PRODUCTION ENTRY 03 - Director Brendan Merrill's Personal Journal

The sound guys are confirmed. The hard drives have been bought along with the rented camera, new wireless microphones and tentative hotel reservations. However, to pretend this thrifty purchasing is some type of “point of no return” would be a tad ridiculous. That moment might’ve been years ago.

No point musing about it now, for tonight will be The Truth at 5 Elements in Yiwu (a celebration). The past few nights have been wild, between P_____’s french maid halloween outfit that made all of the people in Yiwu uncomfortable as well as a fortuitous night out with A___ (Batman) that concluded with an epic poker win.

P______ (from India) gets lots of attention as K____ (from England) explains the American holiday of Halloween. Any excuse to dress up in a french maid costume is a good one.

I can barely notice the time flying by, kyl vitus. I was walking with Batman today when we stumbled upon a young Chinese guy attempting to hoist his moto over a curb, off the park path… and into a bamboo grove. Naturally. A___ and I hurry to assist the struggling laowai… but in the process (the first thing really) we grab the rack on the back of his bike (to lift it) cracking it TERRIBLY as it fails to support the bike’s full weight. After apologizing profusely we are ushered away by the bike owner’s companion, now hurrying back to the park’s exit we had incorrectly navigated to in the first place. So it goes. Adam and Ethan will arrive from the US very soon, I can’t wait to get going in earnest!

Taking solace in long walks in the evening around M___’s apartment complex in Yiwu (after he so generously let the production use his multiple apartments for crew housing), I reflect upon how lucky I am to be here. How insanely fortunate I am to have this amazing group of friends support me. I’m literally on the other side of the world and have a family. It’s a pretty cool feeling.