How could that happen? First I miss the Oscars for the first time since 1976 (which happened last year when I was in London as naked gold men were being handed out to Sandra Bullock, Jeff Bridges and Mo'Nique), and now this. At least I got to watch the AFI Life Achievement Award tribute to Morgan Freeman on TV before going out last night, but I would have given up that retrospective of his body of work for a night with Emmy.
That's just one of the hazards of being on Bangkok time -- well, two of them, if you add missed friends to missed award shows. Here I'm three hours behind the folks in Australia, 11 hours ahead of my loved ones back in the United States, and 10 ahead of my beloved Buenos Aires crew.
Somehow I manage to talk to my best friend Lori, who lives in New Jersey, on a daily basis, either in real time (via Skype or Facebook) or by email. It's better than nothing, but it never feels quite right. Usually, she's just waking up, about to start her day, and I'm ready to fall into bed, ready to call it, well, a day. When I finally go to sleep, it's always with the thought that I'm going to miss out on something big, that all of the action will be going on without me.
Back when I lived in Buenos Aires, only an hour or two (depending on which side of Daylight Saving Time the U.S. was on) separated me from everyone I'd left behind in the States. Of course, watching awards shows in BA came with its own set of problems, as an annoying woman talked over the acceptance speeches in Spanish. I had to listen to her ruin every Oscar telecast between 2007 and 2009 as well as the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild Awards and all of the music biggies, too. Interestingly, she always had the night off during the Emmys. It wasn't until this year's Oscars, which aired three days before I moved to Melbourne, that my friend Roberto taught me how to turn her off.
When I'm in Australia, three more hours separate me from my previous life on the other side of the world. Somehow, though, it's easier to handle when I'm closer to one full day ahead. Had I been in Melbourne during the Emmys, I would have been awake during the telecast and could have watched on TV or online. That bit of knowledge makes returning there next week after my summer tour of Southeast Asia comes to a close a bit easier to take.
Of course, if I had been awake at 7 this morning, I may have been able to catch the Emmy action live online in Bangkok. But after last night at DJ Station and another club that Gordon from Sydney dragged me to afterwards (okay, I went willingly), being early to rise was out of the question.
For that I blame Jack Daniels. As of today, he and I are officially through.
Click here to read my after-the-fact thoughts on the Emmys.
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