From Whit to Woo

I don't think that anyone should be forced to leave a country, where someone can say, I like your look can you be in a music video and it doesn't involve sex or nudity.  Honestly, if I were the Chair of a Classics Department, or a parent, or an apartment realtor, or a very spoiled 12 year old cat, I would do anything in my power to allow a person who is asked such a question to stay in that country.

My neighbor, Alex, is involved in all Queer media in the Balkans.  Since he has moved in, I have met all kinds of great people. Strati, a singer and songwriter, who reminds me very much of Rufus Wainwright asked if I would be in his music video, for a song.  It is basically people of all kinds listening to his song on huge headphones in a graffiti- strewn wall in a underpass near NDK.

Oh! I am finally getting it right. I could have stayed in Baltimore for 6 more months and I still wasn’t going to make it work out. I had to borrow money to leave the city and my parents came to pick me up with all my things as if I were some wayward runaway who fell in love with a fickle heartbreaker.  It was a mess; and I had had all these hopes for the city.  But here, I am getting it right. It took a bit; but I get it and I want to have some more please. I had so much fun being in this this video. And it doesn’t come from vanity. Really, I can’t take a good picture to save my life.  I am actually really nervous about seeing this video. I’m sure I was hideous! (Yes of course I will post the video and the song very very soon!)  Also, I don’t even imagine a different career. I already had my Emperor’s New Clothes moment while in Rome.  I never said I had a good voice. People just kept assuming I could sing and asking me to perform and I had a really cute haircut then. If I promise to finish my dissertation, couldn’t I stay here forever?

PS- I am getting over Doug Loves Movies.  I only really like Doug and Paul F. Tompkins and Scott Aukermann. But really enough of Graham Ellwood and I want Build a Title to come back.  Anyway I am now saying How Did This Get Made? And Dead Author’s Podcast are really super funny podcast.  And I am now in love with QI- which is a BBC quiz game with comedians.  You learn a whole bunch and British humor isn’t always Benny Hill. I watch it because I love David Mitchell from Peep Show and his own Soapbox video shorts.  When he is on QI it is EXCELLENT. When he is not on it is GREAT.  And some super kind person put all 9 seasons, 12 episodes per season on YouTube.  It is a bit visual, I miss some things while cleaning or cooking but they are great company. 

We all met up at NDK and then went to the location. NO RAIN!

Beer with the Lemon in is big here now. This is my kind of town!

And the day was just lovely

I'm sorry but I now think I am a great photographer who can take crazy artistic images.

My neighbor, Alex points. Strati, the singer with hat.

She was first.

The woman in black was the makeup artist.

Here we are, between takes, looking cool.

The little boy is in the video too, but he then stepped in dog poo and was done. No more filming, clean my shoe, take me home.  His moms are practically holding him down to take this photo. Of course I thought he was grand.