PICTURES!!!

This was as Neele and I waited for the rest of our castmates to sign their lives away to the Arkansas River!

Here we are in an old (and quaint) town where we went to a delicious Mexican restaurant... we made friends with a police officer at a traffic light... who gave us special parking permission. And as for the picture, it is of me trying quaccamole for the first time! I loved it (but cound never before get past its nasty green color).

This was the view from the dome of the capital building!

Looking down on loads of my castmates as they tour the Denver capital building....

Chillin' out between rehearsals ...
Vitor (Brazil) and I!
This was my fantastic group for the scavenger hunt... we walked seriously from one side of the city to another, got creative, and even danced in the rain.
Pre-rafting, this is my roommates and I at Gunsmoke. It is a very historical cafe situated right across from the rafting place. While eating, I read up on the history of the cafe - it was famous for hosting many of the bad boys of the American West. Above me at my breakfast table hung a picture, taken maaaaannnnny years ago, of about 15 men - sitting in almost that very spot. Among them, former president Teddy Roosevelt, Wyatt Earp, Morgan Earp, and The Sundance Kid. Pretty sweet!
This is me with some of the girls prior to our rafting experience - From left to right, we have Eriko (Japan), Bianca (Arizona), me, Riika (Finland) and Rina (Finland).

This is a look back to the culture jam that I had written about. These are some of my castmates in costume as they performed. From left to right: Chihiro (Japan - she is also my language buddy!!!), Ai (Japan)... and a cool fact - in Japanese, Ai means "love", Wichitra (Thailand), and Eriko (Japan). I thought their costumes were so beautiful!

This is Ouray. He represents the Navajo Nation within our cast. Here, he performed a traditional Native American dance. It was intersting to see Chief Ouray's portrait hanging in the capital building... I'll have to ask Ouray if that is who he was named after, as this figure was apparently very instrumental in shaping Colorado's history.

These are the Netherlands representatives... On the left is Mayke, my roommate. Next to her is Jochem, then Marieke, Frederik, Gijs, and Milou. They sang their national anthem... in Dutch of course.


Hope you enjoyed!!!

PS: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM ~ I MISS YOU!!! :-)

More Denver Delights...

This was us before Batman - which PS: was a great movie!

So this week has been crazy busy. In fact, I haven't even had time to keep up with my nightly journal :-0...

I'll try to sum up some of the highlights:

Friday we went on a scavenger hunt of downtown Denver. We toured the capital building, which is beautiful. We also ran around like nutballs trying to find all kinds of random stuff (and document it!).

We had seminars on how to do our Stand for Peace workshops in the schools. They are really informative and engaging. I think the kids will have a lot of fun... but also learn a great deal about more positive empowerment and diversity.

We also started blocking for our show. It is so neat to see everything start to come together. From the songs to the dances, and everything in between, I am in total awe of how much we have accomplished here in such a short time.

This week I have made it a point to talk to a new castmate each day. I am trying hard to get to know everyone as an individual... and to be good about writing details down so that I can remember.

Today I went white water rafting on the Arkansas River. It was such a blast - the rapids were class 3 and 4 (the highest that exist are 6, but the highest you are allowed to "run" or ride are 5's... so this required skill). On my raft we had me, Mayke (the Netherlands), Uli-Lisa (Germany), Jordan (Arizona), Collin (Texas), Tom (a host from Denver), and Vitor from Brazil. Vitor only speaks Portuguese, but had the time of his life. He had us in stitches the whole time - and he would throw his paddle into the air after a hard rapid and scream with delight - or scream at the rocks that stood in our way... as if it would make them move. Our raft totally had the most fun.

Birthdays here are a blast. We always do something exciting ~ thanks of course to our birthday crew. On Matt's birthday, he totally got pied in the face. Hopefully someone documented that.. because it made me laugh. It sounds so cool when we all sing happy birthday - because it is requested that everyone sings it in their native language. With 20 or so languages within the cast, it can be quite a mess of a song... but its special. To hear it - all together, as a unified group representing so much diversity.

This is Barbara and I. She is from Mexico, and is such a sweetheart!

This is the sign that hangs above our rehearsal space. I come here each morning - and spend most of my Denver life inside, slaving away to learn the awesome songs and choreography that will make the magic of our show come to life!

This picture was taken while in line for BATMAN! About 40 people from the cast came to see the film... it was so neat to watch it next to my new friends - as many experienced their first American movie extravaganza. From the back left we have: Ben from the US, Fenna from Germany, Laura from the US, Miguel from the US, Neele from Germany, me, and Mayke from Holland.

How cute are we!?!?! The girls - captured in a brief break during a long day of practicing. From left to right: Paulina (Mexico), Barby (Mexico), Isabel (Germany), Daniela (Mexico), Elizabeth (USA), Savannah (USA), Bianca (USA), Mayke (Holland), me, and Jordan (USA)

So much to tell... so little time

I wish I had the time to write all of the funny moments we have here... as a cast, and as a host family.
Mayke made hutspot for us the other night.. its a Dutch dish of mashed potatoes and carrots. It is delicious, and I will be making it when I get home... Anyways, as we tried to understand the name of the dish, Neele asked exasperated "How do you say it in Hollandish?" We all laughed for what seemed like hours. Now it is a running joke. I don't blame her, I often call Mayke my Hollish friend... it sounds so much more natural than Dutch. Its hard enough for me to keep the two country names straight (The Netherlands, and Holland)... why they had to confuse me by adding a totally different name to identify their people is beyond me.
Anyways, that is that. Many such stories occur. We have been teaching Barbara to be sassy. She's even got the snapping thing down. I teach the girls funny American rhymes and sayings... they make me giggle by repeating ridiculously fast tounge twisters in their native languages. Its crazy. Both Neele and Mayke speak 4 languages - at least to the extent that they can get by conversationally. When either Neele or Mayke don't understand an English term (and I can't translate in a way that makes more sense to them)... they translate for eachother since their languages are so similar. They can speak and understand one another's languages. They also both speak French. *sigh* Some day I will be good at multiple languages. For now, I rely on Paulina to translate the Spanish songs... and she and the rest of my Spanish speaking class, will occasionally laugh at my sad attempt to converse with them ;-) I'll get it. Eventually.
Tonight we went to the cutest of restaurants. It was a Japanese cuisine place... with very yummy food. I had coconut fried rice with vegetables and tofu. The couple who own it are sooo very sweet. We made their night when we asked to take a picture with them... for a memory.
Today during rehearsals, we had guest speakers come in from a variety of local non profits. It is such a great networking experience to interact with such an array of successful people... to see how they operate, and to learn from their mistakes and experiences. I am trying to be dilligent about keeping their contact information handy... just in case I ever need to call in a favor, or be connected.
I got mom's package... and was super excited. I shouldn't have been... I knew it was coming today.. but still the feeling of getting something from home was special! And the best part.. my clothes that she sent smell like home. It almost makes me not want to wear them (so I don't have to wash them). But... as I look at the high temperatures we are supposed to experience this week, I realize just how silly that little idea is.
Well, I shall go now. I am making a separate post tonight of pictures. And then... I am heading to bed. We have rehearsal tomorrow until 7:30 at night. An 11 hour day is not so appealing as I reflect on how tired I am just sitting here. Luckily, once I get my butt out of bed, I remember how awesome it is to be a part of Cast B... and I trot myself downtown- and meet my awesome castmates for another day of craziness!

Manic Monday

Sunday was indeed a day of rest. I slept in, went out for breakfast to a quaint little place called TOAST, and then grocery shopping. Good stuff. I sat by the pool in the early evening... Mayke and Neele went swimming while I drew for a little. For dinner, Mayke prepared a Dutch (or as I say, Hollish) dish for us... super yummy.

Today was a manic Monday. I will update more tomorrow, but for now I need some sleep. I'll be sure to post pictures as well. HA.. funny story quick. Tonight... I decide to cook tacos for the fam. My intentions were good, but my lack of culinary skill soon caught me in a heap of trouble. I didn't realize that water temperature and such is different here due to the altitude. Apparently, when it says you must boil rice for 45-50 minutes, they really mean an hour or more in Denver climates. Unless of course you don't wanna eat the stuff.. or enjoy getting the nasty starchy stuff stuck to your teeth. Lovely. I know.

A for effort?

Life in Littleton...

Well not much is new here...
The week ended on Saturday (we have rehearsal from 8:30-5:30 Monday thru Saturday, and Wednesdays we have extended rehearsal until 7:30). It is soooo hot here. But I am getting more acclimated with my surroundings. Each day we get off the light rail and round past the Starbucks... then we have rehearsals, which kick my butt!!! I am loving being able to dance though. I didn't realize just how much I missed that over the last 4 years.
On Wednesday, we had the culture jam. I don't think I elaborated much on that before... but yeah... it was pretty much amazing. Getting to see where everyone comes from, is so spectacular. There are so many people, from so many places. And yet, we are all here for the same reason, trying our best to work together as UWP CAST B, 2008!!
Friday night, my host mom had somewhere to be, so my roommates and I roamed around Downtown Denver until well after 9. We had a good time. We went to Chipotle for dinner, cuz I was having a major craving for a veggie burrito. We had to laugh at Neele, as she ordered the "mild" salsa on hers, which wasn't like she expected. I believe her words were "In Germany, mild is not so hot as this. This is burning. I have fire in my mouth." Love her, lol.
Saturday was interesting. We arrived at the light rail in the morning to find that it had broken down at Mineral, which is our station. So, we had to quickly hop a shuttle to another train station and arrive in Downtown from there. Luckily, we made it just in time for morning meeting. Miguel and Gijs's host dad bought everyone in the cast a Krispy Kreme doughnut. Ah how I missed them!!! Also, as a special treat for surviving the first week, Cheryssa and Cecilie baked the cast brownies!!! Yummyyyyy!! Oh. And after rehearsal, a bunch of kids from the cast (like 30 0r 40...) and some of their host families went to watch BATMAN! Loved it! It was interesting... as I sat there sipping my Coke, I looked to my left and right. I realized that I was watching a movie about the all-American superhero... next to Franziska from Switzerland.. and Seong-Beom from South Korea. We don't all speak the same language.. but we ALL jumped when it was scary.. and we all laughed at the jokes. Its funny, how alike we are.. even though we come from such different places.

Well, I've got to go. Its 97 degrees here right now (at 5:15..) so... that to me means it is time for the POOL> ;-)

For your entertainment...

Pretty fantastic, eh?... Today we had more workshops... it was so amazing to hear the cast sing for the first time - it gave me goosebumps!!! I wish you all could see the show. Everyone here is soooooo talented. From dancing to singing (our sweet little Dane, Cecelie, sings like an angel ;-)...)

I am super sore. Dance is really whipping me back into shape... I don't think my body is happy with me right now, but its okay - I'll get over it ... I'm just happy I get the chance to DANCE!!!

Alrighty folks... finally had a spare second to post some picture. I've taken plenty more, no doubt... but time is limited, so... here is a little of this and a little of that...


Meet my roomies Mayke (L) from Holland, and Neele (R) from Germany. They are pretty much awesome :-)

This was in between modules (placement casting)... we have fun even during the downtime... meet Eduardo from Venezuela, and Merron from Ethiopia!

This was the ampitheatre at Red Rocks... its amazing there.. and the views are breathtaking.

So this is Denver. This is pretty much what it looks like... everywhere!! Dry and very sparcely covered in plants (the few varieties that survive in the arrid weather). Actually, Mom Barbara informed me that the cottonwood is the only tree that grows native to this immediate area.

At Red Rocks, there is a welcome book, which visitors are encouraged to sign. Because it is a performance venue, it was only appropriate that we sign as the stars that we are ;-)

Mayke wrote the beginning... In case you can't read it, it says "We're gonna perform here once too!! Greetings!"... hey.. ya never know, right?

This is a picture that I took during opening session, as the staff and road crew were performing for us to let us see the magic that will be us.. in T-roughly 3 weeks and 3 days :-)

This is my host mom, Barbara. She takes good care of us... and has been a host mom to many UWP alumni! We were at Panera... where we had many *special* moments... like when Neele challenged Barbara to an arm wrestling match.. when Mayke ate her first PBJ sandwich... and this.. where I posed with Mom Barbara in a quintessential *myspace* style.

Some of the girls! - Forgive me if spellings are wrong guys.. but from L - R...we have:

Veronika, Louvisa (I think... I'm still working on some names), Cecelie, ME, and Cheryssa

Ahhh... the infamous CUDDLES. Yes. Do note the smirk. The little devil eludes my pictures... it took 73 (no joke... I chased her for sooooooo long) to get this picture. And lo and behold, she actually smiled for me on command. What a dog.

PS: You think this is special... you ain't seen nothin' yet... wait until I post the video of she and I dancing. That's right... a dog of many skills, Cuddles dances as well. It is quite fantastic. Even if I do say so myself.

Well.. A lot has happened... but I'll save that for later, because I'm so beat, I think even my BONES are tired.

ANNNNNDDDDDD: For more of my life, do visit the blog of my wonderful roommate, Mayke. See, in the Netherlands, apparently their blog varieties are much cooler than mine (that or she's just wayyyy more technologically savvy). Anyhoo... she writes in Dutch, but posts a ton of pictures of us, as well as videos of our adventures here with Cuddles, Mom Barbara, and Cast B, 2008.

http://www.maykekuijpers.waarbenjij.nu/

I know why I'm here...

Hellooooo...

Well, yesterday - our free day - we traveled to Red Rock... which if you haven't looked up... you should. It is beautiful, and I took many pictures. They also have a natural ampitheatre there... which is cool, because many a famous band has taken the stage with the natural acoustics.
We also went grocery shopping, which in itself was an intersting experience. Trying to find things that all of us knew, and that we could together combine to make edible meals...haha...we had many good laughs.
It is neat... we went swimming, and the people at the pool knew of UWP. So did the woman behind us at the grocery store. When they hear my roommates talk with their accents, they inquire as to where their from and why they are here. When we say UWP, so far we have gotten nothing but positive responses. In fact, of all the people who mentioned it... each one is looking up our schedule to attend a show!!! How exciting is that!?!?!
Mayke and I made dinner tonight... it was pasta primavera with fresh tomato and basil sauce!!! We included zucchini, red bell peppers, mushrooms, yellow squash, etc... Neele and Barbara loved it... which is good! Pum, you would have been proud ;-)
Okay. So as for the title of my post. Tonight totally reminded me of why we are here. We had our orientation show, which means that the members of past casts who are now on staff, perform the show for us so we can see what we are in for. Most were in tears by the end of the first song. The lights dim, and one by one, the countries which our cast represents are announced. As each one takes the stage, the kids from that country cheer... as do their host families, who are so supportive of their *kids*... after every country is called, the flags wave, and the cast sings about everyone having a place in the world. And you are just filled with overwhelming pride for your country, and your cast... which is this incredibly diverse dynamic of almost 100 people from an array of backgrounds and cultures, and lifestyles. Then they went around with microphones, and asked cast members to volunteer to tell why they joined UWP. Hearing your fellow castmates, all with their unique accents... articulate why they chose to sign on... to give five months of their life to try and make others better... just made every doubt disappear. These people are so amazing. They are selfless, and concerned, and educated.. and haven't yet lost hope that we can change... the capacity of this cast to make a difference is incredible. The world better watch out.. we are on a mission ;-)

Tour Schedule

Sorry for the two posts on the same day...
But many have asked about my tour schedule... I have copied and pasted it, although it may very well change. For additional information, you can also visit the Up With People website at www.upwithpeople.org

Cast B 2008 Tour ScheduleJuly 11th - December 16th, 2008** Tour cities and dates subject to change.**
United States:
Orientation: Denver, Colorado: July 11- August 11
Breckenridge,Colorado: August 11 - August 17
Mexico:
LaPaz, Mexico: August 18 - August 25
Cabo, Mexico: August 25 - September 1
Tepic, Mexico: September 1 - September 8
Culiacan, Mexico: September 8 - September 15
Hermosillo, Mexico: September 15 - September 21
United States:
Arizona: September 22 - September 29
Albuquerque, New Mexico: September 29 - October 6
Colorado Springs, Colorado: October 6 - October 13
Salt Lake City, Utah: October 13 - October 20
Wyoming: October 20 - October 27
Wyoming / South Dakota: October 27 - November 3
Sioux Falls, South Dakota: November 3 - November 10
North Platte, Nebraska: November 10 - November 16
The Philippines:
Manila, Philippines: November 17 - December 4
Cebu/Subic, Philippines: Decemeber 5 - December 16
End of Tour - Decemeber 16

And the adventure begins...

Hey everyone!!!

I arrived safely in Denver - my flight touched down at 1:03...42 minutes earlier than expected. I quick found the bathroom, which much to my entertainment, had a large sign which read "Tornado Shelter" ~ for some this may be offputting, for me, it just proves that this will be one heck of a sweet adventure.
As a sidenote, we were informed that we reach Mexico during the height of hurricane season in the Baja Peninsula. Great. Even more phenominal is that we hit the Philippines during the end of monsoon season. Again, spectacular.
Anyways, I managed to navigate myself to the main terminal where my Up With People FMs (Field Managers) and castmates were awaiting my arrival. It was nice to be greeted with so many smiles and hugs. You'd never have guessed that we all were meeting for the first time - to a stranger it probably looked like a reunion of lost friends.
We went back to a civic center of sorts right outside of Denver - and we got to know eachother and tied up loose ends until 8. We played games, and chatted, and generally just had a good time. This cast surely does not lack personality. Even our FMs and staff were laughing at how enthusiastic and energetic everyone was - despite the jet lag that plagued many.
Our cast represents 22 countries. Off hand, I know that includes: Germany, Finland, Sweeden, Holland, Singapore, Japan, Ethiopia, Bangledesh, South Korea, Denmark... and so many more. Its been intriguing to talk to everyone - because its sort of like to find common ground in conversation, you really have to include a history of yourself and where you come from.
At 8, our host families arrived to take us *home*. We are matched up via host codes, which all involve a "lost at sea" theme...
(PS: We are currently explaining to Mayke the American "red light districts"... it is quite funny actually)
Anyway, my host code is "Caribbean Sea".. so my host mom held up a big sign. Other people (with easier codes) dressed the part. A little girl, came to greet her *sisters* dressed as a pirate... a man and his wife covered themselves in paper triangles - to represent the Bermuda Triangle. Everyone was so warm and welcoming. It made the transition to a totally different lifestyle a whole lot easier.
My host mom is a single woman, whose name is Barbara. She is sweet... and her home is GORGEOUS. We have a pool that we are allowed to use, and a full basement (where she told me I can dance!!!). We each have our own bedroom... and mine is so big!! I have a dog too... her name is Cuddles... but to date, she hasn't been very cuddly. Its ironic of sorts - that the dog dislikes Mayke and I so much - but loves Neele. Barbara said something about how it is because of our suitcases... Neele arrived late, and Cuddles was asleep (therefore didn't see the suitcases). Anyhoo.. my roomies are great. Mayke and Neele. Mayke (pronounced like Micah) is from Holland. Neele (like Neelah) is from Germany. Both speak English well... so we talk a lot.
It looks like we are in for a busy month. Today is practically the only day we have off... and all other days we have rehearsal from 8:30 til 5:30. Wednesdays, rehearsals go until 7:30. We practice in Downtown Denver... so we must take a train in each morning, and home each night. We'll see...
I promise I'll keep you updated.
And I apologize for rambling... but dude, its UWP, and a LOT has already happened!

*luvs*

PS: We might go Whitewater Rafting down the Colorado River. CRAZINESS!!! :-)