Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Placeholder
I know! I know! I've been a terrible blogger and I promise that I will try my best to get some posts up this week and continue on with the daily photo but the next couple weeks are going to be busy/interesting/chaotic and so what posts I do make will probably be short. I will fill you in once the dust settles.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Photo of the Day
Because I miss London and have recently been discussing the possibility of going there for Christmas to visit my Mum, here is a photo of Lambeth Bridge (I think) over the Thames River in London.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Photo of the Day
R bursts a water ballon on the sidewalk during a vicious water fight in the backyard.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Green
Two friends of mine have gotten jobs in the theatre for the fall. A professional Equity theatre that has the ability to grant Equity status to those who work there. (Equity is the actor/stage manager theatre union here in Canada and can be a difficult world to navigate. I will most definitely be posting more on that later.) Normally Equity can take several years to get into but there is a way to get around that by being sponsored for membership by an Equity theatre. Which both my friends are receiving as I understand it.
I am completely overjoyed and happy for both of them. The first is a close friend and stage manager who definitely has a guaranteed career in front of her. Probably the best stage manager I've ever worked with. If anyone deserves to be "fast tracked" into a career it's her.
The second friend is an actor. And again, I am ecstatic for her. She has always been a "force to be reckoned with" in our university theatre. Plus she's probably the most lovely and kind person I know.
But I can't help feeling just a little bit jealous, and it's totally unfounded.
Besides the fact that my friend more than deserves this wonderful opportunity and has definitely worked hard for it, I also am nowhere near the place in my career to be wanting or needing Equity membership. I've only really known I want to be an actor for the past year or so and have recognized that in order to do so I need a lot more training before jumping into the business.
So why this jealousy when I know I'm not ready to be trying for the same level of achievement that my friends have?
I think maybe my jealousy stems not from a desire to have immediate success in an acting career or from contempt for anyone who achieves this before me, but from a disappointment in myself for not realizing my true career aspirations earlier. I feel like if I had been sure of my acting abilities and my desire to pursue acting as a career, and not just a pastime, even two to three years before I did, I would have been more likely to seek out more consistent and rigorous training, instead of the occasional class or audition for a school show.
However, I did not discover any of this three years ago and so my first combatant against this disappointment, disguised as jealousy of my friends and colleagues, has to be acceptance of what I can accomplish now with the skills I do have and focus on what I can do to improve on those skills so I can achieve my dreams.
I am completely overjoyed and happy for both of them. The first is a close friend and stage manager who definitely has a guaranteed career in front of her. Probably the best stage manager I've ever worked with. If anyone deserves to be "fast tracked" into a career it's her.
The second friend is an actor. And again, I am ecstatic for her. She has always been a "force to be reckoned with" in our university theatre. Plus she's probably the most lovely and kind person I know.
But I can't help feeling just a little bit jealous, and it's totally unfounded.
Besides the fact that my friend more than deserves this wonderful opportunity and has definitely worked hard for it, I also am nowhere near the place in my career to be wanting or needing Equity membership. I've only really known I want to be an actor for the past year or so and have recognized that in order to do so I need a lot more training before jumping into the business.
So why this jealousy when I know I'm not ready to be trying for the same level of achievement that my friends have?
I think maybe my jealousy stems not from a desire to have immediate success in an acting career or from contempt for anyone who achieves this before me, but from a disappointment in myself for not realizing my true career aspirations earlier. I feel like if I had been sure of my acting abilities and my desire to pursue acting as a career, and not just a pastime, even two to three years before I did, I would have been more likely to seek out more consistent and rigorous training, instead of the occasional class or audition for a school show.
However, I did not discover any of this three years ago and so my first combatant against this disappointment, disguised as jealousy of my friends and colleagues, has to be acceptance of what I can accomplish now with the skills I do have and focus on what I can do to improve on those skills so I can achieve my dreams.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Photo of the Day
A cattail in the Sackville NB. Waterfowl Park. A favourite place of mine in the Sack to just walk and think. I find especially beautiful at the very beginning of spring when everything is still this beige(y) brown from the winter months.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Moving On: Part Two
Without realizing it, I have been living in real estate bliss. Though my previous apartments in the small town of Sackville NB. may have been a bit run-down I have definitely begun to appreciate them a lot more now that I've faced the possibility of paying $800-$1000 a month for much smaller, much dirtier apartments in the city. So a few weeks ago, with the news I had gotten into Neptune Theatre's training program and wouldn't be able to work full time, I re-adjusted my living needs and resigned myself to living with a roommate again. So F and I were back together and looking for a place to call home in Halifax.
Now with a roommate I was confident I could find a real "adult" apartment that would not have holes or sketchy landlords, and would be within the price range I had set myself earlier when looking for a single apartment. Unfortunately my roommate was not quite on the same page. F was still willing to sacrifice some quality for price. So I took a minute, tamed my control freak tendencies, and dove back into the search with a lower range but determined not to give up my dream of a sophisticated adult apartment. I also have to mention that this apartment hunt was largely conducted by myself, though through no fault of F's of course. She is currently interning for the summer back in Sackville and therefore doesn't have the ability to come looking with me, but had to watch from afar as I pulled my hair out in frustration.
Before now, I had never realized how ruthless this apartment hunting business was in larger city. The Sackville process is easy, see apartment, like the apartment, tell landlord, sign lease. But in the city there's appointments and applications and credit checks and reference checks and previous landlord checks and car checks and check cheques. It felt like a circus. And that wasn't even the hard part. Just making appointments seemed to be a hurdle I could not jump. I mainly used Kijiji to find places and people to contact and spent the majority of my time emailing and calling various landlords but with no luck. It wasn't that I wasn't finding places that suited our needs but that I was having trouble getting people to call me back. You'd think when trying to rent out your apartment you would actually respond to potential tenants. When I finally got to talk to someone and make an appointment to see a place, more often then not it was cancelled because they had rented the place to someone else.
After a month of seriously looking I was starting to get worried and extremely frustrated. I was close to giving up and declaring my new home under the McDonald Bridge in a refrigerator box, when I got a call to see a place during my lunch break.
It was an ad for a basement apartment I had responded to. I hadn't really given much thought to it because neither F nor I really wanted to live in a basement apartment but at this point I was willing to try anything. I went over on my break and found two guys standing outside the apartment waiting to see it as well. "Well shit," was probably the first thought that went through my mind. I didn't want to have to compete with them. The landlord shows up and lets us into the apartment and the minute I walk in I'm amazed.
Let me just say that I have never really been impressed by basement apartments before. I don't know why but I just have never really seen one I like that much.
However, this place looked awesome. New hardwood floors, a very new looking kitchen with white cupboards and one of those ovens in the wall separate from the stove. I've always love the idea and look of those! The kitchen leads down a step into a cosy living-room, off which are the bedrooms. And get this! The heating is IN THE FLOORS! I'm pretty sure that is the most exciting aspect of it for me. That when people come over in the winter and are like "Oh my feet are so warm!" I can say all nonchalantly, "Oh yea, our heating is in the floors." Anyway.......I love this apartment and while I'm off daydreaming about what furniture would look best in the living-room and what colour tea-towels would match the kitchen decor, the other guys looking at the apartment are bonding with the landlord. Apparently they come from the same area/town/county in the maritimes, which is basically like discovering you're long lost siblings out here. Then he turns to me and asks where I'm from and I cringe inwardly. Being from Toronto isn't going to win me any brownie points. It's a well known fact that the rest of Canada hates Toronto and doesn't regard people from there very highly. Something I will probably write more on later. I briefly consider lying, but figure that will come back to bite me in the ass, so I just tell the truth and wait for the comments to begin. Instead he just says "Oh, you don't seem like you're from Toronto." I take it as a compliment and a few minutes later I leave with an application in hand.
I want this apartment. I'm tired of looking and this place is the perfect combination of what F and I want. Sophisticated "adult" look for a reasonable price, $1,100 a month with everything included except internet. I call F the minute I get back to the office. I want to get the application in before the other two guys. I get all the info we need and call the landlord back to arrange a time to give him the application. To my surprise, and delight, he tells me that F and I can have the apartment, no application needed. He thinks we're much better candidates than the other guys and usually prefers to rent to girls anyway. HA! Talk that boys! We arrange a time to go over the lease and everything is settled.
Now the lease is signed the deposit paid and we move in on September 1st. I have no photos to post yet but will definitely be putting some up after moving day. 20 days to go!
Now with a roommate I was confident I could find a real "adult" apartment that would not have holes or sketchy landlords, and would be within the price range I had set myself earlier when looking for a single apartment. Unfortunately my roommate was not quite on the same page. F was still willing to sacrifice some quality for price. So I took a minute, tamed my control freak tendencies, and dove back into the search with a lower range but determined not to give up my dream of a sophisticated adult apartment. I also have to mention that this apartment hunt was largely conducted by myself, though through no fault of F's of course. She is currently interning for the summer back in Sackville and therefore doesn't have the ability to come looking with me, but had to watch from afar as I pulled my hair out in frustration.
Before now, I had never realized how ruthless this apartment hunting business was in larger city. The Sackville process is easy, see apartment, like the apartment, tell landlord, sign lease. But in the city there's appointments and applications and credit checks and reference checks and previous landlord checks and car checks and check cheques. It felt like a circus. And that wasn't even the hard part. Just making appointments seemed to be a hurdle I could not jump. I mainly used Kijiji to find places and people to contact and spent the majority of my time emailing and calling various landlords but with no luck. It wasn't that I wasn't finding places that suited our needs but that I was having trouble getting people to call me back. You'd think when trying to rent out your apartment you would actually respond to potential tenants. When I finally got to talk to someone and make an appointment to see a place, more often then not it was cancelled because they had rented the place to someone else.
After a month of seriously looking I was starting to get worried and extremely frustrated. I was close to giving up and declaring my new home under the McDonald Bridge in a refrigerator box, when I got a call to see a place during my lunch break.
It was an ad for a basement apartment I had responded to. I hadn't really given much thought to it because neither F nor I really wanted to live in a basement apartment but at this point I was willing to try anything. I went over on my break and found two guys standing outside the apartment waiting to see it as well. "Well shit," was probably the first thought that went through my mind. I didn't want to have to compete with them. The landlord shows up and lets us into the apartment and the minute I walk in I'm amazed.
Let me just say that I have never really been impressed by basement apartments before. I don't know why but I just have never really seen one I like that much.
However, this place looked awesome. New hardwood floors, a very new looking kitchen with white cupboards and one of those ovens in the wall separate from the stove. I've always love the idea and look of those! The kitchen leads down a step into a cosy living-room, off which are the bedrooms. And get this! The heating is IN THE FLOORS! I'm pretty sure that is the most exciting aspect of it for me. That when people come over in the winter and are like "Oh my feet are so warm!" I can say all nonchalantly, "Oh yea, our heating is in the floors." Anyway.......I love this apartment and while I'm off daydreaming about what furniture would look best in the living-room and what colour tea-towels would match the kitchen decor, the other guys looking at the apartment are bonding with the landlord. Apparently they come from the same area/town/county in the maritimes, which is basically like discovering you're long lost siblings out here. Then he turns to me and asks where I'm from and I cringe inwardly. Being from Toronto isn't going to win me any brownie points. It's a well known fact that the rest of Canada hates Toronto and doesn't regard people from there very highly. Something I will probably write more on later. I briefly consider lying, but figure that will come back to bite me in the ass, so I just tell the truth and wait for the comments to begin. Instead he just says "Oh, you don't seem like you're from Toronto." I take it as a compliment and a few minutes later I leave with an application in hand.
I want this apartment. I'm tired of looking and this place is the perfect combination of what F and I want. Sophisticated "adult" look for a reasonable price, $1,100 a month with everything included except internet. I call F the minute I get back to the office. I want to get the application in before the other two guys. I get all the info we need and call the landlord back to arrange a time to give him the application. To my surprise, and delight, he tells me that F and I can have the apartment, no application needed. He thinks we're much better candidates than the other guys and usually prefers to rent to girls anyway. HA! Talk that boys! We arrange a time to go over the lease and everything is settled.
Now the lease is signed the deposit paid and we move in on September 1st. I have no photos to post yet but will definitely be putting some up after moving day. 20 days to go!
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