Saturday 21 January 2012
Travels with a ballerina - ongoing
This blog has been posted elsewhere as a private one. Understandably my daughter does not want the ins and outs of her audition process published for the world to see, so if you would like an invite to the private one please ask
Sunday 15 January 2012
TRAVELS WITH A BALLERINA - Day One: Amsterdam to Munich
Are you thinking of taking your daughter to ballet lessons? Beware! I did exactly that, sixteen years ago, because isn't that what little girls like to do? Or should I say, isn't that what little girls' middle class mummies like them to do? Those ballet lessons in the local community centre were the beginning of a long and sometimes tortuous, extremely expensive journey to where we are sitting now, aboard a train from Amsterdam to Munich for an audition with the Bavarian State Ballet. Who knew?
It is ballet company audition season and we have decided to save money and the planet and do it by boat and train. Rather than do it the way most of my daughter's contemporaries are (flying out and back over numerous weekends for selected auditions) we have decided to buy inter rail tickets and try and fit as many auditions and company classes as we can in to one trip. My husband called it the carpet bombing approach, an unfortunate use of phraseology when we are talking about Germany. It has been, and continues to be a logistical planning nightmare but fortunately she and I love a spreadsheet, especially if we can colour co- ordinate it and link it with a Google map with coloured pins. I last inter railed as a student with my then boyfriend but I was young and stupid then. No sleeping on beaches or train platforms for me this time. Sadly with age comes experience of the world and possibly a liitle more anxiety too. Oh for that naive belief in my own indestructibility again!
In those student days I did write a journal which I still have in a box somewhere, it makes fascinating reading now....well for me anyway. Now we are in a different millennium I have decided to journal our travels as a series of blogs, of which this is the first. I promise though, not to regale you with details of our every meal and cup of coffee.
We took the boat from Newcastle to Amsterdam last night and are taking the train to Munich today. Not much else to say really, other than the irritations of only 25 MB per day mobile Internet and isn't Holland flat?!
Photo to come when I can work out how to upload from iPad or get a hotel with free wifi to use
laptop!
It is ballet company audition season and we have decided to save money and the planet and do it by boat and train. Rather than do it the way most of my daughter's contemporaries are (flying out and back over numerous weekends for selected auditions) we have decided to buy inter rail tickets and try and fit as many auditions and company classes as we can in to one trip. My husband called it the carpet bombing approach, an unfortunate use of phraseology when we are talking about Germany. It has been, and continues to be a logistical planning nightmare but fortunately she and I love a spreadsheet, especially if we can colour co- ordinate it and link it with a Google map with coloured pins. I last inter railed as a student with my then boyfriend but I was young and stupid then. No sleeping on beaches or train platforms for me this time. Sadly with age comes experience of the world and possibly a liitle more anxiety too. Oh for that naive belief in my own indestructibility again!
In those student days I did write a journal which I still have in a box somewhere, it makes fascinating reading now....well for me anyway. Now we are in a different millennium I have decided to journal our travels as a series of blogs, of which this is the first. I promise though, not to regale you with details of our every meal and cup of coffee.
We took the boat from Newcastle to Amsterdam last night and are taking the train to Munich today. Not much else to say really, other than the irritations of only 25 MB per day mobile Internet and isn't Holland flat?!
Photo to come when I can work out how to upload from iPad or get a hotel with free wifi to use
laptop!
Sunday 8 January 2012
No Clothes for a Year
No, I'm not doing a Lady Godiva or becoming a naturist - I live in the North East after all. Just thought that title might grab your attention more than "No New Clothes for a Year"
I have made a pledge to buy no new clothes for a year. This year will actually run until January 5th 2013 as I bought a new pair of boots on Thursday. The self imposed rules are: no new clothes except underwear - nobody wants to see my boobs sagging as the year goes on, I can assure you. Anything I haven't worn in the year will be going to a charity shop.
My inspiration was this article http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/life/fashion/article3275287.ece
However I am nothing like this woman. I didn't spend my teenage years being fashion obsessed, I don't drool over designer clothes or clothing magazines and I most certainly don't have spare clothes in the attic. It may be easier for me than her as I will probably not be as tempted as her but on the other hand it could be a lot harder as I am starting from a much smaller wardrobe. Now if someone said I couldn't buy stationary for a year that would be a very different matter. OK so I do Paperchase now and then......
I will intermittently blog about my challenge over the course of the year so that you can check up on me and nag me about it too.
This is what I am starting with.......bring on the clothes dye!
I have made a pledge to buy no new clothes for a year. This year will actually run until January 5th 2013 as I bought a new pair of boots on Thursday. The self imposed rules are: no new clothes except underwear - nobody wants to see my boobs sagging as the year goes on, I can assure you. Anything I haven't worn in the year will be going to a charity shop.
My inspiration was this article http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/life/fashion/article3275287.ece
However I am nothing like this woman. I didn't spend my teenage years being fashion obsessed, I don't drool over designer clothes or clothing magazines and I most certainly don't have spare clothes in the attic. It may be easier for me than her as I will probably not be as tempted as her but on the other hand it could be a lot harder as I am starting from a much smaller wardrobe. Now if someone said I couldn't buy stationary for a year that would be a very different matter. OK so I do Paperchase now and then......
I will intermittently blog about my challenge over the course of the year so that you can check up on me and nag me about it too.
This is what I am starting with.......bring on the clothes dye!
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