Paula Liebe's Blog, page 11

TEASER – THE MAKING OF THE PROMO VIDEO OF AMARTE

A TEASER – THE MAKING OF THE PROMOTIONAL VIDEO OF AMARTE MAROMA

It was the craziest weekend we had experienced in a long time. Everything we had planned to do in 2 months was suddenly cramped into 4 days. That’s just what you have to deal with sometimes, so you go with flow, no matter how demanding. We had to move into our new home in Amarte and turn it into a livable place, and at the same time we were producing a promotional video with close to 20 different scenes and the same amount of extras.

The 1st obstacle we found on our path was no running water in the kitchen and an empty gas tank. How was Honza going to provide catering to all our extras? The faucet got easily repaired, but the gas tank we had to have filled, driving some 40 kilometers, way behind Playa del Carmen, to the gas company. Oh well, ni modo.

Ni modo are the 2 most important Spanish words you learn here in Mexico. It means roughly: no other way, or, that’s the way it is. You can’t change the situation, so with a smile a Mexican will say: Ni modo!

The 2nd impediment we had to face was that we had to get up at 4.30 a.m. to shoot the time-lapse sunrise. The early hour wouldn’t have been so bad, weren’t it for the fact that we had slept only 4 hours because the previous night we were busy shooting an evening scene and going over the detailed productions schedule.

The sleep deprivation was well worth it, because we witnessed a glorious sunrise.

Shortly after the recording we received a panicked call from our cameraman. He had fucked up, almost crashed his computer, and we had to reshoot the sunrise. Breathe, smile and say: “Ni modo!”

As if we weren’t busy enough, we also had to – in between filming, catering and chauffeuring – show our old house to prospective tenants, and receive guests from our B&B in our new hotel and make them feel welcome and at home. They had read my books and had followed my blogs, so they were very excited to be part of our new adventure.

The last shooting day was the most challenging. Not only did we have to reshoot the sunrise time-lapse again and get up very early, we also had to coordinate many scenes with a large amount of extras, who all arrived at different times during the day, and all received a tour of hotel Amarte and our new house.

Thanks to the right hand of the owners, a friendly and helpful man called ‘El Gato Negro’, our beach club Lolita was perfectly set up as the place where our guests could enjoy a glass of wine, a delicious buffet prepared by Honza and some happy dance tunes, which our camera man had recorded in his own creative style.

We were very pleased with the result, and fortunately the owners as well. Our cameraman was able to capture the beauty we see in Amarte Maroma, and the atmosphere we want to offer our guest. When I first heard the music our cameraman had chosen I got goose bumps all over. Of all the arias, he had picked the one that I just started studying; Ombra Mai Fu

I’m still working on the editing job for the full version, but the teaser is finished.

Please enjoy!

DESTINY – A LOVE STORY AND HOW IT ALL BEGAN

Do you believe in destiny? My husband and I do. And with the idea that the course of events in our lives are – in one way or the other – predetermined, our love story turns out to be even more interesting.

Imagine two soulmates who are destined to be together. Not only are they born in two different countries, at a certain point they even live on two different continents. Sounds like mission impossible, but you never know how life will magically enfolds itself.

Let’s go back in time a little and see where this love story starts.

Russian invasion in Prague in 1968

Shortly after the Russians invaded Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic and Slovakia) Honza escaped the communist regime and choose the liberal and open minded country called the Netherlands as his new home. Eventually he found himself running a bar called Café 2005 in a neighbourhood that was known for the presence of many artists, writers and musicians, like the world famous rock bands Golden Earring, and Shocking Blue. In that same street my father, Eppo Harbrink Numan, had opened the very 1st Dutch barbecue restaurant called Charcoal, which became an overnight success.

Restaurant Charcoal in The Hague, Holland

Yes, that’s me in the foreground. I was around seven years old when that photo was taken. My parents and Honza knew each other professionally, but I was hardly in the picture at that time. Five years later my father opened another restaurant called Bajazzo, which made you feel like you walked into a chic Paris establishment during the 1900’s.

From Left to Right: Nico Molhoek, Wolfgang Bartos, Ronald Hoenderop, Eppo Harbrink Numan, Sir Talsma, Olaf Weissman and Roberto deLuca. In front: Paula, sister Lucinda en brother Leonard. Foto: Cees Zorn

It was around this time that my attention was drawn to this very handsome tall curly head, who would cast a friendly and flirtatious smile at me every time I passed Café 2005.

Cafe 2005. Foto: Cees Zorn

A few years later I had gathered enough courage to trick this recently divorced man into hiring me as his part time household aid, so I could iron his shirts, something he dreaded more than anything. You can find all the juicy details about how I eventually seduced him in The Queen’s Boudoir, the 2nd book in the Queen´s Trilogy. It was our little secret. Nobody knew about it. It was beautiful, the first time I made love to a man.

Honza Mlejnek behind the bar at Cafe 2005

I have beautiful photos of myself from that period taken by photographers David Hamilton and Max Koot, but these are all stored at my moms. The only one that I could get my hands on from around that period is this picture from the Vrije School.

I’m standing top left with a white sweater.

We hardly saw each other during the next thirty years, mostly because I was always traveling or living abroad. But seven years ago fate directed me back to Holland. I had decided to visit my family and spent a summer vacation in my home country, taking a break from a demanding consultancy job, and the hot and humid Mexican Caribbean. Well, that very first day in my home town I ran into Honza and when I saw him I simply threw myself into his arms. We were both completely surprised at the utter joy we felt seeing each other again after so many years, and we realized that our first secret adventure had created the imprint we needed to make this reconnection.

A romantic night in Prague

We also realised that we allowed ourselves to fall deeply in love, because we had nothing to loose. I had a beautiful home and a professional life in Mexico, and there was no way I would ever go back to a grey life where, “Act normal, than your’re acting crazy enough” is the norm. And Honza had a job he liked, together with a life full of responsibilities in Holland. We dove into our summer romance like there was no tomorrow. We enjoyed relaxed days in his Czech summer house in the mountains, and romantic nights in the cultural city of Prague. Well, you can’t just fall out of love, and soon we came to conclusion that we couldn’t live without each other.

At Honza’s summer house in Horni Kalna

Even my mother visited the best son in law she could wish for

We’re coming close to the famous Seven Year Itch. It’s itching alright, but in all the right places. So far, we’re still shamelessly happy and in love.

Today, the famous Valentine’s Day – the day of friendship and romance – we hope to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary (the Super Bowl took over on our actual lustrum) with all our friends who happen to be in the neighbourhood. It looks like this is going to be the last big party we will be celebrating at Hacienda El Sol, a place we have been able to call home for the past five years and where we have thrown a few parties to remember.

A grand future lies a head.

Simply keep living your dream!

AN AFFAIR WITH THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.

Last year – exactly around this time – I had finished the first rounds of editing of my 3 books. The Queen’s Trilogy was ready for the first sneak peak of a real audience. In the writer’s world that means that you are looking for a beta reader, preferably someone who is not too familiar with your work or your persona, but who’s an avid and experienced reader.

Fortunately I had met Gary Little, a 75 year old retired Superintendent of Schools. A man of such intelligence seemed to be the perfect victim for such a job, and he was. He wrote me a beautiful review on Amazon, and a few weeks later I interviewed him about his experience reading the Queen’s Trilogy.

You may want to enjoy a short impression of that interview right here, or you may want to read the complete interview below. Take note of Gary’s beautiful deep baritone voice.

WOULD YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF WITH YOUR NAME AND OCCUPATION?

My name is Gary Little. I was a schoolteacher, a school principal, a vice principal, an assistant Superintendent and then Superintendent of Schools in Portage, Manitoba, Canada, and I retired after 35 years of doing that. I’ve been retired for about 16 years. Now I dedicate myself to woodturning on a lathe, and I found that’s my passion.

Gary Little at a private Dinner Show at Hacienda El Sol

WHERE DID YOU MEET PAULA LIEBE?

We met Paula at one of the famous places of Playa del Carmen called the Dirty Martini Lounge, and it has become a regular stop for us and a few years ago. That’s where we met Honza and Paula.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION OF PAULA?

Paula struck me as a dynamic, energetic woman, who was involved in any number of activities. We weren’t fully aware at the time how many activities she was involved in, but we did know that she was an entertainer, a singer, and in fact that first year we did have the opportunity to hear her sing at the Zenzi Bar.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO READ THE QUEEN’S TRILOGY?

We had heard about the Queen’s Trilogy from Paula at one of our stops at the Dirty Martini Lounge, and I sort of kept track of where she was. When she finished I inquired about it and she asked me if I wanted to read it.

WHAT ARE THE FIRST WORDS THAT COME TO MIND WHEN YOU THINK OF THE TRILOGY?

When I think of the trilogy, the words that come to mind are… It was open, it was raw, it was erotic and exotic both. It presented a picture that I had not expected. It was a surprise. Paula opened her soul in that book, and I enjoyed being part of that experience.

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO KNOW SO MANY INTIMATE DETAILS ABOUT PAULA?

That’s a very important question. It feels quite special for Paula to open up her heart and her life the way she did. And because I was the first one to read it, it made me feel special to know her intimate secrets, everything about her… possibly like having an affair. The thing for her to consider is, as others read the book, she going to have an affair with perhaps thousands of people around the world. When others get to read it, they will have the same intimate feeling that I have.

WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU THINK PAULA’S WANTS GIVE HER READERS?

The messages that Paula gave, and there are many messages – it isn’t a single one from my perspective – is that she wants her readers to better understand the bigger world in which we live; the reference to everything, from geography to science to shamanism to Christianity, all of those things combined make for a better understanding of the world, from Paula’s perspective.

IS THERE A PASSAGE THAT STOOD OUT AND WHY?

The part that comes to mind at the moment is the chapter on India. I was impressed by it because of Paula’s description of the people she met. But also the country of India fascinates me – I’ve been interested in it and I’ve watched some documentaries about India – but after reading Paula’s description I felt that I could see it, I could smell it, I felt the filth and other things she described… it left quite an image in my mind.

Paula traveling through India in the year 2000

YOU WROTE IN YOUR REVIEW: THE UNDERLYING THREAD REVEALED AN AMAZING INTELLECT. WHY?

I discovered that Paula speaks seven different languages. I discovered that she had traveled extensively. I felt exposed to everything from religion, to geography, to science, to spiritualism, to yoga. It’s almost a University degree in itself, reading the trilogy, because there is so much information. There’s so much research, which is another aspect that really impressed me, and surprised me as to the number of references that were to any number of topics, which again were quite a surprise to me because of the breadth and the depth of what was presented in her books.

WAS THERE A PASSAGE YOU FOUND DIFFICULT TO READ?

The section of the book where she discusses her relationship between herself and her father was somewhat difficult. I read it with great interest. It was explicit. It explained a lot about Paula’s early times, her youth and her upbringing. But of the various parts of the book that I think about now that was probably… came closest to being difficult to read, but also informative, intriguing, and it gave me a greater sense of who Paula is.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE COVER?

I absolutely love the cover. It is a piece of art that fascinates me. It’s the combination of Paula, as naked as she is right there, balancing in a yoga pose on the edge of a cocktail glass. It’s graceful, the colors are dynamic and it captures in many ways the spirit of the book, which is an accomplishment to be able to do that with a cover. It’s a gorgeous cover!

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE WITH THE POSSIBLE FUTURE READERS OF THE QUEEN’S TRILOGY?

I would like the future readers to be aware of the fact that once you start into the book you won’t put it down. It’s a rollercoaster for sure; there are the ups and the downs. It’s ride for sure, and a rollercoaster right there!

WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT THE TRILOGY?

I would be surprised if the trilogy doesn’t surface as a bestseller. It is worthy of that status in many, many ways. It’s not a work of fiction. This is the memoir of Paula and it’s a great experience!!!

Get your free copy right now!

The 1st book of The Queen’s Trilogy you can download for free.

For your Kindle click here.

For your iPad and other reading devices click here.

 

PAULA’S BIRTHDAY INVITATION

Felicidades Chica! Today is my birthday. Exactly 49 years ago I was welcomed into this world. I’m not going to celebrate this birthday with a big party. You can join me for a drink at The Dirty Martine Lounge, but no outrageous festivities are being offered this time. That may sound strange from the people who are famous for their lavish parties, with Honza’s well-known culinary buffets and DJ Greco’s fine dance tunes, but there’s a perfect explanation for that.

The first reason is that in twelve days Honza and I will be celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary, and we had planned a big party for that special day. That is until we received a phone call from aforementioned DJ that on the 2nd of February – a date that also happens to be the wedding date of our King Willem Alexander and Queen Maxima – the American Super Bowl takes place. That’s a real big thing here in Playa and we don’t want to boycott our own party. The only thing I know about American football is that they have a team that is called the ’49ers – there is that number again! – and that’s only because I’ve lived in San Francisco for a few years. Actually, it was the day after my birthday in 1989 that they won, but I have no idea from whom.

The second reason is that next year I will turn fifty and that milestone asks for a major party. By now you all know where that party will be organized, so prepare yourself for a few days of festivities at Amarte Maroma. When I started studying with professor Mary Grogan, director of Opera Maya, I thought I would be able to sing the Flower Duet of the opera Lakme from the composer Delibes for my 50th birthday, but I have to admit that that dream is still far beyond my reach. I keep on dreaming and maybe for my 10th wedding anniversary or my 60th birthday I will be able to sing my favorite aria. Maybe.

FLOWER DUET – ANNA NETREBKO & ELINA GARANCA (LAKME DE DELIBES)

What is within my reach is singing with a Jazz band. Maybe Honza’s old time friend Milan Svoboda, a Jazz musician, and composer, conductor and bandleader, is willing to bring some members of his Prague Big Band to Mexico for a good bottle of Tequila. You never know.

MILAN SVOBODA

And you never know if you will be drinking a glass of Tequila with us next year at Amarte Maroma. Wouldn’t that be nice?