tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35352261947119182362024-03-05T15:58:47.797-08:00Another London ActorSharing my journey online since two thousand and nineTom Lincolnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355200490349131625noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535226194711918236.post-22493292224161799482021-01-25T14:06:00.003-08:002021-01-25T14:23:08.904-08:002020 Concluded<p>I find myself reluctant to write about 2020 – I suppose it’s
the year we’d like to put behind us, the year that kind of never was. In any case, here's a summary of my creative progress. Captain's log... Star-Date 012021. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><u><i>Acting</i></u></h3><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I began 2020 keen to build on recent momentum. I’d
landed a run of acting gigs and confidence was high. To try to capitalise I
made a list of over 100 top casting directors…the gatekeepers of the best film
and TV auditions…and emailed them my introduction:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span face=""Helvetica",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">“You're a
well-known and talented casting director - I'm an unknown and talented
actor…How d’ye do?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Replies were scant. However, I’m a true believer in dogged
determination. Maybe I’ll write to them again this year. If it leads to a
single audition that leads to a big break...well...it was all worth it. And what’s
the alternative? Do nothing? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In February my agent retired. This was now my third
consecutive agent that has retired on me. I’ve never had an agent I’ve
been truly happy with. Do they exist?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>More emails followed… a list of over 100 U.K. agents to ask about
representation. Few responses– all negative. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Due to the pressures of the pandemic, agents were not looking
to take on new clients. I admit I feel better about being agent-less and out of
work, when…well…all actors are out of work. Shame on me!<o:p></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><i><u>Filmmaking</u></i></h3><p class="MsoNormal">As lock-down closed in I had the perfect project to keep me
busy – supervising the post-production on my latest short film: ANGEL FALLS. Once
the edit was finished (Picture-lock) it went to the sound recordist
to finalise the mix. Meanwhile I worked with a composer on an original
score and a VFX artist creating visual wizardry. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A great many emails and versions later and we finally finished. It was so satisfying to steward the project from script pages to a product to be proud to showcase. Feedback has been massively positive – overwhelmingly so. I
was urged to enter the film into as many
festivals as possible – to try to win some acclaim and make new connections. </p><p class="MsoNormal">We
raised over £1000 with a <a href="https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/angel-falls-film-fund" target="_blank">crowdfunding page and video</a> and to date I’ve entered it into 85
festivals. Being my second short film (with a £500 budget) I had zero
expectations…but to my amazement, as I write this, we’ve been accepted by 16
festivals, and won 5 awards!!!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the year ahead I’ll
look forward to hearing back from further festivals, hopefully winning more
prizes and (someday) seeing the film exhibited on a big screen! It’s been a
wonderful discovery – the joy of sharing a film with more and more people…continuing
to enjoy the positive feedback through time. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Emboldened by my success with the film, I reached out to the
producers of an ongoing project that I had an acting role in. (A comedy TV pilot about
an Improv class). The original director had dropped out and I volunteered
myself…and got the job!!!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This was to be my biggest project to date…10 actors and as
many crew, for at least a 3 day shoot. We scouted an ideal location and I
assembled my dream team crew including collaborators from past projects and
newcomers with top industry experience. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The pre-production road has been bumpy so far to say the
least. We’ve had to reschedule the shoot multiple times around Covid, recast
various actors, re-work the script, juggle the budget. Despite the challenges
I’ve enjoyed the process and learnt at every stage. When
restrictions finally lift, I trust we’ll be well prepared to make
something to be proud of. <o:p></o:p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><u><i>Bits and Pieces</i></u></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal">Confined by lockdown, I’ve turned my mind to a number of
smaller projects…keeping up my filmmaking, acting and creative skills:
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>In the Summer I made a series of short videos around the
character that I’ll be playing in the Improv class project: MC ARDIL. <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@mcardil?" target="_blank">You can see them here on his tiktok account if you like.</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I made a few comedy videos with my girlfriend and tried
to develop some sketch comedy scripts with various collaborative
partners. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBrY-26tZoI" target="_blank">Here’s one you can check out 'The Duchess'</a>.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I did an overhaul of my social media and created an
Instagram account that tries to showcase my creativity and portfolio. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sirtomlincoln/" target="_blank">Take a look here.</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I co-hosted another screenplay competition and found a new
batch of exciting writers and scripts to work on and consider making.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I worked closely with a writer from last year’s
competition to develop his script into a longer piece, with a view to filming it
as a TV pilot. Also with an artist to create some concept art/costume
design and an experienced DoP to draft a shot list.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I developed a documentary idea into a treatment deck/pitch,
carrying out research including over 10 interviews and am now ready to approach production companies with a view to commissioning.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I’ve joined a collective of performers that offer interactive online parties. Over
Christmas this extended into a series of Corporate Parties– playing a
‘Complimentary Drink’…for more
info on that check out <a href="https://ionamcneil.medium.com/my-invented-job-as-a-complimentary-drink-at-a-virtual-bar-ec8719224862" target="_blank">my friend (and co-drink) Iona’s blogpost</a>.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I've completed a few little editing projects including, most recently, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1O-2rYya18" target="_blank">a trailer for one of these online parties</a> (coming up this Saturday) and a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osm4Ho9vSDQ" target="_blank">music video for my friend's amazing song</a>.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I’ve kept up my Artist’s Way practice and continued to work
through Julia Cameron’s other books.</li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><u><i><b> And So...</b></i></u></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>Well. Reading that back I actually feel pretty good about what I've achieved this year! I suppose that's the thing about being a freelance artist - most of my projects are dependent on me finding the time to get on with them - and this year has certainly offered that.</o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Looking ahead I'm going to focus on learning about
screenwriting and developing my own ideas...my 'slate'...working up to writing my own script to shoot. Here's hoping we can make the IMPROV project soon and that my short film picks up a few more awards. And that I get a new agent and some exciting acting opportunities! Watch out 2021!</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Tom Lincolnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355200490349131625noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535226194711918236.post-44194269101186773872020-01-06T07:32:00.005-08:002020-01-06T07:38:29.577-08:002019 Concluded<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This ol’ creative career o’ mine can be likened to steering a ship through dense fog. I’ve set my compass towards that place where it’s said the sun shines and artists earn enough to pay their bills. At times the winds blow...at times it’s doldrums, but mostly it’s fog and I can’t even tell if I’m headed in the right direction.<br />
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Writing these posts, reflecting on what I’ve been doing and what I plan to do next is like taking a moment to check the star chart and consider the navigation. Log the distance travelled and take stock. Feel grateful for the journey behind and try to relish the unknown that lays ahead.<br />
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My last post was a vlog to practice my videography/presenting skills. I reported having signed with a new agent and recently shooting a lead role in a music video, you can check it out here:<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9coX_q6C8jE">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9coX_q6C8jE</a><br />
Also continuing to learn about videography by making short films and planning to attend Burning Man Arts Festival again. I'll update on each of these 3 threads - acting, filmmaking and Burning Man.<br />
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My confidence as an actor is stronger than ever. I'm connecting with a sense of ease and relaxation in my approach for the first time - a freedom that unlocks my creativity in the moment. I can especially thank two books that have been instrumental...The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron and New Thoughts for Actors by Jack Plotnick (which you can find online for free!)<br />
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I've been able to keep up a daily practice of applying for jobs (something I've struggled with in the past - perhaps by way of creative block). The result has been wonderful...lots of opportunities converting into four screen acting jobs!<br />
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Just before Christmas I won a role in a comedy pilot, set to shoot in the Spring. I also got a day’s work at a film school, playing a scene from ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ for a multi-camera shoot. Then two comedy shorts for Channel 4 - one which is already released. Follow the link to see me playing a drag-queen-pantomime-villain here. <br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2yBjnaxOGs">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2yBjnaxOGs</a><br />
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The filmmaking learning curve continues. My creative partnership with friend Jack continues to yield riches. In the Summer we made a couple of self-contained dramatic scenes written by my actor/writer friend Joe. It was my first opportunity to direct and I’m very happy with the team we made (including Jack's girlfriend Melissa) and how the films turned out. <br />
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Buoyed by our success I set about finding further scripts to shoot. At this stage as a filmmaker that’s half the battle - sourcing original content that is achievable to realise on zero-budget. I needed to meet good screenwriters. I had an idea- to host a competition. In partnership with a new contact we co-hosted a '‘Four Minute Screenplay Contest’. Submit your 4 page script - we’ll create the winning script!<br />
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We received over seventy submissions which I read, choosing one overall winner, two merits and seven runners up. Boom - I had my next two projects set and a list of active writers to develop with in future. We shot ‘X Marks The Spot’ in Autumn (now in the final stages of the edit) and I’m in the middle of shooting ‘Angel Falls’ probably the most challenging project yet (10 cast and crew in total) with the first day of shooting complete and the second to arrange.<br />
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On reflection I’ve really thrown myself in the deep end. It’s outside our comfort zone where we learn the most after all! What have I learnt? Well I’ve had a good grounding in the stages of preparation and process that goes into filmmaking. From location scouting, casting, recruiting crew, equipment hire, planning a shotlist, blocking a scene, scheduling, directing actors, catering, assisting with the edit, understanding how to lead and be led.<br />
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What I’ve loved most about these shoots is the brief, but strong camaraderie around our dedication - an ensemble of virtuosos. What I’ve liked least is the staggering amount of time I’ve had to invest (all unpaid of course). It’s truly striking how much work goes into a mere five minute film (when you’re aiming for professional standards).<br />
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As I conclude these two projects I’m considering the specifics of what I commit to next. I attended a filmmakers convention at the BFI which was useful in illuminating the two potential paths ahead. On the one hand I work towards becoming a successful feature-film maker. Steps to this include:<br />
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· Continue my learning curve as a videographer/editor - developing my taste/style/aesthetic/skillset<br />
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· Continue building a company/network of fellow creatives including screenwriters keen to make content with me<br />
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· Find a producer to help me access funding and generally share the logistical workload<br />
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· Continue making short films - gaining acclaim by winning awards at film festivals<br />
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· Make commercials/music videos/corporate/showreels etc on the side to earn money <br />
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Then there’s a different path - that of comedic content creator. The focus here is on developing original and vibrant creative ideas. I leave the technical learning curve of filmmaking to others and focus on using the devising and performance tools that I’m already professionally trained in:<br />
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· Develop comedic creative partnerships with other performers willing to script, shoot and release simple comedy shorts with me<br />
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· Focus on making ideas that require very little crew/production value to allow for high turnover of output<br />
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· Focus on making ideas around my personal passions e.g. Afrobeats Dance Moves, Environmentalism, Mental Health, London, The Absurd.<br />
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· Focus on micro-short content (30 seconds or less) that plays to the popularity of shareable online ‘viral’ content<br />
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· Workshop characters/situations with other performers using learnt techniques like Mask<br />
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· Consider further comedic training like Gaulier’s Clown School<br />
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· Develop relationships with producers that pitch to commissioners of TV channels and streaming platforms (if they like the idea they will fund it)<br />
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· Get one of my projects commissioned for TV/Online - build a following/community<br />
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· Raise a profile as a comedic creative/performer leading to further acting opportunities<br />
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I’m definitely more excited for this latter path. In fact my recent run of comedic acting jobs especially turned me on to this possibility. I got to witness first hand the vibe of the small production company working for Channel 4. I was impressed by the quality of their output with limited resources, but strong ideas.<br />
<br />
I’ve already started working along this tack - teaming up with my friend Jamie to shoot a bizarre little short that he’s written. I handled the video and sound facilitating his direction and we’ve been editing it together in the past couple of weeks. And because it's comedy the process is an experience of continuous laughter - in the making of it and in the editing. Here’s to many more comedy shorts.<br />
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What’s left to tell? Ah yes - Burning Man. I took myself off to that big immersive art experience in the Nevada desert. Part-holiday, part-research trip, part-work, part-play. As expected it was Full On and I’m pleased to report utterly joyous. New friends, adventures, epic art and connection to a spirit of humanity that is sadly missing from our modern urban societies, though innately distilled in every one of us.<br />
<br />
I returned with my heart full and keen to apply the prevalent Burning Man artistic principle of Immediacy to my own work. For some time I’ve been considering street performance - engaging the public outside of anything organised or ticketed. Direct action. <br />
<br />
The Extinction Rebellion protests saw thousands of rebels take to the streets, offering a timely opportunity to test the waters. I rehearsed into a couple of performances with a theatre company that supports Environmental action - Earth Ensemble. Then the week before the action I bought a large PA speaker with microphone which I thought would be essential for street performance.<br />
<br />
On the first night I used it to play funk music - sparking street parties. It was a joy to bring music and dance in support of the political action - raising the morale of those steadfast rebels engaging in road blocks - facing off with the police. Certain songs were especially popular- like ‘YMCA’ - everyone was able to physically engage. Well, not the police but they were definitely tapping their feet. <br />
<br />
I was addicted. I came back twice more that week. What a joy to spark connection and movement - dancing and singing in the streets. I made friends with a man who was doing the same activity - in fact he’d built a business around this practice during the past few years - Jacques...a self-titled 'Party Scientist'. He actually stayed with me for a couple of nights and we went out together to practice his technique. Once again, under his tutelage, I experienced the unbridled joy of facilitating connection between strangers in public. I’m keen to take out my speaker before long and develop my confidence.<br />
<br />
So I guess that’s about it. In summary - acting, filmmaking and street performance projects are coming along well. The ship lurches forward through the fog. I'm looking forward to completing post production on my short films and focusing on comedic content thereafter...whilst keeping up my practice of acting job applications…with the intention of heading out to the streets before long to spark human connection as a party scientist in training! Check out Jaques’ instagram here by the way to see how a Pro does it. Until next time!<br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/jacquesmartiquet/">https://www.instagram.com/jacquesmartiquet/</a><br />
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Tom Lincolnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355200490349131625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535226194711918236.post-43767433967247250942019-06-23T10:49:00.002-07:002019-06-23T10:49:45.415-07:00VLOG #1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Tom Lincolnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355200490349131625noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535226194711918236.post-59242300953954670342019-03-31T14:23:00.000-07:002019-04-06T06:49:57.242-07:00Spring Loaded...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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As the blossom tree buds brave the early-Spring cold, there’s a scent of promise in the air. It’s slow progress, but I’m moving forwards...<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5betFZRICVg">‘Everyday I’m Hustlin’</a>...so here’s a little <i>Hustle Report </i>of what I’ve managed to achieve in the past couple of months.<br />
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It was a great decision to audition for a play - an unpaid job at my friend’s fringe venue -<a href="https://matchsticktheatre.com/"> Matchstick Theatre</a>. A chance to flex my acting muscles and re-build my post-break confidence. I won the job and enjoyed the process and performances, which were warmly received.<br />
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An important realisation arose - that going forward I will no longer be pursuing stage work. Now I love theatre and I always will. 95% of my training has been for the stage- and (perhaps logically) 95% of my professional work. <br />
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But here at the start of my career whilst I’m trying to get a foothold, it seems the wiser option to pursue Film/TV which is by far the more popular, far-reaching medium. And where the money is! <br />
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Coming to this realisation has given me a wonderful clarity of purpose - I’ve since been dedicated to sharpening my screen acting skills, continuing Manuel Puro’s self-tape course to which I submit several audition tapes each week- a powerful discipline. <br />
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In turn I’ve set the important goal of improving my showreel - the most powerful tool that an actor has to win screen work. A showreel is a short portfolio clip - a selection of what projects you’ve acted on to-date. If a young actor is being considered for a project - their showreel is the first thing to be reviewed by the creative team.<br />
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If an actor is starting out and hasn’t worked on many projects they may consider paying hundreds hundreds of pounds to have a Showreel custom scripted and shot for them - from a company such as <a href="https://slickshowreels.co.uk/">Slick Showreels</a>. But as an aspiring filmmaker with my own kit - I’m set on making my own for free! Fortunately I’ve been getting lots of practice in lately...<br />
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Some great advice I got: the fastest way to get better at filmmaking is to get making films. Lots of them. Get on with quantity and don’t get stuck on quality. So in the past weeks that’s what I’ve done - shooting a varied mix of subjects/styles to get to grips with camera operation/editing...<br />
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<b> I approached a corporate mental health charity and offered to shoot event coverage:</b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/328815262" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
<b>I approached a contemporary dancer and offered to shoot her rehearsal to make a dance video:</b></div>
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<b>I approached the organisers of a dance collaboration event and offered to shoot a promo video:</b></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/324744727" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
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For experience of working on dramatic scenes I've been helping actor friends with ‘Self-tape’ auditions at my home studio. It was great to observe their work - understanding from a directing point of view how I can encourage their performance.<br />
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And last weekend I got together with a friend and filmed a two-hander scene - to be usable on my showreel. I made a few rookie mistakes and ultimately fell short of the professional quality I was aiming for. Turns out that camera operating a scene that you’re acting in is rather tricky!<br />
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Now the search is on to find more material and collaborating crew that will ensure high production value. To that end I’ve attended a couple of networking events such as ‘<a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cine-circle-film-networking-tickets-59461576175?aff=eac2">Cine Circle</a>’ - meeting some great people to work with. Soon I hope to have an embarrassment of riches to edit my showreel from!<br />
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Finally - I wanted to make the pledge that I’ll be making my next blog post as a video post. Whilst I enjoy practicing writing - I have everything I need at this point to be making a decent Vlog - and I shouldn’t be missing any opportunity to work with my camera. So tune in next time folks!<br />
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Tom Lincolnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355200490349131625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535226194711918236.post-50926796573016976602019-02-04T12:31:00.002-08:002019-02-04T12:35:05.404-08:002019 So Far...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Ah that New Year feeling of fresh beginnings!<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Following my sabbatical search for meaning (and health)
across the past couple of years I'm excited to be dedicating 2019 to
igniting momentum in my acting career, whilst taking fledgling steps as a
filmmaker.<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Before Christmas I listed some specific tasks to complete
in this direction (which you can find at the bottom of my last post<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="http://www.anotherlondonactor.com/2018/12/this-is-concluding-episode-of-this.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.0pt;">
</span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11.0pt;">here</span></a></span>) and so I’ve decided to
review my progress. Perhaps I'll try to make this a monthly habit.<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="background: white;">#1 Home Studio Built</span></i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">After painstaking research
I managed to build my home studio - gathering the following kit which in
the right hands can shoot professional 4K cinematic quality film. (These hands of mine have some way to go yet!)</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-size: 8.0pt;">Lights:</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0089HTJE4/ref=cm_sw_r_wa_api_1UCyBbC9E5BF4" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 8.0pt;"> 2 x Softboxes</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-size: 8.0pt;">Camera:</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/used-equipment/used-photo-and-video/used-compact-system-cameras/used-panas..." style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 8.0pt;"> Panasonic Lumix GH4</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-size: 8.0pt;">Lens:</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/used-equipment/used-photo-and-video/used-lenses/used-panasonic-lenses/pana..." style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 8.0pt;"> 12-35mm Panasonic</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-size: 8.0pt;">Sound:</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/VideoMic-Pro-R-Camera-Microphone-Windshield/dp/B07FP3R3LV/ref=sr_1_3?s=elec..." style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 8.0pt;"> Rode Video Mic Pro</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-size: 8.0pt;">Tripod:</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://www.wexphotovideo.com/benro-slim-carbon-fibre-tripod-kit-n00-ball-head-1631361/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 8.0pt;"> Benro</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-size: 8.0pt;">Editing:</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://www.adobe.com/uk/products/premiere.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiAp7DiBRDdARIsABIMfoDm1eEByrz9OaJMWr-OuqeA4wmk6ycKhuELRAnXIK6QVtx5sQE4S0QaAk26EALw_wcB&sdid=88X75SKR&mv=search&ef_id=Cj0KCQiAp7DiBRDdARIsABIMfoDm1eEByrz9OaJMWr-OuqeA4wmk6ycKhuELRAnXIK6QVtx5sQE4S0QaAk26EALw_wcB:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!3085!3!273795085322!e!!g!!adobe%20premiere" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 8.0pt;"> Adobe Premiere Pro</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-size: 8.0pt;">Laptop:</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://store.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=4FS89EA&opt=ABU&sel=NTB" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 8.0pt;"> HP OMEN</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-size: 8.0pt;">Peripherals:
Spare Batteries, memory cards, external hard drive</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="background: white;">#2 Practicing the Craft</span></i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">I enrolled in an online course in which participants must submit a self-tape (filmed audition scene) each day for 10 days straight. Here's a little
excerpt from each scene for the lolz.</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/09uPMVyUgfM/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/09uPMVyUgfM?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<span style="background: white;">The course...entitled</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="http://www.purocasting.com/the-acting-habit" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
Acting Habit</span></a> </span><span style="background: white;">is led by
experienced casting director Manuel Puro. It was the perfect initiation into
using my equipment, whilst getting on screen practice and feedback from Manuel and the other course mates. Highly
recommended!</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">I booked a few
workshops with casting directors through</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://www.actorsguild.co.uk/workshops/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
Actor’s Guild</span></a></span><span style="background: white;"> - not exactly
cheap at £31 a go - but a great way to gain insider’s knowledge and do a
bit of acting for (and hopefully impress) a working professional who may
audition me in future.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="background: white;">#3 Rejoin the Audition
Circuit</span></i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">With some recent acting
experience under my belt, my</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://www.tom-lincoln.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11.0pt;">Acting
Portfolio Website</span></a></span><span style="background: white;"> completed
and shiny new headshots taken - I was feeling as confident as ever to begin
submitting myself for opportunities.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">I’m directly applying for
jobs on </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://www.spotlight.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: white; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11.0pt;">Spotlight</span></a> </span><span style="background: white;">and <span style="color: #1155cc;"><a href="https://www.mandy.com/">Mandy</a></span> on the daily -the UK's two
primary casting directories.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="background: white;">#4 Get Acting Work!</span></i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">And lo and behold - I’ve
won two acting jobs! A play - this week -</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://matchsticktheatre.com/#/event/rabbits-in-the-precambrian" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11.0pt;">tickets
available here if you fancy attending</span></a></span><span style="background: white;"> - and a filming job - portraying the anarchic musician Jimmy Cauty of
the band</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_KLF" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11.0pt;">KLF</span></a></span><span style="background: white;"> in a documentary feature about their antics.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">Here's a little clip of me
having fun on the first day of the shoot (which involved me chain
smoking fags eurgh!)</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">It’s a wonderful feeling -
following my recent confidence building steps - setting out my ‘acting stall’ -
to be rewarded with some work. Now I’m hungry for momentum!</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">I’ve booked more workshops
at Actor’s Guild - continuing the campaign to get seen by casting directors and
I’ll continue The Acting Habit course online- staying match fit mentally and
physically with plenty of exercise.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="background: white;">#5 Make Movies</span></i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">Beside my acting goals
I've been keen to put my expensive camera kit to work and get making short
films! A couple of months back I took a half-day course ‘How to Make your First Short Film’ - the best tip was to focus on quantity not quality. Many
filmmakers get stuck for years trying to write an epic original screenplay
whilst shooting/learning very little.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">So I jumped right in and
invited an actor over (a fellow cast member in this play I’m in) - and
filmed her in character doing some silly things - with the intention of editing
the footage into an online trailer for the play. Masterpiece it is not, but
it’s a start - and it’s been truly thrilling to be receiving warm feedback. Yay! I made a thing! Enjoy!</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">As a filmmaker I will be
learning how to develop creative concepts, write scripts/screenplays, organise
a team of collaborators...shoot, edit and release films. Being an actor, I’ll be
able to perform in anything I make, which if successful will raise my profile,
or in any case will create practice opportunities.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">As a filmmaker I’ll be
able to work on making projects with subject matter that is important or
exciting to me. Actors generally serve someone else’s vision - playing puppet
to their whim - how thrilling to dance to the sound of my own drum so to speak!</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">Overall I'm really pleased
with what I've achieved in this past spell. Looking forward to writing again
next month with further news of acting work and filming collaborations.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Tom Lincolnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355200490349131625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535226194711918236.post-21642985603768163062018-12-16T09:48:00.000-08:002018-12-16T10:26:59.372-08:00Episode 10: There and Back Again<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-af678989-7fff-760f-9fbc-d8754aa014d9"></span><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-af678989-7fff-760f-9fbc-d8754aa014d9"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is the concluding episode of this series which I began around two years ago with</span><a href="http://www.anotherlondonactor.com/2017/01/episode-0-origins.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Episode 0...which you can find here.</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Ahead lay my 9 month solo-backpacking trip: questing for as I wrote back then:‘</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">fresh perspective on what exactly I want to be doing here in London’.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-af678989-7fff-760f-9fbc-d8754aa014d9"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’d identified that because I lacked a clear career goal (beyond </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">being </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">a professional actor) that I’d lost momentum. I needed to find a specific target to pursue, to fuel my passion - a direction to fix towards through the challenges of life as an actor.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-af678989-7fff-760f-9fbc-d8754aa014d9">
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-af678989-7fff-760f-9fbc-d8754aa014d9"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I travelled and wrote about my journey in the following episodes/months through Colombia, Jamaica, Central America, Mexico and North America...taking time to explore new cultures and experiences, including finally an extended stay at Black Rock City for</span><a href="https://burningman.org/event/preparation/first-timers-guide/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Burning Man</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Which was...immense.</span></span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-af678989-7fff-760f-9fbc-d8754aa014d9"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="468" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/XOZktyV0pYTQrE7UeHndg88ntqXN5SzMFrt8nZvZIkV5wfWH5RF71k9sj4tMkukGZr59AWhcrkY8hytCKSoexg9p3jcG9W2evVbdoe9PHfztH76JF6qnXRsgyk7Z7heGhWD9xGHY" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-af678989-7fff-760f-9fbc-d8754aa014d9"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Alas, all blazing trails must burn out eventually. I returned to a bleak London winter with an empty bank account, an untethered lifestyle and a somewhat unhinged frame of mind. At a time when I needed structure and support to help my feet find the ground there was little to be found.</span></span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-af678989-7fff-760f-9fbc-d8754aa014d9"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In my experience, spells of poor mental health emerge from stress factors stacking up in one’s life; that become increasingly difficult to juggle. Like an overloaded computer processor- our system whirls along, coping with the workload as best it can, until the stacked errors trigger a system failure and necessary reboot.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s difficult for me to admit (to myself most of all) that in certain ways I am not as robust as others. Bi-polar disorder is a lifelong condition for which I must be diligent and vigilant in my self-care. After all, the outcome of my ‘system failure’ can be psychosis and hospitalisation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lately I’ve read some personal accounts written by people with bi-polar - it’s amazing how the same waypoints signpost our decline. Cessation of medication? Check. Obsessive energy on multiple projects? Check. Self-medicating? Check. Delusion that everything is fine? Check.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The ‘Catch 22’ kicker? The only person who can make the necessary U-turn is you. But as the illness advances- personal perspective is increasingly compromised and the the downward spiral, fed by denial, is perpetuated. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And then, suddenly...one day...July 6th in fact...prompted by the help of a dear friend - I was able to wake up and say to myself</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> no more</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Able to admit the truth of my reality and how denial of my illness was compromising my aspirations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I commenced weekly therapy and connected to long-suppressed feelings of pain, sadness, anger...attended to the vulnerable child within whose needs I was well-practiced at neglecting. I’ve learnt to better identify the unhelpful, self-sabotaging thought patterns that distract my attention away from attending to these needs, which now I do my best to offer self-care and compassion to. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And so here’s the ironic cliche it seems...what I’d seeked externally...what I set off around the world to find last year - namely - ‘</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 10pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">fresh perspective on what exactly I want to be doing here in London’</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - had been available to discover internally all along...beneath my emotional blocks and aversions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By gaining access to this grounded perspective and making peace with my fears I’ve finally been able to approach my 64 million dollar question...what’s my goal?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Complimentary to my acting career, I want to develop a career as a film-maker - producing and acting in my own creative projects - making entertainment and education.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With the help of an excellent tool I’ve been working with:</span><a href="https://fourminutebooks.com/the-artists-way-summary/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Artist’s Way</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I’ve been able to clarify the necessary steps that I need to take in the coming year to work towards this goal:</span></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Build a home filming studio (DSLR camera, tripod, sound, lighting, backdrop, editing laptop)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Host practice sessions with fellow actors on a weekly basis - building my acting confidence and technical ability on screen (and directing experience)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Be consistently pro-active in looking for screen work of all levels - from unpaid passion/student projects, to soliciting paid opportunities from Casting Directors</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Create my own acting opportunities by writing and producing short films (around issues that I’m passionate about like mental health) whilst nurturing a community of fellow writers, actors and filmmakers - working together to progress creatively</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Develop necessary videography skills to be able to direct and realise these projects</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Trust that my increasing confidence and proactivity will pay off with a range of screen work - building my showreel- leading to more work, stable income and eventually a proactive and well-connected talent agent who will offer access to further opportunities. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ll leave you with a quote from author Neil Gaiman </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikAb-NYkseI" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">taken from this speech</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Something that worked for me was imagining that where I wanted to be was a mountain. A distant mountain. My goal. And I knew that as long as I kept walking towards the mountain I would be all right. And when I truly was not sure what to do, I could stop, and think about whether it was taking me towards or away from the mountain.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With my compass point set I can now easily keep track of whether my daily actions are taking me towards my mountain or not. Looking forward to checking back in here with report of my progress.</span></div>
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Tom Lincolnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355200490349131625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535226194711918236.post-73347959362068942042017-07-28T16:12:00.002-07:002017-07-28T16:46:33.984-07:00Episode 9: West Coast USA Summer 2017<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s been 6 weeks since touching down here in the Land of the Free.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First up was a thorough lesson in Civil Liberties courtesy of Homelands Security- they detained me for five hours with several rounds of interrogation over the details of my trip, my personal history, finances and past drug use. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My recent months within ‘interesting’ countries such as Colombia, Jamaica and Mexico must have flagged me up as a case worth investigating. And I probably look the sort with my small backpack and carefree smile. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Various cross-examination techniques were employed to destabilise/antagonise me into admitting something incriminating. A drug test was repeatedly propositioned, seemingly to gauge my reaction - something I’ve since confirmed as a hollow threat and a dirty trick if you ask me. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fortunately my visa was issued and I got through - many people have been denied entry to the US this year for admitting to less than I did - </span><a href="https://www.marijuana.com/news/2017/03/the-u-s-is-denying-entry-for-life-if-tourists-admit-to-pot-use/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">click to read more here</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Landing in the comforts of a developed society was a real culture shock after several months backpacking. And I totally lucked out - being hosted in my first week by a friend’s brother who works in finance and was happy to share the luxuries of his lifestyle #hottub #pool #sunshine </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For a time I was wide eyed with awe and appreciation over such things as a plate of food with minimal risk of poisoning...a temperate coolness in the air...sleeping under a downy duvet. I’ll work to keep an ongoing sense of gratitude and appreciation for these pleasures that can easily be taken for granted.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Being back in a Western society also felt significantly safer- I was able to relax in a way that I hadn’t been able to for some time. I’ve been living slowly in an effort to fully recover my energies...the lifestyle had become a bit of a battle recently - something I wrote about in Episode 7 which you can check out </span><a href="http://www.anotherlondonactor.com/2017/06/episode-7-confessions-of-inexperienced.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">here</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As ever I’ve tried to distil my insights for your reading pleasure:</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s easy to get fat in America and I did </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Couchsurfing is AMAZING </span></div>
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<img height="351" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/zi_E6hGdHAbMqg2OmxXB8g4xkHC3CTfz_Xp5jUSzxI03K-xd6qACaCqWA-B6Iwg3n4MchTwaifwB-T09rgAnP5TEROJkF2YX8Ws2opmHx0gBYn6xGnbz87RUboJP_YxJKMev6QDn" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="624" /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1) It’s easy to get fat in America and I did </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Can I say fat or is it politically incorrect nowadays? Well I gained weight and I suspect it wasn’t muscle mass - the only lifting occurring was my hand to my mouth. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As mentioned I’ve been taking it slow and enjoying more rest and less movement. Finding comfort in a homely setting has generally led to more indulgence…and if indulgent consumption is your mood then America is your Mecca!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">From the best of global cuisine to the worst of fast food. O the milkshakes! The burgers! When you know you shouldn’t but you do anyway...for three weeks. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Worry not reader! I’m well on the way back to my lithe and supple self - it’s been yoga classes, long walks and low-carbs all week. Overall I think it’s good to allow and tolerate some slackening - provided you’re conscious and can find the discipline to call time and draw the line.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2) Couchsurfing is AMAZING</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“There are no strangers here; only friends you haven’t yet met”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">-WB Yeats</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.couchsurfing.com/#how-it-works" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Couchsurfing</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is a social platform (kinda like Facebook)...you create your profile and look up others’ profiles who live in the area you’re visiting. You make contact and hopefully hit it off and get to stay on their couch for free...hence ‘Couchsurfing’. You’ll be able to pay the goodwill forward when you’re back at home and able to host future visitors.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I spent a couple of very happy weeks between four new San Franciscan friends/hosts - learning about their lives and diving directly into their best recommendations of local culture. If you’ve got a trip then I thoroughly recommend getting your head around this tool. Ask me if you’d like to know more!</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve divided my 6 weeks so far between 3 cities/states on the West Coast -</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">San Francisco, California...</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Seattle, Washington and </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Portland, Oregon.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In each I've been surprised at how many homeless people can be found sleeping rough/camping out on the sidewalks - many seemingly blighted by poor mental health. </span></div>
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<a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-is-it-easy-to-find-homeless-people-in-the-US-but-not-the-UK" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Statistics</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> indicate around four times more homeless per capita in the US than the UK with 25% having serious mental or drug abuse problems.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Homelessness is the visible tip of an iceberg of injustices - exacerbated (state depending) by a lack of Social Welfare, such as the system we've had in the UK. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s an ongoing source of astonishment that we can live in the richest society in the world, spending vast sums on silliness, whilst the sick are neglected. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Of course many people and organisations are doing fantastic work to plug the gaps left by poor government. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This spirit of positive change, independence and courage is aligned to the reputation of the West Coast…originally the Wild West for the bravest gold digging settlers, later the fertile hotbed of many </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counterculture_of_the_1960s" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">counter-cultural movements</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nowadays it’s a global hub of technological innovation, but also of social innovation...it’s no coincidence that these three West Coast states have been the first to legalise Cannabis...with the rest of the country and world set to follow suit. Let alone those working on the frontiers of justice around LGBT rights, immigrant rights, black rights... </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s been inspiring for me to spend time around people imbued with this attitude - that change is possible with hard work, unity and open minds. I’ll be doing my best to carry this forward in my own work as an artist/actor/activist.</span></div>
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Tom Lincolnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355200490349131625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535226194711918236.post-8596132678347429912017-07-12T13:13:00.001-07:002017-07-12T13:29:53.583-07:00Episode 8: Top Five Latin American Highlights<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This Saturday marks six months on the road, six months away from home. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Six months of solitary questing my own little trail of discovery of the world and myself. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last episode I spent some time expressing some difficulties I’ve faced and so now, ever in the pursuit of balance, here’s my top five highlights of Central America and Mexico.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ometepe Island, Nicaragua</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This Hispanic wild-eyed dude gets my attention as I’m entering the dorm…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Are you going to Ometepe?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I don’t know. Maybe. Should I?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">“It’s amazing! You should definitely go..."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Cool”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">“You can take this back to my friend who’s working there at El Zopilote Hostel”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And with that he went back into the dorm and grabbed a dress from his bunk.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I remembered his friend - she’d slept in the bottom bunk of his bed. I accepted the mission and was on my way the next day.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="416" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/cwtpUVKoQ7SEYbiPjB0_4s4OktbYaSIE8xHYEGIzxFGii2FPXxRoO2LBddFMhLXsioAS5AwIhAHw3D85ki1neoDczoGeskTkIXwusJQehBbcYxrSu0SCAoUQ6bjlkE24Jnmjl3ly" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="600" /></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ometepe is an island formed by two volcanoes that rose out of Lake Nicaragua (one of the largest lakes in the Americas as you can see...even has its own sharks!)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ferries depart throughout the day from the shoreside town of Rivas. For getting around on the island there’s a reliable yet slow bus system, taxis and the option to hire mopeds and bicycles...I even did a little hitchhiking. </span></div>
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<a href="http://ometepezopilote.net/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">El Zopilote Hostel </span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">was a great place to start - one of the major social hubs of the island - free yoga, healthy food, sustainability projects - all in an idyllic rainforest setting. I made some great friends there including a lady very happy to have her dress back! </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">New friends soon introduced me to the nearby ‘Chocolate Beach’ so named for its cocoa-coloured volcanic lakeside sands...and amazing Chocolate Factory- </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/elpitalometepe/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">El Pital</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> recently opened by a young Israeli raw food chef.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The factory come cafe/shop was also a hostel in the making with several hammocks slung up for rent at $5 per night. Here I passed a very happy week of chocolate flavoured relaxation…with mornings gazing out into the lake’s starkly flat horizon...and starlit nights of warm water wading in the shadow of moonlit volcanoes. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="547" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/HZiUf__V3_YY3nUVTPqFulx3puhe9Du0kTxHdznjShrYEd7mHJA11-HAmMY6wL9qOlDlceQvoeT9Azbp2J50PXzFH4kquRSNj3LFqPJtndXAxD_y_9Kl5AGTlGn_jzpxh-LCklKA" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2) Mexico City, Mexico</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In an odd sort of way I felt at home in the urban sprawl of this grand ol’ metropolis. Evidently you can take the boy out of the big city...but you can’t take the big city love out of the boy!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There’s an array of strikingly different and interesting neighbourhoods to discover...I enjoyed several days hopping on and off the metro system- generally exploring and enjoying the infinite selection of street food available on every other corner...late into the night.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Vegetarian? Gluten free? Lactose intolerant? Good luck with that Chica.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="416" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/7xzdo8BUvnFlH1VRlsWvewiy2pSf5kzjkkLOhy7h8fP-oBX5CjR442IreoGjOJ__ueW4c8K1a_-WMnE7vtOhFLEZZspV4SJ4FWCJLB1xSEGsoQnR8p3NCwwHRoX7l2ys37kTmcoj" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3) Lake Atitlán, Guatemala</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If Ometepe Island is two volcanoes surrounded by a lake then inversely, Atitlán is a lake surrounded by volcanoes...and several Mayan villages too in which the culture is still prevalent and traditional colourful dress is worn.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All kinds of fun is to be had tuk tukking, walking or motor boating around..with amazing food and local crafts on offer...each village having embraced/endured the effects of tourism to varying degrees.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I made my home in San Marcos - a favourite haunt of hippies and spiritually minded students since the 60’s. As hoped I met some fascinating teachers and learnt some inspiring insights. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I recommend </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/EcoHotelLaPaz/" style="text-decoration: none;">La Paz </a>Eco Hotel</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - I had the good fortune to make friends with the owner and his son who had seen it all over the years - hosting every kind of workshop from Chakra to Shiatsu.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="416" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/q2mE4ELZ1mnRFL7rAq4htPdTgSoGD4o3GTlOG7lIBgNYYjaAdS4OJcvoN_lxNt0dRypbMoSUhHPKs35ubF-EwdIA8RGQlka9V0UyqIdQnQ37Xo5wXygkS6Ae57psaEQcu9Yn_vNW" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4) Copan Ruinas, Honduras</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A wind of ill fortune blew me to this small border town in Honduras. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I had originally planned to skip the country due to safety concerns….but a visa error on my passport saw me barred from passing through. The inconvenient days that followed were entirely offset by the joys of discovering this gem. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The town itself has grown beside the UN World Heritage ruin site....once one of the great centres of Mayan civilisation...it’s not as large as some other ruins to be found in Latin America, but claims to have the best preserved art. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The ruins were indeed fascinating...I recommend hiring a tour guide to get the best of them. At the entrance you’ll probably be collared by Luis here who’s selling horse riding tours. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Take him up on it! I spent a glorious afternoon touring up and around the fertile river valley’s coffee plantations. He’s full of interesting local information and as an expert rider gave me the confidence to take a few full-pace gallops - which felt transcendental.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/yoxhbRcG0j3AEIPi8HQqeX24fYWotQv05KfFBZYi95oO0hoKzqKcL3ClgjUuzq0kfGKzkWU-CfSH5EDXI-yUE4KakxkgNXsM07-FxKgYrqAwlQEO2U_QYnL72EAgxX87PWzWCgmN" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5) Mazunte Beach, Mexico</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you’re looking for that paradise beach experience then here it is. Sun, sand, sea and free spirits. Just don’t drink the water or forget your mosquito repellent.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of many beach settlements along Mexico’s Pacific Coast, Mazunte had such a chill feel...unblemished by commercial tourism with a handful of basic cabanas and restaurants and such. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="412" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ganbEa249v34sWRpRnCfMk7i50aBxGaWavzMxy9ogtM5RZx9wIeITpYnPSgqh_OHfUQcfEb_TSb6K9GfIKtDB8kzpNo_VAwTI5zG3E63Vz4OByTIELdW0T2JNN_Jp5beVWtNYnaM" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="550" /></span></div>
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Tom Lincolnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355200490349131625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535226194711918236.post-42120313403611567532017-06-20T09:25:00.001-07:002017-06-20T10:14:40.383-07:00Episode 7: Confessions of an inexperienced traveller<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These past two months (since landing from Jamaica) I’ve travelled up through Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and into Mexico. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I suppose this is where I share my list of must-sees and wax lyrical on the wander-lust magic I’ve experienced. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The uncomfortable-to-admit truth is that my time in these countries has been more hard work than fun...more endurance than inspiration. I feel like I’ve failed...been a ‘bad’ traveller somehow....to not LOVE such places teeming with exotic culture and beauty. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve identified the following key reasons:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Urban Overload</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Language Barrier</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Travellers</span> Fatigue</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Herein I’d like to explore how they arose and what I could have done differently. With three months of backpacking the West Coast USA ahead, hopefully I can apply any lessons learned!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="Screenshot 2017-06-14 at 10.34.27 AM.png" height="445" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/WBrqzRBTKqVXdVW-KL973NuzQeVdh0h4hVqQ40AabF127XRDCUaZrLHWbMUTinehUtTuzIawWXGITxz6vGhavWd_9ri3BRABvFGv_xBkdNtEdqWydSeI0edrbwBxT3jHfDAnpXX9" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here’s a breakdown of my route - </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(* = top 3 must sees)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">San Jose, Costa Rica (3 nights)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Granada, Nicaragua (5 nights)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">*Ometepe Island, Nicaragua (10 nights) *</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Volcanic Island Magic</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Leon, Nicaragua (3 nights)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tegulcigalpa, Honduras (3 nights)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Coban Ruinas, Honduras (2 nights)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Antigua, Guatemala (1 night)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">*Lake Atitlan, Guatemala (7 nights) *</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hippy Lake Spirits</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">San Cristobal, Mexico (4 nights)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oaxaca City, Mexico (4 nights)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mesunte/Puerto Escondido, Mexico (8 nights) </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">*Mexico City (5 nights) *</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Megawondercity</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1) Urban Setting Overload</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The route I’ve taken is described by some as the </span><a href="http://www.indietraveller.co/backpacking-in-central-america/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">‘Gringo Trail’</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> a narrow path of locations well worn by Westerners...complete with lots of budget accommodation, prepared tours and transport links. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was easy with my jellyfish style of travel (<a href="http://www.anotherlondonactor.com/2017/02/episode-2-on-importance-of-being.html" target="_blank">see here for further explanation</a>) to be swept along with the flow of fellow Gringos between one Colonial Hispanic town and the next. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I came to spend roughly half my time in such settings and (forgive me for being a philistine) if you’ve seen two Colonial Hispanic towns - you’ve seen em’ all! There’s the picturesque square...there’s the fifteen or so churches...there’s the hostel brimming over with drunken backpackers. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mexico City was a massive exception to this...being a fascinating Megawondertropolis that defies ennui with its vast size, vibrancy and cultural blend. As a Londoner born and raised - coming to such a place with its 24 hour buzz felt somehow like coming home. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2) Language Barrier</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You might be thinking that I should have defied tedium by going off-trail...maybe hopped on a chicken bus into unknown rural climes. Well yes - perhaps I should have, but I’m fairly green to all this and crucially I have a very basic grasp of Spanish.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The language barrier has definitely limited the richness of my experience. It’s another reason why I’m still missing Jamaica - it was the last country in which I could communicate with locals freely. What a joy to be able to chat with the bus driver- learning about his city as he drove his route through Downtown Kingston! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I managed to self-teach Spanish to a decent basic level, but if I could turn back the clock I would have done an intensive week at the beginning of my trip...at the time it seemed expensive, but I now realise how it would have paid dividends as an investment.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm0pq_q6F6O167IVHLKio9xbjnqSFRYO1nXN6SUvNfCU8PIFuq-MXtOVCQrW7D6u35E7NDIVN00UlD9kE37lrmoeDmsFrk1h3rVG7wgjqaBCZaT9PyrvhpUJ3gQ1PCBFTrrWUHNxAqlv4/s1600/20170426_180144-COLLAGE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm0pq_q6F6O167IVHLKio9xbjnqSFRYO1nXN6SUvNfCU8PIFuq-MXtOVCQrW7D6u35E7NDIVN00UlD9kE37lrmoeDmsFrk1h3rVG7wgjqaBCZaT9PyrvhpUJ3gQ1PCBFTrrWUHNxAqlv4/s640/20170426_180144-COLLAGE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3) Travellers Fatigue</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Turns out this here life on the road is tough. Indeed the word </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Travelling</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> roots from the Old French </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">‘Travailler’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> meaning ‘To work strenuously/toil’. “There is a big difference between simply being a tourist and being a true world traveller.” -Michael Kasum</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With the ongoing discipline of living on a tight budget, ever on the move with a bare minimum of possessions, little privacy, sometimes afraid, sometimes lonely, sometimes lost, sometimes sick, often hot and sticky, always braving the unknown.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nevertheless I’m happy to have faced these difficulties and discomforts from which have sprung great insights, growth and strength. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">I keep trying to explain this to my Nan who becomes crestfallen whenever I confess I’m not feeling great. I try to reassure her that life on the road simply reflects life back home...you have your ups and downs just the same. The defining dualities that haunt our strange existence!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">With hindsight I would have planned to stop after a few months and drop anchor somewhere. Recuperate my energies whilst doing some volunteer work in one spot for at least a few weeks. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As it was I drove myself on and on...and after around 4 months, at pretty much the exact midway point of this trip, I hit a wall. From then on (for the past month) I’ve generally felt like I’ve been battling. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Battling for energy and enthusiasm to explore, battling to be positive and social...battling to stay curious and open to the lessons of these places and people. Though now </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m pleased to report (I hope) that the battle is over!</span></div>
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<img alt="Image result for glorious california" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/49/27/71/4927718d52e3bde1cdd0ea3157811ee0.jpg" /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s taken me a long time to get my head around writing this post...it's felt uneasy to address and admit to more negatives than positives. (I'll write about my Latin America highlights in another post I promise!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">But having finally articulated what I’ve been facing, I now feel as though I’m able to move into a new chapter - and regain my passion for this lifestyle.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today I’ll begin the hunt for a volunteering/living opportunity somewhere here in California with the help of the excellent service:<a href="http://www.workaway.info/" target="_blank"> workaway.info</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The website allows for the advertising of various Hosting positions where volunteering travellers like myself can apply. 25 hours of work a week is usually the deal for free bed and board. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m confident that laying down roots for a few weeks will recharge my batteries (and budget) for this final exciting stretch of my journey...USA USA USA USA!!!!! </span><span id="docs-internal-guid-57aa421f-c625-05dd-ecbe-988639dac526"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wish me luck and thanks for reading!</span></div>
Tom Lincolnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355200490349131625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535226194711918236.post-65565135240227133262017-05-26T06:50:00.000-07:002017-05-26T06:55:24.093-07:00Episode 6: On finding my Super Objective<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meet Constantin Stanislavski - he’s widely recognised as the Godfather of modern acting craft. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Central to his theory is an understanding of human beings as creatures of desire…with the truth of our existence defined by what we want or need most at any given moment. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Consider how you’ve spent every second of your day until now...you woke up and needed the toilet...next you needed to eat…maybe next you wanted to get ready to leave home...and so on and so forth until just now when you wanted to read something online...thanks for stopping by! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To play the truth of a character, Stanislavski asks the actor to intimately understand the string of wants/needs being pursued in each moment of the character’s time within the story. As a need is met, one progresses to the next and so on.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="258" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/dXGn9RYlp5LH1dmd3XTbP9UlV_k_vkfzZtFWpZ-plblXkuLdvan4h5-1wjzsiyCYvCUgrsy70jAVLS4_E9Yi7omC3AAFWNsOX9_jqEzkNjDvAgomzk_QjUS8KyGPpE_431ahScY7" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="555" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stanislavski extends this idea in suggesting that a character’s string of wants/needs arch towards achieving a singular, defining, specific long-term target...a ‘Super Objective’. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Take Shakespeare’s </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Macbeth</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. When we meet him at the beginning of the play as a noble warrior his Super Objective could be “I want to serve the King in war and bring glory to my house”. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After hearing the Weird Sister’s prophecy his mind is poisoned with murderous ambition…</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">”I want to be King” and then on successfully ascending- for the rest of the action of the play: </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I want retain my throne and ensure that my children will be Kings”.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Is there a singular Super-Objective that you can define for yourself at this stage in your life?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Many of those in the rat-race hold most store by their professional ambitions “I want to make enough money to retire early”. Others are family orientated “I want to be the best parent I can be and give my child the best start in life”. Sadly whilst travelling I’ve witnessed many living a hand to mouth existence “I want to survive”.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In Episode O of this blog (</span><a href="http://www.anotherlondonactor.com/2017/01/episode-0-origins.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">click here for the link</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">) I wrote about how my current focus is to gain an understanding of how best to proceed in my career as an actor. Essentially, my current Super Objective is to define my Super Objective!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With over four months on the road I’m pleased to report the following perspectives and insights that have arisen from conversations with fellow travellers. Thanks to each and every one of them! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This concept (from Simon Sinek’s book </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Start with Why</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">) rang all kinds of bells with me. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I decided to be an actor you could say that I was working from the ‘Outside In’. I</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> wanted to be an actor because it seemed to offer the promise of a fun and exciting life. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After years of dedication and training I became an actor and it is indeed fun and exciting, but to have hedonism/personal success as my core vision/ambition has come to feel hollow. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">So what should my ‘Why’ be? Hopefully something that gives me a sense of purpose, deeper meaning and happiness...they seem like worthwhile ingredients to a life well lived. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Again I’m very grateful to recent conversations with fellow (spiritually-minded) travellers for helping me distill the following insight, best summed up in this quote:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Not money, or success, or position or travel or love makes happiness - </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><u>service</u></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is the secret.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Kathleen Norris</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And so going forward I ask myself how may I best be of service? How can I...with my skillset, with my means, with my knowledge and experience, energy and passions best serve the world? </span></div>
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Tom Lincolnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355200490349131625noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535226194711918236.post-21102011422720501092017-04-24T11:26:00.000-07:002017-04-25T12:08:41.746-07:00Episode 5: On Backpacking Jamaica in 2017<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">So I decided to spend five weeks in Jamaica. Why Jamaica?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 1) </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">I adore Jamaican culture and hoped to experience it fully</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 2) I wanted to see if it’s possible to safely explore on a budget</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There’s little information out there for backpackers so here's my two cents on how to get the best from your time on this amazing island. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmPIaWD0OVaBxNBDczavJk1LHBvAtUKV-v2e2-oysCqz15-SaoDxxJKlDgeI97fnJFlzgd7hvuR5GvUWrqHhWeqI1NNRCK1UKFF8qKcww7At2-KViGCQQ6r5VN9DLj97x51qWhrPk9bnQ/s1600/images+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmPIaWD0OVaBxNBDczavJk1LHBvAtUKV-v2e2-oysCqz15-SaoDxxJKlDgeI97fnJFlzgd7hvuR5GvUWrqHhWeqI1NNRCK1UKFF8qKcww7At2-KViGCQQ6r5VN9DLj97x51qWhrPk9bnQ/s400/images+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVtEX1J7tXQ" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CLICK HERE to meet Rick from Arizona</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sorry if you found Rick upsetting, I confess he’s something of a hero - driving past </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hedonism II</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> was a special moment. Love him though I do; he’s emblematic of the 'Resort Tourism' that thrives here.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hedonism II (</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">as infamous as the name suggests) </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">is</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> one of numerous 'All-inclusives' - </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">luxury hotel complexes that have carved up the coastline beach-by-beach...where men like Rick enjoy<i> the rippin' and the tearin'...</i>and women too - </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Google ’Rent-a-Rasta’ for further info ;)</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Other touristic hot-spots </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ocho Rios</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Montego Bay</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> dock on the daily with some of the world’s largest cruise ships...offloading thousands of half-day visitors - fanny-packed and sun-lotion-smeared with dollars to burn. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These (largely American) tourists ride the 'Jamaican Resort Theme Park'... Bob Marley souvenirs, Jerk Chicken and Red Stripes served by minimum-wage workers; well trained to smile wide and reassure that ‘</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Jamaica no problem, mon</i></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’...a popular phrase reserved for tourists.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But Jamaica does have serious problems- in fact the saying has a particular irony amongst natives who feel that life is </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">only</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> problems for them. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Estimates put 20% of the population below the poverty line, with stagnant economic growth and expensive </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">imported food/fuel ensuring a hand-to-mouth existence for many...compounded by high youth unemployment (30%) which fuels gang violence, most notoriously in and around </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kingston</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiYO8phgXeXEfD0hHXM5KWB5anvL3TmnAvsoZgJ_HYr4TxVOUVLEHq1jKCAXmCM3Qz0TBiL21sIkYyxHVokjb2y1hDxyOH277DC0wmNzb-VAkZloiFsQ7any9qF4_nh3_Jexl8RYhRCKQ/s1600/20140726_blp511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiYO8phgXeXEfD0hHXM5KWB5anvL3TmnAvsoZgJ_HYr4TxVOUVLEHq1jKCAXmCM3Qz0TBiL21sIkYyxHVokjb2y1hDxyOH277DC0wmNzb-VAkZloiFsQ7any9qF4_nh3_Jexl8RYhRCKQ/s400/20140726_blp511.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And so Jamaica can be seen as two countries to explore- the artificial, Americanised bubbles of </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Resort Jamaica</i></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">...and the rest of the country- </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Real Jamaica</i></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Understanding this duality is central to making the most of your time on the island.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For instance, the national currency is the Jamaican Dollar, but in </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Resort Jamaica </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">US$ are mostly spent by tourists...often paying inflated sums.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And so the worst thing about backpacking </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Resort Jamaica</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (aside from the added expense and inauthenticity) is how every other Jamaican (man) is on the hustle. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a backpacker, I’m ever on the lookout to make new friends, but being seen as a cash cow to be milked limits my chances.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Therefore I advise you to minimise your time in </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Resort Jamaica.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you go, check out these great budget hostels with beds for $15-20 per night:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ochie Rios </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.reggaehostel.com/" target="_blank">Reggae Hostel</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Montego Bay </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g147311-d8869092-Reviews-Togetherness-Montego_Bay_Saint_James_Parish_Jamaica.html" target="_blank">Togetherness</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Negril</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.judyhousenegril.com/" target="_blank">Judy House</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;"><img height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00ChGr512nFy5uUpe3qJMBMfjxG78R0PZ8cnYHUbwcL0I6qozwHjQoH_DbZEFjzi5_OMhUpi0MvykvWbDLIBqPXkeIAHkrhbxONPte0J1lOAT8iRpkka_rnpc4-yViEO8AmuVC946OBs/w1149-h646-no/" width="640" /></span></span></div>
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<b><u style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If not </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Resort Jamaica </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">then WHERE?</span></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">#1 PORT ANTONIO</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hands down the best place in Jamaica. Amazing food, paradise beaches and friendly locals. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I reccomend </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g147314-d8108033-Reviews-Porty_Hostel-Port_Antonio_Portland_Parish_Jamaica.html" target="_blank">Porty Hostel</a></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> run by Stefano, a lovely Italian guy who set up shop here a couple of years ago. If you have two weeks in Jamaica enjoy a week here along the east coast.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">#2 BLUE MOUNTAINS</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I only spent a day in this sacred mountain range, touring a coffee plantation</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Next time I'll trek the peak via the famous guesthouse </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.whitfieldhall.com/" target="_blank">Whitfield Hall</a>. A little expensive, but totally worth it from what I hear.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">#3 KINGSTON</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stay with Syl Gordon at his<a href="https://www.dancehallhostel.com/"> </a></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.dancehallhostel.com/" target="_blank">Dancehall Hostel</a></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">where international dance students come to learn and party with</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Jamaica’s most talented. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Take a private lesson and then join the entourage to hit up Kingston’s livest sound systems - 7 nights a week. You will see some things. </span></span></span></div>
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<u><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Other important advice:</span></span></b></u></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"># You will never be as cool as a Jamaican...but at least you can try....l</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">earn the thumb-click handshake...at</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> all times be ready to declare ‘Respect’ ‘Bless up’ ‘One love’ or ‘Wagawan’ </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">...and never, ever be in a rush. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"># Never charter a private taxi...master the local ‘Route Taxi’ transportation ASAP. It’s a fraction of the price and a great service. Tourists can pay $40 for a journey that costs $1 for those in the know. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"># Use mosquito repellent; nothing chilled about a Jamaican mosquito -they’re big, fast and hungry!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"># Use sunscreen - the sun is serious here - I’ve seen some terrible lobster-red burns!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"># Cannabis is decriminalised, ubiquitous and dirt cheap. If you partake it's 150JD ($1) for a few joints’ worth or 500JD for a decent bag of 5 grams or so. So I'm told.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"># Try Spice Bun an’ Cheese and Aunt Bessie’s Wheat crackers, but try not to get addicted like me :)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/MVA21zjVMSx0I1ZROWNnbSUkjv6mh5qfqUubQmR1sKdhssP8ojIdE9EG-qS5ZQ4NQ5Bgxo82Vu1RL1RdjfgMhM1pmQLYHPUtVPDToSwS2na0w1SvDnT7lcwf28yzUn24arsO2-FZ7SosfLKopOySDFuIRICr1Pcy-wwz-YiahpoqZr58GEqlKnMVPOy2mKfpTneJ1gG3sMqi7J4kuvD9PnXaA4GWifBUwCdSiZi-esFM7jwu0N7b1RJO_40jQYu6jh8TCZ2jLhPOwHeMxW1_ySIw_WNym3LwHlc87iWUCr-IzKM-iS-inZbIYnpPsHoxKU2m1FISkCIg-ANbjY3xAJmVMer8NlWncuIQa762VcSrpOCRZEVk46VqfSOhqd42C0NUIk9tDSt93FJMBkhsgs2N5QwWjlvT722z5k1zmZ6fOjhXK_oF7aNLQeg9UbPDDo94yIE2GoTFp80D4X-BFcF6BZfP4WVmWr-Z0hyc3ybtN1VyoSPCw0Ch1Y5jXQDHxTF41A8HxRGJwvrFX0NWY3YHhVUfFwtI0vTVmrGl1T1w_z9IJn-clvarPIV-Srj7hNi48GJUzBPl-VzLrMZ6m5QvDKcvdxL0q4HET1Kp2LHBYd1J=w388-h219-k-no" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thanks for reading - hope it helps and you have a great time if you visit. For more advice on accessing the<i> Real Jamaica</i> check out this excellent (aptly named) website...<a href="http://realjamaica.org/">realjamaica.org</a></span><br />
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Tom Lincolnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355200490349131625noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535226194711918236.post-82780939981970496972017-03-29T13:21:00.001-07:002017-03-29T13:21:15.433-07:00Episode 4: Taking some downtime off the highway<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today, heck, maybe even for most of this week, I’ve felt depressed. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> It’s not easy for me to admit that, for two reasons:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Guilt/shame- I’m currently travelling with the rarest freedom to go where I please and so should surely be having the time of my life. I’m in Jamaica for Jah’s sake.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Ignorance. Full disclosure: I can sometimes be disconnected from my feelings, especially negative ones which I tend to block. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Managing to observe and examine this process is highly valuable- so</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> how did I come to be this way?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="312" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/kOYJR_kZRWtSZHM9pUUhzzzZHrhcNRMG1sopB0j5f_71VKHocwC5WtmvoMHiC5E8dxagQyAG8Sdv3w8ygVd3aD4d1vC0DTxiB6gXimyRn5LoH0ZxYlk_-00zdYhsGSpFcSuXJE3O" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In adolescence I spent several years in poor mental health. A diagnosis of clinical depression at 18 stalled my university ambitions. Three years of imbalance followed before reaching rock bottom with an acute psychosis and a couple of months in a psychiatric ward. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Who knows why...brain chemistry, personality, life. Whatever the reasons, it happened and it shaped who I am today...and I’m grateful. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“What makes you comfortable can ruin you and only in a state of discomfort can you continually grow.” (</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBvHI1awWaI" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bill Eckstrom</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">During those years of discomfort I often felt bitter. As a schoolboy I only knew to measure ‘growth’ by academic success...B’s to A’s...A’s to A*’s. As friends were graduating with university degrees and commencing their journeys into adulthood, I was a drop-out - dependent on my parents for care and on drugs to cope.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nevertheless growth was occurring. Growth that would never be validated with a grade or a piece of paper. No, this was a subtle, translucent growth. The foundation of what has now been over ten years of good mental health. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="270" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/0xpF1Tb31_6nP8XO1HMbraPtE2x5otliI_BXGqD1e3FmCN7qqYuPSWyKzx-NXZlle06hb5DKE-3MIe1qu3n1h7urEG7WHRwfn4Wx0pT7Wh271KG-Ljflp626oB8b-DVextdHPK6X" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="411" /></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For me, the Greek aphorism<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Know_thyself"> ‘Know Thyself’</a> (seen above) is the definition of good mental health. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Depression is a deeply introspective state. Life, with its all-absorbing momentum, is halted. You’re thrown off the ride and when you land…’you’, whoever that person was, is gone. Who you are now is unclear, but one thing’s for sure...it feels fucking terrible. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I don’t know if I’ll ever revisit that dark place. The prospect used to terrify me, hence my reflex to block negative feelings. For me, being ‘down’ feels synonymous with Depression and therefore not to be tolerated.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And so ironically, as I run from Depression in such a way, with intolerance and denial, I’m actually running towards it, feeding its potential re-manifestation. For if good mental health is ‘know thyself’ then bad mental health is ‘ignore thyself’.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="266" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/2QxPiFE4A7vzqIoQMdi4iDI1SwDlhwUOUlnfEkNkUy88pX6jLo9jfJI7NnIrNSca_yyAEUV-WZcAC5EZ3Pq4p2VOYX0e3BoJ2YlhHBwmrkG6y5I_l5Vv5vWViFn7K73f36sB4tl7" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="400" /></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For the past two months I’ve been intensely absorbed and fulfilled - backpacking around Colombia. You can check out <a href="http://www.anotherlondonactor.com/2017/03/episode-3-lessons-learnt-after-two.html">my last post on the lessons I learnt here. </a></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now for the first time on this trip, the ride has slowed. I am alone...far from home…existing in the bubble of my own being...my heart heavy with a sadness I do not understand.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Please do not wish me better or hope that I cheer up soon. Instead celebrate and be grateful with me that I am simply aware. I welcome this spell of sadness as a teacher bearing a lesson of self-knowledge- an opportunity to grow and learn. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wherever you are on your own journey I wish you patience and tolerance. Whatever you’re going through it will soon pass...everything does. </span></div>
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Tom Lincolnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355200490349131625noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535226194711918236.post-24136546711244690582017-03-14T11:33:00.000-07:002017-03-14T11:39:35.036-07:00Episode 3: Lessons learnt after two months Backpacking in Colombia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today marks two months away from London...officially the longest time I’ve been away from home, ever. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve spent this time in Colombia...experiencing the country as a backpacker...learning how to cope with, and embrace the transient lifestyle of utter freedom, bewildering novelty and solitude. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hereby written...with the help of a few Columbian anecdotes...are my top five pieces of advice for the new backpacker to be... </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Lesson #1: Make pancakes for Strangers</span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Toned and tattooed; the young Frenchman deftly served a stack of crepes with a bountiful selection of accoutrements...including a bowl of crushed Oreo cookies.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">‘Take one man!’</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Being English, I politely declined...'You're too kind...no thank you.' </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Generous and perhaps experienced in the subtleties of English manners, the Frenchman insisted; 'Come on man...don't be polite, have one!'</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And so I did. And so we became friends. And so I learnt the culinary masterstroke of a crushed packet of Oreo cookies...surely the finest of pancake accoutrements.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was a valuable lesson...a valuable recipe in fact: </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pancakes* + strangers = new friends. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">(*One cup of flour/one cup of milk/one egg...mix/fry/serve with accoutrements and a smile)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And when you’re alone in a hostel far from home who doesn’t need a new friend? </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In my case it was pancakes, but I’m sure there are many ways to break the ice with your fellow anonymous travel-mates; over some small act of generosity. Otherwise it’s all too easy to sit amongst each other in silent isolation, glumly gazing a smartphone screens.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your new friend might be a veteran of the region and only too happy to share their best advice. Or else you might really hit it off and have a new companion for days or weeks to come. Either way, I believe that you receive what you give...so be generous and positive!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Lesson #2: “No dar Papaya”</span></span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1.30am and I was homeward bound from the salsa club, having witnessed various men and women move their hips in hitherton unimagined ways.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My hostel was a short walk away here in Poblado, the well-lit and well-policed upmarket neighbourhood of Medellin, where all of the backpacker hostels are based. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the next corner I happened upon a young, immensely well-built blonde man. I recognised him from the club though now he stood frozen, gazing into the middle distance. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Interrupting his reverie, we soon struck up a happy conversation over our different paths. He, Theoretical Mathematics Professor at MIT...I an actor. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A few street corners later and it was time to part. ‘Let me take your name...I’ll add you on Facebook’. Alone on the suburban street it felt safe to take out my phone. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Alas it was not...before I had written his surname (I got his first name...Simon)...a passing moped pulled to an abrupt stop beside us. I returned my ‘papaya’ to my pocket.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ybxvH6UoNdtyNK812cdsdBTh7mSRkPjCkJnYBedL7PYO_2dex7VSCDT8vd3hrispfDfDrSvBl1Q0i1DzjtdOjL0VilVysxSsV6hTm9h4hBMN92oKEidTQ3fvcIi4OBdgmWdwgv3v" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="273" /></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A man and a woman each took off their helmets. The man aggressively advanced towards me ...the woman for Simon. Instinct took over and I ran...my hostel was less than 50 metres away. Ashamedly, I can’t say what happened to Simon...I never looked back. He was built like a brick shithouse so I think it’s safe to say he wasn’t kidnapped.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This was an attempted crime of opportunity. Had I not made the mistake of showing papaya perhaps it wouldn’t have occurred. Papaya is a valued fruit in Colombia, hence the expression ‘No dar Papaya’ to be interpreted as ‘don’t be flashing items of value and therefore attracting trouble.’ </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was a very close call and a timely reminder of just how careful I ought to be. Time and again in the past weeks I’ve met others less fortunate. The lesson...stay vigilant...and then some. </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">DON’T SHOW PAPAYA. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(I’m aware that my story contravenes the common wisdom that in a theft situation you should give up your valuables without resistance...no personal possession is worth being harmed over. I absolutely stand by that advice...my decision to run was perhaps foolish...yet alas it wasn’t a decision so much as an instinctual reflex...brave warrior that I am. Every situation is unique and you’re gonna play what you’re dealt)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Lesson #3: Escape the backpacker bubble</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After weeks of bumbling along the gringo trail and ticking off the ‘must-do’ leisure activities I was ready to move into a new phase of travelling..to work, to learn, to try to get away from the tourist trail in the hope of learning something deeper of Colombian culture, something beyond the distorted membrane of the backpacker bubble.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shortly thereafter, it was my great fortune to meet two wonderful women; yoga teachers, healers and experienced travellers...<a href="http://feedingtheheart.com/">Ruth</a> and <a href="https://adirectionanew.wordpress.com/">Caitlin</a>. (Check out their blogs by clicking on their names.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Aside from hours of utterly enlightening conversation they furnished me with instructions to a </span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">hippy-run farmhouse, remotely nestled in the sacred Sierra Nevada mountain range. They don't advertise or take bookings...</span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">the owner’s philosophy is that you will come if you are called. I was called.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Indeed it was a special place...spiritually and artistically centred. I took it as a good omen that one of the two long term volunteers, Izzy, shared the exact same birth date and year as me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Though perhaps the most magical element was that the household’s next-door neighbours were a large family of the indigenous <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kogi_people">Kogi tribe</a>. The Kogis had escaped Spanish colonisation by fleeing to these mountains, thus preserving their traditions and bloodlines dating back to the pre-Columbian era. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now on my first night I was introducing myself as several family members visited the house to watch a DVD on Izzy’s laptop! The next morning I was drafted to help on their farm...digging a large hole for a vivarium...breeding fish to feed the family. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="372" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/o2Y2EMljd-FnwfC92BkEtIuJJU9zgaBubTeIexLp2WRi7UIrR_xbtUyaGyP8gXCUuuzlzq4j0PmQXGCSHh6Hmj-CdYfnDu87fFoV9Twe17pGi46MQyWgIhgpWvuc7kzufgOx0dQZ" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="273" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the local national park, visiting tourists pay good money just to pass through and see the Kogi people. Yet there I was...shovel-in-hand-in-hole...working alongside Augustine, Santiago and Clemente...making them giggle uproariously by repeating naughty words in their native language. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I felt a special contentment surrounded by nature and a timeless way of life...Grandmother quietly digging up yukka...baby crying for attention by the mud hut...birds of prey circling overhead...mountain valley stretching out below towards the coast. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Going forward I’ll be keen to find more moments such as that. If you want to guarantee this kind of experience in your own travels then I recommend using a volunteer placement service such as...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.workaway.info/">Work Away </a></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">or </span><a href="http://wwoofinternational.org/" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">WOOFING</a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Get off that beaten track...connect and learn something real about the culture of where you’re visiting. As an added bonus, being surrounded by locals will likely fast track your learning of the language and the customs.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Lesson #4: Keep Calm and don’t sweat paying ‘Stupidity Tax’</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I don’t know about you, but I hate that feeling of being ripped off...perhaps you’ve failed to haggle and paid too much for something or just been the victim of some kind of con. When you’re travelling on a budget and trying to be careful with your cash then this hurts all the more. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have a little name for this kind of occurrence…’stupidity tax’. It’s a tax you as an inexperienced traveller...because in your first-time ignorance you didn’t know better. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breathe and let go...a sunset awaits you</td></tr>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you’re buying something expensive...don’t rush! If you can speak the language maybe ask a local what something should cost. Shop around and get a couple of prices for comparison. Enter into the spirit of haggling with a playful energy. Try walking away - salesmen hate losing the sale so threatening to leave is a great tactic to see if they will drop the price. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Furthermore, try to understand the value of money as a local...not as a tourist. For example consider the price of a bus ticket or the price of a basic street lunch. Yes back at home you might be happy for a sandwich, crisps and a drink for £6...and yes you will find options catering to tourists for this price bracket too. But some of the best meals I’ve had have been from local canteens...‘typico’ dishes for £3. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Lesson #5: Be a Jellyfish</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I encourage you not to make plans and embrace the flow of wherever your intuition guides you. Cultivate awareness in the present moment. Embrace the idea that within every new situation lurks a lesson to be learnt...provided you can approach it with sensitivity, patience and an open heart. Adopt the attitude that each and every person is a potential teacher, having lived a lifetime of different experiences.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trust in the way and for further info <a href="http://www.anotherlondonactor.com/2017/02/episode-2-on-importance-of-being.html">click here to read my earlier post on this subject!</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lots of love and Happy Travels!</span></div>
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Tom Lincolnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355200490349131625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535226194711918236.post-23171902926395193192017-02-04T13:52:00.000-08:002017-02-07T08:29:18.400-08:00Episode 2: On the importance of being a jellyfish<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">London 7am Sunday the 14th of January 2017 and the door of my apartment closes behind me. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One simple intention: fly to Panama and thereafter spend 5 months in Central America/Mexico and 3 months in the USA. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Beyond that loose outline...nada. No schedule, no itinerary, no plan. Not even a bed booked for my first night in Panama. Not even a room booked? No! It certainly makes for an anxious moment here and there...but read on to understand the method behind my madness!</span><br />
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<u><i>SIDEPOINT</i>: Why fly to Panama? </u></div>
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As you can see from the map it’s on the southernmost tip of Central America and so a perfect starting point to wind my way north along the <a href="http://www.indietraveller.co/backpacking-in-central-america/">‘Gringo Trail’</a>.</div>
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Panama is considered an expensive country by Latin American standards - not a place to hang around as a backpacker, but an excellent platform for travelling through. My flight from London (via Toronto and Newark) cost £350/ $440 (I found it on <a href="https://www.google.com/flights/">Google Flights</a>...a fantastic tool!) </div>
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Why so cheap? Panama is famously a tax haven with a large expat community of wealthy Americans. As such their infrastructure is well developed...Panama City’s airport is the largest in Central America... </div>
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6am (EST) Monday morning and it’s time to get to work. The job for the day: where on earth am I going to stay? </div>
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We’ve landed and the lights flicker on. The young guy next to me stirs from his slumber. We share a smile and strike up a conversation. ‘Hermes’ has acquired an apartment in the city and will spend the week taking meetings with estate agents to decide whether to sell or rent. </div>
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By passport control we’re getting along famously. He was raised in Venezuela but spends little time there due to its ongoing crisis. He’s happy for me to share his ride from the airport to his hotel. The driver is also Venezuelan...evidently a great many people have been displaced. </div>
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At the hotel I have to wait a few hours for a room to vacate. I pass the time being bitten by mosquitos and getting to know ‘Sonia’ the receptionist. She’s Columbian and is actually flying to Bogota the next day to visit family. Am I going to visit Columbia she asks...well, no, but...how much is the flight? We have a look together at the front desk...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS02n-9D5yfujBWfLIi-pASis9Tefz2pOkVcqtaGhyM0cppLw3ZxUjbX1HXgm_K2rwyIOFVqPxB21PE9KRO9i232IstwJyjI5NCu0whoHj5ENZ5_xpIS54WJpzVWmIhytXl64eG-uKyEY/s1600/sonia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS02n-9D5yfujBWfLIi-pASis9Tefz2pOkVcqtaGhyM0cppLw3ZxUjbX1HXgm_K2rwyIOFVqPxB21PE9KRO9i232IstwJyjI5NCu0whoHj5ENZ5_xpIS54WJpzVWmIhytXl64eG-uKyEY/s400/sonia.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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And so Day 2 and I’m Bogota-bound with Sonia! I hadn’t planned to go to Columbia, in fact I had reckoned on heading north from Panama as I’m ultimately USA bound...and here I was heading south...</div>
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I ended up spending a week in Bogota, the following week in Medellin and now the past week here in Cartagena. I won’t go into any details for now, but needless to say...Viva Columbia! And to think...if I had planned ahead and booked a hotel...I wouldn’t have met Hermes, Sonia and so on and so forth. </div>
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Now you could argue that I would have had an equally amazing time meeting different people on an entirely different path...and I’d agree with you...but being conscious of that is important and often overlooked. </div>
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So I hereby recommend my travelling philosophy to you...be as the jellyfish...soft-bodied and free-drifting...open to the flow... </div>
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Pros: </div>
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<li>It’s exciting...I’m completely open to the unknown and unexpected - who knows what opportunities will come my way </li>
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<li>Depending on locals/other travellers makes for excellent information - more up to date than any guide book...and therefore better decisions for your health and your bank balance</li>
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<li>Making friends is important, which means that I’m generally very present, open and positive </li>
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<li>It’s great to partner up with other travellers who are more organised (and hopefully speak the language) and ride their ‘slipstream’ </li>
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<li>There’s no pressure to get to the ‘next’ place so you can take as much time as you want to explore ‘this’ place...be it for a week or a month...and thereby reach a deeper understanding than other travellers who pass through in a flash...again this tends to make me more present and observant</li>
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Cons: </div>
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<li>It can be nerve-racking at times, especially if you don’t speak the language #</li>
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<li>Life can feel slow and you can feel envious of other travellers who are packing a lot of planned activities/excursions in </li>
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<li>Sometimes you feel like you’ve wasted time - wondering if you should have stayed less in a particular place that didn’t really catch your interest</li>
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So there you have it. My case for Jellyfish living. I can’t claim to have invented it...it's closely inspired by a current interest of mine...Taoism. If you’d like to learn more I recommend <a href="http://www.refinethemind.com/go-with-the-flow/">this blog post</a> which gives an introduction of some of the key principles. </div>
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And by the way you don't need to be travelling to #jellyfish - next time you have a day off and want to do something fun...don’t plan a thing! Just catch a bus/train somewhere interesting and see what happens next...be present, be observant, smile and chat to people...trust in the flow! </div>
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Tom Lincolnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355200490349131625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535226194711918236.post-4902630633982602382017-01-31T10:48:00.002-08:002017-01-31T12:03:18.542-08:00Episode 1: So you want to go travelling in 2017? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The decision has been made, the flight has been booked and now a bag must be packed. A bag that you'll be living out of for several months ahead- 8 months in my case. Packing light was my key focus...I hate to be burdened with unnecessary baggage...emotional or otherwise ;)<br />
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It's been two weeks on the road here in Columbia and I'm feeling pretty good...haven't needed to buy anything else yet other than sunscreen and a second pair of shorts. When other backpackers see the size of my bag they tend to lose their shit. Then wonder why they packed so much shit!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk-Qe88hTdAn_PjOZqj_2JhDztdAcWThD7pkoKuE-bFAuziuVzY_-M0h5cjIo8eoNIkaMXROfj7qTlKJy_yQjWgq9-gCJemNYxMVqcEhInX3pLjrX6JOVKU671C-HyIh4wROq4sZIyfNs/s1600/IMG_20170131_135309977.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk-Qe88hTdAn_PjOZqj_2JhDztdAcWThD7pkoKuE-bFAuziuVzY_-M0h5cjIo8eoNIkaMXROfj7qTlKJy_yQjWgq9-gCJemNYxMVqcEhInX3pLjrX6JOVKU671C-HyIh4wROq4sZIyfNs/s640/IMG_20170131_135309977.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This really is my bag for 8 months</td></tr>
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<br />How many pairs of socks to take? What travel insurance policy? Which gadgets to bring? Vaccinations? How many spare cash cards to take? (Apparently Latin American ATM's can swallow your card leaving you stranded if you don't have a back up!)<br />
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Now I realise nothing's life or death here...you're not going to the moon. If for instance like me you forget to pack a universal power-plug adapter, you will be able to find one. Though if possible, one would rather put in a bit of work now, to save inconvenience (and money) whilst on the road. One believes.<br />
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And so without further ado...here's my key checklist of travel considerations and decisions that I made. If you're also heading off this year then perhaps you can save yourself some time and hassle by following my well-researched advice! :)<br />
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1. Choosing a Travel Health Insurance Policy<br />
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Yawn. What a boring, necessary chore, but falling foul in another county is no joke. Private hospital treatment whilst abroad can be very expensive - a good policy will cover the costs - including the price of flying you home, if required. You also get access to a 24 hour helpline for localised advise according to whatever ails you. And so without further ado, here's the company I recommend...<a href="http://www.alphatravelinsurance.co.uk/" target="_blank">Alpha Travel Insurance</a> (N.B. If you want gadget cover you'll need to buy the 'add-on')<br />
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2. Managing your money<br />
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<a href="http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/travel/articles/how-to-safely-manage-money-latin-america.shtml" target="_blank">This <span id="goog_301943132"></span>article</a> by experienced traveller Ted Campbell <span id="goog_301943133"></span>was hella useful. Following his advice I organised various back-up money cards, in preparation for loss, theft or the ol' ATM gobble. Indeed I have five in total:<br />
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Two<a href="https://www.fairfx.com/product/cards" target="_blank"> FairFX 'Everywhere' Cards</a> which are universally accepted and reportedly good value when it comes to exchange rates/ATM fees. You 'load' these cards with cash via their well designed smartphone app...a handy feature that gives you a clear picture of how you're utterly failing to budget :)<br />
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One credit card - useful for buying anything really big such as a flight or a guided tour...in which you might want the security of <a href="http://www.moneysupermarket.com/credit-cards/guide-to-credit-card-protection/" target="_blank">credit card protection</a>. (A good thing to know about!) I specifically got the <a href="https://moneycompare.which.co.uk/credit-cards/62393-barclaycard-platinum-travel-credit-card" target="_blank">Barclaycard Platinum Travelcard</a> because it incurs no fees at all, provided you pay it off right away.<br />
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Two debit cards - my standard cards that I use at home...good to have just in case. On Ted's advice I also carry a stash of around $200 cash as an emergency fund.<br />
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3. Vaccinations<br />
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Be prepared for the cost of exotic destination jabs...I paid £200 to get myself up to scratch!<br />
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Your local GP will likely have a nurse in charge of vaccinations. What you'll need will depend on where you're visiting. In some Latin American countries they reserve the right to refuse you entry if you don't have a valid Yellow Fever Vaccination certificate!<br />
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Try to get this sorted a couple of months before your departure date as some vaccinations are given across several weeks. I didn't leave myself enough time to get a Rabies vaccine...no monkey business for me on this trip then.<br />
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4. Gadgets<br />
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At first I didn't want to take any; in our everyday life our gadgets often separate and distract us from connection with each other and the natural world. On my travels I'm intending to do the very opposite! On the other hand...gadgets are so fricking useful! My trusty smartphone helps me get from A to B, take great photos and keep in touch. My kindle saves me having to carry the weighty 'Lonely Planet Guide' for whatever county I'm in. My laptop allows me to write and browse without needing to find an internet cafe.<br />
So there you have it...gadgets won. Specifically here's what I chose to bring:<br />
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SMARTPHONE:<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01GZZKDHI/ref=pe_385721_37986871_TE_item" target="_blank">Motorola Moto G4 Plus 16GB</a><br />
(Value smartphone that does everything you need with a great 16mp camera)<br />
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LAPTOP:<br />
<a href="http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/acer-chromebook-r-11-cb5-132t-2-in-1-touchscreen-white-10148918-pdt.html#srcid=11026" target="_blank">Acer Chromebook R11</a><br />
(Chromebooks are the JEEP's of laptops...aka <b>J</b>ust <b>E</b>nough <b>E</b>ssential <b>P</b>arts...great battery and very light at just over a kilo...perfect for simple browsing, youtube etc.)<br />
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E-READER:<br />
<a href="http://www.argos.co.uk/product/5980754" target="_blank">Kindle 2016</a><br />
(With instant access to most books available in existence...its...erm...pretty good)<br />
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BACK-UP SMARTPHONE:<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Motorola-Moto-Generation-SIM-Free-Smartphone/dp/B00U22NGZM">Motorola E 4G</a><br />
(This was my phone at home but I upgraded to have a better camera)<br />
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PORTABLE RECHARGER<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anker-5200mAh-Portable-External-Technology/dp/B00P8SY7HQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1485885223&sr=1-1&keywords=portable+phone+anker">Anker</a><br />
(Great in case you're off to some place where there's no mains power)<br />
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UNIVERSAL ADAPTER<br />
I forgot to get this and had to buy one in Bogota airport for $20.<br />
(Essential if you want to charge your devices in different countries!)<br />
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HEADPHONES<br />
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ONLINE BANKING PIN SENTRY<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCsLMrZw6-bbEPTf0exd6yf-JPTVISFf_BaI61JtjC_JHRSLhmq4PhY1kQzjdTmnzUAQK4pHYCjlmvILaLALId1Jw3irgM9rXTYE8OvR7RfVBOi-l57FwAbNCVQMTTMmOe0wd-WqFfRY/s1600/IMG_20170114_183808_566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCsLMrZw6-bbEPTf0exd6yf-JPTVISFf_BaI61JtjC_JHRSLhmq4PhY1kQzjdTmnzUAQK4pHYCjlmvILaLALId1Jw3irgM9rXTYE8OvR7RfVBOi-l57FwAbNCVQMTTMmOe0wd-WqFfRY/s640/IMG_20170114_183808_566.jpg" width="592" /></a><br />
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5. The rest<br />
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I'll refer you to <a href="http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/travel/articles/independent-travel-light-abroad-tips-and-checklist.shtml"><span id="goog_301943172"></span>another article by Ted Campbell <span id="goog_301943173"></span></a> and also a blogger called Marek who wrote t<a href="http://www.indietraveller.co/how-to-pack-light/">his article.</a> Both were really useful in helping me pack light.<br />
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For your reference here's every item I decided to bring, aside from the aforementioned gadgets:<br />
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Clothing:<br />
5 x underwear<br />
4 x t-shirts<br />
3 x socks<br />
1 x swimming shorts<br />
1 x trousers w/belt<br />
1 x fancy shirt<br />
1 x wolly jumper<br />
1 x scarf<br />
1 x all terrain trainers<br />
1 x flip flops<br />
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Other stuff:<br />
Microfibre Travel towel<br />
Draw string bag (useful as a daybag/for laundry)<br />
Toothbrush/travel toothbrush holder/Toothpaste<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/100g-CITRONELLA-Soap-Bar-Essential/dp/B00IJGI9UA">Citronella Soap</a>/travel soap holder<br />
Tiger balm (good for mossy bites)<br />
Antiseptic cream e.g. Savlon (good for dog bites)<br />
Combination code Padlock<br />
<a href="http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/incognito-insect-repellent-60083768">Insect repellent </a><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Incognito-Natural-Crystal-Deodorant-60g/dp/B008EKI9UQ">Crystal Insect repellant Deodorant </a><br />
8 months of contact lenses + solution (monthlies)<br />
Spectacles and case<br />
LED headlamp (great for packing up in a dark dorm!)<br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_prayer_beads">Mala Beads</a><br />
Passport/Vaccination Certificates<br />
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So there you have it. 8 kilos of zen goodness. With the added bonus of cheap flight travel...my bag counts as hand luggage so I never need to pay extra to check a bag. Hope this is helpful when your hour of departure draws near. Please get in touch if you have any questions or to let me know how your zen bag pack went! Hasta luego! With love from <a href="http://www.worldspeed.org/portal/images/cartagena-columbia-map.jpg">Cartagena</a>!<br />
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Tom Lincolnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355200490349131625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535226194711918236.post-66017719148078833422017-01-16T18:25:00.000-08:002018-11-09T14:20:35.110-08:00Episode 0: Origins<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In case we've not met before hello and welcome...my name's Tom Lincoln- how d'ye do?<br />
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I started this blog back in 2009 when I was about to spend the year applying to drama schools. If you scroll down to the bottom of the page you'll see that first post, which began:<br />
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<i><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">It is my ambition to be a professional actor.</span></span></i></div>
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It was a relief to have finally found a goal to work towards...a path to follow. The previous years had not been easy. I'd been wrestling with <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Depression/Pages/Introduction.aspx" target="_blank">clinical depression</a> since leaving school and just couldn't get my shit together.<br />
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By 21 rock bottom came in the form of a psychotic episode and a three month stay in hospital. Things could only get better and did. I took some part-time work with my cousins who run a Garden Centre. Working outdoors, learning about gardening; it was a wonderful turn for me and I began to grow back into my ol'-happy-confident-self.<br />
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After a couple of years of finding my feet I joined a local theatre group. For the first time I now had the self-confidence and health to explore this avenue. After a year of part-time study I was hooked. Acting became my passion and focus.<br />
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That passion and drive served me well throughout my acting training and during the past three years as a professional actor. I've won some great theatre and film jobs, worked as an acting teacher/director at various schools, <a href="http://www.brightonyouththeatre.com/home" target="_blank">founded a youth theatre</a>, and as of last month have even begun to sit on the audition panel for acting admissions to my old drama school!<br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">It is my ambition to be a professional actor...ACHIEVED! :)</span></i><br />
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<img alt="Image may contain: one or more people" height="640" src="https://scontent.fpac1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15823159_10155548835734386_1108842518693661641_n.jpg?oh=855787088cde1aea2955c71ad31bf3e2&oe=591564AC" width="640" /><br />
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Which brings us to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ytu4-oFPv48" target="_blank">64 Thousand Dollar Question</a>...the question I ask myself now, the question that befalls anyone who achieves their primary ambition...WHAT NEXT?!!<br />
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I'm a professional actor yes. But what kind of professional actor do I want to be? Should I now set my sights on being an Oscar-winning actor? Go to LA and try to land a big TV pilot? Do I want to build my professional profile here in the UK and earn enough to live a comfortable life?<br />
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Perhaps I should do further acting training and continue trying to master my craft...with <a href="https://www.thestage.co.uk/features/2016/international-the-fine-art-of-serious-clowning/" target="_blank">Philippe Gaulier's clown school</a> for instance. Or should it be my ambition and responsibility as a story teller to form a theatre/film production company to create work that acts for positive social change, such as raising awareness of mental health issues? <br />
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Or perhaps I should focus on refining and developing my teaching/directing skills? Or commit to a new passion such as dance or yoga? Or entrepreneurialism? Or activism? Or spiritual enlightenment? Or writing?<br />
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OR ALL OF THE ABOVE?!?!<br />
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As you might be gathering; I really enjoy (and need) the structure and focus of an overarching, long term, juicy goal. I love to plough all of my nuclear-grade energy into whatever I'm doing with full commitment and single-minded zeal. I think it was one of my major strengths as an acting student and now as a performer. So not quite knowing what to do next is a source of some...consternation, shall we say.<br />
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The solution? I'm fucking off.<br />
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<img alt="Image result for plane images" src="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1600xn/p03vfmdq.jpg" height="257" width="640" /><br />
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That's right. Sayonara, see ya' later...I'm off travelling for 8 months. I've got some money saved up from an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1HEi_qbbJk" target="_blank">advert I did for Adidas</a> years ago and I've just now arrived in Bogota, Columbia with the very loose plans of spending 5 months in South/Central America and 3 months in America. I'll finally head back home in September after <a href="http://burningman.org/event/preparation/first-timers-guide/" target="_blank">Burning Man</a>.<br />
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I'm footloose and fancy free...hungry for new experience, fun, and most importantly fresh perspective on what exactly I want to be doing here in London...if in fact London is the place for me. So this was Episode 0 of what will hopefully be many blog posts about my year ahead as I begin working towards my new ambition...to be a professional actor who knows what he wants to do with his life.<br />
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Writing a blog seemed to bring me luck last time so here's hoping it'll work a charm again. I also hope it will be of help to others on a similar path. Wish me luck and please subscribe to stay in touch. And do get in touch if you have any questions, thoughts or comments!</div>
Tom Lincolnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355200490349131625noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535226194711918236.post-13526106681524326442016-05-24T04:18:00.000-07:002017-01-12T02:05:22.736-08:00Brightonyouththeatre.com<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It gives me an ongoing sense of astonishment how popular this blog has become!<br />
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In the past year, whilst working on the auditions at Guildhall (it's now 3 years since I graduated) around 10 applicants asked me out of the blue if I was the same "Tom" that wrote this blog. One lovely guy said that it had "kept him sane."<br />
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I'm so grateful for the kind feedback! We're all in this journey of trying to be better actors together so it's wonderful to see others benefit from the story of my journey.<br />
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I'm writing today with news that I have founded a youth theatre company in Brighton, check it out...<br />
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<a href="http://brightonyouththeatre.com/" target="_blank">brightonyouththeatre.com</a><br />
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We're kicking off this August 2016 with a 2 week intensive acting workshop open to anyone aged 17-25 keen on experiencing a sample of professional training. It would be a great foundation for anyone applying to drama school.<br />
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Tom Lincolnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355200490349131625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535226194711918236.post-37857847650410617022015-10-14T07:27:00.004-07:002017-01-12T02:05:33.935-08:00An Update for Old Followers of This Blog<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's wonderful to learn that this blog was helpful and enjoyable to you. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment.<br />
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As requested here is an update!<br />
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Yes I did choose Guildhall. Well, I didn't get into Bristol in the end so there wasn't much choice...but I would have chosen Guildhall had there been ;)<br />
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I went and had a wonderful three years of full-time study there. I graduated with a First Class BA, signed with a prestigious talent agent and have since been working professionally for the past two years.<br />
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In fact I just finished a five-month theatre touring job...if you'd like to read about it...check it out <a href="http://tlcm2015.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/day-1location-1performance-1-of-84.html">here</a>.<br />
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Sorry I didn't update this until now. If you have any further questions I'll be happy to answer. I still work at Guildhall from time to time; helping out with their auditioning process so I have a good deal of insight into the selection procedure.<br />
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In fact, last year I was working as a helper when a certain young lady who was auditioning revealed that she had read this blog and asked if I was the same Tom! Extraordinary!</div>
Tom Lincolnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355200490349131625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535226194711918236.post-55758867442392004002010-06-06T13:18:00.000-07:002010-06-06T13:18:07.894-07:00What news?Well- first on the agenda- NO NEWS FROM BRISTOL...still.<br />
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And so The Guildhall recall...<br />
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I had a lovely feeling about Guildhall from the start and so hoped that the recall would be a pleasant experience at the least. The recall was to last a day and a half structured as follows.<br />
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I saw three panels of two members for 15 minute auditions. The panel members are current teachers at the school. In these panel auditions I showed my speeches and briefly worked on them, responding to directorial notes from them. One panel also looked at my song.<br />
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I would have a 2 hour physical workshop in a group of 10-15 people after which we each also showed our speeches to the panel. This time of three teachers.<br />
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We each had a meeting with the head of the school - a brief kind of how d'ye do.<br />
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Finally we each had a brief meeting with a singing teacher who heard our song and had a little chat about our singing training.<br />
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In total therefore, I was assessed by eleven members of staff, in a period of roughly three and a half hours. However, as I am not the centre of the universe they did not arrange to see me one after the other, and so I had to bide my time as everything was scheduled out over the day and a half period.<br />
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I was very impressed with their approach of having a great number of people assessing each of us. It gave them a chance to see us from every angle, and us the opportunity to show them. I left feeling good about the whole thing. working with each panel was exciting and challenging.<br />
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They do all of their recalls over the course of a week and so I had to wait whilst they saw everyone else before they were to decide who they offered places to. The outcome?<br />
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THEY OFFERED ME A PLACE!<br />
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Awesome.Tom Lincolnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355200490349131625noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535226194711918236.post-73460154176852985952010-03-11T05:46:00.000-08:002010-03-11T05:46:01.226-08:00LAMDA - 'second' first round audition.LAMDA said that they didn't think they'd seen me at my best in my first audition so I ought to come back and give it another go. I think that this is what they do when they have a split decision on their panel, because I thought that my original audition went fine. <div><br />
</div><div>So I gave it another shot. And this time I got the No Thank you letter. I must confess that I wasn't surprised. I was disappointed, but not really upset. I have heard it said that you choose your drama school as much as it chooses you, and that certain students are simply more suited to some schools more than others. An indication can be the 'vibe' one gets from the place.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I never got a good vibe from LAMDA - on the first or second audition. The school seemed cold to me. The audition process was like being fired out of a cannon. Straight in- on stage in front of the panel with hardly a word spoken and straight out again. This is not the case for everyone - some of my friends have found the complete opposite, getting a warm feeling from there.</div><div><br />
</div><div>As for me- I'm not for LAMDA and LAMDA isn't for me. I don't think I'll apply to there next year.</div><div><br />
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</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>And so to recap- the situation as it stands now: 5 schools applied for. </div><div><br />
</div><div>1) RADA - got recalled but did not get through to the final round.</div><div>2) LAMDA - got recalled but did not get though to the final round.</div><div>3) CENTRAL - Got final round recalls for both strands but was not offered a place.</div><div>4) BRISTOL - Got final round recall and am now on the short list for a place.</div><div>5) GUILDHALL- Got final round recall - to be attended in May. </div><div><br />
</div><div>So..next post when I get news from Bristol, and then again after the Guildhall recall. </div>Tom Lincolnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355200490349131625noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535226194711918236.post-68232298017257940702010-03-11T05:30:00.000-08:002010-03-11T05:30:43.892-08:00Bristol Old Vic Theatre School - All Day Recall Workshop - 30th JanuaryAnd so from one final audition to another. Literally. I left Central and caught the train to Bristol to check into a hotel in eager anticipation for my 9am start the following morning, feeling quite like an actor on tour!<br />
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I caught a cab and arrived in good time to do a solid little session of hyper-ventilation, just out of sight of the entrance to the school. Then in I went, to be one of 30 for the day. Bristol receives roughly 2000 applicants, and recalls 300. They see these recalled persons over the course of ten separate all day workshops (of which I was attending the second of ten) - seeing thirty on each day. 10 x 30 = 300. Maths that is. Of these 300 boys and girls they select roughly 20. 13 boys and 7 girls (an imbalance that is a true reflection of the proportion of work out there for men and for women - there's simply more for men- unfair but a fact).<br />
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We were divided into three groups of 8 and one group of six. My group was all boys - which seemed to be a rare coincidence. The day was timetabled- Our groups were on a rotation, taking about 8 different 45 minute 'sessions' throughout the course of the day until 6pm, with 45 minutes to eat our packed lunches. The first session was an individual meeting with the head of the course. A fairly quick how d'ye do with a couple of questions about our life, our acting. He also had us briefly sing.<br />
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Next we took it in turns to perform our speeches to a panel of 4. This was filmed and strictly timed, a bell going off after 2 minutes were up. I just made it inside the time - the bell going off when I finished my last word! Other sessions included Singing- singing our prepared song each with some exercises to test our pitch etcetera Voice- tongue twisters and cold reading a narrative passage, Improvisation - playing some games and quickly preparing and performing a scripted scene in partners, Movement - a session of hell with an Anne Robinson from the weakest link impersonator, who made our thighs burn until eyes watered with hellish balletic exercises. It was a packed day - full on, tiring, but fun. They certainly put us through our paces.<br />
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At the end of the day we were informed that news would come in a letter, saying either No Thank you, or that we are on a short list for a place. Few places would be awarded at these early stages.<br />
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THE NEWS: I AM ON THE SHORT LIST!!!!<br />
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I am over the moon with this achievement. News of a place or not could arrive any time in the next couple of months. All I can do is hope with all my heart for now!Tom Lincolnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355200490349131625noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535226194711918236.post-78120562626116760192010-03-11T05:05:00.000-08:002010-03-11T05:05:29.188-08:00Central School of Speech and Drama- Final Recalls - End of January.<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">As I may have already discussed, Central is unlike many other drama schools in that it hosts two full size strands of drama students within their overall Acting course. Each strand studies much of the same things and has the same experience of learning, however at various points they break off and specialise in slightly different areas of acting. I'm sure that there are numerous differences, but in the simplest way it is like this: </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">'Collaborative and Devised Theatre' has a focus on creation. Making your own work, and having the industry skills to build your own artistic platform (e.g. your own theatre company) to perform from. 'Acting for Stage and Screen' is a more conventional approach with a focus on all methods of acting, especially for the screen. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">When you first audition they can tell which strand you may be suited for, (who knows how?) I was recalled for both strands, and so was invited to attend two separate 'Final Recall Mornings'. This seemed like a bonus- because a larger number of places were potentially still available<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">The first recall was for Acting for Stage and Screen. Roughly thirty students gathered in the foyer, half boys and half girls. Your typical bright eyed and bushy tailed folks. When the time came we were ushered into a large rehearsal room and were taken for a voice and a movement warm up. Standard exercises to loosen up and get centred. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">Then came some drama work – group improvisations. We split in half and had a few minutes to plan a group improv. – one group set in an airport waiting room, the other in an Emergency Room. Certain events had to get ticked off, for example, two strangers had to realise that they shared a connection and at the end someone got some news on the phone that effected the whole group. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">The scene played out. I adopted a character that was a little too forced- a man in great pain with little patience. I believe that this was an exercise in subtlety- to be there and exist naturally, but not to show any acting.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">The meat of the audition was getting each person up on stage to work with the panel through their speeches. Everyone else observed from chairs lining the two sides of the room. This was a time consuming business with a lot of people to get through. To keep everyone involved the panel called people up to play out various roles to try to elicit a certain response from the person being primarily observed. (This method also allowed the panel to observe the actors in a supporting role). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">I eagerly volunteered to help out whenever help was needed and did my best to focus on the direction given and on existing in the moment of the action being played. For my turn I did my Monticelso ‘Shall I expound whore’ speech. To assist me the head of the panel got a number of women up to pose erotically to provide me with focus for my scorn of whores. It was very fun to do!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">At the end of the session we were asked to write a play review, which I duly did and handed it in. Job done. I was out by 1pm, having got there at 9.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">Two days later was the 'Collaborative and Devised Theatre' morning recall. Same number of people (only one girl from the previous recall day) and we were led to the same room. The panel was different of course. Another opening with some exercise- fun and light hearted – like a skipping rope, which we all jumped through – easy enough – if you have a good sense of timing! I felt comfortable with this panel and had a good time with their exercises. Once warmed up we each took turns to present our ‘Two minute </span></span>self-devised showing, based on one of three images that we had all been emailed.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I had never prepared such a piece before and took advice from a couple of friends accordingly. It went to plan when I presented it. The brief was as follows: ; ‘You are encouraged to use movement and voice and to work in a dynamic and expressive way. Use this exercise to introduce us to your individual creative choices – we want to see how you express yourself through your work.’</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The pieces were wonderfully creative and varied – it was great to see the talent on show and the unusual responses that people had made to such a task. Afterwards we were individually called in to show the panel some speech work and present a review of a play – either spoken or written. Overall I felt that the audition went well. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The results:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a week or so later I got news that I was not going to be offered a place for either strand. This was disappointing as I sensed that I had come far to get to those final stages. I wrote requesting feedback and got these following responses. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">For Acting for Stage and Screen:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #444444;">It was generally felt that your work was interesting, and you were discussed at length. In the end the panel were concerned </span><span style="color: red;">about your tendency to perform the moment rather than experiencing it - a slightly presentational quality which we felt would be difficult to shift.</span><span style="color: #444444;"> Actor training is a lot about returning to basics, and much of what we look for in audition </span><span style="color: red;">is 'heart', vulnerability and the willingness to work from self, rather than something polished or well-presented</span><span style="color: #444444;">. We also look for </span><span style="color: red;">clear ability to shift through directorial notes, and to be prepared to throw everything away and start again.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">And for</span></span> Collaborative and Devised:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">You did some lovely work in the audition. We like more mature applicants and felt that you were well prepared.</span><span style="color: #444444; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: #444444; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Your devised piece was well constructed and you made bold and appropriate choices. The panel felt you had had good focus and really worked from the painting. However, </span><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">physically</span><span style="color: #444444; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> you seem </span><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">a bit tense and locked</span><span style="color: #444444; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> and this doesn't help your expressive ability.</span><span style="color: #444444; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: #444444; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">In the improvisation work you were open but we noted a </span><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">tendency to force rather than letting things arrive - so you were externally engaged physically but weren't connecting the inner feelings with the outer expression.</span><span style="color: #444444; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: #444444; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Your pieces were well prepared but were </span><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">a little rigid / fixed</span><span style="color: #444444; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">. </span><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">You didn't demonstrate a great ability to shift and we questioned your ability to access vulnerability. This goes back to the question of emotional truth - which wasn't really accessed in your work.</span><span style="color: #444444; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: #444444; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Sometimes when a candidate has had a certain amount of training or experience elsewhere their work can become a little rigid and a panel will question whether you can benefit from further training or whether we will be able to unlock your patterns: this is what we felt in your case. In addition, you seemed more suited to the stage and screen pathway.</span><span style="color: #444444; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">So…some invaluable, if a little scary feedback. I feel happy to have my flaws so concisely identified (as some were in both letters!) This allows me to have clear goals when improving my technique. Plenty of food for thought. <br clear="all" style="page-break-before: always;" /> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>Tom Lincolnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355200490349131625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535226194711918236.post-59627855863558543722010-03-11T04:11:00.000-08:002010-03-11T04:11:22.354-08:00The LatestHello!<br />
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Here is a breakdown of the situation as it stands now in March. I should have updated some time ago so this will be a long one!<br />
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News items are as follows:<br />
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1) What happened in my Central final round recalls - for both drama strands - 'Collaborative and Devised Theatre' and 'Acting for Stage and Screen'.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"></span><br />
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2) What happened on my final recall day for Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.<br />
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3) What happened in my recall at LAMDA.<br />
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For ease of reading I will break each one up into a separate post.Tom Lincolnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355200490349131625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535226194711918236.post-26071342559335485302010-01-14T07:39:00.000-08:002010-01-14T07:39:30.206-08:00Guildhall and more newsFirst and foremost - the story of Guildhall - School for Music and Drama<br />
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Situated adjacent and conjoining with the Barbican. I arrived early and sat around and did some stretches. I was in a positive frame of mind- I wonder if I was marginally less nervous that the first couple of auditions that I went to? Perhaps this is getting a little easier with practice.<br />
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Signs directed me to a certain room within the school where three lovely second year students were waiting - on hand to assist for the entire session. We gathered in this room - about ten in all, but I gathered that a few were missing due to the snow. Once we all registered we were led to the adjoining room where the panel of two were waiting. They gave us a little speech and then led us in a group warm up. All very friendly -getting us relaxed and in the mood. One of the exercises for example was to make the number 13 or the letter W - so we organised ourselves on the floor without speaking.<br />
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Then we were all back into our own room with the students (who were very very friendly and decent) and called one by one to the panel. To my relief I was up first and was accompanied in with one of the students, my buddy. They took in my speeches and directed me to drop any previous work that I had done and be as natural and as 'me' as possible. The emphasis was on putting the focus on the person I was talking to and what I was trying to persuade them towards -this would free myself from any kind of acting for 'show'.<br />
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They saw all 3 speeches, didn't ask to have me sing and then sat me down for a chat. All very good I thought and left to join the others and watch them go up one by one for the same treatment as we all had a lovely chat. After everyone was seen the panel came into our room to deliver the news of who was to be asked for a recall.<br />
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"Sometimes we recall 5 people, sometime 0. Please understand that we are not only looking at skill and talent but also the suitability of you for our particular course. Today we will only be recalling one person..."<br />
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And they read my name.<br />
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Sweet...so the day and a half final recall is in May sometime. Excellent.<br />
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Further news:<br />
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Email received today from Central...they are recalling me on both acting strands- final recall, the week after next. In the same week I will also be doing my final recall at Bristol. And the week after is my 'second first audition' at LAMDA.<br />
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So to recap - 4 schools in the running...final round recalls for 3/4. Its all to play for. Next update after LAMDA, BRISTOL+ CENTRAL have occurred. Fingers crossed and back to work for me!Tom Lincolnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355200490349131625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535226194711918236.post-74960090712811481372009-12-29T04:27:00.000-08:002009-12-29T05:13:57.557-08:00Central School of Speech and Drama<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span>Last, but not least - the news from my CSSD audition.<br />
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At Central their process is to audition over 100 applicants per day. When I arrived there at 9am I was given some forms to fill out and ushered into a big theatre where all of the other applicants were, chatting and filling out their forms.<br />
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After 10 minutes we were shepherded into a room on the other side of the school where we were given a speech and divided into 10 or so groups, each group having its own leader, a current student in the second year of the acting course at the school. Then we were given a warm up, a few voice and body exercises.<br />
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The morning was to comprise of the following: each one of the divided groups would have 3 one hours sessions:<br />
A tour around the school with our student leader.<br />
An hour workshop- movement based - led and assessed by two teachers.<br />
An hour 'audition' in which each member of the group would give their speeches.<br />
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The tour was straightforward - just a good walk around and a chat - to pass the time really.<br />
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The movement workshop was interesting. I felt prepared for it as it was along the lines of the movement classes that I take on a weekly basis. The teacher put some music on and asked us to flow with it, letting go of our minds and giving ourselves to impulse. Then he asked us to embody fire. Then as the physical realisation of fire to deliver some of our speeches - one at a time.<br />
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The other members of my group were mostly 17 and somewhat inexperienced. Central is a school that you can apply to through UCAS, so I think a lot of kids applying just do it for kicks. Each person had a go and gave it some, but I was surprised at how the panel gave them a hard time- giving them advise on how their movement and flow was falling short to see if they could pick up the slack. Not for the faint hearted.<br />
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Then the 10 or so of us (5 boys, 5 girls) were led into another room, two staff on the panel who we each showed our speeches to. It was interesting to watch the other speeches and then share my own with the whole room. They were very strict on the modern time limit and cut off the majority of people's speeches.<br />
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Then that was it for the morning session, or 'Round 1' as you could perhaps call it. We were sent away for lunch - returning in half an hour to be dismissed or asked to stay for the afternoon. We all sat there as they read out the names of the chosen- the people that they wanted to see more of, to stay for the afternoon, 'Round 2'. I anxiously waited and hoped to be mentioned...and I was. The room gracefully cleared out and left about 20 of us.<br />
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At Central they have 3 'Strands'- three separate drama courses. They audition for all of them at the same time. The strands are: Musical Theatre, Acting for Stage and Screen, Collaborative/Devised Theatre.They explained to me that they wanted to audition me for both of these two strands- not Musical Theatre thankfully! I was the only person to be auditioned for both strands (the only boy in fact for the Devised Theatre strand!)<br />
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We went up for this strand first, me and four girls. We were given an hour long - very unusual audition, with a strong emphasis on creating abstract, physical drama. There were two members of staff on the audition panel and three second year students sitting in. The first thing that we were asked to do was to realise the 'unscrunching of a plastic bag' which was demonstrated twice. As a group we were asked to physically dramatise the cooking of a recipe. Then alone we were each asked to devise a short piece based on being a victim of some bad event. Then they worked on our speech asking to take on board some abstract piece of direction. I had to do my Hamlet speech as if vine was growing up my body. Gave it a go!<br />
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We were informed that a letter would be in the post within the next few weeks as to whether we were to be asked back for a third round recall.<br />
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Then I was escorted to the panel for the other acting strand. It was two members of staff and two students this time. This audition was solely focused on working with my two prepared classical speeches. (At Central you must learn speeches from their list- a bit of a bummer because the other schools don't want to see these speeches so you have to learn two others!)<br />
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They were very challenging with their notes, repeatedly stopping me and layering direction into my imagination, 'loading me up'. then they got the students up to do my speeches to, to find new angles and trigger some spontaneity. I think we were working for about 40 minutes. They asked me to go outside whilst they conferred. I went out with one student and left three in there. I popped back in and they said thanks very much - letter in the post.<br />
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Next up: Guildhall Friday 8th JanuaryTom Lincolnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355200490349131625noreply@blogger.com1