So it’s time to say goodbye to Brazil. I’ve really enjoyed my time here again; I experienced a lot of amazing things and saw even more wonderful places that Brazil has to offer. There were some rough patches and we are all excited to get up to Europe, but I am very happy that I returned to my second home with these crazy Brazilians! :D
For our last Ilha Grande, a group of us rented a speed boat to drive us to the Blue Lagoon on the other side of the island. We also rented snorkeling gear, and spent almost two hours swimming with the fishies and exploring the coast. Again, I felt just like Ariel, I even got closer to touching a fish! Pedro showed me coral that reacted to sound, if you snapped underwater they closed. We also discovered these weird looking fish that almost resembled squid and that changed colors to camouflage with their surroundings. Yuri found a giant starfish that we passed around and studied. It was bigger than my head!!!! I have absolutely fallen in love with these water activities. I have every intention of becoming scuba certified. I get anxious because the ocean is so massive and now that I’ve literally crossed the trans-atlantic, this is ever more real to me. I have the odd fascination with sharks and a desire to see them in the wild. BUT, not while I’m swimming! So, scuba diving is definitely a rollercoaster of emotions!
The morning of our last Buzios, Yuri led our group to the Turtle beach where we rented kayaks and worked our way around the coast of the island. It wasn’t until we rounded the bend in our kayaks and saw our ship that we realized just how far we had walked! We had tendered at the opposite side of the island! After enjoying the beach for a while, we headed back into the city. The others had to get back to the ship to work so Duncan and I headed to Mr. Brad’s Mexican Restaurant for some internet and good food. Then we hit the streets to shop for last minute souvenirs (mostly for him because I got mine last year! I did pick up another pair of shoes though… ;)
We treated Salvador as our last chance to pick up our souvenirs. I accumulated some more hand made jewelry and a cute blanket. Yuri helped me barter down the price for the throw, I’m such a sucker when it comes to that! After our final sail away from Salvador, we had officially started our crossing to Europe. These past sea days I’ve enjoyed the time off; sleeping in and reading a lot. I’ve kept active in the gym though, usually about two hours with Jessica. Then we watch the guest entertainers that were hired specifically for the crossing. There have been the good, the bad, and the TERRIBLE. Bottom of the list was no doubt Helvis, the Brazilian Elvis. My favorite is of course the Celine Dion impersonator, Tracy Shields, who performed last year too.
Jade, my G1 from last contract, has returned to the Vision. Only this time, she’s a guest entertainer! She booked an agent last year for her variety show she was performing during long voyages. Her and her husband have been taking their show all around the cruise ship world, from Norwegian Cruise Lines to Princess, and she is making her debut performance on Royal tomorrow. It’s been so nice to see them again and hear about their success.
Jessica and I both received VIC WOW cards for being “Very Important Crewmembers” and delivering the “WOW” for the ship. Pedro had given her one for helping at the rock wall and Wesley awarded me one as a thank you for taking on the role of G1 for two months. When someone receives a VIC card they get to choose from a list of special privileges. We chose room service and have greatly enjoyed that present for the first seven days of the crossing :D Now I can’t wait for real food back home, some Chipotle is calling my name!!!!
More to come after my first few ports in Europe!!! Love to all!!!!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Well, these past few days have been CRAZY, to say the least. Rewind time with me, if you will, to the end of February. My friend Ingrid, a dancer in the Brazilian cast, invited me and Jessica to her home in Rio. Her parent's picked us up in the port and took us to the National Park, where we took pictures in front of a waterfall and drove through the luscious scenery. The forest smelt of pine and made me miss home and think longingly of camping in the woods. We drove through the city on the way to their apartment, seeing the construction that was taking place in anticipation of Carnival. We relaxed in the comforts of Ingrid's room while her mom cooked us a beautiful meal. I ate scrambled eggs while the others enjoyed the meat she prepared, along with the rice and beans. She brought us Romeo & Juliet for desert, cheese and jam that is to die for :D It was so nice to get a peek into the personal life of a Brazilian family and remember how alike we really are, despite living in a different country, in another hemisphere, and speaking a completely different language. In some ways, our Ingrid life and my own are so different. But then I see how, because we are human, we are in more ways the same.
When we docked in Salvador, I decided to venture along the streets, my main goal was souvenirs. I hummed along to the music playing in the streets and lovingly looked at the small shops and vendors. Salvador's markets have possessed my attention; they are full of great finds from unique belts made of recycled bottle caps to beautiful canvas paintings. Today I was on a mission to find a specific man who sells jewelry made from everyday objects-dice, matchsticks, mirrors, etc. I bought earrings that were spoons wrapped around a seashell and another pair that had a purple crystal tied to a tiny key. After that I headed to the very building in front of which Michael Jackson filmed his music video for "They Don't Care About Us". This building sells pictures from the production and captures how Michael helped promote Olodum, and help the children of Brazil. It was crazy to walk in the exact place the legend was years ago.
In Ilheus, a new port for me, Derrick, Michelle, Jessica and I got off to explore the cute little town. We walked around for a bit before stopping into a whole in the wall place for some grub. It was my first dinner experience in Brazil and boy was it hectic! Our party was separated to different sections of the booth, it was that crowded. It's quite a thrill to be in the middle of mayhem and not understand a word anyone is saying! I had the best grilled cheese of my life, seriously, it was with a cheese that I don't think we have in the states. So delicious! We stopped at a vendor to get ice cream cones, thinking it was chocolate and vanilla. It actually turned out to be chocolate and coconut, which was an interesting combination. Not bad, but I prefer vanilla. The Brazilians use coconut in the most peculiar way; I've had it in a yogurt form (too weird for me) and seen it served in the salad bar. I believe coconut should be reserved for a desert topping, and shouldn't overwhelm the other flavors. Afterwards, we walked back to the center of the square and wandered into the church. It seemed like an older church on the inside, but the outside must have had recent renovations because it looked brand new.
In Ilha Grande, a group of us journeyed on a one hour hike to a giant waterfall in the middle of the island. It was exhausting; lots of step inclines and the heat of the Brazilian sun had us sweating uncontrollably. We felt very accomplished when we reached the waterfall and took a victory swim in the cool water. There were a few Brazilian boys who attempted to flirt with us girls and show off, only to make a fool out of themselves when one of them tried a dangerous stunt and slid into a rock. Boys will be boys, no matter what part of the world you are in. The hike down was much easier, and we treated ourselves to acai once we were back in town.
The cast took a personal hit a few days ago; one of our dancers was fired. He had become my close friend and things have gotten a lot harder on the ship without his charisma and sense of humor. I'm grateful that he lives in the states and especially because his home is in Boston and that's just a hop, skip, and a jump to Chicago!!! Sebastian and I learned in rehearsals that we had been living in LA at the same time, he had been there a year before me. It's crazy to think how different our lives would have been if we had known each other then. But everything happens for a reason and I'm glad he is in my life now! We have already discussed about taking classes in NY together and he is auditioning for various new dance jobs as we speak. I'm glad that he is pushing himself to take a next step and making the right choices for himself and his career.
We recently learned that Whitney, our original Girl 1, will be returning to us on the 21st. The company told us that Tatiana had her visa and everything was good to go but she made a decision to not come, something about her own career needed to come first. So then they said they would be sending a singer from Argentina who, according to the people who knew her from her previous contract, isn't a very good singer. She's a Girl 2 and struggled with the Girl 2 songs, so I don't know why they would promote her to Girl 1. Plus she doesn't know either of the shows, which would mean so much work for all of us! And she would most likely join us in Europe, meaning we would miss a lot of ports for rehearsal, places that we only go once! So Whintey is the best choice out of all the options, and I'm glad that she will be returning. Less work for us! YAY! So I will be enjoying my last few shows as a "singer" and bitter sweetly return to my position as underpaid dancer.
The last thing I have to blog about is regarding my most recent and greatest adventure yet. Last Ilha Bela, I went on a Discovery Dive of a ship wreck. I don't think I can do this anywhere else in the world because everywhere that I've looked into, you have to be certified to go scuba diving. But here, I was taught the bare minimum (as in, how to breath and the signals) and then the guide did the rest for me. He never let go of me, which is good because I would have floated away. It was such a rush and there's nothing else like it in the world that I can compare it too. I freaked out at first, when I was strapped into the heavy equipment, breathing with a tank and we were descending into the water. My mind was screaming profanities and I thought, what did I sign up for!? But I knew that I would only make things worse if I panicked. So I focused on breathing. This was hard because I had to think about not breathing in with my nose, which I always do. I also had to make sure my ears popped before I blew my ear drum out from the pressure. This was easy enough for me though, I just swallowed and they popped right away. Once I got into a rhythm of breathing, I began to look around and take in my surroundings. I was Ariel, the Little Mermaid. I was swimming with the fish, breathing underwater just like them! I tried to grab a few of them, but even as I swam through the schools of fish, I realized I would fail miserably as a shark because I wasn't even fast enough to touch them! I tried to understand the wreck and put together the pieces of the ship but it was like working on an ancient and rusted puzzle. The guide took me this way and that, around the massive ship. Like I said, I would have floated away without him because I was LOST. I came across the mast at one point and as I gained more courage to explore more, I couldn't help but get that eerie feeling, like it was a ghost ship. We were only under for 40 minutes and I ended up throwing up when I was back on the boat. I blame most of it on my curse of sea sickness but it could have also been extreme anticipation and thrill. I can't wait to get certified and travel around going on various dives. Once we were back on land and met up with our scuba diving instructor, Roddy, he informed us what ship we had just seen and the history behind it all. I was curious because where we dove wasn't that far from the island's coast. I thought all ship wrecks were in the middle of the ocean, like Titanic. So why was this one so close to shore? The ship we explored was an English ship called the Velasquez. It sank in 1908 near the lighthouse. Roddy explained that the island Ilha Bela was a place where sailors hid the slaves they were carrying until they could smuggle them into Brazil. The laws had been changed- you couldn't buy a slave but you could own one, so they was an underground market. Pirates would turn the lighthouse off so ships of the trade would crash and they could steal all of the products. Then the pirates would capture the people of the sinking ship and sell them as slaves or even keep them for their own use. The island was named after Princess Isabel, who freed the slaves in 1888. Of all the time I've spent in Brazil, scuba diving has been my highlight. I am leaving Brazil this time feeling completely fulfilled after all my new experiences, the knowledge that I've gained from this vibrant culture, and through the changes that are shaping me into a new and better person.
When we docked in Salvador, I decided to venture along the streets, my main goal was souvenirs. I hummed along to the music playing in the streets and lovingly looked at the small shops and vendors. Salvador's markets have possessed my attention; they are full of great finds from unique belts made of recycled bottle caps to beautiful canvas paintings. Today I was on a mission to find a specific man who sells jewelry made from everyday objects-dice, matchsticks, mirrors, etc. I bought earrings that were spoons wrapped around a seashell and another pair that had a purple crystal tied to a tiny key. After that I headed to the very building in front of which Michael Jackson filmed his music video for "They Don't Care About Us". This building sells pictures from the production and captures how Michael helped promote Olodum, and help the children of Brazil. It was crazy to walk in the exact place the legend was years ago.
In Ilheus, a new port for me, Derrick, Michelle, Jessica and I got off to explore the cute little town. We walked around for a bit before stopping into a whole in the wall place for some grub. It was my first dinner experience in Brazil and boy was it hectic! Our party was separated to different sections of the booth, it was that crowded. It's quite a thrill to be in the middle of mayhem and not understand a word anyone is saying! I had the best grilled cheese of my life, seriously, it was with a cheese that I don't think we have in the states. So delicious! We stopped at a vendor to get ice cream cones, thinking it was chocolate and vanilla. It actually turned out to be chocolate and coconut, which was an interesting combination. Not bad, but I prefer vanilla. The Brazilians use coconut in the most peculiar way; I've had it in a yogurt form (too weird for me) and seen it served in the salad bar. I believe coconut should be reserved for a desert topping, and shouldn't overwhelm the other flavors. Afterwards, we walked back to the center of the square and wandered into the church. It seemed like an older church on the inside, but the outside must have had recent renovations because it looked brand new.
In Ilha Grande, a group of us journeyed on a one hour hike to a giant waterfall in the middle of the island. It was exhausting; lots of step inclines and the heat of the Brazilian sun had us sweating uncontrollably. We felt very accomplished when we reached the waterfall and took a victory swim in the cool water. There were a few Brazilian boys who attempted to flirt with us girls and show off, only to make a fool out of themselves when one of them tried a dangerous stunt and slid into a rock. Boys will be boys, no matter what part of the world you are in. The hike down was much easier, and we treated ourselves to acai once we were back in town.
The cast took a personal hit a few days ago; one of our dancers was fired. He had become my close friend and things have gotten a lot harder on the ship without his charisma and sense of humor. I'm grateful that he lives in the states and especially because his home is in Boston and that's just a hop, skip, and a jump to Chicago!!! Sebastian and I learned in rehearsals that we had been living in LA at the same time, he had been there a year before me. It's crazy to think how different our lives would have been if we had known each other then. But everything happens for a reason and I'm glad he is in my life now! We have already discussed about taking classes in NY together and he is auditioning for various new dance jobs as we speak. I'm glad that he is pushing himself to take a next step and making the right choices for himself and his career.
We recently learned that Whitney, our original Girl 1, will be returning to us on the 21st. The company told us that Tatiana had her visa and everything was good to go but she made a decision to not come, something about her own career needed to come first. So then they said they would be sending a singer from Argentina who, according to the people who knew her from her previous contract, isn't a very good singer. She's a Girl 2 and struggled with the Girl 2 songs, so I don't know why they would promote her to Girl 1. Plus she doesn't know either of the shows, which would mean so much work for all of us! And she would most likely join us in Europe, meaning we would miss a lot of ports for rehearsal, places that we only go once! So Whintey is the best choice out of all the options, and I'm glad that she will be returning. Less work for us! YAY! So I will be enjoying my last few shows as a "singer" and bitter sweetly return to my position as underpaid dancer.
The last thing I have to blog about is regarding my most recent and greatest adventure yet. Last Ilha Bela, I went on a Discovery Dive of a ship wreck. I don't think I can do this anywhere else in the world because everywhere that I've looked into, you have to be certified to go scuba diving. But here, I was taught the bare minimum (as in, how to breath and the signals) and then the guide did the rest for me. He never let go of me, which is good because I would have floated away. It was such a rush and there's nothing else like it in the world that I can compare it too. I freaked out at first, when I was strapped into the heavy equipment, breathing with a tank and we were descending into the water. My mind was screaming profanities and I thought, what did I sign up for!? But I knew that I would only make things worse if I panicked. So I focused on breathing. This was hard because I had to think about not breathing in with my nose, which I always do. I also had to make sure my ears popped before I blew my ear drum out from the pressure. This was easy enough for me though, I just swallowed and they popped right away. Once I got into a rhythm of breathing, I began to look around and take in my surroundings. I was Ariel, the Little Mermaid. I was swimming with the fish, breathing underwater just like them! I tried to grab a few of them, but even as I swam through the schools of fish, I realized I would fail miserably as a shark because I wasn't even fast enough to touch them! I tried to understand the wreck and put together the pieces of the ship but it was like working on an ancient and rusted puzzle. The guide took me this way and that, around the massive ship. Like I said, I would have floated away without him because I was LOST. I came across the mast at one point and as I gained more courage to explore more, I couldn't help but get that eerie feeling, like it was a ghost ship. We were only under for 40 minutes and I ended up throwing up when I was back on the boat. I blame most of it on my curse of sea sickness but it could have also been extreme anticipation and thrill. I can't wait to get certified and travel around going on various dives. Once we were back on land and met up with our scuba diving instructor, Roddy, he informed us what ship we had just seen and the history behind it all. I was curious because where we dove wasn't that far from the island's coast. I thought all ship wrecks were in the middle of the ocean, like Titanic. So why was this one so close to shore? The ship we explored was an English ship called the Velasquez. It sank in 1908 near the lighthouse. Roddy explained that the island Ilha Bela was a place where sailors hid the slaves they were carrying until they could smuggle them into Brazil. The laws had been changed- you couldn't buy a slave but you could own one, so they was an underground market. Pirates would turn the lighthouse off so ships of the trade would crash and they could steal all of the products. Then the pirates would capture the people of the sinking ship and sell them as slaves or even keep them for their own use. The island was named after Princess Isabel, who freed the slaves in 1888. Of all the time I've spent in Brazil, scuba diving has been my highlight. I am leaving Brazil this time feeling completely fulfilled after all my new experiences, the knowledge that I've gained from this vibrant culture, and through the changes that are shaping me into a new and better person.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Save The Sea Turtles!!!!!
This week is the last cruise of the 7-day repeated itinerary!!!!! That means I have a brand new port to look forward to and a change in my schedule!!! WOOT WOOT!!! And it’s not that long until the crossing back up to Europe!!!! YAY!!!
I’ve had some new adventures in our last two ports, Rio and Salvador. On Sunday, we were docked in Rio and Jessica, Derrick and I took a taxi to the famous Ipanema beach. It was very pretty and we enjoyed the day eating grilled cheese on a stick and watching the Brazilian beach life. Brazil’s beaches are always flooded with vendors selling anything from bathing suits to CD’s but this can sometimes make it difficult to take a nap or read. In fact, I never even heard the waves crash on the shore! I would say that if you go to a beach in Brazil, at least the very heavily populated beaches, go expecting lively characters and not a real relaxing atmosphere.
My day in Salvador was probably one of the best days I’ve had in Brazil to date. After boat drill a group of seven of us piled into a van and drove for about two hours to a Sea Turtle Sanctuary. They had several types of turtles, massive ones to two-day old babies!!!! They were SO CUTE!!!! Volunteers and beach patrollers look for nests along the shore and when they find one, they mark it with a stick in the sand so the sanctuary can come and retrieve the eggs. They replant the nest in their protected sand so that the eggs are safe. The beach jeeps create hard sand in their tracks, making it impossible for the baby turtles to pop thru after their born. Why we even NEED beach jeeps, I don’t understand. Nonetheless, SOME humans are trying to help rather then hurt. We were so lucky to have gone that day because it was a release day, something that only happens a few times a year!
The employees dug up the turtles from their nests and put them into a bin. I got to touch a few and take pictures with them. Their arms fins are surprisingly strong and rough. After all of the turtles were collected, we walked to the beach and smoothed the sand to make their journey into the ocean just a little bit easier. I was told that for every 1,000 turtles born, only one or two survive. They struggle in the wild because after they hatch, they follow the light of the moon to the ocean to be swept into their new life. But with human light pollution, they get confused and some never make it to the ocean.
I felt like I was apart of something very special that day. Even though we speak different languages, humans all over the world fight to protect what we are constantly harming. I liked helping the animals and I definitely want to continue helping!
After the long trek back, we finished the day off by enjoying some live music in the local square of Salvador. And back on the ship, I joined some of my cast members for our traditional game of Apples to Apples. We borrowed the game from Adventure Ocean and every Salvador, we play on the back deck, Some other crew members have joined in and it helps them with their English. It’s a lot of fun :D
Welp, that’s the scoop for now!!! Shout out to my brother’s for a Happy Birthday!!!! Wish I could have been there to help you celebrate!!!! Love you all!!!
I’ve had some new adventures in our last two ports, Rio and Salvador. On Sunday, we were docked in Rio and Jessica, Derrick and I took a taxi to the famous Ipanema beach. It was very pretty and we enjoyed the day eating grilled cheese on a stick and watching the Brazilian beach life. Brazil’s beaches are always flooded with vendors selling anything from bathing suits to CD’s but this can sometimes make it difficult to take a nap or read. In fact, I never even heard the waves crash on the shore! I would say that if you go to a beach in Brazil, at least the very heavily populated beaches, go expecting lively characters and not a real relaxing atmosphere.
My day in Salvador was probably one of the best days I’ve had in Brazil to date. After boat drill a group of seven of us piled into a van and drove for about two hours to a Sea Turtle Sanctuary. They had several types of turtles, massive ones to two-day old babies!!!! They were SO CUTE!!!! Volunteers and beach patrollers look for nests along the shore and when they find one, they mark it with a stick in the sand so the sanctuary can come and retrieve the eggs. They replant the nest in their protected sand so that the eggs are safe. The beach jeeps create hard sand in their tracks, making it impossible for the baby turtles to pop thru after their born. Why we even NEED beach jeeps, I don’t understand. Nonetheless, SOME humans are trying to help rather then hurt. We were so lucky to have gone that day because it was a release day, something that only happens a few times a year!
The employees dug up the turtles from their nests and put them into a bin. I got to touch a few and take pictures with them. Their arms fins are surprisingly strong and rough. After all of the turtles were collected, we walked to the beach and smoothed the sand to make their journey into the ocean just a little bit easier. I was told that for every 1,000 turtles born, only one or two survive. They struggle in the wild because after they hatch, they follow the light of the moon to the ocean to be swept into their new life. But with human light pollution, they get confused and some never make it to the ocean.
I felt like I was apart of something very special that day. Even though we speak different languages, humans all over the world fight to protect what we are constantly harming. I liked helping the animals and I definitely want to continue helping!
After the long trek back, we finished the day off by enjoying some live music in the local square of Salvador. And back on the ship, I joined some of my cast members for our traditional game of Apples to Apples. We borrowed the game from Adventure Ocean and every Salvador, we play on the back deck, Some other crew members have joined in and it helps them with their English. It’s a lot of fun :D
Welp, that’s the scoop for now!!! Shout out to my brother’s for a Happy Birthday!!!! Wish I could have been there to help you celebrate!!!! Love you all!!!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
WeRK AND WeRK!!!!!
It's about mid-contract and I'm starting to feel the anticipation of going home!!!! The challenge now will be keeping my motivation up to finish this contract in high spirits. It helps that I have the new role of "G1" to concentrate on but I feel like I need a few other projects to bury myself in.
This weeks cruise is a bit different from the usuals, its a fitness cruise. Some trainers have signed on as staff to teach guests classes ranging from hydro-bikes to yoga. When the classes aren't full, we can join in. I attended a yoga class followed by a stretching and massage class but I found I was more challenged and enthralled by practicing my Portuguese then I was by the movements. The classes are very basic so I don't think I will invest my time into any others. BUT as a cast we work out to a video Wes has called P-90x or something like that, also known as "Insanity". It supposedly works really well and costs some ridiculous amount. I liked it a lot because it had cardio without having me run on the treadmill for 30 excruciatingly boring minutes. I enjoy a class setting more than just going to the gym to repeat lifting weights and all that CRAP!!!!! It felt amazing to be dripping sweat again, like I had just finished a day of dance at Rocky. Then, Connie taught a ballet class at night which helped me SO MUCH. Both physically, my ankles were cracking in pleasure (and pain), and mentally. Today I woke up SO SORE, but it was the good sore. Like coming back to dance class after the two weeks vacation for Christmas.
Every thought that I have and every gut feeling in me is pushing me towards Chicago. There's still the part of me that wants to travel, but my thirst for my craft is so much stronger. I'm literally going crazy because I used to be so immersed in dance, so wrapped up in my passion for it. I was so spoiled with dance at the studio and I didn't even realize it. And now I'm in search for it again. I feel that the East Coast will have something more to offer me than the West Coast and I am so excited to explore it all.
So, for now, while I'm in my mid-contract blues, I will be searching for something to occupy my time. I've finished the Twilight series and almost 4 entire seasons of Prison Break so now tv and reading are off my radar for a bit. I've been having a Harry Potter marathon and eating chocolate. LOL. I'll keep you updated if anything sparks my interest!!!! Miss you all!!!!!
This weeks cruise is a bit different from the usuals, its a fitness cruise. Some trainers have signed on as staff to teach guests classes ranging from hydro-bikes to yoga. When the classes aren't full, we can join in. I attended a yoga class followed by a stretching and massage class but I found I was more challenged and enthralled by practicing my Portuguese then I was by the movements. The classes are very basic so I don't think I will invest my time into any others. BUT as a cast we work out to a video Wes has called P-90x or something like that, also known as "Insanity". It supposedly works really well and costs some ridiculous amount. I liked it a lot because it had cardio without having me run on the treadmill for 30 excruciatingly boring minutes. I enjoy a class setting more than just going to the gym to repeat lifting weights and all that CRAP!!!!! It felt amazing to be dripping sweat again, like I had just finished a day of dance at Rocky. Then, Connie taught a ballet class at night which helped me SO MUCH. Both physically, my ankles were cracking in pleasure (and pain), and mentally. Today I woke up SO SORE, but it was the good sore. Like coming back to dance class after the two weeks vacation for Christmas.
Every thought that I have and every gut feeling in me is pushing me towards Chicago. There's still the part of me that wants to travel, but my thirst for my craft is so much stronger. I'm literally going crazy because I used to be so immersed in dance, so wrapped up in my passion for it. I was so spoiled with dance at the studio and I didn't even realize it. And now I'm in search for it again. I feel that the East Coast will have something more to offer me than the West Coast and I am so excited to explore it all.
So, for now, while I'm in my mid-contract blues, I will be searching for something to occupy my time. I've finished the Twilight series and almost 4 entire seasons of Prison Break so now tv and reading are off my radar for a bit. I've been having a Harry Potter marathon and eating chocolate. LOL. I'll keep you updated if anything sparks my interest!!!! Miss you all!!!!!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Successful Singing Shows
So I successfully opened the two shows!!!! Phew!!!! It was stressful and I felt like I was carrying the cast so that's a lot of pressure but what an experience!!!! I've had so much fun pretending to be a singer and I can't wait to get back on stage again and continue to improve!!! :D
Everyone has been so supportive, which has helped the process go smoothly. I haven't felt true stage fright in so long!!! I think it was a mixture of being thrown into something new and also having not a lot of time to nail down my product. The singers have a month of rehearsal to learn their words, their blocking, their choreography and I had a week!!!! For two shows!!! I couldn't be more proud of what I have accomplished because looking back on it, I took on a lot and I handled the responsibility with grace, courage, and poise. I feel like I stepped up to the challenge at hand when someone else backed away and I pushed myself to achieve greatness. God works in such mysterious ways because never once did I think I would ever do that, especially this contract when I wasn't even assigned understudy to begin with, But then all these circumstances came into play and I was offered this opportunity. I haven't felt challenged like that in years, because even back at my dance studio, I reached a peak in my dancing that I struggled to overcome and improve. And I fell into this job that hasn't pushed me until now. So I am very grateful because I got the taste of a new and higher goal to reach and I have my hunger for it back.
I feel a continual push to move to Chicago and the more I discuss it and begin my research and planning, the more excited I become. I miss my family so much so of course, being able to be home for the holidays is an incentive that right now, seems impossible to pass up again. And the excitement of something new, the adventure of throwing myself into a situation I will know nothing about and to start from the bottom and work my way up, is a thriving idea in my head. Who knows what will happen in the future but I have things I'm passionate about that I need to pursue before I settle into anything. These goals are crazy, sporadic dreams but in the end, I will be proud to share the stories with my children and my children's children because I will have a unique tale.
Things will be back to normal and I will be able to relax now that the shows are set and we are back to routine. Hopefully after this next paycheck I will be able to invest in a dive in Ilha Bela. Hope all is well, I know there was some intense snow-age back home. I hope everyone was careful on the roads!!! I think I will need a refresher course on driving in the snow when I get home because I've missed it for two years now!!!! :o
Love you all and miss you tons!!!!!
Everyone has been so supportive, which has helped the process go smoothly. I haven't felt true stage fright in so long!!! I think it was a mixture of being thrown into something new and also having not a lot of time to nail down my product. The singers have a month of rehearsal to learn their words, their blocking, their choreography and I had a week!!!! For two shows!!! I couldn't be more proud of what I have accomplished because looking back on it, I took on a lot and I handled the responsibility with grace, courage, and poise. I feel like I stepped up to the challenge at hand when someone else backed away and I pushed myself to achieve greatness. God works in such mysterious ways because never once did I think I would ever do that, especially this contract when I wasn't even assigned understudy to begin with, But then all these circumstances came into play and I was offered this opportunity. I haven't felt challenged like that in years, because even back at my dance studio, I reached a peak in my dancing that I struggled to overcome and improve. And I fell into this job that hasn't pushed me until now. So I am very grateful because I got the taste of a new and higher goal to reach and I have my hunger for it back.
I feel a continual push to move to Chicago and the more I discuss it and begin my research and planning, the more excited I become. I miss my family so much so of course, being able to be home for the holidays is an incentive that right now, seems impossible to pass up again. And the excitement of something new, the adventure of throwing myself into a situation I will know nothing about and to start from the bottom and work my way up, is a thriving idea in my head. Who knows what will happen in the future but I have things I'm passionate about that I need to pursue before I settle into anything. These goals are crazy, sporadic dreams but in the end, I will be proud to share the stories with my children and my children's children because I will have a unique tale.
Things will be back to normal and I will be able to relax now that the shows are set and we are back to routine. Hopefully after this next paycheck I will be able to invest in a dive in Ilha Bela. Hope all is well, I know there was some intense snow-age back home. I hope everyone was careful on the roads!!! I think I will need a refresher course on driving in the snow when I get home because I've missed it for two years now!!!! :o
Love you all and miss you tons!!!!!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
I'm Singin' In Brazil, Kinda..
Alright ya’ll, my apologies for taking so long to update!!!!! We have had some intense news within the cast that has affected me directly. Whitney, our Girl 1 singer, needs to fly home to Florida to take care of her mom. She emailed the office a while ago but of course, her replacement is now going through the visa issues. Wes has asked me to step in as G1 until Tatiana can fly to Brazil and join us. When that will happen, nobody knows. We are literally at the mercy of the Brazilian government so it could be anywhere from two weeks to two months. I have been in rehearsals to learn her blocking and movement and I’ve been given her sick track to practice with. I won’t be singing live, just lip synching to her voice. Although, Derrick (the vocal captain) wanted me to sing live or record my own voice. But, I would have to sign a new contract to let them use my voice recording and if I sang live, they would have to start paying me a new salary so they would rather have me just pretend until the new singer can come. Who knows, maybe further down the road if it’s taking too long, we can persuade the office ;)
Honestly, this is a break that I greatly need. My body had been hit pretty hard with my old injury from last contract beginning to flare up again, and my ankle injury. And if that wasn’t enough, I twisted my OTHER ankle in the second Boogie show on Sunday. My theory is that because I’m not continuing to strengthen my ankles with a daily ballet class, they are weakening and are more prone to injury. It doesn’t help that I’m jumping in heels!!!! I’m just grateful that my ankles are built up enough from all my years of dancing because both incidents have been severe enough that they could have snapped the bone.
So I believe God has blessed me with this chance to “rest” but also a new challenge. And I am absorbing every second of it! I’m working on being more “pedestrian” with my movements because when I’m “singing” my movements can be too much dancing and not natural. And I need to start practicing my “singing face” in the mirror so I can be believable to the audience. This experience has helped my confidence in my singing voice and I feel if I were given the green light, I would record the songs and use them! :D But for now, I will just settle on lip synching and matching her pitch, and start taking singing lessons from Michelle. I’ve even considered singing for the crew talent show, but I think I would have to ask Derrick or someone to join me!!!!! HA HA.
There isn’t much to report about this weeks’ ports, I’ve stayed on the ship mostly because of rehearsals and practicing on my own. Last Salvador was quite a new experience though. We started the day off with a short trip to the mall, supposedly the largest mall in South America. I must say, it has nothing on the Mall of America in Minnesota, even though I’ve never been there myself. This mall was about the size of the Aventura mall in Florida, so I feel confident that my statement is correct. We walked to the beach from there and I spent the day playing football with the boys and swimming in the ocean. We took the bus and headed back into the city for some dinner. We ate at a little restaurant but I was still full from lunch so I just had ice cream :D
The nightlife began at about 7 o’clock. We could hear the drums procession in the main street and after we paid our bill, we ventured over to watch. I’m not sure if it’s a company that does this show every night or if it’s new people every time. The group is made up of adults and kids with all sizes and types of drums, all beating different rhythms that somehow flow together and vibrate in your chest. We followed them down the street and found several concert-type activities going on along the alleyways. We stopped at the largest one, facing packed bleachers and listening to the singer and his band. I was enjoying the Bob Marley type melodies when all of sudden, I was standing next to a circle of cops frisking a guy and confiscating the paraphernalia they found on him! There were too many people to shift an inch so I stayed next to them as they continued to bring people down from the concert and search them. It must have been such a strange picture, this Brazilian drug scene breaking out next to this young, obviously American, white girl. It’s a good thing I grew up in A-town, Colorado and I know how to hold my own against these thugs. (That was a joke, Mom…)
I’m not sure what adventures I will have in these next few weeks, I guess it will depend on when I have rehearsal and how much time I will have off ship. I still want to scuba dive in Ilhabela, so that will be on the top priority list. Last Ilhabela, I went on a van tour with Michelle and Derrick. They took us to a waterfall to take some pictures and then to a beach. It was across from the private island I learned about last year, where a famous author lived. We rented kayaks and circled the island, marveling at the gorgeous mansion he built. JEALOUS!!!!!
I’m looking forward to my brother coming to cruise, I’m trying to convince him to scuba dive but I think he might only snorkel :( You can probably still see the shipwrecks from the surface but you won’t get to DISCOVER THEM!!!!! Jess and I have officially taken our snowflakes down so our walls are ugly and bland again. I wish I had use of a printer so I could make a dream board but alas, the crew one is never working.
I successfully completed the Twilight series and I’m now working on a series Jessica recommended. The first book is called The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. There are a lot of conspiracy theories behind it because the author “mysteriously disappeared” after releasing the books, which supposedly contain dangerous information. There is a tour in Sweden for him and his story so I need to finish the series before we get there so I can know what to look for!
Well that’s all to report for now. I would like to shout out to my Mommy because I miss her so much and I want her to know that I’m thinking about her always. She’s the best Mom in the whole world and I love her so much. It’s so hard to be away but I’ll be home in 5 short months to take care of you Mommy!!!!! I LOVE YOU.
Honestly, this is a break that I greatly need. My body had been hit pretty hard with my old injury from last contract beginning to flare up again, and my ankle injury. And if that wasn’t enough, I twisted my OTHER ankle in the second Boogie show on Sunday. My theory is that because I’m not continuing to strengthen my ankles with a daily ballet class, they are weakening and are more prone to injury. It doesn’t help that I’m jumping in heels!!!! I’m just grateful that my ankles are built up enough from all my years of dancing because both incidents have been severe enough that they could have snapped the bone.
So I believe God has blessed me with this chance to “rest” but also a new challenge. And I am absorbing every second of it! I’m working on being more “pedestrian” with my movements because when I’m “singing” my movements can be too much dancing and not natural. And I need to start practicing my “singing face” in the mirror so I can be believable to the audience. This experience has helped my confidence in my singing voice and I feel if I were given the green light, I would record the songs and use them! :D But for now, I will just settle on lip synching and matching her pitch, and start taking singing lessons from Michelle. I’ve even considered singing for the crew talent show, but I think I would have to ask Derrick or someone to join me!!!!! HA HA.
There isn’t much to report about this weeks’ ports, I’ve stayed on the ship mostly because of rehearsals and practicing on my own. Last Salvador was quite a new experience though. We started the day off with a short trip to the mall, supposedly the largest mall in South America. I must say, it has nothing on the Mall of America in Minnesota, even though I’ve never been there myself. This mall was about the size of the Aventura mall in Florida, so I feel confident that my statement is correct. We walked to the beach from there and I spent the day playing football with the boys and swimming in the ocean. We took the bus and headed back into the city for some dinner. We ate at a little restaurant but I was still full from lunch so I just had ice cream :D
The nightlife began at about 7 o’clock. We could hear the drums procession in the main street and after we paid our bill, we ventured over to watch. I’m not sure if it’s a company that does this show every night or if it’s new people every time. The group is made up of adults and kids with all sizes and types of drums, all beating different rhythms that somehow flow together and vibrate in your chest. We followed them down the street and found several concert-type activities going on along the alleyways. We stopped at the largest one, facing packed bleachers and listening to the singer and his band. I was enjoying the Bob Marley type melodies when all of sudden, I was standing next to a circle of cops frisking a guy and confiscating the paraphernalia they found on him! There were too many people to shift an inch so I stayed next to them as they continued to bring people down from the concert and search them. It must have been such a strange picture, this Brazilian drug scene breaking out next to this young, obviously American, white girl. It’s a good thing I grew up in A-town, Colorado and I know how to hold my own against these thugs. (That was a joke, Mom…)
I’m not sure what adventures I will have in these next few weeks, I guess it will depend on when I have rehearsal and how much time I will have off ship. I still want to scuba dive in Ilhabela, so that will be on the top priority list. Last Ilhabela, I went on a van tour with Michelle and Derrick. They took us to a waterfall to take some pictures and then to a beach. It was across from the private island I learned about last year, where a famous author lived. We rented kayaks and circled the island, marveling at the gorgeous mansion he built. JEALOUS!!!!!
I’m looking forward to my brother coming to cruise, I’m trying to convince him to scuba dive but I think he might only snorkel :( You can probably still see the shipwrecks from the surface but you won’t get to DISCOVER THEM!!!!! Jess and I have officially taken our snowflakes down so our walls are ugly and bland again. I wish I had use of a printer so I could make a dream board but alas, the crew one is never working.
I successfully completed the Twilight series and I’m now working on a series Jessica recommended. The first book is called The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. There are a lot of conspiracy theories behind it because the author “mysteriously disappeared” after releasing the books, which supposedly contain dangerous information. There is a tour in Sweden for him and his story so I need to finish the series before we get there so I can know what to look for!
Well that’s all to report for now. I would like to shout out to my Mommy because I miss her so much and I want her to know that I’m thinking about her always. She’s the best Mom in the whole world and I love her so much. It’s so hard to be away but I’ll be home in 5 short months to take care of you Mommy!!!!! I LOVE YOU.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
It's Going To Be A Great New Year!!!!
I rang in the New Year with my friends off the coast of Copacabana, watching fireworks surround the famous Jesus statue. It was spectacular. I must admit, brought tears to my eyes when I took in how blessed I was to be there, surrounded by good friends, in Brazil. Words can’t begin to describe how I felt. I was told that last year, Rio had the second best fireworks in the world, following Tokyo’s performance. I’m interested to know how this years show ranks, it was even better than last time.
The two weeks following New Years have flown by!!!! When we were in Ilha Bela, a small group of us took a cab up to a resort in the island's mountains. It was a waterfall park, built around the natural playground. We used ropes to guide us into the depths of the water, the first took us into a cavern. The second level you could go under the waterfall. Us girls took a "shower" in the freezing water. The last level was the water slide, which was literally sliding down the slippery slope of the rock. I was so scared to do it but hey, you only live once!!! Jess got a pretty funny video of me screaming the whole way down!!! :D Even though I lathered myself with the thick, honey-like, professional-heavy-duty-Brazilian bug spray, I still got bit in several places. And their bugs here don't mess around!!!! They will last for months. :/
Yesterday we were in Salvador. We took the elevator ride up to the upper city and ate at one of the many buffet restaurants. We walked to a church with a statue in front of it, and learned that the slaves were whipped at the foot of the cross. It's interesting to have discussions with Gabriel about Brazil's history, and then be able to visit key sites that shaped the future for this country.
We are on the same schedule for the next 10 weeks so I am looking into getting scuba certified in Ilha Bela, since we go there every week! Jessica is already certified so once I get my required classes out of the way, we can go on several dives together!!! :D
That's all to report down here, hopefully I will have fascinating dive stories for you in the future!!!!
The two weeks following New Years have flown by!!!! When we were in Ilha Bela, a small group of us took a cab up to a resort in the island's mountains. It was a waterfall park, built around the natural playground. We used ropes to guide us into the depths of the water, the first took us into a cavern. The second level you could go under the waterfall. Us girls took a "shower" in the freezing water. The last level was the water slide, which was literally sliding down the slippery slope of the rock. I was so scared to do it but hey, you only live once!!! Jess got a pretty funny video of me screaming the whole way down!!! :D Even though I lathered myself with the thick, honey-like, professional-heavy-duty-Brazilian bug spray, I still got bit in several places. And their bugs here don't mess around!!!! They will last for months. :/
Yesterday we were in Salvador. We took the elevator ride up to the upper city and ate at one of the many buffet restaurants. We walked to a church with a statue in front of it, and learned that the slaves were whipped at the foot of the cross. It's interesting to have discussions with Gabriel about Brazil's history, and then be able to visit key sites that shaped the future for this country.
We are on the same schedule for the next 10 weeks so I am looking into getting scuba certified in Ilha Bela, since we go there every week! Jessica is already certified so once I get my required classes out of the way, we can go on several dives together!!! :D
That's all to report down here, hopefully I will have fascinating dive stories for you in the future!!!!
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