I currently live in Caracas, Venezuela. Not exactly where I want to be, but a very convinient location if you want to go anywhere in the Americas. Of course, for that “moving around”, you need money, a matter rather delicate right now in my life... at least, more than usual.
So this all started about 2 months ago, when, already compromised with another stunt, and out of complete cortesy and admiration for something i would not dream achieve, I got invited by a fellow Phile, to the X-Files EXPO & Convention in Santiago de Chile.
The main event... Chris Carter & Frank Spotnitz in a Q&A, for the first time in Latin America.
My first reaction was... SAY WHAT?? I didn’t know what to do; called a venezuelan phile and screamed out at her what had happened and she screamed back at me... She wanted to tag along but couldn’t and in the way convinced me that I definitelly had to go.
“A once in a lifetime opportunity” She said, between dissapointed silences... She wanted to go so bad... so, I turned around and eyed my video camera that had been sitting in my closet more than just forgotten, said goodbye to warm fuzzy feelings from being out in the field with her, and told anyone that could, that my first big property needed to be taken off of my hands in change for some of the money I would need. A day later, I had my plane ticket in hand, and with it, a momentary anxiety attack that had me almost weezing. I do not take exciment lightly.
In all of the time that has passed from that day to this day, waves of feelings have washed over me, with different grades of size and force, only to be made even worse by the slowly but growing amount of appereances, trailers, tv spots, spoilers, pictures, songs, soundtrack samples, interviews, theories, and... the widget. In fact, both of them. Seesmic has my soul by its balls.
Somewhere along the way, it occurred to me that, since this is a Latin American event, not very publicized, as have almost all events in the US, unless you are following every lead and have a tracking device on Chris’ foot, that it wouldn’t have much exposition for the north american philes, let alone people from other parts of the world.
I opened my mail and offered the “wise one” a.k.a. Holly (Bows and does a graceful reverence) to cover the event for XFN, aqnd so this experience was bound to be recorded in letters, pictures and if the luck is on my side, some video.
I put my “producer” skills to work and got all the info I could gather from the busy bees (no pun intended) that are organizing this event, and checked any leads I could gather to comence the first continent-sized X Files Adventure I was to embark. The first of at least 1 more to come.
I drove to the airport on the early afternoon of the ninth, a few hours ago, with my cousin by my side, her only remarkable words to me that I can remember right now: “You must be feeling like you’re on your way to Heaven...” Actually, now that I think about it... I think I felt even better.
So, I sit in the waiting lounge, bored and waiting to be called to board the plane, and in my mania, I txt msg some of the XFN philes... not 2 minutes later, “New Tv Spot!” Blinks on my screen and I’m going crazy. I actually paid the most expensive internet service I’ve bought so far and saw it in all of its glory. “Don’t.Give.Up!” has a new meaning to me.
The 2 stretch plane ride to Santiago is uneventful, actually confortable and kind, with a service that could and should be envied by American Airlines considering I got to sit in seats that were exactly in front of emergency exits. I arrive at 2 am at the nearly frozen city, that resembles a little of Baltimore or Washinton itself, and I’m already living in a dream.
More to come later tonight, after a coctail and a press conference. If you didn’t notice, I arrived on the 10th and I’m leaving on the 13th, in true X Files fashion.
