Monte Carlo or bust!

The start of my day was like most... woke up, talked to Mau, got ready, then left my room.

I rented my bike for 24 hours so I locked it up in a rack nearby. I was relieved it hadn't been stolen through the night. I happily took the bike over to the shop down the street and when I returned it, I was happy to know I rented without incident. Spoke too soon of course. I didn't realize that the bike seat was gone! Some asshole had stolen it through the night and I had to pay 25Euro to replace it. At least it was cheaper than if the bike had been stolen...

Foul start to my day... but I continued as planned and trekked on through.

I decided to spend the day in Monte Carlo, Monaco; just 20mins away. I hopped on the train and got there in no time. The view was amazing... I could see the ocean view along with small towns facing it. The water was incredibly blue and I could imagine sea life thriving there in such serene areas.

As soon as I got off the train... I was in search of a map or a tourist office. Surely they would have one at the station, considering that's where people arrive. But of course that would be too practical...

I wandered along the streets, not sure where to go. I saw a beautiful piece of architecture high above me nearby. I decided that would be a good place to go. I found out it was the Palace of the Prince of Monaco, whom actually still resides there today.

The view from the castle took my breath away. I had never seen an ocean view like that one. You could see the entire area of Monaco, which is pretty much a city on a hill. Well several hills... which I soon found out would be extremely hard to navigate.

I walked along the huge palace surroundings which is about 2km wide. Amazing gardens with 18th century architecture. I love old places... especially ones of luxury like castles. This one was of no exception. I could sit there for days, watching the seagulls fly above the deep blue ocean as they welcomed private yachts from other shores. We were so high up that the birds barely flew above my head, nestling in the trees nearby. There was also a bustling city beneath me, full of life and ready for exploring.

After 2 hours up on a gorgeous castle on a hill (and yes Sonia my prince charming is back home... lol); I walked down to see what else Monte Carlo had to offer. I soon realized that I would be getting no where fast. The entire city is built on hills, so there was no simple way to get anywhere. You could see a block or two in front of you- down the hill, but to get there would not be an easy task. The city was basically a maze of streets, with hidden corners and sidewalks that could take you underground.

I came to Europe to be adventurous, so now was a good time to start. I found a local bus stop and hopped on, hoping it would take me somewhere interesting. Good call, because I somehow found the tourist office! I got the map I had been looking for. I saw a sign that said Monte Carlo Beach, that sounded pretty relaxing, so I opted for that. The lady at the tourist office showed me on the map the "easiest" way to get there. "Easy enough," I thought. I was completely wrong.

I walked the way the lady had told me to... to Place de Moulins. "Take the lift," she said. What lift? And where? I couldn't find it anywhere. After walking back and forth for 15 mins, I found it... it was hidden on the side and was basically the parking lot elevator. "Sweet," I thought... on my way for sure. Nope. I got to the end of the lift and thought, "Okay, now I just have to walk it." I mean I could see the ocean, it was in front of me. If I could walk straight ahead and cross streets like in L.A., I would have been there in 2 mins. After walking down the hill and walking in zigzags for 20mins... I was lost. Now what? I looked over my map again, and realized I needed to take another lift! So I made my way back up the hill. I was certain I wouldn't find it... but amazingly I did. I took that lift down, got off and knew I was closer. I could see the ocean close to my eye level. I could smell it... but now what? I still couldn't see a clear path to it. I found a random tunnel that led down below. Hesitantly I followed it. After a few wrong turns to the left, then back to the right, then back to the left again... I somehow found myself really close to the beach! I could see a path! I had made it! It only took me 2 hours to figure out how to get there! But nevertheless it was my accomplishment for the day! I had to stay and chill, reap the benefits of my hard work.

After an hour, I headed back. I didn't want to walk back up since my feet were killing me. I found a bus stop and luckily it was the same number from before. Good ol' #6! I could've taken the bus down to the beach all along! It took 8mins to get back to the place I had started! Oh well at least it was an adventure.

I hung out for a little bit longer, exploring the expensive shops inside their decadent and extremely outlandish malls, with expensive chandeliers hanging from the ceilings. That's when I realized how extremely rich this area was.

The entire city was clean and beautiful. Expensive shops, expensive cars, amazing apartments with amazing views. I think you'd have to be a royal emperor or something to live here... or an heiress like the Hiltons. I'm just a simple girl from L.A... definitely not my neck of the woods.

Overall Monaco is a beautiful city. Come visit, it will be worth it... but one day is all you really need to see it. It's small but gorgeous... still a sight worth seeing. But don't expect a crazy hip scene, go elsewhere for that.

Monte Carlo or bust? Definitely not a bust.

Nice is Berry Nice...

Nice is pretty amazing... I must say I wasn't completely impressed with Cannes (granted I barely got to see any of it outside the festival); but Nice is definitely Berry Nice...

For my first official day in Nice, I decided to rent a bike from the rental place across from my Hostel on Rue Meyerbeer. It was only 14Euros, not too bad for a full day of fun! And fun it was.

I haven't ridden a bike along the beach since I was a kid. In the summer my family would go to Redondo Beach and we would ride our bikes in the park and along the ocean side. Those were some of the fondest memories of my childhood... when everything was simple and fun. So you could imagine my excitement when I got the bike... I eagerly headed down the block to the beachshore.

The bike was a little big, so I had some trouble getting off and on it, but I held it together on my tippytoes and rode away.

The sun was shining in my face as I gleamed with pride, riding into the sunlight and basking in its warmth. The wind struck against my long hair and whisked it behind me like a sail. And the biggest smile I've had since I began this trip formed, from pure exhilaration. In that instance it happened... I was a kid again.

I had never felt so free in years. Riding along the coast of the French Riviera was truly an amazing experience, one that will be on my top ten traveling-memories list. I was in awe of the view from my bike seat. It was like living in a postcard, where everything stands still and remains perfect, only I was riding through it. A surreal feeling of magic was with me.

I rode my bike from one end of the coast to the other, stopping every now and then to sunbathe on the shore. At one point I got hungry and found a grocery store near by. I took advantage of the fact that my bike had a basket, and decided to buy some essentials (like shampoo), to trek with me back "home."

I rode it into town, riding alongside cars and scooters. At times I was a bit nervous - not knowing exactly where to ride was a bit of an issue, but I survived regardless. I went to the Museum of Contemporary Art and afterwards rode to the flea market to do some shopping.

Sometimes I walked the bike, afraid to ride it in the congested areas with a lot of pedestrians. The last thing I wanted was to have a biking accident. Sometimes this was a b*tch; especially in the parts of the market that were squeezed tightly together. But overall, still worth it to have the bike with me.

Oh and how could I forget... during my ride along the beach, I attempted to fix my sweater which was hanging off the basket. Of course I did this during riding, of course I lost my balance, and of course I fell flat on my face in the concrete where I badly scraped my knee. And of course I got right back up and went on my way.

My Nice-biking experience, really hit me. After my full day of riding the streets of France, I realized that I was extremely lucky to have the opportunity to do something like this. Some people will never even get to travel outside their hometown, or set foot on a plane, let alone the shores of the French Riviera. I'm privileged and fortunate to have this experience be a part of my life.

It's too amazing to take for granted. I promise I won't...

Some Memorable Cannes Moments

Oh Cannes, you will never be forgotten...

Leaving Cannes

Wow... so I thought I'd be so much better at keeping this blog up. It's been tough finding the time as well as sufficient internet. Time has also flown by pretty fast. I've been in France a little over 2 weeks... 2 more months to go!

I left Cannes early this morning and now I'm in Nice (just 30 mins away). Still in the beautiful French Riviera.

Even though I've left Cannes I don't want to forget about my time there... it's deserving of a full farewell post... so here it goes. My homage to Cannes, France.

"Oh Cannes... I never really got to know you the way you probably deserved. You're a small town off the French Riviera... and if it weren't for the festival only the rich would know you existed. But alas you are exploited once a year for two full weeks by the film industry and tourists flocking to see the spectacle.

Your locals rent out their homes for triple the normal rate and flee the nest, trying to get away from the tourist invasion. If I had more time I'd hang around a bit more and explore your true beauty, when the old and rich who reside within you come home to nestle back into cozy small-town life. Possibly it would have been better if it remained that way, but nevertheless you're known for one of the biggest film festivals in the world... and perhaps it's better to remain a famous name than an unknown one.

Has anyone coined the term, "We'll always have Cannes," yet? 'Coz it's just begging for it.

Cannes you've made me feel at home, and I mean that in the most literal sense. Having explored you during the festival, Americans were sprawled out everywhere, almost to the point where I wondered if I was actually in France or still in L.A. I almost felt like home had followed me here. Stars were hanging around left and right. Although I didn't get to see a lot of them, many of my colleagues did... just to name a few I wish I had seen were, Martin Scorsese, Ryan Gosling & Gael Garcia Bernal... instead I got Dean Cain (old superman) and Stellan Skarsgaard (O. Bloom's dad in Pirates), lucky me? Regardless, Cannes you have brought home to me... but wait, didn't I fly thousands of miles away to get away from home?

But I really can't complain. You're "little" festival has given my career an opportunity boost. Observing the trade and how things work in Cannes, I learned the business of Hollywood and making connections. I exchanged cards here and there, meeting people who could possibly present opportunities for me in the future. On the flight over I met a lovely woman who turned out to be a buyer of films who was based in L.A. We ended up having breakfast in Cannes the morning of her flight back home. Interning for a top PR firm based in L.A., has given me the chance to intern for them back at home during the summer, after I get back from my long trip. I also met some up and coming directors and writers, who may want to collaborate in the future. Not to mention a few great people whom I hope to remain good friends with for years to come.

I tried to experience you the best way I knew how, through your all access free film screenings (must have badge) that were in Competition or Un Certain Regard; even though you're probably better known for your hobnobbing of the rich and famous, with lavish yacht parties, red carpet premieres and ridiculously priced shopping. I barely got a taste of the excessiveness of Cannes, but truthfully a taste was just enough.

Overall thank you for the experience and the memories of my first Cannes. At times things were a bit lackluster but at others unforgettable. I'll always remember the frustration of not getting into a screening I wanted to because of the internship, or waiting an hour for the most unreliable shuttle ever, or never getting that damn 7pm red carpet moment because I never won the lottery for the ticket, or only being able to attend free happy hour at the short film corner only once (again because of the internship), or not getting my damn free flipcam (damn you flipcam competition!), or sneaking some gross caviar on a yacht with some expensive champagne, or standing the the freezing rain to watch Robin Hood of all things!, or crashing a random private party at the beach with free liquor!, or meeting all the great people who I hope to work with in the future.

Au Revoir Cannes, France... "We'll always have Cannes 2010!"

Internship

I wanted to get into a bit more extensive detail about my internship and what I've been doing, at least career wise.

I intern for a Public Relations firm. I probably show keep them nameless for now. They have offices in LA, NY, and London. The company is concentrated mainly on big business companies and film is just a small portion of what they do.

Since I've been here I've been helping them on a campaign for a 3D Animated Finnish Film called "Moomins." On an internship level point of view, it didn't seem as intense as I envisioned; but seeing the results brought me to realize a lot was put into it behind the scenes.

It's been a whirlwind of events involved in the promotion and campaign of Moomins.

The actors involved include Stellan Skarsgard, Alexander Skarsgard, Helena Mattson, Mads Mikelson and Bjork. Unfortunately due to the volcanic ash, some of the headliners couldn't make it here to promote the film. Bjork and Alexander Skarsgard (Trublood) were both slated to come, but weren't allowed by their "people" due to the inconsistency of the ash cloud. Instead Stellan, Helena and Mads came and so far its been three days of promotion madness.

Day 1 = The premiere party and world premiere of "Moomins 3D."

The party was on a yacht close to the Palais. The yacht never left the dock, apparently that's how yacht parties are, so it's almost like a house party on a boat. Anyhow the party was nice, champagne and caviar (which I tried and was disgusting... it'll stick with a burgar and fries), which lasted about 2 hours. The talent of course arrived about an hour in (fashionably late of course) and were interviewed by the press.

Helena Mattson (Iron Man2), gorgeous of course was a blond bombshell. She was wearing a beautiful cream colored evening gown with the highest heels known to man. I think with them on she was about 6" + so of course she towered over me.

Mads Mikkelsen (Clash of the Titans), was really chill and low-key... the kind of guy you would go out to a bar and have a beer with, while reminiscing about the "old days." He smoked a ton, and talked with everyone like they were his buddies from his hometown in Denmark.

Stephen Skarsgard (Pirates... Caribbean), extremely nice and jolly. On the yacht everyone had to take their shoes off, and he had the coolest colored/stripped socks on. I talked with him while waiting for the bathroom and he was like a cool father you'd be buddies with.


After the party was the premiere. It took place in a little theatre near the Palais. They let us sit and watch it. It was in 3D, which in theory seems exciting, but in actuality it made me sleepy. In fact I fell asleep through half of it. Granted I was exhausted, but the 3D was so dark, I couldn't help but close my eyes... plus the movie is really for 4 year-olds. Also, it might have been a little too European for me.

Day 2: Press day on another yacht.

We found ourselves on a different yacht this time for the press interviews of the actors.

It was a gorgeous boat with gorgeous people. Basically if you were to cast a movie about a yacht, the crew on this boat would have already been a perfect cast... the plus side was that they were all very nice as well.


I got to have lunch on the boat with the other people from the firm, but for the rest of the day I was off the boat manning the "door." I was checking in press, as well as asking them to take their shoes off (apparently no shoes are ever allowed on yachts- which could be quite awkward for girls in fancy dresses that have to enjoy the night without shoes).


At first I wanted to chill on the boat, but soon I was grateful I was off it. The clouds weren't friendly to us that day... and basically about 2 hours in, it went from a gorgeous sunny day to a mini-storm. It was much warmer off the boat, plus I got to keep my boots on and my nice winter jacket. Thank goodness I was prepared.


Day 3



Another press day.

Everyone met at the beach across from the office. Since it was print media, it was a lot more low key and chill. The setting was a beautifully set up bar with red chairs against bright white walls... upscale, modern and somewhat exclusive. It was behind a restaurant, possibly the venue of some late night Cannes parties that required invite only. It was nice to be in there... feeling somewhat exclusive... but it didn't last very long.

The actors came and sat in different corners with different reports. They had and allotment of 15mins each. Once it was up the actors go up and went to a different corner, like speed dating for interviews.

I basically did the same thing. Checked in press as they came along. It was freezing cold... so I was relieved when they decided to send me back up to the office and help Niki. The other intern Jennifer took over... when I saw her again 4 hours later, lets just say she wasn't a happy camper.

I've been editing and re-editing this particular blog post for the past week. It's Friday, the second to the last day of the festival... and I almost barely remember those days. I know it was just last weekend, but when a lot goes on during a week, its easy to forget what just happened.

Anyhow... I'm personally over talking about this internship. It ended yesterday and today is my first day off! I guess the fact that it took me forever to finish it, goes to show how busy I've been with it.

So... I'm ending this post and moving on with this internship and my life... on to better things as I travel along...

Cannes week 1

My internship for Rogers & Cowan = Working The "Moomins" Premiere/Pre-party on a yacht.

"Robin Hood" premiere...

Wow has it really been a week since I've been in Cannes? My last entry was barely about my first day... a lot has happened since then, but I've been busy/lazy to update. I'm trying my best to keep up with this blog as best I can, but with an internship, some very late nights, and an entire festival to explore; it's been proving to be a challenge.

I just updated my facebook album to show some photos of what I've seen so far.

And so far it has been pretty awesome. But I'll admit with my internship it's a little hard to really enjoy/take advantage of the festival, but that's what I'm really here for.

This is the gist of what's going on in Cannes...

INTERNSHIP

I intern with a PR firm named Rogers & Cowan based in NY and LA and London, etc. At the festival, they've been promoting a 3D animated film called "Moomins." Apparently it was a huge kids show popular in Finland, Sweden, UK and parts of Asia. They made a feature film of the story that premiered in Cannes. The premiere was actually just last night, so I'm currently in the middle of the campaign. Most of the days so far have dealt with pre-planning, but now that it's game-time it's been busy. Yesterday they had a premiere party on a yacht docked near the festival. Shortly after was the actually premiere. I actually fell asleep through half of it... so that should tell you a little bit about it.

My next entry will have a little more detail on the "Moomin" experience.

FESTIVAL

So far I've mainly just walked around. They show about 60 films a day in several theaters around the festival. The main hall is the Palais where the "Grand Lumiere Theatre" aka red carpet premieres, take place. They have about 7 small theatres inside. The Palais is the main hub for all the main events. This is also where the short corner is located, along with accreditation and ticket pick up.

They also have the "International Pavillion" where all the countries have booths for their films. Of course only the "American Pavillion" requires special membership beyond a badge when no other country has that (way to go Americans).

They also have several outside theatres that show more indie films, including a free-to-the public screening on the beach.

By the way all movies are free for badge holders, you can't even get in the Palais without one... very tight security with metal detectors.

So far I've seen a total of three movies. The first one was on day 1 with the Robin Hood premiere. The crowds were insane. I don't usually see red carpet stuff live, even though I live really close to Hollywood (I avoid that place like the plague) so this was a bit new for me. So many paparazzi and tourist. People dressed up in tuxedos and dresses holding up signs "tickets for Robin Hood S'il vous plait," trying to get their 15 mins of fame on the red carpet.

Being a pass holder I had the opportunity to get tickets if I signed up and had points, which I did, but I was put in a lottery and unfortunately didn't get it. However, I had a back up to watch the screening that took place directly after. For any screenings in the Grand Lumiere after 7pm, you must wear formal attire, hence why I'm all dressed up to watch Robin Hood (of all things!). What didn't help the situation is that it started pouring rain. We arrived really early, so we basically stood in the rain for an hour before they let us in. Since we couldn't get out of line, it was excruciating... we were all dressed up and getting drenched... so not fun. Once we got in, the jet lag started to hit me again so I fell asleep during half the film. Overall the experience was cool... but not worth the freezing cold and drenching rain... not to mention the aching feet with heels on.

Today I got to see my first indie/foreign film! You have no idea what a big deal this is to me... I've been wanting to see so many films but I either wake up too late or my internship eats up my time. This is the first film I actually wanted to see, so this was quite a feat for me. It was called "Sweet Little Lies," a Japanese film.

FREE TIME

Most of my free time has been going to this blog! Amazingly it takes up a good chunk of time, uploading photos, writing and formatting; not to mention a slow internet connection.

I haven't really been able to go out and party much. They have lavish parties almost every night and some don't even require invitation. But I've been sleepy a lot lately... I've been staying home and writing while my roommate has been out partying every night... hummm does this mean I'm officially old?

I promise I will go out and party soon... tonight? tomorrow? who knows... you'll just have to stay tuned...

The first official day

After only getting two hours of sleep (mainly because my room was freezing), I got up at 8:30am for breakfast. Surprisingly, I wasn't that tired... yet. Also surprisingly, breakfast was actually good.

The hotel had a little section for making your own eggs, which is kind of a fun thing to do in the morning (although it never seemed that fun at home). There were a variety of breads - croissants, toast, etc. and a nice selection of fruit and cereal. I made two scrambled eggs with ham and grabbed a croissant and kiwi to balance things out. I had the coffee but that ended up being a bad idea later in the day... I won't get into details.

I sat with the ladies from my room and we talked about our expectaions for the trip... all of us crossing our fingers for a successful internship.

I was partnered with one of my roommates with the PR firm Rogers & Cowan. I did a little research and they seem to be a pretty reputable PR firm based out of Los Angeles, New York and London. A PR firm is a good place to be at a film festival like Cannes. Our first meet was later that afternoon... but first a mandatory tour of Cannes.

Thinking it would be a simple walk, I wore some "kind-of-comfortable" shoes. After 45 mins of walking, my feet were throbbing with pain. The walk to the main center of Cannes was a pretty one however, along the coast of the French Riviera.
But I think I'd still rather take the shuttle.

We walked around Cannes and the main theaters where things were being played, was pointed out to us. It was quite a sight to see with tons of Americans looming around everyone. It almost makes me forget I was in France.

The French Riviera is beautiful though.

After the long walk, I got my first look at Cannes, France... and its not quite what I expected. I think I had visions of tiny cobble streets and a massive amout of people trying to cramp up in one little area. But, its actually quite big. Maybe not huge, but it was like I was in Santa Monica at the promenade. It was still quite a site to see. It's probably the only place in France you'll see almost more Americans than French... at least until the festival is over.

After our "tour," which by the way was one of the most confusing tours I've ever been on - "What was the name of that street? Rue what?" My feet were aching and I was starving. But first, more important business to attend to... getting my Cannes credentials!

The "Cannes ID" card is you're all time access to every movie playing at Cannes, even the big red carpet ones. I found out later how it works. Basically you're badge has numbers on it that allows you to sign into the Cannes sight. You get a certain amount of points for movies in the Grand Theatre Lumiere - this is where all the red carpet films are shown. Also if you use up points, you continue to rebuild them for every film you don't watch. If you can log in on time, request early enough and have enough points... you can actually get the chance to walk the red carpet with the stars! Granted you walk on the side and they usher you up the stairs so the stars are on the carpet unbothered. Anyhow... that's how it works. We'll see if I'll actually get to walk the carpet with the stars...

After getting my credentials (they almost had a problem finding me and I also cried... but they found it... whew) I grabbed myself a panini and ate with my heart's desire. I love French street food!

I decided to make the 20min walk back to the hotel and amazingly ran into my classmate Bart! I knew he would be in Cannes since his documentary made it into the short corner, but I didn't think I'd actually run into him on the street. We said we'd contact each other via email and meet up one of these nights... got to support Art Center...

Walking back to the hotel along the French Riviera was pretty amazing (although, I will have to say some Cali beaches seem nicer and bigger). It was a hot day and I couldn't resist dipping my feet in the water.

As I sat and watched the waves hit the shore I thought a lot about home. How at home, I have the beach where similar waves hit a similar shore, just on the other side of the world. How, the water that touched my feet could be the very same water to touch my feet back in L.A. Water is constantly moving and changing... like people. It roams around the world, travels and leaves its origins... from the ocean to the air, to the sky to the clouds, and back down to earth, where the ocean meets it again. It was like I was home...