Tris' Travels

Hi guys,

I have a new address:

Mr. Tristam Summers (O.B.E Pending)
3, 1454 Yale Street,
Santa Monica,
California,
90404.

So I've moved on to what Michelle has taken to calling the 5th leg of my 'vacation'. But I guess I'm getting ahead of myself...

So, the beginning - We left on New Year's Day and set off for VEGAS (leg 1) where we landed and checked in to the 'Planet Hollywood' on the strip with all our snowboarding gear and plent of other suitcases to boot. We were staying in the 'Terminal Velocity' themed room with Charlie Sheen's Jumpsuit, bomber jacket and many stills and facts of the film on display. The suite was huge and right on the strip. Casinos everywhere - inside and outside of the hotel. The strip is long and there are more flashing lights than you could possibly imagine. With the Bellagio, The MGM, The Mirage, Treasure Island and a new one just opposite us, the name of which eludes me just now (Michelle?) oh no wait - was the Cosmopolitan which was very fancy and shiny-new.

We acquanted ourselves with the bars offering the cheapest beer and tried to acclimatise since the time difference threw us out of whack for a long, long time. We met the groom and his family again - not having seen him since the last trip, congratulated him and had boozey night. Day two saw the stag do - live round ammunition firing on a range with a beretta 9mm and also with a Dirty Harry .44 Magnum 'the most powerful handgun in the world'. The kickback on the Dirty Harry gun was suprising - even when you knew it was coming and I was a little more accurate with the beretta. We got handed our targets and somehow mine got lost when I gave it to someone to look after and blahblahblah. But I was a born sniper - hitting the middle with every shot (can't be proven otherwise). I managed to get the whole expensive experience for free since the lady on the counter made a counting error which I didn't feel the need to point out at the time (if they can't even count - no wonder there's so much friendly fire). Next, on to Hooters for cheap beers (a doller cheaper than the night before - RESULT) and some gambling - I managed to win $180 on black jack. Next on to a strip bar (it's Vegas after all) where we finished the evening not TOO worse for wear and packed the stag off for some beauty sleep before the big day to folllow.

The wedding was an informal affair - or at least it was for those of us who didn't pack suits - but it was an interesting service (broadcast live online for those who couldn't make it) with a vicar with a sense of humour who bandied the whole thing along at quite a clip. Bride looked beatiful etc etc flowers etc everybody said the right names yadayadadyaddaa.
Wedding reception was an impromptu event at an all you can eat world buffet with every type of cuisine imaginable. followed by ......More drinking more gambling and debauchery. By this time it became apparent that you couldn't even sit down anywhere in Vegas besides the toilet without gambling - if they read this I'm sure they'll plough some cash in to rectify this oversight immediately. We travelled to the old part of Vegas (which does exist thank you very much (Dad and Grey laughed at me when I said that)) to see the Golden Nugget which is the oldest casino in Vegas - It had a waterslide that went through the middle of shark pool!!! We didn't go on it but was good to see.

Before we knew it, twas time to head to colder climbs and we picked up our rental cars and made for LAKE TAHOE (leg 2). Vegas had already been much colder than we were expecting - forcing us to wear jackets before we were ready but it was colder still in Tahoe. We stayed at the quant Best Western. We had a wonderful little broom cupboard which made the suite in Vegas seem like a Sheik's palace...so from riches to rags but it was more than fine as the holiday is on the mountain not in the room. It was hot for skiing believe it or not with jackets off for the first couple of days for some people. we bought mountain passes for a host of areas and made it to most of them over the 10 days. Contrary to tradition though there were no serious injuries (although Phil did jarr a finger but soon tucked his skirt in and got on with it). We did get monumentally lost at one point. We'd bumped into our tour rep who decided to join us for a couple of runs (wow - was he to regret this) and suggested we do Olympic and then, when he'd guaged our ability presumably, the same run again but through the trees just to the side of it. well the snow through these particular trees was incredible and i had heard him say we were going to cut back on the run in a bit. Well I managed to get separated and then the walkie-talkie died so I followed the tracks of many another skier until I came to a road. Knocked on a few deserted chalets (psycho) and got chased by a dog/ wolf and was given direcions back to the ski lift although I realised I'd come quite a bit wrong as no matter how far to the right I beared I couldn't find the piste again. anywho I followed the directions and after I was beginning to get tired a snowboard instructor took pity on me and offered me a lift back - which turned out to be a 15 min drive so I don't know quite how the old man had expected me to walk it. Meanwhile (and completely unbeknownst to me) the tour rep was desperately trying to keep the others together who were still off piste and hadn't made it back to the piste as i had assumed. On top of myself a couple of others strayed away and got lost too. Long story short he had to help the others down some trickier terrain with the help of Luke and Dave to the very bottom - which we'd been told by our hotelier couldn't be done. We all met back up at the bar at the bottom miraculously unharmed with stories a'plenty. The best bar in Heavenly resort by far is fire and Ice where they cook your self-made buffet on a grill in front of you - pricey but all you can eat. There's a theatricality in the way they cook it and throw the bowls about and I'll show you some videos when i'm back.

Before I knew it, it was time to move on to Los Angeles so after making our horrible goodbyes at SanFrancisco Airport, Laura, Matt and I drove to LA which took ALOT longer than the 4 hours we'd anticipated. I couldn't get hold of the people I was staying with in KOREA TOWN (LEG 3) so just turned up on their doorstep at half 10 at night. thankfully i'd reminded them a couple days earlier that I would be coming on the 15th not the 16. They had completely forgotten until then. Amy and Nabojsa made me completely at home and put me up on their couch and helped me in every way imaginable within a completely alien city. They didn't have a spare room so I virtually monopolised their living room which I felt a bit guilty for. Koreatown is odd, there are people selling junk at the side of the road outside their houses and I can't see how anybody can make any money from what they've got on offer but hey. I was virtually the only white man in a sea of Asian at the gym and about town - which I negotiated using solely my legs and public transport. This is near enough impossible in LA. Everything is so spaced out and the trains don't go many places useful. so I did my research and decided to rent my vehicle from 'rentawreck' and saved myself $600 off the next cheapest quote. Admittedly I'm driving a beat up old lexus but it's got more mod cons than my peugeot 'Liz' back home in Michelle's garage. electric adjustable seats, leather interior, sunroof. anyway 'Martha' and I have bonded and are inseperable now. There was a small battery incident but they sorted it and she runs as good as new. ok she makes a few strange noises but I say, if you can hear 'em there must be something wrong with the radio!

Having discovered 'The Coffee Bean's' Ice blended treats and the peanut butter mood at 'Jamba Juice' I felt it time to give amy, Nabojsa and their two dogs (Aero & Peeve) back their place so I moved in with Matt and Lau and made a contriubution to the rent - all the while travelling and viewing places all over. They were staying at a lush complex in the valley in an area called BURBANK (LEG 4) which is pretty central but still a traffic hot spot. It was great as I could spend time by the pool and relax when we weren't prepping for a few things and when I wasn't viewing places. There was everything there including a gym and printing facilities etc but the price tag was not an option for this intrepid traveller who was thinking of the slightly longer term. They leave in a couple days while I am stayin until April 1st. I had a great birthday and it was nice that Matt and Lau were there with me to celebrate and have a few drinks at an out of the way restaurant and a few bars in downtown.

I decided I wanted a place in SANTA MONICA (LEG 5) as the feel of it is pretty laid back and cool but has a plethora of shops and bars and restaurants and it's near the beach. I'm staying in a house-share quite a ways from the beach but I'm saving a fair bit on rent staying in a 3 bed. Funnily enough the room I viewed isn't available yet until March 1st so the landlady who is hardly ever there anyway has said she won't come back and that I can have her room until it is available. So somehow i've managed to bag a kingsized room with an ensuite bathroom for $700 for the month bills included in San Mon which if you've done your looking around (and i'll mercifully save you the bother) is unheard of. I moved in today and have just about unpacked. I've now got to find a gym nearby and get another few chores done so I feel like I can really focus on doing my best at the opportunities I have. But if you mail me you'll find me here at YALE (st)!!!!!!! So there to all nay-sayers who said I wasn't meant for Ivy League! just in case you havn't made a note of my cell number (get me being all american) is...

310.717.9322 (they asked if i wanted "a specific pre-fix e.g 310 is Beverley Hills, 312 is..." "I'll have that one please!"

Work wise I've had a couple of castings so far which both went well, although one was due to be filmed too soon for me to have got my visa through even though it went well. I've also got an agency meeting on Wednesday so keep your fingers crossed all, as their help would really make a difference in this industry where a manager can only do so much. anyways I'm gonna get going. My voice-over peeps had said I could do more work from Santa Mon but I havn't heard anything since - they're still trying to get scripts approved I'm told. I've only got another few weeks before Michelle comes out which is more than welcome news and gives me something  to look forward to.

Hope everyone back home is good, and be sure to let me know what you're all up to...
T