Thursday, August 13, 2009

Three Gypsies


Random opportunity has been a theme for this operation. It has been with us since the beginning and carried us through the duration of our stay. Planning, rehearsal,direction...concepts and theories elusive for as long as memory serves. Not only a mantra but a lifelong pursuit. We landed in Europe half knowing the road ahead. Open dates, shifting schedules there is always room for a little movement. In Czech we had crossed paths with a woman whose mystery we would only begin to experience. She was in Prague having left home Amsterdam for an afternoon walk. She, having missed the Rotterdam event, put us on course for such a shift. Show is assembled in Amsterdam, day off is filled.
Arrive Holland. Road worn. Fatigue and financial duress are beginning to step out of the shadows. Europe is expensive for Americans. The exchange rate for the euro is hovering somewhere around 1.6. If we were not all consumed by the adventure we would probably start to notice.
Enough time to take in some of the town. Wander through the sand colored cobblestone and drinks on the canal. The call comes in, we are meeting in 20 minutes. Re-enter Farah with bicycle. Rendevous at the venue where she has obtained our second dutch show. Discuss over dinner life and history, we are sincerely worlds apart. Open mic, condensed set, busking in the city square. Few had noticed. Upon the discovery of no accomodation we are offered space with our host. Walk lazily up the Canal of Princes and enter second palatial spread in a weeks time. Discussion is primarily centralized upon our cultural difference. Suddenly starved for information. Again the hospitality is staggering. What forces are at work? Settle in. Homemade food, fireplace, accounts of eastern life, ceiling to floor mirrored walls and marble floors. Vampires waiting in the wings. The mystery evolves. Surreal morphing into almost fiction but somehow remaining very true while the fire cracks well after the hour. We are spinning. Evening winds down in the garden. One by one the crew begins to peel off. Sun rises and all left standing retire. Morning...early morning, stumble into the blaring light. Farewells. Farah and her young son pedal off into the ether as three gypsies are left to ponder the mystery. Coffee with the passing boats, our parking tag expires. On to Bavaria.

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