Post Number 1 - London/Zurich

Finally I have some consistent internet connection, so I can post my very first blog in Europe. Well here are some updates from my trip so far:

London

So I arrived at 6:30am on Monday the 1st of December. Freezing cold and alone, there was noone to pick me up from the airport. After being interrogated by customs (Malaysians are notorious for overstaying), I wasn't in the best of moods. Nevertheless, I picked up my suitcase and headed to the underground to make my way to Catford. It ended up taking me about 2 and 1/2 hours to get to my cousin's house. Imagine this: Billions of Londoners at peak hour rushing to work, being squashed in the train, interchanging at 3 stations which means running up and down subway stairs, not knowing exactly where you are going. I had to manage all this after flying for more than a day and with a suitcase. Not exactly the best way to start a trip, but it was an experience and I will always cherish it.

Living with my family has also been an experience. Francesca, my eldest niece has just finished school and is applying for Cambridge to study English literature. Her sister, Monica, has a learning disability so she doesn't often make much sense. She is, however, a good and kind hearted person and brings a lot of life and energy to the dinner table. The other two, Joseph and Jacinta, are still at school. They are just two hyperactive balls of goof that run around screaming, fighting, laughing and telling me stories. It's nice to be in a family environment, and I'm glad the kids are all comfortable with me.

Let me just say, I love London. The city, the buildings, the people: they are all agreeable. Just being in a country that is steeped in culture and history just sends a nice tingle down my spine. Every time I walk past an old, famous building I just look at the locals and say, "Oh my gosh, have you seen that?" I don't know if I could get used to living in a place like London because I feel like I keep stepping forwards and backwards in time. It's awesome.

Dancing in London

The day after I got to London I did a ballet class with Joan Hewson at Pineapple Studios. It was okay, a little too old school for my liking. The next day was better. I went to The Place in Euston to do the professional class. It was really good, and the people there were helpful with information. The next two days were spent at Pineapple with a ballet class with Roland Price and with Tory (something) who used to dance with NDT. I had a chat with her and she told me to come back and do her classes.

Zurich

I arrived in Zurich on a rainy Saturday morning. I went straight to the Opera House to see if I could catch my friend, Bryan, who offered me a place to stay. He is my friend from Malaysia, who started doing ballet at 18, went to the New Zealand School of Dance, danced with Singapore Dance Theatre and now dances with Zurich Ballet. He is incredibly talented, and someone I look up to.

Unfortunately, Bryan was still working so I decided to go for a walk in the rain. It was a little difficult to appreciate the city at this time because first of all it was raining, I had been up since 2am London time, and I was carrying a heavy backpack and a laptop. I ended up in McDonald's because they gave you free internet access for 30 minutes. Plus everything else in Zurich was in German so I didn't want to go and embarrass myself after only being here for half an hour. I walked up the Limmat river, and down Bahnhofstrasse, which is the main shopping street. I walked into Helmhaus to look at some projections and to take shelter from the rain. Eventually Bryan finished work, and I could finally put my things down. I had a stroll through the Old Town in the evening before dinner which was much easier to appreciate without any bags.

The next day I went to the Kunsthaus which is the art gallery in Zurich. It features both old and new paintings and structures and even displays works by Picasso, Monet and Van Gogh. I had free entry with my ZurichCard (which I recommend) so I thought it would be worthwhile. After that, I walked around the city and explored the cobbled alleyways and the churches that date back to the 13th century. After that, I went to watch Bryan perform in Peer Gynt. It was a really enjoyable show, although I can't say I'm a big fan of the choreography. I knew by watching the company that Zurich Ballet probably wasn't the kind of company that I wanted to go to but I would give it a shot anyway. That night I went out for dinner at a Thai restaurant with Bryan and some of his friends. The food was really good and the company was equally as good. They were teaching us German tongue twisters and I taught them Peter Piper. 

Zurich Ballet audition

I knew as soon as I walked into the studio that I would not fit in to the mould of the company. Almost 95% of the people in there had perfect bodies. They were all tall, slender and beautiful. There were a handful of us that were on the smaller and stockier side. Sure enough by the time they made the first cut, I was thanked for coming. To be honest, I'm glad they cut me early. I don't think I would have enjoyed the rest of the audition, let alone working there. I knew he was looking for beautiful bodies because all the short ones were cut. Even the guy who was doing 7 clean pirouettes got cut because he didn't have the height. Oh well. There is no reason to be unhappy. Bill Bryson says the reasons we shouldn't be unhappy are:

1. You were born- which is an amazing circumstance in itself

2. You are alive, and that is not something to lament about either

3. You have plenty to eat, you live in a time of peace and "Tie a Yellow Ribbon round the Old Oak Tree" won't be number one again.

See?

I fly back to London on Wednesday, but tomorrow I am going to Rhinefall and Schaffhausen to look at the cascades and the Munot Fortress. Might as well do some sightseeing while I am here :)

It's only the beginning of my trip and I am enjoying myself to the fullest. Every day is a new and exciting one, and I know there is a company there that will take me. I may not be the most talented dancer, but I am definitely excited to see what the next 6 months have in store for me. I have a strong feeling that I will find something that works for me and something I can devote myself to for a while. All in good time.