Dear ... Everyone;

I'm back in Detmold, and the theater is more or less back into it's standard madness, and I'm conscious of not writing to everyone for much too long. So, while my lasagne is cooking right now, I thought that I'd get a start at catching you all up on my life. (It feels a little egotistical when I put it that way: As if my life is so interesting, and exciting for everyone to know about.)

Hopefully, I've written before, telling that I was in Canada this summer, visiting many relations, and friends. (I love telling some people about how I saw all 7 grandparents that summer! -It's possible because 3 of the 4 of them have found new partners.) -it would have been even more interesting, (if you can be insensitive enough for these things to be amusing,) if my parents had split up, and then remarried earlier in life, so that I'd have more than 10 grandparents. As it is, I have never met these "step-grand-parents," and generally, I find that the roles taken by my step parents... is not that; They don't have the feeling of replacement parents at all, because I was independent, (although, perhaps not financially, :-) by the time that those weddings happened. So...

Now that I've written more than ever needed to be said on that subject, let me continue with the past three month's history. (I do hope that no one really minded my writing that though: it was just in my head, and I felt it to be an honest statement of the truths of this world, and my reaction to them.)

My flight back to Germany... Was delayed. About two hours I think. So I was sitting around in the Vancouver air port, (waiting, in fact, for a plane to fly up from California or somewhere; because our plane failed some of the pre-flight checks or some like thing. At least it's good to know that they were being safe, even though it made us late.) It did mean, however, that I only Just made it back to my theater for the training that evening. -Which went no better than could be expected, considering that I left on the ferry from Nanaimo in the late morning, and arrived in Germany the next afternoon, with only a couple hours sleep on the plane, and then barely had time to go home and drop off my stuff. I must have slept well that night though, and soon was back into the routine... of dancing, dancing , dancing.

The new dancers in the company this year were a second French girl, (who guested with us last season,) and a Brazilian girl, and a British boy, who'd just completed his school. -And one other girl... who ended up not coming, so on our first day back, we had an audition, and we chose this young Australian... who needed a place to stay, so she got my extra room for that month. (before my normal room mate moved in.) -more about my living situation later though; Now, I tell more about the company.

Well, we were busy, with these four new people to learn the pieces, so we certainly didn't have extra free time. Then... after about one month, we were performing a couple of scenes from Let me Live in a Presentation of Many Theaters, kind of evening. And what happened three quarters of the way through it? The Brittish guy, Edward, that I was dancing with, fell and broke his wrist. (Ouch!) -Which I didn't realise, so I went across the stage with him, saying "pick it up! The next section is... We can take it easy on your wrist if it's bruised..."

Then he said "It's broken." and walked off stage.

It couldn't have been one second that I paused, realising the situation; that he was Not coming back on to finish the number. -Then what was I supposed to do? (this was the "Street Fighter" scene, where it's just him and me in an arena, and he's dreaming that he can beat me up. So it's one long Hollywood fight, with parts in slow motion.) So, when he Leaves... what do I do?

I did chennés to the center of the stage, and Took a powerful pose, essentially declaring that I had won. (The Ballet director, however, thought that I was going to continue with an improv for the remaining couple of minutes! Which he wasn't sure he wanted to see, so the lights dimmed, and the music faded, -which was in the end the best I could have asked for, standing in the middle of the stage with my fists raised.)

So, that was that... and we had one of our dancers hospitalised for two weeks, after which he's had quite a long period of recovery. (He's dancing again now, but he can't lift yet.) SO... just as we were getting on top of the material, and having it nearly ready, we found a new guest, we were back to a beginning. For Bus Station, (a Dance evening of mixed styles,) we got the man from last season to come here as a guest. And for Cinderella, (The Prokofiev Ballet,) we found a guest. -but it was too much to ask for him to learn the main role in one week. (It's a bloody hard main role!) -So, he learned my part, and I became the prince. (Which I had been half paying attention to for a few months, not knowing who would have that role this season. -It was still difficult to learn, but not as difficult as it would have been for someone who wasn't familiar with it.)

And then, when that week of insanity was passed, and we sort of knew what we were doing in Cinderella, there was a Bus Station that Jeronimo (from last year,) was not able to guest in... So I took over all his roles in that one too. This Was a great deal of learning. He was doing Something in about half of the dances, (it seems like.) And once I got all the Dancing somewhat comfortable, there were still the Other things, which were -actually the hardest to get right: It felt to me, that in the pieces where they said "It's free here; someone else is dancing, and you just need to stand there at the back, talking to this girl, and being natural." -In these places, I could never do it right. I did what felt natural to me, and they'd say that it was all wrong. (then one person would tell me "do it like this." Which someone in the next rehearsal would say was all wrong!) -And in the end, I was so tense about this part, and so concerned, that it was Impossible to do anything at all "Natural."

But... in the performance, I think we did it well, and it looked right. (I hope it did.)

After this, after two months and a little bit, I at last had nothing new to learn and worry about! At last we got back to "Regular" rehearsals, and started to learn pieces for "Cabaret." This is the big musical that we're doing this season, And it seems to me, that the dancers have a lot to do in it. (In some ways; we are not dancing so much yet, but we sing as much or more than the choir, and we are put into many of the scenes. -And in the Club, we are the Band, so I'm standing there much of the time, being a cross-dressing Double Bass player. -Which leads to some difficulties, because we're supposed to be just more of the cabaret girls, BUT... How on earth can you be sexy, and sensual, with a double Bass? It's just too big! And when I'm told to walk onto stage, carrying it, in an inviting style, well... I'm a bit perplexed.

Anyhow... I'm sure I'll manage something. And I personally have always enjoyed the... chance to Ham it up, So being a cross-dresser with purple hair and silver shoes doesn't bother me; To me, it's an opportunity to play something up! (And anyhow, I think that my cheek bones look quite good with rouge.)

Well, that's about where work is in the theater right now. The only other thing to really say, is that it's intended that I have one more performance as Cinderela's prince in December, and then Our Brit should be recovered, and I can go back to my old role.

On to my home, and lifestyle.

So... Sophie, the Australian girl who had the other room here... Her room was painted after about a week or two, so we moved her bed into my room, and we lived like that for a while... then Momo (My room mate from last year, who I'm renting this place with,) moved in, BUT... The one girl who was leaving this flat... hadn't left yet! (She took the LONGEST time! It got quite annoying. sigh.) So, Sophie stayed in my room, Momo was in Her room, With all his things stacked to the ceiling, and the Other person, had the biggest room, mostly empty, and was hardly ever around. (Yes; Annoying.) It must have been only a couple of weeks ago that Momo's room was painted, and he moved into it, and Sophie went to her room, and I could see my floor again. And now... as soon as I have the time and impetus, I'll stack my things in their rooms, and paint mine. And at last, We'll all have our own spaces, as we'd like them.

I learned about myself while living in close quarters with Sophie though; I truly am... open. And I love company; I had nothing I wanted to keep hidden from her, and no... sense of my personal space being intruded upon. I rather enjoyed having someone so near, and I still miss her a little- even though she's in the next room. It was a little harder for her though, because she Does have a healthy, developed sense of personal space, which was so cramped, (or so I understand it was,) while we were together at work, and in the kitchen, And when we went to sleep.

Anyhow... You'll all probably think that it's the wrong place to say it now, but... Our flat is a nice 3 bedroom, one kitchen, and a split bathroom. It's on the ground floor, on a relatively quiet street, (though one of the University buildings is just up the road, so there's a lot of students walking by in the mornings.) The floors are all wooden, and the ceilings are high. My room is nicely big, and there's a small lawn, (and shrubs, and a little patio,) in the back. It's really quite nice, and as soon as I get my room painted, and ready, I'll take a picture and put it on my website.

And Have I written before about my website? It's a collection of all my writings like this, and some poetry, and a few pictures. (I mean it to be something like a segmented auto biography, which is continuously added to, as things happen.) Anyhow, if this is news to you, then you'd possibly like to know that the address is
www.slym.de.vu

What else makes up my life right now? Well... besides trying to get my room ready, there's occasional auditions for other theaters around Germany, and wondering what the heck I'm going to do with my 9 days free in January. There are four things that I'm considering right now: Auditioning all that time in Germany. Or Auditioning in France. Or going to Estonia to relax, and visit old friends. Or, going to Saint Petersburg, because I know people there, and it's an amazing city that I've never seen. (That's near, and not too expensive.)

All of these possibilities need more research into feasibility, and desirability... and I'll just have to make a decision, (which is something I hate doing!)

Well... I think that this has pretty much summed up my life at the moment. So, I'll go and enjoy the sunshine, (although it's cold, and we've had snow already,) and perhaps think about theaters in Germany. -Or France.

And I SHOULD move things out of my room and start painting! Oh well.

I wish you all well... and will do my best to write you again for Christmas.

Peace,

Matthew