In the late 1990s, inbetween freelance web jobs, I spent a day as an extra, being a Singaporean stock trader in the film Rogue Trader, a film about how stocktrader Nick Leeson managed to bring down the United Kingdom's oldest investment bank. The film starred Ewan McGregor and Anna Friel.
Alas, any glamorous notions I had about finally being part of the film industry were somewhat thwarted by the sheer tedium of waiting around on film sets waiting for filming to start, with nothing to do except talk to equally disillusioned Chinese extras, who were mostly Filipino actors/actresses who'd come to London with dreams of treading the stage or doing some good acting, as opposed to ending up with a bunch of extras. Although I did manage to walk around the Pinewood Studios shop and buy a jacket.
After one day of work, being on/off set for about 10 hours and with three hours being shuttled between central London and Pinewood for £80 (and they were very keen to get people back for more extras shooting, but I'd rather sit in front of a computer pumping out webcode!), the net result is the picture you see. If you watch the film itself, I'm about 40 minutes into the film, just after Nick Leeson is celebrating Christmas with his girlfriend (Friel).
The only other time I saw it was when slightly drunk and waiting in eager anticipation to see The Matrix. One of the trailers that featured before it was for Rogue Trader, and I yelped in surprise when I saw a strangely familiar moon-shaped face staring at me on the screen before I realised it was me.
I kept meaning to track down the DVD but then to my surprise, when I stumbled in after a hard day at a works do summer party (football, softball, Pimms, quizzes and the odd bit of chat) to find the film showing on ITV4. And finally, I manage to capture my moment of fame alongside Ewan McGregor.
To come ... how I had dinner with Frank Skinner and was in Stephen Fry's bedroom...
These are the Twitters I sent over the last 24 hours...
- 06:48 New blog: Links for 2008-07-22 [del.icio.us] tinyurl.com/5wqggb #
- 11:44 is wondering whether this update will make it onto Facebook #
- 17:54 Is feeling slightly guilty that i would rather hide from the world on a sunny day like this #
These are the Twitters I sent over the last 24 hours...
- 06:48 New blog: Links for 2008-07-21 [del.icio.us] tinyurl.com/5fub58 #
- 10:23 is wondering what is reposting his del.icio.us links to Twitter. Damn my slutty Web 2.0 ways! #
- 10:23 is wondering what is reposting my del.icio.us links to Twitter. Damn my slutty Web 2.0 ways! #
Gimme a V! Gimme an O! Gimme an X! What's that spell? VOX!
What better way to tell the world how much you love Vox than to announce it on Facebook? That's right: Vox now has an official Facebook page! Become a fan of Vox.com on Facebook and let your friends know what you really care about: staying connected with friends and family through blog posts, photos, videos and comments.
Once you're a fan, you can also add photos and videos to the page, write on the wall, and connect with other Voxers in ways you may not have previously. Plus, it's a great opportunity to let people know about your Vox blog, or start discussion topics. To become a fan, just visit the official Vox.com Facebook page and click the "Become a Fan" button in the upper right hand corner.
Once you've joined, why not post a response to the current discussion topic? Just post a link (and a brief description, if you'd like) to what you consider one of your all-time best Vox posts.
What are you waiting for? Become a Vox.com fan on Facebook today!
These are the Twitters I sent over the last 24 hours...
- 18:37 is in a london grocery hearing one person exclaim that they have never had prawn before #
These are the Twitters I sent over the last 24 hours...
- 10:08 impressed that I'm apparently in Beijing covering the Olympics for the BBC. #
- 12:48 New blog: Links for 2008-07-14 [del.icio.us] tinyurl.com/5kypuy #
- 14:26 is pondering if it's 'twittering' or 'twittring' #
Although we typically post on Team Vox to let you know about things that are going on with Vox (to, uh, state the obvious), once in a while, we like to let you know about other cool things that are happening around the blogosphere. And we think the idea of four hilarious mommy bloggers traveling across the U.S. on their way to the BlogHer '08 conference - all the while blogging and video blogging the journey - is one trip you will not want to miss.
Four adventurous bloggers from the Silicon Valley Moms Group were selected to participate in the Summer Road Trip '08 and blog about their travels, hotel stays, media appearances, time away from their families, and life on the road. Six Apart helped them partner up with General Motors, who provided the blogging mommies with a Chevy Tahoe Hybrid SUV to help make their journey comfy, safe, and a little more green.
In case you're not familiar with them, SV Moms is a group of over 200 bloggers who showcase the ups, downs, outrages, struggles, victories, and everyday humor of motherhood. There are currently nine regional and demographically tailored sites that give mothers from D.C., New Jersey, the Deep South, Rocky Mountains, L.A., and Silicon Valley a powerful voice and sense of camaraderie across the country. Whether you're a mother, a child, or just a person who enjoys a good blog, you'll really love reading the words of these amazing women.
The moms buckled into their Chevy Tahoe Hybrid SUV on July 11th and even got an encouraging message from Katie Couric to kick things off! They are currently somewhere in the middle of America making their way to San Francisco where they'll attend an SV Moms Group Party, as well as BlogHer '08.
You do not want to miss these entertaining and irreverent bloggers -- or their spontaneous contest giveaways! -- as they blog from the road. Experience the journey at MomRoadTrip.com.
And let us know about your summer road trip - or plane/boat/bus trip - in the comments! (I like to live vicariously.)
These are the Twitters I sent over the last 24 hours...
- 09:40 is stalking identikit lesbians and american school groups and wrestling with oversized luggage at gatwick. #
- 18:48 is listening to Cockney-accented British-Chinese people. Cor blimey, guv'nor! #
Due to members of my party now being unavailable, here's an exclusive chance to come and sit with my socially-acceptable Whovian friends and I for two hours. And possibly drink afterwards.
Oh, and see some actors called David Tennant and Patrick Stewart strutting their stuff doing Hamlet at the Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon on 2 August. They'll need all the encouragement you can get...
If you're interested in tickets, look at the eBay auction
I've travelled around the world, and met Chinese Americans, Chinese French and Chinese Danes. But nothing has surprised me - and I'm not too sure why - as watching this film about the Chinese Cockneys of the 1920s.
If you watch the video of Connie and Leslie Hoe, they sound soooo ... Cockney. An accent and voice that's unique to London, and that I hear around me all the time - but coming from a biologically Chinese couple, who have seen a lot over the last 80 years. It makes my posh English accent sound incredibly dull. I wish I could do accents.
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