Tui Travel - Durban & Cape Town, South Africa

Right before the London homecoming I had the luck of visiting the African Continent for the first time courtesy of a print booking for German travel company Tui. One week in South Africa split between Durban and Cape Town. What a glorious nation with such a vibrant and resilient people. Reminded me a bit of my stint in Vietnam last year - a country that has undergone such strife and hardship and made tremendous efforts to transcend them. You can see that there's still much work to be done with the shantytowns that sprinkle the journey from the airport in Cape Town to the city center. Once there though, the contrast is startling as you're graced with a city so breathtaking in its disproportionate share of beautiful vistas. And still you experience brief interludes where you steal yourself momentarily from the visual overload and are reminded that wherever there is sun there is shadow, and like most things that seem too good to be true, it in all likelihood is just that.
But there were very few shadows cast on my short visit to the Rainbow Nation - everyone I had the pleasure of meeting was absolutely delightful and the places I visited (UShaka Marine World, University of Cape Town, Waterfront, Table Mountain, Clifton Beach) were great fun. See for yourself :)

Ballantine's Whisky - London, UK

Shot in London by Roger Rich, Produced by the lovely Jo Matthews. Brilliant cast and crew and such a treat being back in my ol' stomping grounds again. Helped that we were in the midst of a gorgeous Indian summer at the time and people were in good spirits with picnic baskets, blankets and smiles at the ready at just about all the parks in West London. I'd just flown in from a one week shoot in Cape Town & Durban and was a bit exhausted from the travels but instantly energized being back again. Thanks to Jo, Sarah, Jenn, May, Lomo, Julie, Kim, Daniel, Guy, Ben, Kim, Ron, Doris, David and Warren for making this such a special outing. Hope to see you all again soon!

Portraits by Sebastian Faena

Taken in Coral Gables during a shoot for V Magazine. Lily is quickly mastering her angles and is a real natural in front of the camera don't you think? :p

Vietnam - Shooting Oriental Pearls

A few months ago, I had the privilege of flying out to Vietnam to shoot my first feature length film. What an incredible experience - amazing chance to work with a top-notch cast and crew, explore a beautifully rich culture, and continue honing my craft.

First stop was Saigon, which immediately evoked images of Bangkok 20 years past. Very similar sense of warmth prevails in both cities, and everyday life felt refreshingly laid back and relaxed in comparison to the hustle and bustle of the Manhattan grind. Spent a week there working with a great language coach (the role necessitated I speak in the native dialect!) and getting a feel for the culture this character grew up in. From both a cultural immersion perspective and my own instant sense of wonderment for this beautiful new land (a sentiment I felt defines my character's outlook of the world), this was Method acting at its purest and finest :)

Next stop Hoi An, a charming coastal town in South Central Vietnam. Shoot schedule was intense (last day went 18 hours straight!) and yet it all flew by in a dizzying whir. Working with my lovely co-star Truong Ngoc Anh was a major highlight. Aside from being an incredible actress, she was very charming and personable, disarmingly down to earth and family oriented for someone who is widely regarded as one of the top film stars in Vietnam. We'd have some nice conversations over pho at the local vegetarian hole in the wall and while waiting for the next scene to be set up, and it became readily apparant to me why she is so universally admired among her fellow countrymen.

The movie, Oriental Pearls, starts making the festival rounds later this year and the trailer should be out in the next month or so. Will keep you all posted. In the meantime, some pics from my time in beautiful Vietnam!

Puppy Love

Last month, I flew out West for one of my semi-annual family visits and came back with a sweet little bundle o' joy. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce Lily, a 6 month old Westie Maltese that in the blink of an eye has filled my home with so much love and life. My sister rescued her from a local shelter and I have to say that she's far and away the BEST birthday gift ever - a little gift that keeps on giving :)
And the little lady has her own blog too :) Check out http://lilyladybug.wordpress.com/ to follow her latest adventures and please share pics of your own beloved pups in the comments section!

Paris 48 Hours

Once again, apologies for the time between posts. Yikes, time flies. Lots to catch you all up on!
Several weeks ago, I got a call from Paris from my friend Jorge, the creative director behind the Fahrenheit shoot last year in NYC. He was coordinating a Wong Kar Wai-inspired cinematic fashion spread chronicling a couple's explorations of Paris over a weekend and wanted to see if I'd be able to take part. Pretty much a no-brainer as I really enjoyed working with Jorge the last go-round and found the story idea really compelling and well thought-out.
The working title of the the spread (Paris 48 Hours) couldn't have been more apt. What a whirlwind - flew into Charles de Gaulle and several hours later, myself, female model Pan Yan and a crew of ten were traipsing around the city hitting a good handful of the city's timeless monuments and flashiest hotspots - Tour Eiffel, Pont Alexandre III and the Seine, Pigalle, Hotel Lutetia, etc. Felt far more like sightseeing than work and when all was said and done, I could easily say that this shoot ranked very favorably in the list of my all-time favorite jobs.
The story appears in the current issue of WestEast magazine and below are some outtakes from my weekend in the city of lights!

Silver Linings - Ilha Formosa

As many of you know, sad circumstances precipitated my journey to Taiwan late last month. I was deeply saddened to discover that my likeness had been used to perpetrate such heinous crimes and felt compelled to fly out and express my deepest sympathies to the victims and their families while also highlighting the ever-growing danger that internet crimes pose. Under the cloak of anonymity that the internet affords, everyone can be virtually anyone, and it is only through careful vigilance that we can thwart such malicious schemes. If my coming here and speaking out about these events can help prevent this sort of tragedy from befalling even one person in the future, my journey was well worth it.
Taiwan itself has been a poignant revelation. I arrived with no inkling of what to expect and was greeted with the warmest of welcomes. The Taiwanese people have been so generous in their hospitality and support, and the new friendships I have formed here are ones I will treasure forever. Hope to be back soon to see you all again!
Below are some of the special moments and people that defined my stay in Taiwan. After it had been dashed to smithereens by someone who savagely preyed on innocence and compassion, my faith in humanity was restored and deepened by the beautiful hearts and souls they put on full display.