Better late than never
Even if I do it late, the thing worth doing will always bug me.
After Athens
Even if I do it late, the thing worth doing will always bug me.
And I am very glad to say how annoyed I am by recognizing my pattern of making a decent first impression and then faltering on the consistency part.
The journey has continued somewhat since I last added anything to this space and I am delighted to still wanting to share.
We are currently on our way to Japan, leaving Athens. We got up at 4 in the morning, well the Boss did, I made the choice of not sleeping, something I already regret. On a happy and existential note, I find that regretting something is better than regretting not having done something.
I say this in all naivety of not having done anything so horrific yet, at least I find.
Plane turbulence is still a nuisance and if you can, really, truly try and get a more comfortable seat, and yes, it is okay to invest in onboard internet access. Astonishing how quickly opinions can change.
Again, the things that stay are, ironically enough, the keepers.
One thing that is really straining my never ever since I started this adventure is the lack of consistency with my journaling and in extension with my writing and creative output in general. Being able to express that and just recognizing I do not like the feeling of not doing the thing I like is a really good problem to have.
We have just passed over South Korea, another place I now would like to visit.
The way I get to visit the places with the Boss is a very unique and not entirely free kind of way, which, like with anything is both a blessing and a curse, because I get to learn a few good things very well, but repetition sets in quite fast and it is a little scary how the formula of : Hotel, shops, taxi, take away, repeat is applicable nearly everywhere. At least every place I have visited so far on this adventure.
I would like to recap a few things I have found to be essential over the last past 4 or so months of radio silence. Things I find important for traveling, life in general and for any profession or private endeavor one might want to pursue.
A. Less is more, this applies to any and things physical, psychological and spiritual too. In a sense finding balance as we are mostly condition to always want more, wanting less has made me more content and flexible for traveling, work and in my personal life.
B. Slowly and deliberately usually get the job done better, and sometimes even quicker. Anyone that does not know the story of the rabbit and the tortoise, go educate yourself. And please know that the rabbit can slow down too.
C. Be kind, always. No matter what, give everyone the benefit of the doubt and try and walk in their shoes without stealing them or the other person noticing. And to decrease stress overall anyway, my personal, most important lesson, one I highly recommend to everyone and one that I am so wholly not good at.
D. Sleep. Find out how much you need. Delegate. Don’t beat yourself up when the balance is out of whack. Try and find one time for you to rise and fall. Sleep is the backbone of all good, and the lack of sleep is the cause of most unpleasantness.
These are my four cents, I have more, deal with it.
Leaving Athens, I find myself falling in love with the place, as it have absolutely everything you could ever dream of in abundance. All supplies and services are varied and plentiful, it is hard to choose where you want to go and what to do. Being the birthday place of Western Entertainment, it is important for me to want to explore possibilities to create and share in this space.
The weather is highly enjoyable, especially in Autumn, even if Mid 20 degrees in October are unsettling.
This time, the whole experience of being in Athens was amplified by my being sick for near half the time we were there, which was a solid work week.
I had caught some sort of stomach flu on our previous trips, jumping from Barcelona to Paris to here.
Being sick gave me chance to slow down and sort through my things, so I could exercise A & B at my leisure.
I can openly admit though, that the chance of being in bed, while the boss is out and galavanting around a gallery, placing chairs, owls and speakers everywhere, I did definitely fall back into the familiar pattern of Youtube, snacks and a sweaty blanket.
And even though I do not pride myself in having lazed, I do not regret it either. No time spent, is time wasted. Only the mind can make something nice and recuperating into something unfortunate.
So I recap, before we land in the land of the rising sun.
Do your worst and enjoy it.
Catch you later with a few recaps, because if I am going to abandon my journal, I might as well lay it all out here.
Lots of love, later,
Liam
E …… A Sports, it’s in the game. Also E. Do not wait. You get to make mistakes and change your mind or stop early. But do not wait, especially for the good thing or person to happen. They are already happening, question is if you are too.
Rest is not a reward
Sickness is only a sign we need to slow down.
Then Paris
One day, one night. The Boss did Hamlet. My stomach was a mess all day and we had a bit of a Go at each other. But I also recognize that every unhappiness is a misunderstanding and usually thanks to energy deprivation, either caused by too little sleep and or because some illness is plaguing us. Very fun Hotel situation, the Boss was back in his one place where I got stuck in an elevator and I was in a different Hotel at Les Halles. It took longer to traverse the two Hotels by car than it did by foot. Seeing a familiar face from the summer program at Watermill made me very very happy.
Once we were done with the objective, for which we had just scrapped by in getting there in time with a bad cough on the talent and a horrible stomach for me, we got back to the Bosses Hotel and went to the wonderful Italian place just around the corner.
It was so yummy and a slight misunderstanding sent me home with a doggy bag and the joy of getting to food some yummy food.
Not a bite went past my lips and I hope to god, someone enjoyed those leftovers.
It saddens me truly when food has to be disposed of.
The fact that our driver from and to the airport Charles de Gaulle is the same guy, makes me feel quite both like the world is small, but in a good way.
Letting go
It all begins with an idea.
About Sofia
On the flight to Vienna, Austria from Sofia, Bulgaria, and this morning, I had the extreme urge to write again and it turns out that traveling as extensively as this job needs, does make the moments to catch this incessant feeling and shake off my thoughts few and far between. It is funny how a certain routine has established itself after now 2 months of being on the job. For instance, flights equal a second to sleep, writing this or any other odd job I feel like doing that does not require internet, because who pays for inflight internet, come on.
He says so confidently right before buying an inflight meal, because who knows when the next chance will be to get some sustenance inside of me. Who knew that dried apple dipped in dark chocolate is exactly what I needed a few hundred meters above the ground, while being flung forwards by a few thousand (energy for flights)?
I am trying to ween myself off of soft drinks and silly sugary stuff, so I am trying to stick to juices and water. But every so often, the urge just overtakes me and I need some Lemonade. I appreciate a good cold Lemonade over any form of alcohol, any day. Just a sip will give me punishing headaches, cause of the missing sleep and or the pressure of making like a bird with ludicrously big lung capacity.
So, what I actually really want to get off my chest is the fact that sleep is extremely important, for me personally one of the pillars of health (besides food and exercise), and should never be dismissed for anything. And it is highly hypocritical of me to write this, as anyone who knows me can attest, sleep is not my strong suit. When it happens, it is great and all, but somehow I manage to always prioritize everything, but my health.
Last night is a great example. So after the day was done, after the Boss premiere of THE TEMPEST at the Sofia National Theater, with a cute get-together, some sappy drinks, and waaaayyyy too much smoke. I had brought the Boss to bed, got food ready and all, we said our goodnights, then the real work may begin.
I still had a letter to write, some to send out, multiple reviews of TURANDOT to translate, and a few half-written emails to finish up. (God help me, if the Boss ever reads this, which he will eventually)
And instead of Bum on Chair the moment I was free, I meandered about, and got some grub at Wok to Walk, one portion wasn’t enough, cut me some slack, the day was long. One on the bench in a busy late Sofia street and one in the Hotel room, with Youtube running. And this is my point, I consciously choose to sit back, relax, quite literally put my feet up and munch away while watching Vanity Fair and some other channel’s videos point a camera at some admirably wonderful actors and artists of our time and make them pull strips of paper of a board and dream of one-day sitting infant of the camera, instead of doing the work. But I am good at my job, so after 3 hours of lounging, I finally went ahead and got cracking.
And went to sleep at some ludicrous hour.
But here’s the curious thing, I know that sleep = good, little sleep = bad, and yet I feel energized and focused, more aware than I would have if I had gone to sleep at a regular time.
It is peculiar, how the opposite of what I know to be better and true somehow is alright, if not better. Because a normal amount of sleep would have me kind of groggy and I would have more work. Why did little sleep make me feel so focused and sensitive, the wind was different, I could smell better, my peripheral was wider, and I felt like I had heightened senses, but I slept so little.
But I promise, this is an odd one out. Sleep is always better.
And I want to add that the lounge feeling, the comfort of Youtube, and Fast Food are like a lifeline and I would like to be able to let go. That is what I want to do this job for. Crazy travels and nonsensical requests, all from one of the greatest contemporaries of theatre today, I am realizing that Routine, Repetition, and Structure are what got the Boss to where he is now. Now the question is, do I want that too and can I even do it?
Catch you on the next one.
Love,
Liam
PS: I was listening to Glass Animals and Crowded House and now I think there are pineapples hidden in various songs.
from humble beginnings
It all begins with an idea.
On Madrid
Sitting in the hallway of the Teatro Real with my back to the wall, not completely used to the cross-legged position, because I am still unbendy as a piece of dried straw. And of course I forgot my pens an pencils, but brought a blank piece of paper with me. So I guess I have no excuse but to write this while listening to Spanish voices echo out of long fluorescent hallways. Next to the voices, the creak of a door can be heard every so often and I wonder when someone will come by to give me the signature look of “Oh, hi, hope you are okay, sitting outside of the door, while the boss is resting inside.” That is what the eyes say, we usually only exchange a quick “Hola” and “Buenas”.
It is bloody hot in Madrid right now, about 35º and rising. The mornings are nice, of course, but at the end of the days, walking become kind of more wet than it needs to be. And I do not mean just in the pant area, I mean everywhere. Every pore of my body is making an effort to outdo the other and I must say, this is a competition I didn’t sign up for.
Course the Tapwater isn’t safe to drink. And carrying around