One month until Christmas

 

We are now in November. Seriously, how has this happened? Where has the year gone?  A quick glance at the calendar above me tells me that it is in fact exactly a month until Christmas day. Time just keeps galloping along at a great speed doesn’t it…

Ok, so going back to the end of August and the Paralympics. What an experience. I think it is safe to say I’ve had a very exciting, jammed packed summer. My section of the Paralympics opened the show – if you watched it we were dancing with light up umbrellas to Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella’ Ella…Ella! I felt very emotional standing in position before we went live to the world…yes the world! It just dawned on me how incredibly lucky I have been to have been involved in the London 2012 ceremonies. It was one of those pinch yourself this is really happening moments.

At the end of the show Beverley Knight sang “I am what I am” and all the cast got join in the finale (unlike in the Opening of the Olympics). I can’t even begin to describe the feeling of walking into that stadium, the noise, the fireworks going off all around us. It was just one of those moments I will never ever forget. When all the audience had left we got to mill around for one last time in the stadium. It’s safe to say I took hundreds of photos, I will post a few of them on here now.

A week after the Paralympics finished I flew to Asia and went backpacking around Thailand for a month. I hardly had time to think. After lots of travelling, Thai busses, hostels, and riding elephants I finally came back home in October.

Now here I am. Very poor but luckily I’ve managed to get myself three part time jobs to tie me over during the Christmas period. In the New Year I am going to seriously re-focus on my Acting career and see where it takes me. Who knows what will happen…!

 

 

Uncertain

Life is so uncertain and unpredictable. 

I'm hoping that things are going to fall into place before I leave in two weeks. 

Oh gosh. The joy of being a performer! 

Olympic Madness

I am a rubbish blogger. Yet again I have been absent from my blog writing, but I think it’s been with good reason!

I've now finished the Olympic Opening Ceremony and am now dancing in the Paralympic Opening Ceremony. It’s been the most exciting few months. The Olympic opening was the most surreal and incredible moments of my life, so much so that I keep wondering if it really happened?! The atmosphere on the day was just incredible, everyone was so excited. We all sang and danced our way through the park as we walked to get into costume! Trying to sum up the experience in words just doesn’t do it justice.  It was amazing, brilliant, everything you could imagine it to be and more.

I met some wonderful people on my journey which I can hardly believe started all the way back in rainy April. After all those long rehearsals, train journeys and late nights, I think we all felt a massive sense of pride and achievement to represent Britain in such a fantastic show of Danny Boyle’s creation. 

So I finished the Opening on the 27^th and on the 29^th I had my first Paralympic rehearsal. This was exciting and strange at the same time. Strange I suppose because it was like going back in time. Rehearsals were back at 3 Mills where I first started months ago for the Olympics. It felt very surreal to be back there. Since then we have been to Dagenham and we are now at the stadium again - all in the space of a few weeks for me!  It feels like these sets of rehearsals are on fast forward.

Tomorrow we have another late evening rehearsal and then on Sunday is our first Paralympic Dress Rehearsal. Very exciting! Watch out for me on Wednesday, my section opens the show but that's about all I can tell you for now.

Here are a few pictures of the Opening...

Enjoy! 

Exciting, exciting

Massive Olympic excitement. We are in the Stadium which is such a buzz. Rehearsals are tiring and they are only going to get longer. My latest schedule tells me we have rehearsals every night until midnight in the week leading up to the opening ceremony - crazy! We seem to have been dancing in the rain during every stadium rehearsal so far. I am hoping it doesn't rain on the night however we live in England and who knows what the weather might do?! The stadium isn't covered with a roof so it's safe to say that if it does decided to rain...we will get wet!


I have also been getting the last train out of London so I can be back for work the next day. However this has often meant that I haven't been getting home until around 3:30 am. It's safe to say I am shattered but happy. This has been such an amazing experience so far and I feel privileged to be a part of it. 

38 days, 23 hours, 3 minutes and 33 seconds...

Olympic rehearsals are stepping up a gear this week.  We have now finished rehearsals at the Dagenham site which means this Thursday we move to the Olympic stadium.  Yes the Olympic Stadium! I can't wait. 


To add to the excitement, our Olympic tickets to see the Dressage arrived in the post. 


Just 38 days to go until the greatest show on earth!  

Baby Benjamin

Here are a couple of photos of my new baby nephew.  


We went over to Sheffield last Tuesday and spent a lovely few hours sitting outside in my half sisters garden, drinking tea and chatting.

Lovely lovely.

Counting sheep

I’m so tired. I try to go to sleep and then can’t. I really do not understand this ridiculous pattern I have once again managed to get myself in to.

I don’t really know why my body decides to do this to me? I got home today, started shaking and managed to sleep for a couple of hours. I’m now walking round the house in a sort of daze. I have dance in less than an hour and I am trying to summon the energy to go to the three classes.

Now I’m not even sure I want to post this entry. I hate how self pitying it sounds.

Urg.