Ahhh awkward moments

Not sure if I wrote about the hoo-ha with my pay at the Barbican? Where I found out they had been paying my wages to someone else?? It was about a month ago. Well I met the person who had accidentally received my wages the other day... and they took them back off her! Even though it wasn't her fault, it was their mistake! They just deducted it off her paycheck in one lump sum, which I think is pretty unfair. She hadn't even been told what was going on. Slightly awkward when she pointed at me and said "It was you, it was your wages I got", but we both agreed it was management's fault (management blames payroll, who blame management!)

Speaking of awkward, I went to the pub the other day and the friend I was meeting was late so I was sitting at a table by myself. A couple asked if they could sit on the other side of the table and I said yes. They got some drinks and then the woman proceeded to say "I wanted to talk to you today because I think you've been drinking too much and you get abusive and cruel towards me when you're drunk..."!! I was about 2 metres away! I didn't know where to look. I was furiously sending pretend text messages on my phone and staring into my beer. Then the guy started to cry. Oh my God, the pain. Thankfully my friend arrived soon after and the couple moved to another table (although we could still see him crying!)

My German housemate is moving out, which I think is probably a good thing. I like her as a person but she is difficult to live with. But now we'll have to find someone else, and the room is very small and rental prices have dropped in the last few months so it might not look like a good deal... Oh well!

Ouchy ouchy ouchy

I did yoga last night. Ashtanga yoga, which I've never done before. It was hard. It hurt. Every one of my muscles is spasming and screaming in pain. Cleverly, I paid for 10 lessons upfront before I even tried the class, so now I HAVE to go back. If I'd only paid for one class I'm sure I would have found a myriad of excuses not to return. Excuses like "it hurts" and "I don't wanna go".

Saw some great theatre at the Barbican the other night, Shun Kin by Complicite and Setogaya Theatre. I really enjoyed it despite being extremely tired (this was Fri night, having worked 3 jobs all week!). The play had sub-titles, which at the start I was extremely annoyed about because it meant I couldn't close my eyes for just a little while... which is what I really wanted! Probably good in the end. I've heard of at least one staff member who was fired because they fell asleep during a show. The performance was in Japanese and was a strange tale about a spoilt, blind aristocrat and her servant/lover. The staging was amazing, using puppetry and mime and video and and incredible soundtrack. The Times gave it ****. I agree.

Seeing another play on Fri night, but this time I'm actually paying to see it! England People Very Nice is at the National Theatre and the play is set in Bethnal Green, my neighbourhood. It's been rather controversial, people have accused it of being racist, so I'll tell you what I think (my opinion is obviously the defining one).

Fliss and I also saw Confessions of a Shopaholic on the weekend - our brains were both dead after working so much and it was pretty good for a no-thinking-required, fluffy experience. Some surprisingly funny moments, but the main problem is that the lead character is quite annoying! Isla Fisher's performance gives her some charm but otherwise I just wanted to slap some sense into her. Not that I condone violence.

Keeping moving

Busy-ness all around. I'm now editing the footage we filmed in Cornwall last week and it's a tough job - 4.5 hours to reduce to 5-10 mins! I've only really edited drama, where there's a script to help you make decisions, but we have interviews, observational footage, sketches, vox pops and more! Trying to turn it into something coherent that flows smoothly and is engaging is quite challenging. Although it will be rewarding if I can get it right.

I've also been asked to make another film before my trip to Aus... filming in a prison! Not sure which one, and I haven't seen the script yet, but a production company I met with last year has asked me if I'd be interested in shooting a film based on a script a prisoner has written, set in the cells. Will definitely be an interesting project. Although I haven't heard from the producer since she first called me (almost a week ago) so hopefully it's still happening.

Keeping busy is ensuring I don't have time to mope or dwell on missing Ben (and other friends/family). Thankfully Ben is busy too - he won the Australian Writers Guild unproduced screenplay award (which involves a trip to Adelaide - ha ha!) Although he has been DUMPED from the Tom Budge Good Time Band! I suggest a boycott of their gigs by all Melbourne music lovers. Bring back "hot strings"! There's no loyalty these days (his fellow band mates haven't said anything! Not even a "sorry you got kicked out of the band for not being trendy enough!" Ben would quit if any of them had got unceremoniously dumped. Makes me mad)

Bushfires

I haven't written for a while, my apologies.

Partly it's because I've been in Truro, Cornwall, making a film with kids who have/had substance use problems. Although it went fantastically well, the young people were so enthusiastic and candid and creative, it was exhausting! I had internet access but no brain at the end of each day to write anything.

The main reason I haven't written though is because I found out a week ago that I know someone who died in the bushfires, Eva. And I don't know what to say. I didn't know Eva that well but she was a friend of one of my best friends, Petrea (one of the greatest people in the world), so I have spent some time with her over the last 7 years or so. I know Eva will be sorely missed by many people. Petrea and her friends have suffered enough tragedy for several lifetimes, and now they have to deal with yet another terrible loss. It's so hard to comprehend. I just hope you're all OK. And also those people who were close to Eva and her family who I don't know. Just. Fucking. Awful.

The bushfires have made all the headlines over here. In fact they were front page most days until the plane crash in NY. Just goes to show how the news media works - they obsess over one tragedy until another takes its place.

I hope you're all well and able to keep smiling through this hardship.

xxxxxx

Rambling banter

So Ben is gone, back to Melbourne. I have tried to fill the void with a new hoody (see snow photos on the right) and Ben has tried to fill the gap in his life with an iPhone. I am confident that the iPhone will be no match for me, but Ben faces stiff competition because the hoody is cute (picture of a teddy bear wondering 'why?'), cuddly and keeps me warm at night. I can't really remember what else Ben does...

Watched a freaky documentary last night. About some South African guy who swims with great white sharks WITHOUT CAGES. He reckons you can read a shark's body language and he has learned to communicate to some extent. If he rolls himself into a ball, the shark comes closer, thinking he's easy pray, but then if he extends himself to his full size, which the shark considers to be a threat from another predator, it backs off. He also swims down underneath sharks in order to put himself in a power position, because sea predators almost always take their prey from below. Interesting stuff, and the guy is still alive so there must be something in it. Although he did talk about noting when a shark's body language is aggressive (their mouths are open - duh!) and my questions was - well what the fuck can you do about it?? Noticing that it's aggressive won't save you from the chomp! 

Not sure if it's going to screen in Aus but it's called Great White Shark - a Living Legend. Some of the footage of him swimming with sharks is really scary - scarier than any horror film. I felt edgy and full of adrenaline for hours afterwards.

The down side

I did fall on my arse. It was inevitable.

I have also stepped in large sleet puddles thrice today. You would think I would learn, but apparently not.

It's snow amazing

The streets are covered in snow. The trees are white, cars are buried under a foot of powder - it looks like icing sugar! Walking to the shop to buy the newspaper (I'll tell you why in a minute) I was struck by how childlike I felt. You have to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other, the ground is unsteady and slippery in places, I was sure I was going to fall on my arse at any moment. And the snow is still falling; tiny, floating droplets of icecream. Quite incredible.

It's not so nice on the main street, where the snow has been walked on so much already it has become brown slush! Less picturesque.

I'll upload some photos as soon as I can find a USB cable to connect the camera to the computer! I was outside last night as it snowed, taking photos of myself. The only other people on the street were other Australians making snowballs!

And the other news for today is my coup for iceandfire, this article in The Times about our show on Friday night starring Simon Callow. I was very excited that I managed to set this up and the article is great. We're also in Big Issue I believe, but I don't know how many street vendors will be outside today so I haven't seen it yet!

It's snow time

Ben has been hanging out for snow. The whole 2 months he was here we didn't see any, not even in Scotland. He left yesterday and I would say half an hour after he touched down in Australia today, snow started falling here! Just light showers throughout the day today, but heavy snow is forecast for tonight.

So I am yet again alone in London. Well not quite alone, there are 4 German girls sleeping on our loungeroom floor! My joke is our flat is like Poland - being taken over by Germans! Considering our flat is tiny I think 4 guests is a bit inappropriate, I haven't been able to use my own loungeroom for 3 days, but I don't feel I can say anything because my housemates have been so good about Ben staying for 2 months. So I'll just put up and shut up (in my room...!)

Last week I called the Barbican because I still hadn't been paid for the work I did over Xmas/NY and after some harassing they told me they'd been paying my wages to someone else! Amazing. I have been paid some wages, so I don't know whose, but they have to go through every payment I've ever been given and compare it to the hours I worked. Hopefully I'll get a nice big payout this week (fingers crossed).

We're also hoping for a payout eventually from our real estate agent. We've sent him a letter claiming our rent back for the period when we had no heating or hot water! As far as I know he's not disputing it but it has to go through some kind of legal process.

That's all from me for now. Over and out.