I Can't Believe This is the Same Day

[shanmonster]

This morning I was in Moncton, walking with Barb, and practicing my poi with John. This afternoon I was back home in Fredericton, hanging out with snowy_kathryn and f00dave, checking out photos. Now I'm in a loud and busy call centre. It feels like three separate days.

Work is fairly steady tonight, but I can type during the sporadic lulls.

I had a very social weekend in Moncton. I hung out with Barb, John, and Natalie, primarily: dance folk. I also attended a dance performance. It was Nada Lantaigne's final student show. She's moving to Montréal shortly. The show was really well put-together, and the choreographies she chose were well-suited to each dancer's ability. It was a very Egyptian-themed show, although I did see what looked like a Turkish choreography to an Egyptian pop song (!).

Barb was a guest performer, and did another of her lovely veil numbers. Her style was markedly different from the Egyptian dancers, but complimentary to the show.

Unfortunately, I didn't have a pen with me, so I wasn't able to make notes on the show. I did take a few pictures, but the digital camera isn't really designed for taking that kind of photo, I think. Everyone looks rather creepy in the pictures. Oooh. Spooky.

I tried out the brand-new YMCA in Moncton. It's a huge new complex, filled with shiny futuristic equipment. It's almost like everything but the dumbbells have computer controls. I don't see how computer readouts will help me do arm curls. Does that make me a Luddite?

In any case, I was standing there staring at a particularly bizarre contraption. It had three big steps, and two sets of handles way, way up (...and I'll call Rusty). While I'm standing there staring at this thing, a massive man on the leg press saw me, and said, "Need help?"

I said, "I sure do!" and he came over. He showed me how to work the thing (which is basically an overblown chinup machine with counterbalances), and then I climbed on. It's actually quite a fun machine, because it makes me feel like I'm floating up and down, but I couldn't do very much on it. My upper body strength is still lacking. But if I had one of those bizarre contraptions, you can bet I'd be playing on it all the time until I looked like a bleached-out She-Hulk.

I also read First Blood over the weekend. Although it has the same general story as the first Rambo movie, the stories have decidedly different flavours. For starters, the cop is the sympathetic character in the book, and Rambo, although he starts off fairly likeable, gradually becomes more and more monstrous. I recommend both the book and the movie. Usually, movies are far inferior to the novels from which they're drawn. This time, I think both are equally good, but for different reasons. It's like the Blade Runner/Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep effect, as opposed to the Troy/Iliad debacle.

It looks like I might be performing at Evolve this year. I'd be doing fire dance, and maybe other fun stuff, too. I'm still waiting to find out if it's all official or not.

I taught myself a new trick with poi over the weekend. I now do directional changes by kicking the poi, either from the front or the back. I still need to practice a lot, so I can do it flawlessly. Right now, I'm averaging about 50%, which isn't anywhere near good enough to show off!

Two more hours to go... And I work again tomorrow at 2:15. Yig. I'd like to go home now, please.

Comments

[andy-meister.livejournal.com]

Crap! You were in Moncton and I didn't have a chance to say "hi" and catch up. Perhaps next time? :/

Then again, life has changed a bit from the last time you and f00 lived in town.

Keep up the interesting stuff, Shan.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Man, I have serious ADD or something. I never remember to contact all the people I want to see whenever I go somewhere. I'm so easily distracted....