EARS, Inc. Blog

Awoke once more at 5am. Breakfast with Kerry and then off to the workshop. We played, theater games, did some vocal work and improvs regarding character. Kerry took over after break, and Saeed and I went out so I could buy a small digital camera. We returned for the end of the workshop, and then back to the hotel. Saeed picked us up at 4pm and we went to get Kerry a cell phone and for both of us, headsets for Skype.  On the way home we got almost got stuck in the car next to a street fight that was going on, Saeed got us out of there fast. A knife was drawn and cars were sitting around around watching. Kerry sat with me while I had lunch at the hotel and he had a cup of coffee, then I went up and did some computer work, read, set up his phone. We were going to meet at the Chinese restaurant for dinner, but I lost track of time and was late. Kerry waited while I finished. We met in my room to do some planning for tomorrow’s class.

Up again at 5am. Planning class. Feeling a little better adjusted. The altitude is around 7,250 feet or something like that, it has it’s effect, one of which can be to be disruptive to the sleep pattern. I have not been sleeping great. Kerry and I had breakfast together, then he went to the workshop and I met Bart to cash a check at the Embassy. However just before Bart and I left I discovered I had left the checks in my folder at the workshop location. I went with Bart to the embassy in anycase to get my own security clearance badge so that Saeed could drop me off sometime to get a check, and Bart doesn’t have to play chauffer all the time. I arrived at the workshop at 11am and the break was finishing. Kerry said he would teach for another hour, so I went out with Saeed to an ATM and then to market to get little cakes, which had been missing for the break.

When I came back Ibrahim had sent Kerry some written translation and I had that printed out for him.  I taught for about 45 minutes, and the workshop ended. As we left there were lots of energized conversations going on. I was hungry when we got back to the hotel and had lunch. It was a great buffet, Kerry went to his room as he is trying to do only 2 meals a day. I then went to my room and did some banking things via skype, accounting things, e-mailing things. Some reading. Watched a little tv and then joined Kerry in his room for dinner. Kerry has had bad luck with room service. He called when I was still on skype and I didn’t answer the phone. When I called him back he had ordered his dinner. He asked if I wanted something I said yes and I would be down in a minute. He called my order in. When dinner arrived, it was my dinner and the didn’t bring his. When they did bring his they forgot his beverage. That was the second night in a row they forgot his beverage.  We had an animated discussion and then parted. I came up finished up with some accounting things got in bed and read.  Tomorrow is our Thursday, even though it’s only Tuesday. Two more days to the work week.

Up at 5am and breakfast with Kerry at 6:30. Bart picked us up at to take us to the Embassy to cash a check as many payments here must be made in cash. But they were not open till later so Bart drove us to the workshop. We played theater games, did our first improvisations, and Kerry covered the basics of radio drama writing. Saeed went out and bought cresent rolls and tea and glasses for us, he also filled the rental with gas. All that depleted my current cash. Kerry and I returned to the hotel afterwards and interviewed Ibrahim to do some written translations for us. He comes at a less expensive rate than Mohammed who is doing our oral translation in class.

Took it easy the rest of the day, Kerry and I had dinner together but then, I did some bookeeping and paper work. Watch two episodes of Heros on tv and went to bed.

Saturday, up at 5am to dress and shower. Water was only tepid in the shower this morning. The room is quite nice with a couch and such. Went to Kerry’s room at 6:45 to iron a shirt. He had gotten an Ironing board there. Then we went to breakfast which was a hugh selection of fruits vegatables, juices, coffees, teas, cereal, hot foods, and an omlet bar. We both ate lite. Then back to our rooms to freshen and down to the lobby where we met with our Saeed our driver, Bart our POC, and Mohammed, our interpreter. We drove over to the youth radio area, which was nicely laid out, with plenty of room for our 20 some students and us. We talked, played theatre games and discussed the nature of radio writing. Much enthusiasm. Lots of dialogue, and Mohammed was great.  We left and went with Bart to the Embassy for a security briefing.  We went back to the hotel then out with Saeed to buy some supplies for the workshop. I also got a sim card and bought minutes so I have a local cell phone. We got back, ordered dinner in my room. When we had just finished Bart called to see if we wanted to go out to dinner, he was in the lobby. We said we would go with him. We went to the other side of town and I regretted that we had had dinner as it looked really good. Kerry had turkish coffee and smoked some apple/tobacco from a water pipe. I had a cola, and Bart had dinner. We talked of theatre, the arts, and Bart shared his story. He brought us back to the hotel and I went up to my room and fell asleep on my bed, woke an hour later and prepared for, and then went to bed. A full first working day!

Well it’s 6:20pm now. We arrived at 8:50am this morning. We had to have a health card stamped, then we had to buy a visa, then we had to go through immigration, then we had to wait for our bags. Kerry’s came up right away, but mine didn’t show for about 1/2 an hour and then Kerry found it in the middle of the floor. We went outside and were met by a sign held by our driver S—d. Who let us to our hosts who were waiting there, said hello and were off to a meeting. S—d then drove us to the hotel where we registered and got our rooms. Nice big rooms, and the Hotel has a heated outdoor pool, three or 4 restaurants and other things which I will describe another time. Although we did take a look around. We both went to our rooms for down time to take short naps, shower and then meet at 2pm for lunch. We expected a quick lunch prior to our 3pm meeting with our hosts. But lunch dragged on in a casual way, which we remembered from our previous visits to the general area. Only one of the hosts showed up but we spend the next 3 hours going over details of the program. We are now in our own rooms. The state here runs the internet and there are several websites blocked. Tomorrow we have class at 9am, will have to leave at 8, and then a meeting at the Embassy. Kerry and I will meet a bit later to make sure the day is planned for tomorrow.

Kerry and Hal left Seattle on the 13th and arrive in London on the morning of the 14th. We were pretty jet lagged because we had both exhausted ourselves in preparing for this journey. We rested most of the day, went to the gym, walked, and stayed up till around 9pm then slept. Wednesday the 15th around noon we took the Hotel Hoppa back to Heathrow to catch British Rail into Paddington, where we meet Caroline Ogden. Kerry took off to see the Cherry Orchard at the Old Vic and Carrie and I went to St. James Park, had an ice cream cone and made a mess, walked quite a bit, took the tube to Piccadilly, went to Whole foods and had juice, then meet Kerry and Elaine Bradtke by the statue of Eros at Piccadilly. We walked into Soho and found a great Indian restaurant, spent 2-2.5 hours together and then parted. Kerry and I taking the tube to Paddington, British Rail to Heathrow and the Hoppa to the hotel. Thursday we went MacDonald’s for breakfast as the breakfast at the hotel was 20-25 dollars. We went to the gym, rested and we had arranged to check out of the hotel at 3. We caught the Hoppa to Heathrow, my brief case was sniffed by a cute little dog who was looking for currency; checked in at Emirates Air and finally boarded a really full flight to Dubai. Good food and lots of entertainment on the plane, but neither of us were able to sleep much. We are now sitting in Dubai (having arrived at about 3am waiting for our 7am flight to Sana’a. We have had a small meal, water, coffee’s etc. Kerry is  reading as always, and I am trying to stay awake.  It’s now 5:30 and we can board in about 50 minutes.

The flight to Sana’a will be 2.5 hours and we arrive there at 8:50. We don’t know how immigration and customs will go there, we have to obtain our visas and also have to meet our hosts, find our driver and car, get to the Sheraton and check in and then we meet with our hosts at 3pm.  We are exhausted and excited.

Kerry and I have arrived in London. It’s Tuesday July 14th. We are both a bit jet lagged. Getting ready to go has been a big rush, and Kerry spent the night at my trailer down by the airport and helped me clean up and run lots of errands. We were going to meet with my ex-wife, Caroline, but she’s not feeling well so we will try to connect tomorrow. We are tight on cash, so we are hoping to get through spending as little as possible. We are at the Sheraton by Heathrow, which is less expensive but we each have very nice rooms. We have stayed here before. We plan to meet in an hour and maybe use the treadmills and get some exercise and stay up all day so we can deal with the jet lag that is upon us.  This is the first step and we are on our way. Thursday we leave for Sana’a via Dubai and we go from 5 in the evening to a 5 hour stop in Dubai in the middle of the night to Sana’a. I am not today feeling very ogranized or prepared.

Flurries of e-mails, lots of running around, setting up things at home to be maintained, packing, sorting…lots to do. Kerry will spend the night at my place down by the airport as we leave tomorrow morning. I have a feeling the program name changed this morning as I recieved the poster below. We are overwhelmed and there is much to do.  The next post will be either from London or Yemen.