DT Fan Radio Special with Jael - Transcript

Transcript done by: Lisa Girard
Interview conducted & edited by: Amanda


AMANDA:  So, tonight on the show, we have yet another DT themed special.  Tonight we have what has been declared, shall I put it in a delicate way, the hottie of this season of “DT,” Jael DePardo. 

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AMANDA (cont.): She is awesome.  She has had a very lengthy journalism career thus far, and she has made a tremendous impact on viewership of the show.  A lot of guys are very, very happy that she is on the show, let’s just put it that way.  She is very, very entertaining to watch, and I just was really excited that she accepted the invitation to come on the show and talk about her career…So just to kind of get into the history of “DT”, the show started back in 2007, and the crew goes around the world to discover the truth behind different phenomenon like creatures, hauntings, just weird events that can’t really be explained.  The show is now currently airing.  It is the third season and the crew is actually heading out on a trek to film season 3.5, or the back end to season three…So, without further adieu, let’s welcome Jael.

 

JAEL DE PARDO:  Hi, how are you?

 

AMANDA:  I’m good…you get the standard cheer that everybody does on the show (automated audio of applause).  Isn’t this fabulous?

 

JAEL:  I know, thank you for the warm welcome.

 

AMANDA:  No problem…So let’s talk a little bit about your past, Jael.  When is the first time that you decided to become involved in media, and television?

 

JAEL:  Well, you know, I grew up with my father being a photographer and he, you know, I guess, gave me a lot of insight as far as, you know, I was very intrigued with, like, visual art and, you know, after a few years, I decided that I wanted to study some, you know, some art.  I actually went to school in Manhattan at an art school called The Fashion Institute of Technology, and I studied multimedia arts and, you know, I had some friends who were making films and I was studying photography and I just became really interested in it.  I loved, you know, films and television, and I guess that’s what got me started.

 

AMANDA:  Great, that’s awesome.  So, did you go to college at all, or did you just kind of jump right into the industry?

 

JAEL:  Well, I mean like I was saying, I went to school in New York at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

 

AMANDA: Oh right, sorry.

 

JAEL: It’s like one of the universities of New York and I studied art there, and then, you know, I ended up finding an agent because, you know, I also like to perform and I am also a host, so I became interested in that because I found an agent, and I started to do some commercial work as well, and it basically got my feet wet, and I was on set a lot and I just saw how it all worked, and I found it all very interesting.  I just thought that it was really cool how you could take an idea and make it into a story, you know, and then show it, you know, to the world or, you know, to your friends even.  I think its just a nice way to share your ideas and your thoughts about how you view things.

 

AMANDA:  And I see that you’ve done a lot of work with Current TV. How did you end up getting involved with them?  Did that come, like relatively soon after you finished in New York or was that afterward?

 

JAEL:  Well basically, you know, after I moved to Los Angeles, I had a friend who worked in the industry, and he was telling me about this new start-up network that, you know, it sounded so awesome because it was like, you know, basically, you know Al Gore is the founder of the network and he wanted to democratize television.  Basically, his idea was that he would give young people a voice, a platform to be able to speak their mind and their thoughts, and to basically share their stories from around the world. 

 

JAEL (cont.): So, you know, the way the network works is that, you know, you can submit short-form documentaries about things that are going on, you know, whether you live in Germany or, you know, Pakistan, or whatever it may be, and I just thought it was such an awesome concept, so I wanted to get in there and audition for them so, you know, I finally was able to do that and, you know, after a series of auditioning, of auditions, you know I finally was able to go in on a freelance basis and they finally offered me a contract, and then I was there for almost four years, and I actually still do some work for them now, even though I am not with them full-time anymore.

 

AMANDA:  Are you working on any other projects at the moment that you want to plug at all?

 

JAEL:  Well, you know, like I was saying, I am still involved with Current TV.  I just did a show there that is basically two hours of Jael’s favorite stories, so that ranges from, you know, anything like, you know, landmine victims in Cambodia, which I know that that sounds really sad, but its actually a great short documentary that they have there and, you know, to some of the like most fun spots to travel in the world, like I talk about that kind of stuff, and I’m also now working a show called “On the Up”, which is on the network called CTV, and that is more of a Latin-based network.  It is in English so you guys can all watch it if you don’t speak Spanish, and that is just more of an informational show, but its pretty funny and, you know, we kind of skewer, you know, some celebrities and make, you know, it’s a pretty funny show basically.  We have a lot of fun there.

 

AMANDA:  So it’s kind of a Latin-American version of “The Soup”, basically?

 

JAEL:  Kind of, yeah.  I would say so, yeah.

 

AMANDA:  And CTV, is that more online, is that on cable, is that on satellite?  How can people look that up?

 

JAEL:  It’s an actual cable network.  You know, if you have basic cable, you should be able to tune in.

 

AMANDA:  Great.  I hope everybody tunes in for that, it sounds awesome.  I want to watch that.  I love seeing celebrities get their comeuppance. I love that. 

 

JAEL:  Yeah, its pretty funny stuff.  We have an amazing writer, and he just makes it really, really great to work with the material.

 

AMANDA:  Alright, I actually have a caller.  She’s calling all the way from Hawaii, so would you mind if we just took a quick break and we answer this question from this fan?

 

JAEL:  Absolutely!  I’d love to.

 

AMANDA:  Alright.  Stacy are you there?

 

STACY:  Yes, I’m here, haha.

 

JAEL:  Hi Stacy.

 

AMANDA:  Hi Stacy.

 

STACY:  Hello, how are you?

 

JAEL:  I’m good, thanks for calling in.  I wish I was in Hawaii.

 

STACY:  (laughs) I don’t know about right now, I feel really hot (laughs).

 

JAEL:  Is it really hot?

 

STACY:  Oh yes, I mean for me it is.  I don’t know.  Some people think its great, but not for me.

 

AMANDA:  Stacy, you’re around from the same area that I’m from, so I’m sure that we are kind of wusses when it comes to the heat.

 

AMANDA:  Yeah I’m a lizard, soaking up everything.

 

STACY:  I only had one question.  What kind of souvenirs do you usually get from each trip, or do you get souvenirs or anything?  Do you collect anything?

 

JAEL:  Well, you know, the truth is that when we’re on the road for Destination Truth, we are literally, we hit the ground running and it is a nonstop thing.  I mean, we barely have a moment, you know, to ourselves.  Its kinda wild, I mean its like we absolutely become family out there because, you know, we’re out there 24/7 and we’re always on the go, so you know, when I was on the trip with them, I didn’t really get to collect too much stuff, unfortunately.  Maybe like just a few stickers to put on my bike.  You know, on my fridge or like a magnet to at least say, okay look, I was in Egypt.

 

JAEL (cont): I’ll tell you actually since you’re calling from Hawaii, the first time I went to Hawaii, I um, I went on a skydiving trip, and I skydived in Oahu, and it was an amazing experience.  I like collecting charms for my necklaces and, but, you know, I like to get something that represents the experience I had at the place, so while I was in Hawaii, I bought like a small Eagle because I felt like, you know, I had just been flying, and it sort of represented my experience, you know, skydiving there.  So sometimes I get stuff like that and, you know, come to think of it, when I was in Egypt, too, I got like a little sphinx.

 

STACY:  Hmm…

 

JAEL:  Yeah.

 

STACY:  That is, that’s pretty cool. I mean, I’ve never really heard, that’s a first for me.  Charms and everything.  That’s pretty neat.  Usually its like spoons or some weird bell thing.

 

JAEL:  Yeah, well, I think it probably comes from my, like, my artsy, you know, fashion school background, I just kind of have, like, I like stuff like that.  

 

STACY:  Well I’m glad you went skydiving here, its great, I love skydiving here.

 

JAEL:  Oh my God, it was a fantastic experience. I, you know, you may find me out there doing it again.

 

STACEY:  (laughs) yeah, I’m taking every opportunity to skydive over here, also. Definitely.  Well thank you, and I hope you have a great time and everything else.  I’m looking forward to watching the show again in about an hour.

 

JAEL:  Great! Thank you so much, Stacy, I really appreciate the call.

 

STACEY:  Alright thank you, and have a great day again.  Thanks Amanda!

 

JAEL:  Thank you too.

 

AMANDA:  No problem, girl.

 

STACY:  (laughing) Alright, bye.

 

AMANDA:  I love rep’ing my long distance DT fellow fans over there. She’s like “I ran out of class, put me on, put me on.”

 

JAEL:  (laughs) That’s just awesome. 

 

AMANDA:  So, this is kind of, I guess a good way to segue way back to “DT”.  How did you first find out that a position was available, was it just hearsay, was it just something that got mailed to you, or was it just like total blind luck?

 

JAEL:  You know, I guess I would say I was kinda lucky, right place at the right time kinda thing.  You know, my fellow colleague, Evan Stone, who is the DP, the director of photography for the show, was also actually at Current TV with me for a few years, and Evan, you know, went in as, you know, he wanted to interview for the director of photography position, and Evan and I have traveled so much. You know, when I was at Current, you know, I produced half hour segments and shorter segments in, you know, places like Columbia, places like Panama, you know the Darien Gap in Panama, which is this crazy lawless jungle.   Its really dangerous…out there, but basically to make a long story short, I had all this footage and, you know, Brad Kuhlman, who is the executive producer of the show, got a hold of this footage and he saw me reporting from Columbia and he just thought I was great, and so then they ended up contacting me and asking me if I could come in for an interview.  And, you know, when I did, we found that we all had a lot in common because I’m an avid traveler, I love, love seeing the world, its like one of my, it is my favorite thing.  And so, you know, I think after having that conversation with Josh and Brad, they just thought that I had what it would take to be in these foreign places, you know, and handle those situations because, you know, some people like to do it and some people just prefer to stay at home, you know?

 

AMANDA:  Yeah.  Definitely.  I would prefer to be on the road.

 

JAEL:  Yeah, I mean, it’s just really exciting.

 

AMANDA:  So the crew is actually at the airport right now [getting ready to head out on another filming trek], and you’re obviously not there, so will we be seeing you in the back end of season three at all?

 

JAEL:  Um, well  yeah, I will actually be on the China portion of the trip, and we’re going to be hunting a, what they call a “Yeren.”  I don’t want to give too much away, but it is basically like the Bigfoot of China.

 

AMANDA:  Oh, cool!

 

JAEL:  Yeah.

 

AMANDA:  There are Bigfoot…fans that are going to like that because every time I ask for creature suggestions, people are like “do Bigfoot,” and I’m like “yeah, what region?”  There’s like 20 bajillion different Bigfoots.

 

JAEL:  Right.  And of course, you know, Josh told me I got pretty lucky because its like supposed to be one of the, you know, gnarliest locations.  I guess its going to be some wild jungle in the middle of China, so that’s kind of daunting and exciting at the same time, I guess.

 

AMANDA:  You’re like, thanks a lot Josh!  That’s great (laughs)

 

JAEL:  Well Josh, you know, Josh loves the, you know, I think everybody knows how much Josh loves to joke.  (laughs)

 

AMANDA:  Well, yeah…So, kind of getting off of the subject of “DT” and kind of into, like, the subject of the paranormal.  What were your beliefs before the show and do you think that your beliefs are affected now after doing what you’ve done?

 

JAEL:  You know, I have to say, for the most part I’ve been a skeptic for a long time, you know, but you go to these places around the world and people really do believe that they see all sorts of things, and they’ve had a lot of experiences, and there’s no doubt that you can walk in to certain places and feel a certain kind of energy.  You know, I think, for example when we do the episode of the Island of the Dolls, I mean, I know I have something in the back of my head telling me that there is definitely something that could happen when they put me in that room by myself. 

 

JAEL (cont.): It was really hard for me to sort of hone in on the idea that I would talk to somebody and see if they there because I thought if someone did actually talk to me (laughing) I would probably run out of there and have white hair today, you know, because like, I mean it could be a really scary experience, and what happened to Mike was pretty wild.  So, like I said before, I was, you know, I was a skeptic, and now I definitely believe that there are certain phenomena out there that you just, that we can’t explain, that are just beyond our understanding. 

 

AMANDA:  For sure.  Um, kind of touching on the plane of the supernatural, I suppose, one question I actually want to ask, is are you on Team Edward or Team Jacob? (laughs)

 

JAEL:  Oh my God (laughs).  Well… (laughs) um, you know, I tend to think that you know like, as far as that book goes, I’m all for what, you know, what makes you, when it comes to romance, I think, you know, you should probably just go with what makes you feel, you know, most awesome and, you know, I guess speaking of Bella, it seems like Edward was her man, so I guess I’m on Team Edward.

 

AMANDA:  Well, did you, I guess the real question is did you get your midnight premiere ticket for “New Moon” yet?

 

JAEL:  Yeah, you know, I haven’t had the time to do that, but I tend to wait til the premieres, you know, have passed so I actually, you know, can go when its not so crazy.  I like to get a good seat in the theater.

 

AMANDA:  For sure, alright.  So we have a fan calling in.  We have Christiane from  California.  Hello, are you there?


CHRISTIANE:  Hi, Hi Jael. 

 

JAEL:  Hi…how are you?

 

CHRISTIANE:  Good, how are you?

 

JAEL:  I’m good!

 

CHRISTIANE: Its especially good to talk to you.

 

JAEL:  Yeah, its good to talk to you, too.

 

CHRISTIANE:  Um, my question to you is, since you’re the translator for the, typically you’re the translator for the Spanish-speaking regions of the show, I just want to know if you’ve had any strange things happen while you’re translating, or any kind of funny stories, I guess?

 

JAEL:  Uhh, strange things happen when I’m translating, umm (laughs)….

 

CHRISTIANE:  Something maybe, maybe didn’t translate right or (laughs)…

 

JAEL:  Well you know, I would say I think my hardest translation was when we were in Peru and we were visiting the indigenous Indians in the Amazon region because, like, you know, they were, the team was kind of counting on me to translate what they had to say about, you know, about the creature we were looking for and, uh, I just remember being completely boggled because they speak a totally different kind of Spanish. 

 

JAEL: Its very, kind of, indigenous Indian kind of Spanish, and I was like, just, like kind of freaking out a little bit because, like how am I supposed to understand this person.  Sometimes its really hard because in a lot of the regions in South America, they have different dialects and different kinds of Spanish, but somehow we pulled through. I just ask them to speak very slowly, very clearly, and I explain to them, you know, what it is that we are going to talk about, and that kind of thing, which makes it a lot easier.

 

CHRISTIANE:  You’re doing a great job, and you’re a great new addition to the team.

 

JAEL:  Thank you.

 

CHRISTIAN:  Thanks for taking my call tonight.  Thanks Amanda.

 

JAEL:  Thanks Christiane!

 

AMANDA:  No problem. 

 

CHRISTIANE:  Okay, goodbye.

 

AMANDA:  Alright, thanks.  She’s actually one of the apprentices at the fan site that I run for “DT”.

 

JAEL:  She’s a cutie.

 

AMANDA:  I just love talking to her.  She always makes me giggle.

 

JAEL:  Yeah, she seems very sweet.

 

AMANDA:  She’s very bubbly.  I’d like to bottle her up and just carry her in my bag. 

 

JAEL:  (laughs)

 

AMANDA:  That’s creepy.  Anyway (laughs)

 

JAEL:  Don’t you just love having friends like that?

 

AMANDA:  Exactly.  Alright.  Caller 256, how ya doin?

 

CRYSTAL:  Hi, this is Crystal, how are you?

 

AMANDA:  Good, how are you? Say hi to Jael.

 

CRYSTAL:  I’m glad I called and got through.  Hi Jael!

 

JAEL:  Hi!  Thanks for calling.

 

CRYSTAL:  My question for you is how do you feel after spending the night outside in all the different climates?

 

JAEL:  Dirty!  (laughs)

 

CRYSTAL:  Yes (laughs) that’s what I thought.

 

JAEL:  I have to tell you, like I’ve never been covered in more mud and dirt than rolling around, you know, and you know, under caves and rocks, and you know, trying to jump over waterfalls and all sorts of craziness, um, you know I think the one thing that everyone wants after being, you know, after having done an overnight investigation is

 

JAEL & AMANDA (in unison): A hot shower! (laughter)

 

CRYSTAL: Absolutely.  So do they let you guys go and stay at plush hotels after, you know, being out roughing it in the woods all the time?

 

JAEL:  You know, we camp out a lot, but, you know, usually toward the end of the season, they’ll treat us a little bit and just kind of give us a thank you day where we get to kind of relax, but, and you know, get like a nice shower, and an actual bed, and all that stuff, but we really, you know, we do a lot of trekking, we do a lot of roughing it.  We stay in places that are like hostels or, sometimes, and you know, these foreign countries in these places, sometimes there aren’t any hotels, really, so you have to sort of find a way for a local to house you in like a certain place that usually is not a hotel. 

 

JAEL (cont.): I mean, some of these places usually don’t even get tourists.  Like some of the places we were in, like Peru for example.  So you know, it could be tough but its all an adventure and its fun, but like I said, you know, a hot shower is definitely much needed, you know.  There have been times where, you know, we have been in places that have leeches and so many insects, I just want to make sure that they’re not still on me!  (everyone laughs)

 

AMANDA:  Gross.

 

JAEL:  Yeah. (laughs)

 

CRYSTAL:  Well, you handle it very well, and you’re so poised and I really appreciate the fact that you don’t complain.  That makes the show so much better.  We’re all huge fans and we hope the show continues for a very long time.  We’re living vicariously.

 

JAEL:  Well, thank you Crystal.  Well, you know, I mean, I think that its like, its basically when we get good feedback from you guys, from the fans, its like that’s basically what keeps the show, and you know, everyone going.

 

CRYSTAL:  Yeah, absolutely, well thank you so much for taking my call.

 

JAEL:  Thank you so much, I’m happy to talk to you.

 

CRYSTAL:  Thanks.

 

JAEL:  Bye.

 

CRYSTAL:  Bye.

 

AMANDA:  Well we have quite a few questions that were submitted by fans who either couldn’t get to the phone right now or they’re too shy, which I don’t understand the shy thing, but that’s alright.  (laughs)

 

JAEL:  (laughs) Its just funny because sometimes in social situations, I can be pretty shy. People are like, how is that possible, you know you work on camera and stuff, but its, they’re two different dynamics (laughs), you know…

 

AMANDA:  Yeah, I actually have, like before I get to the fans questions, I actually had like two random questions that just popped into my head.  Do you ever have, when you are translating, you know Spanish to English, or some form of Spanish to English, and the guy is just, like, hitting on you or saying something really inappropriate, and you’re just kind of like “Uh, this is really awkward” (laughs).

 

JAEL:  (laughs) Well luckily, that has not happened.  Um, I think, you know, they probably know that they have to keep some form of professionalism considering that they’re not only standing there with me, they’re standing there with Josh and the cameraman and a whole slew of people that are watching, you know, producing and taking notes. You know, I don’t think, and then a lot of times the local fixer is also there, and you know, they understand a lot of, like, what they are saying, so luckily that hasn’t happened. 

 

AMANDA:  I’m glad.  I think it would be funny, but I’m so glad that you weren’t put in that awkward terrible position, like “oh please don’t complement my butt, my boss is standing right there (laughs).

 

JAEL:  (laughs) yeah, seriously.

 

AMANDA:  And as far as, like I know when you’re on the road its good to have, like kind of small luxuries like iPods and all that, but did you and Sharra carry maybe like a little bit of makeup or like a nice brush, or kind of like something to distract you from, you know, the jungles and the dirt and the grit and all that stuff?

 

JAEL:  Yeah, you know, I had a little bit of, you know, my little…you know, I definitely had a couple of my girly items like, you know, some mascara, some lip gloss and, um, some face, sunscreen is obviously very, very necessary for all of us out there, and I actually did carry a blow-dryer in my bag, which I never had the chance to use because -

 

AMANDA:  (laughs)

 

JAEL:  You know, sometimes we didn’t really have, you know, outlets, so (laughs), I probably used it once in the three months we were gone.

 

AMANDA:  Its always good to have it anyways, its like a little comfort.

 

JAEL:  Yeah.

 

AMANDA:  Like a safety blanket. (laughs)

 

JAEL:  Yeah, yeah. So, you know, its nice to have some reminders of home.

 

AMANDA:  Alright, so a few fan questions.  I lengthened the show a few more minutes just in case you were wondering why it didn’t hang up yet. (laughs)

 

JAEL:  Oh, that’s fine. 

 

AMANDA:  Alright, Joe from Wisconsin writes “what keeps you motivated during the investigations?”

 

JAEL:  Well, uh, you know, I think when you’re in a team and, you know, everybody’s working really hard around you, you kinda have to keep it going because, you know, you’re not there alone and everybody is working really hard, so everybody has to contribute their part in order to make the show happen.  So, I think my biggest one is just the team and making sure we all support each other and nobody lets each other down because we all want to make a good show, and we all want to, you know, we all want to try and find what it is we are looking for out there, so we push each other a lot, and you know, every once in awhile an occasional Red Bull (laughs) when its 2:00 in the morning and we’re all exhausted, might be good, too.

 

AMANDA:  For sure.

 

JAEL:  (laughs) Yeah.

 

AMANDA:  This is a really, really good question that a lot of fans have actually asked. They wanted to know if you could talk in detail about the experience in Chernobyl where your hand was pulled, like, what do you think that was, like, how were you affected after that just because everyone is kind of curious about that incident.

 

JAEL:  Yeah.  Well, that was, you know, it was really scary.  Chernobyl is a really, you know, interesting place and I think we were all very lucky to have gotten the opportunity to go there and do an overnight investigation. You know, its very rare that they allow film crews to go there, and I think you get an eerie feeling just walking around in an abandoned city, um, you know, just like all these city streets and the hospital and everything was left just the way it was when these people were evacuated and, as far as that experience goes, I don’t remember what time it was, but I know it was, like, sometime in the middle of the night and we, you know, we decided we were going to go over to the school and, you know, as soon as we got there, there were just funny things that were starting to happen and there was like a certain kind of energy that I felt in there.  We all felt it, it was just so eerie.  I remember just even looking into the bathroom and it was just so much out of a horror movie and, you know, like we had heard a lot of noises…I mean, you have old buildings and, of course, they are going to make certain kinds of noises, and that kind of thing, but this just felt odd. 

 

JAEL (cont.): And when we were doing that EVP session in the room, you know, we basically were summoning whatever it is that could possibly be in there, you know, so we were asking for it.  You know? And at one point, right before I felt that on my hand, I, you know, Josh saw a shadow and it was right behind me and, you know, the room (verbal pause) I got a chill and then I was just standing there and, you know, I literally felt something tugging on, you know, to my fingers and it was just like, I mean of course, I went running out of the room because I knew it wasn’t Josh, he was holding the equipment, he was the only person next to me and I, you know, was really, really freaked out.  I had never had any experience like that in my life and it took awhile for me to sort of compose myself and, you know, and we, you know, Josh and the team definitely had, took a moment to try and calm me down, and you know, I was shook for a little while and, you know, I had to take a breather and then, after that, we were able to continue the investigation, but I was definitely spooked, and I was happy to see the light of day, when it came.  (laughs)  You know?

 

AMANDA:  Yeah, I mean, I don’t really have a huge background in paranormal anything.  I’m more like, for me its like a spectator sport.  I have like a theory about what might have happened, and a lot of people have agreed.  Its like because you were in a classroom, and because your hand was kind of, you know, lower to the ground, and Josh kept asking these questions, saying what’s your name, show us that you’re here, maybe, you know, if it’s a child spirit or a child ghost, and they realize okay I’m yelling at you and you can’t hear me, then the next possible way to get someone’s attention is to tug on someone’s arm, and that’s what little kids do, you know what I mean?

 

JAEL:  Yeah.  Well, I mean, you know, a lot of the people were, particularly one woman that we had interviewed while we were there in the Ukraine about this whole thing, she said specifically some of the encounters that she had had there had to do with the children that lived in Chernobyl, and she said that a lot of the activity, you know, was, you know, around them, and she would go back to this one location every so often, and she would see this child’s toy, and you know, it would, she said it was there once and then, you know, she left and then she said it wasn’t there when she came back, but then she saw it again, which is a really strange thing because no one really touches anything that’s there. 

 

JAEL (cont.): You know, there’s a lot of danger in it because of the radiation, you’re not allowed to touch anything, you know, even the people that patrol the area from the government are not allowed to touch any of the objects that are there so, you know, I think its definitely possible and, you know, if it comes to ghosts and children especially, I think, you know, they were robbed of their life and their existence so early that it would be possible that they’re the ones that would be reaching out the most.

 

AMANDA:  Yeah, absolutely.  It looks like we have a fan calling in.  Caller 405, you’re on the air.  (no response)   Hello?  (no response)  Okay, bye! (laugh) Anyway, kinda moving on to a lighter subject, kind of merging two questions that two fans had together.  Mara asks “what is your cultural background” and then Jeff asks “how many languages do you speak,” so that’s kind of a merging of two different questions.

 

JAEL:  Okay, um, well I was born in Columbia, the city is kind of a mouthful, its called Barranquilla, which is on the northern coast by the Caribbean. It’s the same city that Shakira’s from (laughs) um, and I was born there and then when I was two years old, my mother and I moved to New York and I was raised, you know, as a city girl.  So, its very different, but you know, I grew up going back and forth, so I was very exposed to the culture over there and um, so I speak Spanish, and I speak English…obviously (laughs)…and I also speak Italian.  I studied Italian during school for a long time and then I visited Italy quite a bit while I was growing up, and then I ended up learning that language as well, but its very similar to Spanish, so that helps.

 

AMANDA:  Oh good, so you said you’re from the same hometown as Shakira, so for the record, is there a she-wolf in your closet or is there not a she-wolf in your closet? (laughs)

 

JAEL:  (Laughs)  For the record, there is no she-wolf in my closet (laughs)

 

AMANDA:  Right, well I was obligated to ask! (laughs)

 

JAEL:  (laughs)

 

AMANDA:  Oh my goodness, that was the, if that’s the cheesiest that it gets, you’re lucky my dear, I promise.  Um, lets see.  What other TV shows, if someone offered you the chance to work on them, would you just jump at the opportunity to do?

 

JAEL:  Wow, uh, I don’t, geez I’m not sure actually, that’s a tough one.  I don’t want to leave you with a blank answer for that, but I would have to, I feel like I would have to think about that one.  I’m not quite sure off the top of my head.

 

AMANDA:  There’s a lot of different productions -

 

JAEL:  There’s so many –

 

AMANDA:  …Well, how about if you had to choose between, lets just say its between these two annoying options and you had to work on the set of “Keeping up with the Kardashians” or “Jon & Kate Plus 8”, if “JKP8” were still on the air, which one would you do?

 

JAEL:  I’m not too familiar with Jon & Kate Plus 8-

 

AMANDA:  Oh my God, you are a lucky, lucky woman! (laughs) Wow, okay so you dodged that pop culture bullet.  Wow. Okay…

 

JAEL:  (laughs)  I guess I just did.

 

AMANDA:  Yeah, I won’t even give them the dignity of talking about the show on the air, I’m just glad that its off the air now.  TLC congratulations.

 

JAEL:  (laughs) Amanda, I’m sorry I was, you know, making stuff for TV, you know, I wasn’t necessarily like watching everything, so (laughs)

 

AMANDA:  Exactly.  That was a big hole.  You dodged that bullet, I’m not going to pull you into it.  Um, so then I guess, kind of the final question for the fans to be left with is where do you picture yourself in the next five years?

 

JAEL:  You know, I think that goes back to, you know, what my passion has been for a long time, which is just being able to tell stories about things that are going on around the world.  I’m really passionate about traveling, and things, you know, about things that are going on around the world or, you know, whether they’re paranormal or whether they’re, you know, more, you know, like, really like, heavy issues, like you know what might be going on in Afghanistan and that kind of thing, you know, I think my journalist background from Current TV might show that kind of stuff. 

 

JAEL (cont.): I’ve, you know, produced things that have to do with labor rights issues and such, and I think the most important thing for me is just such a, like I’m a very curious person and I always like to learn different things, and I feel like I have access to them, traveling as much as I do, and I just want to be able to share those stories with other people, things that maybe they don’t know about that, you know, I would be able to bring attention to and, you know, I mean sometimes it could be funny, and sometimes, you know, it could be pretty serious stuff, but I think like I said, you know, being able to share stories through the lens is hopefully what I would like to continue to do, just continuing to be a producer.

 

AMANDA:  That’s awesome.  Alright my dear, it looks like we’re coming to a close, but I thank you so much for, you know, helping me wrestle with the technical issues.  The fans really appreciate it.

 

JAEL:  No worries.  Its been fun, Amanda. I thank you so much.

 

AMANDA:  No problem, and I would love to have you on again.  If you’re doing anything,  just feel free to give me a jingle and Ill be happy to plug ya.

 

JAEL:  Alright, that sounds great.

 

AMANDA:  Alright, farewell.

 

JAEL:  Alright, farewell, thanks so much.  Bye bye.

 

AMANDA:  Bye.  Alright guys, so that was the show…I really thank the fans for listening in on all my DT-themed shows.  I would like to wish the crew of “DT” that is heading out on the road, safe travels.  They are heading out tonight.  I believe that they are either on the plane or in the airport right now…[for the] back half of Season 3.  So, I hope you guys enjoy the new episode of DT tonight, it is on in less than 15.  And with that, I am signing off.