97 Tuesday Sep 7

Tuesday Sep 7 Day 97

One of the reasons for returning to India is to video tape the interiors and exteriors of the building at Woodstock School. I have already obtained permission to do this during October. In order to get a smooth video I need to use what is called a Steadicam. This equipment is used to get the smooth and steady pictures we see in movies of people walking and dancing. Some of the best shots are those where the couple is followed around the floor or circled. I have what is called a poor man’s steadicam named the Glidecam. This piece of equipment calls for balancing the camera on a floating gimbal attached to a vest. The process of balancing camera is to adjust weights on the gimbal. The balanced camera will float through the air not affected by the bouncing step of the operator. The process of balancing is time consuming and must be done each time the equipment is used. I am currently practicing setting up the equipment and balancing it. Each time I do this I discover ways to balance the equipment more expeditiously. I am doing this twice a day and they carrying the equipment to build up my body using the equipment. Carrying the Glidecam causes the back, hips and legs to hurt. I am presently carrying the equipment around the lawn (using the stepping stones) for 15 minutes twice a day. I will eventually get up to an hour. Today is my second day so I have a long way to go.

I have lived here before but I do not remember the pervasive dampness of the monsoon. The pages of my GPS manual are getting limp with the moisture. The paper is coated but can be torn with almost no effort. Everything is wet all the time. My room is a tropical 62 degrees and it is now raining again. The combination of low temperature and everything being wet makes me cold (for some unknown reason). I try climbing into bed but under the covers it is warmer and wet and as soon as I get up, it is cold.