2022 - Thailand and Mexico City

On June 8, 2022, I lost my mom. In addition, I hadn’t booked any work in a while and I was not feeling well.

Suddenly, that changed. I booked three commercials (Sonic, University of Phoenix and Siemens) in one day and everything lined up, with a lot of travel. I needed a new environment, new memories, and to get out of my comfort zone.

I went to Thailand for Siemens. It is a favorite memory. The flight, the people, everything, wonderful. Production put us up at the luxury hotel, The Sukhothai.

In one day, I clocked over 20,000 steps walking around Bangkok. On the way to a large temple, I stopped at the Monkey King Shrine. Nobody knew English, but through motions, they taught me how to pray.

It was a little frustrating because I didn’t know how to communicate, and wanted to honor their culture properly. I heard my voice grow louder, as if that would help them understand. They were so nice. It was an emotional, profound experience. I still keep items from that day in my wallet, including my shrine card.

I paused in Lumpini Park to look at their huge lizards. A lady rolled up on a metal tricycle with bags of bread hanging from the handlebars. She happily talked to me in Thai. I smiled, nodded, and had no idea what she was talking about. She started feeding the lizards in a little stream we were standing over. She handed me a bag of bread. I was a little worried I might be breaking a law, but we fed them together. She was still talking and laughing. Me, still nodding and going along with whatever she was saying.

Then she gave me three huge loaves of bread and drove off.

I was a little panicked. I tried to get rid of the bread quickly but one loaf fell into the stream and I had to traipse through mud, find a long stick to fish it out. Pedestrians who had just walked up were laughing at me and I told them it wasn’t my bread, not my idea. I don’t think I was very convincing.

Other things I enjoyed:

Sitting under a tree in the courtyard drinking tea late at night or in the early morning while there was warm rain (it was monsoon season) and walking barefoot.

Sitting in an open lounge area watching thunder.

The smell of jasmine trees when opening the hotel room windows in the morning.

Then there was Mexico City for University of Phoenix, a spot directed by Eric Wareheim.

The hats on my head had a metal pole running through them which was attached to a contraption I wore. It was a painful for my back because it was heavy but they hooked me up with an in-room massage. I didn’t mind the discomfort. It was better than focusing on grief. They were a great team to work with, another wonderful experience.

On the last day, after we wrapped the photo shoot, the clients offered me a beer and a shot of tequila. Then my chaperone took me to a market so I could do some shopping. The whole trip, I had no idea that I could have a chaperone take me away from the hotel. I’d work and go straight to the room. Anyway, alcohol before shopping was a bad idea because the market had clay penis flutes. I bought a big one and have named it The Flute of Destiny.

It sounds terrible but it looks great on my travel shelf (I think).

What I really enjoyed about this spot was having food thrown at me. I LOVED IT. I told Eric they can throw more.

It was shot in a medieval themed restaurant (I loved that). The 1st AD was crouched at the end of the table and flung a hard bread roll at my face which struck me in the eye a little too hard. Then they tried mashed potatoes to my face.

The literal splat was surprisingly loud and I heard Eric’s laugh booming from the back of the restaurant. When I got back to my room, I was finding mashed potato in my bra, under my breasts and armpits. I don’t know how it did that.