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

Back in London

Well, I've arrived safely back in London. The train was even less of a stress-out than on the way here! I only had a 2 hour wait, this time. After lots of lugging and waiting, I am back at the hostel, catching my breath.
I'm going to need a holiday after this...
Paris was amazing. I did all the tourist things, with the exception of the Louvre... just wasnt up to it. And there were a lot of other amazing galleries, so who needs it? I saw Vincent Van Gogh's self portrait, which was HAUNTING, and some Degas, and others... I'll post some pictures soon.

The Eiffel at night remains my favorite, as well as just roaming the tiny little streets with a distinctly Parisian attitude.

I'm going to post photos, and talk more about stuff then. I left my camera upstairs, and the stairs in this hostel are brutal, so it will just have to wait.

So tonight and tomorrow are here in London... I'm meeting up with Ryland Alexander later for drinks, and then I'm going to go down to the Portebello market again tomorrow to do some shopping. Perhaps a show tomorrow night. Then on Sunday I'm Brighton-bound. I'm feeling eager to settle. Part of it is probably how much I loathe travelling on public transit with all my belongings lugged behind me, but another part is a desire to get to know a place, and just kind of start fitting in and meeting people. I'm so shy right now. And Brighton is a place where I know NO ONE. No dad or Dalia or Adeline or Ryland or Megan. It's going to be an adjustment.

On that note... this is me pleading that y'all keep saying hi! Email, facebook, or here... it keeps me going!
Kisses everyone! I'm going to go spend $20 on a $5 meal!

love
nick

mes cheveau est bon

the haircut went well... i know youll all be relieved to hear that. he straightened it then cut it, which was odd... but it has regained its curl and looks fun. how interesting, my hair... not like im in paris or anything.
met up with dad last night and continued exploring this best place on earth. went to notre dme, l'arc de triumph (finally found the apostrophe key), and up to the second platform of the eiffel tower which was AMAZING at night. it all lights up and looks like glitter... a big hunk of glitter... so cool.
Today we did more sights, the cemetary, bastille for lunch, and the amazing modern art museum. my feet are killing!
now we're off for dinner, then im meeting megan for a bit tonight. good times good times!
pics to come!
nick

scary

Im about to get my hair cut in Paris, mais je ne parle pas beacoup de francais. QUICK how do you say NO MULLET in french!