If you quit...someone else gets to live your dream!

I know I have been very scarce this past week but its been hectic hectic hectic...just flippin’ awesome in fact! I’ve been in workshops almost every day all day and learning loads of lines by night...I am learning so much and there is never a dull moment with each session bringing its fair share of laughter, tears and enough wisdom to write my own saucy novel :)

I did have one day off though and that was spent on a double-decker red-hopper bus...yes very tourist-y but a fabulous way to figure out the geography of LA- from the landmarks and skyscrapers to famous movie settings and the beaches! Being a brilliantly sunny day, Penny my trusty sidekick and myself found ourselves sitting up top, hidden under our jerseys trying to keep out of the sun but still enjoy the view (we figured that making a good first impression with the industry professionals on the course may prove a little challenging if we both look like fried tomatoes)...and you can’t possibly ride such a ridiculously garish mode of transport and hide away inside. 

This was of course a temporary solution and as we set foot on Santa Monica Pier we began haggling with the hat-stand Sandra Oh look-alike...she eventually took pity on us as we guilt-tripped her about the potential threat of skin cancer and sun spots. 

Strolling along the pier, you could have yourself sketched, painted or moulded in clay (totally weird). It was lovely to have some fresh sea air and enjoy the seagulls, fishermen, ice-creams and sun worshippers, but it wouldn’t have been a proper visit if we hadn’t conquered the roller-coaster, right at the edge of the pier, a fierce drop below. So surrounded by some hyped up prep school tour group I screamed my head off and tried to soak up the California coastline...the seemingly child-intolerant operator even gave us a second go as we flashed him...our pearly whites:) 

We had to walk along the beach as one does, however I must admit that being a South African girl, I’m totally spoilt by the beauty of home...we did have hysterics at the bevy of bodybuilders, bikers and bathing beauties of every age in every size:) The fact that they have built in gym equipment on the beach is enough said. Of course Penny and I had to investigate the Third Street Promenade with every shop imaginable, a bite of sushi, a watermelon margarita and street performers to entertain us as we shopped till we literally collapsed on the very last red hopper back to our neck of the woods. 

So...the classes...well this has been a roller-coaster of an entirely different kind. My class (the group has been split in two) have really bonded over the past week where all inhibitions had to go out the window from the get go! The calibre of casting directors is insane and each session brings with it such magic...the opportunity to eat, sleep, breathe what I love is such a blessing! Some memorable moments so far are anything from one casting directors adorable blind geriatric maltese poodle who was passed around the class and petted as he wheezed his way through our work, to us attempting to do commercial scripts off cue card prompts and singing ourselves into a frenzy about sugar free Root-beer. 

Or as was the case with Penny and I, getting the giggles so horrendously that we were separated...sadly lack of food, sleep but maintaining  a healthy sense of humor had us both cracking up while I had to, completely dead-pan, mime listen to a salad dressing bottle which apparently was “sizzling”...never mind staring deeply into a casting director’s eyes as I was playing a newlywed bride, breaking down in tears or swearing my head off as power-suited bitch! Good times...:)

So I have the next two days off, which couldn’t have come at a better time for any of us because no matter how awesome it is where we staying...we need to escape and there is so much more exploring to be done! (Besides finding Superman, which I will do!!!) Hope everyone at home is well...x x x