Well, I’ve done gone and lost track of my days here! I actually have written about my days in Totnes up to day 4, which I will post later, but I thought I’d give you a short update for the moment

We’ve moved into our cottage. The good news: it’s huge and furnished and has insulation and good heating systems. The bad news: it’s musty, it’s VERY far from both my & Jarrod’s schools, and there are fleas. Yep. fleas. (and slugs in the kitchen at night – but I’ll let Ed blog about that one once we have ‘net access at home) I didn’t notice the fleas in the first 4 days I was there before Ed & Jarrod got here. But Ed has been eaten alive!!! His legs are covered in spots. Neither Jarrod not I have any bites. Our theory is that Jarrod and I are more full of Vitamin B than Ed, so he’s started taking a multi-vitamin (plus antihistamines to help alleviate the itching). Our landlady is paying for exterminators to come this week and deal with it. I’m not sure what exactly a flea extermination consists of, but apparently the cottage will be livable after 2 hours after the extermination is done. ew. Not exactly something you want to deal with when just having moved to a new county!

School is good – the theory aspects are quite challenging though. I find that I understand the readings, but in the discussion groups I seem to have such a different mindset than most of the other students that it’s hard to contribute to the discussion. I may talk to one of the tutors about that. I think the problem lies in the fact that I have so much knowledge about Eastern philosophies and so little about Western philosophies that it’s hard to bring up the ideas and back them up with literature or authors that the others will know things about. Time will tell…..

I am enjoying my bodywork classes a lot though! I have a Feldenkrais class on Mondays, and Suzuki method (not the “playing by ear” music method, but a fairly intense Japanese thatre physical practice that involves core & leg strength) on Tuesdays. That, plus the 1/2 hour walk uphill to the campus is keeping me in shape! Today I have a 6-hour butoh (Japanese avant garde dance) workshop, and Friday there is a vocal workshop with Helen Chadwick. Thursday there’s a concert of Morton Feldman’s music.

I’ve been hanging out with musicians mostly – which is kind of funny since I’m in the theatre program. A lot of the musicians are my age though, and my BFA is in music so it’s really not all that surprising. Most of the MA Theatre students are really into choreography but I’m coming through this musical background and moving into New Opera, so it makes for an interesting learning situation!

Concepts that are playing around in my head that are unsettled as of yet: Stillness. The potentiality of empty space. Blackness on stage. Anatomy. Voice.