Skimboarding For Unity

Last weekend I went out to the Skimboarding for Unity contest at East Coast Park.  It was sponsored by Billabong, Bigfoot Industries, and a couple of others.  The contest flew in pro skimboarders from all over Asia to compete for prizes.  Many of the surfers I've come to know in Singapore were hanging out at this contest, and we went for a big yummy Vietnamese meal afterwards (YUM! Thanks Kalani and Cheryl!!).  Here are some photos of the contest, and a few of the riders who have agreed to be in my movie.  

Location: UBIN LODGE

Finally, a break!  

Pulau Ubin - the wild jungle where tigers and elephants swim over from Malaysia... the great granite outcrop colored with exotic (but perilous?!) plant life ...  a haunted island filled with Danger... and Mystery!  (okay... hmm... maybe if it was up to the Singapore Paranormal Investigators...)

Ghosts, tigers, or giardia berries - it's where we're filming Kindred Spirit.  

Despite the treacherous 10-minute bumboat ride across the picturesquely serene Serangoon Bay, this little jewel has (unfortunately?) made the wild accessible for sometimes nature-handicapped Singaporeans. 

Still, it's lovely.  It's quiet.  It's all in one place.  And its not too far away.  (It's also available during December school holidays and Hari Raya).  We here like to think it's a pretty good excuse for a vacation... ahem!  I mean... my Highly Important 2nd Year Production. 

For those of you out there who are still wondering why a 2nd year is shooting at a spot like this... or why a person would go to an island for a week instead of a perfectly normal and safe Sound Stage, Tonight Is Your Answer.   

From Natasha, aka: "Samantha"

Just wanted to put this out on the front page.  :)  

Hi,

My name is Natasha Capol and I am one of the candidates who have been to this casting call with Erin.  

Erin assembled this sort of "casting call" audition to meet up with this other actress she mentioned as Eunice.  

And as usual, I come in a huff and puff, running a bit late, and meet Eunice.  

At first I looked at her and I thought, "Boy, she's a stunning one!"  Didn't think much of it and introduced myself to her.  And being as straight-forward and blunt as I usually am, said, "Ya know... You look like some famous person that I don't know the name of.  But you really do.  You're not famous are y?"  And she just giggled.  

From my perspective, we immediately clicked, Eunice and I.  She seemed pretty downt o earth and not too legendary from what I was about to find out.  

So we went along with the audition.  And just as we ended and Eunice had to shoot off, it suddenly clicked in my incredibly slow brain, that this woman, sitting opposite me, was THE Eunice Olsen.  And of course, being the clumsy character that I am, bursted out with the "Holy chumbawuma!  You are the Eunice Olsen!"  

Yes that was quite an embarassing realisation, especially from what I had said earlier.  

To Erin's credit, she's had to put up with a lot of my spontaneities and this was definiately one of them.  I must say, she seemed to quite enjoy that encounter.  :)  

What I liked most about the plot of this film is what the character's stories had to portray. There is this universal theme that each character portrays the despair and the desire to live and to love, to be accepted as an individual in the society we live in today.  And to me, this is a very important aspect in our own modern world, especially with what is happening in the world as we speak - in terms of humanity, acceptance, choice, needs, and so on.   Not only that, but in each of the characters stories, there's a real power and journey they all have to go through.  

And hopefully most of you out there will get a chance to see what is to become of this film!