My nutrition consultant said get plenty of vitamins (FIRST TVC OF THE SEASON RELEASED)

For my followers that know me, you know my previous profession as a nutritional consultant. With a background in nutrition I spent close to 3 years coaching individuals and couples along their way to better health. Through diet and exercise a key can be found to unlock your potential.

A big aspect of this key is vitamins and minerals. Essentially these are the keys to your car (body being the car of course). With food being fuel you can continually fill that tank as much as you would like (fat in some cases). Without those keys your car is rendered virtually useless. Well technically you could push your car down the block but that sucks and would make you quite exhausted. 

For the few of you that have talked to me about this you know I am rather against supplementation. The name itself implies you supplement your diet and not supply it. There are a few minerals that a normal diet just plainly cannot get enough of Iron for women is an example (especially with the ever growing vegan/vegetarian movement). From my present location in the tropics Vitamin D isn’t really necessary to supplement either, however in the snowy days of May in Canada it can be very useful for keeping your immune system up to par and ensuring your body utilizes its Calcium.  

Anyway that was my rant on vitamins a bit. Basically eat your veggies and fruit, along with a balanced diet and you should be fine. Most multi’s you end up just having expensive fluorescent pee. 

Oh yeah, here is the TVC I made for a Vitamin in Vietnam. This was what i filmed in the middle of March in Bangkok. 

A unique bio marker derivative! Say what?

As previously mentioned, there was one more job. After a season in Bangkok that I didn’t produce many TVC, things ended on a high note.  I am ending on a Geddy Lee high note. The company is a well known as Brands, a health drink that is supposed to help with brain function. Booking a big company like this is great, but further excitement livens things up as I am the lead as a scientist and there is a script.

The last time I had a script, I was in tears. Do you remember?

Okay, so for this commercial I wasn’t overacting or being voiced over by a high pitched Thai man; instead it would be my accent gracing the ears of the audience.  My so called “American Accent”, which isn’t American at all but a neutral accent, if you meet people from most cities in the states there is noticeable difference in speech patterns. I would say I most closely resemble California accents than say Texas, NYC or Seattle.  

My nutrition background came in handy for this shooting, as I was to play a scientist. A key researcher for Brands Essence of chicken, I discussed neurotransmission and American ginseng.  I also checked the data of a co-worker and sent her on her way. In the casting I distinctly remember them asking me to lecture about a scientific topic. Naturally I went right to Omega-3 EFA, explaining how they help with brain function and that we typically don’t consume enough of these. Continuing into the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 in the current diet and how we need to bring it closer to 1:1. The casting director and crew left knowing more in my 5 minute casting than they ever could have imagined. They key of course was to portray confidence in my knowledge, to be a real expert. And it worked!

By the time the 4^th script was in my hand, I had corrected the grammar a final time and was ready to sling some verses. With my tie all mic’d up, I stumbled through the words. Wait what? Yes I ended up getting a little nervous when the time came. One or two takes and my feet were back under me as if they had never left.  I think reality had set in that yes they were using my voice and that it would be my voice for the entire commercial. Pressure was up and my equilibrium must have been off kilt.

This commercial became more interesting when the green screen became involved. It was fascinating to be in front of the green screen and see myself on the video. I felt like the weatherman, except instead of predicting a storm I was scanning fields of ginseng to find only the best. The feeling is very strange when you are trying to position yourself while looking at the TV screen, a fun new experience though. 

After finishing up all the camera work I was to rerecord all my voice again in a separate room. This time with things set up to muffle the sound and get a crisp clean recording of my voice we set off. Reading several versions, timing differently and enunciating the more complex words we recorded the voiceover. 

Overall this ended up being a great way to finish up in Bangkok on a positive note.

Make a splash!

Let’s just say that W is probably one of the most wonderful letters in existence; Wintonyk, wicked, water and now the W hotel. This venue played host to a wet and wild Song Kran pool party that was one to rival all others. 

Starting out about as interesting as a goldfish in 3 inches of water, as more of my friends arrived and our previous days militia reunited it became more and more fun. With a giant pool filled with hundreds of beach balls ranching from standard size to that of which Atlas holds on his back we knew that things would get to be more and more fun.   

Free flowing mojitos, a wonderful sun shining overhead and a virtually unlimited supply for my SS5500 (decided on this as my nickname for watergun). Jumping in and splashing made the most of the event.

A good friend invited one of her artists that she represents to the party as well, Noe two. He is a graffiti artist that makes some incredible pieces. Presently in town he is working on a temple. As a gift to the monks he is making a mind-blowing art on the inside of the temple.  Part of my experience included him drawing his tag on my chest. With Arturo, Yulia, Julia, Masha and myself all tagged up we ended up taking thousands of pictures with random people.  

After another long day in the sun, I ended up in bed early again. This is what model life ends up being during new years. There is no work going on during that time and with my contract almost over, there is only 1 job left. 

Good? Bad? I am the guy with the gun! Song kran part neung!

After an epic Song Kran last year I didn’t think anything could come close. Well as the Thais say “Same same, but different”. As awkward of a phrase this is, the description of the events is incredibly accurate. Last year we marched down Silom, danced our asses off in RCA and then day 2 put a full assault on Khao San. In case you forgot here is that blog:  http://takingthoseshots.blogspot.com/2012/04/welcome-to-year-2555.html

Coordination was a little different this year and I wasn’t able to meet up with the same crew. Plans with our international militia came to fruition and before you knew it you had an earful of ice water. An Aussie, American, a few Russians, Dane, Brit, and of course a couple Canadians jumped into the back of a truck and started our drive by soakings.  Parading up and down Sukhumvit and along our way to Khao San we unloaded litre after litre onto the streets of Bangkok.  Pictures to come of course.

On Khao San, we met up with Bravo Company (consisting of Spaniards, more Russians, a few swedes and a token Brit) to crush some delicious vegetarian thai cuisine. Of course only after launching our multifaceted phalanx attack on the heavily armed Khao San Legion. Refreshed and ready to apply destruction with ice-cold water, we tactically moved back to our personnel carrier. 

As Tyler said it best, “This is the only time of year we praise Bangkok traffic!”. As the 4 of use guys piled out of the truck and wistfully moved between stagnant cars and popping up for sniper shots on unsuspecting walkers, bus patrons and fools with windows open.  Tuk tuks are prime targets this time of year as there is no protection from the icy bath of my Super Soaker 5500.  

All this running and shooting builds up an appetite very quickly so a few people went to Khao San while a few of us found an Aussie owned Sports bar. In the mess hall we slammed a chilled pint and some few only to return to more mayhem, in the form of Foam and more water.  

My time of being soaked was approaching in the 11 hours range and I was more than ready to call it a night.

Get to the choppa

Attack of the sweltering sunshine

Not Impressed by this heat.

If you follow me on twitter, facebook or instagram you will have heard my whining. Lip hanging a foot out, I have pouted about how hot Bangkok is lately and its annoying effects on me. 

Sweat, oh the sweat. I would like to paint you a picture of what a daily occurrence you will find at the moment. So close your eyes and immerse yourself. Okay closing your eyes isn’t the best way to read, just imagine. A cascade of liquid pain (some refer to it as fat crying) slithers down every inch of your body. Searching for shade hop between the shade from a fence, then a billboard, and scurry into 7-11. Thanking Boreas for that cold northern breeze we so eloquently refer to as Aircon. You saunter to the back of 7-11 eyes glued on the water.  There are 3 sizes, but judging from the puddle at your feet you opt for the 1.5 L bottle knowing full well it will only last to your next 7-11 and if your lucky maybe even 2 away.  Arriving at your destination you prepare a change of clothes. First toweling off the salty glistening beads of your efforts, followed by a 10-minute session directly below Boreas breath again.

With sunshine comes beautifully sun-kissed skin or that is at least the plan for anyone heading to a tropical destination. The beautiful woman I talk to on a regular just came home with a glowing radiance that surpasses most people’s personality. With my contract coming to a close, I figured now is as good of time as any to liven up my ghost white skin that makes a polar bear jealous. Nature had other plans of course, spitting out 5 consecutive 40+ degree-days. Apollo beaming and beating on my skin gave me a heat rash. With my past history of food challenges I immediately when the archives deep inside my head of the past 3 days food.

* Tip: If you start demonstrating symptoms of allergic reaction, look back at the previous day or two of food, it could provide hints. After years of being fine, people can still develop a food allergy, shellfish is common for doing this

Well that failed. My previous few days everything checked out. We all tend to fall into habits, I am precisely that kind of guy. Oh the humanity of a rash that feels like a million mosquito bites. Immediately I went to the pharmacy which are almost as abundant as the aforementioned 7-11. Armed with steroid cream (TRT baby) and tips from a very friendly pharmacist, I began to hermit myself. 

For the next 4 days, I remained in aircon buildings as much as humanly possible, and dropped the temperature in my room to a comforting 20 degrees from the usual 25.  This coupled with a cold plunge for 10-20 minutes twice a day seemed to help more than plumber during a toilet emergency.  

The past two days it has rained. This isn’t cats and dogs rain, this is like hippos and giraffes. With that it has cooled off a little bit, but become even more humid (is that possible?) Rather perfect timing for the weather to shift though, Song Kran is just around the bend and everyone is going to be soaked anyway.