Campus Life

Told a small fib about not posting again until Sunday. It's early Saturday, I'm awake so I'll make good use of the next few hours and post some more. These pics offer a better overview of the EICTV campus. You can easily see why you'd 

feel relaxed there.

Administration building at the entrance to the campus.

The view between the main campus and the "new"

Advanced Studies Housing area.

Last room on the right.

Typical classroom

The Paladar on campus where we all shared our first meal together 

There's David, Kim, Oriel and Nancy

The set up for our Q & A

The cafeteria. Not a favorite for our spoiled palates.

Outside the production building.

Production studio complete with green screen.

Behind the faculty staff dorm.

A student hard at work or another Apple promo

Inspiration

The surrounding farm land where all the food for the campus is grown and harvested.

Toiling in the fields under the watchful eye of one of the innovative scarecrows.

Papermache former teachers

Sunrise at the campus

Did I mention the swimming pool?

The Olympic sized swimming pool!

Film posters added to the ambience

Classroom hallway

Morning ride

Hollywood really IS a bad influence isn't it?

Still Behind

Damn I'm only on day 2 of the Cuba sojourn.  Told you I took far too many photos. More to come but off to see the Everglades National Park tomorrow. Havana posting will resume Sunday prior to the 1pm 49ers and Dolphins. Hoorah!

The Wall

We did a question and answer with the students. Most understood English but Oriel translated for those who didn't.  Smart and inquisitive students. Very polite. One of the realities about Cuban life that shocked me even before we arrived was hearing that Game of Thrones was a very popular show there Seriously, who knew?!!?  With that in mind I knew Bernie would be a big hit at the school and she was.  She brought a 4 minute DVD featuring visual effects from the show with her and after it was shown the audience erupted into applause.  Caught me by surprise so can only imagine what Bernie felt. Really made me grin from ear to ear!

We (all but Nancy who was MIA) had a great meeting with Rafael Rosal the General Director of the school. Pleasant, charming and who could be Hector Elizondo's twin brother. Or at least a candidate for "separated at birth."

Am I Wrong?!? In the light blue tee shirt.

Anyway, very productive meeting with an exchange of ideas for how we could each become more involved with the campus. Very positive moment for us all. We were then asked to join the luminaries who had proceeded us and sign a wall. For whatever reason no one was willing to come up with a phrase so I did. I decided FOCUS would work. It worked but the can of spray paint didn't.

Thus the crappy blue yellow combo and by then I just went with it. Bold and beautiful or at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

After lunch and more discussion and maybe some drinks my cohorts came up with an additional phrase, Remember This Time. We returned to the wall and each added their names.

 Rory added the phrase. Worked far better with a proper can of spray paint! 

David and Rory

Love this photo of Bernie, Santiago and I. It's now my screen saver.

Oh and did I mention later in the week FOCUS evolved as the anagram 

Fuck Off Claudia U Suck.

Nice to be loved.

The Streets of San Antonio

Oriel lives in San Antonio which is the closest town to the film school. After breakfast in the cafeteria we rode out to visit.

                           Cheese, bread, mayo and coffee.

                           First glimpse at the streets of San Antonio.

Bernie phoning home.

                                         Daily life.

                                         Hot babe and HOTTER Chevy!

                                   Daddy PLEASE!

                              One of the many ways of transport.

An abandoned building interior.

                                                                Waiting for a friend.

                  This is the interior of the picture below. I ordered a Refresco.

There it is on the ledge. Fresh cut fruits and juices. Delicious.  People sell them  from their homes.

Hanging out 

                                                   Nurses on their way to work.

My new best friends. The one in the center gave me a hand rolled cigar.  No, I didn't smoke it. Gave it to David to enjoy.

Cruising

                                                               Green machines

                                                           Wanna ride? Hop in!

                                                                          Viva!

 We stopped at Oriel's to watch a film he produced. That's his lovely wife Yoria.

Across from Oriel's home was a gym. Captured this workout image.

Yoria talking on her cell.

As we walked down the streets to dinner noticed this family enjoying their TV.

Quiet streets after sunset.

Tis the season. As we walked through the front room of this house to

the paladar in the back I grabbed a shot of their Christmas tree.

Dinner at Don Oliva's in San Antonio

Dinner is served. That's Lobster. Think it was $7.00.

The bill for 9 of us was $47. That's food AND drinks!

Paladars came into existence about a decade ago.

Home based family restaurants. Fabulous!

Hi!