it's been a while

Boy oh boy... ups and downs like a roller coaster.

It was a tough week. Lots of work, and more loneliness. It is SO HARD to make friends! It's starting to get old.

I went to choir on Tuesday, which was good. They're working on Oh Fortuna, and some other pieces from Carmina Burana. A little more serious than I had hoped... but oh well. We went for drinks after and it was a good time.

I have today off, which is a very good thing. I think I'd like to do some knitting.

Not much else to report.

B-RIGHT-ON!

The hard part about keeping a blog is facing the daunting task of updating after you've been lazy and not written in a while.

What to talk about. Hmmm...

Things are good. Work is great. Friends and new friends are excellent. I'm joining a choir. Still going to the gym. I've been M.I.A. for the knitting group, so I think I might be barred. Those ladies can hold a grudge as well as they hold their yarn tension.

I miss theatre. Lately it's all I think about. I mean I could go see a show, sure... but I miss the drive and possibility of being a part of it. I've been writing a fair amount... but nothing significant yet. I need to get my Loud and Queer submission together, so that should be good incentive.

I think it's been valuable to experience this feeling of "life without career drive." It's made me realize what I need. A career. Quite the discovery. I mean I guess I've always known that... but I have the proof now. I've heard the proof is in the pudding. I have no idea what that means. And I do have a career. I need to really put my nose to the grind-stone now and DO it. Not that I haven't. I guess the difference is, I need to do it with a bit more joy.

I wish alternative theatre was one of the highest paying professions in the world. Up next to being Bill Gates or J.K. Rowling.

Alright. That's enough yammering from me. I appreciate all your emails and updates, so please keep them up!

Love
nick

I'm still alive!

Hello all,
Apologies for my absence. It is entirely attributed to the fact that I have had much less internet access for the past little while. Not because I don't love and miss you all... BELIEVE ME.

Bristol was great. Katie and I did some catching up, and I vegged out, which was really welcome. You don't realize how wearing travelling can be until you have privacy and peace, and realize how much you've missed it.

Cardiff was amazing. The Iris Prize festival was fantastic- hours and hours of indie film, each with it's own merits and innovation... for the most part. Trevor's films were very well received, and I met loads of really nice people.

This is Matt. He was nice. The photographer here was named Jarrah and he told us that leaning forward when you get your picture taken makes you look more attractive. Too bad I was focusing on leaning and not on smiling nicely. I just look like I'm focusing a BIT too much.
This is me and Jarrah. The guy in the tie is Mr. Gay U.K.... seriously. He won a big competition. It was quite hilarious, actually. He was a presenter at the awards ceremony at the end of the festival, and he stood up there, in front of all these young indie directors and producers who have devouted their lives to making artistic and rigorous work for NO money, in this stiff competition full of more talented and devout experts, and he talked about how HARD the Mr. Gay U.K. competition was. When asked what one has to do to win this competition, he replied "um... just be nice, and smile." Yeah. Sounds hard. Did I mention I've started doing push-ups before bed?
Ok, so cliques exist everywhere you go. This was sort of one of the crews that formed over the few days. It's not that we were exclusive at ALL... we just coordinated schedules and stuff. Here we have me, a couple from Germany (the guy with the glasses and beard won the competition), Jarrah from NY, Matt from Cardiff, Michael from Cardiff, and Trevor from EDMONTON! GO DIRT CITY FILMS!

So this was definitely a highlight. It's funny that the two places I've been most resistant to going to (Paris and here), were the two highlights. Paris was because the train business was a nightmare, and Cardiff because I was soooo sick of hostels and carrying luggage through city centres.

Another highlight of this was that Alexis joined me with her boyfriend Jonathon (As you will see in the picture at the top of the page). We had a lovely day when they arrived. They came in time to see the short that I'm in, then we did lunch, went and watched more, had a long walk and dinner, watched more, and partied (they were able to get into the festival party, which was excellent). They actually out-lasted me... I crawled into bed around 4, I think they went until 4:30! The next day we had a lovely breakie and I saw them off. It was lovely, and I adore Jonathon.

And now I am back in Brighton. I've moved into my flat. The flatmates are wonderful... a lovely couple called Donna and Dave. it's a quirky place... another carpeted kitchen... and the fridge is in the laundry room which is out the flat door, down a flight of stairs, and in a locked room which requires a seperate key than the front door or the flat door. So that's weird. I bring a basket with me whenever I have to cook meals. The flat doesn't have internet yet, which is why I'm lacking at the whole corespondance thing right now... but we're working on it. My room is TINY but has a lovely window and I bought some nice sheets and a blanket, so the bed's nice and cozy. I've also started work at Spinelli's Coffee, which is nice. The shifts are looooong. Some days are 8.5, others are 9.5 plus an hour lond unpaid break... making for 10.5 hours. But I'm only working four days a week and will be doing close to 40 hours... It's kind of ok by me to have longer days and more days off. The owners are nice, and the clientelle are lovely because we're the only place in the U.K. that focuses on good customer service. I'm pretty much not exaggerating.
What else...? hm. Well the search for friends is still on. I have 2 good friends right now, which is good, but I'd rather have more. But now that my days are filling up with various activities like work and going to the gym, it's way more managable. Oh, I applied for my National Insurance Number today... looks like that will be coming through real soon.

I think that's about it. Pretty much a full update!

Now you guys update me. DO IT!

Love and hugs
Nick

On to the Iris

Well, Bristol has been lovely. I've spent the last few days catching up on sleep and vegging out, hanging with Katie, and having a nice time. I've taught myself how to cable knit. So if I achieve nothing else during this entire trip...

Bristol's cool. They've just opened Cabot Circus downtown which is this gigantice covered outdoor shopping area with all of the high end and luxury shops. They have a new movie theatre there with these things called Director's Rooms. All the chairs are super cushy and leather, and spaced out in pairs. Attendants then come around to you during the movie, bringing you champagne and snacks, and taking orders for anything you may want. Obviously it's more expensive, but think what a great date that would be!

I haven't seen a whole lot else here, to be honest, and that's ok with me. I wwas craving some time to regain my sanity and think. And eat. Oh man! I'm starting this fitness regime that has me trying to eat 5 times a day. harder than it sounds. 

Off to Cardiff festival to catch the Iris Prize Festival

www.irisprize.org

It's an international gay and lesbian short film festival. They have two films nominated from Canada, one of which is called Dinx. Which I'm in. Which is exciting! I'm meeting director Trevor Anderson there, and it should be a few days of good fun!

I'll be off now. Take care everyone. More soon!

love

nick