Meeting extraordinary people

Ever since I left Netherlands, I’m meeting very interesting people. Many of them are rockin’, but some are top and extraordinary in many ways. I found Bowie’s lost astronaut Major Tom in Delhi, went to Mumbai’s slum village with Kai, visited my friend Mooij in Jepara, partied with Jack in Jakarta and I was also meeting a lots of funny Hong Kong people, who forbid smoking under shower and have also those funny caution boards under showers, telling: “the floor is wet”. ;-)

When I came to Finland, there was a girl (Linda) who didn’t only let me stay in her home, although I was a total stranger to her, but she also showed me a high degree of trust. Something I didn’t have to work for. So it was a bit unusual to me (back then).

Only half hour after she picked me from a bus stop and brought me to her home, when I landed in Helsinki… she threw the keys of her apartment into my hands. All surprised, I was looking at her while making a joke: “God, that’s fast!”

On that she laughed and added: “Well, I have to work in the morning, so I’d have to give them to you tomorrow morning anyway.”

Linda’s make-up good bye gift. I made this picture in the bus, underway to the airport, while leaving Finland.

It was something new to me and I couldn’t place it anywhere in my system… even her cat Batman was very sweet to me when I had a fever, so it kept me busy all the way down to Australia, where I met photographer Malcolm.

Even though we get brainwashed by all kind of media horror stories on daily base (I escaped Jakarta just a week before the bombings, not that they’d been picking on my hotel anyway..) and airport’s customs can often behave very paranoid, it seems that world ain’t that scary place after all.

Malcolm picked me up from Sydney’s Central and offered me a couch in his home as well. Pretty much the same way as Linda, he too threw the keys of his apartment into my hands (without knowing my Linda’s story) as soon as I entered his living room, he said: “Please, feel at home!”

10 minutes later he left to his work. So, I finally realized: it’s all about trust.
You trust someone — or you don’t. And world ain’t necessarily a scary place to be.

Just hide somewhere!

Two days later, before Malcolm left to the city, to bring back the video camera he used for shooting commercial with some model, I asked him if it was possible to use his oven. “Sure, use anything you need! It smokes a little though..” he added.

20 minutes later when I baked pizza, his oven went in fire. :D

I mastered the fire and shut the oven down quickly.. and opened the doors and windows at once, but it was too late already. I heard the ringing sound coming from buildings corridor. So I gave Malcolm a call.

Me: Hey dude, it's me, Alex speaking.
Malcolm: Hi, what's up.
Me: Malcolm, listen. Your oven ain't smoky only, but it also went in fire.
Malcolm: It did?
Me: Yeah. But don't worry, it was short fire, something I could manage and now it's over,
no damage done.... except all this smoke.
Malcolm: Are you OK?
Me: Well yeah, definitely. I opened the door and windows so the smoke can come out.. and now
I hear something that sounds like alarm somewhere in the building. Could it be the fire alarm?
Malcolm: Yes, we do have fire alarms in the building.
Me: Hmmmm... then I think that fire brigade is under way and should be here any minute.
Malcolm: Hide!
Me: Whhhhhat?!
Malcolm: Just hide somewhere if they come haha.
Me: Whaha, well in that case I think they'll force your doors.
Malcolm: Hmmmm, well, yeah. It ain't a good idea, is it?! *laughing*
Me: No it's not, I think I better open the door and talk to dudes when they come.

—– whoooooo whoooooo whooooo —–

Me: Can you hear them too? They are coming already.
Malcolm: Alright, I'll be there within fifteen minutes.
Me: Fine, I'll talk to them and if they ask difficult questions I'll call you again, alrighty?!
Malcolm: Sounds good to me. See you later.

—– whoooooo whoooooo whooooo —–

* Knock, knock, knock… Mr. Fireman stood in a front of the door. *

Him: Are you ok sir?
Me: Well, yeah. No fire here, just a little bit smoke left.
Him: May I come in and have a look?
Me: Sure, go ahead.
Him: Did you open the windows?
Me: Yes sir, all open.
Him: Nice. Keep the door open, we'll now let some Oxygen get through...

After Mr. Fireman and his fire brigade crew did their oxygen thing, the air was fresh and clear again, so they left.. Malcolm and I cleaned his oven later on that evening, so I baked my pizza after all. While we were sitting on his couch and eating the pizza, we heard the sirens of Sydney’s fire brigade once more, riding through the street.

“IT’S NOT US — GO AWAY!!!” ……….we shouted together at the same time. :))

Extraordinary, Victoria Franco

This week Malcolm and I planned 4 photoshoots. We’ll possibly have even 5… still mailing with some models. So, tonight we had our first one, with 3 models and with little help of two other make-up artists.

My first Australian model was Victoria Franco, an extraordinary Sydney’s top model girl, with extraordinary qualities: —-> she talks all the time! ;-)

Teaser …

Victoria Franco teaser, photo by Malcolm Grant.

Photo by: Malcolm Grant (www.malfoto.com | www.modelmayhem.com/260193)
Model: Victoria Franco (www.modelmayhem.com/172011)

Even though she didn’t make it easy for me (I think I still managed to do the make-up well), she is an extraordinary Sydney’s cover girl model, who was featured in many Australian magazines by now and has done a lots of promotional work. Right now she’s new face of BAKSANA (www.baksana.co.nz) and also the new face of an “Uncle Toby’s Cereal” (www.uncletobys.com.au) coming out in August. Check her out / follow her at:

http://victoriafranco.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/VictoriaF1985