Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Counting Down the Days

I'm down to my last two weeks of work on my 6-month contract. A friend called me today and he said I sounded a little sad about it. To be honest, I am a little sad about it. Almost from the day I started this contract, I couldn't wait to leave it, mostly because of the workload and the stupid people I work with.

But I just grit my teeth and hunkered down with the work. I've had health insurance for the last 6 months, though I had no time to actually visit a doctor's office. Hopefully, before these two weeks are up, I'll get a dentist appointment in to get some fillings changed. Wouldn't mind a full physical at a doctor's office. Haven't had one in a long, long time.

So now that it's near the end of this thing, I do believe that I may actually miss it a bit. I'll certainly miss the routine of getting up in the morning, making coffee, driving to work and having to be someplace every weekday morning at an assigned hour. Then there's the daily arguments and debates with the traffic manager. A few of these turned quite heated. Had to apologize on more than one occasion. But she had to also, at least once.

I unapologetically snapped at the Osugi lady here, at least once. As much as I hate her, I will probably miss her too. Don't know why that is, but it just is.

I just bought a new iBook computer and I'm getting it all squared away for a long vacation I hope to take. I'm looking at Asia. Maybe an all-Asia pass on Cathay-Pacific for $1200. That's a bit pricey for me, but it might be a while before I ever go back, so I might as well make a trip out of it.

So, I got some money in the bank, a new toy and a possible trip lined up. Not bad for enduring some serious pain for 6 months. If I don't work for another 6 months, I'll have unemployment covering me at $411 a week. That's enough to cover rent and pay for some expenses.

After coming back from vacation, I'm going to see if my old Hollywood film studio needs my help again. Never hurts to plan for the worst, right?

And if this current workplace should ask me back next year at even twice the rate, I'm going to say "HELL NO!!"

Aw, shoot, they just bought me lunch. Trying to butter me up, I see. Oh well... I'll just have to wait till next year before I decide what to do about this place.

Friday, September 09, 2005

Insurance

I had an audition for an insurance commercial. It's a testimonial type of spot with a guy giving a spiel as a customer. I think they wanted regular guys to go in and since I got the call after I had already gotten to work, I looked pretty regular: unshaven face, hair looking like I just woke up, a shirt that was one of my more unflattering ones. Yeah, I'm going to get this one.

Fortunately, the casting was with one of my favorite casting people. So, there tends to be some support there. If I kick ass in the audition, she would most certainly tell them I look better on most days.

I tried to memorize the script handed to us at the audition but it was just too long. Fortunately, it was written on a board in front of the camera.

The guy in the casting room was very cool and apparently he went to my college, Washington State University. He named off some professor names but I hadn't heard of them. Actually, I thought he was naming football coaches until I realized he was naming professors. These were all way before my time.

I did two auditions on tape until he said he was going to rewind the tape and told me to do it one more time. Obviously, the first two were junk. On the third, I nailed it. He knew it, I knew it. Done deal.

I shook his hand on the way out and thanked him for the third try. If nothing else, I had a great audition. Can't complain about that.

Monday, September 05, 2005

Not Even the Half of It

Humiliation doesn't even begin to describe what I actually had to go through yesterday.

I'm wearing flip-flops and my board shorts, all prepared to take off my shirt inside the casting room. But when I get there, the lady checking us in asks me, "Are you wearing underwear underneath those?"

"Yes, I am. Uh, not very nice ones though."

"Oh, hopefully not Spongebob ones," she quipped.

"No, I left those at home."

"Well, in that case, would you mind doing the audition in your underwear? We need to see as much of your body as possible."

So, I get it. My agent said to wear a bathing suit, which I took to mean swimming trunks. But no, she meant "bathing suit" as in Speedos.

I looked around the room. It was an even split between black and white men. I was the only Asian. One guy looked to be hiding a pot belly under his loose T-shirt. I relaxed and told the lady I'd do it.

Just before I was to go in for the audition, the casting assistant directed me to undress in a hallway which was covered over by a makeshift curtain. There were two chairs there, one covered by clothes. I put my stuff down on the other and proceeded to strip down to my undies. Not nice ones, mind you, but not Spongebobs.

I know that people say that to overcome nervousness, you imagine them in their underwear. But what happens if you're the one wearing underwear?

The guy coming out of the audition room was a good-looking white guy in better shape than me. "It's all yours," he said.

I walked in, pitter-patting across the linoleum floor in my bare feet. A lady was at a computer giving instructions to the video guy behind a camera. She then got up and left the room. The guy behind the camera then instructs me to perform as if I'm a model for an art class. Stand with my hands on my side. Turn around, hands folded behind my back.

Ya know, I can't imagine what the callbacks would be like, but I'll be glad if I don't get one. Usually, there's about 6 people in those rooms, all talking as if you're a dead piece of meat on display.

When I left the audition room, the guy with the pot belly was waiting outside in the hallway, ready to go in. "It's all yours," I said.