Well I'm back after a bit of a hiatus, for how long...who knows?!
So after my first six days ever setting foot in Scotland, or the UK for that matter, how is it you ask? Yes you. Whoever is reading this must be curious about my experiences. If you are reading this right now and have no interest in my traveling experiences, I have to beg the question why you are reading it? Are you some kind spy? Even then you would still technically be interested, just not as emotionally invested as my family. Hey mom! I love you.
So on Aug 4th, I landed in Heathrow airport at around 10am. I took 200 Canadian dollars and brought it to a money wizard who magically turned it into 109 Pounds, what sorcery! Landed in Edinburgh around 4pm. I walked out of the Airport and couldn't really tell, much like most airports in the world, I was anywhere different than before. Luckily there is a big sign on the top of a building across the street that says "Welcome to Edinburgh" to put me at ease.
I find the apartment that DeAnne and I are staying at, get buzzed in and take the elevator up, stopping at the 3rd floor, the doors open to reveal a dancing DeAnne right in front of me. I have officially been welcomed.
Edinburgh is an old city, spotted with castles and cobblestone roads. There is also a lower and upper part of the city. The lower part being the original 'old city', where the less financially inclined people lived. There's even a place called Mary King Close where they supposedly bricked 300 people in the underground street, to keep the plague from spreading.
The architecture most certainly lends the imagination to believe you are in a land where dragons, elves and wizards once lived. In present day, the dragons are all gone, the elves are in high finance, and the wizards live on the street as drunks and have lost their powers. To be fair, the two people I have actually seen beg for change looked far too well clothed and healthy to be asking for money. There ya go Edinburgh. So far you have some of the nicest looking street people I have ever seen! What else ya got for me?
The Fringe Festival itself is as everyone had told me. Massive (a population of 1 million, Edinburgh doubles to 2million in the month of August), Overwhelming (there are well over 2,500 separate shows, I'll never get to scratch the surface, but I've already seen some wonderful stuff), and dare I admit...fun? (I'm bunking with my comedy buddy DeAnne, hanging with old Canadian comic friends and meeting some wonderfully bright and talented people from all over the world).
People drink here. I have been staying active and cooking with my friend Dana, but the nights are almost always turn into Bacchanalian displays of dancing, drink, and hyper-socializing. This is the biggest comedy market in the world. There are people here who are helping me realize the vision of performing throughout the world, and making a decent living while doing it. The UK is a gateway to expatriate shows throughout the rest of the planet, and I can't wait to get started.
My first show was full, and I killed it. I knew in my heart that there are things I want to work on while here, and even though it felt good I didn't let the first show lull me into some sort of false sense of security. With the new title, comes a completely new format and I'm getting tired of some of the old standup jokes I do. Which can be very dangerous. Aside from a good new chunk of material that I am very proud of and enjoy, I'm in a comedy growth phase, trying to push newer ideas out from underneath so that the older, less desirable material falls off like unwanted tumours.
I realize that 'unwanted tumours' is arguably an oxymoron. Who would want tumours?
I am very excited to see what happens after roughly 24hours of stage time in 24days. I am going to run up Arthur's Seat tomorrow. A place that I will get into in a future entry. I'll leave you with in image of what I can see of it from our bedroom window. Got to go get my show ready.
