'YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL'
Having finished up our time in summery L.A., Colin and I made our way to the airport for our 3 hour flight to Chicago at 4pm that day. We were scheduled to arrive in Chicago at 2pm, and had our meeting with Harpo at 4pm. Harpo is Oprah spelled backwards...yes...the Oprah Winfrey studios! So figured we would head over to Colin's hotel, change quickly then head over to Harpo which was nearby. However, that day, 3 men in Chicago had decided to have a gun fight, leading to a massive police chase which backed up traffic and shut down roads for a few hours.
So when we get in the taxi and our driver tells us that the normal 22 minute journey is currently going to take 1 and a half hours, and we have a meeting at Harpo just after that time...well there was minor concern!!!
So we decided to go straight to Harpo and hope that the traffic would allow us an on-time departure. Thankfully the incident was concluded and the congestion began to ease, leaving us about 20 minutes before our meeting. PHEW!! And our meeting was just lovely...the people that we met and the energy in the office there is wonderful. At first we had concern that we were arriving for a meeting at one of the biggest production companies in the world, smelling of travel, with our bags, and under dressed, but as soon as we were in there I felt very at ease and felt that our unusual Kiwi mode of operation was entirely appropriate.
We met with a beautiful lady called Lisa who mainly works on Super Soul Sunday, and she was so gentle and kind and relaxed. The 'positivity' amongst the staff is palpable and this women seemed to embody everything that Harpo is about - providing a service to the people with inspirational and uplifting content that can change lives. These people are in it for exactly the same reasons we are...not for big business or for glory...they are in it to create change, and as soon as we both realized that, and as soon as she realized that we were in the same position, it became a beautiful exchange. Below is a sticker that now lives on my computer. Lisa has a bowl of them on her desk from this site, that they did a feature on recently: http://you-are-beautiful.com/
Needless to say I was very impressed with Harpo...it was a refreshing change from the flashing bulbs and big characters of the Pan African Film Festival, and reminded me of the kind of creator I want to be - and the kind of organization I want Stomp It Out Productions to be.
After Oprah it was time for Colin and I to go our separate ways! I have a sister in law who lives here in Chicago so I am staying with her and Colin is staying downtown in a lovely hotel. One of the best parts of staying with my family is not just that I get to be with a wonderful person who I love, and that she has a beautiful apartment overlooking the lake, or that I can sit in my pj's all day on our day off...but that she has a cat!!!!!
I am cat mad and every time I travel I miss my four cats at home so much...and after a few days I have kitty withdrawal. So I got my first kitty cuddles from the very social, playful and friendly kitten, Louie. He is a Persian and a very new member of the family. As I type this he is snuggled up against my leg...feeding me pure joy through his purr vibrations.
So we have just one day in Chicago then tomorrow, weather allowing, we are back to the airport for our final destination of the trip...Detroit!! I've heard a lot about Detroit and seen a few doco's on it's downfall and mass depression...in fact I've mostly heard very bad things about Detroit and when I tell people I'm going there they have a similar reaction to the South African airport passport control upon learning we are staying in Soweto. However we found a magical place and some amazing stuff in Soweto, so I think we can do the same in Detroit, especially considering we are being shown around by a wonderful friend and Detroit enthusiast. I hope to come away with my own fuller and more balanced opinion of the city!
See you in Detroit!!!!
















