Well here I am, writing this blog at the wonderful Hooyong Performing Arts Centre in South Korea. I am here for a month, as I was chosen as one of nine artists from around the world to participate in their artist-in-residency program. I am a long way from home, but feel incredibly welcome here and am already soaking up as much as I can.
My main purpose for being here is to work on the script for the verbatim project I am currently developing (with the help of many others) back in Flint. I can't describe how wonderful it is to have such a beautiful place to work. While I write, the members of the resident theatre company (nottle theatre company) rehearse for their upcoming production of La Casa De Bernarda Alba (or, the house of Bernarda Alba) by Lorca. Watching them rehearse was fantastic. Obviously I don't understand the dialogue, but knowing the play I am able to follow a lot more than I thought I would. The company have a wonderful aesthetic, and I am already getting many ideas for the production of the fires play (which will begin rehearsing a few weeks after I return to Flint).
This experience is giving me a lot to think about my discipline. I find it very difficult to focus on writing or artistic endeavors at home. Perhaps there are too many distractions, who knows? However, I do know that I hope I can keep up this work ethic when I return. My brain is working overtime thinking of ways in which to do this...
Speaking of distractions, while I'm getting a lot of work done and feel very productive, I'm also using the opportunity here to relax, work on my tan a little, and explore the area. This afternoon (like the company) I took a day off from work and used the opportunity to borrow a bike and go for a little ride!
The bike I took was quite a different ride to my trusty 10-speed at home (I miss her...), but I managed to get the hang of the gears pretty easy and was glad that it was a mountain bike as I encountered some pretty mega pot-holes along the way! The seat was far to low and I really should have adjusted it before I left, as the entire ride I felt a little like a clown on one of those mini cycles. I think my knees will be sore tomorrow...
I took the recommendation of a few of the company members to head through the rice fields towards the river. I packed up a little supply kit with the essentials (water, a book, an orange, my ipod) and of course my korean phrasebook in case I got into any trouble along the way.
It was a pretty uneventful ride. I couldn't get as close to the river as I had hoped (it was warm and my feet fancied a little paddle), but it was nice to have some alone time and go on a little journey. I was reminded of why I love cycling so much. You see such a different world than you do traveling by car, bus, or plane. It's just you, your thoughts, and the road.
Here are a few shots of the journey:
Setting off through the rice fields
A happy little tree!
The closest I could get to the river, where I ate my orange.
I'm hoping to make it to Seoul for a couple of days while I'm here. I hear it's a very cool city and I hope to be able to explore it by bike, but we'll see!
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