Workload

I was recently offered a part I like in a performance I auditioned for. It took me two full days to even respond.

Work has been hectic. I went from not tutoring students to tutoring six students. Five of them have special needs. Two of them have me working in close connection with their psychotherapists. One of them I meet with at least five times a week.

I'm recording the voice of Avatarr, the smartass with all the best lines in the upcoming, fan-made video game, Wing Commander Saga. I'm being paid by a hilarious German dude named Anton in Euros, so long as I make the time to sit in my closet and yell things into a microphone about alien fighter spaceships and hit on any female character Avatarr comes in any kind of contact with.

I'm enrolled in a Shakespeare class that formally meets on Thursdays and normally has a free workshop on Tuesdays. I joke about it being the closest thing I do to church. Every week, I go to join the congregation while we share the words of a great book we all admire, led by a respected elder expert or two, drop off donations if we feel able, and then go out afterwards for refreshments and a social hour or three after. The space is a basement rehearsal room, the book is The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, the leaders are actor/directors, and the social hour happens to be in the downtown bar MI-5, but the idea is still kind of similar. Nice community. We're having a showcase night, for which my scene partner and I still need to learn lines.

I'm blogging for myself, backstage, and now have been asked to submit some of my favorite places to travel to Glenfidditch Explorers as one of their extensive panel of travel experts. Who knows if and when that will ever get done. I'm even still doing some couchsurfing stuff. I hosted one of my friends from my time in Shanghai a couple years back, and through her ended up sipping green tea with a half a dozen other travelers on the roof of a high rise downtown with a stunning view of just about every bridge on the East River just in time for sunset (see pic above). That was before we got stuck up there with no food or had the security guards try to throw us out. Makes me miss life on the road.

But in case you haven't noticed from the last few paragraphs, I've got a good handful of responsibilities tying me here in New York. Including now, an onstage performance with SWEET: Actors Reading Writers. I'll be reading a personal essay from published novelist Stefan Merrill Block.

So what do you think I should do now that I've got all these jobs and things to rehearse for? Add something else to do of course! I wouldn't want to get bored, now, would I?

So I'm making it official here and now: I am registering for National Novel Writing Month. By the end of November, I'll have the finished draft of a brand new novel.

Anyone care to join me?

Drop Everything and Go

On Saturday afternoon, around 3pm, I was sitting in front of my computer in my Spanish Harlem apartment watching an old episode of a British Sci-Fi TV show in something like its thirty-second season, of which I've seen the latest six. I was waiting for the newest episode to come out in some form I could watch it. I don't think I was actually eating a bowl of cereal or sitting around in my underwear but I might as well have been, if it gives you an idea of the scene.

I won't say I was bored. I wasn't. Doctor Who is good stuff, if you're into that sort of thing. But I was sitting in front of a laptop, by myself, on a weekend.

Then I got a text message. It was my friend, Barry. It said "Hey I know it's last minute, but if you want to take the train out to Montauk tonight, you're welcome to stay here."

If stopping a spoonful of cereal halfway to my mouth while I'm mostly undressed, crouched in front of a computer screen helps get the gist of the image across, feel free to imagine it that way. I knew almost nothing about Montauk. I knew it was on the end of Long Island, and I vaguely remembered it mentioned in some movie I'd seen. That was it.

Didn't matter. That was all I needed.

I jumped out of the chair, called up Barry and started pacing. He was apologetic. He wanted to hang out, but it turned out there were no trains. Since I'd need to be back in the city by the next evening, it might not be worth the travel time. There was a bus, but it either left the upper east side at 5:30 and got in at 9:30pm, or left there at 3:30. And since it was already after 3:00pm...

I thought for a moment. Back at my computer, after a little searching, I pulled up the timetable and took a good look at that 3:30 bus. It made stops all along the east side before leaving, the upper east side, the closest stop to me, was the first. It passed just south of Grand Central Station around 4:00pm. Perfect. If I timed things just right...

I jumped up, packed a bag, called Barry up again to say I was coming, and dashed out into the rain. I raced up to 125th street to grab an express subway to beat the bus down to grand central. I swung out in time to grab more cash from an ATM for the bus fare, and rolled right up to the stop less than two minutes before the bus itself did. I was on, and on my way.

Getting on the bus felt good. But weirdly, what felt better was running through the rain with the bag on my back, out to catch the subway. Because once I was on the bus I was safe. While I was running, I was on an adventure. And it's been a long time since I had a taste of that. I'd forgotten how much I liked it.

That said, the evening and next day was some of the most relaxing time I've had away from "The City," as everyone calls it out here. Montauk is a beach town just east of The Hamptons. Technically it might be part of The Hamptons, depending on who you ask. But if you ask the people at the kinds of places Barry and I went, they would probably not take kindly to the insinuation. But that was because we were going into the kinds of places that didn't allow cell phones, yapping dogs, or, frankly, tourists.

So my Saturday went from sci-fi TV on my computer alone to seafood, drinks on the beach, watching mysterious paper lanterns and fireworks off in the distance... it was not how I'd pictured that day ending when I got up that morning. And then of course the next morning was more good food, more beach time, and then even more good food (first ever lobster roll at the place that made them famous, along with their seasonal pumpkin crab and lobster bisque). It was a great way to spend a weekend. All thanks to one text from a good friend.

Though I have to admit, the ability to pack a bag in under five minutes does help.

Next time you have a chance to just drop everything and go somewhere. Do yourself a favor and just go.
---
This entry cross-posted to my travel blog: JTrek.

Train of Work

If you know the transit system in New York City, take a close look and say what's wrong with this picture. If you really know the system, tell me how it happened, because I don't know.

I've been spending a lot of time on the subway system for a reason that really comes as a relief more than anything else: with the school year in full swing, tutoring work is coming back in force. I'm working with five different students on subjects spanning writing, math, chemistry, physics, English lit, US Government, and US/World history, plus a little computer skills and general organization. I still think this is the best non-acting related day job an actor can ask for. It strangely doesn't make me want to become a classroom teacher, just because I find the one on one work so much easier and more enjoyable. But it is a lot of fun. I've even been doing some at my boss' place which mean I also sometimes get to play with their three happy-go-lucky Portuguese water dogs.

This does mean that acting has taken a bit of a backseat in a way. I'm in a weekly acting workshop on Thursdays to brush up my Shakespeare, (first project is Camillo from Winter's Tale), but I haven't auditioned for anything in more than a week. That of course was for The Flea theater, whose auditions end today. I don't know what their timeline is for casting.

The basic problems are twofold. First, I'm busy with tutoring and stuff. But the second is that I've gotten picky. Last year I just wanted to prove I could act in New York, so I went out for anything and everything, paid, unpaid in freezing rain, clown-suits on street corners, whatever. I've now proven I can act here, so I'm getting more selective. Which is a good thing because it, not only does it mean I'm more likely to get something I enjoy, but it means I'm focusing my marketing on parts that I'm really appropriate for and will have a higher chance of being cast in.

But also it means I have to take the time to sit in front of my phone or computer and log in to actors access, or backstage, or Mandy, and submit myself to stuff. Instead of doing silly things like writing blog posts.

Like this one.

...right.

I think I'll go do something productive now.

Wandering my Afternoons

My life's been kinda packed this last week. And I can't remember a thing I did. I'm not sure how much I can ever account for myself without thinking pretty hard. I don't keep a daily diary, and I have hardly any fixed routine to anchor anything to. Not even my work day. I don't punch in at a set time, take my lunch, punch out and go to happy hour with the fellas after. I do sort of envy that life right now a bit. It might be kind of boring and repetitive, but at least it's organized.

Oh and it comes with a steady paycheck. That's something I haven't had in a few years. Not that I'm not getting paid, it's just not reliable.

I may not earn much money right now, but I'm picking up all kinds of skills, and as I'm starting to realize, I have a lot of free time. I feel like it's been about a full week since I had any unstructured free time.

Like when I took this picture. I was just wandering the upper east side, a bit hungry, heading home after a tutoring session and a walk in the park. I had my good camera with me for once, so I took this picture. how many people do you know who can do that? Wander a nice part of New York City at 4pm snapping photos. Not being a tourist. Not unemployed. Just happen to have some free time because of my lifestyle.

So. How do I have this lifestyle? Tutoring has started again. Between my current client list I have a 1 hour (or longer) appointment four days a week, and as my boss has pointed out, nobody's even taken a test yet, so I'm likely to get more from that.

I was also handed a great opportunity by a friend of mine and former coworker-- I'm now getting trained in basic web design, and getting paid a little bit for my trouble. Not a ton hourly, but I'm learning very useful and very employable skills with HTML, CSS, PHP and Drupal. I haven't brought it up yet, but once I master the basics of those, I might branch out a bit to Ruby on Rails to see what the world of web development is like. I've always like computers, and though the repetitive nature of coding has always made me cringe a bit, it's work I can take anywhere I can take a laptop and do on my own schedule.

I'm still waiting to hear from the folks at Grovo.com regarding my voiceover work. Hopefully should know what's going on with that in a day or two.

But most exciting of course is something that doesn't pay a dime. Tomorrow, I will be auditioning for The Flea Theater's resident company: The Bats. Hoping for the best!

New Year, New Responsibilities

It's funny how, in the US, the first twenty years of lives the new year starts for us in September. The school year. So it is for me. It's a new year, not only because I've now been in the city for a year, but also now school starting again. As a tutor, that means I go back to work. Which is a very good thing. It's been kind of lean summer, money wise. Once I can get back to my students, I can stop paying rent out of my savings, and start putting something back in.

Not only that, but I've just been hired to do voiceover for Grovo.com, an internet guide to, well, the internet! I will be one of thee new voices on staff, and my profile is that of the guide to all things young and creative. They don't have scripts for us yet, but they will be using our demos and auditions to test drive a few things with study groups etc. and then hopefully have work for me soon! It's voiceover, so the hourly pay is fantastic, and the original invite to audition said they'd call me in two or three times a week, probably three hours a job. So I'm very happy about that.

Since it's a new year here, the second one, I feel like it's time to really start thinking about my long term responsibilities. And the main one of those that's looming in my mind, is that by July 2012, I will be 26, and no longer covered by my family's health insurance. I'll need my own. And since I'm not counting on being employed by a company that covers that expense, I'll need to navigate the murky waters of individual health care plans. Because after the things that've happened in my family lately, there's no way I'm going uninsured.

Similarly, since I'm not employed anywhere that gives me a 401k or similar, I've got to start thinking about retirement.  Grownup things. I've been putting things away into a small investment account for a couple years, and I realize that now is not the greatest time to invest in the short-term, but for the long term, when I'll want the money 40 years from now, it should go somewhere. So now that I'm on my way to being net profitable again, it's time to start managing those things myself.

I kinda wish they taught that stuff in school. Because as it stands I'm going to need to teach myself how all these things work.

525600 Minute Anniversary

When I exited Grand Central Station last night, I walked right past a someone playing bagpipes. It was almost a minute later that I realized, that one year ago, I would not have seen a bagpipe player in the street as normal. I've gotten used to things that would amaze most people. Life in a city with this many people is full of characters and events. And after a while, sadly, you start to take them for granted.

I have been living in New York for one full year, as of today. That makes this the first time I've lived in one city for a full year since I was 17 years old.

This photo is the home I made out of mostly an empty apartment over the course of a year. It feels a bit sparse , nothing inside it is fancy. But it's furnished and decorated, with electric heat and a/c. The walls are covered with memories from before New York.

I don't feel satisfied. I mean, I've made plenty of professional progress. I've been in three Off-Off Broadway shows, the last one paid on a union scale. I've performed the lead role in a short film. I've managed to live and pay for a one bedroom apartment in Manhattan by myself. But it feels a bit empty. Mostly because if someone sat me down and asked me for stories from my year here, I'd draw a blank.

Partially that's because of the competition. When you've push-started a car onto the German Autobahn, nearly gotten killed on a bike in the mountains of Peru, and ziplined off of the Great Wall of China, you become kind of a tough audience for yourself.

That and I think I've spent the vast majority of my time here preparing for the future. Most of the things I've done have been in an effort to get something else later. It feels like a long time since I've done something big for its own sake. I guess when you spend that much time preparing for the future, you don't really notice whatever is happening now.

But I have gained something: a genuine social life. Turns out when you stay in a place for a long time, you actually make friends. Not just people you have one great conversation over drinks and a couple days of hiking with. Friends you see every few days. You get to know their lives, significant others, music tastes, catch phrases. I hardly ever have to say goodbye anymore.

So, yeah, I miss adventure. Life feels a bit static. But it's good to have a simple, reliable set of people you know and trust.

Hurricane Cleaners

I've spent the last three days and nights at my girlfriend's place in Brooklyn, a 40-minute subway ride when the subway is running. Problem was, in case you didn't see the news, a hurricane hit the city, prompting the city to shut down all public transit. So the two of us along with half a dozen of our friends decided to spend the storm together, watching videos, playing Apples to Apples, Risk, and Rock Band, and generally doing what we could to stave off boredom.

Except for the transit shutdown, none of us were directly affected by Irene, which was downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it hit the city. We probably should have felt grateful, but I think most of us were just disappointed after all the hype that nothing interesting had happened. Walking around we saw a few limbs of trees had been downed in places. In the dark some of us passed piles of green leaves on the sidewalks, smelling prematurely like fall.

I made it home this morning, back into Spanish Harlem. While on the subway, out of it on my way home, and on my way to the gym and laundromat today, something about the place looked a lot better than it had before. I couldn't figure out why, but I felt like I was walking in the East Village rather than East Harlem.

Then I realized what it was. The high winds and torrential rains had washed all the garbage off the streets. No burger wrappers, cigarette butts, or anything else ripped up and crumpled on the sidewalks.

I realized that it was because there was so much trash around that I normally ignored the businesses there. But now that it had been cleaned up some, I kept noticing all these cute little restaurants, cafes, bars, and shops I felt like I'd never seen before. Especially further east, on 116th st, and up and down 1st ave.

I've been living in this neighborhood for almost a year now, but I still don't know much about the place. Mostly because I've never spent any time in it outside my apartment and a couple grocery stores. The only friends I know who live within a ten minute walk are a couple I normally only see in Chinatown at an acting forum they run. If I want to visit any of my friends, most of the time I have to figure out a way into Brooklyn, lower Manhattan, or sometimes Queens. It would be kind of nice to call someone up and walk to their place or somewhere we could both hang out for a change.

Meetup.com doesn't offer much, and neither does Craigslist apparently. I want to figure out some way to get to know people around my neighborhood. If only to take the commute out some of my social life.