1. Fabio with his tender warmth, calm presence, endless generosity, strength (in the face of no sleep!!) and dedication to me and Nathaniel Sebastian. He has been a Rock.
2. The WildFowl and Wetlands Centre (ok, Barnes)and the woodland walk we used to get there. This place has been my church.
3. Mornings, sunsets and fireworks from the windows of 53 March Court. Who needs pictures on the walls when you can just throw back a curtain and count BIG RED BUSES or see sets of fireworks simultaneously?
4. Mommy-baby adventures and conversations with Janet & Evan...and recently including Emma and Charlie. Janet, you rock.
5. Uncle Oscar for his patience(!!), good humor, conversation and obvious affection for Nate. Myriam for her friendship, love & support and childminding! Amanda for her friendship AND for making my son laugh and laugh and laugh--any mother knows how much joy that brought to ME! And Oliver, too, for is generosity, all the food and his good hometown USA friendship--nice to have another of us in the house!
6. The various buggy routes to the High Street and through town where we taught Nate about flowers, trees, shrubbery, kitty cats, doggies and mounted bobbies. It is just the beginning, but what a nice place to start!
7. Telephone chats and meet-ups with Linda and Nesreen--oxygen tanks for mommy-brain, my intellect and my soul.
8. The Putney Leisure Centre's indoor swimming pools, including ones for babies. I'm hoping Nate learns to love the water as much as Fabio and I do.
9. Shopping at Waitrose, Boots, Sainsburys, JoJoMamanBebe--all within walking distance of our flat! Costa Coffee, Cafe Crimson and Starbucks--very baby-friendly in Putney! (er, can you tell I love to eat and drink??)
10. Cooking and eating at home with Fabio...and thank you, sweetheart, for doing ALL the washing up after I did the cooking! And you are right, why go out to eat when you have everything at home???
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Friday, February 16, 2007
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Small island countries to a country with small islands...
In July, I was lucky enough to attend a one week acting workshop in Athens, Greece at the Theatre of Changes http://www.theater-of-changes.com/. Yes, it felt very poetic and was quite a rush to be studying acting in the birthplace of Western theatre--a strange combination of excitement and awe to begin with. I didn't know whether or not to jump up and down or be reverently still as I gazed at the Acropolis...I opted for walking to class and following class instructions--which included, btw, jumping up and down while in 'sats' (a Norwegian term meaning 'the energy that can be suspended' or 'impulse and counterimpulse' according to http://academic.evergreen.edu/curricular/fopa/theatre/texts/barba.htm and holding myself completely still in a meditation. It also included standing on my head and weaving myself physically around my classmates with my eyes closed, making all kinds of primal noises and singing my name in chorus...ah, actor training!! Seriously, the experience was excellent--brilliant, even. We were at the school from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. everyday with three three-hour classes and performances by our instructors every evening. Our instructors were from everywhere--Russia, Iceland, Turkey, the US, Chile, Italy, Poland, Ireland, Rumania,...and of course, Greece. In my group, while the magority were Greek, we had participants from Argentina, Israel, Taiwan and the US. The group dynamics were friendly but focused and everyday I was amazed by the work that came out of us all. As a teacher, I've always known that everyone has inner creativity and intelligence--it was just so awesome to be in a room where everyone was tapping into themselves simultaneously to fully bring it out, work it and connect it. Magical, people, I tell you it was MAGICAL!! (Ok, ok, I'll stop.) My natural impulse now is to write a lengthy epistle on each group member but I think not only would you all shoot me, they probably would as well. Speaking of shooting, suffice it to say that if the whole world would do this kind of training, we'd all respect and enjoy each other so much more...(now my political agenda is out!).
Speaking of politics and drama, I am hoping to return to Athens in mid-September after I finish teaching in the language program here at Royal Holloway. The tentative plan is to collaborate with Mariana and Korinna on some street performance. While we aren't working with any political themes at the moment, if you are in the camp that believes all theatre is political (as some theorists do), then you can understand my interest in Street Theatre as an Applied Drama practitioner-in-training ...Street Theatre is basically free with the actor/s having to rely on her/his performance to inspire donations; it is open to anyone who has the nerve or a passion to do it, regardless of training or experience; it can be universal (in the case of music and mime), it is community-based in that performances are held in public spaces, etc...of course, the legalities of actually getting permission to perform in some public space can be a bit tricky, but on the whole, it is probably the least elitest theatre form you can find. Having never done it before, I'm sure I'll be learning a lot...like how to ignore 13 and 14 year old hecklers!!
(A quick note to the Perry side of the family...interestingly enough, one of the girls I will be working with is half Croatian--go figure! A connection meant to happen?!)
As for Greece...it's hard to describe Greece on its own without getting stuck in the stereo-type images...'the awesome historical ruins', or 'beautiful island beaches with clear water perfect for swimming', or 'fabulous souvalaki, greek salads with feta cheese and ouzo' or 'the glistening white-washed houses accented with intense sky and sea blues', or 'relaxing in outdoor cafes drinking frappe and watching the passersby' or 'being charmed by live Greek music and dancing while having dinner in an old taverna'...all of which are TRUE, with each exerience being a mini-vacation in itself!
Most of what I experienced of Greece was in and around Athens, with a couple days on the island of Paros http://www.parosweb.gr/. I spent half of my time with my Greek friends from Royal Holloway and the other half was with people I met from my course and even on the train! Greeks are very friendly, gracious and FUN people, and somehow I think it makes everyone want to be the same!!!
The highlights? Seeing a performance of Aeschylus's Persians at Epidaurus , the oldest known theatre in Greece http://www.culture.gr/2/21/211/21104n/e211dn02.html; sitting in the open cafes in Plaka and Monastiraki http://www.greekislands.com/athens/monplaka.htm during the days and nights chatting with friends; having an early dinner in a small taverna below street level in Athens where customers pulled out instruments and started playing traditional music and people started doing traditional dances; watching the sunset over Athens from the Acropolis; swimming in the Aegean Sea and the Saronic Gulf; buying breakfast at a small bakery early in the morning after staying out all night on the beach just to watch the sunrise, eating fried haloumi(hard, salty cheese) and other wonderful Greek foods; a personal historical tour of the burial mound at Marathon http://www.athensmarathon.com/marathon/history.html and Lykavittos Hill, just to name a few!
This was one of the best, if not the best, vacation I've had. The giddiness still lingers...I think I am in love with another country. Oh, great...what am I supposed to do now?
Speaking of politics and drama, I am hoping to return to Athens in mid-September after I finish teaching in the language program here at Royal Holloway. The tentative plan is to collaborate with Mariana and Korinna on some street performance. While we aren't working with any political themes at the moment, if you are in the camp that believes all theatre is political (as some theorists do), then you can understand my interest in Street Theatre as an Applied Drama practitioner-in-training ...Street Theatre is basically free with the actor/s having to rely on her/his performance to inspire donations; it is open to anyone who has the nerve or a passion to do it, regardless of training or experience; it can be universal (in the case of music and mime), it is community-based in that performances are held in public spaces, etc...of course, the legalities of actually getting permission to perform in some public space can be a bit tricky, but on the whole, it is probably the least elitest theatre form you can find. Having never done it before, I'm sure I'll be learning a lot...like how to ignore 13 and 14 year old hecklers!!
(A quick note to the Perry side of the family...interestingly enough, one of the girls I will be working with is half Croatian--go figure! A connection meant to happen?!)
As for Greece...it's hard to describe Greece on its own without getting stuck in the stereo-type images...'the awesome historical ruins', or 'beautiful island beaches with clear water perfect for swimming', or 'fabulous souvalaki, greek salads with feta cheese and ouzo' or 'the glistening white-washed houses accented with intense sky and sea blues', or 'relaxing in outdoor cafes drinking frappe and watching the passersby' or 'being charmed by live Greek music and dancing while having dinner in an old taverna'...all of which are TRUE, with each exerience being a mini-vacation in itself!
Most of what I experienced of Greece was in and around Athens, with a couple days on the island of Paros http://www.parosweb.gr/. I spent half of my time with my Greek friends from Royal Holloway and the other half was with people I met from my course and even on the train! Greeks are very friendly, gracious and FUN people, and somehow I think it makes everyone want to be the same!!!
The highlights? Seeing a performance of Aeschylus's Persians at Epidaurus , the oldest known theatre in Greece http://www.culture.gr/2/21/211/21104n/e211dn02.html; sitting in the open cafes in Plaka and Monastiraki http://www.greekislands.com/athens/monplaka.htm during the days and nights chatting with friends; having an early dinner in a small taverna below street level in Athens where customers pulled out instruments and started playing traditional music and people started doing traditional dances; watching the sunset over Athens from the Acropolis; swimming in the Aegean Sea and the Saronic Gulf; buying breakfast at a small bakery early in the morning after staying out all night on the beach just to watch the sunrise, eating fried haloumi(hard, salty cheese) and other wonderful Greek foods; a personal historical tour of the burial mound at Marathon http://www.athensmarathon.com/marathon/history.html and Lykavittos Hill, just to name a few!
This was one of the best, if not the best, vacation I've had. The giddiness still lingers...I think I am in love with another country. Oh, great...what am I supposed to do now?
Monday, May 15, 2006
Hello. Oh, it's you.
I'm afraid all of my reflective and creative thoughts have been replaced by analytical essay writing and flamenco learning as of late...
Winter term flew by with classes such as British Theatre History post 1945 and Performance Spaces. British Theatre History was particularly noteworthy for me in that I had a lot of 'AH HA! So that's what it's all about' moments with regard to the layers and layers AND LAYERS of the British psyche. Whoa!! Makes us Californians look positively SIMPLE!!(Please, no comments from the vast majority of you!) Of noteworthy significance for those interested in the trends of modern British theatre, check out In Yer Face theatre at http://www.inyerface-theatre.com/what.html. 'In Yer Face' is a genre which is driven by shock-value. That there is 'layers and layers' of depth philosophy and intense sensitivity of perspective in plays with homosexual rape and infant cannibalism is indeed TRUE. However, I'm a little dubious of the distancing effect one must go through in order to take these plays on board and get past it all. It is great having a guide, a 'sensei' or teacher to draw these things out in a 2 hour class...but if that isn't there...??? Hummmm....in yer face, in yer head, in yer nightmares. But there you go!
On the other hand, Performance Spaces was a class that brought me closer to home! As essays here are often due after a holiday period, I had time to go back to California in April and see a couple of homegrown productions. After years of growing up in Riverside, I finally went to the Mr. Rubidoux Easter Sunrise Service in the middle of downtown. That was really interesting, especially perceiving it within a 'performance space' frame. But far more interesting was The Ramona Pageant staged in a hillside amphitheatre. Did you know that The Romona Pageant is the longest running outdoor play of its kind in the US? And a very interesting, if not romanticised, presentation of racial tensions between the Indians, Mexicans and white Americans in the late 1800s. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ramona_Pageant
This term we have no classes--only projects, rehearsals and dissertation prep. In addition to preparing for my 2-day inter-faith project at the end of the month, I'm also taking part in two other projects. One of my fellow 'applied drama' friends, the wonderful Myrcini, has created a series of workshops and a performance for 10 year-olds introducing them to fine art paintings. We are having a ball and it is a charming play. I'm also playing a few small roles in Yerma , a Lorca play which has a flamenco theme...so that's right, I'm having to learn some basic flamenco moves along with some other girls so as to sashay around stage. Hummmm...
I'm going to end with a really sweet and romantic note. I read this last week in one of the daily papers which was laying on the seat next to me in the train. An English actress, who had apparently been known for holding her ground and defending her singleness while waiting for the right one, did find him. She said that when she finally met him, it was a quiet thing. She said something to the effect of--I looked into his eyes and there was a mutual recognition of 'Hello. Oh, it's you.'
p/s: Oh, I did manage to see The Sultan's Elephant in London!http://www.thesultanselephant.com/gallery/gallery.php
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Entering the "feminist" debate...
I knew this would come--the day when I'd have to try to understand the Discoball of Feminism(s).
My favorite course this term is a 4 hour class called Staging the Text. The general format is to spend the first two hours in two large groups (led by students) discussing our reading assignments which usually consist of two readings of theory and two different plays. The second two hours, we break into small groups and attempt to stage a scene or two from given plays using the theory we have studied.
I chose to lead this past week for one reason, or rather, for one play--"Waiting for Godot" by Samuel Beckett. Theatre of the Absurd. I love it! (The other play was Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap.) But I hadn't bothered to review our theory readings first. "Imitation and Gender Insubordination" by Judith Butler. Can I just say, particularly for those who have worked their way through Judith Butler, Whoa! It wasn't/isn't that I actually disagreed with her points, I just struggled and struggled to understand them. Take for example this sentence...
"To claim that there is no performer prior to the performed, that the performance is performative, that the performance constitutes the appearance of a "subject" as its effect is difficult to accept."
I understand why I resisted delving into feminism before; it truly is like trying to understand a second language.
However...
What I found particularly useful in this article was her differentiation between one's "gender" (descibing an acted out, conditioned sexual behavior) and one's "sex" (biological anatomy). Bulter argues there is no natural "gender", only learned/perceived choices to make--but these are artifically limited.
On to "compulsory heterosexuality". At first, I diagreed with this concept. But she argues it well by pointing out, "It is a compulsory performance in the sense that acting out of line with heterosexual norms brings with it ostracism, punishment, and violence, not to mention the transgressive pleasures produced by those very prohibitions."
For me, who is fond of dabbling in psychology, I think I liked best her concept of "psychic excess", or all the freedom/choices we shove down deep into our subconscious when we simply act out/perform a chosen gender role. I think that what Butler is saying is that because of the pressure to behave in prescibed roles for gender identity, heterosexuals will subvert choices that they deem as homosexual, and homosexuals may also subvert choices they deem as heterosexual. "Psychic excess" is the result of this freedom/choices which never go away, but inevitably pops up in various forms--usually negative, trapping the individual spirit. I THINK that is what she's on about. And I must say I agree with it--not just on sexual levels, but on many magor identity levels, ie. family roles, religious roles, etc.
So,...have you been Waiting for Godot? Yes, my group did stage a few scenes with an all female cast (something which the Beckett Estate doesn't allow). Changed Godot from a he to a she and minorly twicked a couple of other things to reset it in an "all female world". Unavoidably we fell into "performing" stereo-types of the female gender--though we tried not to. I was just curious wanted to see what would happen. I wanted to SEE it and FEEL it...and this is my conclusion.
When you take the men out of Godot, you lose its inherent comedic element. That is not to say that it can't be replaced, but I think it would take some clever and innovative thinking. I think the humor in Godot pivots on a certain gender-based interpretation of reality. Hummm.
But I'd like to finish on a quote from Tracy C. Davis in her article on "Questions for a Feminist Methodology in Theatre History":
"Making the invisible visible in female and male experience is the route of insight into all culture--not because it addresses an imbalance, but because it is more all-encompassing."
(Teacher, are we done? Can I leave now?)
My favorite course this term is a 4 hour class called Staging the Text. The general format is to spend the first two hours in two large groups (led by students) discussing our reading assignments which usually consist of two readings of theory and two different plays. The second two hours, we break into small groups and attempt to stage a scene or two from given plays using the theory we have studied.
I chose to lead this past week for one reason, or rather, for one play--"Waiting for Godot" by Samuel Beckett. Theatre of the Absurd. I love it! (The other play was Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap.) But I hadn't bothered to review our theory readings first. "Imitation and Gender Insubordination" by Judith Butler. Can I just say, particularly for those who have worked their way through Judith Butler, Whoa! It wasn't/isn't that I actually disagreed with her points, I just struggled and struggled to understand them. Take for example this sentence...
"To claim that there is no performer prior to the performed, that the performance is performative, that the performance constitutes the appearance of a "subject" as its effect is difficult to accept."
I understand why I resisted delving into feminism before; it truly is like trying to understand a second language.
However...
What I found particularly useful in this article was her differentiation between one's "gender" (descibing an acted out, conditioned sexual behavior) and one's "sex" (biological anatomy). Bulter argues there is no natural "gender", only learned/perceived choices to make--but these are artifically limited.
On to "compulsory heterosexuality". At first, I diagreed with this concept. But she argues it well by pointing out, "It is a compulsory performance in the sense that acting out of line with heterosexual norms brings with it ostracism, punishment, and violence, not to mention the transgressive pleasures produced by those very prohibitions."
For me, who is fond of dabbling in psychology, I think I liked best her concept of "psychic excess", or all the freedom/choices we shove down deep into our subconscious when we simply act out/perform a chosen gender role. I think that what Butler is saying is that because of the pressure to behave in prescibed roles for gender identity, heterosexuals will subvert choices that they deem as homosexual, and homosexuals may also subvert choices they deem as heterosexual. "Psychic excess" is the result of this freedom/choices which never go away, but inevitably pops up in various forms--usually negative, trapping the individual spirit. I THINK that is what she's on about. And I must say I agree with it--not just on sexual levels, but on many magor identity levels, ie. family roles, religious roles, etc.
So,...have you been Waiting for Godot? Yes, my group did stage a few scenes with an all female cast (something which the Beckett Estate doesn't allow). Changed Godot from a he to a she and minorly twicked a couple of other things to reset it in an "all female world". Unavoidably we fell into "performing" stereo-types of the female gender--though we tried not to. I was just curious wanted to see what would happen. I wanted to SEE it and FEEL it...and this is my conclusion.
When you take the men out of Godot, you lose its inherent comedic element. That is not to say that it can't be replaced, but I think it would take some clever and innovative thinking. I think the humor in Godot pivots on a certain gender-based interpretation of reality. Hummm.
But I'd like to finish on a quote from Tracy C. Davis in her article on "Questions for a Feminist Methodology in Theatre History":
"Making the invisible visible in female and male experience is the route of insight into all culture--not because it addresses an imbalance, but because it is more all-encompassing."
(Teacher, are we done? Can I leave now?)
Monday, October 31, 2005
Not Waiting for Earthquakes
(Dedicated to those who've died recently in East Asia.)
Let me invite you into my bed...so to speak.
I suspect many of you who live in earthquake prone areas will understand exactly what I am about to say; what it feels like to wake up a minute or two before an earthquake hits. You can sort of hear it coming. Not with your ears at first, but with your body. Then the sound seems to rise up into your ears and straining into your pillow, you can feel/hear the echos of The Deep roaring. It is a very strange sensation, and one that I'd become accustomed to while living in Japan (and growing up in Southern California). It is something you only really hear while you are in bed, not moving, with the whole world quiet and at seemingly at peace. When you are stripped of your protective mental devises and at your most vulnerable.
It makes living on the edge make sense. Make the only sense, in a way. But it also makes one edgy. You shake it off the minute you get up, but it stays in the body. Especially if you are "hearing" earthquakes four to five times a month.
My dorm bed is firm and comfy...but I've noticed on the mornings I wake up early--too early to rise, that I am waiting and listening hard for something. It was only recently I realized it was for earthquakes. But there is no subtle roaring from the pillow, from the mattress or the floor. It's nice, but it makes my heart ache for those having to deal with aftershocks and all the rest.
Ground that doesn't move under your feet. Can we start with that?
Oh to be a cat with nine lives, and with the flexibility and swiftness to jump from most any height and always land upright.
In the meantime, no more wasting time waiting for pillows to speak to me.
Let me invite you into my bed...so to speak.
I suspect many of you who live in earthquake prone areas will understand exactly what I am about to say; what it feels like to wake up a minute or two before an earthquake hits. You can sort of hear it coming. Not with your ears at first, but with your body. Then the sound seems to rise up into your ears and straining into your pillow, you can feel/hear the echos of The Deep roaring. It is a very strange sensation, and one that I'd become accustomed to while living in Japan (and growing up in Southern California). It is something you only really hear while you are in bed, not moving, with the whole world quiet and at seemingly at peace. When you are stripped of your protective mental devises and at your most vulnerable.
It makes living on the edge make sense. Make the only sense, in a way. But it also makes one edgy. You shake it off the minute you get up, but it stays in the body. Especially if you are "hearing" earthquakes four to five times a month.
My dorm bed is firm and comfy...but I've noticed on the mornings I wake up early--too early to rise, that I am waiting and listening hard for something. It was only recently I realized it was for earthquakes. But there is no subtle roaring from the pillow, from the mattress or the floor. It's nice, but it makes my heart ache for those having to deal with aftershocks and all the rest.
Ground that doesn't move under your feet. Can we start with that?
Oh to be a cat with nine lives, and with the flexibility and swiftness to jump from most any height and always land upright.
In the meantime, no more wasting time waiting for pillows to speak to me.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
tree hugging and London a la Mexico and Riverside
Today in my physical theatre class we were taken out to the grounds of the college, deep into a wooded thickety area where we had to do a kind of one-sided contact improvisation with nature. (For those of you who don't know, Contact Improv is a form of improvisation where you are in direct body contact with your partner(s) and physically responding to the nuances of bodily pressure and movement from...it is very funky. It looks like those bizarre snakey dance numbers, because, well, it is.) So, back to nature...anyway, the next thing I know, I am gently caressing the trunk of a slender tree, letting my fingers slide up the bark and following along an extending branch arching my back as my fingers followed the branch to the one of its lengthening twigs...sounds pretty sexy, eh?1! I felt kind of idiotic, truth be told, especially when we realized that there were two students sitting on a nearby bench watching us and smoking...something. I'm sure they REALLY enjoyed our show!!
Speaking of physical theatre, last Thursday night I went with Jorge, another international student, to Greenwich to see a performance by Josef Nadj. http://www.josefnadj.com/ It was a brilliant! (Really. If you ever have the chance, GO!) It was also a bit of a buzz to be showing someone else a bit of London. (Jorge came from Mexico about 12 days ago to study directing.) I felt just as absorbed at "seeing" London as he seemed to be, and it really did take on a new quality for me. One that I've not really experienced before. Perhaps always before, it was I who was the stranger. But when you can explain the transportation system, walk from one area to another without getting lost, chose a spectacular Indian restaurant...well, I felt almost...native (almost!!).
A new Taiwanese MBA student moved onto our hall day before yesterday. We bumped into each other in our hall's kitchen and chatted a bit. And lo, and behold, if she didn't spend a month studying English at UCR!!! When we came across that information, we looked at each other incredulously for a split second then gave each other a big hug. We had this very strange, but cool sister moment!
Despite my joy at being here to study theatre, drama and many of its applications, by far the best part is getting acquainted with all the people here. There's Georgie, an lovely English girl in my program, who spent a year in Philadelphia working with people with handicaps and learning disabilities. There's Naomi, another amazing local, who teaches drama to high school aged boys and set up a drama program for problem students. Sarah the Scot is using applied drama techniques to work with refugees in local areas. The physical theater student GURU is undoubtedly Tom, also a drama teacher for A levels. Tom, all 6'4"(?) of him, artfully and gracefully did a back-to-back roll over me today in class. (Imagine being on all fours next to another on all fours. Okay, now, the person on the left straighten's out their knees, reaches wide with his left arm and leg and arcs across your back, shoulder blade to shoulder blade, bum to bum, rolling over your back, landing like a cat on the other side. That was Tom. Impressive, huh? Me? I slide halfway off the first time, had to double kick my start, starting to roll somewhere in the middle of his back, and flopped to my finish. Not graceful at all!
Living in halls is SO FUN!! Not because we are always having a party, but we do often end up cooking our meals together in the kitchen and chatting with whoever...whoever includes Ajay (PhD in physics) from Grimsby (northern English) who claims the name says it all! He shoved jokes under my door and is my new little brother. Then there is Charlie (MBA), who must be the president of the Taiwanese Social Society! Great cook,too, that Charlie!! Shu Ting aka Natacha is also doing an MA in theatre, but her emphasis is playwrighting. She's beautiful and artsy. Peggy from Taiwan is doing her MBA, too, and seems very down to earth. And then there is the shaved head of Haddi, a very cool nice Lebanese guy doing an MA in Systems Security. Haddi is great, except for the fact that he claims he can't cook Lebanese. I told him that really is a flaw! Then there is Demitris, a Greek doing his PhD in music composition, David from Mexico City studying mathematics(much more exact than physics, he says!), Doug who makes sure the block parties are organized and attended and....just a ton of interesting people.
Life is good.
Speaking of physical theatre, last Thursday night I went with Jorge, another international student, to Greenwich to see a performance by Josef Nadj. http://www.josefnadj.com/ It was a brilliant! (Really. If you ever have the chance, GO!) It was also a bit of a buzz to be showing someone else a bit of London. (Jorge came from Mexico about 12 days ago to study directing.) I felt just as absorbed at "seeing" London as he seemed to be, and it really did take on a new quality for me. One that I've not really experienced before. Perhaps always before, it was I who was the stranger. But when you can explain the transportation system, walk from one area to another without getting lost, chose a spectacular Indian restaurant...well, I felt almost...native (almost!!).
A new Taiwanese MBA student moved onto our hall day before yesterday. We bumped into each other in our hall's kitchen and chatted a bit. And lo, and behold, if she didn't spend a month studying English at UCR!!! When we came across that information, we looked at each other incredulously for a split second then gave each other a big hug. We had this very strange, but cool sister moment!
Despite my joy at being here to study theatre, drama and many of its applications, by far the best part is getting acquainted with all the people here. There's Georgie, an lovely English girl in my program, who spent a year in Philadelphia working with people with handicaps and learning disabilities. There's Naomi, another amazing local, who teaches drama to high school aged boys and set up a drama program for problem students. Sarah the Scot is using applied drama techniques to work with refugees in local areas. The physical theater student GURU is undoubtedly Tom, also a drama teacher for A levels. Tom, all 6'4"(?) of him, artfully and gracefully did a back-to-back roll over me today in class. (Imagine being on all fours next to another on all fours. Okay, now, the person on the left straighten's out their knees, reaches wide with his left arm and leg and arcs across your back, shoulder blade to shoulder blade, bum to bum, rolling over your back, landing like a cat on the other side. That was Tom. Impressive, huh? Me? I slide halfway off the first time, had to double kick my start, starting to roll somewhere in the middle of his back, and flopped to my finish. Not graceful at all!
Living in halls is SO FUN!! Not because we are always having a party, but we do often end up cooking our meals together in the kitchen and chatting with whoever...whoever includes Ajay (PhD in physics) from Grimsby (northern English) who claims the name says it all! He shoved jokes under my door and is my new little brother. Then there is Charlie (MBA), who must be the president of the Taiwanese Social Society! Great cook,too, that Charlie!! Shu Ting aka Natacha is also doing an MA in theatre, but her emphasis is playwrighting. She's beautiful and artsy. Peggy from Taiwan is doing her MBA, too, and seems very down to earth. And then there is the shaved head of Haddi, a very cool nice Lebanese guy doing an MA in Systems Security. Haddi is great, except for the fact that he claims he can't cook Lebanese. I told him that really is a flaw! Then there is Demitris, a Greek doing his PhD in music composition, David from Mexico City studying mathematics(much more exact than physics, he says!), Doug who makes sure the block parties are organized and attended and....just a ton of interesting people.
Life is good.
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