I am alive and kicking!! No, really.

So yes, I know it has been forever and a couple days (5 to be exact) since I last posted anything. The last couple weeks have been filled with preparing for family and then having family here. Since those individuals represent something close to 98.625% of my readership I didn't really worry all that much about updating things. But now I am once again a lonely Yank so everybody can look forward to lots of more fun stuff.

Tomorrow....

"I gots meself a job!!" and T-Minus 19 days Part Deux

Yep that's right campers, I have finally joined the ranks of the gainfully employed. Hmmmm...maybe I should rephrase that as considering my wages, the total amount of hours I will currently have, and the price of living out here "gainfully" seems like a bit of a stretch. At least employed is accurate. After having nearly lost all hope, in a whirlwind two hours yesterday I nabbed two jobs. First, I will be teaching drama in English once a month to a bunch of adults. Details on that whole thing to follow. For those of you keeping track, yes, this is that crazy job that I interviewed for a couple weeks ago and with which I had no idea what was happening. My other job is at an organic anglophone bakery named Rose Bakery. A big huge thanks goes to Megan Campisi for giving me the lead and more or less the job as when I dropped her name they hired me on the spot. They weren't even going to look at my CV ("resume" to us yanks). So things move forward...

...sort of. Thought I would check up on how good ole Neuf was doing with my internet access. Accordingly to their real time update system I am still 19 days out. A little wierd as I have been recieving all the appropriate information in the mail at the times they said. It wouldn't shock me one bit to find out that their real time updater isn't the least bit accurate. The only question is in which manner is it wrong. Gonna have one of my Francophone buddies help me call them tomorrow to find out what is going on. I will keep everyone updated.

Oh yeah, and as of 5:27 on Friday, no lice.

T-Minus 19 Days and Lice...that's right Lice

My highspeed internet connection is now within reach. I have been promised by Neuf that everything should be humming along in 19 days. Thank God! I can almost taste it.

Speaking of tasting things, we received a killer bunch of news at school yesterday. Apparently a couple students have informed the school that they have lice. Yeah, lice. Like those things that you get when you're in 5th grade. Apparently they are quiet common in France. France's first world standing, if you ask me, is teetering precariously. I'm half expecting next week to be informed that pink eye or chicken pox has broken out, and to recieve a letter that has to be signed by my parents before I'm allowed back in school.

Emily was exceedingly glad to hear the news. It was sorta like, "Hey hun, can't wait to see you next week. Hopefully I won't have eggs laid in my hair by the time you get here."

Hmmmm....do you think you have to declare them at customs?

Meta-meta-blogging

So this entry begins by talking about people talking about my blogging. You see it has become known to a small handful at school that I am keeping a blog. I have been informed by two friends who shall remain nameless (Lizzie and Kate) that this is because I can’t shut up about it. I have also been informed by two people who shall once again remain nameless (my two favorite Brits Lizze, and Kate) that it is a blog that is so distinctly written by an American, and a vain one at that. My how the ladies doth protest. You see for two people who talk quite a bit of smack about (translation for you Brits: “taking the piss with”) the silliness of me writing a blog they have both seemed to have reviewed it quite thoroughly. One (Katie) can recreate the poses of my couch pictures perfectly. The other (Lizzie) referenced a comment made by Emily on one of my very first postings – there are a lot of links you have to hit to find that comment nowadays. My writing must be so obnoxious that it warrants spending a vast amount of time, which none of us really have with class and all, reading and reviewing it.

As for the vain American bit, I take insults from citizens of the 51st State lightly. It’s not their fault, they just don’t know any better. Anyways, I am about to be a passport carrying brethren of theirs. No need to pick a fight quite yet. As President Bush has shown us, sweet talk ‘em now so that you can screw ‘em over later.

Hmmmm…why do I have a feeling I am going to live to regret this entry? Oh well, such are the dangers of mocking smart and resourceful people.

But just to guarantee sure that I do regret this, I’ll throw in this lovely little thinger.

Hellooooo Lizzie!


Oh by the way dear ladies, be careful with the reprisals. If necessary I’m sure I could get my hands on Blake’s pictures from Friday night. We may be dumb, but we Americans stick together and we know how to fight dirty.

Cheers, chaps! Or as we Yanks like to say, “Bring it.”

An apology to those not directly involved in this little intercontinental tease-fest. Inside jokes suck, I know. I promise not to commit this crime again. Just had to put the royals in their place.

Kyle is a dumby

Guess what I found in the pocket of my pants today, a pair which I have not worn in a little over a week? My USB stick. The lesson to be learned here? Rotate your wardrobe a little bit more frequently. I feel that I should be experiencing some sort of relief from all this or maybe at least some excitement from not having lost all my goodies. Not so much. Nope, really its only good for a semi-interesting blog entry. Weeee!

Our Explorer Returns

It’s taken a week, but finally I am back. After having journaled for a good portion of my life I have realized that its always the times that you have the least time to write that are the best and most important times to be doing so. This last week is no exception. I probably should have been blogging, as much has happened. So much has happened that blogging has been the last thing on my mind.

Let’s just hit some highlights. Last Thursday, Kyle left his USB stick in the internet café. Suckalo, yes, but no big deal, right? Not so much. First, it was not returned. Second, my entire life for the last seven years is on that stick. Third, a great deal of very, very vital info is on that stick, so vital that I wound up having to cancel every single one of my credit cards and change every single one of my passwords online. It was all encrypted, but who wants to take a chance. I do apologize to everyone who was at the wedding. The entire mailing list was on that stick. I’m sure if whoever has the stick wanted to they could fetch a nifty sum selling that info.

Next up, Kyle battled with France Telecom and finally won. I have myself a landline FINALLY!! Now it should only be about three weeks before I can get highspeed. The French Telecommunications industry rivals the dumbest industries in the world for idiotic bureaucracy junk. No really. Really really. But I’m past that now. I prevailed, and I even did so in broken French. That’s right, I managed to accomplish an entire task, other than ordering food, working solely in French. Woot! For those of you wondering why I needed a landline, basically it is mandatory to get highspeed. Backwards? Yes, but that’s just the way things are. That should be the French national motto. The one advantage is that calling me is MUCH cheaper. A calling card from the States that only provided 100 minutes of calling time to my cell now provides over 1000. Not so bad.

Also during this period Kyle got sick. Staying up to the wee hours in the morning at the internet café changing all your passwords will do that to you. I was already teetering on the edge of sickness, but that did me in. Thankfully, the next day after having slept for thirteen straight hours – yes, thirteen, I basically went into hibernation – I came out kicking and headed out for my first truly successful night on the town. While the nighttime transit options in Paris are embarrassingly awful they certainly know how to do live music clubs. I danced to funk, soul, blues, pop, Edith Piaf covers, lots of random French stuff, and much much more performed by a band clothed only in bathrobes all night long with a German classmate. It was truly wonderful. Biggest difference was that most of the music was partner dance kind of stuff, not much mindless solo bumping and grinding like the States. It actually challenged me a bit. I am going to have to diversify my moves. Apparently, I fared well enough though as I was invited by another classmate to tango lessons the next day. Although I did not manage to make it, I consider it a pretty good sign.

Classes continue to inspire and challenge. We have moved on and begun working with the infamous neutral mask in improv class. That thing is wild. My first two experiences in it had to be among the most intimidating of my life. I have never felt so vacant or insufficient in my life. I have now found at least some sort of momentary balance with it, an avenue into its world, but each day it teaches me more and more. Our movement classes have taken on a new and extremely strenuous tempo. Gone are the days of just dealing with one or two elements each class. We now work furiously and fluidly reviewing, building, and introducing new avenues of exploration. I’m naturally a person who sweats anyway, but I probably lose my body weight each class in perspiration – and this in a room that’s probably only like 65 or 70 degrees. An interesting piece of knowledge I picked up yesterday; I now finally know the 17 steps of miming the climbing of a wall. Bet you are all jealous now. Suckaz! Yep I know how to walk through water, the 7 levels of tension, the 6 stages of discovery, how to run and move as one with a group of others, how to push and pull like the best of them, and that walking is truly the most complicated thing to do on stage. No really. Really really.

Ok, I’m signing off. Last week I took some pics for a little guided tour of my building that hopefully I will be able to post shortly. Until then, hang in there. The days of long typed out monologues will come to an end shortly. 3 weeks till I am wired!!

I got a job!! Well sorta...maybe...

Today I had the most interesting interview process of my life. I interviewed for a job, and basically got hired, for a job that neither I nor my future possible boss knows whether it exists or not. Yeah, strange. Basically, if this drama class happens, which it may or may not, and if this teacher from last year decides whether to do it or not, which she may or may not, it sounds like I will most likely have the job. I hope you notice that there was not a single definite statement in that last sentance. Who knows whats going on? Who interviews people for positions that they dont even know if they need to fill? Soooooo strange.

The not so good news is that even if I get the job it looks like its not going to be enough hours. Decent wages, though they are "official", but not enough hours to make things work. Doh. Back to the drawing board.

Exhaustion continued this morning. In fact, it was bad enough that I asked Mary whether she knew what the symptoms of mono were. Fortunately, I am feeling much better this afternoon after having made extra sure that I was packing away the calories. I think my biggest problem is that surviving on baguettes, cheese, and liquor may work for artsy disgruntled writers, poets, and painters, but it kinda comes up a little short for people training in physical theatre. And here I was thinking that the reappearance of the line of my obliques had something to do with the rebuilding of muscle. Hah!

And that's all the news fit to print. Getting ready for a butchering tomorrow at our autocours presentation. Didn't seem to come together this week for our group. I may be wrong...but I don't think I am. I think I'll wear black in anticipation of the funerial nature of the process. Hmmm...guess that really doesn't make much of a statement. We all wear black. Every day. We're artists.