Goodbye to Edda

  Mumbai, India
Monday, February 19, 2007

Mother and Child

   I did have some castings today, four to be exact, which
took a long time to complete, but otherwise were pretty painless. 
We have a driver who takes us to castings, so it isn't too difficult,
but traffic here is so bad that is will literally take four hours to go
downtown to one casting and then to come back.  The ride is not so
bad, as we are in an air-conditioned car, but the drivers here are the
craziest I've ever seen.  Mumbai has about 13 million people
living in it, and according to some accounts is the most populous city
in the world, yet, at least in the area of town we stay in, there are
no traffic lights.  One would imagine that in the absense of
traffic lights, people would need to drive more carefully, but actually
here, there seems to be no traffic rules at all except a general sense
that cars drive on the left side of the road (but even this seems to be
open for debate).  Auto rickshaws crowd the streets, and
with  the addition of stray dogs, of which there are many!,
beggars (especially little children who reach in and touch you), and
even the occasional elephant (yes, I saw my first yesterday-- just
sauntering down the sidewalk!), getting to one's destination can be
quite the adventure.

Grocer

   The castings were pretty comparable to New York castings,
except that I was the only model they met.  At least half of them
involved me acting-- doing something utterly ridiculous, but not much
different from those American commercials in the vein of theAxel
commercials or those Neanderthal commercials.  I feel idiotic
while doing that stuff, and doubt that I'll be able to book any of
those castings, but see it as an opportunity to become more comfortable
in front of the camera so that one day maybe I will book one.

   The day has drawn to a close with a rather sad event... my
dear Edda departed for her home country of Iceland.  It's hard to
believe that we have only been together since Friday night, as it feels
like so much longer.  I am so thankful for the help and support
she has provided these past few days, and I feel sure that she has been
instrumental in making me to feel at home here.  I don't know that
I would have settled in so quickly without her, and I wonder how I will
feel now that she has gone.

   I look upon her with such admiration... she has such
angelic qualities, and is a joyful, delightful being.  I had
originally met her in NY in a model's apartment, and we became close
friends together with another girl, Laura.  I hadn't seen her in
two years when I met her on Friday night.  I don't really need to
write all this, but in the event Edda is reading this: thank you for
welcoming me to Mumbai and helping me to feel so inmediately at
home.  I think you are a wonderful person, and I pray for your
health and happiness and that He who loves you will pour His blessing
upon you.  Best of luck to you, and greetings to your dear Simon;)

The agency