Florida tales. Part Two: Disney World

Tiago and I had quite an adventure finding Marit at the Nestle plant in Madison County, east of Tallahassee.  All was going swimmingly until we got to Madison and Jane the GPS got herself all confused, leading us down one dirt track after another and confidently declaring "You have arrived!" when clearly we had not.  Marit said the plant was in the middle of nowhere, but I figured it would be big enough to see over a few bushes.  With limited cell phone reception, I felt quite lost and decided the best thing to do was retrace my steps back to some semblance of civilisation.  Thankfully I had a scrap of paper with driving instructions from Nestle, so once back on a recognisable bitumen road, I switched off Jane, reverted to the instructions and finally found my way to the plant.

The drive from Madison to Orlando was about three hours.  And then we entered Disney World, a city unto itself.  Hosting dozens of hotel resorts, theme parks and its own "downtown" (which included an area called Pleasure Island--the mind boggles and the throat chokes as one imagines the porn side of Mickey Mouse and co., or is that just me?) it can take about 20 minutes on the shuttle bus from one end of D-World to the other.  Actually, it could be more.  I'm just basing that on the average trip from our hotel pick up to destination.

On the Disney bus, on our way to Epcot [pic by Marit]

We arrived Monday evening, and left the following Friday.  So I had three days full-time babysitting the adorable baby you see sitting on my lap there, while his mum attended a conference.  Thanks to our weekend in Wakulla Springs, Tiago and I had gotten to know each other a bit, and I got some lessons in diaper changing, feeding routines and bottle preparation.  I'd been advised that Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom were the most baby-friendly in terms of gentle rides and attractions, so on Tuesday we headed to Magic Kingdom.  This to me felt like original Disney.  It's where the iconic Magic Castle is to be found, Mickey Mouse, Princesses and Prince Charmings abound, we are constantly reminded that Dreams Can Come True.  It's all squeaky clean, family fun, but done with such polish and energy, and received with such joy by so many, that it's impossible to resist.  You just have to embrace it, enjoy the ride, and check your cynicism at the door (you can always snuggle back into it later).

The Magic Castle

Classic Disney show

The "It's a Small World" ride came highly recommended as suitable ride for a baby, as it is an indoor boat ride.  Two thumbs up here: one for indoor which gave some relief from the heat, and one for boat ride as it is slow and gentle.  The downside is the length of the queue, which one must tackle without the stroller.  When visiting with a not-quite-walking baby (who at this moment also happened to be fast asleep), this meant carrying him for a good 20 minutes or so.  My biceps were feeling the exercise for days!  But he was incredibly cute snuggled up and sleeping in my arms.  The ride itself I found nightmarish.  It weaves through a cavern of "small worlds" with approximately 20 countries and regions represented by identical mechanical dolls dressed in traditional costume and performing simple repetitive actions.  It actually took me a little while to realise that each grouping represented a different country because the dolls look so similar, like oversized, blank-faced babies.  The tinny refrain of the ride's title song plays in a loop, driving one to dementia.  However, I must accept that children (and even, apparently, other adults) find it fascinating and delightful.  Tiago woke up about halfway through and stared, eyes agog, unafraid and full of wonder.

Wednesday we tackled Animal Kingdom, which is part theme park, part zoo.  Tiago was pretty tired that day, slept a lot, and wasn't as interested in the animals as I had anticipated.  I think the ones in enclosures that weren't particularly close to the fence just didn't catch his eye.  However, he was amenable to being pushed along in the stroller, so long as I fed him on time and let him out to play once in a while.

Huge gorilla

Thick growing bamboo along the gorilla trail

We went on the Kilamanjaro Safari ride, a bouncy jaunt through recreations of African parkland and wildlife--kind of like Werribee Park shrunk down to bite-size pieces.  Tiago was fascinated by the animals, some of which were quite close to the truck, but found the bouncing a bit intense sometimes.  We saw dozens of animals, including giraffes, lions, crocodiles on masse, pink flamingoes, an elephant family (complete with baby elephant) and an ostrich.  It was difficult to get a photo at times as the truck rarely stopped, so between the forward motion, the bouncing and other passengers, I just missed a few.  Here's some good ones though:

We planned to go back to Animal Kingdom on the Thursday, but woke to heavy rain which persisted all morning.  So we hung out (and napped--both of us) in the hotel room before heading out for a quick jaunt to downtown Disney for a spot of shopping, back in time to meet Marit, who finished work early that day.  The three of us went to Epcot, a theme park dedicated to science and technology (in a family friendly way).  We didn't quite know what to expect, except the sight of the landmark giant golfball structure that greets you at the entrance, and is featured in pamphlet photos.  However, we discovered that late afternoon/early evening is a great time to visit as there are far fewer people and hence no waiting time on rides.  We made a beeline for the Finding Nemo ride, where we were bundled into giant clamshell carriages and trundled along a video screen to join the key characters from the movie in searching for Nemo.  After that we attended an interactive chat with Crush, the turtle character from Finding Nemo.  This was ratherly cleverly done in a small auditorium with a big screen depicting a fish tank into which Crush swam into view.  He chatted to the audience and then invited questions from the kids; "little dude, front row, red shell, flipper up!"  Clearly Crush was being voiced by someone who could see and hear the audience, but the clever part was that his movements seemed to match, spontaneously, so I guess some kind of motion detection technology was being used as well.  Anyway, it was very funny and enjoyable and Tiago LOVED it.  He was completely engaged, chattering away delightedly, and applauded at the end.  Cutest thing in the world.

CC and Tiago just out of the clamshell [pic by Marit]

Florida tales. Part One (B): Fish

Before I get to the mind-blowing hugeness of Disney World, I have to tell you about a couple of dining experiences Marit and I had while staying in Wakulla Springs.  We asked around for recommendations, and ended up at two very different restaurants which both served sensational fish. 

The first was the Seineyard (pronounced signyard) which looked like a big homestead on the outside, complete with verandah (or porch, as the locals would call it) which held a large table surrounded by rocking chairs (to add a dash of swinging excitement to your meal).  A busy, bustling place, inside it was less cosy and more like a mess hall with a concrete floor, long communal tables, and plastic plates, cutlery and serving ware.  Everything was fried, unless you asked for it broiled (oven baked) or blackened (grilled with cajun spices), and the side salads, fries and other food accompaniments were ordinary to downright unappetising.  But the fish.  Oh, the fish!  On the recommendation of our waitress (who sported one of those glorious, weathered country faces you NEVER see in LA), I ordered the Grouper--a white fish, common to the Gulf of Mexico--served blackened.  Marit ordered the shrimp, also blackened.  Wow.  The Grouper was mouth-meltingly, orgasmically delicious.  Marit's shrimp wasn't bad either, but the Grouper was a winner.  Also of note at the Seineyard the evening we dined there were a couple of groups of people in colonial-style dress: the women in long, gingham dresses, their hair braided and pinned neatly to their heads, the men in waistcoats, the boys in homemade trousers and braces.  A local theatre troupe?  It seemed not, they weren't rowdy enough to be a bunch of actors winding down after a day of rehearsal.  We figured they probably belonged to one of the many churches in the area--perhaps Mormon?--and tried not to stare.

The next night we headed a little further south to the Spring Creek Restaurant, a cosy and charming little establishment that had much more atmosphere than the Seineyard.  Once again, the seafood was fabulous.  Marit ordered the Grouper (broiled and seasoned, although not with cajun spices) and was not disappointed, and I ordered the crab cakes, noted on the menu as one of the house specialities.  Moist and delicious.  The side salad was fresh, and the hushpuppies were crisp and fluffy in all the right ways.  Hushpuppies--not to be confused with the comfy footwear brand--seem to be standard accompaniments to fish in these parts (we encountered them on our plates at Seineyard too) and are a kind of cornmeal rolled into little footballs and deep fried.  They are quite tasty and useful for mopping up dipping sauce and juices from the fish.

The next day--Monday--Marit was picked up early to attend a meeting outside Tallahassee, and I drove Tiago and I out there later in the day to collect her and begin the drive south to Orlando and Disney World.

Florida tales. Part One: Wakulla Springs

I've just returned from a week in Florida with my best friend and her absolutely adorable baby.  We spent the first weekend in Wakulla Springs, just south of Tallahassee in the part of Florida known as the panhandle.  This part of Florida is closer to Alabama than Miami, and has something of that "southern" feel.  Certainly the accents of the locals have that lilt, which an old ham like me can't help but mimic.  Talk about stepping back in time!  We stayed at the Lodge, a big old hotel with a rattling, inlaid wood elevator (complete with manual door closing), a spacious lobby/games room area with intricately patterned high ceilings and a view over the lagoon. 

This is where the old monster movie "Creature from the Black Lagoon" was filmed, as well some of the Johnny Weismuller Tarzan movies.  We went on a boat cruise along the lagoon, framed by tall cypress trees draped with a kind of greyish moss that gave them an eerie look, like old wizards beards.  It's easy to see why vampire and witch movies are set in these 'ere parts.

There is so much wildlife living on, in, and around the lagoon; many bird species, alligators, turtles and manatees.  We glimpsed a manatee (a large animal, kind of like a walrus with a dolphin tail) from the boat, but it really just looked like a large mass of sand moving under the water), but here's some pics of other creatures we got a better view of:

On the Sunday, there was a meeting of the local vintage car club.  Dad, this one's for you:

On the left, a 1934 Bentley; on the right, a 16 cylinder Cadillac

On the Monday, we drove to Orlando to spend a few days in Disneyworld, where Marit was attending a conference.  My official babysitting duties were about to begin!  Lucky for me, Tiago (all of 10 months old) is a delightful baby with a very easy going nature.  We became friends quickly (and I'm never shy of performing for a captive audience) and had a splendid few days in the mind-bogglingly large Disney.  That's another blog entry to come.  Right now, I'll leave you with one last cute pic, and then I gotta start packing!

Two weeks

February.  What a month.  I started work in a slightly different area at UCLA; still in the law school, but turning my attention from the Law Review to the 12 other journals produced by the law students.  Some of them are struggling a bit, and don't have the benefit of a dedicated staff member looking after them, so I was charged with finding out where they were at, and what help they might need to get/stay on track.  It was really interesting meeting with the Editors-in-Chief (EICs) of these journals and hearing about the particular challenges they were facing.  Most were very much behind publication schedule, scrambling to catch up, hoping to be able to pass on the reins to the next EIC with their journal in better shape.  Most only spend one or two years serving a journal as they move through law school.  It astounds me how much these young people achieve between their study load and commitment to the journals.  "Young people"--I sound like an old lady.  Anyway, through reaching out and asking questions, I was led to another part of the beautiful UCLA campus where I met with Stacey, who oversees graduate student publications.  Stacey and I had a grand old chat, and she told me about a couple of great publishing alternatives--both print and online--that could save the journals a lot of time, money and stress.  When the people responsible for running a publication keep changing every year, often with minimal overlap with the outgoing staff, and scrambling to catch up on a schedule already a year overdue, nobody has time to look around at alternatives.  They simply keep doing what has been done before, as best they can.  I was really pleased to discover some viable options to present to them, and Stacey proved to be a well-informed and very helpful resource.  I'm proud to feel I have made some small contribution by opening up the lines of communication between the law journals--which are in some ways quite isolated--and Stacey's team, and ultimately the possibility of bringing them into the 21st century of online and print on-demand publishing.

My satisfaction was unfortunately compromised by a month of ill health which eventually resulted in my being unable to complete my last two scheduled days of work.  So I didn't get to quite wrap everything up as well as I would have liked.  I contracted a horrid chest cold the first week of February which knocked me out for a weekend (missed the Superbowl!) and I lost a day of work.  Recovered fairly well, aside from a lingering cough, or so I thought.  Until just last week I got struck down again, this time even worse.  Four days of utter crapness, barely able to get out of bed, awful cough (productive, but body shattering every time) and heavy sinuses.  Violent sneezing too.  I can at least say I got a solid ab workout every time I coughed or sneezed.  Which was every few minutes.  Completely vile, I felt like a germ bomb that just kept exploding.  Finally, on the urging and advice of friends, I went to a local clinic and was seen by a doctor.  She listened to my lungs, and my sorry tale of mucus-laden woe, and declared I was neither suffering from bronchitis nor pneumonia, but that I had indeed a very bad cold.  Not much you can do with a virus but address the symptoms and rest.  Well, I've been doing that and, I added tearfully (completely at the end of my rope) I'm supposed to be on a plane to Florida this week, and another one to Australia next week.  She wrote me a prescription.  I think it's working.  At least I feel more human today than yesterday, although I still spent most of it in bed.  So bored!  But look at me, perky enough to blog about it.  The last time I was sick was 18 months ago just before I left Melbourne for LA.  True enough it's winter in LA (as it was in Melbourne a year and a half ago), and a lot of people have been battling persistent colds and coughs (the weather has been so changeable, too; 30 degrees Celsius one weekend, 12 the next), but I think my body doesn't take kindly to the anticipatory stress of international relocation.  It's gotta be a factor, right?  Anyway, it is exceedingly dull and annoying. 

I have, however, managed to sell my car.  Which brings me to a side-rant.  Why do people feel compelled to try to bargain one down from what is already a bargain price?  I suppose they expect sellers to inflate their asking price, I suppose that's usually the way it goes.  But it's irritating nonetheless.  It doesn't take much effort to research a fair price on a used vehicle, so why quibble when you see it?  Bleurgh!  I'm no fan of selling stuff.  But I got the price I wanted for the car.  Next item my glorious comfy bed.  I know I won't get the price I want for that.  People are squeamish about second-hand mattresses, which I suppose is fair enough.  But whoever buys it will get the bargain of a lifetime.  I mean, look at this thing.  Don't you want to just fling yourself on it?

I'm going to miss this bed.  It's going to be a while before I can afford another one just as good.  Sigh.  Small sacrifices.  Shopping list for Melbourne: 1. A job.  2.  A place to live.  3. A heavenly bed.  A car?  Maybe.  We'll see.  Easier to survive without one in Melbourne than LA.  And they are soooo much more expensive in Oz.  But in Oz a quick trip to the doctor doesn't cost $120.  Can't wait to be home.

... not much longer

That's right folks.  Over the past several weeks I've been doing some soul-searching, practical thinking and re-evaluation of my life.  In short, I've decided not to pursue a professional acting career anymore.  Hold on to your hats, folks, I'm not saying I'll never act again - of course I will, I love it and it's part of who I am.  But I want a better quality of life, and more financial stability.  I've had amazing experiences, I've grown as an artist and am very proud of my accomplishments as a writer and actor, but it hasn't advanced my professional career.  I've had nibbles here and there, but the tedium of auditioning for commercials, the business of acting, takes all the fun out of it. 

I've had moments in the past where I've considered chucking it in and getting a full-time job.  But when I've seriously thought about full-time work, and what that might be, I haven't been able to do it.  Something inside me would clench, like "I'm not ready."  This time I'm actually excited as I look through job listings, finding things I'm interested in, jobs I'm qualified for and which I would get satisfaction from doing well.  So I know it's the right decision for me this time.  And man, I miss Melbourne!  Being there for a couple of weeks last November was wonderful, and I think kickstarted my re-evaluation: just what life do I want to lead?  I'm tired of being a struggling actress.  I want some recognition, remuneration and tangible career progression for my efforts!

Do I feel some sadness relinquishing my dream?  Of course.  Is my life meaningless without it?  Of course not!  I will continue to write and act, to indulge my passion, but I'm not going through any more heartache and frustration and routinised humiliation.  My feet have always been on the ground but I've no longer got stars in my eyes; I'm looking clearly straight ahead.  I'll not turn myself inside out questioning why I didn't "make it;" am I not talented enough? am I not ruthlessly ambitious enough? was I not lucky enough?  Probably a bit of everything.  I feel that I do have some talent and that I did everything in my power.  It simply wasn't enough. And that's OK.  I love acting, but it's not all of me; there are other things, and people, that I love.  Most of them are in Melbourne. 

I will miss my LA friends, but I'll be back to visit.

Happy New Year

Christmas and New Year: it's a bittersweet time to be in LA, feeling so far from home.  I threw a little Christmas party last week, taking full advantage of an otherwise empty apartment to tidy the lounge room up a bit and give the kitchen a workout.  I had a glorious time trying out various recipes for the first time; largely successful (well, no outright failures) but a couple I know I'll do better next time.  Bridgette's ginger caramel slice was delicious but my tin was a bit too big so it was spread a little thin.  I think it will be thicker and more sumptuous next time made in a smaller tin.  I pulled a red velvet cupcake recipe off the internet (thanks to the Food network); it's for 24 cupcakes, more than I needed, so I halved it.  I was then so bold as to guestimate replacing vegetable oil with melted butter and blithely dispensed with the dash of vinegar altogether.  The cupcakes turned out just fine, but not as moist and well, velvety, as I had hoped; serves me right for not following the recipe to the letter at least once before fiddling with it.  That being said, they all got eaten (being smothered in cream cheese icing didn't hurt either).  From Donna Hay's delightfully titled No Time to Cook book, I made lamb, feta and mint meatballs in tomato sauce (delish); potato, parsnip and rosemary rosti (can't go wrong with crispy spuds); and chickpea, cumin and coriander patties served with tzatziki (yummy).  I also made a very rich chocolate cake (made with almond meal and sour cream) smothered in chocolate ganache.  Heavenly.  This recipe was torn out of a Sunday Age magazine when I was in Melbourne in November, and it's author (forgive me, I've forgotten his name and I'm tucked into bed at this moment with no intention of jumping up and digging out the recipe just to check) notes that the cake tastes even better the next day.  He's right. The party was very convivial and attended by an assortment of friends from different worlds; acting, non-acting, neighbours.

Christmas Eve I spent with Jamie and Amber who have become good friends over the past year, and are excellent, generous and jovial hosts.  Amber cooks up a storm and we trade foodie stories, tips and recipes with each other, and witticisms with Jamie.  On Christmas Day my new housemate, Hannah, arrived from Australia.  With a shortage of good housemate material in LA, Nicole and I resorted to an imported item.  Hannah is delightful; we had a pretty chilled out day as she braved jetlag to see the day through.  On Boxing Day (although it's not called that here) we hung out with Laura, another actor friend who is from the UK and had the glums.  It's easy to get the glums when you're far from home and the people you love at this time of year, I'm certainly no stranger to them (the glums, not the lovely people).  Anyway, we had a cheery time with wine, pizza, and Christmas party leftovers.

CC and Hannah, NYE

I've been off work this week so I've been writing, sleeping in, and getting to the gym.  I also baked some yummy banana and choc chip muffins, just for the hell of it, and have been able to help Hannah out a bit by driving her around to buy a bed and apply for her social security number.  Back to work next week, for which my bank balance will be grateful.

New Year's Eve rolled around and I spent the evening with Alex and James at two parties.  The first was a house party, an intimate affair with a few people, and several sets of novelty ears.

CC, Alex and novelty ears

We then drove downtown to a loft party hosted by a friend of a friend.  This was way cool; not your typical LA bleach blonde'n'botox crowd.  A live band played the kind of latin-fusion music to which you can't help but wiggle your hips and tap your toes, several couples were salsa dancing with style, and everyone seemed friendly and happy.  It was a predominantly latino crowd, and with my skyscraper Hollywood heels on, I had the unusual experience of being able to see over most people's heads.  Here we saw the clock tick midnight. 

CC, Alex & James at the loft party: low light, phone camera, but captures the mood

It's 1/1/11; a cold but sunny day in Los Angeles.  I'm up, breakfasted and caffeinated, but still in my PJs.  I don't know what you've got in store for me, 2011, but I look forward to finding out and I have some plans for you, too.