Its funny how time moves, it couldn’t possibly be moving in a consistent straight line. After our final performance of the program a group of us walked into the city to have a goodbye celebration. While sitting out by the water in the cool, fresh evening air, my travels here seemed like yesterday, not 4 weeks ago. I felt like I’d known these people for so much longer than a month. When there were only 4 of us left, we reminisced about the first evening and recalled first impressions/memories of each other as if it were 5 years ago. Amazing how an hour and forty five minute ballet class can feel like an eternity and that lunch time will never arrive and then suddenly everyone is on a train/plane home and I’m left not hoping that the fondu combination at barre will be short, but that the time before I am reunited with my new connections will be less than forever.

The last night after the show, saying goodbye to our Italian roommate! Other goodbye photos are on Facebook. Using sign language we managed to communicate that someday we’ll visit each other!

Let me go back a bit…
The last week of the program was a lot of rehearsal, costume fittings, make up classes and show preparation. It was fun to see our studio transform into a huge stage. I learned other countries’ backstage phrases and good and bad luck habits. Toi toi toi! The dressing room was tiny and stuffy, but it was a fun place to spend the evenings once I adjusted to having afternoons off and work in the evening instead of vice versa like the rest of the time. We may have not gotten dinner until 10pm but we had Pilates and sunshine in the afternoons!
On Saturday we packed up and bussed into Munich to perform at a location opposite of the school – tiny stage and huge dressing/warm-up room! On our short break several of us walked to get food and I was reminded how seriously they take bike paths here. I haven’t gotten used to them being sort of a part of the sidewalk. I almost collided with a biker.
Water Closet Story:
I also had an interesting experience with a bathroom at the rest stop on the way. It was a big place to buy food and souvenirs and it cost 70 cents to use the bathroom. But I had no choice. After grumbling and stressing that I didn’t know how to use the machine, I paid and stood in a huge line. A cute little kid saw bubbles in the sink and excitedly told his mom about them in German. Then he kept me entertained by trying to press on the motion sensor facet to turn on the water. Finally back on the bus, telling my friends about this event, I found out that the “bathroom souvenir” I got was actually a ticket for 50 cents off of something. Sheesh, If only I had known that before buying a coke! It was an exhausting trip but a nice way to have a big day together at the end of the program. As always, the best part was my friends.

Have I raved about the people enough yet? I really really miss them. It hasn’t even been 24 hours…. 🙁 It’s very weird and very sad to be staying here without them. Change and transition is hard. The more times it happens I expect to be more prepared or for it to get easier but I think it may always take me a few days of struggle before I adjust.

There is flavored bubbly water here that is called “Emotion”. So of course we had a running joke about drinking emotions. This is a picture of Gabi and I drinking our emotions after everyone had left. Don’t worry, that’s water. Also, we didn’t see the sign in the background till later….total accident that it’s perfectly centered in this picture!

Instances for patience pants this week:
1)  Accepting that in some cultures, snapping one’s fingers at another is merely a way to get someone’s attention. Not considered as rude as we’d find it in the U.S.

2)  Remembering to speak slowly and be willing to repeat and rephrase. (A situation I hadn’t anticipated since I expected to be the one that was confused – but this program is mostly in my “mother tongue” and many students  have very good English so I get comfortable speaking normally) Soon enough I will be the minority struggling to follow conversation and learning new phrases and won’t be able to express my deep appreciation for the native speakers that are patient with my broken French. “Quoi?! Répétez s’il vous plaît!”

Squeaky Sneakers:
I regret to announce the lack of development to report in regards to the footsteps story I left hanging for you last time. We (when I say “we”, I am generally referring to Gabi and I) have taken one step in further investigation. After watching about 3 more Harry Potter movies, we began to speculate that there was a cauldron of poly juice potion simmering in the locked stall and perhaps it took a drop of our own blood for the door to open (you know, like in book 7 in the cave, to weaken the intruder) I insisted today that we find out for sure what is in there. So we did.

Gabi, investigating the middle stall, as classy as can be!

Unfortunately, it was just what appeared to be a regular toilet. We didn’t try standing in it and flushing to get into the Ministry of Magic though.

The noises have not gone away. Sometimes they wake Gabi and I to the point we both know the other is awake and hearing the sounds but neither of us say a word. Maybe the next step is calling out the intruder next time we hear them.

In addition, since our other roommate went back to Italy today and a new one will be arriving on Wednesday, we considered holding a séance on her first night. You know, an induction of sorts….to break the ice…… just kidding….

Since everyone was gone, we decided it was safe for Kelsey to come in the girls bathroom and originally the plan was so he could lift us up to see over the edge. He took it upon himself to just climb up instead and all I could see were his legs dangling over the edge at least 3 feet off the ground.

The last day of class we had a silly dress up ballet class. Gabi and I dressed up as two of the boys and acted like them throughout the entire class. It was great fun. Many people had funny costumes and it was an entirely unproductive hour! We had most of the day off to get ready for the final show and for people to pack. In the evening, after the performance we had one last night all together and went into the city until way-too-early-in-the-morning-o’clock…. Needless to say, I’m still not caught up on sleep…

This is Etay. The real him is in the center wearing his rehearsal clothes. I’m on the left wearing what he wore to every single ballet class (including his warm up shoes not shown) and Dianna is on the right wearing his performance outfit. I was complimented on how well I acted like him, which was also quite fun.

Touristiness:
Visited the birthplace of Mozart on the first day off after the last performance and the start of new classes. It was a pretty cool museum but my friends and I were sleep deprived and starving. Plus it was hot and crowded so we were struggling to take full advantage of our time there and read every plaque. I did learn a few things though and now I can say I’ve been there, which I think is pretty cool! 🙂

Mozart’s birthplace from the outside!

I have two more days of freedom to plan; Tuesday and Saturday. So many possibilities! I’ll get back to you on the final decision and how it went next time!

Ta ta for now!
Emily

P.S. That was written several days before I finally uploaded it so Tuesday has already happened and I’ll write about that soon!