TRAIN /TAXI

Back to my journey – I encounter someone playing the piano at St. Pancreas station, London, someone on the phone talking about their recent love encounter and trying to figure out how to turn off my phone’s connection to the Wi-Fi on the train, as it costs money – don’t want to pay for it!

1 reason I enjoy these long journeys is that is when I find the time to read through notes, write my monthly blog (like this 1), clear out my stacks of monthly industry reads (magazines, newspapers, etc.), memorize lines, analyse scripts, send emails (love new iPhone for this feature alone, let alone some of the others I keep finding – Shazam is a great app for finding what song you are hearing in a public place, but cannot remember the name), and read a book (managed to finish several books lately which I have been reading for ages).

THE HOTEL

It’s off the train at Leicester and straight to the taxi rank and then to the hotel.  Taxi drivers seem to want to take the men before or after me, but avoid the lady in front of me and myself……hm?!  Still off in the taxi and to the hotel.  Room has ‘great night sleep guarantee’ – good thing as I am tired and love good nights of sleep, especially in what seems a quiet hotel.  Want an early night anyway, as it is an early shoot and need to get another taxi to the shoot early in the morning. So nice to have a big bed with clean sheets and 4 possible pillow types!  It is tea time and re-charge the batteries as well as the phone.

TRAVEL BUG

I love travelling. I have been doing it since I was a baby and my parents flew me across Canada to meet my Dad’s parents and then flew me off to Austria to meet my Mom’s relatives at the age of 5.

Nothing is close in Canada, so have got used to the distances and have found the joy in staying in new places and discovering new things.  Airports were places of real joy, either we were going to an amazing place or coming from one or someone I love was arriving or leaving.  It was like a ritual to meet people at the airport and I was always fascinated at where everyone was going and what they were taking with them – how some people travelled with so little and others, my Grandmother, managed to pack the world in her suitcases, suitcases that were larger than her – how did she move them around?

Trains were a wonder to me, as a kid they were just something you rode around on in the fairground, so when I found out they had adult, travel the whole world ones, not to miss the luxury ones, like the orient express and such, I was hooked.

This Christmas I will be singing Christmas carols on the steam Bluebell Railway, mainly because I just love the trains, plus it’s a load of fun.  Gives me an excuse to sing all the songs I love at Christmas, as my family is in Canada, so no singing around the fire.

Now, back to the hotel rooms, I have always loved the fresh sheets and the fact that the bed was always made every day.  There is something to be said about the fact there is little to clutter the rooms and I love to check out what little surprises maybe in the bathroom basket or desk drawers.  Many a pen has come home with me, just cause!

My Dad travelled a lot, he was a travelling salesman, of a sort, but he did it in style and we often got to travel with him on weekends or extended business trips.  So I saw all sorts, when I get the chance to travel with my own work, I feel like I get to peak into this world and enjoy its adventurous wonders and learn to navigate its quirky moments.

I can honestly say, I love it each time and hope to do more and in much grander style – I’m afraid those early business trips of my Dad’s showed me a glimpse and I have caught the travel bug!

SHOOT DAY

Ok, in early, but crew are 2 people down, so we run into overtime for me.  I end up being the last actor off set while the crew/directors tear down and prepare for their next day’s shoot.  I have had a 13 hour day on set, then the trains and taxi’s to get me home again and in bed by 1:30am.

Still an amazing day, well looked after, plus I have had my ‘superman’ moment which I will tell you more about once the film comes out, if it didn’t hit the editing floor – (which it sadly did!)

Also, found out that I was working with another friend and she recommended me for the job.  Just goes to show, it can really be about who you know!  Plus that old saying that other actors cannot get you work is not true, as she is a fellow actor on the shoot and she recommended me to the casting person on the shoot – a friend of hers!  So grateful to her, as the director was a joy to work with and my acting friend confirmed with me when it all airs and with the Discovery Channel and the BBC.

It was an exhilarating, fun experience.  The crew, extras and fellow actors were a joy to meet and work with.  Found out the director has a similar passion for planes, as I do – so cool!

Now to bed and onto the next adventure, this will be ‘down under’.

By the way, someone else was playing the piano on the way back down through St. Pancreas station – love’n it!  Happy travels to you!

What forms of transport do you love?