You Can Buy Anything in this World With Money

It's generally a good thing when you are in a foreign country with foreign words and ways, to have money to maneuver through it. Sounds easy enough, right? With today's technology, all you need is a plastic card in your wallet and you can go anywhere, anytime...as long as that little ATM machine keeps spewing money out at you.

Or so I thought.

The first day I arrived here, I tried to purchase a phone with my credit card. Rejected. After a couple of other attempts, and not knowing how to get a hold of a foreign operater to REVERSE the charges (such a nice gesture from my bank, but how to do that is the real challenge), I was at a loss. Luckily my ATM card allowed me to withdraw funds for living, for a months rent (if taken out in five daily smaller amounts), and other needs.

Until this weekend when every ATM I tried told me that no more money for me...the card wasn't working. I know I have funds (you'll be proud of me, since in Brasil, I signed up for my online banking and I can see there's funds there, just waiting to be spent.) But how to get them is the real question.

I've sent e-mails to my Chase On-line rep (which I'm pretty sure is someone living in India). I was assured that my VISA is now cleared to use...I'll try that later today. I've yet to hear back on my ATM.

Luckly, I have about $50 US dollars tucked away in my apt that if I really need to, I can exchange until I get this resolved.

ATMs have always been my friends...now I'm a little bit intimidated by them. Like when you have a good friend, but for some reason, one day, you get a sense he doesn't like you as much. We go way back...and gosh darn it, my ATM better like me again. Cause $50 won't last me that long.

BRAS-ODDITIES

1. I have yet to see any fresh milk (you know, milk that will go sour) anywhere in this city. Oh they have milk, but it's been irradiated and pasturized and manipulated so much that I'm sure it could be drinkable many years into the future. It doesn't taste that bad, but I miss always knowing I had to drink the stuff before it went sour.

2. Every policeman I've seen, wears a bullet-proof vest. Now, coming from New York, I've seen that too...but generally not on every cop. That said, I've seen nothing approaching anything violent or dangerous.

3. Where else can you watch Bevery Hills 90210 (the original) and Felicity as though they were first fun...HERE, and I'm really liking them--again.

FORLORN HOPE

OK, so I decided to try the screenplay. If you haven't read a screenplay before, it reads just like you'd watch a movie...you'll notice cuts from one scene to the next, locations and time of days are noted in scene headings...and other than that, it's pretty easy to follow. Give it a day or two...and tell me if you like it or if it's just too hard to get into and stay with.

This screenplay was entered in the Nicholl Felowships in Screenwriting Competition (the one sponsored by the OSCARS), and was a semi-finalist. I think it's one of my better efforts.

Here goes.

FORLORN HOPE

Based on the experiences of The Donner Party

FADE IN

EXT. MOUNTAINS (1846) - DAY

Winter.

We follow six snowshoes laboring across the pristine, powdery whiteness.

Each step a struggle. Pushing forward.

EXT. MOUNTAINS

MONTAGE OF SHOTS: Three men with heavy backpacs. Various time of day sequences.

A) Climbing mountains

B) Sliding dangerously down steep snowy slopes.

C) Struggling against blinding snow.

They're weak...very weak.

EXT. DONNER LAKE - DAY

Sunny. The men stand at the shore of a frozen, snow-covered lake. RESCUER 1 scans the horizon.

He begins to cross the lake. He stops, looks back to see the other men still standing. He turns and continues walking.

The others follow.

EXT. DONNER LAKE - CONTINUOUS

Bird's eye view of the men crossing the lake. Small dots in a world of glistening, pristine white.

EXT. MOUNTAIN CAMP - MOMENTS LATER

The lake behind them, the men see shorn off trees.

RESCUER 1

(echoing through stillness)

Hello!?

RESCUER 2

Hello? Is anyone there?

Rescuer 1 points to a small barely visible smoke trail rising from one of four partially concealed cabins. They walk toward it.

EXT. CABIN - MOMENTS LATER

The snow line is nearly at the roof of the cabin. The tunneled-out door is littered with hair and bones, filthy yellow snow and excrement.

They're repulsed, but descend to the door, and cautiously enter.

INT. CABIN - CONTINUOUS

Dark except for muted light from the door. Slowly, the men's eyes adjust to the light.

Several partially mutilated corpses of men, women and children are strewn around the room, flesh pulled from decapitated bodies.

Amongst them, a small girl, LITTLE ELIZA Donner, four years old, dressed in a garnet cloak and red knitted hood, trembles in the corner.

A movement in the opposite corner.

And then the men see him.

They stumble backwards.

LOUIS KESEBERG (KEYS-burg), 40's, dressed in Victorian worker's rags is hunched over a half-eaten corpse, his back to the rescuers. He turns to face the intruders, revealing a crazed face, bushy blond hair and beard matted with filth and blood. He speaks with a heavy German/Dutch accent.

KESEBERG

(motioning to the men)

Come lay and sup with me.

Rescuer 2 dry heaves.

RESCUER 1

Lord have mercy.

Keseberg lunges for him. Rescuer 1 falls and scoots backwards towards the door. Keseberg lands on him and bites out his tongue. Rescuer 2 and 3 scramble for the door.

RESCUER 3

Run for your lives!

The door bursts open with a FLASH of light.

Little Eliza screams.

CUT TO:

OK...so that's scene 1 of the screenplay. It would have taken about 2 minutes on the screen.

It's about 11 a.m. here, and while I typed this, I watched Felicity...man she was cute with her long curly hair--too bad she cut it off--it ruined her career. Oh well, lessons learned. Like not leaving the country without verifying your credit card and ATM card will work. :)