Time for Giving Back

The holidays are a season of giving, and for the past three years, I've written a charity guide for the December issue of Newsmax magazine.

The first two articles focused on organizations that support US troops and their families. This year, because of the economy, the editors asked me to profile ten top charities that serve a variety of needs, from hungry children, to disaster victims, to homeless pets. Check it out in the December issue or visit the link in my Twitter post on the right hand side of your screen under "Terry's Tweets."

Women in Entertainment: the Next Generation

There was something new this year at the annual Hollywood Reporter breakfast for the most powerful women in Hollywood: a mentoring program for high school girls, in partnership with Big Brothers, Big Sisters. For the past 18 years, the event has celebrated the growing power of women executives in film and TV. But now that it's no longer rare for a woman to head a major studio, it was time to reach out to the next generation. My friend Jacqueline Sonderling, one of the sharpest producers in the biz, invited me to be the voice of the event at the Beverly Hills Hotel , and the video editing was in the capable hands of the folks at Picturehead.
Two Best Actress Oscar winners were among the honorees: Hilary Swank spoke of growing up in a trailer park as a poor, lonely kid who got into acting because she "didn't have any friends." Halle Berry received the Sherry Lansing Award for leadership. After a moving introduction from Lansing, Berry nearly brought the room to tears with the story of how her fifth grade teacher taught her to look beyond her abusive home and reach for her dreams.
But the real stars were the high school sophomores selected for the mentoring program. They will spend a year observing such powerful women as Disney's Anne Sweeney, who shares the #1 ranking on THR's list of 100 powerful Hollywood women with Sony's Amy Pascal.The program was just about flawless, under the steady direction of Wendy Moodie and her team from Paradigm Shift Worldwide http://www.psww.com/. The mentoring video was immediately posted on THR's website and you can check out the program (and my voiceover) at this link: http://video.hollywoodreporter.com/services/player/bcpid1079049389?bclid=1442316366&bctid=54280483001.
It's an honor to be associated with this classy event. Many thanks to Jacqueline and THR's Vicki Robles for making it happen. Even the team assembling the "swag bags" was first rate! I'd jump at the chance to work with the whole team again. And, yes, I am a freelance voiceover talent for both live events and taped productions. I can even record your track in my home studio and send it to you electronically. Visit my website at www.terryanzur.com or email me at terryanzur@yahoo.com.

Multimedia for High School Journalists

Disappearing jobs haven't discouraged high school students from applying to college journalism programs. High School Journalism Day at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism drew an eager audience of students and their teachers. I moderated a panel on "The Role of the Storyteller in Multimedia Journalism," along with Megan Garvey of the LA Times and videographer Phil Ige of KTLA. And yes, I do speak to high school journalism classes. Visit my web site at www.terryanzur.com
For more details on High School Journalism Day, go to: http://annenberg.usc.edu/AboutUs/News/091120HSJDay.aspx

Thank you British Airways!

I'll end the chronicle of this adventure with a toast to British Airways for making it all possible. Going home meant two more 11-hour flights, from Male to London Gatwick, then a bus transfer and overnight hotel before catching another long flight from Heathrow to Los Angeles. Both times I had a very civilized flight in World Traveler Plus. A kind manager even let me use the club lounge and the nice folks at the Sheraton Heathrow credited me for the prepaid night that I missed. BA's Terminal 5 is a city unto itself, and filled with random touches like a full-size horse lamp!I'm living proof that being face-to-face can seal a deal that wouldn't happen otherwise. Thank you British Airways!

Meet the Dean

It was a pleasure to meet Absy, the dean of the Faculty of Arts at the College of Higher Education. He is taking on the task of launching the first college-level journalism degree program in Maldives. I look forward to working with him and his associates in the future.

Random parting thoughts

Missing my plane meant two unexpected days in Male, plenty of time to look around at the changes. Last year, TVM did a story on the construction of the new Holiday Inn, which involved pile-driving into the coral bedrock of the island. The hotel is open now, although it seems a bit pricey at more than $300 a night for a Holiday Inn Express! I can testify to the quality of their buffet breakfast, with fresh fruit and entire pots of coffee!For Maldivian fast food, I ducked into a little shop for a bag of "short eats."
I also had a lovely visit with my friend Ziyo, who is on leave from her job on the English desk at TVM. I met her husband and adorable new baby boy, and enjoyed the swing on her rooftop terrace, next to the open air kitchen.

A Stylish Change

A number of stylish new shops are springing up in Male, but none better than "Temptress." This is the brainchild of Noora Ali and Aishath Hana, who have embarked on a new career as entrepreneurs since leaving the government. They assemble the collection in India and each handcrafted piece is exquisite and well-priced. They also have a translation and media training business.Following last year's election, the entire country played a game of musical chairs. Except for low-level civil servants, just about everyone is in a new job. It was so much fun to have a coffee with these two talented women and catch up!

TV Maldives

It was great to reconnect with so many of my Maldivian friends on this trip, but a major disappointment was not being able to see some of the colleagues who worked so closely with my team during the four months we spent in Male prior to the presidential election last year. When you've come halfway around the world to see someone, it's hard to understand how they could be "too busy" to have a cup of coffee for an entire week. This picture of TVM, behind locked gates, sums up my frustration at not being able to congratulate those who have made so much progress personally and professionally. The highly polarized nature of politics and media may explain why many are afraid to stick their neck out. For that reason, I have not named the people I met with on this trip, except for those meetings that were simply socializing over coffee. It's important to me to remain neutral and open to all views, and I don't want people keeping score of how many DRP or MDP sympathizers I met with. I only care about good broadcast journalism, regardless of party.
My overall impression from watching TVM news is that the English bulletin is much improved, under the leadership of Afruh and a full staff. The look of the newscasts is very professional and when I saw a promo for the on-air talent, my heart burst with pride. I remember back to my first days at TVM, when no one had a job description beyond "newscaster" and anchoring assignments were passed around like a hot potato. It was especially good to see how many of my "kids" have grown into competent professionals, especially Liza Laurella, Moosa Waseem and Soddig, who covers the new president and did some excellent reports with standups from a recent official visit to India. Others are overseas pursuing higher studies and will make a huge contribution when they return home. On the downside, the program now tilts toward the current government and viewers tell me that the former "TV Maumoon" under the old regime has been replaced by "TV MDP." There is still too much "BOPSA" footage of meetings and too little effort to get the personal stories of real people, such as the civil servants who were protesting outside the parliament building.
I also sampled the newscasts on the private stations, DhiTV and VTV. Both could use coaching on their presentation, but they were more likely to present opposition views. By strengthening these newscasts, viewers will have a choice in the marketplace just like we do here in the US.

How I Missed the Plane but Got the Deal

First, I want to stress that I don't blame anyone but myself for this. Frankly, three weeks of living out of a suitcase, midnight meetings and strange surroundings have taken their toll. To the point where I didn't realize that I had gotten one numeric day behind with my computer still showing the date in the US. I was sure I was leaving on the 31st, so I had plenty of time to spend a day in a resort. The Maldivians were sure I could even squeeze in one more meeting before going to the airport on Sunday.
Just when I was feeling like the luckiest person on the planet, my dream had a rude awakening when I went online to check in for my flight. It was ALREADY the 31st and the plane was already leaving. Worse, a sudden torrential rainstorm destroyed any thoughts of a mad dhoni dash to the airport island. What to do?
I hit the panic button when the Maldivians and the British Airways help desk in the UK had never heard of Face to Face and weren't sure they could rebook my ticket. Fortunately, BA came through in a huge way, rebooking me on their next flight two days later. There was also the problem of losing the prepaid room I had booked for the overnight jaunt from Gatwick to Heathrow to catch my final flight to Los Angeles. I'll have to pay for another one at last-minute prices, plus two extra days back in Male.
Going back to Male meant another chance to work with the dean of the college to put the finishing touches on the application for a Fulbright grant from the United States to continue the mid-career media training program here. If it's approved, I'll be returning in May and June to focus on improving the relationship between government public relations and working journalists, as well as specialized training for TV stations and others. I also was able to connect with some of the colleagues I hope to work with at the College of Higher Education to help implement their new journalism certificate program.
But this time I'm not taking any chances. I've already checked in and plan to be there early for the flight tomorrow. It's been an awesome trip, but it's time to go HOME.

One Day of Relaxation

True to Maldivian hospitality, my friends here made sure that I didn't miss out on spending at least one day in a resort. Bandos is only a 40 minute boat ride from the crowded capital of Male, but it might as well be a different planet. My two story jacuzzi villa could house a couple of Maldivian families. I enjoyed an excellent Thai massage in the spa, and a tuna dinner so fresh it practically jumped off the plate. I apprecite the extra effort it took to get me here because it's the start of high season and everything is booked solid. Now... back to Male for one more meeting and then British Airways is taking me home!

The City that (Almost) Never Sleeps

Most of the serious business in the Maldivian capital happens after the sun goes down and the temperature drops. The streets swarm with motorcyles, and the narrow curbs that pass for sidewalks are crammed with people. The coffee shops and restaurants are busy with customers talking politics. Since the Nov. 2008 presidential election, the country has become even more polarized. Next came the parliamentary election, which wallpapered just about every building in town with candidate posters. The result is that the new president's MDP party and its coalition is battling the DRP majority and its coalition in Parliament at every turn. It is hard to bring up any topic without people casting it in a political light. It's a challenge to remain neutral, but I'm doing my best to remain open to all sides!

Swing Shift

On a traditional island swing, I'm drafting a new proposal for media training in Maldives. On the islands this is the seat for the kateeb, or island chief. Thanks to those who have contributed excellent ideas so far. More to come!

350: The Magic Number

I've arrived in time for a series of "350"events on the theme of reducing the world's carbon emissions, whch included the underwater cabinet meeting shown on news channels around the world. There is some debate about whether this was a good thing. My personal view is that the tourism promotion was priceless, although others say no one will want to invest in resorts that might someday sink. Actually, the truth is somewhere in the middle. There was an excellent interview on TVM with a New Zealand scientist who presented evidence that the islands will shift, with some getting higher and some lower.
It's going to be a tall order to make Maldives carbon neutral because getting here requires coming on a plane, getting around requires a gas-eating boat and much of the electricity is generated by fossil fuels. There are some experiements with solar and other alternatives, but unless tourists give up jumbo jets and start swimming here, or there is some alternative to gas guzzling boats, it's hard to see how Maldives could reduce very much. Like Southern Californians who push mass transit... they seem to be in favor of it for everyone else.
Even Fed Ex arrives by boat!

Public Diplomacy

The main point of my visit is trying to enlist a Maldivian partner organization for a Fulbright specialist grant from the US State Department. But it's also a chance to catch up with some of the outstanding professionals I met at TV Maldives on the last two trips. Environmental reporter Huzam Hamid and Jadullah Thaufeeq (JD), a producer for the English bulletin, are big fans of American movies and speak English with near native fluency. They translate CNN and Reuters into Dhivehi and then translate the Dhivehi bulletin into English. They are also multitalented guys, who produce, present and report in the field. TVM is lucky to have them. This was a fun evening and public diplomacy at its best... fellow journalists sharing stories and comparing the broadcasting practices of our two countries.

Back "Home" to Maldives

At last I have reached the destination of my Face of Opportunity trip: Male, the capital city of the Maldives. For those new to this blog, I spent four months last year consulting the state-run media here as they prepared for their first multiparty presidential election. The voters elected a former dissident, whose opposition MDP party encouraged supporters to paint their houses yellow. "Anni" is now known by his actual name, President Mohammed Nasheed.There are more than 100,000 people here, crammed into less than one square mile of space, and construction crews toil all night long to make the buildings even higher, even though they are supposed to stop at midnight. Unfortunately my initial room at the Central Hotel was next to one of these all-night projects, so now I've moved to a different room and it's all good. The hotel has a lovely rooftop restaurant and it's a great place to meet with people.It's also a great vantage point for the call to prayer which seems to ring out from every direction. You can look down and see the people walking to mosque. Hard to believe I'm only blocks from the ocean in every direction because the development is so intense it blocks the view of the water. I walked down the familiar main street to a cell phone store to get a local mobile number.
From the moment I stepped out of the island airport last night and took the "dhoni" across the water to the city, it felt somewhat like coming "home."

The Middle Road

It would be easy for the tourist to assume there are only two faces to Sri Lanka... rich and poor. Actually, there is a vibrant, well educated middle class. I was fortunate to be invited to a family's home, where I experienced the true charm and hospitality that is behind the walls. An ex-pat with long experience here predicted that it will take two years for this country to start getting back to something like normalcy. But the stock market is already taking off. The potential for global business is obvious in a country where just about every school kid learns English under the British model of education. It is the official year of learning IT and English, with even Bill Gates joining in. The fate of the displaced people in the war zones is still a matter of dispute and poses a serious challenge for NGOs and the government alike.
Another challenge ahead is democracy in the post-war era. Elections are coming up and it would be a great time to come back here for media training.
A final tip of the hat to a tuk tuk driver named Riswan who went out of his way to help me on an unusual shopping errand to find a special gift for my son. This was such a refreshing change from the ripoff atmosphere that I experienced in the area around the hotels, and a small glimpse of the hospitality that this country has to offer for those who take the time to seek it out.
The drive to the airport was a last opportunity to admire the diversity here... symbols of buddhist, hindu, christian and muslim faith side by side.

Help a Street Pooch

It's truly a dog's life on the streets of Sri Lanka. People think you are weird if you try to take pictures of them, so here's one from across the street opposite the Buddhist temple. Most look like they haven't missed too many meals because people "adopt" them and feed them, or they pick through the trash piles. Even the soldiers appeared to have adopted strays near checkpoints. And many Sri Lankans have dogs who are pampered housepets.
However, some of these animals are in truly pitiful condition. And unless somebody starts a serious spay and neuter program there will only be more of them. It was good to see that the posh Odel department store has a whole line of merchandise to raise money to help. I couldn't resist one of the cute t-shirts, a bargain by US standards at only $8. Unfortunately, although the store was busy with shoppers, not many were looking or buying here. I'll bet this stuff would fly off the shelves in the US! Wonder if they sell it over the internet?

What would Buddha do?

Leaving the Galle Face Hotel, I was beset by the usual array of tuk tuk drivers. I declared I wanted to walk. While waiting to cross the street, a man introduced himself as the hotel bartender and asked if I needed any help. I said I just wanted to go sightseeing and he said I could follow him to the festival at the Buddhist temple which was only a short distance away. Now, I had read in my tourbook about people touting such festivals at inflated prices, but he seemed legit, so off we went. Sure enough, he summoned a tuk-tuk driver and when I asked about the price, he said, "Don't worry, he has a meter." I didn't see a meter, and I got even more suspicious when they didn't seem to be in a hurry to get to any festival, because we pulled over to take pictures of a Hindu temple. The next stop was the biggest Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka. No festival-- just a lot of tour buses.
The temple is the real thing. The amazing images of Buddha in every possible pose dominated the main room. Then, a sad, chained-up king elephant munching on palm leaves while the monks ushered in heavy construction equipment. I'm told this is the temple where the VIPs worship, but it seemed rather disorganized. There were a lot of statues just lying around as if no one knew where to put them. My guide took me to a room where a monk was serving tea and gave me his blessing. Unfortunately, the blessing didn't save me from the big ripoff. I insisted I needed to return to my hotel, but the tuk tuk went in the opposite direction to a gem dealer's store, despite my protests.
When I refused to buy anything or even look, they got the point and started driving me back toward the Hilton. About two blocks from the hotel, they pulled into a side street and informed me the fare would be 2,000 rupees... outrageous in a country where 500 can get you almost anywhere in town in a real taxi. considering there were two of them and they could have grabbed my entire purse, I felt the wisest choice was to pay and leave. Then the "bartender" chased after me, demanding more payment for his services, so I gave him the equivalent of five bucks and found my own way back to the hotel.
I'm glad I saw the buddhist temple and don't think I would have found it without help. However, I think these guys should be honest up front about the tour guide services they are offering and the price, instead of posing as a helpful employee of the Galle Face hotel and ripping off the tourists after the fact. The hotel security should look into this.