High Tea

Katrina, one of my contact's at the Hyatt Sanctuary Cove, and I enjoy a spot of tea.

Chow

Here's last night's dinner.

Ciao Chow

This hotel is sweet. I have full access to the Regency Club which is a first for me. This means free breakfast and free drinks between 5:30 and 7:30pm including beer, Australian wine, gin, scotch, whatever. Dinner was a large organic field mushroom carefully charred in a wood burning oven topped with marinated feta and “rocket” salad greens. The main was a free-range duck breast with pine nuts. Very tasty. Dessert? No time for that. Got to go shoot the fitness center at 8:45pm before it closes at 9pm. I am here to work. Remember? Ciao Chow.

Rain Man

Pinky Brown is on holidays. Brown Pinky went down south for some fun? Okay enough of that. For those of you who have a dart board with my face on it for being in sunny Australia you’ll be glad to know that the weather her is biblical. It’s raining sideways and is supposed to be that way for the rest of my shoot. Great. It can’t rain for another three days straight, or can it? It’s not supposed to rain like this at this time of year I’ve been told numerous times with a smile. It was raining most of the time in Germany and Zurich. Maybe they should send me to some drought ridden place in Africa and make me a rain god? Finally figured out the time zone difference. It’s eight hours later in Vancouver minus a day. I’m getting a headache. Also, it is winter. The sun rises around 6:30am, today I went for a swin in their outdoor heated pool with an occasional rain shower. Nice. Sun sets very early. It’s black by 5:15pm ...Rain man from the future, over and out.

Safety First

Well, I made it. It took .5hr cab ride to the airport. Spent an hour going through US customs (joy) because the plane does a pit-stop in Hawaii. The flight was delayed 2.5 hours due to a mechanical failure, got a new plane. Safety first. Six hour flight to Honalulu, 45 min stop over, 11 hour flight to Sydney. Hour wait for my flight to Brisbane. 1.5 hour flight and a one hour taxi ride to the Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove. Left on friday and now it's sunday, there goes the weekend. It's almost 4pm and the sun is setting already ... One of my hotel contact's names is Pinky Brown. I guess that's better than Brown Pinky.

Travel Essentials (International)

The horror. I have gone completely insane. Or have I? My latest travel essentials are (a) portable martini kit (b) tiki mugs and (c) three flasks smuggling various libations. It's fun to be completely impractical as this new set up takes up a third of one of my suitcases and adds about ten pounds. But it's a joy to unpack! Gotta remember the bendy straws. Don't forget the bendy straws.

Reefer Madness

I guess it's official. VRX bought my ticket to Australia and I've been approved for a business visa. This friday they're gonna send me to the Queensland region (where the great barrier reef is) for 75 days with a company credit card, a rental car and five star accomodations. Fools. How am I supposed to work under these conditions? You get used to linen and cloth napkins lickity split. I saw some rust in my bathroom when I got home and it felt so ghetto. Hyatt days are here again. Soon. Wish I could bring some freakin' people along for the ride. Thems the VRX blues.

Name Dropping

My last trip was May 6 to June 2, 2006. Grand Hyatt Berlin, Grand Hyatt Hamburg, Hyatt Regency Mainz, Hyatt Regency Cologne, Park Hyatt Zurich.

Having spent morre than a decade in the film biz working around "famous" people I've come to the conclusion that (a) 99% of actors are freaks (b) famous male actors are just like you and me except that they are rich and have really hot girlfriends and (c) just because you're famous doesn't mean you have talent or taste. Having said that, and agreeing whole heartedly with Matt Stone and Trey Parker that celebrities are useless, here's who stayed at MY hotel.

Berlin-? didn't bother to ask
Hamburg-Boris Becker, saw a sporty guy in the hall on my floor, made eye contact, you look just like ... got coke?
Mainz-nobody goes to Mainz
Cologne-Carlos Santana, was doing a gig that day, said my contact, Cameron Diaz's German twin
Zurich-the Eagles, doing there farewell tour. One gig is enough boys, thanks for finally packing it in.

Swiss Swag

These little gifts appeared in my hotel room in Zurich. Nice. My contact asked me to shoot something extra and I refused saying I was already doing extra work. He offered me a five star meal in the restaruant with whatever I wanted. I accepted. It was a 125 euro meal with broiled Italian tiger prawns and a nice glass of Bordeaux. They wanted me to do something else. I said, "for lots of those Swiss chocolates I'll do it." Done deal.

Exploding Suitcase Blues

For whatever reason on the road, my desk becomes a complete disaster area. Instantly.

Heavy Duty Booze

No. I don't have a problem. Thanks for asking. After returning from a trip the question I often get is, "what kinda booze didya get in duty free?" Here's the most recent items from my blurred memory.

Mozart Liquor from Austia (Frankfurt) liquid chocolate, unreal-14 euros for .7 litres
Highland Park 12yr old (Georgia) $30 US
Bombay Sapphire Gin (Georgia) $17 US 1 litre
Flor de Cana 7yr Rum (Georgia) $14 US
Hypnotiq (Houston) $17 US 1 litre
Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir (Houston) $12 US
Francis Coppola Cab Sav (Houston) $17 US
Castle Rock Pinot Noir (Houston) $11 US
Patron silver Tequila (D.C.) $40 US
Knob Creek Bourbon (D.C.) $14 US

To buy this stuff in a B.C. liquor store, if you can find it, multiply by 1.87 (on a good day) to get the local price.

Near miss ...
Highland Park 12yr, 18yr, and 25yr in three .33 litre bottles for $100 (Frankfurt) Drag.

Confessions from a Cheese Board

Okay. So what's the deal with all the cheese I've been asked recently? Maybe it's their refined culture? I dunno. Every man needs a useless hobby. Some of you may have seen my not so secret hidden cheese page on my website http://www.deanhannas.com/cheese.htm I enjoy cheese more than chocolate. Joy. For those of you who have never had the pleasure of sampling a cave aged gruyere, a petit reblechon, eposses or even cambozola ... all else is just glue.

Travel Essentials (USA)

This little puppy is a Godsend. It's an electric "stove top" espresso machine. Sure it cost $80 but to wake up in the middle of nowheresville Georgia (or was it Texas?) and to have your perfect coffee is really grand. Worth every cent. JJ Bean rules. Eastside is my fave.

The Song Remains the Same

Some songs remind me of the same person each time I hear it. Some songs remind me of places. Here's a short list.

Los Angeles (Frank Black) - Atlanta, go figure.
Spanish Caravan (Doors) - Riga, Latvia
Small Axe (Bob Marley) - Zurich
Shine (Daniel Lanois) - Roatan, Honduras
Corcovado (Stan Getz) - San Juan, Peurto Rico

Most played artist in iTunes the last six months
Frank Black

"Artists" who will never be played in my iTunes
Black eyed peas (please retire)