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the bollands at rockwood

24/4/2015

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Joyce and Christian once invited me to their house in NZ for Karaoke. Sure! I said, expecting that everyone's home karaoke system would be like my parents - VHS tapes with concert footage overlayed with subtitle singalong lyrics. NO NO NO...
The Bollands surprised us all with a collection of over 20 instruments, a song book and a warm open home to request any song we wanted with LIVE accompaniment. 

Fast-forward 10 years and here they are playing at Rockwood Music Hall, on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Joyce on the keyboard, her tiny fingers and tiny feet working melodies and percussion at the same time, while Christian launches into a heart-wrenching song and guitar about his life, their life, their home, and various journeys and wayward friends along the way.  "The Drunk" seriously sent chills up my  spine, it was such a beautiful song. The Bolland's husband-wife harmonizing was epic and makes me fantasize about touring the world with my talented other half (where for art thou?). 

Buy their album(s) and check out their tour dates: thebollands.com
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APPLE MARTINIS & BOB THE DRAGQUEEN

22/4/2014

 
 FRIDAY NIGHT in New York City…after a long day working on web stuff all day, I decided to treat myself and head on up to Suite (109 & Amsterdam) to catch Bob The Drag Queen perform with her friends Miss Kracker and Brenda Darling.  Bob is one of my favorite drag queens and performers in NYC and the stuff s/he comes up with is just hilarious! You can learn SO MUCH from drag queens. Their hair and make up is always on point, they tell it about relationships like it is, and they can perform in 6-8 inch heels without falling on their faces.  After two Apple Martinis I was pretty buzzed…and still waiting for them to get on stage! I was not disappointed however and treated to some witty, entertaining and downright impressive numbers (especially Brenda Darling's dance moves!) and left highly inspired to work on my own show (and running backslide splits into 5 pirouettes...hello Ailey!)
Picture
Bob The Drag Queen

selfies in my undies

22/4/2014

 
Some mornings, after a luxurious hot shower, I just want to take selfies in my underwear. Not to share with anybody (because that's tacky) but just to remember how good I can look. But then that comes with the startling reality of how awkward it is to take selfies on a Galaxy S3 when your hands are as small as mind without a) dropping the phone, or 
b) getting the wrong angle all the time and you never look as good as what you think you look like in the mirror. 

I have to consult my friend Josephine on how to take successful selfies. 

BTW this is the first post after completing Tina Fey's ridiculously, hilarious autobiography "BossyPants". That woman's humor is off the charts! Now I'm just gonna write like how I'm talking to a friend, less vetting, more realness, more humor, less fear. Thank you Tina Fey.

The flatbush Chronicles pt. 1

12/4/2014

 
Today, I set out on a mission after spending a Friday night in, writing out positive affirmations and sticking them all over the walls.  I had 3 goals. 

  1. Go to Prospect Park and exercise (run, squat, star jumps, whatever) 
  2. Find a community centre or dance studio I can set up class in
  3. Find an Op-Shop/ 2nd hand / Consignment Store with Vintage Dresses

I walked about 2 hours up the length of Flatbush Avenue, discovering new things, stumbling upon some "hood" stores Mr Jays (pretty cool street wear) , Relly (super fun party outfits) and the usual 6 stores around here: Fried Chicken, Nails, Hair Salon, 99c Stores, Delis, Liquor Stores and High Fructose Corn Syrup Supermarkets (C-Town, Associated, Met). 

I went to all 3 places that I thought would be able to fulfill my goals, but none of them happened. Prospect Park was entirely my own fault for wearing a leotard, heat-tech long sleeved top, and a jacket, so I was inappropriately dressed (and secretly more excited about Vintage Shopping).   

The Rosebud Vintage Store turned out to be a gem of a Boutique, with beautiful one-of-a-kind vintage dresses, but catered to taller and wider 50's and 60's styles rather than 40's pin-up girl.  Their shop assistant was superbly knowledgable and passionate about vintage styles and eras. Impressed! 

The community centre I found just looked like a house.  It was called "Flatbush Freakshow" on Google Maps, thinking I could be teaching dance to "freaks" didn't phase me, I just want to teach somewhere. But there was no sign, no activity, it was just a modest 2-story house with an unkempt garden on a residential street.  Maybe they just wanna be left alone.

I returned with a new New York City T-shirt for just $2 (that I intend to cut up) and a belly stuffed with delicious Jerk Chicken from Fisherman's Cove. I met Israel from Installation Boutique on Franklin Ave which was a fantastic little store with hand-selected pieces including a LOVE necklace to die for, all made by local Brooklyn artists. 

So now, I'm spending Saturday night in - I wanted to make plans but as always I'm last minute and everyone else already has something planned - I'll keep dancing on my own (in heels, working on stretchi

Until next time,
xo
K

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    An introspective extrovert, discovering how to live life passionately and discover my true calling…and all the love, work, life, adventures on the way!

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