Absolutely fabulous

I just had the best weekend here in Sydney so far. Friday afternoon I had a X-MAS bbq with my lab colleagues. It was so nice to see them in an informal setting, instead of in between chemical bottles. There was a blown up castle present in order to release your inner child. You would really be surprised how popular that castle was among my fellow researchers! After the bbq we made our way to King’s Cross Hotel where the after party took place. Upon entering this classy hotel I received a VIP band which allowed me to get free food and beverages. How fabulous is that! There was a DJ playing his music and I danced, drank and laughed the entire night with the other students. I think we upgraded our social status from casual-conversation-in-the-hall-way to one of beginning friendship. After a while I got kicked out the hotel by the bouncer due to drunkenness. I can tell you that this was really unfair! Because I wasn’t indulging that much alcohol, as I was still in the presence of my colleagues and, therefore, tried to maintain some dignity and not having to look for it inside the toilet. Even my attempts of standing on one leg while counting backwards from 100 did not impress this bouncer. Ah well, Sydney is too vibrant to be staying too long in one place anyway. So I went bar hopping with my newly made friends for the rest of the night.

Saturday I was off to go to my second audition, the theater production based upon the classic the Icemen cometh. This show, which was also translated into a movie starring Al Pacino, is about cynical whiskey drinking men discussing essence of life. On my way to get there, I had to take the train for my first time here in Sydney. Exciting as that is on its own, it was even more thrilling when the train had to cross the water to reach North Sydney. Eagerly I was looking out for the Harbour Bridge, because I could not seem to find it instantly. How could you miss Sydney’s hallmark when you’re so close by!? But it was then when I realized that the train was actually crossing the water over Harbour Bridge. Awesome! I arrived at the theater and I immediately loved it. There’s just something beautiful about a stage shined upon with bright spotlights. It makes me feel like I belong there, as it had felt like when I did theater in high school, or even already at primary school really. I also liked the other persons who were auditioning with their extravert flamboyant behaviours. As if their lives are just one big show filled with drama. I love it! I met the very friendly director and she handed me a piece of paper with lines for the character Willie Oban I was auditioning for. On my application form they also asked questions whether I would be interested, if I did not get selected, to do some technical stuff backstage, ea. lights, music, and clothes, or learning lines for a character as a back-up. I wrote down nice and clear: I am here only for being on stage. No-one puts baby in the corner. I wasn’t feeling nervous at all, I was actually feeling rather comfortable. Much more comfortable compared with my short film audition last weekend. I could really connect with my lines and I knew I could work it. I was feeling very confident. And so I nailed my audition. I had them wrapped up on my little finger, playing with them, teasing, and they had no idea what came over to them. I wanted the part so badly. I had to do well. They said it was a great audition and they even wanted to see me doing another audition for a different character, the director’s favourite character, Hugo. So I also auditioned for that part and I think I did very well. They seemed to like it and she could not stop laughing after my audition. The good kind of chuckles though, not the oh-my-god-you-are-rubbish laugh. She is going to call me one of these days with the result. I can’t wait to hear it! Because there were a lot of people doing auditions. It would be such a great opportunity to meet the kind of people I love hanging out with.

After my audition I went over to the apartment of Jovana, the kiwi gal, to chill at her place near Manly’s beach. She was staying at her uncles and he owns such a pretty loft! I was sitting on a big balcony, cocktail in my hand, listening to Jazz music while enjoying the afternoon sun in the beautiful Manly. God, I was feeling like Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous! At some stage we decided to go out. Jovana putted me in a sexy outfit, as I only had my day clothes with me, which in Sydney is not-done to wear when you’re going out. It is not like the Netherlands where you can basically pull off clubbing in your pyjamas! No, not in the fabulous Sydney, here they like to dress up. We went bar hopping and I was having a great time.

On Sunday, while drinking my coffee and actively focussing on full body recovery - I am not used to going out two days in a row anymore – I received an e-mail from the director of the short film I auditioned for last week. I hadn’t heard from them in a while so I assumed that they hadn’t selected me. But it seemed that my fabulousness had expanded from the theater to the movie industry, as they mentioned that they had picked me for the leading role!!!!

Coming days are probably going to be very busy with work, short film production, and potentially the theater show. But I am happily willing to reserve an additional space in my trophy cabinet for an Oscar award, right next to the spot destined for my Nobel Prize.