Yesterday was my first day working at Screamworld here in Houston- as you can probably imagine, it's a haunted house. :)
I got a call on Wednesday asking if I could come in the next day to begin work- of course I can! It's a little different than most of the performance stuff I've done, but there is something to be said for diversity. I was a bit shy at first- definitely voyeuristic in my first few hours... watching everyone as they stood in lines for latex and airbrushing... listening to the conversations that I didn't really have a place in. Jojo (the woman who hired me) warned me when I got there, "It takes a special kind of f*ed up to work here." ::nervous laugh::
As the time went on, I realized a bunch of the actors were actually from Astroworld- the theme park I had my first gig at. In that way, it was kind of like a family reunion... knowing you have some sort of intertwined past with these nameless and vaguely familiar faces.
As opening grew close, we listened to Chicken (not sure why he's called that) yell out some critiques. Everyone recited "Don't touch the customer" in unison, and we scuttled off after his motivation to "Get in your holes!" ..apparently that's the horror version of the stage manager yelling out "Places!"
So... it has been entirely too long since my last gypsy post... honestly, besides a quick trip to Orlando a few weeks ago for a Disney audition, my life has been pretty stationary. As you can probably tell, that's not something I'm generally alright with.
I have been contemplating again and again where my next move should be- I have spent approximately 18mos here in Houston since my departure from the ships, and I am going absolutely crazy without performance being a daily part of my life. I take Zumba several times a week, a step class Friday mornings, and an aerial silks class on Tuesdays... I always feel better when I'm staying active, but the stage is an addictive place- a place of certain freedom.
Current options on the Where-to-Move list:
Orlando, FL
Myrtle Beach, SC
Los Angeles, CA
Las Vegas, NV
I went with Abel's sister and parents to visit some family on the other side of town. It was another apartment and FULL of people; I guess there were 4 aunts and all their children... you just sit wherever there's room. :) Everyone was really nice and made sure I had plenty to eat. There were tacos of chicharon (dried pig skin), avocado, cactus and salsa, and a vegetable and chicken stew that fed everyone. I cleaned my plate -would be impolite not to- and regretted having eaten so much the next day. My body is clearly not used to that amount of sodium in my diet. ..It's now a running joke with Abel's mom to not feed me chicharon- she's always double-checking that I have enough fruits and vegetables.. bless her.
Before heading home, we dropped off Mariana and Abel's mother at the bus station so they could visit some family for Easter vacation. Abel and I were supposed to go after a scheduled photo shoot on Sunday, but stayed instead to take photos of another girl.
On the way back to our side of the city, we drove through some crazy weather. It had been warm and sunny all week long, but out of nowhere came a sleet storm. Ice was hailing down on the car roof and piling up in the road. People were driving with their hazard lights on and making small wakes in the water that was quickly rising. Amazing. I tried to take some photos, but I'm afraid they aren't very good... I guess you can sense the mild panic in them.
I have already experienced so much food here in Mexico City- funny that it seems so much more than in Playa.
One of the taco stands by the street-
Limes are a staple in Mexico.
Abel and I have eaten at the local market a few times. It is about a 20 minute walk from the apartment and has whatever you could need. We bought a liter of fresh-squeezed orange juice for 10 pesos! I have never had orange juice so fresh... they don't make it until you order it, and it is practically squeezed straight into your cup- Delicious! We've eaten tacos off plates covered in plastic (cuts down on the cleaning and less waste than a paper plate), had piles of cut fruit covered in honey and muesli, quesadillas shaped like hot dog buns and even sampled some sesos... brains. Abel's shady description of these particular fried quesadillas reminded me of the first time I tried rattle snake... my father tried to pass it off as fish. Well... I guess I still prefer brains to pig skin. It really wasn't so bad- salty, yes- it was just the thought that discouraged swallowing the stuff.
Today was my first full day in Mexico City. I gotta say- I like it. Well, of course I do. I'm staying on the South side con mi amorsito corazon... he tells me it's the place of the upper-middle class.
Abel driving me from the airport-
...some cereal treats we bought from a vendor passing car to car
We spent the day consuming tacos and catching up on some much needed sleep... Hey- before you judge, know that I have been sleep-deprived for the majority of last week completing several photo projects before my flight out of the country! (Nice to have a day off, no?)
We picked up his younger cousin from school (They were let out early, because it was the last day before their two-week Easter vacation), exchanged some money at the bank and walked a bit around the mall near Abel's apartment. It is nice- 3 stories and it appears to be the same as any other mall found in the states- even some of the same stores.
The past few days I've been driving to work with my windows down and the music turned completely off. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE music, but there is something nice about feeling connected to your surroundings: listening to the sounds of your atmosphere.
I remember about a year ago I went through this phase where I did the same thing; I would turn the music off, roll the windows down, and just listen to the tires on the pavement. The sound of the air rushing into the car almost reminded me of the beach. For a moment I could convince myself it was so close- just out of view...
My favorite beach... Ala Moana
I could even convince myself the wind and the tires were the sound of waves crashing consistently against the side of the ship... I could imagine the walks I took on the promenade deck- the days spent smelling sea air. I could almost smell the sea air over the smog... almost.
So... today after zumba (and a bite to eat with my mom and Aunt Maisie) I found myself rushing to the car with my jacket zipped up and my hood thrown recklessly over the top of my head. I jumped in the car and turned the heat up... I was just a touch surprised when I looked at the temperature... 73 degrees outside. Oye- how could I ever survive in Canada?
...I'm going to say it had something to do with the workout... my body was still adjusting. ..I clearly belong in a tropical climate.
Yesterday, after another invigorating zumba class, I stopped by my parent's house to pick up some mail and see my dad for a bit (Mom is in Florida visiting her youngest brother, Jody).
I noticed a pair of bungees hanging from the second-story balcony when I walked in, but I just shook my head as I passed them on the way to the beans and sausage on the stove. (The smell of it was divine) I helped myself to a bowl and chatted with a customer service woman on the phone -Dad couldn't understand her through the accent, so I was the interpreter... explaining the problem of a lost package.
After finishing my meal, and determining that we had been speaking to the wrong department for a while on the phone, Dad offered an explanation for the bungees.
"Want to see my traction device?"
"I was wondering about those bungees... I was afraid it was something like that."
"Yeah, it beats spending $3500 for the chiropractor to fix me...so I just use it for about an hour a day... look at this..."
I watched, slightly horrified, as my father strapped a belt and a couple bungees around his head... it looked a bit morbid, but he seemed content with his contraption. He noted the ease of movement of his neck and smiled at me...."You want to try it?" I paused, looked at the way the bungee hooks seemed to dig straight into his head, and answered in a single word, "Yes."
Today was the second rehearsal for the Bollywood fashion show. The first part was just a review of last week, and the second half was a quick put-together of a finale.
It's really funny to me how difficult some people make the process. I am so used to working with professionals... where silence is golden and you hang on the choreographer's every word. Most of the participants are new to the performance game- this is just something fun for them to participate in. I am all for fun participation, but it astounds me how some people speak during direction and scoff at what they're told- it makes the process so much longer and more redundant. ::shrug:: I will just remain the silent listener and see how the show develops.
On a side note, I was asked to perform a Bollywood dance for a wedding in New Orleans on April 8-9... I had to regretfully decline, because I will be shooting a wedding here in Houston on the 9th. I gave them my card, so they could keep me on file, but shucks... that would have been great! The bride is white, so they were really hoping I could participate to sort of represent her in the dancing... hopefully they'll ask me to join in other dance events around town.
Also, I was asked to possibly photograph the event after I walk in the fashion show on March 20th... :) It is the festival of colors, so I should be able to take some really vibrant photos!
*Funny note* I was asked if I understood Hindi... half the direction is in English, half in Hindi... I guess I fake it well enough- lol
Today I went to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo! Aunt Linda and Uncle Bob found themselves in the possession of 6 tickets to go see Sugarland, so I -along with my friend, Dezarae- were able to tag along! We arrived, ate a loaded baked potato and funnel cake, and sat down to watch the cowboys ride!
After some heart-pumping action, Sugarland took the stage and gave an amazing performance. It's events like these that make me glad I'm from H-town. :) ..a little bit of country meets city.
Our stadium converts into a rodeo utopia!
Linda asked me to take this pic- Bob's company is a rodeo sponsor
Bullfighters work as clowns to help the riders dismount after they ride-
To be honest, I thought it would be a bit easier than it actually was. It was basically an hour of aerobics with a song on each end to warm-up/ cool-down. I thoroughly enjoyed the workout and was a bit surprised at how hard my heart was pumping... way to go zumba... you had me red as a tomato and sweaty as a fat kid in a sauna. :)
PS- Classes are only $6 (or 10 for $40), everyone should try it at least once!
Today was quite the eventful day! Well, sort of... I sat around quite a lot, but a LOT happened!
I arrived at 1pm to the Princess Restaurant on the Southwest side of Houston and sat quietly with three other girls in a lounge as we waited for our Bollywood Fashion Show audition. Although I arrived 10min early, I was the last of the four to arrive. A woman named Arushi introduced herself and explained that we were still waiting on about 10 girls; then she laughed and told us she usually takes into consideration "Indian Standard Time, but that shouldn't affect us..." Oye. (3 white girls and a girl from El Salvador) We waited a few minutes, but no one else arrived.
The entire audition consisted of walking... of course, it was for a fashion show. I remembered the classes I took at Mayo Hill in high school and recalled seeing this done on America's Next Top model for casting calls. They turned on the music, and we took turns walking across the small wooden dance floor... inserting turns and posing at the end of the "runway" as we saw fit. Initially, I thought the whole audition process was a bit silly... I mean, really... walking, but after watching everyone, I could see that a few of us were more comfortable- whether it because we were in heels or because people were watching us. We were critiqued and given suggestions for our walk (one man told me to put more bounce in my walk), and then we were all told we were in. Cool! I was an inch shorter than the prerequisite height, but sometimes showing up counts for a lot. :)
By this time, more people had arrived- maybe 2 dozen Indian models who would be in the show, as well. (They had begun rehearsals a couple weeks ago.) I sat down and waited for my part of the rehearsal -I was cast in the "tunic section" AKA the tiny, high-schooler section. Oh well, no complaints from me- I have a solo and am promised something really great to wear. I am told my walk is very strong and I should really "make it spectacular" because I will be representing the East-meets-West.
I practice, I chat, I eat samosas, and then I head to Nikki's house (coordinator of another fashion show) where I watch rehearsals and wait to go to the fitting at the Kemaya boutique in Sugarland. One of the guys made the mistake of joking with me to lead the dance I had just watched... I guess he forgot I was a dancer- maybe not officially trained in these styles- but I sure did get up and do it. Nikki immediately asked me to be in her fashion show this April. Hah!
The fitting went well. I was first given a silver set: a long, tulip-style skirt and a dulled, sequined top to match; the designer was very proud of this piece, but our coordinators convinced her I needed something flashier. I tried on a beautiful black beaded sari/gown... well, I shimmied into it. ;) It looked amazing and the coordinators were much more pleased with this selection... I did see a note, however, that our designer may be making something different- time will tell, the show is March 20th!
I had to laugh as I was driving down the feeder road to the highway today.... miles upon miles of horse droppings. LOL! There was nothing to do but drive right through them just like everyone else!
You might wonder why there was not only horse droppings on the main streets of Houston, but MILES of horse droppings. Well, ya see folks, it's rodeo time! Every year, when the rodeo comes to H-town, there is a parade of horses and covered wagons that take the main roads into the city for the big shows. That is what I was following (along with a few other traffic-lodged vehicles... traveling horses are just no competition for an automobile, I'm afraid.)
Hopefully I'll get to make it out to one of the shows this year. It's amazing; the rodeo has broadened it's horizons and not only offers huge country stars as a source of big-show entertainment, but artists such as Janet Jackson, Kid Rock and KISS will be performing this year. (Pretty cool, huh?)
I met another great couple at the crepe restaurant this week! The girl is from London -with some time in the Netherlands- and the guy is from Alabama...they are absolutely delightful and have been married 3yrs! I actually spent quite a bit of time talking with them (business was slow when they came in), and besides exchanging jokes (I've got a really good one about super Mario) we exchanged love stories. :)
They also gave me the name of an amazing website that said was of great use to them when Mrs. was trying to gain her US visa. (For some reason I felt it inappropriate to ask their names... despite them asking mine.. Hrmph.) Anyways, this great site is called visajourney.com. "It puts you in touch with a community of people going through exactly the same thing as you are." Cool. :) Mrs. said it saved them a ton of legal fees and they were able to accomplish everything for about $1,000. "It was hard, but if we had to do it all over again, we would do it exactly the same way... we definitely think it was the best way to do it." The world is good. There is information and friends to be had anywhere... I guess you just have to open your eyes and smile a little bit.
A couple days ago, Abel mentioned wanting to build a treehouse in the future (Actually, he asked my permission). The random request led us to researching the most amazing treehouses -and tree restaurants- known to man.
I came across a beautifully original concept- It's called Free Spirit Spheres. They are pods that hang from the trees (and can be purchased for a mere $50,000). ...not bad when you compare it to the price of a 'normal' house. ;) Anyways, it is a mini-suspended-apartment... very Tarzan and Jane (with basic amenities). Heh... is it surprising I gave serious thought to this?
I guess we could try it out for a night or two; there are rooms for rent in Vancouver!
It's been about a month since I started working at CoCo's... a small crepe and coffee shop located in a cute little shopping center quite close to where I live. The commute is only 7 or 8 minutes up the freeway, so it's a big plus.
Working at the shop has it's ups and downs. No, it's not a dream job. Yes, I get to meet interesting people. No, there's no dancing. Yes, I get free crepes at mealtime. It's a give-and-take situation; a hold-me-over type job. It's filling the void of some income at the time, and I may be developing necessary skills for the future... I think the biggest is learning from a perfectionist boss. I really like him -I love that he has so much pride in his work- but he makes me look a little careless in his wake. Every angle of every coffee bag is exact, his crepes are impeccable, his pots and pans spotless. I like doing a good job, but I enjoy the interaction with people a thousand times more than straightening sugar packets.
The crowd varies greatly from day to day. Business is typically slow (thus the straightening of sugar packets), but I do enjoy when it's slow enough to converse with the customers. I've been invited to sit and join more than one table- regretfully refusing because I'm on the clock. An old war veteran from Vietnam, a young world-traveler from down the street, a group of high, college-age kids from Austin, a businessman who practices his German with a thin, red-headed woman who orders cinnamon butter crepes... I like the diversity. I like the fact that I can put a story with my customers.
Today was yet another reminder of how much I like spending time with kids. We may not speak the same language or exchange words at all, but funny faces can go quite a ways! I still can't imagine having a child of my own right now (and I feel it's odd that so many mothers tell me I'm lucky to be without for the time being), but I feel some of the fear of parenthood melting away as time goes on.
I spent the morning with a client and her 3yo daughter- she was gorgeous... sporting a two-toned pink sweater and soft, brown curls in the Barnes & Noble Starbucks where we had our meeting. We had light conversation and I supplied her with drawing materials while her mother sorted out an issue over the phone. Nice.
Later, I was surprised by the presence of a 4yo at my sister's crocheting party. (sidenote: I realize Casey is only 24, but she is an old soul!) She invited neighbors and friends from church and work to teach them crochet basics and to help with more complicated patterns for the advanced ladies. :) It made me so happy to see how pleased Casey was with her party... I must admit, it was quite the success.
Anyways, I was doing my best to help out Casey's friends with the basics when Monsoui came in with her mother. She stole my heart right away. I felt like she probably would be quite bored without a playmate, so I stepped in and we had a ball! We discussed what sort of character was depicted in her shiny red shoes, we spied on people's feet from underneath the couch and we talked about how delicious broccoli is. Kids are awesome.
It began with my introductory session at a local yoga studio: Dahn Yoga. It was interesting- more of an analysis than an introduction. We began with some ballistic stretching (bouncing in each stretch to reach beyond your typical abilities... not recommended by OCU) and then continued to some balancing exercises. My instructor informed me that because I balanced better with my eyes open, it was a clue that I was externally focused. I'm fairly certain everyone balances better with their eyes open, but I tried to keep an open mind about his analysis.
After balancing, I laid down and concentrated on relaxing and breathing. My shallow and abnormal breathing was a giveaway that my heart chakra is blocked. This was apparently confirmed when Jason checked my internal organs. "And how might someone check your internal organs?" you might ask- with a very strong and sure hand. With each exhalation, Jason shaped his hand into a blade and wriggled it uncomfortably into the depths of my abdomen. I was sure I could feel popping sensations inside each nearly-punctured organ... I guess it was air trapped somewhere beneath the surface. I must say, more than a few doctor's would be impressed at how far Jason's hand traveled without breaking through the skin... He definitely could have wrapped his hand around my stomach or intestines; it reminded me of the scene from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom where some poor schmuck gets his heart ripped out while he's still alive.
Anyways, Jason was nice- and he gave me some insight to how balancing and opening my chakras will make me a happier person. ::sigh:: Perhaps he's right (I know Abel would agree), but the steady nature of his eyes didn't convince me that he believed everything he was saying. He spoke a little too calmly with a painted on smile... and his eyes never changed to reflect the joy or excitement of the concepts he spoke of. I just wasn't convinced.
After leaving the yoga studio, I decided it was time I search for a part time position to supplement my income. I drove towards the house (jobs that aren't dream jobs have to include minimal commute to be bearable), and stopped at a shopping center near the mall. There is a store called the Vitamin Shoppe that I supposed I could work at with a little pride, so I drove up to park. I passed the store three times before I convinced myself to stop and go in; there was an epic battle going on between my pride and humility. Humility finally won -for the moment- and I walked in with my chin up to ask for an application.
I drove a bit closer to home and entered the same shopping center that I used to serve organic pizza at. I applied humbly at a few restaurants and received some advice to head to the mall, "A few stores are always hiring: Victoria's Secret, Abercrombie, Hollister, the Buckle..." I nodded and thanked the lady at the cupcake shop for her advice before heading to the mall.
My pride is pretty crushed by this point, but I applied at Victoria's Secret and stopped in at the Buckle... I couldn't convince myself to step into the cologne-ridden caves of the other two stores.
On my way out of the mall, I decided to spend my Macy's gift card and was pleasantly surprised to find an all-natural, hand-made cosmetic counter. Well, it was really more of a section of the floor filled with a number of tables and counters than one actual counter, but it was magnificent. The shop inside Macy's was called lush. The lady at the front counter was very accommodating and explained all of their lovely, vegetarian and vegan products. There were huge wheels of natural soap on display that are cut to your needs (I've never seen anything like it). I received a hand-treatment and watched their solid shampoo lather in the water- that's right, solid shampoo. I am sure I sniffed every available scent at least twice. I was so overwhelmed by the diversity of natural products I wanted to try, that I must have spent an hour wandering aimlessly on that small piece of floor. I finally decided on a couple soaps, a solid shampoo bar, and a solid fragrance called "Breath of God." I inquired about a job and went on my merry way... this is a job I think I'd like.
