the set in an area of Mumbai called "Film City." It's sort of the Indian version of the Warner Bros Studio Lot where all your favorite Bollywood films are shot. Wait til you see the pictures. The studio lot looks like a city of abandoned warehouses that are home to locals and the packs of dogs that live off the scraps of Bollywood film crews. These dusty old caves are where I was to spend most of the next two months in India.

Week one consisted of 30-45 min. journeys to and from Film City, lots of picture taking and hanging in a harness for most of my days. Along with learning names, our job was to prepare and rehearse for the shooting days ahead. The local stunt team was present and had become a group of guys that I truly enjoyed for the most part. I spent most of my time rehearsing wire moves that either myself or the actor would have to perform "on the day" for the cameras. The first day of work we were all a bit apprehensive about the catered lunch so we did the American thing and ordered subway. In retrospect, that was probably less safe than the catered food seeing how we had no idea what that subway even looked like. So the next two days we indulged in the spicy bliss of KFC crispy chicken buckets and corn on the cob. It was good but not the healthiest of cuisine which is why by the end of the week we were dining with the local Indians on who knows what and rice with a side of Naan(bread). It was actually pretty delicious in comparison to the subway and fried chicken. By then end of the week I'd learned a few things including the name of my favorite driver Jabbar Khan. He is a pleasant but quiet man who tries to help answer my every question about Mumbai, even though he speaks very little english. He helped me remember why I love this job. I was getting to freerun and flip around on wires, learn from some of the best stuntmen and riggers in the business, and explore the Indian culture along side them...

India: DAY TWO! PART2

After returning from the Hotel I decided to do what many of the locals do on a semi clear Mumbai evening. So I grabbed my Camera bag and headed down to catch the sunset on the Arabian Sea. As I walked passed the bamboo supported shacks tattered with laundry and the local pissing hole, I began to get that out of place feeling again. But after a few deep breaths of the urine, excrement, and sea water mixture I decided to truck on. Down by the water I could see people sitting on the rocks in pairs and small groups. As I got closer to them I decide to sit down and sort of blend in before I took my camera out and started snapping away. That was my way of trying to be respectful I guess. I picked out the perfect boulder on the mound facing the city and sat down for a bit to observe my surroundings. It was calm down on the rocks and seemed much different than in the city, like most waterfronts do, even though the city is not at all far from this one. For me it became the type of place you would want to go to for a nice outdoor nap, but I just wasn't that comfortable yet. As I watched, more and more people began to arrive for the sunset viewing. You must know that personal space is not respected in India which is the cause for some discomfort for us westerners. At one point a group of three boys sat down next to me as close we would in a movie theatre. They sat with me for at least twenty minutes and did not speak the entire time. It was odd to me that young boys here behave like men, and just wish to relax and watch the sun go down after a hard day of work. Once they left I hopped up from my rock and made my way through the jagged terrain to go and snap some photos of the shoreline.

On my way down an Indian boy named Khan, about 15 yrs. old approached me and said "Hello, my name is Khan. What is your name." Then he and his 3 friends had a laugh at my expense as I responded with my own name and introduction. The reason they laughed is because "My name is Khan" is a very famous Indian movie that has just recently been released here. The star of the film is Sharuk Khan, who is like the Brad Pit of India but with the power and money of Oprah Winfrey. So when "Khan" played his little joke on the foreigner, I too had a laugh. Little did the boys know that I am here to be the stunt double for that very same actor in his new blockbuster film.

As I thought of how funny the coincidence was I kept taking photos of the land, the sea, and occasionally the people. As I made my way back up the rocks to the hotel my new friend Khan approached me with his friend Tazim and asked me to snap a photo of them. I placed them along the shore so that I could see Mumbai behind them and took a photo of the two. After I showed them the photo they asked me to go back with them to take more of their group of friends but I wasn't fully sure that they were trustworthy yet. How could I be? After all I didn't even know his real name...

India: DAY TWO! PART 1

The next day seemed to be a blur of catching up with sleep that my neighbor on the plane wouldn't allow me, another oh so delicious sandwich, and a trip to go and check out a different hotel. The Taj was awesome but we were given a decision to either stay there and take the hour and twenty minute commute to and from the Studio where we'd be filming, or we could move to this newer, not so nice hotel and be only 5 minutes away from work every day for the next two months. At first it was an appealing offer. Hell, as a stuntman being offered a choice in hotels is an experience itself, seeing how we usually are the expendables. So after an always interesting ride down into the city we eventually arrived at what I would call a Palace. A Gaudy ten story gated building that hangs right above the edge of the nearby Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Which, to be honest, I was very enticed by after hearing that its home to Cobras, Jaguars, Monkeys, and other wild creatures. I mean come on. It sounds like a free trip to the zoo, just without the fences between all of God's lovely creatures. Whats to be afraid of? Only 60 people a year are killed by Jaguars in that forrest. If you flipped the equation around I bet that Jaguar would have a lot less chance of surviving if it came to the city wouldn't it? Okay, enough justifying my urge to explore ridiculously dangerous situations. Back to the Imperial Palace.

As we drove through the guard gates all the doubts we'd had about the quality of this hotel went down the drain. Everyone seemed a bit more upbeat about making the move. The entrance was decorated with huge paintings, statues and gold wherever you could randomly place it. The art, at first glance was, a half assed attempt to recreate some of Italy's famous work, but better than what my hand could produce. As we began to follow our guide to check out the rooms, the pool area, and the one restaurant that we'd have to commit to eating at for the next two months, we began to notice the differences. Some hotels are really nice, like the Taj. Some hotels are decent, and then there's the Imperial palace. A place that reminded me of what it feels like to learn a magic trick. You get slowly drawn into the magic until the moment that you understand how its done, leaving you frustrated that you fell for that in the first place. No offense to the hard working people that spend their days servicing rooms and caring for customers, but the Palace was no palace at all. Although decorated nicely and very spacious, the rooms smelled like elderly homes, and had the small popping of electricity as it moved from the walls into the air conditioners and tv's. The pool water was the color of the air outside and the restaurant just didn't have what it takes. Needless to say we hopped back in our cars and spent a lovely hour and twenty minute ride back to the Taj...

India: DAY ONE!

We arrived at the hotel at nearly 5 a.m. and began the check in process. I immediately noticed the very helpful personality of the Indian people. Yes, it could be because we are at a fancy hotel but it seemed to be about much more than that. Anyways, as the petite gentlemen working here struggled to unload the baggage of 7 stuntmen (who don't pack light) I noticed something. The hotel had armed police officers at the entrance gate, metal detectors, and a bag carousel just like the one at the airport that allows guards to check your belongings. That struck me as odd seeing how I have always heard that Indian people are very non-violent and that the worst you will encounter is a very talented pick-pocket here and there. I must admit that it had me confused until later that day. After a four hour nap and a small photo session from my room with a sea-view I headed downstairs for some grub. That was to be my first taste of India.

You should now that since new years I have decided to try my very best to eat much healthier and to eat proper portion size. The 80% rule. I have also been trying to mix up the type of proteins I eat throughout each day, never having the same kind twice. That doesn't mean I always succeed but I'm trying. I have also been trying to eat at least one vegetarian meal a day in order to make sure I get those all natural unprocessed ingredients in my body. All in all I have been doing pretty darn good other than a few slip ups and Frosted cupcakes with the fiance' before I left. India, was a chance for me to try to go even healthier. With all the reading and running I have been doing this trip just presented itself as an opportunity to really get healthy. I mean physically, mentally and spiritually healthy. (To see what books I have been reading look to the right.)

So I started my day off with an amazing wholegrain grilled vegetable sandwich that comes with a shot of chilled carrot soup and sliced watermelon, kiwi, and fig. Let's just say it was so good that I've had once a day for three days straight. After eating I relaxed into my lobby chair and began reading a new book: "The Tipping point" recommended to me by my good buddy and fellow Tempest Daddy, Paul Darnell. Having just recently finished the book "Way of the Peaceful Warrior" I was in the mood to keep up the reading. I got through about a paragraph before the rest of the stunt guys started trickling down from their rooms. One of the guys started taking pictures of the lobby from a couple floors above but was immediately approached by an undercover security agent and told that he could not take pictures there. Thats when we realized the reason for the high security. It turns out that not too long ago the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai was bombed and attacked by terrorists, I believe from pakistan. The hotel I am in now is it's sister hotel called the Taj at Lands End. Apparently since its one of the nicest it gets some pretty high profile people in here, therefore they take certain precautions to protect it. Like barbed wire around the entire premises, a low level sort of gun tower at the front gate and officers and metal detectors, which probably are just set to go off randomly. After sitting around with the guys for a bit we all decide its workout time. Since I have been running so much lately I decide I will be going for a run down by the Arabian Sea. And to no surprise, I found that I'd be going alone. At this point I was still a little nervous and to be completely honest, not sure I felt safe going out into the city alone, with no cell phone, no money, and no form of communication. But the way of the peaceful warrior is fresh in my head and so I decide to jump right in.

As I am running out the gate I notice how bad the pollution is and combined with the all familiar brazilian style humidity it makes my run seem almost pointless. Throughout my run I am looking at mostly young Indian faces who return a glance, probably one of curiosity, only to wonder what this foreigner is doing. I was in shock to see that not one other person in this humongous population was out for a run. Not even one. Then I thought to myself, maybe they know better. I never got my answer. After about a half mile jog I arrived down in a small cove of the sea where the water had dropped so far that all the boats were laying on the earth as if taking some sort of late afternoon nap. There were pigs, goats, and small children roaming the seas floor for scraps and who knows what else. There were groups of homeless people scattered about, either washing their clothing or picking up trash or relieving themselves out in the open. After a brief pause in my run, I snapped a couple photos and let my culture shock convince me that it was time to head back. After I returned from my run, checked through security and finished a short workout in the gym, I decided to write. To tell a story that has no point other than a shared experience and an opportunity for me to do something I love.

That night I joined the guys for dinner at the chinese restaurant in our hotel. We met up with the stunt coordinator and second unit director to catch up and look at some photos they had gotten since arriving three weeks earlier. His pictures were amazing. But some of those photos were disturbing yet touching in a very awkward way. It reminded me of my run and the pictures I wanted but was too afraid to take. I found myself in a struggle. I wanted to capture the images I'd seen but I also wasn't completely comfortable with snapping photos of people and areas that seem to be poor beyond repair. It was something I hoped to come to terms with but also something I hoped I would never come to terms with, If that makes any sense...

India: THE TRIP!

After a 5 hour delay in LA, a 15 hour flight to Dubai, another 1 hour layover, and 3 more hours on a plane to Bombay, I finally arrived in India. Thats 24 hours of non-stop fun in jam-packed airport terminals and fully loaded airplanes. Thats not including the 30 min car ride, which felt like 30 seconds, and made economy seating feel like the backseat of a limousine. From the airport our driver literally flew past opposing traffic and made his way down the unlit highway until we reached our ugly on the outside, fancy on the inside, hotel aptly named "Lands End." All I can say is, if you've never been to India you are missing out.

Once we arrived in the hotel it was like the world actually spun around and dropped myself and the 6 stuntmen I was traveling with in a new dimension. Oh ya, I forgot. Those of you who don't know, I am a stuntman who's been fortunate enough to have a job in India for the next few months. And this is the story I have decided to write about my experience. I've always wanted to write a story and after lots of air-reading I realized that readers never get the chance to actually see a story as it develops. So, what better way to do that then let readers a.k.a. friends and family, follow my every day or every other day blogs. Which will eventually end as some sort of journalistic docu-story of my time in India. We shall see.

The hotel we got placed in is one of the nicest in Mumbai, and from the inside one of the nicer places that I've stayed. From the outside the 20-something story building looks like any ol' building that you'd find in downtown Los Angeles. But from the road you can barely notice it amongst the thousands of half-finished and half-demolished office buildings that make up Mumbai. The city is a jungle of incomplete ideas, non-existent government, and extreme overpopulation. At least those were my first thoughts...