Just A Morning

Upon checking the date this morning, the following thought occurred to me,

"Shit! It's October? And Janis Joplin was already DEAD by 27!"

(The photo on the right is meant to indicate that I am unimpressed with my late start in artistic achievements and am about to GET SERIOUS).

At the Movies
On Sunday I began a new screenplay, because I just don't have enough unfinished projects at the moment...

I have made an interesting proposition to myself over a cup of Rooibos this morning: absolutely every character has to be consciously (loosely) based on someone I know or at least have met personally.

Perhaps you will all feel violated, but I think it is a really interesting exercise in observation, imagination, and extrapolation and anyway, you don't really have a choice so...yeah.

But have no fear, Kokoru-Kamam: The Movie is still canoeing along slowly but surely and I hope you will hear a lot about more about it in the coming months. I was able to view the first two hours of footage last week and much to my relief and delight it was not 120 minutes of fuzz, snow, blurry fog or weird audio (okay, there is a really weird sound problem in one scene when the boys playing the bamboo drums are like 100 times louder than the old men singing with them - but I have confidence that some audio specialist somewhere knows how to fix it and actually it kind of looks sort of cool and surreal and even maybe like I did it on purpose.)

When the appropriate funds manifest to purchase a computer more vibrant and capable than this terminally disabled laptop, the editing process will begin in earnest.

On the Waterfront
And for those of you who heard about the tsunami warnings here yesterday, at the end of the day Auckland City was not swept into the sea. Please re-direct your concern and prayers to those in the Philippines, Samoa and Indonesia for the time being...

Where Are You My Only One?

If you live in Wellington, and even if you don't, I would run (not walk) to see
Where Are You My Only One? at Circa Theatre.

It was without a doubt the (accidental) highlight of my weekend in Welly.

When I have some more time, I will be more than happy to pontificate as to why it was such a moving and beautiful experience, but I want to post this as soon as possible because I actually don't want to risk even just one more soul NOT seeing this play because I don't have time to write a proper review right now.

It was that awesome.

"Don't you just love eating while watching fitness videos?"

That is the current quote of the week (which changes daily), as agreed upon by the fabulous Dryden street flatmates.

It seems like only a moment ago I had no job and now I apparently have 5. This occurred to me when I realized it's 12:15 a.m. and I have been "working" on the computer far too long and far too late for an allegedly unemployed person.

These are all my new jobs, some of which I have already begun and some of which are due to start upon my return from my trip to New Plymouth next week.

In order of hilariousness to most expected...

1) working for a temp agency being a daycare supply teacher (favourite/worst-paying)
2) being a PA (probably soon to be favourite)
3) random babysitting for families I am meeting in the park
4) teaching yoga & fitness classes at a gym
5) doing Ayurvedic nutrition therapy
6) sorting out the whole yoga/workshop/retreat operation (with potential cool new partners)

Okay, so 6. And I think there may be a couple others I've forgotten as well.

So, yeah, pretty much my old life in Toronto with some exciting new twists, different characters and scenery, and a healthier more relaxed perspective on it all.

Now I just need to manifest some acting work and I can call it The Life I Want.

Cruisin'

So I drove ALL around downtown Auckland yesterday (a busy shopper's Saturday at that) and nobody died!

Take THAT, Other Side of the Road!

P.S. A very special shoutout to my new flatmate Andrew who lent me both his vehicle and confidence for the afternoon. Quote of the week: "I mean, I would prefer if you didn't smash up my car, but, like, it's okay if you do..."

In Hindsight...

When you go to an audition dressed as a professional businesswoman and the auditioner compliments your shoes, maybe you shouldn't exclaim, "Thanks! Can you believe it? Only $3 at the Salvation Army!"

But...you know...what's done is done...

:)

Life in Auckland

...is like a dream come true.

So far.
So good.

A New Chapter

This photo doesn't really have to do with anything...it is just of me buying dried cherries in Jerusalem like eight months ago. But I really like dried cherries. And it just seemed relevant. I hope you can understand.

It is the end of an insanely busy day at the end of an insanely busy week, which, come to think of it, is rounding off a pretty busy month.

Tomorrow I leave New Plymouth again for Auckland, and though I know I will be back here in just three weeks for a few days, it feels a bit like the end of an era.

The era of what exactly, I'm not sure.

But this is definitely the end of something, whatever it is, and the beginning of something else entirely.

As of tomorrow afternoon, I will officially live in Auckland.

For the first time in three and a half years, I will be moving somewhere without knowing it is just a temporary stopover. "Just a few months at the ashram before Peace Corps." "Just a few months in Switzerland before Vanuatu." "Just two years on this island before The Rest of My Life," etc, etc...

I mean, in the strictest sense of things, this whole lifetime is a temporary stopover, but you know what I mean...

I will have a home. I will have an address. I may even have matching plates before you know it.

Some items I can't wait to purchase include:
-a bicycle
-a guitar
-tealight holders
-a mug
-some crystals
-organic foot creme (not 'cream' - there is a world of difference)
-a dimmer switch

I am easily thrilled.

Some urban activities I can't wait to partake in:
-drop-in dance classes
-late-night sushi runs
-finding "my cafe"
-exploring used bookstores
-obtaining a library card
-finding a chanting group

And all of the obvious things like seeing live theatre, arthouse cinema, kiwi indie bands, etc...

And then, of course, there is the greener side of Auckland, one of the main reasons why I was first drawn to the city: the beach, the bush, the ranges - just a hop, skip, and a jump from the pulse of urbanity.

Life, in general, seems to be getting easier as it continues. I certainly have my moments, or, you know, my hours, and, okay, there's the occasional four-hour stretch or so, but the general trend of this whole life thing seems to be gently spiraling upwards.

So, there's that...

...you know?