Sunday 23rd of November 2003
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I was feeling a little despondent. Work prospects seemed to have stalled (NYFA aren’t hiring until March, apparently), I had to borrow some money, I was coming down with a cold – but then things started to improve. Firstly, after six weeks of not laying eyes on anyone I’d known for longer than six weeks, I bumped into Ruairi O’Brien, known from college, in the middle of Times Square. This was exceedingly unlikely. He was in New York for twenty-four hours on a job, and was just taking a walk outside his hotel to kill a couple of hours before his return flight. Ruairi lives just around the corner from my old flat in Rathmines, so I’ve often bumped into him on the street, but this was just silly.
I was with Santhi (we’d just been to an industry screening of Euro Trip, about which I feel honour bound to remain silent) and we were on our way to meet Liza, so we all went for coffee. I still can’t get over how unsurprised Ruairi was, as if meeting accidentally in city of eight million people was perfectly normal. It was nice to see a friendly face, or more to the point, a familiar friendly face.
Then I got into the Poker game after all – a seat opened up at the last minute. I lost again ($19), but I got a fairly concrete job offer – just on a short or two, not very well paid. But it’s in C5. I learned long ago not to assume you actually have a job until you’ve been working for a week, but it’s a ray of hope. And it’s real, too – I was actually given tapes to watch (gasp!)
I’m posting less, but this isn’t because I’ve stopped doing things, just that I’ve stopped doing things for the first time quite so much. Inevitable, really. In the last week or so I’ve been to a small open mic gig in a back room of a pub, a burlesque show at the Galapogos, a club with no sign outside called Nublu, an exhibition of Wim Wenders’ photography, the Met (lots of art. I really mean it. Lots.) and various random bars I can’t even call to mind. I’ve met a Broadway actress, the guy who plays bass in Cabaret, who gave me a detailed account of the union situation with musicians in Broadway shows and film scoring work in New York, the guy who runs this company, with whom I had a long and detailed chat about everything except work, some English bankers, a sommelier, an employee of the UN, a t-shirt designer… The list goes on. Any despondency I feel is not due to New York treating me badly, it’s fear of possibly having to leave. And I do have a bit of a cough, but it’s nowhere near as debilitating as the Great October Illness. It looks like I’m going to spend Thanksgiving with a friend of Marilyn’s who’s throwing a large, traditional dinner. Should be fun.
Comment ID: 1209
At 3:06 pm on Monday 24th of November 2003, Nigel discoursedI had a similar experience in Piccadilly Circus a few months ago. I think I was similarly unsurprised too!
Good news on the job. What’s the Chinese proverb about long journeys beginning with a single step?
Comment ID: 1210
At 4:42 pm on Monday 24th of November 2003, ivan opinedYour last Blog entry, though lacking in spirit contains much hope.
My thoughts are with you in the most patronising way possible.
Much love bitch, we out
Comment ID: 1211
At 3:25 pm on Tuesday 25th of November 2003, eleanor statedI can’t find you on that New York blogger thing. There are some very wierd people out there.
Glad to hear things are picking up, especially as Kate, Ellen and I are planning a shopping trip down your way sometime next year.
Comment ID: 1212
At 5:15 pm on Tuesday 25th of November 2003, Anthony decided it was worth pointing outYeah, I applied, but they haven’t updated the site since then. And didn’t you have something to say about my car?