Uh.. Parlez vous anglais?

Time: Fall 2005

I asked for it, I got it. I'm in the midst of a whirldwind, traveling from NYC to Paris, from Paris to Lausanne and then back again. I've become a familiar face at both La Guardia and Charles de Gaulle airports and I have mastered the art of rolling my clothes to take up the least space possible.

Traveling is exhausting! Once I get to my destination, I always need a couple days to get centered. Luckily, a comfy room has been arranged for me in a 4-star Swiss hotel. Lausanne is beautiful, picturesque with its rolling vineyards and snow-capped mountains on the horizon. I have a lot of down time and a fairly generous per diem so I treat myself to a nice dinner at a different restaurant each night. I'm still feeling a little shy as I'm the only American among a Swiss and French cast and crew, so I spend most of my meals sipping wine, and gobbling up my latest book. (Not literally of course.) I am content. I have my scripts in my room, my phone cards to call home daily and access to the hotel's DVD library a floor below. There are moments, though, that I get lonely. I think to myself:

'It'd be pretty cool if my friends/fam could be here enjoying this with me. Hey, they wouldn't even have to pay for a hotel room.'

But the loneliness passes and I happily plan my itinerary for the days I'm not shooting.

My first day on set is pretty easy. Not much dialogue, beautiful weather, my call time's at 8am and my driver gets me back to the hotel by 2pm. The second day, however, is definitely... interesting. First all, I'm wearing a bikini whose top happens to be two sizes too small. But aside from an imminent wardrobe malfunction, a few memorable things happen:

1. I almost faint due to the fact that I'd forgotten to eat that morning.

2. I almost drown while shooting a scene that takes place in the pool. After five minutes of swimming laps, I listen desperately for the word 'CUT,' but instead hear 'Une minute de plus.'
Note to self: Become a stronger swimmer.

3. I fall flat on my derriere while running into a shot, wearing flip-flops.

4. I have to ask my 8 year old co-star (who doesn't speak English) to explain the nuances of Claude-Michel's piece of direction to me, which he does so, masterfully.

You see, no one on set spoke English, so not only is this my first TV experience, all my direction and lines are in French. And, I just happen to be surrounded by a slew of veteran French actors, among them the respected Francis Huster. I feel like a fish out of water, but I know that this experience, although challenging, is making me stronger.

So, I brush my towel off after the fall, munch on some food, take a few deep breaths after the near death experience and finish my scenes for the day. As I stand under the hot shower near the hotel pool, a photographer shoots publicity photos nearby and fans of the series wait patiently for autographs from the cast. I step out into the Swiss sunshine, put on some comfy clothes and head to my catered meal of quiche, fresh baguettes, brie, gruyere cheese and red wine. Mishaps aside, nothing can erase the fact that this whole experience with its ups and downs and all arounds is no short of amazing, and I'm lucky to be living it.