Bristol-bound

Sorry for my lapse in posting. I've been transitioning. And it's a good thing!
So I've got a job. I will be making gourmet coffees in a lovely locally owned and operated coffee house named Spinelli's. They encourage that we take the time to make each latte look pretty, like drawing in the foam and learning how to pour a rosette design. It's cool. The place is soooo much like Delany's on Denman. I'm happy about it. After only one shift, customers are seeing me out at night and saying hey. That's a good thing.
Still a little short on the friend front, but it's getting better. I've met friends through the few that I have, and now I'm being really aggressive about just saying 'hey give me your number' and then calling them and guilting them into meeting me for a beer, at which point they fall in love with me.

Oh... here's an interesting tidbit- I joined a gym! HA! It's an LA Fitness, and it's a beautiful gym. It has a huge cardio area, a good weight training facility, and a pool and hot tub. And even the locker room is pretty with wood-front lockers. And there are classes and classes and classes! I've already done a spin class and an ab class. I figure, since I am starting a new routine, why not include this in it? We'll see. I have some big plans.

Today I'm off to Bristol, staying with Katie and hopefully visiting Alexis. After that, on to Cardiff.
I'm looking forward to this week. And the next. So that's good.

kisses kisses smoochies.

Nick

Ok. I'm staying

So I've found a flat. Well actually it's a room. A small one. For a ton of money. But that's the U.K. for ya.

I'm staying in Brighton. I wasn't sure for a while. I had a melt down yesterday morning- it came from boredom and frustration. Not knowing anyone is boring.
But then last night I went to a knitting group, which was good for my heart, and I met up with my one friend Benji and had some beer.
I am so keen to get out of this hostel. I'm so sick of hostels. I really need a good night sleep and I need to wake up without seeing a stranger scratching their bum and zipping/ unzipping their bag while the 16 year old school group that are occupying all the rooms surrounding mine scream and laugh and bang on doors. I just need a clean washroom, laundry machine, and my own room. Not too much to ask for.

So here's the truth. I'm finding all of this very difficult, but I'm starting to understand why I'm doing it. I went a while where I didn't understand what I was attempting to do. I was asking myself a lot "Why aren't I in London or Paris" other than the fact that I can't afford it. I think I would move there if I had someone to move with... but while I'm on my own it's different. I has something to do with figuring myself out. It's basic needs~ friendship, my own space, a job... things I have always just HAD which now are things that I am desperate for. I guess that's probably good for me. Or WILL be good for me.

I dunno. Part of me just wants to come home. But I wont give up!

Nope. Not yet, anyways.

hmmmm brighton

Still alive. Still struggling a little... I think it's because I don't have a purpose here yet. The city's fun, but I need something to do!
I've made one friend who's taking me out and introducing me, but jeez people here drink beer ALL DAY! The trick is to get a half pint and drink it realllllly slowly.

Not sure if this is where I'm going to settle. Job hunting is a little difficult. Hmmmm.
Saw a play last night at the Theatre Royal. Two ancient ladies sitting in front/ beside me got in a cat fight. One called the other a wicked old witch because she told the lady's husband to sit still so he left. It was almost more entertaining than the play.

pics soon...

nick

Brighton

I'm here. I'm alive.
First day in Brighton was tough. It's gorgeous down here, but for the first time, I truly do not know anyone. So it's a little tough. I'm looking for work and a place to live quickly, because I'm feeling good about living here, but I really need to meet some people.
There are prospects on the horizon. I just need to get moving.
More soon!

Nick

An artsy fartsy day

Yesterday was my last day in London for a while, so I decided to do it up a little bit, spending the least amount of money possible. So after a late rise, I made my way down to Waterloo station on the South Bank. Down by the National Theatre and Ballet, they were having a whole shwack of festivals. There was a food festival going on all around the grounds, and then inside the Southbank Centre there were s bunch of free acts put on as part of the dancEUnion festival, which is a festival of European dance... not like traditional folky stuff, but more like contemporary, modern, and ballet dancers from all across Europe. So I managed to catch 3 free acts, and then a 4th less than amazing act. So first I headed downstairs to a multi-media piece. Seemed pretentious, but I was up for it. Well it was unreal. There was a girl dancing in one corner of the room in front of this white background. Then, on a wall on the other side of the room she was being project live. So at first I thought... oh blah blah blah seen it before. But then some crazy cool stuff started. The feed was run through a computer, and she was holding a remote control. So she would dance for a bit, then press a button, and her improv would play back. She could then switch back and forth between this recorded bit and her live, so at times it would just flick back to her watching herself, other times doing a different movement sequence. So it became a play on tempo and depth, and also made a really interesting exploration of spectator interacton. I liked it.
Then, in a different hall, there were 6 tvs set up. Each person was given a headset with 6 channels on it. As you went from screen to screen, you saw that there was also a small tv below each screen. On the small television you could see a dancer doing a routine. Above, on the larger screen, you see that the dancer in the tv below was wearing a head-mounted camera, facing their face. You would tune in to their channel to hear their music and sounds, and then you could watch their dance below, while watching a close up on their heads above. It was so interesting to see a dancer moving in a still environment on one, and then what seems like the whole world moving around a still face above. I loved this one.
Then, upstairs, there were a couple less experimental dance routines from Norway. Pretty gorgeous stuff.

Then, there was last night. Hooo boy. I decided that I wanted to see a play in the West End. had thought I'd see Rain Man because Josh Hartnett is in it and how often does that happen? But I had a change of heart and instead decided to see Ivanov starring Kenneth Branagh! There were only standing room tickets left, but it was worth every second of those 190 minutes standing at the back. It was a new adaptation by Tom Stoppard... very English Chekhov! But jeeeezus this play was good.
I stood near the stage door to see if he'd come out after, but the mob was huge so I moved on.

A good evening.

I'm going down to Brighton today. I'm pretty stoked.

kisses
nick

Some pictures: Paris

Megan's a rock star.
Our adorable hotel room
cliche for a reason.
GORGEOUS.
Dad and me and the Arc de Triumph.

Some pictures: London

Gorgeous views!

Dalia and I saw Avenue Q!
Exposure goes to Camden town!

Yes, I AM wearing running shoes. Big whoop!
Trafalgar Square