Happy New Year, Pig!

What better way to usher in the New Chinese year than James Bond in his red underwear?

You wanna tell Sean Connery that he looks silly? Not while he's holding that gun.

So picture this:

I'm sleeping like 2 to 3 hours a night - and last night it all catches up - and I fall into bed at 8.

I was walking a lot yesterday - after a morning and afternoon of meetings. I try to keep myself up by going to Pizza Hut - where I know it'll take at least 30 minutes to make a pizza - and read my book "Thank God you're Funny" By Phil Rosenthal - a really incredible book about sitcom life by the creator/producer of Everybody loves Raymond. I'm coming back to the Hilton in the elevator with my bag of leftover pizza, my book, and my ipod blaring - and this old Chinese guy is riding up with me.

Pizza on Chinese New Year? He asks.

Yeah. Pitiful huh?

That's life alone on the road - he says.

And what was really a great day took on a sad and wistful quality.

SO I fall into bed at 7 on the 30th floor of the Shanghai Hilton with the curtains wide open looking out on the expansive lit up skyline.

FLASHBACK:

After I get my massage and blog on Thursday - I think there is no way I won't sleep through the night. I had been up since three - grabbed the massage and went to bed. Unfortunately I was wrong. I woke up at 1 am. And didn't go back to sleep.

Went into the office at 9 for a pointless phone call with the States. Worked in my office here for what was supposed to be just the morning. Then I would go back and sleep till our meeting with the Big Chinese Star that night at 7.

Not to be. The boss comes in - after we kinda have a big fight about schedules where I never hide my feelings well and usually go off the handle. Today was really no exception. He comes in and talks for 2 hours straight about all the problems he has and how things are really tough. And they are. He is in a horrible position - and while we don't see eye to eye on much - I do sympathize with him. I guess he just wanted someone to listen to him who doesn't work there... I don't know.

I end up being there all day. The boss really wants to come to the meeting - and everytime it comes up - I ignore it - I know he wants to come - but he is a speechmaker and everything comes back around to him. And tonight everything should come back around to me... No... It should be about the Star and what she wants and if we would accomodate her.

So I finally left to go back and get ready - which really - for me - just meant shaving. I don't do that often. Once every week and a half. But she was a Star - and I didn't wanna scare her too much with my Western Hairy ways.

We were set for 7. I was trying not to fall asleep. I shaved and got ready - and found out we were rescheduled for 9:30 - which meant we would meet at 9. I read some more of my book and waited.

Finally met up with my Marketing team and we headed over.

I have met up with Asian stars before - but not at this level. I have directed some big American "stars" but I still get a bit nervous. You have to have some connection that you can draw on and hope that you can get on the same page.

She didn't show up till 10. We were told she would give us 30 minutes - cause she had been filming a commercial all day. She stayed for an hour and a half. There is a reason why she's a star. She's pretty, funny and smart. She's a mom with two kids - but you wouldn't know. She controled the room. She's written 5 books - so she has a lot to say.

But she wanted us to bring in a director from Taiwan to do the shoot.

I was introduced as the producer. No one said anything about me also being the director. Everything was great - we even got dates to shoot - but then she left and we had to talk to the managers - one from Taiwan and one from Beijing. I explained that I was the director and if she didn't want to work with me -that was cool - but we would probably find someone else. Not because I have a big ego - but because I don't have the time to find someone else that knows the brand - and because - I'm paid to direct.

They left - promising to call us in the next couple days.

We sat and debriefed a bit more. By this time it was past midnight - and we had to call the Boss and let him know how things went. By 12:30 we had a call from the agents.

She was fine with me directing. My marketing girl said it was because I was Taiwan.

Who knows?

Still had two hours back in the room of emails back to the states. I had now been up over 26 hours - with only three hours of sleep in the past three days. American company is freaking out - cause they are big - and they can't move this fast. Not sure if they can get a contract ready and get everyone on board quick enough to make this happen. So who knows. I just do the work - they can decide what they want.


I fell into bed at 3:30 - only to have a crazy old Chinese lady bang on my door at 6:30 am - telling me there was a car for me downstairs.

She wouldn't leave.

I finally told her to go away after getting up and talking to her.

And I couldn't go back to sleep.

BACK TO PRESENT:

So I wake up last night - and it sounds like the world is ending. Like the Germans are bombing England. And I look out the widescreen TV that is my window - and the night is alive with light.

Its midnight in Shanghai. And fireworks are exploding everywhere. Some - right below my window.

I turned the desk chair and just sat and watched. I called my beloved family. And for 2 hours - I watched fireworks - till the entire sky was filled with smoke.

I love China.

If I was with my family more - I would love this job.

How cool is it? I'm doing what I've always wanted to do - just in China and in Chinese.

Close... :)

I get on a plane today to fly home to be with my family.

God is in his heavens and all is right with the world. I can't tell if I'm smiling cause its a crazy life - or I'm delusional from sleep deprivation.

Who cares? It's good to be alive.