Long time, no update.
Well, not a proper, non-private one, anyway.
The last week or so has been rather eventful in some ways. I have various jobs lined up now back in London, which I'll be heading to at the end of the month, & on Monday, I took that "casting" in Kreuzberg, which was... interesting. The photog in question wanted me to immediately sign a Modelvereinbarung (auf Deutsch, natürlich), no questions asked, no cash exchanged. I opted to take it home & show Carina before blindly signing, as I'm rather cautious about this kinda thing. And sure enough, it states (in Ye Olde, Legal-Lingo Deutsch) that he can sell the pics to whoever he chooses, whenever he chooses & (I think) as often as he chooses, & me? I don't get a button (Button). His initial explanation involved the "It's just to promote you as a model on my site" line, but I ain't buying that bumpf. I asked him to check my online CV, & hopefully he'll get a bit more of an idea about my background & experience in this kind of work, people I've shot for & where I've been published, & he'll realize that I'm not interested in "becoming a model", I already have been for a long time, & I'm not into it as vanity trip, to hope to see myself published (I don't even use my tearsheets), nor do I wish to create a full blown, long-term career. I just want to make a living, & this is the best way that has really worked for me thus far. And I'm not about to devalue my worth by shooting for free (again).
Humpf.
But last weekend... ah yes. Nice. :) Very, very, Smiley-Dirk-ey nice.
Friday began with a visit to the 'Puter Shop, which revealed a nice & full inbox, with work offers aplenty, mainly from folks I don't even know of. Which is sehr, sehr gut. There was also an email from one Vlad Quiggly, asking for my permission to draw me comic book heroine-stylee for Euro '04, but as Germany, not England. RAR!! Those folks who know me IRL, & from back in the UK particularly, can probably imagine how happy I am about this! It's like D. or Janett being drawn to represent their beloved Sweden (hang on... that gives me an idea! Will email Vlad shortly... ;) ). Yes, I will be drawn in Red, Gold & Black. Happiness. :)
So anyways, we then head off to a couple of local, F'hain shops (read: I stay glued to the computer until an SMS from Carina declares that there are Nice Pants for me in the second-hand shop, & I must come immediately). The Nice Pants didn't quite fit in the places that I like them to (such as my butt), nor did they have pockets in Certain Required Places to flatter certain things (such as my butt), but along the street in Hainweh were the most awesome, er, sleeves. Just sleeves. But awesome. 19€. I bought them (Bad Alice), & am very happy with them too. Carina had made a purchase earlier that evening there also... a very foxy brown, crocodile-leatherette skirt (or rather, belt :p), with open sides, & a zipped pocket in the front. She thinks she looks like a waitress in it (& the guys from Flying "Kangaroo" agreed, damn them & their haircuts :p).
After all this (& eating pasta, & buying cheap booze ;)), we went back to get tarted up, with me making a record 53 minutes, 27 seconds in the shower (I could've sworn I heard a fanfare...), & then we headed to BKA.
It initially seemed rather empty, &, for a Berlin club, was pretty damned expensive entry too, so we weren't in the best frame of mind to begin with. But it soon turned around completely. :) The Flying 55 boys were there, along with Steffen & Thomas (Thomas being a guest DJ for the night), DJ Devotee & Ickle DJ Black Dragon (bless), with Gio also turning up later to grin like a loon & wiggle about on the dance floor all night (no change there then). The bulk of the crowd were in the main hall to the back of the venue, shuffling about to Depeche Mode & looking all sullen, so we headed back to the lounge bit to talk crap with The Boys, with the topic of whether Edding is an English word or not being hotly debated (ie, Carina: "It's English, right?" Me: "No.").
And proof that Depeche Mode Make The People Come Together that particular evening came in the form of seeing my friend Björn again for the first time in an age, & actually getting to discuss when we can next hook up & work on some more music together, which is good news. :) I hate not having much money, as it means I have hardly any credit on my phone, & that's a pain to keep in touch with certain people... such as Björn. :(
As I got more "lubricated" thanks to seemingly endless bottles of Berliner, I became gradually more confident, which resulted in me grabbing Dirk & asking him how he was doing & the like. Damnit, I like this guy so much. I know it's pretty much a lost cause, what with language differences & all, but I just can't help myself. And he's so flirty & smiley with me (OK, he's always smiley, & probably flirts with everyone, but I can dream)... & I don't think I've had a hug as long as the one he gave me since... well, ever. Arghhh... He sent me lovely SMSs for the rest of the night/early morning though... instilling yet more false hope in my mind. :s
Hmmm... And now the plans for next weekend take place, ie, Agonoize at K17 (& Das Ich too, I think) & then a quick run to make Fixmer/McCarthy at Watergate later that same evening. All punctuated with an endless stream of emails regarding work & a panic to find cheap flights/buses/flying carpets to get me to London & back. Ho, & indeed, hum.
I'm restless, & impatient. If I could see into the next few months, then maybe I'd know whether all this was worth it. Maybe it's the getting there that counts though. :s
The last week or so has been rather eventful in some ways. I have various jobs lined up now back in London, which I'll be heading to at the end of the month, & on Monday, I took that "casting" in Kreuzberg, which was... interesting. The photog in question wanted me to immediately sign a Modelvereinbarung (auf Deutsch, natürlich), no questions asked, no cash exchanged. I opted to take it home & show Carina before blindly signing, as I'm rather cautious about this kinda thing. And sure enough, it states (in Ye Olde, Legal-Lingo Deutsch) that he can sell the pics to whoever he chooses, whenever he chooses & (I think) as often as he chooses, & me? I don't get a button (Button). His initial explanation involved the "It's just to promote you as a model on my site" line, but I ain't buying that bumpf. I asked him to check my online CV, & hopefully he'll get a bit more of an idea about my background & experience in this kind of work, people I've shot for & where I've been published, & he'll realize that I'm not interested in "becoming a model", I already have been for a long time, & I'm not into it as vanity trip, to hope to see myself published (I don't even use my tearsheets), nor do I wish to create a full blown, long-term career. I just want to make a living, & this is the best way that has really worked for me thus far. And I'm not about to devalue my worth by shooting for free (again).
Humpf.
But last weekend... ah yes. Nice. :) Very, very, Smiley-Dirk-ey nice.
Friday began with a visit to the 'Puter Shop, which revealed a nice & full inbox, with work offers aplenty, mainly from folks I don't even know of. Which is sehr, sehr gut. There was also an email from one Vlad Quiggly, asking for my permission to draw me comic book heroine-stylee for Euro '04, but as Germany, not England. RAR!! Those folks who know me IRL, & from back in the UK particularly, can probably imagine how happy I am about this! It's like D. or Janett being drawn to represent their beloved Sweden (hang on... that gives me an idea! Will email Vlad shortly... ;) ). Yes, I will be drawn in Red, Gold & Black. Happiness. :)
So anyways, we then head off to a couple of local, F'hain shops (read: I stay glued to the computer until an SMS from Carina declares that there are Nice Pants for me in the second-hand shop, & I must come immediately). The Nice Pants didn't quite fit in the places that I like them to (such as my butt), nor did they have pockets in Certain Required Places to flatter certain things (such as my butt), but along the street in Hainweh were the most awesome, er, sleeves. Just sleeves. But awesome. 19€. I bought them (Bad Alice), & am very happy with them too. Carina had made a purchase earlier that evening there also... a very foxy brown, crocodile-leatherette skirt (or rather, belt :p), with open sides, & a zipped pocket in the front. She thinks she looks like a waitress in it (& the guys from Flying "Kangaroo" agreed, damn them & their haircuts :p).
After all this (& eating pasta, & buying cheap booze ;)), we went back to get tarted up, with me making a record 53 minutes, 27 seconds in the shower (I could've sworn I heard a fanfare...), & then we headed to BKA.
It initially seemed rather empty, &, for a Berlin club, was pretty damned expensive entry too, so we weren't in the best frame of mind to begin with. But it soon turned around completely. :) The Flying 55 boys were there, along with Steffen & Thomas (Thomas being a guest DJ for the night), DJ Devotee & Ickle DJ Black Dragon (bless), with Gio also turning up later to grin like a loon & wiggle about on the dance floor all night (no change there then). The bulk of the crowd were in the main hall to the back of the venue, shuffling about to Depeche Mode & looking all sullen, so we headed back to the lounge bit to talk crap with The Boys, with the topic of whether Edding is an English word or not being hotly debated (ie, Carina: "It's English, right?" Me: "No.").
And proof that Depeche Mode Make The People Come Together that particular evening came in the form of seeing my friend Björn again for the first time in an age, & actually getting to discuss when we can next hook up & work on some more music together, which is good news. :) I hate not having much money, as it means I have hardly any credit on my phone, & that's a pain to keep in touch with certain people... such as Björn. :(
As I got more "lubricated" thanks to seemingly endless bottles of Berliner, I became gradually more confident, which resulted in me grabbing Dirk & asking him how he was doing & the like. Damnit, I like this guy so much. I know it's pretty much a lost cause, what with language differences & all, but I just can't help myself. And he's so flirty & smiley with me (OK, he's always smiley, & probably flirts with everyone, but I can dream)... & I don't think I've had a hug as long as the one he gave me since... well, ever. Arghhh... He sent me lovely SMSs for the rest of the night/early morning though... instilling yet more false hope in my mind. :s
Hmmm... And now the plans for next weekend take place, ie, Agonoize at K17 (& Das Ich too, I think) & then a quick run to make Fixmer/McCarthy at Watergate later that same evening. All punctuated with an endless stream of emails regarding work & a panic to find cheap flights/buses/flying carpets to get me to London & back. Ho, & indeed, hum.
I'm restless, & impatient. If I could see into the next few months, then maybe I'd know whether all this was worth it. Maybe it's the getting there that counts though. :s