The Wonder Twins
Here I am in North Carolina again, at the Actor/Combatant workshop. Two weeks from today I'll have finished up a course that will (hopefully) get me recognized in Unarmed, Broadsword, and Rapier & Dagger, earning me my Actor/Combatant status within the SAFD. It's been a hectic week, to say the least, and busier than I'd imagined. We have classes from 8:30-10 Monday through Friday, and 9:15-6 on Saturdays. Obviously there are breaks in there for meals/naps/calling people/passing out/etc, but still. It's a long day, and when you add in the bonding and Wal-Mart runs and whathaveyou, it gets even longer.
The first few days were a bit rough. I wasn't feeling well when I drove down on Sunday, and around 3 I just said "screw this" and went and threw up. I couldn't eat anything all day, and the first day of classes I didn't eat much beyond a piece of toast for breakfast. My stamina was shot, and classes were pretty rough. I was mostly worried that the teachers, who didn't know me, would think I didn't care or wasn't putting in the effort. However, the bug went away, and I've been in good condition for the last few days.
I'm rooming with Kirstin, from last year, and it's really great. Another reason the first couple of days were rough is that we, who are among the older (although by no means the oldest) and more experienced of our bunch of 28, found ourselves pretty much left to ourselves. There are a lot of jerks, and a lot of really immature kids. It's pretty obnoxious and rather frustrating at times. We have since then found several very cool people and have formed a trio that often expands to four or five for social time (also time between classes) and sometimes six or seven for meals. One of the instructors has also started sitting with us. He reminds me of David a lot, and we've been picking his brain and learning all we can. Trevor is here as well (being another member of our little clique), and it's been good to see him and the other instructors from last year again. One of the "new kids" dubbed Kirstin and I "The Wonder Twins" and the name has kind of stuck. Compounding this is the fact that we now have two "Tall Ones," since Mark (one of our new kids) is only an inch shorter than Trevor, and they are very similar; since Mark and Kirstin have red hair and Trevor and I are both dark, the Wonder Twins now have counterparts. It's like sidekicks, only less obnoxiously underfoot and much more servile ;)
The number of dopplegangers I've run into here is really insane. Jess, we have a copy of you here (she goes to bed early and everything!); there's an Evil Kevin; a gentle giant version of Nathan; a second Neumann; Mark looks like the character Mark from Rent; and Sean, member three of our trio, looks a hell of a lot like Keanu Reeves in The Matrix. That hasn't quite satisfied me as to who he reminds me of, though; he has a very complex vibe.
Last night a lot of us migrated out to the sidewalks in front of the apartment complex, and we all just enjoyed the beautiful night weather. One of the guys, Jamieson, has studied a lot of Kung Fu and Shaolin martial art, and he was "teaching" a few of us some of his forms. It was a really relaxing, fun time. Sometimes it's just good to hang out with strangers. We were up very, very late, but it was worth it.
I just got out of class, and we're hitting the theatres tonight to see the new Harry Potter movie, then possibly coming back here for movies and cookies and whatever other trouble we can get into on our night off. Now, it's off to the shower.
The first few days were a bit rough. I wasn't feeling well when I drove down on Sunday, and around 3 I just said "screw this" and went and threw up. I couldn't eat anything all day, and the first day of classes I didn't eat much beyond a piece of toast for breakfast. My stamina was shot, and classes were pretty rough. I was mostly worried that the teachers, who didn't know me, would think I didn't care or wasn't putting in the effort. However, the bug went away, and I've been in good condition for the last few days.
I'm rooming with Kirstin, from last year, and it's really great. Another reason the first couple of days were rough is that we, who are among the older (although by no means the oldest) and more experienced of our bunch of 28, found ourselves pretty much left to ourselves. There are a lot of jerks, and a lot of really immature kids. It's pretty obnoxious and rather frustrating at times. We have since then found several very cool people and have formed a trio that often expands to four or five for social time (also time between classes) and sometimes six or seven for meals. One of the instructors has also started sitting with us. He reminds me of David a lot, and we've been picking his brain and learning all we can. Trevor is here as well (being another member of our little clique), and it's been good to see him and the other instructors from last year again. One of the "new kids" dubbed Kirstin and I "The Wonder Twins" and the name has kind of stuck. Compounding this is the fact that we now have two "Tall Ones," since Mark (one of our new kids) is only an inch shorter than Trevor, and they are very similar; since Mark and Kirstin have red hair and Trevor and I are both dark, the Wonder Twins now have counterparts. It's like sidekicks, only less obnoxiously underfoot and much more servile ;)
The number of dopplegangers I've run into here is really insane. Jess, we have a copy of you here (she goes to bed early and everything!); there's an Evil Kevin; a gentle giant version of Nathan; a second Neumann; Mark looks like the character Mark from Rent; and Sean, member three of our trio, looks a hell of a lot like Keanu Reeves in The Matrix. That hasn't quite satisfied me as to who he reminds me of, though; he has a very complex vibe.
Last night a lot of us migrated out to the sidewalks in front of the apartment complex, and we all just enjoyed the beautiful night weather. One of the guys, Jamieson, has studied a lot of Kung Fu and Shaolin martial art, and he was "teaching" a few of us some of his forms. It was a really relaxing, fun time. Sometimes it's just good to hang out with strangers. We were up very, very late, but it was worth it.
I just got out of class, and we're hitting the theatres tonight to see the new Harry Potter movie, then possibly coming back here for movies and cookies and whatever other trouble we can get into on our night off. Now, it's off to the shower.