LaLaLiving

Hangin’ with Richard August 29, 2007

I had purchased tickets over a month ago on the new airline Virgin America for New York, when they first announced their on-sale date. The disclaimer when purchasing tickets was that they didn’t actually have their final, final government approval, and there was a slight chance that they wouldn’t actually be flying on the day of the flight you purchased (they would of course reimburse you , etc.). As I had a fairly flexible schedule, no problem.

So, last Thursday I got an email from them. A brief moment of “oh geez, here it comes…” gave way as I started reading. “Congratulations! You’re on Virgin America’s inaugural non-stop flight from Los Angeles to New York. You’ll be flying in style with Sir Richard Branson and other celebrities as we launch this new route.”

Hilarious.

So here I am on the plane, hangin’ with Richard.

Check-in was beautifully easy (and empty), probably because they only have two morning flights leaving out of LAX at the moment (the other was headed for SFO). Online check-in wasn’t working yet, so I used a kiosk with the help of one of Virgin’s many helpful staff in their snazzy black and red uniforms. I actually contemplated spending the extra $175 to upgrade to first class (massage chairs!), but there was no more room at the inn. And the attendant lowered his voice, and said, “Actually, your seat is better. You have 20C, and Richard Branson will be sitting in 22C.” Well, allrighty then.

At the gate, there was champagne and pastries, and a general fun buzz. Sir Richard himself showed up shortly thereafter, along with the press and the endless photo requests. Sir Richard presided over the ribbon cutting, and then we all filed onto the plane (I couldn’t quite bring myself to ask Sir Richard for a photo, but I did have him sign my boarding pass…). As we pushed back from the gate, the entire ground staff stood out on the tarmac and waved goodbye, and the LAX fire department sprayed us with their hoses. Game on.

I’ve got the entire executive staff of the airline sitting behind me, along with the myriad of tag-along press. Along with Sir Richard, there’s the CFO, the director of in-flight entertainment, and the head designer, responsible for everything from the airport signage to the uniforms to the seats on the plane. The designer told me he’d been working for three and a half years on the project. He relocated to the U.S. from the U.K. for the job, and after a bit in New York, moved to San Francisco when Virgin America designated it as home base.

More importantly, I’ve got an empty seat next to me. My lovely row mate (the editor in chief of Statement Magazine) and I are thrilled our carry-on bags have their own seat.

The cabin is outfitted with comfy black leather seats with adjustable headrests, power ports (including regular electrical and USB ports), and fairly decent legroom. The mood lighting (blue and pink lights) stays on the entire time, and every seat has its own über-entertainment system, called “Red.” Red offers a big selection of movies at $8 a pop (I’m currently watching The TV Set), about twenty channels of Direct-TV, video games, and a huge variety of music (you can either listen to pre-programmed channels or create your own playlist from a selection of artists/albums, that, according to the entertainment programmer guy in row 24, who is quite lovely, you will eventually be able to save for future flights…they even have Kraftwerk! They also have pics of all the artists, and it’s hilarious to see Beck next to a portrait of Beethoven.). You can also text other passengers from your seat, and e-mail will be added soon. A nifty addition to the standard cabin signage is an illuminated “Turn Off All Portable Electronics” sign next to the fasten seat-belt one.

Best bits: they still provide pillows and blankets AND the food was good (roasted chicken on focaccia with a side Caprese salad and Toblerone candy bar - we got it for free, but it will run around $8 for non-inaugural hoopla flights), and the flight attendants are incredibly nice. Now, I realize that this flight won’t be the norm, given that “the boss” is on board, but I’d be pretty happy even without the free champagne cocktail upon take-off.

I’m thinking flying has a bit of glam to it again.

Anniversaries and Updates August 28, 2007

First of all, happy anniversary to Leslie and Steven!  It seems like just yesterday that we were all standing at the giant LOVE sculpture on 6th Avenue in Manhattan, conducting a guerilla wedding.  Well, seems like yesterday until you realize that Leslie is now eight months preggers… Congratulations kids!

Now, some big news updates…

Life After Film School—I have two episodes coming up:

• Sept 2: Peter Ligouri, the Chairman of Fox Entertainment
• Sept 9: Rob McElhenney, one of the creators of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia on FX (I looooooove that show!)

(Premiere date screening times are: 1:00 PT/4:00 ET, 4:30 PT/7:30 ET, and 9:30 PT/12:30 ET)

-AND-

The website I’ve been producing, www.howdoisaythis.com (relaunching Sept 5), was greenlit by mtvU as an on-air series, meaning we’ll get air time in small, “VJ Hits” segments throughout the year (basically re-purposing the episodic material we produce for the site).  (mtvU is MTV’s college station, broadcast to universities around the country).

Here’s a link to a story about the mtvU fall lineup in Hollywood Reporter.

Off to see Crowded House tonight at the Greek Theatre, and THAT is quite a way to top the day off.

___

Have I mentioned how much I love Neil Finn?

The Crowded House show at the Greek was stupendous as expected.  Witty banter, impromptu songs, audience participation, and an almost entirely different set list from their show at the Troubadour last month.  Fatima and I swooned, as Ian and Tom F. maintained a more respectable demeanor (until Tom lost it a tad when they played “Mean to Me” in the encore, which he had forewarned us about.)

Neil’s son Liam played almost the entire show with them, and he obviously has the family music gene (he was at the Troubadour as well for a few songs).  I really wanted to buy one of his t-shirts, but they only had them in large sizes.  It had a purposely amateur drawing of Liam and an Obi-Won Kanobe-type figure, with a speech bubble that said, “Liam, I am your father.”

Opening act Pete Yorn needs to lighten up.  He barely said anything between songs, other than muttering the song name. You’re playing with Crowded House.  Watch and learn my friend.

Fancy Movie Night August 25, 2007

Alonso and Dave have been hosting Fancy Movie Night for the last few months, after Alonso received the Janus 50th Anniversary box set for his birthday, Essential Art House: 50 Years of Janus Films.  I haven’t been able to attend any yet, so was thrilled that I could make it for tonight’s showing of Ingmar Bergman’s Wild Strawberries.  What a beautiful film, and I’m feeling rather haunted by it.  It really holds up well, over fifty years after its release, which is understandable given its themes of regret and aging.

Of course, we eased into the evening by watching highlights from Disney’s High School Musical The Concert, so I feel well balanced.

European Buzz Kill August 18, 2007

What a crazy week. After twenty-five hours in transit (door-to-door…I counted), I finally arrived back at my apartment in LA Sunday night at 10pm.

My little sister and her friends Milena and Emily had been hanging at my apartment for the week for their “we graduated from high school, woo hoo!” road trip and happily stayed an extra night so I could see them. They’re adorable, and left me flowers and photos all over the apartment.

First thing Monday morning, I was off to a sound stage to shoot an episode of Life After Film School (brilliant timing, no?). Three episodes were scheduled back-to-back, and mine was up first, interviewing Rob McElhenney from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia.  I loooooove this show.  It’s seriously one of the best things on tee-vee, and I’ve been pestering the LAFS producers since day one to feature it in an episode (and hence why I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to do the interview, jet lagged though I was).  Rob was pretty much everything a fan of the show could hope for — funny, generous, and  self-deprecating — and he seems like he’d be a dream to work for/with as showrunner.  I just have a great fear that I was pathetically lame for this one, given my mental and physical state, and the fact that he answered almost all of my questions in one fell swoop and I had to improvise.  Huh.

The middle part of the week was dedicated to revising the How Do I Say This? business plan for mtvU.  I’m so sick of looking at that thing.  But I keep telling myself that even if we don’t win the extra bonus grant, it’s still good experience.  Right?  Right??

Friday brought yet another Life After Film School episode to tape, this time with Peter Liguori, the chairman of the Fox Broadcasting Company.  Through a series of scheduling issues and space availability, we wound up having to shoot the episode outside on the Fox lot.  It was, yet again, 95° outside, and breezy.  Super hot+extra bright lights+wind+on-camera makeup and hair=messy, sweaty, and squinty Loretta.  We had a two hour window to expect Peter, from 3-5:00pm (call time was 11am), and of course, as he’s a slightly busy man, we didn’t actually get him until 5:15pm.  Aside from the permanent scarring on my retinas, the interview went really well.  I have to say, it’s pretty cool to get to sit down with a network chairman for an hour and tell him to talk to Peter Guber about teaching at UCLA when he expresses interest in planning that next phase of his life.

My European buzz is officially dead. Long live Trader Joe’s burritos and late work nights.

Roma or Bust August 8, 2007

August 8, 2007
We joined a new group for the drive to Rome. They’re the craziest by far. It’s 90% Australian with a few Americans and Canadians thrown in. There is one couple that everyone else loathes (we could spot them immediately), and a few Aussies later admitted to us that they thought they were American at first, but were shocked to find they were Canadians. Ha! Take that! Not all Americans are complete doofuses.

The trip from Venice to Rome is a long one, and it’s painful to drive through Tuscany and Umbria without getting to stop anywhere other than an Autogrill for lunch (as much as I love the Autogrills). In fact, let’s have a moment to sing the praises of Autogrills, freeway stops that prove fast food can be awesome food. For about five euros, you can have a spectacular lunch of pasta, or meat, or even risotto balls. Or you can choose from a multitude of regional packaged food in their shop. It’s basically what the Cracker Barrel desperately wants to be.

Upon arrival in Rome we checked into the Hotel Diana, near the Termini Station. It’s pretty much a dump (even though it says four stars on the door), and this is my hovel of a room.

And even they have the nerve to charge 30 cents a minute for Internet access in their lobby. All the hotels seem to have signed on for this cruddy service. Ridiculous. Far better to stay at the place I usually use, the Sonya Hotel, in the same neighborhood. Far cheaper and much, much nicer! (And last time I was there, they had a computer with free Internet access in the lobby.)

After our standard hour to drop off bags and freshen up, we hit the road for an orientation tour and dinner. Every time we do these things, I get hit with the overwhelming sensation that I’m in the movie Vacation, in the scene where they stand at the edge of the Grand Canyon, look at it for two seconds, and then get dragged off by Chevy Chase. Look everyone! There’s the Palentine Hill! Isn’t it gorgeous? OK, moving on…

We did get to get off the bus eventually, and walked to the Trevi Fountain, which was overflowing (literally and figuratively) with humanity.

Dinner was pretty nifty, actually. We ate at a little place that had a view of the Coliseum. Again, we sat with the tour director and bus driver, in a room adjacent to the big group, and got to order separate food. This particular tour guide is a bit of a foodie and wine fan, so he got us a great bottle of Chianti (apparently 2003 was a fantastic year for Tuscan reds), and we enjoyed a few courses of pasta, etc., while musicians entertained the group. There’s a lot of group “Oy! Oy! Oy!” with these people. Apparently they enjoyed the pasta.

Venice Biennale August 6, 2007

August 6, 2007
Having gotten footage of pretty much everything of importance in Venice, Bodie and I ditched the camera and set off to see some of the Biennale. (Turns out there’s a fairly convenient public bus stop right by the hotel that takes you to Venice in about twenty-five minutes.) It was the first really hot day we’ve had, reaching the mid-90s, which made us particularly grateful we’d left the camera at the hotel.

At Filippo’s suggestion, we focused on the Arsenale section (which worked out well, since the other half was closed on Mondays). The old military buildings are massive, allowing for a wide variety of art installations. The Arsenale area works a little different than the park portion, in that there aren’t separate country pavilions (there are a record seventy-six country pavilions this year, scattered around the Giardini section and around the city itself, loosely affiliated with the main show). Instead, dozens of artists from different countries are mixed in together. As with most contemporary art shows, there’s a lot of crapola, but also a few stunners. Here are some of my favorites:

To recover from our trek through the city crowds and the exhausting art viewing (and it is exhausting), Bodie and I then hit the Hotel Danieli, which is just next to the Doge’s Palace and had been recommended to us by several of the tour directors. The hotel’s Bar Dandolo is on the top floor terrace, overlooking the lagoon, and we had the place to ourselves.

You pay for the privilege, with 15 euro drinks, but it was so worth it to enjoy a prosecco above the heat and fray of the traffic below. The hotel itself is gorgeous, and apparently the Doge’s Suite goes for several thousand dollars (a pittance). They also had some of the most beautiful Venetian glass I’d seen on display.

As we sat there, a giant cruise liner made its way out to the ocean. It was astounding to see the ship dwarf the Venetian buildings as it passed through, dragged on by a tugboat.

Dinner back at the hotel again, and then packing time for our departure in the morning. Roma or bust!

Laundry and Spritzes August 5, 2007

August 5, 2007
Today was laundry and Internet day. Bodie and I ventured into Mestre on foot to brave the self-serve laundromat (practically the only store open on Sunday), and find an Internet café. Downtown Mestre is actually quite charming, and all the locals were out in the main square, dining and drinking and chatting. Lovely. It took us a while to master the laundry facilities, but never underestimate the perseverance of travelers with limited underwear supplies.

Later that evening, my friend Filippo (on the right) and his friend Samuel picked us up for dinner in Venice. Filippo was a former English student of Tina’s in New York, and I met he and Sam when Tina and I were in Venice in 2002. We’ve kept in touch since then, even having a chance to meet up in Barcelona a few years ago. Filippo and Sam grew up about an hour from here, and went to college in Venice…it’s always so great to have a local show you around. They took us to Cannareggio, a great neighborhood where a lot of students and locals hang out, and where the restaurants and bars stay open past 9 or 10pm. We dined al fresco on a canal (where the mosquitoes found me), having pasta and more fish, and then moved on to a bar because Filippo wanted us to try the traditional Venice drink, a Spritz (apparently no Venetian drinks Bellini’s…for shame! It’s just something Hemingway made famous, and it stuck).

Now, Venetians usually only drinks Spritzes in the late afternoon, before dinner, so when we showed up around 11pm and Filippo placed the order, this, loosely translated, is the conversation that ensued with the bartender: “You are mad! No one drinks Spritzes at this hour!” Yes, yes, yes, I know, but I have to friends from America here and want to show them the drink.” “But it is crazy! Unheard of! You must have some wine, or maybe a beer!” Yes, yes, I know, but please, they are but simple tourists…humor us.” “OK, my friend, but (wink, wink) I will have to charge you five euros each because at this hour it is a cocktail!” (They were one euro each. In Venice. I almost choked. And I couldn’t tell you how to get back there. Drat!)

So we got a pinkie handshake from the owner/bartender (not sure why just the pinkie, but apparently now I’ve been initiated into some secret Venetian society), and off he went to mix the Spritzes. This magical drink that caused so much strife was composed of the following: white wine, Campari, and soda water, served with a green olive (an odd bit of salty with such a sweet drink).

Venice and Beyond August 4, 2007

August 4, 2007
An early start today, getting us into Venice by 8am to meet a boat to take us to St. Mark’s Square, and then on foot to the Murano Glass Factory showroom. We got a glass blowing demonstration by a “master” who looked like the strong man at a circus sideshow. I’m not quite sure how he gets his pants on.

Anyway, the place is filled with very expensive glass and carafe sets, jewelry, chandeliers, figurines, and such. The salesmen apparently feel the need to compete with the showy and colorful pieces because they were all wearing tight pants and shirts in colors like pink and orange, constantly checking themselves out in front of the mirror-covered walls. And by checking out I mean looking themselves up and down and grabbing their “packages.” Nice.Next up: a boat out to the island of Burrano, birthplace of Casanova. Here is where a guided tour proves its worth. I don’t think I would’ve ever made it out there otherwise, even though there are public ferries available.

Burrano is almost too cute for its own good. Its 3,000 residents live in brightly painted houses, and the local trades are fishing and lace making (there’s a famous school for lace on the island). We ate lunch at Trattoria Raspo De Ua on the main street. You’d expect mediocre food from a place that can accommodate three or four tour groups in the back room, but I was happily surprised when, again eating with the tour director, we were served this massive feast:

First up, fish pate (the house specialty, made of cod and mayonnaise), two shrimp spreads, and another fish spread that looked like an anchovy something or other. Next was spaghetti with baby clams, followed by the main fish course (grilled whole, with shrimp and squid on the side. Also served with the main was this massive platter of calamari and shrimp for the table. To wash it down we had a carafe of very light and not too sweet prosecco. Now, as those who know me are aware, I am not a shellfish person. But, in the ‘when in Rome” spirit, I gave the calamari a go. It was so tender and flavorful, with a bit of lemon juice. I even ate most of the baby clams in the pasta. I don’t know how these Italians eat this much food on a regular basis. I had to be rolled back to the boat.

Venice or Bust August 3, 2007

August 3, 2007
Off to Venice this morning with a new group. It’s a pretty full bus, so we’re in the back row, which is pretty tight, to where I can’t even use my computer if I sit facing forward. So I’m sandwiched in sideways, with the armrest jabbing me in the back.

It’s raining off and on, and the roads are pretty slick. Our bus hydroplaned a bit on one stretch of windy road (which our lovely driver confirmed for us later, at dinner – Bodie and I assured him that we were the only two people who even noticed). The drive through the Austrian Alps is gorgeous, but thank goodness for Dramamine.

***

I ate one final bratwurst mit pommes during our lunch stop, and then we crossed the border into Italia. I justified it by figuring I’d need the energy, since we would be heading out on an evening excursion as soon as we arrived at our hotel.

We’re staying at the Novotel Venezia Mestre Castellana, which is located right off the freeway about twenty minutes outside of Venice. Dear God. The room is nice enough (except for the beds which are like thin futon mattresses on a hard board), but there is no wireless and the two computers in the lobby available for guest use cost 30 cents per minute, the city center of Mestre is a good thirty minute walk away, and getting into Venice is, obviously, a trek. Definitely designed for groups on a bus, also made obvious by the five or six tour busses in the lot. The kicker is that they charge 270 euros a night for a double room. Can you imagine? What a crock. (The hotel does offer a shuttle bus to Venice during the day, but it holds about eight people and you have to make a reservation far in advance to snag an open slot.)

The city of Venice charges a tourist tax of 280 euro per day for tour busses to enter Venice, which does not include parking fees. To be honest, I didn’t even know you could drive onto the island(s). But sure enough you can drive over a looooong bridge (built by Mussolini) next to the train lines, and park near the train station.

The first evening’s outing included a ride on a gondola, drinks in St. Mark’s Square, and a private boat ride down the Grand Canal. Our jovial tour director John organized a separate gondola for Bodie and I so we could film the group easier, Score! I’ve never been on a gondola before—Tina and I just couldn’t justify spending $80 on one when we were here in 2002—and now I’m totally spoiled. Everyone else was crammed in six to a boat. There was even musical accompaniment in the form of an accordion player and singer, who woo’d us with renditions of “O Solo Mio” and such. Our gondolier had taken over the family trade from his father, and his boat was an old beauty. He was saving up for a new one, which costs in the neighborhood of 30,000 €.

Venice really is a stunning city, and apparently our timing is perfecto. It rained only an hour before we arrived, but was clear and sunny and cool for our tour. And I have to say, seeing it by private boat is not a bad way to go. A bellini in the square helps too.

There are pink alligators everywhere on the Grand Canal for the Biennale.

Dinner back at the hotel. We get to sit with John and the driver, which is really the way to go: a bottle of wine and a choice of entrée and desert, as opposed to the fixed menu the group has to choose from. John is from Leeds in England, and, not being a contemporary art fan (the Venice Biennale came up), told us amusing tales about going to school with the artist Damien Hirsch (the one who’s currently trying to sell a diamond-studded skull). We also witnessed a brilliant discussion between John and the driver about al dente pasta, which John claimed was breaking his teeth, but the driver insisted was the only way to eat. To quote: always cook the pasta for one minute less than the package says. And always use rock salt in your water, and don’t add olive oil when cooking it. Save that for the plate. (He also gave us some tips for making homemade limoncello, since he’s from Sorrento: use only half-ripe lemons, with a lot of green still on the rind. Then you just basically add a lot of water, alcohol, and sugar. Salute! Tho’ I’m not sure how to recreate this in the States, as you’re supposed to use pure 96% alcohol. Where does one find 96% alcohol?)***

Which brings me to a small nod to our Tour Directors. So far, we’ve been really lucky and have met some great ones. It’s like a small roving subculture of comic babysitters, and they’ve given us a wondrous invitation to view the inner sanctum. Like any group of employees, they love to bitch about their job and swap stories, but they all seem to love what they do and the freedom it gives them. They have all taken full care of us, and picked up any and all slack left by the company in our trip (and there has been plenty).

Vienna Wanderings August 2, 2007

August 2, 2007
We have been enjoying the most spectacular weather. The heat wave we keep hearing about in other parts of Europe hasn’t hit us at all yet.

Today, after shooting the group at Schönbrunn palace, Bodie and I squeezed in a trip to the Galerie Belvedere, to see the Klimt collection. The museum itself is housed in a beautiful “summer palace” with large grounds surrounding it.

Klimt’s “The Kiss” is pretty spectacular in person. It’s much larger than you expect, and it’s one of those paintings that prints can’t do justice to because of the metallic gold paint. I lingered in the room long enough to get some one-on-one time in between tour groups (they’re everywhere!). Sehr schön.The group, of course, also had to take a turn on the Big Wheel in Prater Park . It was erected in the late 1800s and looks, I imagine, exactly how Ferris’ original Wheel did at the Chicago World’s Fair (check out Devil in the White City for more info on that fascinating slice of history). I timed our rotation, and — hold onto your hats — it took about forty minutes from start ‘till finish. Vienna is such a flat city that you really do get a great view from up there (and they let you sit at the top for quite a while. and sit. and sit some more.).

A note about Austrian coffee houses: the coffee is grand of course (and I say that as a non-coffee drinker), but even better is that they serve every cup with a glass of water on a little tray. To get that kind of charming service in the States you have to shell out $$$ at the Neue Gallery café in Manhattan (but totally worth it).