Just got back from another two months of shooting in New Orleans.  I was lucky enough to catch the Jazz Fest which was two weeks of wonderful music with top liners like Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder and Santana.  Actually the most interesting are the local Jazz and Zydeco music.  It feels like a combination of blues and country music with a French accent.

May is also crawfish season.  I went to a couple of Crawfish boils, which were crawfish parties where spiced crawfish were boiled in 10 gallon caldrons.  When it's done, all the crawfish were dumped onto tables covered with newspaper and everyone just dig in with both hands.  Crawfish looks like little lobsters and the aficionados claim they taste better than lobsters.  The best part was sucking out the heads.  Well, eating crawfish, drinking cold beer and listening to Cajun music was one of my best Louisiana experiences.  

I was blown away by my first NASCAR experience last week in Las Vegas.  I have seen NASCAR races on TV, but nothing can compare to 170,000 screaming fans on their feet cheering for their drivers.  They even drown out the roaring engines of over 40 super souped up "stock cars".

The race covered 400 miles on a 1.5 mile oval course which means 267 laps.  The average speed was 170 mph.  Cars were crashing into walls and each other.  Surprisingly, all the drivers walked away a little shaken up but otherwise unhurt.  Why can't our cars be safe like that?

Stock cars racing started in the 1930s when country folks were running moonshines.  They souped up their cars to out run the police.  Nowadays, the cars are altered so much that they bear little resemblance to the "stock" they come from.  It is a big business and a sub culture that is no longer limited to the rural South.  Some of the fans came all the way from Canada and Europe.  It is a high testosterone and beer chugging crowd.  A true slice of Americana.

Just got back from a trip to Cambodia and Vietnam.  Angkor Wat was simply amazing.  I was awed by the majestic beauty of the temples.  Thousands of artists and craftsmen must have sacrificed their lives for this project.  And yet at the end nature is ready to reclaim this jungle.  Evidenced by the trees that simply overwhelmed the buildings. 

Vietnam is a country of stunning natural beauty.  From fields of flowers in Dalat in the highland to the lush green rice paddies in the deltas, everywhere I turned there was a perfect picture.  Cruising in Ha Long Bay was like floating in a Chinese landscape painting.  Nature is still the greatest artist.  Everything we do pale in comparison.

I really felt affinity with the Vietnamese.  Historically and culturally they have been very close to China.  We can see it from their Confucius temple to all the old writings on stone tablets.  70% of the Vietnamese language have Chinese roots.  And in Cholon, one can conduct business in Cantonese.

I have been in New Orleans for the last couple of weeks shooting a new TV series.  New Orleans has always been one of my favorite American city.  With all the French, Spanish and African influences, it almost feel like a foreign country.  It has the seedy and decadent charm of a party town that never stops.  As the locals say: Laissez les bon temps rouler!  Let the good times roll!

At night the streets of the French Quarter are packed with people drinking and partying.  They actually close Bourbon Street so people are literally dancing on the street.  Music would be blasting from all the bars and clubs.  From traditional Jazz to Hip Hop to rock 'n roll to zydeco.  If music is not enough, there are always the strip clubs with naked dancers.  In other words, it is one BIG PARTY every night.

The Cajun and Creole cuisines are to die for.  Gumbos, jambalayas and etouffees are my favorites.  Even a po boy sandwich is tasty.  It is hard to have a bad meal here.

This morning I drove around the lower 9th ward, which was totally destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.  Now, two years later, it is still not rebuilt.  The desolation is heart breaking.  The delay is not for the lack of resources but because of mismanagement and politics.  Now Brad Pitt is jumping in with the "Make It Right" project which is supposed to help local residence to rebuild.  Let's hope it's not another publicity stunt.

I have been in Athens for two weeks now consulting on a Greek TV series.  It is very exciting to be in the birthplace of theater and very humbling to realize that whatever we do on stage had been done before by the Greeks.

The Greek people are very warm and friendly.  They love to sit for hours in cafes and bars talking, arguing or just people watching.  The night life is great.  Dinner starts after 10pm and usually lasts for 3 hours.  Then it's onto the bars and night clubs.  My favorite is the rembetatiki which is like a blues club with heartbreaking Greek ballads.  When the mood strikes, people would start singing and dancing.  I think we should all do that more often.