So how did you spend your new years? I had two back to back shows of Hello Dolly in the Theater and then managed to squeeze in a bit of partying at a WG party. All and all and epic night. I shed many tears thinking about my family and loved ones but was grateful to have so many people around me to bring in the new year with. The party was comprised of an eclectic mix of artists, students and fellow colleagues and I had a wonderful time. I was just remembering how I celebrated last year. I was in Ottawa, chilling in a hot tub, beer in hand and saw some beautiful fireworks shoot off at 12 a.m. It was the best new years of my LIFE and to be honest, I don't think it can ever be topped.
There is so much I want to write about. I haven't posted in ages because life has just been so damn busy. I have had many ups and downs - luckily mostly good times - but 2012 was a draining year. As some of you might have known I turned 30 on December 24th. I was so lucky that I got to fly home for this monumental event. Unfortunately one imperative person was unable to attend, but sometimes life just goes that way. My day was filled with lots of love, happiness and family emotions. I am so blessed with such a beautiful and loving family. They have supported me since I took my first breath of air, and for that I am eternally grateful.
Turning 30 was a biggie, but celebrating new years in Germany was HUGE for me. I have become very good friends with a fellow work colleague named Pawel and we went together with my friend Michelle. We partied pretty hardy, and I had a slight melt down at 12 a.m when I realized that I was completely separated from anything familiar. I frantically tried calling my family, and all other important people. No one picked up, and I cried. But then I quickly got over it because I realized I was so damn lucky to be around PEOPLE and kind and generous ones that were making my new years special. I pulled myself together, had a couple drinks and ended up having a spectacular time. Definitely a memory to hold on to.
Anyway, now for a little spaß. Guess what my new years resolution is? My big promise to myself this year is that I want to stretch more. Yes, I know this sounds utterly ridiculous and I'm sorry I'm not trying to stop world hunger, or cure cancer (all of which I hope someone else tries to do!) I really don't like how tight my body feels. I love yoga and I want to commit to doing something good for myself every day and I think stretching could be that thing. All it takes it 10 minutes in the morning and then again at night. I can do this.
I feel that this post is really lame, but truthfully I'm feeling very strung out and brain dead. I wanted to write and get back on this blog wagon.
Happy New Year to all.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Wednesday Morning
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6I6aqtOtHs
I'm having a lazy Wednesday and loving every single minute of it. This is one of those days we all dream of but never really do. Let me explain. I opened my eyes at 11:30, stumbled out of bed, made my coffee and organized a plate full of goodies including old aged gouda from Amsterdam, Serrano ham, and a bowl full of yogurt. I then hurried back to bed, grabbed the book Let's Pretend it Never Happened written by Jenny Lawson (thanks Ardra) and pulled the covers over my body and just slumped into the most comfortable position ever with two pillows behind my back and duvet over my legs. I would like to point out that today I used my Christmas mug for my coffee, and for some reason my bevvy tastes noticeably better. Actually this is not true. I just wanted to make myself feel better because I bought these mugs for my room mate and I and they cost 2.50 each. But, they are utterly adorable and have cute Reindeer on them. Our Christmas table would not be the same without them.
The truth is I need to have a chill out day because this past weekend was just crazy. My room mate and I packed the smallest bags you ever did see and headed to London. We were flying out of Leipzig Halle airport and our dear old friend offered us a ride to the flughafen. About 20 minutes into our journey, our friend announces that she loves to drive fast and wishes she had a better car. She hits the accelerator, and literally two seconds later the car is sputtering and the hood has smoke coming out of it. We pull off as soon as we can, and it is clear to all of us that we are not going anywhere and that this car is completely dead. Well, that's when the adventure started. Katya started asking everyone at the pit stop if they would mind giving us a ride to the airport in Leizpig. We first asked the police officers and they were so nice, but unfortunately Leipzig was not part of their jurisdiction. We asked a couple of people and then started getting desperate. Katya wondered over to the truck area, and I drew the line there and pulled her back. Just when we thought all was lost, a lovely middle aged man drove up in his Mercedes, parked beside us and lit up a cigarette. Thank god for smokers I say! Anyway, we asked him and he agreed. Long story short we scored a free ride to Leipzig in a pimped out Mercedes. What happened to our friend? Well, I'm not going to lie. She got a pretty shit end of the stick. she was stranded there for almost 3 hours. Katya and I felt really badly about leaving her there, but we figured if we were in her shoes we would want our friends to go and have fun. I am happy to report that her car was able to be fixed and that all is well.
So our London adventures included catching up with Naughty Natalie. I have not seen Natalie since our days working together at Harvey Nichols seven years ago. She now has two babies, and is working at MAC cosmetics as a fantastic make up artist. We danced the night away in Oxford Circus at a swanky joint called the Marketplace. I'm going to say that it felt so good to be in a big city. I was not the only person of colour in the streets. Actually Katya said she felt really awkward when we first got to the club because she was one of the only white people there. It was nice to see that she was able to experience how it sometimes feels being the outsider. I know it's all so trivial when people say it's only skin colour, but believe you me it can feel strange when everyone around you keeps staring at you because you look different, and NO this is not in my head it really does happen. Ok, enough about that. I forgot to mention that I was in dim sum heaven in China town not only did I order har gow but also was a complete sloth and got half a crispy duck, and a sweet corn soup. I was in a food coma for quite some time. Come to think of it, Katya and I never stopped eating on this trip. I was surrounded by amazing pastries, macaroons, and other glutenous foods all weekend long. It was worth all the calories though. I love Magdeburg, but if you are a foody like me, you really need to go to Berlin to get the choice.
On Sunday Katya and I woke up early and hit the town. We ended up at the Embankment and saw Westminster Abbey (one of my all time favourite places in London.) At 12:30 p.m the beautiful and lovely PJ Harris came from Leeds to hang out. We worked together last summer and formed a friendship like no other. PJ introduced us to this awesome little french bistro called Belgo Central and it was a gem of a place. It only cost 7.95 for a full meal and a glass of house wine. I ordered the mussels and was not disappointed at all. We had a lovely meal and talked and talked and then walked around Covent Garden, and passed by the Royal Opera House. During the entire time there I wanted to move back. I miss London so much. I miss my life there, I miss the adventure of coming out of a tube station and feeling lost but excited at the same time, I miss working in a country that speaks my language. I could totally see myself back there at some point. I made a promise to myself that I would apply for some jobs there when I see them.
So today I am chilling and relaxing and shooting some b balls outside of the school.... just joking only Will Smith can do that. But seriously, just relaxing. I have an audition tomorrow at the theater. It's kind of a big one so I'm just taking it easy today and going to cuddle up next to my book and eat some cheese and drink some coffee and tea and rest. It is freezing in Magdeburg at the moment. Totally freezing. Oh, I forgot to say that I met a really nice man in the theater. He is from Germany and I am giving him English lessons in return for German ones. We had our first lesson yesterday. So far, so good. We plan on meeting once a week and I think this will really help me with my German vocabulary. I think if there is one piece of advice I could give to fellow opera singers it is make the most of your opportunities. It is so easy to get bogged down with how hard it is to learn a new language, or how lost you can feel being so far away from home. But, I think it is important to connect with your surroundings and find your footing through community living. I've tried to do this and so far I think it's working.
And now back to reading and there might be a slight chance of an afternoon nap.
x
I'm having a lazy Wednesday and loving every single minute of it. This is one of those days we all dream of but never really do. Let me explain. I opened my eyes at 11:30, stumbled out of bed, made my coffee and organized a plate full of goodies including old aged gouda from Amsterdam, Serrano ham, and a bowl full of yogurt. I then hurried back to bed, grabbed the book Let's Pretend it Never Happened written by Jenny Lawson (thanks Ardra) and pulled the covers over my body and just slumped into the most comfortable position ever with two pillows behind my back and duvet over my legs. I would like to point out that today I used my Christmas mug for my coffee, and for some reason my bevvy tastes noticeably better. Actually this is not true. I just wanted to make myself feel better because I bought these mugs for my room mate and I and they cost 2.50 each. But, they are utterly adorable and have cute Reindeer on them. Our Christmas table would not be the same without them.
 |
| The good Samaritan that drove us to the airport! |
So our London adventures included catching up with Naughty Natalie. I have not seen Natalie since our days working together at Harvey Nichols seven years ago. She now has two babies, and is working at MAC cosmetics as a fantastic make up artist. We danced the night away in Oxford Circus at a swanky joint called the Marketplace. I'm going to say that it felt so good to be in a big city. I was not the only person of colour in the streets. Actually Katya said she felt really awkward when we first got to the club because she was one of the only white people there. It was nice to see that she was able to experience how it sometimes feels being the outsider. I know it's all so trivial when people say it's only skin colour, but believe you me it can feel strange when everyone around you keeps staring at you because you look different, and NO this is not in my head it really does happen. Ok, enough about that. I forgot to mention that I was in dim sum heaven in China town not only did I order har gow but also was a complete sloth and got half a crispy duck, and a sweet corn soup. I was in a food coma for quite some time. Come to think of it, Katya and I never stopped eating on this trip. I was surrounded by amazing pastries, macaroons, and other glutenous foods all weekend long. It was worth all the calories though. I love Magdeburg, but if you are a foody like me, you really need to go to Berlin to get the choice.On Sunday Katya and I woke up early and hit the town. We ended up at the Embankment and saw Westminster Abbey (one of my all time favourite places in London.) At 12:30 p.m the beautiful and lovely PJ Harris came from Leeds to hang out. We worked together last summer and formed a friendship like no other. PJ introduced us to this awesome little french bistro called Belgo Central and it was a gem of a place. It only cost 7.95 for a full meal and a glass of house wine. I ordered the mussels and was not disappointed at all. We had a lovely meal and talked and talked and then walked around Covent Garden, and passed by the Royal Opera House. During the entire time there I wanted to move back. I miss London so much. I miss my life there, I miss the adventure of coming out of a tube station and feeling lost but excited at the same time, I miss working in a country that speaks my language. I could totally see myself back there at some point. I made a promise to myself that I would apply for some jobs there when I see them.
So today I am chilling and relaxing and shooting some b balls outside of the school.... just joking only Will Smith can do that. But seriously, just relaxing. I have an audition tomorrow at the theater. It's kind of a big one so I'm just taking it easy today and going to cuddle up next to my book and eat some cheese and drink some coffee and tea and rest. It is freezing in Magdeburg at the moment. Totally freezing. Oh, I forgot to say that I met a really nice man in the theater. He is from Germany and I am giving him English lessons in return for German ones. We had our first lesson yesterday. So far, so good. We plan on meeting once a week and I think this will really help me with my German vocabulary. I think if there is one piece of advice I could give to fellow opera singers it is make the most of your opportunities. It is so easy to get bogged down with how hard it is to learn a new language, or how lost you can feel being so far away from home. But, I think it is important to connect with your surroundings and find your footing through community living. I've tried to do this and so far I think it's working.
And now back to reading and there might be a slight chance of an afternoon nap.
x
Friday, December 7, 2012
Food for Thought
Living life to the fullest potential, eh? So fucking overwhelming when you think about it. I mean talk about pressure. Trying to make the most of each precious minute, sucking everything out of even the smallest of moments. I don't know about you but that makes my head spin in a million directions. Sometimes all I want to do is be lazy, eat chinese food out of the container, stay in my bed clothes all day, and watch television. I'm totally a sucker for all these motivational quotes and I subscribe to them on facebook like nobody's business.... but they can really get me all wound up, because I am a positive person that wants to live my life to the fullest, and dream big, but I also like to just chill the fuck out. Anyway, I liked this poster because it reminded me that sometimes it is important to just relax and enjoy the currents and not always try to make something happen. And that's all I want to say about that!
So this week I have been busy with the show Hello Dolly. Man, I love music Theater. It has been non stop go, go, going, but major mad crazy fun nonetheless. I get to dance, sing, wear super awesome clothes from the 50's, and get my hair styled with a awesome coiffure. Anyway, for your viewing pleasure I have included a candid snap of me and my new theater peeps. Note the sexy ballet dancers in the stripes...Actually I'm in stripes too but trust me I'm not ballerina. Anyway, just wanted to say that when all you normal people of the world are drinking champagne and partying down on December 31st, I will be singing 2 back to back shows of Dolly, so if you have no plans please come and support moi.Tonight I'm doing a jump in show for Madame Butterfly by Puccini. Really stoked, a little nervous because I don't know how they will make this brownie look Japanese, but like I always say: rise to the challenge. Actually, I never say that, but I think it often.... I just don't speak it out loud. x
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
No Pain, No Gain.
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| Shaking in my boots. |
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| Meaning: Dream |
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| Katya, Farah and Frosty. Holla |
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Heart of Gold
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fXaC07X5M8
Oh Neil Young. You are a talented and beautiful fellow Canadian, and you melt my spirit. I couldn't get Heart of Gold out of my head today. I sprung out of bed and just had to listen to it. "Keep me searching for a heart of gold," I feel this constant search within myself. The thing is I don't let it stress me out too much. Usually I do what I want to do. I base this decision on what feels good and if I don't like something I say it. I'm not afraid of being direct. Here's my take on things. I believe that in MOST (not all, but most) circumstances we KNOW what is the right decision - we just choose to ignore that little voice inside of us. We push the voice deep down within ourselves so we don't have to see our faults, scars or failures. This is how we try and protect ourselves from getting hurt. How many people reading this have been hurt in relationships? It's human nature to try and shield our hearts from pain and suffering. We don't want to feel bad. So what we usually do is hide the bad stuff about us which causes us not to be honest with others but most importantly not ourselves.
I have tried so hard to protect myself from getting hurt. The most relevant example is in the singing world. I have gone to a bazillion auditions, competitions and walked away with nothing. I have sung for people before and they have told me thanks, but not thanks. I have had to deal with rejection from a very early age, and it never gets easier. No matter how many cokes, bottles of wine and glasses of Prosecco you drink, it still hurts the next day. I've learned that the best way to deal with this type of wound is just to accept before hand what the worst case scenario is going to be. So for example, I go to an audition. Worst case scenario: I don't get it. Or, another worst case scenario, I crack in front of the panel. Once I get my head around the most possible worst cases, I feel better. It's weird, but it really works for me.
Anyway, I wanted to say earlier that I think a true heart of gold is one that is completely natural, and doesn't hide anything. This is sort of my mantra. Everything is out in the open, and you allow yourself to make mistakes. You don't take yourself so seriously and can laugh at your shortcomings. A true heart of gold is an open and loving heart. Yes, it's important to protect ourselves especially if we can sense something is not good for us. However, it is also imperative to allow ourselves to be honest to what our mind, body and soul are trying to tell us and we can only do that when our eyes, ears and heart is open and ready. I also believe in forgiveness. After all, no one is perfect we are all human and make mistakes. It's how we deal and learn from them that really matters. Forgiving those around us is something I'm really getting better at. I don't take things so personally, but I do hold true to not tolerating people who lie. That's kind of a deal breaker for me. I know people lie to protect others, but usually people lie because they want to protect themselves or they know they've done something shitty. It's just a no brainer people: do what you feel is right and don't fuck others over. WOW. I sound like a mother fucking guru. I'm not, just in case you were wondering. Gurus don't swear......... yes, I know I'm brown and all and you probably expect me to be really good at yoga, be a vegan and be good at math... Sorry to let you all down but I am only good at one of those things and it's yoga, and I'm not even that good I just like doing it. I'm so inflexible at times and it's so completely embarrassing because everyone in yoga classes expects the ethnic girl to be a superstar. I always feel like I'm letting them all down when I become unbalanced in tree, or my sun salutations are just a little shaky. Just in case you didn't realize, I'm totally joking and am by no means a racist...... actually I love laughing about stereotypes. I have no problem when people call me a brownie, or talk about me looking like their doctor or dentist. It humours me and I actually find stereotypes amusing. Ok, ramble ramble ramble. I hear my Dad saying "Quit while you're a head, daughter." Ok, Daddy-oh this one is for you.
Oh oh oh. I have something else to write about. A couple weeks ago I made a promise to myself that I would do something new everyday. I've been pretty good at this. I came up with the idea whilst walking home from Kaufland with Katya. I was carrying a carton of eggs and I turned to her and said "I've always wanted to throw an egg on the ground, but have never done it before." So, needless to say two seconds later a poor egg lost its life on Ankerstrasse and I was the murderer. So stupid, I know, but I loved hearing the shell break on the pavement, and I wanted to take a picture because in todays day in age that is totally modern art, right? Anyway, today I decided that I was going to ride to work and smile and EVERYONE I see. Yep... everyone. I'm what you would call an automatic smiler... I can't really turn it off.... I think it annoys people...... especially grumpy people. Anyway, I smiled the whole way to work and counted how many people smiled back. So, wait for it..... I smiled at a total of 32 people and........ 25 smiled back. I would like to graph this data daily, and see if I can find any patterns in regards to who the grumpiest people tend to be. Today it was mostly the oldies who were the grumps. I was ok with it. Sometimes I did feel a little retarded, but it was so good to see how many people wanted to smile back. One dude even added a wave to his smile. Totally cool. Come one people, the best things in life are free, right? Maybe next time I'll try to shake everyone's hand that I see.... maybe too personal? Hmmm..... I don't know. I'm liking the idea....... suggestions are welcome.
That's it for now.
Cheerio.
Oh Neil Young. You are a talented and beautiful fellow Canadian, and you melt my spirit. I couldn't get Heart of Gold out of my head today. I sprung out of bed and just had to listen to it. "Keep me searching for a heart of gold," I feel this constant search within myself. The thing is I don't let it stress me out too much. Usually I do what I want to do. I base this decision on what feels good and if I don't like something I say it. I'm not afraid of being direct. Here's my take on things. I believe that in MOST (not all, but most) circumstances we KNOW what is the right decision - we just choose to ignore that little voice inside of us. We push the voice deep down within ourselves so we don't have to see our faults, scars or failures. This is how we try and protect ourselves from getting hurt. How many people reading this have been hurt in relationships? It's human nature to try and shield our hearts from pain and suffering. We don't want to feel bad. So what we usually do is hide the bad stuff about us which causes us not to be honest with others but most importantly not ourselves.
I have tried so hard to protect myself from getting hurt. The most relevant example is in the singing world. I have gone to a bazillion auditions, competitions and walked away with nothing. I have sung for people before and they have told me thanks, but not thanks. I have had to deal with rejection from a very early age, and it never gets easier. No matter how many cokes, bottles of wine and glasses of Prosecco you drink, it still hurts the next day. I've learned that the best way to deal with this type of wound is just to accept before hand what the worst case scenario is going to be. So for example, I go to an audition. Worst case scenario: I don't get it. Or, another worst case scenario, I crack in front of the panel. Once I get my head around the most possible worst cases, I feel better. It's weird, but it really works for me.
Anyway, I wanted to say earlier that I think a true heart of gold is one that is completely natural, and doesn't hide anything. This is sort of my mantra. Everything is out in the open, and you allow yourself to make mistakes. You don't take yourself so seriously and can laugh at your shortcomings. A true heart of gold is an open and loving heart. Yes, it's important to protect ourselves especially if we can sense something is not good for us. However, it is also imperative to allow ourselves to be honest to what our mind, body and soul are trying to tell us and we can only do that when our eyes, ears and heart is open and ready. I also believe in forgiveness. After all, no one is perfect we are all human and make mistakes. It's how we deal and learn from them that really matters. Forgiving those around us is something I'm really getting better at. I don't take things so personally, but I do hold true to not tolerating people who lie. That's kind of a deal breaker for me. I know people lie to protect others, but usually people lie because they want to protect themselves or they know they've done something shitty. It's just a no brainer people: do what you feel is right and don't fuck others over. WOW. I sound like a mother fucking guru. I'm not, just in case you were wondering. Gurus don't swear......... yes, I know I'm brown and all and you probably expect me to be really good at yoga, be a vegan and be good at math... Sorry to let you all down but I am only good at one of those things and it's yoga, and I'm not even that good I just like doing it. I'm so inflexible at times and it's so completely embarrassing because everyone in yoga classes expects the ethnic girl to be a superstar. I always feel like I'm letting them all down when I become unbalanced in tree, or my sun salutations are just a little shaky. Just in case you didn't realize, I'm totally joking and am by no means a racist...... actually I love laughing about stereotypes. I have no problem when people call me a brownie, or talk about me looking like their doctor or dentist. It humours me and I actually find stereotypes amusing. Ok, ramble ramble ramble. I hear my Dad saying "Quit while you're a head, daughter." Ok, Daddy-oh this one is for you.
Oh oh oh. I have something else to write about. A couple weeks ago I made a promise to myself that I would do something new everyday. I've been pretty good at this. I came up with the idea whilst walking home from Kaufland with Katya. I was carrying a carton of eggs and I turned to her and said "I've always wanted to throw an egg on the ground, but have never done it before." So, needless to say two seconds later a poor egg lost its life on Ankerstrasse and I was the murderer. So stupid, I know, but I loved hearing the shell break on the pavement, and I wanted to take a picture because in todays day in age that is totally modern art, right? Anyway, today I decided that I was going to ride to work and smile and EVERYONE I see. Yep... everyone. I'm what you would call an automatic smiler... I can't really turn it off.... I think it annoys people...... especially grumpy people. Anyway, I smiled the whole way to work and counted how many people smiled back. So, wait for it..... I smiled at a total of 32 people and........ 25 smiled back. I would like to graph this data daily, and see if I can find any patterns in regards to who the grumpiest people tend to be. Today it was mostly the oldies who were the grumps. I was ok with it. Sometimes I did feel a little retarded, but it was so good to see how many people wanted to smile back. One dude even added a wave to his smile. Totally cool. Come one people, the best things in life are free, right? Maybe next time I'll try to shake everyone's hand that I see.... maybe too personal? Hmmm..... I don't know. I'm liking the idea....... suggestions are welcome.
That's it for now.
Cheerio.
Monday, November 26, 2012
A Little Bit of This and That
How I do love a good Sunday. My favourite day of the week is Saturday, but since being in Germany Sunday is up there with the cool kids. What made this Sunday spectacularly memorable? Well, I talked to my parents for quite some time. I'm happy to announce that my dad is totally hip with the times and has downloaded what's app so that he can text me more often. I'm thrilled that my family is trying to keep in touch with me. With distance, you can loose so many friendships and connections with the people you love. This happens so often with singers because we are constantly moving and re-routing to different places. Sometimes it feels like I'm living in a dream world because nothing is concrete and stable. I am so close with my family, but it is not uncommon for me to not talk to them for weeks at a time. It was so good to hear their voices and know they are healthy, safe and keeping well. I never want to take them for granted and always want them to know they are such an important part of who I am. I have complete and utter respect for each member in my immediate family - especially my father. He is the most honest, dedicated and loving man I have ever known. Not only is he a fantastic doctor, but as a child he still managed to take me on bike rides, teach me how to play tennis, come to my singing competitions, attend my soccer games, dry my tears and pick me up during the hard times. He has always been there for me one thousand percent and continues to be there.
To say I am homesick would be an understatement. Don't get me wrong, Magdeburg is wonderful. I had a jam packed weekend of shows and gatherings, but home is always home. I spent the entire day catching up with people who mean the world to me. A big shout out to Facebook for making it possible for me to connect with my family and friends in such an enjoyable manner. Such a lazy, but important day. I received so much good news today from back home. I talked to some of my favourite girl friends in the States, and had the best conversation with Lucas Klausen. We have been through everything together. Yeah, um literally.....everything.... He knows me better than I know myself.
I honestly was so tempted to just book a flight back home just so I could just have dinner with all the people I love. I would book a table in China town, we would all have dim sum or Ethiopian food and just talk and laugh. I wish we all had star ship enterprise pins and that we could just "beam me up Scotty" to wherever we wanted to go. But it all traces back to the bitter sweet nature of this life. One of my favourite movies is Vanilla Sky or the orginial Abre Los Ojos. There is a fantastic quote where a character says the sweet just isn't sweet if you don't know what bitter tastes like. I know I wrote something similar in my last post, but this resonates so strongly within me. I've only been in Magdeburg since October 1st, and I've already experienced pain, hurt, utter joy, heart felt laughter as well as disappointment. All things are linked, and most of all have made me stronger. As my 30th birthday approaches, I wish to enter this decade with grace, beauty, wisdom and be granted the ability to forgive. I'm like a fine wine baby.... better with age.
Oh, that last sentence was the perfect lead in to my new topic of discussion. I wanted to write something about confidence. My confidence was recently analyzed at a party. Totally weird I know. When I'm at a party I like to scope out the free booze and food. All class right here. Heh heh heh... Oh how I like to digress. So, anyone who has met this brown sugar knows I like to have fun, play the occasional dress up, and dance. However, a few people think my mad dancing skills, fancy high heels and over the top clothing reflected a lack of confidence. Very interesting to me. My first reaction was people, I'm a opera singer. Fashion just goes with the territory. The first thing we do when we are in a production is ask about our costume. Second point: would I move to a whole new country if I was not confident - let alone a non english speaking country? It then occured to me that perhaps this was a cultural difference. For example, people do not really dress up in East Germany. Then I just stopped thinking about it all together because it was so retarded. The fact is, I'm never going to apologize for being a crazy, tutu wearing dancing machine. No one is 100% confident at all times. If you are reading this and feel you embody confidence in everything you do, I urge you to write a book about this for all us sub par humans. I think you could make some good money. All jokes aside, judgmental people really irritate me. I just would have hoped that people would take the time to get to know me before coming to such silly conclusions. As the big 3-0 comes closer I have realized that I just want to surround myself with good, wholesome and honest people who strive to spread love and not hate. I wonder what epiphanies I will have once 40 rolls around?!
So, what else is there to tell. Let's change the subject to something more cheerful. Oh, yes. I have a gig coming up. I'm singing in a Schubert Mass on December 2nd. I have my first rehearsal with the orchestra tomorrow. I'm pretty stoked about this. One of the ladies in the ensemble recommended me so it's always nice to know you are in good standings with your colleagues. I might wear my tutu to the first rehearsal. Oh, I just could not help myself on that one! I'm a funny one. This week is filled with rehearsals for our premiere of Midsummer. I luckily have Thursday off and I'm thinking I might visit Weimar then (my old stomping grounds.) I miss my friend Michelle very much and a good night of wine, cheese and anti pasti is definitely in order. The only problem is trains are often expensive over here. The Deutche Bahn has such a monopoly over travel, but I plan to use mitfahrgelegenheit to get there. If you don't know what that is you really need to google it. I think it is Germany's greatest claims to fame of recent. It's an online carpooling service that gets you from point A to B for a fraction of the price. Incredible I KNOW! Anyway, I hope I can find a ride.
I just looked at my clock and realized it's almost 2 in the morning. I need my beauty sleep!
Good night world.
To say I am homesick would be an understatement. Don't get me wrong, Magdeburg is wonderful. I had a jam packed weekend of shows and gatherings, but home is always home. I spent the entire day catching up with people who mean the world to me. A big shout out to Facebook for making it possible for me to connect with my family and friends in such an enjoyable manner. Such a lazy, but important day. I received so much good news today from back home. I talked to some of my favourite girl friends in the States, and had the best conversation with Lucas Klausen. We have been through everything together. Yeah, um literally.....everything.... He knows me better than I know myself.
I honestly was so tempted to just book a flight back home just so I could just have dinner with all the people I love. I would book a table in China town, we would all have dim sum or Ethiopian food and just talk and laugh. I wish we all had star ship enterprise pins and that we could just "beam me up Scotty" to wherever we wanted to go. But it all traces back to the bitter sweet nature of this life. One of my favourite movies is Vanilla Sky or the orginial Abre Los Ojos. There is a fantastic quote where a character says the sweet just isn't sweet if you don't know what bitter tastes like. I know I wrote something similar in my last post, but this resonates so strongly within me. I've only been in Magdeburg since October 1st, and I've already experienced pain, hurt, utter joy, heart felt laughter as well as disappointment. All things are linked, and most of all have made me stronger. As my 30th birthday approaches, I wish to enter this decade with grace, beauty, wisdom and be granted the ability to forgive. I'm like a fine wine baby.... better with age.
Oh, that last sentence was the perfect lead in to my new topic of discussion. I wanted to write something about confidence. My confidence was recently analyzed at a party. Totally weird I know. When I'm at a party I like to scope out the free booze and food. All class right here. Heh heh heh... Oh how I like to digress. So, anyone who has met this brown sugar knows I like to have fun, play the occasional dress up, and dance. However, a few people think my mad dancing skills, fancy high heels and over the top clothing reflected a lack of confidence. Very interesting to me. My first reaction was people, I'm a opera singer. Fashion just goes with the territory. The first thing we do when we are in a production is ask about our costume. Second point: would I move to a whole new country if I was not confident - let alone a non english speaking country? It then occured to me that perhaps this was a cultural difference. For example, people do not really dress up in East Germany. Then I just stopped thinking about it all together because it was so retarded. The fact is, I'm never going to apologize for being a crazy, tutu wearing dancing machine. No one is 100% confident at all times. If you are reading this and feel you embody confidence in everything you do, I urge you to write a book about this for all us sub par humans. I think you could make some good money. All jokes aside, judgmental people really irritate me. I just would have hoped that people would take the time to get to know me before coming to such silly conclusions. As the big 3-0 comes closer I have realized that I just want to surround myself with good, wholesome and honest people who strive to spread love and not hate. I wonder what epiphanies I will have once 40 rolls around?!
So, what else is there to tell. Let's change the subject to something more cheerful. Oh, yes. I have a gig coming up. I'm singing in a Schubert Mass on December 2nd. I have my first rehearsal with the orchestra tomorrow. I'm pretty stoked about this. One of the ladies in the ensemble recommended me so it's always nice to know you are in good standings with your colleagues. I might wear my tutu to the first rehearsal. Oh, I just could not help myself on that one! I'm a funny one. This week is filled with rehearsals for our premiere of Midsummer. I luckily have Thursday off and I'm thinking I might visit Weimar then (my old stomping grounds.) I miss my friend Michelle very much and a good night of wine, cheese and anti pasti is definitely in order. The only problem is trains are often expensive over here. The Deutche Bahn has such a monopoly over travel, but I plan to use mitfahrgelegenheit to get there. If you don't know what that is you really need to google it. I think it is Germany's greatest claims to fame of recent. It's an online carpooling service that gets you from point A to B for a fraction of the price. Incredible I KNOW! Anyway, I hope I can find a ride.
I just looked at my clock and realized it's almost 2 in the morning. I need my beauty sleep!
Good night world.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Bring on the Weekend
Happy Friday!!! Uh oh.... I discovered the colour option. Watch out world. This blog is going to make Joseph's technecolour dream coat look like child's play. Guys, I just couldn't help myself.
We made it through yet another week and now we can kick our heels up and let our hair down and relax. Actually, I can't as yet because I have a performance tomorrow, but that's not going to stop me from having an enjoyable Friday evening and Saturday morning/afternoon. Right now I'm listening to some Vampire Weekend, and just took a break from the task at hand: making home made meatballs. I had rehearsal this morning and am feeling very rejuvenated and energetic. My ride to work this morning was a little frigid: winter has arrived in Magdeburg. There was frost on the ground, and the picture freak inside of me wanted so badly to grab a snap, but I was on my bike so I just kept trudging along. My poor little hands were cold because I forgot my gloves. Note to self: put gloves in bag to avoid unpleasant hand conditions in the future. Anyway, I'm totally digressing and should change the topic now because if not we could end up discussing such things as hobbits, roller coasters or from some reason at this exact moment I am thinking of Dairy Queen......weird.
La, la, la. it's funny how a good night's sleep can mend so many things. Yesterday I was utterly exhausted. I had been singing for 5 hours and managed to arrive home in one piece and then collapse on the sofa. I went to bed early, and slept right until my alarm. When I opened my eyes, I felt completed rested and ready to go. We really do need to listen to our bodies and take rest when it is required. this is something I often forget because I want to do EVERYTHING at all times and not miss out on ANYTHING. The Farah curse I call it. I need to remember that sometimes no is necessary and resting is essential.
So what's on the agenda now? This little squirrel needs to go back to making meatballs and then do some cleaning. I have a rehearsal tonight and then Katya and I have invited a few friends over for drinks. Well it's more like Katya has invited friends over from her hochschule, and I'll just be around drinking and most likely acting like the mother.... wait. Who am I kidding? I can drink these kids under the table..... go rockstar, go rockstar! But in all seriousness - because we can all tell I'm extremely serious today - I'm planning on having a very ohne stress and chill weekend. Lots of eating, resting, modern family catch up-ing, and perhaps a drink or so.
Wishing you all a very happy start to the weekend, and hoping that you find some enjoyment in whatever it is you choose - or not choose - to do.
We made it through yet another week and now we can kick our heels up and let our hair down and relax. Actually, I can't as yet because I have a performance tomorrow, but that's not going to stop me from having an enjoyable Friday evening and Saturday morning/afternoon. Right now I'm listening to some Vampire Weekend, and just took a break from the task at hand: making home made meatballs. I had rehearsal this morning and am feeling very rejuvenated and energetic. My ride to work this morning was a little frigid: winter has arrived in Magdeburg. There was frost on the ground, and the picture freak inside of me wanted so badly to grab a snap, but I was on my bike so I just kept trudging along. My poor little hands were cold because I forgot my gloves. Note to self: put gloves in bag to avoid unpleasant hand conditions in the future. Anyway, I'm totally digressing and should change the topic now because if not we could end up discussing such things as hobbits, roller coasters or from some reason at this exact moment I am thinking of Dairy Queen......weird.
La, la, la. it's funny how a good night's sleep can mend so many things. Yesterday I was utterly exhausted. I had been singing for 5 hours and managed to arrive home in one piece and then collapse on the sofa. I went to bed early, and slept right until my alarm. When I opened my eyes, I felt completed rested and ready to go. We really do need to listen to our bodies and take rest when it is required. this is something I often forget because I want to do EVERYTHING at all times and not miss out on ANYTHING. The Farah curse I call it. I need to remember that sometimes no is necessary and resting is essential.
So what's on the agenda now? This little squirrel needs to go back to making meatballs and then do some cleaning. I have a rehearsal tonight and then Katya and I have invited a few friends over for drinks. Well it's more like Katya has invited friends over from her hochschule, and I'll just be around drinking and most likely acting like the mother.... wait. Who am I kidding? I can drink these kids under the table..... go rockstar, go rockstar! But in all seriousness - because we can all tell I'm extremely serious today - I'm planning on having a very ohne stress and chill weekend. Lots of eating, resting, modern family catch up-ing, and perhaps a drink or so.
Wishing you all a very happy start to the weekend, and hoping that you find some enjoyment in whatever it is you choose - or not choose - to do.
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