so much Chicago

We arrived in Chicago on Saturday afternoon. Our good friend Sarah came to O'Hare to pick us up. Her boyfriend Arnie had just gotten the car washed and cleaned that morning, but it was taking a lot longer than expected, so we all got wet butts while driving from the airport into the city. WET BUTTS!
Our first stop was to the Salt & Pepper diner next door to the iO theater I have been craving the S&P cobb salad since we moved away to Portland. The three of us put our orders in and Sarah and Stacey got their food first. hmm... The waitress finally came back and confessed she forgot to put my order in, so it would be another 5 minutes and she would take 25% off my bill. That's fine, I've only been craving it for two and a half years. but look... there it is. Yum.
We then went out with our friends Matt and Wendy and haven't really gotten a chance to sit down. Until right now.

Reunion

While in Boston for Thanksgiving we attended Stacey's high school reunion.

fambly

Stacey with one of the cutest little five year olds you could ever meet. Joshua Edward Hallal. I am going to try to upload a voice recording as well.

goodness gracious

Seriously, these kids. I suppose it's been two and a half years since we've seen them - and I feel like such an old man saying it, but they are growing up quick. Little Drew looks like an adult now.
And Nadia can have a full conversation. So freakin' crazy, these kids.

Day two Massssssssachusettes

Family is great. Always nice to spend time with those we love, especially when we haven't seen them for years. The little ones grow up so fast.

Massholes

Stacey and I left home at 6am Portland time and arrived at Logan airport in Boston at 4:05 pm Boston time (1:05 pm Portland time). It has been a long day. The flight takes forever, but it was a straight shot. We got off the plane, got our bags and got on the T.
We took the T to Stacey's sister's place, which is where we're staying for the night. Catching up with the family that will not be at the family thanksgiving dinner this year. We had some pretty crummy burritos, but excellent company. Hello Boston, we'll be here a while.

Holiday Sketch Show

Thanksgiving Trip

Stacey and I will be traveling from Portland to Boston to Chicago around Thanksgiving. We're going to Boston to visit her family and will enjoy our thanksgiving feast with the Hallal clan. It's been three years since we've done that - so it promises to be a good time. I sure miss those kids.
On the 28th we'll be flying from Boston to Chicago to spend three days visiting my family (and all our friends) in Chicago. If you're reading this and would like to meet up, please email me (or us) and we'll be sure to schedule some time. We know there's not a lot of time in Chicago, so we'll do our best.

On December 1st, I'll be returning home to Portland and Stacey will be shipped off to New Jersey (of all places) to work for a week. Good luck with that.

what ???

My friend Jim pointed me to this and I still don't know what to think of it...
I'm so confused...

Obsession

Thanks to my trip to France I have become obsessed with French Pop Music from the 60's. In particular - Jacques Dutronc. Check this guy out!



I can't get enough. I am going to do a show called 'Dutronc' inspired by this music/style.

flight home

Charles de Gualle.
taking an 8 hour plane ride from a timezone 9 hours away does weird things to your mind.
At this point in my trip I finally found the idea I was looking for the day before. The perfect idea for the story and the ending to the game. So I got out my little Rabbid friend and wrote it out.
He also kept me entertained along the way. I don't think I spoke to a single person on that plane ride. I suppose, on international flights you're never sure what language the people around you speak - so it's best to keep quiet.
Finally, we landed in DC and I had a 4 and a half hour layover before my 5 hour trip back to Portland. I arrived at my home around 9:45pm Portland time and I could hear Arlo barking from behind the front door. I think he missed me.

the weird and fun things

There are plenty of weird things all over Paris that, out of context (and/or understanding) make no sense. I'm sure they mean something to someone - but I captured some of the things that stood out to me as odd. This was in the neighborhood where I was staying, which is kind of upper class, semi-touristy - but of the time I was there, I only saw this in operation one night.

Go Ahead, (This is the actual name of the store.)
Hey Jerome, I like your style, as well as your last name, Mr. Commandeur.
In the Metro Station.

Paris recap

The work part of the trip is over. Well, not really. I still have to write everything up and finalize it - but all the ideas are there and copious notes are all over my computer and luggage. I had a great brainstorm idea on my flight back to the US this morning - and here I am in the DC Airport (again) writing it down and updating the blog. This work week went by quickly. How crazy.
Paris hasn't really changed much. In fact - the people that work in the hotel we stayed at two years ago were still working there. Cedric and Nino were awesome (though really busy) while we were there. It's too bad we didn't get to spend more time together. I like working with those guys.

VOL means "to fly" and all these tiny boxes are filled with metallic insects made of bottle caps by an artist in Paris. This installation was up at a restaurant across the street from Ubisoft. It wasn't something you see every day in a small middle eastern restaurant.

French Meal

You know, I've been to Paris twice now and I realized the other day that I have never had a French Meal while in France. What a shame! I corrected that last night and had this: What is it? I dunno. Manu said it was something the people in the mountains would eat. It's a Bean and sausage stew. It was... interesting. I should have gone with something else, but oh well! At least I've done it.
Another funny French thing is the bicycle rentals they have around town. They call them (forgive my spelling) "Velieb". Last night we started a joke each time we saw a valieb - and we sang songs like "Don't stop Valiebin'..." and "If you Valieb in life after love..." Yeah. we're hilarious.
Across the street from the hotel I found this: A stroller tied to a bus stop. I'm wondering if someone just needed to run in really quick and didn't want to break the stroller down. It's like a bicycle for a baby, I guess. Weird.

the final countdown

It was a weird last day for us at the Office today. Not everything went as we had hoped or planned, so I'm leaving Paris tomorrow with a less than satisfied feeling. This is the Ubisoft parking lot view from the 5th floor, where we spent most of our time. We had some good insight, but overall - I don't think we made the impact I was expecting us to make. The concept is a bit difficult and it seems they already have their minds set on a fair amount of the story. What they are in need of is specific gameplay ideas that will allow them to write the main storyline... but without these pieces in place - it makes my job impossible. Oh well.
more to come soon. I'm exhausted and its late.

The full day off

After witnessing some Armistice activities I did some more writing and wondering around Paris. It was a pretty good day. I met up with Amanda for dinner. We went to a wonderful Italian restaurant that didn't cost 25 Euro a plate. It was a good trip. On the way there we past this crazy firehouse looking church: not just because there is a cop car in the front of it, this building looks like a giant version of an American Firehouse to me. After our early dinner we met up with Cedric and he took us to some cool, non-touristy bars in Paris. (You know you're going to a cool place when the street you walk down looks like this.) The two bars he took us to were more "rock and roll" bars. The second of the two (which was named from a famous Italian film I have never heard of and quickly forgot the title) was a very hip place. A tiny bar, filled with Russ Meyer movie posters and all sorts of early 60's pop/rock and roll items. Even a phone like this: It was the coolest place in Paris. At least, the coolest place I've been to.

French Blockbuster!

As I walk around Paris there is a movie poster I see more than anything else. I know it is a comedy and I know exactly what the movie is about. I've established the entire film in my mind based on this single poster I see everywhere. Tresor is this little dog's name (it says so in diamond studs across his little collar). He is a sweet little bulldog puppy. The pride and joy of the female lead (played by Mathilde Seigner) and she loves this little scamp dearly. The male lead (played by comedic superstar* Alain Chabat) has been bother mrs. Seigner for months to go out with him. Of course she has finally agreed to go out, but as luck would have it - she just got a new puppy and boy oh boy is he a troublesome little Tresor! Mr. Chabat spends the majority of the movie getting into all sorts of hijinx due to that "Damn Dog, Tresor!" - and all he wants to do is 'the business' with this lovely lady. He will never get to do the business because of Tresor! Damn Dog!
I'll bet it's hilarious and full of surprises.

*I have no idea who Mr. Alain Chabat is, so there is no proof or truth this title.

Armistice

Today is Armistice day in France. Veteran's day for us Americans. I went down to Champs-Elysees and saw them setting up for a parade. They had a huge French flag flying under the Arc de Triomphe. It was all pretty incredible, but cut short because my damn American bank account will not let me take any money out for any reason. I contacted them and everything. It's getting very frustrating. But, oh well. I'm here for work and I've got plenty of that to do.

can't decide...

I'm not sure if I want to wear my MICK or IGGY shirt today. tough decisions...

Hotel

Oh yeah. I took these pictures this morning - to give you a better idea of where I'm staying here in Paris.
First - here is the view from outside my third floor window. And second - these are the three flights of spiral stairs I walk down and up every day. Finally third - this is me in my room. Well, a reflection of me and my room.

Office Day 2

Scenario City is what I would dub today. Amanda, Sebastian and I spent at least 8 hours today asking logical questions about completely illogical game scenarios and scenes. It's kind of ridiculous how much thought goes into this foolish and random game. I understand why we're doing it. For the Raving Rabbids franchise, this (#4) is by far the most complicated - so we're all taking it very seriously. How could I not take a picture like that with one of these in the room? This is such a fun character to work with, but since it has become so successful - we're under a lot of pressure to keep everything these bunnies do within their specific brand and understanding. Weird.
So now we've got a more difficult task ahead of us. We got all the information about this game - and we've submitted the majority of our mini-game scenarios and talked through them... but now we have to come up with the story that makes it all make sense.
What's so hard about that? I'll bet you're asking yourself.
Well let me tell you... The designers and producer of this game want this game to have a specific ending that can only be unlocked when the player unlocks the game clues in a specific order.
Okay - that I understand. I can handle that.
Also - the secret ending we write has to justify everything that has happened in the game. (What? If you've ever played any Raving Rabbids game you will know that these creatures are crazy and make zero sense.)
Fine, I guess. I can work with that.
Oh, and could you remember to include the some secret world that gets created along the way which justifies the Rabbids behavior throughout the game?
Holy shit.
I guess I can. I mean, I'll try my best. That's a lot to filter, but I'll get through it. I hope it works. Get off me, rabbid.

Metro

Riding on the Metro-oh-oohhh in Paris is a great way to get around. A funny thing about the Metro is the little warning sticker they have on every window. I haven't found anywhere else in Paris to have some sort of cartoonish spokesperson for anything, yet on the Metro, this cute pink little human-like rabbit shows you what not to do. It's kind of ridiculous.

Day 1 in the office

We had our first day in the Ubisoft office discussing the new game. I think it all was 80% there. The two guys in charge have become friends of ours since the first time they flew us out here. They were great all day today... But there's a new guy on board who we still have to win over. I think he views us as a bit of competition and the main reason I feel this way is that - every time we mention one of our ideas (specifically an idea we were given the OK to develop) his first response is "Yeah, I thought about that one. I've been working on it for a while..." Boo. I don't think he's telling the truth 100% of the time. We'll see how this relationship blossoms over the next few days.

After our time in the office we went out for a bit of a shopping excursion just to breathe a little. This is the Galleries Lafayette near a giant, old Opera house. It was pretty incredible and pricey.
Across the street from Lafayette was a large store called Printemps (which I don't know the meaning of) that we walked around in for far too long. One funny thing though this name brand rack of clothes: yikes. On the other cross street was the store that was equal to an Asian Gap. This store did not belong anywhere in Paris, but maybe Tokyo. Just get a look at the front stairs walking in to this place. Even if you're not prone to seizures, you will get one if you stay on these stares any longer than the one minute you stop to wonder why in the world you're stepping into a store like this.
Finally - we met up with a friend of Amanda's name Manu and decided to eat at Amanda's favorite Paella place in Bastille. It was great (though a bit on the pricey side). For instance here's an image to my 5.50 Eur bottle of Coka Light. That's close to 10 American dollars. For a soda beverage. I will be sure to look at the prices on the menu BEFORE I order something again.
Hopefully a full nights rest will be had and we can tackle tomorrow as soon as we step into their office. We'll see how we do!