Hello Everyone! I am doing well. I am here in the Ruhrgebiet town of Gelsenkirchen with my friend Mark. He is a character tenor and he works at the opera house here and lives with his husband Mark and their dog, a lady Boston terrier named Charley. I am having a fantastic time and they are taking very good care of me. I am enjoying cooking vegetarian food for them. I also have been enjoying walking Charley in the mornings. She is a crazy dog with lots of energy!
Well, take care everybody. I'll write more soon, but now I am sleepy. Mark has been tremendously helpful with lots of advice about the German and European singing world, agents, and auditions. He has lived over here for three years. He is originally from New Foundland. More tomorrow!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
A quick and interesting Note!
The Kangaroo Youth Hostel where I have been staying in Dresden is located on Erna Berger Straße. Erna Berger was a famous German coloratura soprano born in Dresden. She sang at the Semperoper when she was my age and later went on to have a very interesting career. I'll take this as a good omen for my trip!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Augustus the Strong and Erika (the Strong)
It is Sunday and I have so many experiences to write about. I want to write about them while they are fresh in my mind. My friend Mark has a voice lesson in Dresden tomorrow, so I am staying one more night in wonderful Dresden before we travel to Gelsenkirchen. Today I went out into the city and walked a lot. I stopped by the famous Frauenkirche (church of our lady) and sat for a while and zoned out staring at the inside of the church. The colors were sky blue, pale yellow, and gold with a touch of salmon. The choir was rehearsing near the altar which was beautiful. I explored the underchurch area and wanted to explore all the dark chambers and passageways that were blocked off to visitors. But I also wouldn't want to deal with whatever lurked back there! You never know maybe the passages were blocked off to protect us from a dangerous creature....
I also popped in and out of buildings to see what I could find. I tried to use my Ipod to access the internet in the old city, but most of the networks were locked or wouldn't work. I was sad because I couldn't talk to Luis. I thought of going back to the hostel for a nap, but I am glad I convinced myself to see at least one museum while in Dresden. Instead of napping I went to view the porcelain collection of Augustus the strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland at the Zwinger! There were many many beautiful Chinese and Japanese vases and dishes. I loved the big bowls with fish painted on the bottom, that used to be used as giant fish bowls. The others I appreciated for the colors and animals and people that were painted on them. The collections were even more striking as a group. The porcelain is apparently one of if the the largest collection of its kind in the world. What I loved the most out of all the sections was the porcelain from Meissen! After viewing room after room of Chinese and Japanese vases, plates, bowls, and vases, there is one big room full of animals! If you look closely at these life-like porcelain animals you will notice that they aren't quite right. They are closer to fantasy than reality. There was a rhino with more horns than I remember Rhinos having and a wolf mother with two cubs of different sizes standing between her legs. But all of the animals were so lovable! They all had so much character. I saw a swan that had at some point broken and been glued back together. I wonder who the poor person was that broke it, unless of course it was Augustus the Strong himself who broke it!
There was also one small room full of small porcelain characters. When I looked closer I saw how truly remarkable they were! There were many different commedia dell arte characters represented among other figures. There was something special about them. It was the way they seemed to be in motion, or at least they must have been in motion only moments before I looked at them. One porcelain couple made me miss Luis so much. It was a pair in early 1700s dress, the man in a purple costume holding a bird cage that seemed to be swinging, his arm was around the woman's small waist, her skirt was swishing just as it would in real life as he embraced her and their tiny porcelain lips were locked in a kiss.
Another couple danced with their legs outstretched, just like in a photograph capturing a real moment. I am surprised the man's yellow clad leg has survived all these years!
At the Zwinger there was also a section devoted to sculpture from the time of Degas. There were bronze sculptures with titles like "The Inner Voice." There was also a Degas ballerina.
I came back to the hostel and made a simple dinner and chatted with two other travelers in the lounge. I have also enjoyed talking with the ladies that work at the hostel. They have been so friendly and wished me the best for my audition. The lady who owns the hostel has a young shiny black lab who reminds me of Milo. I talked with the girl who is here tonight and told her all about my trip to the Zwinger. She has a tatoo on her arm (one of several) that resembles some of the flower and butterfly paintings on the Chinese porcelain. I told her so and I think it pleased her.
Goodnight! Pictures coming soon!
I also popped in and out of buildings to see what I could find. I tried to use my Ipod to access the internet in the old city, but most of the networks were locked or wouldn't work. I was sad because I couldn't talk to Luis. I thought of going back to the hostel for a nap, but I am glad I convinced myself to see at least one museum while in Dresden. Instead of napping I went to view the porcelain collection of Augustus the strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland at the Zwinger! There were many many beautiful Chinese and Japanese vases and dishes. I loved the big bowls with fish painted on the bottom, that used to be used as giant fish bowls. The others I appreciated for the colors and animals and people that were painted on them. The collections were even more striking as a group. The porcelain is apparently one of if the the largest collection of its kind in the world. What I loved the most out of all the sections was the porcelain from Meissen! After viewing room after room of Chinese and Japanese vases, plates, bowls, and vases, there is one big room full of animals! If you look closely at these life-like porcelain animals you will notice that they aren't quite right. They are closer to fantasy than reality. There was a rhino with more horns than I remember Rhinos having and a wolf mother with two cubs of different sizes standing between her legs. But all of the animals were so lovable! They all had so much character. I saw a swan that had at some point broken and been glued back together. I wonder who the poor person was that broke it, unless of course it was Augustus the Strong himself who broke it!
There was also one small room full of small porcelain characters. When I looked closer I saw how truly remarkable they were! There were many different commedia dell arte characters represented among other figures. There was something special about them. It was the way they seemed to be in motion, or at least they must have been in motion only moments before I looked at them. One porcelain couple made me miss Luis so much. It was a pair in early 1700s dress, the man in a purple costume holding a bird cage that seemed to be swinging, his arm was around the woman's small waist, her skirt was swishing just as it would in real life as he embraced her and their tiny porcelain lips were locked in a kiss.
Another couple danced with their legs outstretched, just like in a photograph capturing a real moment. I am surprised the man's yellow clad leg has survived all these years!
At the Zwinger there was also a section devoted to sculpture from the time of Degas. There were bronze sculptures with titles like "The Inner Voice." There was also a Degas ballerina.
I came back to the hostel and made a simple dinner and chatted with two other travelers in the lounge. I have also enjoyed talking with the ladies that work at the hostel. They have been so friendly and wished me the best for my audition. The lady who owns the hostel has a young shiny black lab who reminds me of Milo. I talked with the girl who is here tonight and told her all about my trip to the Zwinger. She has a tatoo on her arm (one of several) that resembles some of the flower and butterfly paintings on the Chinese porcelain. I told her so and I think it pleased her.
Goodnight! Pictures coming soon!
Die Fledermaus! and pasta with daffodils
Good Morning everybody! This is my last day in Dresden. I am excited to see my friend Mark today and I hope he likes the Tim Horton's coffee he requested in the orange container that I brought him. Of course it is really more yellowy or light pumpkin, so I hope I got him the right one! It is Tim Horton's though so it has to be quality!
After I wrote last night's entry I went in a desperate search for food for dinner. I was sad when I found the fish and chips place was closed! But, I ended up having a delicious plate of pasta at a lovely Italian place that was full of daffodils and candlelight! I had the loveliest evening last night. I caught a last minute ticket to see Die Fledermaus at the Semperoper and took my seat just as the overture was starting! It was such a pleasure to see how much the Dresden audience loved this operetta. They all laughed so hard at all the jokes and the audience was full on a cold grey evening. I also witnessed the huge opera chorus full of men and women in dresses with big skirts making out on a giant red couch. It was worse than a McGill Opera party (but, pretty close.) At the end of the show the frame of the couch was revealed and it was wheeled out while very realistic looking snow fell down on it. It was revealed just as the disguises of the characters were exposed. The singers were all very good and it was such a fantastic way to spend the evening after my audition.
I have already checked out of the kangaroo youth hostel. I want to leave a quick note on their website to comment on what a nice stay it has been. It has been a safe, quiet, and clean place to rest and also cute with all the stuffed koalas and kangaroos. It has been nice to have a place to prepare food and a nice cup of tea. I have a few hours to enjoy Dresden a bit more and then I will look for Mark at the Neustadt Bahnhof!
After I wrote last night's entry I went in a desperate search for food for dinner. I was sad when I found the fish and chips place was closed! But, I ended up having a delicious plate of pasta at a lovely Italian place that was full of daffodils and candlelight! I had the loveliest evening last night. I caught a last minute ticket to see Die Fledermaus at the Semperoper and took my seat just as the overture was starting! It was such a pleasure to see how much the Dresden audience loved this operetta. They all laughed so hard at all the jokes and the audience was full on a cold grey evening. I also witnessed the huge opera chorus full of men and women in dresses with big skirts making out on a giant red couch. It was worse than a McGill Opera party (but, pretty close.) At the end of the show the frame of the couch was revealed and it was wheeled out while very realistic looking snow fell down on it. It was revealed just as the disguises of the characters were exposed. The singers were all very good and it was such a fantastic way to spend the evening after my audition.
I have already checked out of the kangaroo youth hostel. I want to leave a quick note on their website to comment on what a nice stay it has been. It has been a safe, quiet, and clean place to rest and also cute with all the stuffed koalas and kangaroos. It has been nice to have a place to prepare food and a nice cup of tea. I have a few hours to enjoy Dresden a bit more and then I will look for Mark at the Neustadt Bahnhof!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Welcome to Germany!
Just a quick entry because I have finished my audition and I am so hungry. I could really go for a plate of pasta. mmmm....I need to run for groceries. I have polished off all my raisin bread!
The audition was easy to find and there were singers from all over the world there in the beautiful Dresden semperoper. It was wild. There were women AND men dressed in tight fitting dresses with big skirts and lots of makeup running hurriedly through the hallways. Each one had theatre makeup red like blood running down their neck as if they'd been pierced or maybe bitten by a vampire. hmmm very interesting. I am not sure but I think they may have been in rehearsal for the Die Fledermaus production that is on tonight at the Dresden Semperoper. When I got lost in the audition building on my way out, one of the men in a dress motioned like a mime to show me how to find the exit! Welcome to Germany!
The other singers were the same as everywhere else that I have seen. People were kind and smiled, but we didnt talk much. I talked with a nice girl from South Africa and a tall singer from Hamburg. I had a chance to work with the pianist before the audition which was very nice. He was a lovely gentleman named Stefan.
I really enjoyed listening to my ipod before the audition. It is full of some of Luis and my favorite songs! There is nothing like listening to "Damn it feels good to be a gangster," before your audition! I felt like such a gangster! I was also thinking of a certain saying in Spanish that Luis taught me recently, but there is already one swear word in this entry so if you want to know the saying you will have to ask me!
I took some photos in the old city after my audition today. I will post them soon.
I have already moved to the big bedroom with all the bunk beds for tonight. Well, I am so hungry right now that I cant focus. Maybe I will go back to the fish and french fry place I went to the other day.
Take care everybody.
The audition was easy to find and there were singers from all over the world there in the beautiful Dresden semperoper. It was wild. There were women AND men dressed in tight fitting dresses with big skirts and lots of makeup running hurriedly through the hallways. Each one had theatre makeup red like blood running down their neck as if they'd been pierced or maybe bitten by a vampire. hmmm very interesting. I am not sure but I think they may have been in rehearsal for the Die Fledermaus production that is on tonight at the Dresden Semperoper. When I got lost in the audition building on my way out, one of the men in a dress motioned like a mime to show me how to find the exit! Welcome to Germany!
The other singers were the same as everywhere else that I have seen. People were kind and smiled, but we didnt talk much. I talked with a nice girl from South Africa and a tall singer from Hamburg. I had a chance to work with the pianist before the audition which was very nice. He was a lovely gentleman named Stefan.
I really enjoyed listening to my ipod before the audition. It is full of some of Luis and my favorite songs! There is nothing like listening to "Damn it feels good to be a gangster," before your audition! I felt like such a gangster! I was also thinking of a certain saying in Spanish that Luis taught me recently, but there is already one swear word in this entry so if you want to know the saying you will have to ask me!
I took some photos in the old city after my audition today. I will post them soon.
I have already moved to the big bedroom with all the bunk beds for tonight. Well, I am so hungry right now that I cant focus. Maybe I will go back to the fish and french fry place I went to the other day.
Take care everybody.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Hello friends and family. I have arrived in Germany safely. I am a little bit sleepy, but I am already starting to feel comfortable in my new time zone. I slept so well last night in my quiet room at the kangaroo stop youth hostel. It was a long trip without much glamour involved! I packed lightly which was a very smart move. I brought Luis' small black rolling suitcase and my Panama bag from Luis' Uncle Miguel with four birds on the front. Even with this small amount of luggage it was a slight hassle at the airport. The smiling lady at the Air Canada counter in Montreal explained to me that my two carry ons were only allowed to be ten kilo each and the black suitcase was 13. Luis and I tried to fix it by moving things around into the little bag, but it was a tight squeeze for the poor Panama bag. In the end I asked the lady what she would do and she suggested I buy something at an airport store because as a woman I was allowed to carry two carry on and a small purse. (Does any of this make sense to you?) I bought an extra pair of black panty hose and Luis and I put some items into the extra plastic bag. Then I went through security and the men there told me I was not allowed to bring 3 bags, so I must please step aside and cram everything back into the black rolling suitcase and Panama bag. So I took a deep breath and followed his orders. Well, the poor Panama bag could not take so much cramming and uncramming and the zipper finally broke in the Frankfurt airport
. I missed my first Dresden connection because of a delay coming out of Montreal, but it was easy to be rescheduled on a later flight. I spent a couple of peaceful hours at a sunny table soaking up rays in my new time zone. When I arrived in Dresden a nice lady helped me figure out how to take the train downtown for 1.80 Euro. It was very quick and easy. I situated myself on the lower level of the train out of sleepiness, but after watching everyone else go upstairs, I gathered my strength and climbed up to the top level thinking there must be something better about being up there. I found more comfortable seats and a better view.
There is snow here in Dresden, but it is not as cold as in Montreal. I have been looking forward to leaving my super warm coat in Montreal, so that I could be free of bulk and feel lighter and more fashionable. The truth is I would really appreciate my super warm coat here or at least my funny hat with the hearts all over it from Luis. My scarf works well as a hat when I wind it over my head. On the ride into down town Dresden I saw some gatherings of trees which reminded me of a walk I had with my friend Susan up to the top of the Mountain in Montreal. We came across a clearing that felt magical somehow, like a place where fairies and elves might gather for some kind of mischief. I feel like the older I get the more I start to pick up on the energy of certain places. I also saw tall houses with many windows from the train. Many of the buildings are still in disrepair from the bombings that occured here where 75% of the town was destroyed. The abandoned houses looked as if they were shedding tears. I felt sad imagining the deep ruin and chaos and complication.
I found my hostel easilly from the train station and a young German girl showed me to my room and explained how to find the grocery store and how to get to the old part of town for my audition on Saturday. I got groceries this morning at the store housed in the train station. I stopped for a cup of milchkaffee. I was feeling a bit disoriented and still sleepy even though I slept so well last night. A cup of coffee made it all better. I sat in the train station and listened to the bells and train announcements and people's voices echoing and bouncing around the grand station. A few pigeons walked delicately around with small soft steps. There is definitely something dreamlike about knowing that your family and friends are on another continent sleeping while you are awake and sitting in a train station. The station is simply beautiful. The ceiling is glass and the walls and border of the ceiling are decorated with art nouveau climbing plants and white flowers.
I hope you are all doing well. I will update this website when I can. It is comforting to imagine all of you reading it. I'd like to put pictures up, but without Luis here it is a bit awkward to get as many good ones. Although it is tempting to go cozy up in my room and go back to sleep I will probably go out for another nice walk and maybe explore the old city. It is definitely an off season for tourists here and I am one of a very few people currently staying at this youth hostel.
Take care and have a great day! Keep the emails coming!
. I missed my first Dresden connection because of a delay coming out of Montreal, but it was easy to be rescheduled on a later flight. I spent a couple of peaceful hours at a sunny table soaking up rays in my new time zone. When I arrived in Dresden a nice lady helped me figure out how to take the train downtown for 1.80 Euro. It was very quick and easy. I situated myself on the lower level of the train out of sleepiness, but after watching everyone else go upstairs, I gathered my strength and climbed up to the top level thinking there must be something better about being up there. I found more comfortable seats and a better view.
There is snow here in Dresden, but it is not as cold as in Montreal. I have been looking forward to leaving my super warm coat in Montreal, so that I could be free of bulk and feel lighter and more fashionable. The truth is I would really appreciate my super warm coat here or at least my funny hat with the hearts all over it from Luis. My scarf works well as a hat when I wind it over my head. On the ride into down town Dresden I saw some gatherings of trees which reminded me of a walk I had with my friend Susan up to the top of the Mountain in Montreal. We came across a clearing that felt magical somehow, like a place where fairies and elves might gather for some kind of mischief. I feel like the older I get the more I start to pick up on the energy of certain places. I also saw tall houses with many windows from the train. Many of the buildings are still in disrepair from the bombings that occured here where 75% of the town was destroyed. The abandoned houses looked as if they were shedding tears. I felt sad imagining the deep ruin and chaos and complication.
I found my hostel easilly from the train station and a young German girl showed me to my room and explained how to find the grocery store and how to get to the old part of town for my audition on Saturday. I got groceries this morning at the store housed in the train station. I stopped for a cup of milchkaffee. I was feeling a bit disoriented and still sleepy even though I slept so well last night. A cup of coffee made it all better. I sat in the train station and listened to the bells and train announcements and people's voices echoing and bouncing around the grand station. A few pigeons walked delicately around with small soft steps. There is definitely something dreamlike about knowing that your family and friends are on another continent sleeping while you are awake and sitting in a train station. The station is simply beautiful. The ceiling is glass and the walls and border of the ceiling are decorated with art nouveau climbing plants and white flowers.
I hope you are all doing well. I will update this website when I can. It is comforting to imagine all of you reading it. I'd like to put pictures up, but without Luis here it is a bit awkward to get as many good ones. Although it is tempting to go cozy up in my room and go back to sleep I will probably go out for another nice walk and maybe explore the old city. It is definitely an off season for tourists here and I am one of a very few people currently staying at this youth hostel.
Take care and have a great day! Keep the emails coming!
Welcome to German Dreams
Hello from Dresden! Here is my first post on my German Dreams blog. It will be easier to keep in touch with everyone! I really enjoyed writing my Panama blog. I hope you enjoyed it too.
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