#116: We're off to the movies

Foreign welcome to Blind Guys Chat where.

This guy, Oren O'Neill. Hello. And this guy, Jan Bloom.

Hello.

Talk about the A to Z of life. Well, hello, ladies and gentlemen, and you are very welcome to episode 116 of Blind Guys Chat, the juicy podcast as we've just decided to call it. Sadly, you're very welcome to podcast on. On this. What is a very cold month of January we're having so far, as well as storms. But just in case, I just want to check, Jan, you're back from Mar a Lago in Florida. Yes.

Yeah, yeah. Make America great again.

Make America great. Just in case you do not know and you probably. But you probably did see Jan in Mar a Lago on Commemoration Day.

I hope so.

Several of the European broadcasters were. Were based there on the day and Jan could be seen in the back just shredding some. I was making notes that shouldn't have been, shouldn't that shouldn't have been in Mar a Lago to be in the bathroom. Yeah, but you're just back from Mar a Lagoni and you just told us, you just told us before we started recording that cloda's favorite weather condition. It was snowing in Florida.

It was amazing, Orin. It was amazing. And then can you imagine you there.

With your swimming tugs and your suntan.

Lotion because a special hello, I would say in the podcast to Eric Damery, because I met him. Yeah, yeah. How is he? He was. He is terrific. But he was very mad, sad and disappointed because of the snow. Normally he is only wearing flip flops, shorts and a T shirt. He was getting us from the airport in a long pants and shirt and trousers and whatever. The heating in the car was also had to be switched on. Nah, you had to work out where.

The heating button was in the car.

Yeah. Wow, that's so funny.

So it was frustrating. It was annoying. It was, it was the terrible. The worst week of the week of the. Of the year, I would say.

Dear, dear, I didn't see snow in Florida. No.

But to be honest, I did not see it at the, at the area of the hotel. So can you imagine? Florida can be big, you know.

So luckily you didn't happen to take the wrong plane home and end up in Colombia. No, they forced me.

Yeah. My plane. Yeah. You are a naughty guy, I hear already. Because it was almost a booby trap because they. Yeah, because I was waiting for the gate, you know, Delta to fly in one. One direct strike flight back home.

Yeah.

I was really fed up, you know, having a Big. Yeah, big cough. And it. I. I was not feeling well at all. I ate two packages of paracetamol in those. In that. So it was. Yeah, not feeling well at all. But then I was sitting there. 50 minutes for departure. Your flight is being canceled. Oh, yeah. Not officially, but canceled. We are not flying. Oh, no. Yeah. And why? Maintenance. Maintenance.

That's just like my dog ate the homework.

Got to screw the engine back on.

I don't know. I said, shall I help? You know, I have some technical knowledge, but no, I was. You can rebook. Okay. Now. Yeah. So that is the advantage then of assistance because you pass by all the queues. That is quite nice. You know, sorry guys, again, it was in the evening, so there was a limited of staff. Yeah, sorry. Night. Night shift. So no. Yeah. Complaining. Oh my God. Because how many people you have in aircraft? 400 people or something.

Wow.

And then I could go to the next day, but they had also an option to go to the. To fly with Virgin. Yeah, Atlantica. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And they flew around 11 to London and then they would connect me via. Yeah. With a flight to Amsterdam.

Did they upgrade you? Were you on the. Were you on the roof?

I was in the last row. Oh, you feel the aircraft, you know, when it is moving left and right.

Feel everything.

Yeah.

And you had a bit of wind coming in to land, did you, Shorty?

Well, yeah, right now he doesn't have any.

I didn't mean like that. No, I meant was it the storm? Was it. Was it the Friday you came in?

No. Yeah, yeah. Friday morning.

Underneath you, was it?

Yeah, yeah, but I did. No, we were quite ahead of schedule. We arrived, so I think they were blown.

The wind blew you home.

Yeah.

Were you aware that there was a storm coming across Ireland and over to Scotland and heading your way?

Yeah, because we had also a visitor from Ireland, Mr. Charlie Pike. I don't know if you know him, he is from tpgi, the Paschello Group. I did an. An elevator pitch and there I mentioned that I was co host of podcast. So who knows that he is going to listen. But Mr. Charlie pike also welcome. And oh, Mr. Chef. He was so sick.

You didn't have him away with you though, did you? No, no, it's good in a way because it would have been.

Unfortunately not because Chef has got sense. There's an idiot in charge.

Yeah, was a little bit worried that he was. Yeah, he was throwing up a little bit and yeah, probably he was feeling a little bit homesick. Of course he missed Me, I hope.

So, because poor Larry. It must be something going because poor Larry's been, been a bit sick this week as well.

Yeah.

O started on no eating.

Yeah. We don't know what's going on.

He's eating all right, but it's, it's.

He would eat if he was.

It's the other end that's the problem.

Unfortunately for now he's a bit better today than he was, but he was, he was getting up every hour on. What was that Saturday night? Oh, he was barking. Yeah. Which is not like him at all, you know, but he just really wasn't. He wasn't a happy camper, as you know.

We had this storm. I think as of tonight we've still got about 200,000 people without power in Ireland. How is the Netherlands?

We have nothing. Yeah, we have some, some, some strong wind, but no problems. Or, or it's not as, as bad as in your place, really.

It didn't blow through really in the Netherlands at all.

No. And I think it's only Scotland and Ireland. What I learned in the news, also in the uk, it was very fast.

It went. It, it started I think at about 2 o'clock on Thursday night, 2am and it was through by 5pm, 6pm on the Friday, Friday night. And then it went. But it went through to Scotland pretty quickly as well. But I would have thought it would have been heading your way as well.

Was there a nice name over this storm?

Oh, Yoan, I think. Was it?

Yeah, I'm here.

Yoan and Owen E with a little accent on it. O W Y N so I think it might have been Welsh perhaps.

Johan can be Dutch. J O H A N. Yeah, yeah.

But we had, we had originally, I think it was 750, 000 homes without power, so. And then they've been reconnecting and reconnecting. My sister up north has been without power since Saturday, since Friday night and she. Friday during the day. Sorry, Friday morning, I think. And she won't get it back now until Thursday night late.

So.

Okay. Yeah, yeah. And you personally, did you get any damage in your garden or home or.

I mean, there's a few little bits of trees, like little branches and things, but nothing major. We're fine. We're very lucky.

Yeah, there were a huge amount of trees down in the area, but we were lucky, as Clodis says. Yeah, we were okay, but. Okay, tell us folks, how you got on during the storm. If you've got any storiesmail.com When I.

Was with Eric on the beach, you see still a lot of tools, or big tools, heavy tools to plow the sand, what came out of the sea back into the sea again. You know, the hurricane was there in October last year and that, that will bring a lot of flooding. Flooding of sand on top of the beach or land inwards.

Wow. We usually have the opposite problem where, you know, storms take the sand away from our beaches, but here it will bring.

And now they are really working hard to bring all the sand back. But I was not aware of that actually.

All right, let's hear from our wonderful guest. Before we hear from emails from Claudia, we have a wonderful interview with Mercedes Stalinhof. She's talking about the film that Mr. Jan Bloom is appearing.

Starring in.

Starring in even.

Oh, Starry, Starry Night. You can email blindguyschatmail.com for all your comments and queries. So we're counting down for the Interview with Mercedes. 3, 2, 1, action.

My name is Mercedes Stalinhof and I'm the director of the film. I shall see the premiere of the film will be at the film festival in Rotterdam 2nd February this year.

Whoa. Exciting news. Mercedes, welcome in the podcast of the Blind guys chat and, and Oren, you are a little bit surprised, I think, because you always thought that I was a little bit bluffing in the way.

Yeah, yeah. We've been talking about this film for quite some time.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But we're happy to have her here.

Yeah. So you're very welcome. Yeah. And whereabouts in the Netherlands are you then, Mercedes?

Yeah, I'm in the Netherlands, in Amsterdam.

Well, we'll ask you the standard question for blind guys chat just to ease you in. So this is a difficult one. Take your time answering this. What is the weather like in Amsterdam?

Well, mesmerizing.

Spooky.

Spooky.

That's a nice word. The first time I hear this word. Mercedes in orange. Do you know? Mesmerizing.

Mesmerizing, yeah. So you're mesmerized by the weather and.

You know, you know why Jan is talking about the film all the time? Because he's part of it. He's one of our actors with his nice guide dog, chef.

Yeah, yeah. Hey, yeah, that's very good.

But you'll have to tell us during the interview how difficult it was.

I will keep my ears shut.

I will keep my ear shut to deal with it.

No, he's great. He's brilliant.

Well, thanks very much. That cost me €50. No, but a Mercedes, but many things. And indeed I was happy to be a Part of it. And. But can you first also explain a little bit for our listeners? What is the film about? I shall see you already translated. But it is a Dutch film.

Yes, this Dutch film. The film is about lot. She's 17 years old and she turns blind by an accident. Then she loses everything she hoped for. She wanted to travel with her boyfriend, study archaeology and dive as much as possible. That's her biggest passion. But after the accident she feels like a rudderless ship.

Ah, okay. And. And then what is the film describing? What all listeners or who. Who are who. Who became visually impaired, you know, not like an accident, but. But all what you go through with the ups and downs of accepting. Etc, etc, etc, Isn't it, Mercedes?

Yeah, I think there's a difference. If you get an accident, it's really a different thing. The film is based on a story of a friend of mine who turned blind by a motorbike accident.

So it's a true story? More or less.

Yeah, yeah.

Really?

Because I'm documentary maker and he was so depressed in that time. And I mean, you need to learn so much skills to be able to navigate through the world. And in the Netherlands we do have one big institution for intensive rehabilitation. So that's where he went.

And when I was at Fischio. Where he went?

Yes, it's from Fisio in Appeldoorn. That's at Low Earth, in the Netherlands.

I was there as well. Yeah, Oren, I was there as well.

You were there?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

A lot of people, they are really good. You can learn so much skills.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So that's why I visited my friend and I was. I thought it was so interesting and I wanted to make a documentary about him. But then he told me his new passion was sleeping.

Sleeping?

Oh yeah. He uses a lot of medicines and drugs in order to sleep. That's because in his dreams he could see. He could still see. So he was so happy to dream. Yeah. So then I thought, well, I think this should be my first fiction film. I felt like a wonderful power to go along on his roller coaster through his dreams.

What kind of dreams was he having?

Yeah, I mean, you can just see your friends, your family, everything you loved, the things you did in the past, because that's your memory. So your visual memory will be the past.

And then you act normal. Yeah, yeah, in quotes, without the official handicap in that way.

Yeah. At a certain moment you will have also moments where you will include your new life. But this will take a long time. So to dream is like to be part of your old world, like nothing happened.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oren, do you also recognize that by yourself that you dream when you. Because Mercedes, Oren was. Well, you had not an accident, but you were also sighted before.

Yeah, so I lost my own sight in 2009. One of the things that's happened to me is that I'm kind of losing my visual memory, so I don't dream visually as often as I used to. Oh, what about you, Jan?

I dream. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I dream a lot, but then I see everything and I feel everything. It is really amazing. And then Mercedes is right. Sometimes you feel also non sighted, but it is really a mixture, it's interesting. I've never thought a bit about it like this, Mercedes. So what? But, but, but your friend, you did not choose him to become the main character in your first film?

No, he didn't want to act.

He refused. He didn't want to become a movie.

Star when he wasn't enough.

Oh yeah.

He did help my acting actors, which was great because two of the actors, the main character, Aiko Bemstaboor, and her new friend Minicola, they are sighted. So to act like a blind person is really difficult. That was my biggest concern for the film, that it should be credible. A lot of blind people helped us to. To be an example. Like how do you move, how do you make your coffee, how do you use your guide cane? Dog or cane?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Okay. So that was really interesting and they did such an incredible job, really brilliant. Everybody who sees the films, they think they are really blind.

Okay.

Other people in the film who are acting, who are not actors, but they are really blind. So the people who are in the institution for intensive rehabilitation. Yeah, they are really blind.

Yeah.

There's one lady who really also plays quite an important role. An elderly lady.

Yeah, Joyce.

Joyce Bakkers. Yeah, sorry, I forgot.

She was so happy to be part of it, but she never acted, so. Yeah, she was like, what do I do?

True, natural.

Yeah, yeah, it was really funny. But as I. My documentary maker. Yeah. I think people are always good. I mean, you are. If you can act yourself, then yeah, it's like, okay, because you are okay. She's really great. I love her.

I was curious, did you like or was it for you then also. First you need to train then the main actors to decide to act like a non sighted in a way. But was it for you than different than other films before? Was it more complicated than before?

Yeah. Wait. This is my first fiction film in the Past. I made a lot of documentaries.

Yeah, okay.

But this one is new. The whole concept of a fiction film is so different. Yeah. When. When I thought dream should be included in the film, I thought it's difficult to play a not blind person if you are blind. And it's also difficult to use dreams in a natural way if somebody cannot see anymore but should act like she can see.

So therefore you made the choice for a sighted main character in a way.

Yeah, because she has to act both her past and her new life. I also thought it was interesting and good because she really needed to learn everything. She wears a lens so she can't see very good. We made it a little bit blurry for her.

And what kind of activities do you have in the film? What does she experience? What did she accept? Was she a good student or did she accept it easily? What were the ups and downs?

It was very difficult for her to accept because, yeah, everything she dreamed of, she loses that. I mean, her future, she can't dive anymore. She can't study archaeology on the water. She can't even walk. I mean, how do you go somewhere if you are not able to use the cane? You have to learn all this stuff. You have to learn how to use your. Your computer, your telephone, everything. I mean, you know how to use it. But if you can't see, you have to learn it again. I think her past in this, she acted so well and she's really frustrated. It takes time to accept your new life. And her struggle. Yeah, and yeah, that's her struggle and her courage to get through it. That's the main thing. I mean, that's what the audience can feel.

Yeah, yeah, I can. Yeah, I can tell. Oren. I was part of a cooking lesson and then she had to learn to bake an egg in an in. Well, we all know how to do that, you know, to do it very hand. But oh my God, I was so feeling with her in a way, you understand. And then the. She was messing up the cook pot fell off the. Of the table and she was first. It was not working. She was tired and she was. Oh my God, I. And she played it amazingly well, you know, because you could feel the frustration and. Yeah, it is like you banging the wall all the time again, you know, that is so. Yeah. So super.

And this actor who was playing the part, she had no experience with anybody who was blind or low vision up to this point. Is that correct?

No, yeah, totally new. Totally new. So she had no friends with. Or blind friends. But yeah, the contact with friends of mine who are blind helped a lot. And yeah, we started to dine in the dark. We do have nice restaurants in Amsterdam.

Oh, yes, we have that here as well.

Yes.

And there are blind people will serve your table. But it's really dark, you can't see anything. So things like this will help to feel like. How is it if I really can't see and I have to use my ears and my hands to feel. So you need to find other ways to see.

Was Braille introduced at any stage? Did the character learn Braille?

Yes, he did learn Braille because, yes, she's young and she's really intelligent, so her memory is very good. You could say she doesn't need it with all this speech elements in the computer. But yes, she likes reading. The other actress, Joyce Bucker, the one we were talking about.

The blind lady.

The blind lady, yeah. She. She also did try to learn Brahje, but she hated it.

Oh, herself. Really? Oh, herself. When she was in it low Atif. Okay, yeah, yeah.

But she didn't want to learn it. She thought it was all these dots. It's like, oh, my God, all these dots. I don't want to learn it.

Okay, okay, yeah. When I was part of those, because I was not at the whole scene there. But did she change her mind a little bit, Mercedes?

Yes, for sure. She's a strong person and intelligent and she wants to have hope for her future. And in the end, her courage and her strength is really good. Really. I hope that the resilience of the main character is echoed or will be echoed in the cinema. She's like an example. So, like, we will all have problems not only for blind people, but at certain points we will have serious problems in our lives and then we can think about lot and her courage and her fights to get through it. And I think, yeah, that's really good to see.

We all experience that in a way. Mesidis and Oren and me and all our listeners, I think everyone has. And still, after so many years of. After the rehabilitation, you still feel sometimes down or up, and you have your good moments and bad, but in general you can enjoy life. That is what we all show also here in the. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that is true, that's true.

Well, moving on to Mr. Jan Bloom. I understand there are reports that he was very temperamental and difficult to work with during this movie, which is not unusual. How did you find working with Dan? And was he very difficult to work with?

No, he was not difficult at all. He was great. And his Dog as well. His guide dog, Chef was going along with him and listening to him, and it was really great. And yeah, it was just like the people in the film were part of the institution for rehabilitation. And. Yeah, also I think, you know, already a couple of people who were part of the. Because they also did the low earth in Appledoorn.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

So the real institution, that. That's where I went to visit my friend. But then I also meet a lot of people, like Joyce.

Oh, you met her there. Okay.

Yeah, yeah. Long time ago. Like 2010.

Okay.

So a long time ago, I wrote together with Brit Snell for this film.

Okay.

But we wrote it together, so that's. I thought it was really nice. It took me some time. Like how. Directing actors, how. Writing for a screenplay. How. Yeah. What's going on on the set?

Yeah. Because that is quite immense. Or how many people are there on the set? You know, you think that is one character or two, but you have. What was the lady again, organizing? Miro, I think. Was that her name? The lady?

Yes.

Yeah, yeah. She was there running around, arranging this and that, you know, and taking care of food and drinks. And we were sitting down and also. Very nice. What I. You. You need to record on one day, several days. So you Then you need to memorize also what kind of clothes you're wearing on day one. And don't wear up or mess up with the. The second one, because then. Yeah, you can have not the. The different clothes or when you pretend that you're on the same day. So that is quite an organization. I was impressed.

Yeah, yeah. It's amazing.

Amazing. Yeah. Hey, but Mercedes, you also did something to show or to let the people. They had the visitors in the cinema experience something like low vision. What. Can you explain that?

Yeah, like the point of view of the blind person lot. The main character.

Yeah. The low vision, then she is still there.

Yeah, she. She's blind at her left eye and her right eye, the macula, is gone. So she sees a little bit on the borders, but not much.

Okay.

It's quite blurry. And so that's what we show in the film as well. And not a lot because it will be boring, but you will feel her looking for things but not able to focus or not able to see. So, in fact, the sound is extremely important for the film. Her point of hearing instead of point of view is extremely important. And we put a lot of effort to make this. Yeah. That you can feel it as an audience as well. So the sign design is really well done. And also the sound recording is also very well done. The images from Mark Van Allard, the cameraman were brilliant.

Okay.

But yeah, don't forget the sound.

Oren is the sound engineer by profession, lucid. So he. Well, he is now having a big smile on his face.

Were you always planning to audio describe the movie or was that something you learned as you were going along?

No, I knew it should be good for the film. I mean, I like that blind people or visually impaired people can see the film and hear the film. So I think it's really important. A lot of people worked together with us for the filmmaking. I think it's really nice to use audio description and catch.

Yeah, yeah, that's really good. Sometimes, you know, when you look to a film or a series or even now in a musical in the theaters and when I follow audio description, I Sometimes. Well, the first thing is that you are equal with the after party, you know, because you have seen everything. And sometimes I can say that you see a little bit more because you are so intense listening that you hear everything. And that is the sighted people, they are so distressed sometimes by different aspects that they don't see the complete picture, you know, that is. It is an. It is really dynamic, this audio description.

Also the sound recording by Taco Drivehout for this film was so good. So incredible. Well thought and. Well, yeah, well done. So we have a lot of details in the audio also, like from place where the main character is hearing things and. Okay, yeah, I think it's really very interesting to hear the film.

So a recommendation to visit the cinema a couple of times because you always hear different things, you know. Yeah, yeah. And. And you mentioned that this. The premiere is at the Febr second and it will be played on the Rotterdam Film Festival. Or is that an international film festival or a local.

No, it's an international film festival. It's a big festival. So I'm really proud that they will present the film. But if you can't go to Rotterdam, the film will be in cinemas from starting from 3, 3 April and that will be in the Netherlands. In the whole country. And maybe Belgium as well.

Okay, good. And what will happen at the premiere? Mercedes, are you being brought with a big limousine and red carpets, etc. And champagne. Sorry, sorry. Did you hear that, Oren? Yes, yes, sorry. Oh yeah, yeah. This is. Will it be a big happening?

I guess the main characters, they will be like princesses because they like to dress up and they will be beautiful. Yeah. So I hope for them a Limousine is coming. I have no idea.

No, but you have to buy something special still. Or did you buy already something?

Mercedes, I will tell you. It will be something. I will do my best.

Great, great, great, great. Then I will tell chef also to dress up nicely, you know. Yes, yes.

You should get chefs to the groomers before the.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't know. I don't know. Even if he comes, you know, that's still a. But Chantal is coming. Yeah, yeah. Well, perhaps we can do it. Yeah.

The guide dogs are allowed in Cinema Netherlands, of course.

Oh, oh, then I will.

Then I will cinema many times.

Okay. No, Chef was not there ever in our cinema. Then I will. I will carry him.

Yeah, yeah, they will be nice. Can I can see him again and.

Yeah, for sure, for sure, sure. And Mercedes, are you planning to do something more? What? Do you have something. Yeah. In the future. Already planned.

I'm working and writing for a new fiction film.

Okay.

The process of filmmaking was really nice. So I hope I can get money for my second fiction film.

Is it a big struggle in the Netherlands or in general to get money for these kind of films?

Well, I think a lot of people want to make a film, so it's difficult that you will be the one. Your story would be like, wow, we want to have this film.

Okay.

That's always difficult. So. Yeah.

Yeah. We are extremely happy that. That this film was. Was done, Mercedes, and that you. That you managed to get all the finance and all the. Yeah. Work done to. To do the recording and. And especially also the editing. Because that is also. Because sometimes I was apping. What's it doing WhatsApp with you. And then is it already ready? And I asked and it. No working on it. You know, I was too anticipated, you know, in a way that it was going. But it. It for how long was. Was the complete process from the ID till the premiere of next month.

Yeah. As I told you, my friend got blind in 2009 at the end of 2010. So a really long time that I was working on this idea. I also made documentaries in the meanwhile. But yeah, you don't can make a film like in one year. You need more time. It's really a lot of work to write, to look for money, to look for a nice team to do the whole filming and editing. It's a lot of work. So yeah, you need a lot of patience.

Endurance, I think that's the word to order to keep on working.

Gotta keep the motivation going and know your end goal at all.

Times, I guess in the end it's like five years to. When you are really with a good team on a good, good ship to go together and because a lot of us was also research, preparation and stuff. But I'm really grateful that we could make this film.

It was really great many things. Well, it was a pleasure, Mercedes, to play in this nice film. And then we are looking forward to the premiere at the 2nd of February. And Oren, I will keep you posted. You know how it all went and.

Yes, I hope it goes well.

Yeah, I will wish you the best.

Of luck with the premiere.

Thank you so much for inviting me at the blind guys chat and thank you, Jan, for being a great actor.

Well, thank you very much.

Thank you so much. The premiere goes very well. And coming Sunday, Chef will be. Yes, coming this Sunday. I hope Chef will be better and will be wearing his tuxedo for the night. Taking. Getting all the photographs taken.

He has polished his nails already. Yeah, he is such a. He is. He's a kind of an. Yeah, yeah. How do you say that? I don't know. A poshy, all dog, you know, a real poodle, you know, and he walks up and down, you know, tail up and then t. Look at me, you.

Know, he is very good looking. In fairness, he's a gorgeous.

Yeah, don't tell it too loud, otherwise.

No.

All right, I'm not going to play the. I'm not going to play the email jingle just because. So go on. Clauda, have you got any emails? Because we, I think we've. We've had probably two last episodes. We didn't have time for emails, so.

Didn't have time. So these, we're holding these over a bit actually, so I apologize. We've one from the lovely Gordon Anthony turning into a long. I'm. I think I might have mentioned in passing when we were talking about weather and snow and stuff about the Scottish and I know a couple of years ago we talked about the Scottish gritter names that Traffic Scotland has given all its gritters fantastic nicknames. The naming of each gritter started in 2006 when school children were asked to come up with funny names for the vehicles. So every winter season they announce the new names for the fleet because they all see every season. Okay, the greater names for winter 20, 24, 25.

Yes.

Now it's two pages long, so I've picked my favorite 10.

Okay, well, why don't you pick your favorite five?

No, I'm picking my favorite 10. And you're just gonna have to Deal with it. For your eyes only.

Now that is a little bit. I. I think it's suspicious, you know. Don't you know? We are blind? Come on. Therefore, your eyes only. Tina Eason, wasn't it?

Yeah. Well, what's next?

Gritty McGrit face?

Gritty, yeah.

Thistle. Because you know, the thistle is the national flower of Scotland. Thistle do nicely.

Thistle.

Walter the Salter. After my thing we got a new vacuum cleaner, Jan and I. Oh, a robot? No, it's not a robo one. It's a.

A.

It's a one that humans have to interact with to make it work. But. Oh, it's a shark. Our mother in law, very kindly. Well, my mother in law, Oren's mum bought it for us. It was very nice for her. And it's a shark brand. So I want to call it.

Well, no, I just call it Seamus.

Seamus the shark. Anyway, so. Walter, the Salter Gratalica as a Metallica. Yeah, all right. Keanu Freeze. This one will only for people of a certain age. Polar. Abdul. Abdul. Abdul. Sorry.

Yeah.

And then Skate Bush. So I think these people are expecting the age group because. And then Sled Zeppelin. And then the last one is Taylor. Taylor Drift. So Gordon, thank you for those.

I bet you Gordon made all those of himself.

No, he gave me a link. So it's an official website I found it on. So yeah, there you go.

Scotland. You either need to take the medication or stop taking the medication.

I. I think that. I think Scottish people might be my favorite. I really think.

Oh yeah.

Yeah.

All right, thanks. Thanks, Gordon. What else have we got?

We have a relatively long email, so embrace yourself. Nora From Nora.

Oh, Nora in Boston, the land of the psychotic turkeys.

Hi all. She said hello. Just listening to episode 112 and thought that I would tell you that I have had the Meta AI glasses for a month or so and I know about 10 other blind people who have them, so I figured I'd throw in. All right, thanks. Norm. Don't be like that. We're lucky enough to have a Ray Ban store in Moston and another across the river in Cambridge. In the Cambridge location, one staff member has an uncle who's blind. So she is particularly helpful and has helped many people with the initial setup in the store. As an aside, have Jan tell Rosalie that Boston is also lucky enough to have Sephora stores coming out our ears. She'd love it. Do you remember was it. Where were you that she. Oh, she was coming to Dublin.

She wanted to know it was Barcelona.

But we don't have any in Dublin, you see.

Oh.

Oh, we're not fancy. Yeah, I don't even know if that's how you pronounce it, to be honest. But anyway, there you go.

Barcelona. No Sephora Rocio. She will tell me blind people have.

Found all sorts of different uses for them here in the US where meta reigns supreme.

Fire is probably Guanyu.

I know a blind couple that uses them to sort out and put away their grocery deliveries, which is great. I was able to get the glasses to read a laundry care tag inside a sweater. Excellent. People use them to do things like identify cars, Ubers, read streets, street and store signs. People have used the glasses to take videos of rideshare guide dog refusals too, which I think is brilliant, actually. Yeah, because that happens a lot. I used the camera feature to take photos of bus and subway car numbers. If their audible announcement features aren't working properly, it makes it easier to report to the transit authority. Good on you. Reading menus is also very good. With the AI in one restaurant it ran through the menu headings and you can ask follow up questions. So I asked tell me what sandwiches are listed and it did. Sighted people can scan a menu for the parts that interest them and this allowed me to do the same, which is a really good point. There are some very interesting privacy restrictions here. The glasses will not describe a person's appearance. You may get a shirt color but little else. Certainly nothing that would identify the person. There is a subreddit with some face group groups dedicated to better AI glasses, including an FB group specifically for blind users. According to the subreddit, it seems that the VPN loophole is closing, but people have come up for workarounds for Android but not for iOS. I'll cease my ramblings. See you on Sunday. This was just before our Christmas, so Nora, thanks a million. Do you want to talk about that VPN loophole, Oren and Jan? Because I know you've had.

Well, everybody knows about the vpn. The reality is whether you have VPN or you don't have vpn, it's purely in the lap of the gods whether your metaglasses will work or not. Work work.

Mine are still working. Yeah.

By the way, it's so stupid.

Yeah, this is amazing.

I've heard a Facebook group that I did join thanks to Nora, that people are just using a different email, not necessarily an email address that was created in America and they're resetting their glasses and it all works. And based on the reaction, which was very good from The AI discussion we had with the guys a few weeks ago, I think really, you've got to face it. Until Meta released the feature, the look and describe feature, officially in Europe, you might as well say to yourself, it's not going to work. And if it works, it's pure and utter luck.

Yeah, no, that's true. There is no guarantee at all.

Did you use them much when you were away, Jan?

Yeah, and it was quite funny because I was sitting in the front row and to read and because, yeah, there were only a few blind, low vision people. People then you could take a picture of the slides and you could summarize them. You could easily read them. It was. Yeah, it is brilliant, to be honest. And it also made you more comfortable for the first time alone in your hotel room. So you take pictures. And also due to the fact that with WhatsApp you can have someone helping you. So I called home and then, yeah, Ticho was willing to guide me around. You know, I was wondering why WhatsApp.

Video wouldn't work on the Meta glasses. So the little, the thing I found out eventually was that if you make an audio WhatsApp call with your Meta glasses and the person on the other end receives that call and picks up, then if you press the camera button twice on the glasses, that person will then get a request to enable their video.

It switches it to a video call, basically.

Video call, yeah.

Have to accept that.

They have to accept that. So you can't ask Meta to make a WhatsApp video call. You have to ask it to make an audio call and then you hit the, the that button twice. And then you, you'll hear Meta will say, you know, asking receiver to switch video on or something like that.

And that's also real working on yours, I think still.

That is still working. I cannot get and never have been able to get Spotify or Apple Music.

That is also broken on my side. That worked for one hour.

Oh, wow.

Yeah. Yeah, that was one hour. And also Shazam. That was also working one hour.

Shazam is great. I love Shazam.

But if you have any tips on how to get even Spotify playing or asking Meta how to play, like somebody said to me, and this is the other annoying one, and if anybody has any Solution, please email blindguyschatmail.com, but what I found most annoying about WhatsApp calls, video or audio, it doesn't matter, is that the phone, my phone certainly keeps telling me WhatsApp audio call. 2 minutes 30. What's up?

Terrible.

2 minutes 35 the only way you can you can as somebody said on the Facebook group which I kind of got a bit ratty about was to say oh just switch off voice switch off voiceover while you're on the call which I said to them completely negates the use of the point of the metal glasses because the whole point is you're supposed to be able to put your phone in your pocket and not have to touch your phone so how do you stop WhatsApp calling or telling how long you're you're you're on the call for when you're using your metal Please email us. Yeah anyway listen I'm not going to go on ranting on that's all we have time for folks. Thanks so much for listening. Hope you enjoy the interview with Mercedes and if you do if you're in the Netherlands and you do get a chance to see that that film or please do because Jan plays a spectacular role oh my God.

You know those special affect you no there.