Thinking of Home

When I left the Jacaranda trees had just started showing off - Joburg became a delightful canopy of purple. Missing home a bit. It's cold in Florence - and you have to walk far to see trees!

Camera Condensation

I have been in Florence for one week! It feels very much longer... On Monday morning it rained and I discovered I have a leak in my room - right over the only table in the room - right over the spot I put my camera down. So my camera is broken. It won't turn on - the Italians in the camera shop all just looked at it and shook their heads. I am devastated! My camera! So my luck follows me...




These are photo's taken on Saturday while I was walking around by myself after a rather large night on Friday - i'm starting to settle in. The one of the crucifix was strange. I was walking in the center of Florence and accidentally walked through these massive double doors into this church that was totally dark except for the spot light on the crucifix. I sat down for a while and enjoyed the calm that comes in places like these.

The course is cool - we have started clown work - interesting - very interesting - It is so hard to write about it - it will only sound random - so i'll save the detail of that for my diary! But we stared by looking at what story your natural body tells - and it is fascinating. We put on the neutral mask - this is so you cannot use your face to tell a story. Truly it is fascinating.

Firenze by Night

I walked home and this is what it looked like. Clear sky. Full moon. Chill in the air. It didn't look real. I felt like I was on a massive theatre set and any moment a chorus of chimney sweeps were going to burst out in musical unison.

Love Lock

There is a somewhat unusual tradition in Florence of locking your love - with a padlock - to any chain - or piece of secure metal - or on a railing - or anywhere you like really - people in love from all over the world... securing their love for one another all over the city with a little hunk of metal. Nick if you are reading this - look out for a padlock and be sure to bring it along x

Florence

I'm thinking I should have taken Nick's advise with the one line.... Sorry... 'Scuse... do you speak English... could you tell me... what am I doing here?!'

We had our first improv class - I died. They say the death of the 'actor' is worse than actual death - this being that you still walk around with your wounded ego. Sigh. So it begins. I also cried. But a lot of us are doing that. Blubbed more than cried I think. It seams everyone has given up much to live in this impossibly beautiful frighteningly expensive city - Florence.


Our mad tour guide on the day I arrived - I couldn't understand her - even though see was speaking English... I think! x



I live just down the road from this square. I live in Florence - still feels like a lie - or a dream - and that i'll wake up just now.




I spent my first hour in Florence under this faded Mary painting on the wall - standing on the corner - lost - with no phone - hoping I was in the right place - tired from a night thinking the plane was going to crash - it didn't luckily - worrying that i'd be mugged I looked so BRAND NEW - so I took out my iPod and tried to look cool. I don't think it worked. I missed Nick - so I put on my dark glasses so the 'robbers' wouldn't see me crying.


The view from my flat - which I pay far too much for - but there is a view - and it's very sweet - and the window is not tiny.

I'm in Italy - Florence - at acting school - yes this is all true. I have lost sense of time - it feels much longer than it has been... The journey has began. We'll see.

Bosmans back garden

Walking across slippery rocks in shallow rapids... swinging from a long rope to bomb the murky river... sitting quietly on a jetty watching the cunning fish circle the bait with not a bite to be had... rowing a canoe and gliding to the sound of wind in the trees... a jumping fish mocks the fishermen... playing monopoly for hours... walking in heat... looking at the brilliant purple of the Jacaranda trees... drinking orange juice with ice blocks... an afternoon sleep... lifting the toilet seat with your foot for those sneaky scorpions... eating koeksisters, home made bread, milk tart.

The Groot-Marico... You can see why Herman Charles Bosman lived here. So would you.

'Hey, you!' says the sunflower to the sun
Just like that,
In tones of mockery,
'Hey, you!
Where's your stem?'

http://zar.co.za/bosman.htm