Down in the Dump

We finished our last scene at Aroma Dump yesterday. I actually like the Dump out of all our Smokey Mountain locations. The trash is picturesque and the people are chill.

Mabuhay from Aroma Dump site!

Francois in his bright orange shirt.

Kirara with Julia and Mateo. This kid is hilarious--totally unimpressed with Mateo's charm.



Leeroy on the job.

The cutest butt in Smokey Mountain 2008.

Art Department setting up the plastic sheets.


There are bed springs everywhere. And trash.


Stepping on the plastic.

Getting ready for take.

Kiddies.
Dawn and Julia play Jack and Jill.

Class Picture! Yay. Note Kirara holding the clapper.

hellong dolly

We had a two hundred foot dolly shot this morning. Mateo radioed Dawn to send me down from the van so that I could document it for the blog. Voila!



You're looking swell, Dolly...



tracks

and more tracks

We had some nice curves this morning

and still more tracks

Packing up the dolly



The RS boys who set it all up--it took two hours in the dark and the mud. Good job, guys!

El Hogar or Mosquito Central

We're out of Tondo and moving into Quiapo and Binondo tomorrow. I love the Quiapo markets thanks to walking around with Carlos there all the time. That's going to be exciting for sure.

Then there's El Hogar, that beautifully decrepit old building on the banks of the Pasig River. It was built in 1911 and survived World War II. Mateo and Francois love the building and I do too but it's very musty and dank and there's a gazillion mosquitoes. Of course it will seem like the Shangri-la compared to Smokey.



This building has gorgeous bones.


The staircase is so elegant.

Not a lot of tenants, as you can imagine.


It's also a bit creepy.

Hmm. I'm bringing sandalwood incense cones and lots of organic anti-mosquito oil.

One Day To Go

Day Nine started at 3 am. We were already running late (Filipino time, as I explained to Mateo) and then when we got to the dock, the bankas we ordered were gone with the wind. And then there was a huge ass garbage barge parked exactly where we wanted to film. Argh.

Of course, it all entailed major pakiusap very early in the morning. Armed with our super tanod Mang George, I had to wake up Jerry, the guy in charge of moving the barge. Mateo was a bit stressed because we were under time pressure to catch the sunrise. We thought of renting the tugboat for a couple of hours but the guy in charge of tugboat affairs--some dude named Rudy--was nowhere to be found. Oh well. Dawn eventually found the bankas and they had to travel all the way from Navotas to get to us in Tondo. Apparently they were docked since last night but since the waves were strong, they feared getting smashed on the rocks. Hmm. I can't really argue with that.

I was feeling a bit nauseated this morning after all the banka business, so I took a moment and sat on the dock alone with my Mini Maglite. I tried to imagine what it looked like when it was a small fishing village before all the trash came. I've seen the sunset from there and it's gorgeous. A hundred years ago, there must have been a lovely little beach and clean sea-breezy air.

The sun eventually came up and we got the shot we wanted and it was the start of a beautiful morning.

I thought I could not last the day but here I am fourteen hours later--feeling elated that Day Nine is over and we are done with shooting in Smokey Mountain.

Two Days To Go

We are 80% percent done. Understandably, tempers are flaring and we're all tired. But still, the shoot is relatively relaxed and going well. Today we wrapped at 7.30pm after a nice dinner of fish, mushrooms, and brown rice.

Also, we shot the last scene in the Temporary Housing area. I never ever want to go back there again.

I can't believe we've come this far.


Julia and Marc in the mobile home.

Tired and hungry. Trisha outdid herself with the dinner tonight. Super delicious and healthy! No fried pork chops for us.

Our hot boys on the set.

Day Seven Finished

Marc is such a sport. And a sweetheart.


Ernie and Bert.

Our garden kids had colored plastic bags wrapped around their feet.


It's that kind of day.

Leeroy steals a doll from a child.

***

Tonight is the Syquia Christmas party and my neighbors have a jazz band covering "Rock Around the Clock" right now. It's that kind of night. I'm exhausted.

But Julia and I made an effort to get into our party dresses and venture forth into the building. I'm glad I did because Caliph was spinning downstairs at The Living Room. It's a great party but I'll quit while I'm ahead.

Today was poignant and tiring, kind of surreal. Every day is a new adventure and a different kind of battle. I need to get some sleep.

***

Day Six Done

Yesterday was pretty tough for everyone. We shot our last scenes in Paradise Heights.

So it's officially Day Seven, dubbed "Mother's Day" by Dawn. We have Irma Adlawan Marasigan on set today. She's amazing, I can't wait to see her work with Marc and Lao (who was her student at some point.)

We're moving to the Temporary Housing area and Aroma Dump Site which are even more hardcore than Paradise Heights. We have no Co-op office to use as our home base, so now everything from wardrobe to actors have to stay contained in our dinky blue van. I think we're going to have to eat at the gas station across the street. Deluxe accommodations it ain't. Oh well. Two more days of this then a day off.

Wish us luck.