blogulia

Cilantro and Kettle Corn

2010-03-07T23:24:18Z

Do the same people who like Cilantro also like Kettle Corn?

Megaphone

2009-11-06T04:22:39Z

Free Comps for T.I.C!

2008-12-29T22:37:38Z

If you want to come see the show I'm working on I have 8 free comps for previews-Jan 2-4 and 2 free comps for opening-Jan 5th!

Let me know!

Yelp Page: http://www.yelp.com/events/san-francisco-t-i-c-trenchcoat-in-common

What's a Winkle?

2008-08-24T09:21:26Z

I took the train from London to Canterbury on Friday afternoon. The town itself is very cute and quite posh. It's surrounded by a city wall on some sides with "Gates" in the four directions. I felt a bit like I was entering into Lucca as a walked along the wall edge from the East Train Station.

The Cathedral is beautiful, from the outside, towering over the city as a beautiful centerpiece. In one of the subways that crosses into the City Center is a mural of the Canterbury Tales, which is a nice touch.

I rented a cute pink mountain bike from my hostel yesterday and rode along the "Crab and Winkle Way" to the Seaside town of Whitstable. Half way on the lovely scenic route through forests and wheat fields I suddenly thought out loud, "What's a Winkle?" After a bit of research is seems like Crab and Winkle are nicknames for the two towns that the trail leads to, and a Crab and Winkle Railway used to run through the route. How disappointing. Just like puzzling over the name origin of the city of Sandwich with Sarah-Jane and David and having the internet cop out on me just as I found a scanned original document on the subject.

The ride was nice, 7 miles each way and then a big plate of fish and chips and a Raspberry Wheat Beer from the Whitstable Brewery, and a stroll along the narrow high street packed with adorable old shops and a stroll along the crowded seaside, full of Bank Holiday goers.

London London

2008-08-22T09:46:16Z

I arrived in London at 7am on the sleeper from Glasgow. It was quite nice to take the sleeper. I had a little top bunk with bunkles coming down, you know, so I don't roll off or something, with clean with sheets and duvet and a little breakfast box at our 6:30 wake up call.

I went straight to Mel's place in Finsbury park before she left for work and I was very happy to see her and her roommate Pilar. I felt a bit like I was coming home because I had a great time staying with them back in April.

After a nice bath to clean off all my hostel and Glasgow grease I headed down to Central London and watched some of the Olympics which were playing on a big screen in Trafalgar Square.

I walked from there down along SouthBank and got a standing seat for "The Merry Wives of Windsor" at the Globe Theatre. It was a fantastic production, great acting, lovely music, and it was fun to see the whole to-do with the busk basket. I think it may be one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. Just antic after antic. I found a spot along a raised platform that ran through the audience like a runway entrance for all the actors, so I had a place to lean my arms and had to jump out of the way as actors came clammering past.

Yesterday I spent the day with Sarah Jane and her little 6 month old, Declan. We sat in Clapham Common and frequented a few posh little cafes. At around 4pm we went to go look at a new flat, since they are under pressure to move out of their current flat. I had a go at feeding Declan his mushed courgette and carrots, but he was quite fussy. David came home from work we cooked up a Jamie Oliver risotto recipe and caught up. It was great to get a chance to see them since I have no idea when I'll be able to visit London again.

I like Glasgow in the Springtime

2008-08-19T16:47:33Z

I went down for breakfast at my hostel and watched some of the cycling races in the velodrome, good stuff, I could have sat there all day, but I had to check out by 11am.

It was sunny today! How strange, Glasgow and sun. It almost doesn't make sense. I walked by the dirty river and then up to the necropolis which was quite lovely but a little bit derelict and got a gorgeous view of the ugly city. I popped into St. Mungo's museum and saw an exhibit about Iraqi's refugees which made me cry.

I headed down to the city center and had a sandwich in the square near the Modern Art Museum and then walked through the museum, which was small and lovely and focused entirely on Glaswegian artists and had an exhibit where they had put down a black and white striped linoleum floor in this huge room.

http://www.list.co.uk/article/7933-jim-lambie-forever-changes/

I then headed to the West End and to the Botanical Gardens but after a few minutes I could hear the rolling thunder and I ditched out just as the rain was starting.

What day is it?

2008-08-18T16:07:45Z

I got a bit confused and I'm actually going down to London tomorrow night, so tonight I'll be staying in Glasgow. And tomorrow I'll go check out some of the sites and hit up all the free museums.

Free Range Farm Paradise

2008-08-17T22:53:57Z

I spent one night on Iona. It was like one big free range farm-pastures full of grazing sheep-it seems idyllic-but one day those sheep become food.

The hostel I stayed at was nestled down at the end of the road to the north of th island. I kept walking and walking and kept walking with my heavy pack and finally reached a sign for the hostel and when I hit a farm house there was a "wee gate" that lead even further down through a meadow until I reached the hostel entry way to put down my pack.

I was too early to check in so I walked back through the sheep pastures to a perfect white beach and fell asleep in the sand.

Giant Balls

2008-08-15T19:56:15Z

From Glasgow I headed to Oban. When I got off the train I almost immediately hoped on a boat ride to a seal colony. I wasn't sure if I should get on but the boat guy said, "It's better than a Caribbean cruise!" And I was sold. It was just me and some families with little kids, but the weather was beautiful, the water a glittering green, the seals are so cute and we also went past a salmon farm and I could see them spasmodically leaping out of the water.

After a "dark hot chocolate" I dropped my stuff off at the hostel, and walked up to McCaig's tower and took some photos and then to the other side of town to hike up another peak, I took off my boots and had the view of the sunset all to myself.

The next day I took a ferry to Iona and hiked for 30 minutes to my hostel which was nestled between sheep farms with a view of a secluded beach. On the way there I saw a few young boys herding sheep with a tractor and I watched wide eyes and this sheep with what looked like a still born baby hanging out of it's womb. I was horrified and wondering when the farmers would notice. Then I realized that it wasn't a still born sheep. It was a set of Giant Sheep Balls!

Iona is absolutely beautiful-magical even. I will write more later.

St. Andrew's Market

2008-08-12T09:19:42Z

After a day in Inverness walking to along the river to the Ness Islands, we headed down and over to St. Andrews. It was a bit of a difficult journey but it was made worth it by finding a private viewing area to watch the sunset over the deep blue sea glimmering with gold and silver like it the sun and moon were shining at the same time.

It's market season, which means that the main streets of the town were taken up with horrific tacky fun fair rides, but which made the rest of the city peaceful and quiet for us foreign tourists.

Today I may head off on my own. I have been told that the Isle of Mull is the place to go, but I may either stop off at Stirling or Glasgow for a night to figure out ferry schedules and accomodation.

Global Warming makes me want to fall asleep

2008-08-09T20:32:52Z

We had our closing show today. We never managed to get big audiences. I would love to come back to the Fringe with all the knowledge I have gained about marketing a show and the kind of shows that do well here. The words MODERN combined with DANCE appear to send people running. I have seen a few terrible plays, one today about Global Warming, but most of the shows I've seen have been quite good and inspiring. I think I'd like to do some writing and creating of my own.

Tomorrow I and two other dancers are heading up to Inverness. I'll travel around there for a bit, maybe head to the Isle of Skye and then I'll go down to London sometime early next week for a few days and then back to Edinburgh.

Bloody Summer Rain

2008-08-07T10:57:54Z

The idea of summer rain sounds so sexy and cool to me. Sitting on a porch in the heat, watching the rain tumble down, running to meet my lover in the middle of the storm.

It's been pouring rain here for the last few days. Cold rain that blows in all directions. Now I don't feel so silly for packing boots, a raincoat and buying an umbrella back at SFO. The travel blow dryer I brought has even come in handy for drying off my soaked jeans. For once all the unnecessary shit I like cart with me everywhere is actually useful.

I had this desire to stay here for the rest of my time, but I guess I don't really want to relive my California winter while in Scotland.

Sarah-Jane has graciously invited me to stay for a few days in London, so I'm heading South and I may end up in St. Ives...

Eventually I have to head back to Edinburgh to fly home. If you have any suggestions on places to stop on the way, let me know.

Glue and Paper Guillotines

2008-08-05T18:00:20Z

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is like nothing I have ever experienced. Every day a booklet is printed with all the shows that will be playing in each time slot and it's like searching through the class listings at UC Santa Cruz. At least 10 shows are playing starting every 15 minutes from 10 in the morning until 12:30 at night. I almost (knock on wood) almost wish I wasn't in a show myself so I would have the whole day free just to sit and see show after show after show after show.

My first day here I saw four shows and since then I've only been managing about one or two. I've seen everything from a show where you learn how to play the Ukulele, a Scottish drama about cocaine and homicide and Shakespeare meets an Ipod. There's some absolutely amazing stuff and there's some absolute crap. It's fantastic! The best thing is that being a performer I get standby comps to all the shows in my venue, which may be hundreds.

***

On our off time my company and I have been working round the clock pasting our venue information on our flyers. There was a mess up with the printers and somehow that crucial information didn't make it on. So we take turns cutting the labels with the paper guillotine in the venue office and then go home and sit at our kitchen table dabbing on glue with kiddie gluesticks and pasting away! Hurray!

Did I mention there are 5,000 postcards? One of the other dancers pasted the very first one and I looked at her and said, "Only 4,999 to go." And sadly, she thought I was joking.

***

The show is going alright. We're getting bigger audiences then in the first few days. For one performance we had one audience member. He smiled the whole time and seemed to really enjoy himself though. We got a crap review. But audiences on the whole seem to like it. No one likes "Insects" though, which unfortunately, is the first piece of the show. 5 people left after it yesterday. A girl came up to me in the venue bar and said she really enjoyed the show it, "except for the first bit."

Flyers Fliers

2008-08-02T20:56:10Z

All the dancers arrived by Thursday afternoon, and when everyone else went to sleep, I stayed up late putting a video trailer together for the show, which I have yet to finish. At 1:30am we all headed over to our theater for the first time for a late night tech and stayed until the sun came up.

Quickie

2008-07-30T11:15:07Z

I arrived in Edinburgh last night after a very lovely four days in NY with Caitlin and Michael. I have 3 mins left on this computer so I'll make this short. I am staying at a really cute old house up on Calton Hill. To get to the apt I have to go up three flights of winding concrete stairs. It has an old fashioned bathroom with a big footed bathtub. I'm the first one to arrive, so it's been me and the choreographer hanging out. Everyone else arrives by tomorrow and then we will have a 2am tech.

Bye!

Please Release Me

2008-07-04T07:47:41Z

Doves at Roslin
Originally uploaded by Princess_Jul

it crumbles around me
i hold so tightly
destruction is inevitable

controlled
i hold tight
squeezing, crushing

only shattered pieces
unrecognizable
jagged stones

only i can piece them together
i hold them
turn them over and over

mourning
i hold tighter
crush them into powder

dip them in water
and paint the picture
smeared

i lie in muddy memories
i hold my face to the ground
lick the past

it tastes bitter
i hold it in my mouth
and refuse to swallow

Muted

2008-07-02T19:46:16Z

I went to the doctor yesterday and was given the prognosis that I have laryngitis. It's been almost like an interesting experiment, as if it's a brilliant acting exercise I decided to give a go.

I went to the movies on Monday and wrote down what I wanted to see on a piece of paper. The girl at the counter asked if I wanted to see the 7:55pm show and I nodded yes, then she made a mistake and had to refund some money back to my credit card and started raising her voice and talking really slowly like I was deaf.

Everyone I've been interacting with has felt the need to start whispering when I talk to them because that's about all I can get out. The world is growing quiet around me.

I feel like just staying in bed all day and watching movies and listening to love songs. I don't know why love songs. A way to add to the torture and frustration I'm currently experiencing.

I could be more productive, I could read, write, look for monologues, do some art, dance, but I feel like wallowing. I should be on vacation but instead I'm mourning. Mourning for my voice, for the endings of work and of my recently finished play. I don't do well with endings, I have a hard time leaving my past behind. I dwell and dwell and dwell until it hurts so much that I can't remember the reasons I started to dwell.

Kensal Rise in the snow

2007-12-05T08:11:40Z

Kensal Rise in the snow
Originally uploaded by Princess_Jul

I miss London in the winter! This is a photo of the next street over from where I lived, but the row houses are just about the same.

Headshots

2007-10-26T18:05:26Z

I realize that this is extremely self indulgent, but I just had my first professional Headshots taken and I need some help picking out the best of the bunch.

So if you have a minute check out this website:

http://www.montgomeryphoto.net/julia/

The ones I like the best are: 34, 37, 38, 39, 41, 55, & 135

Secondary: 36, 42, 47, 90, 93, 127, 129, 132

I had a really good time getting my headshots done. Basically it was an afternoon of hiking around the Presidio on a gorgeous day and having my photo taken. It felt very self-indulgent and wonderful.

Beautiful!

2007-10-02T07:25:17Z

You may recall me crying and renouncing my devotion to the field of acting. You may have heard me yell something along the lines of "As God as my witness I will never go to another audition again!"

And I believed it at the time, I couldn't stand the rejection, but I think I've realized I can survive rejection. I have a new philosophy, it's called worst case scenario. If I'm afraid to take a chance, I think about the worst possible thing that can happen, and if I feel like I can live with the consequences, then I go for it.

Well, as with most things in my life, I have mourned my loses, licked my wounds, complained a lot and now I'm ready to jump back in. I already had a little warm-up audition for a staged reading, and it felt really good, so I think I want to try some more. I'm even going to spring for some new Headshots and maybe even a haircut.

And dance, I want to start taking classes, maybe go to some auditions. I'm just getting the movement and performance bug. I'm starting to feel some clarity.

Actually my new declaration is: "As god as my witness I will never design costumes again!" Oy, it's a never ending process, I just want this one costume gig to end and I will try to stay as far away as possible.

Go to the Fringe!

2007-08-31T18:55:37Z

http://www.edfringe.com/story.html?id=341&area_id=27

Help Save the Sweetwater!

2007-08-16T00:17:10Z

Tucked away in the heart of Mill Valley, the Sweetwater music club has been the premier live music location in the North Bay. Hosting both nationally and internationally known acts, the Sweetwater has been a pillar in the San Francisco Bay Area music scene for over 30 years. Bonnie Raitt, John Lee Hooker, John Hiatt, Dave Grisman, Ben Harper, Dave Matthews, John Hammond, Elvis Costello and Train are just a few of the thousands who have graced the stage at the Sweetwater. This place is history right here in the San Francisco Bay.

On August 5, 2007 it was made public that the Aversa family (owners of the building) is forcing the Sweetwater (business owners) out of the current building and is planning for pending 'repairs'. The current rent payments far exceed local property values and the Aversa family plans to raise rent by an unheard of amount, although at this point the conversation is not even open to allow the Sweetwater to move back into the building no matter what the rent is. We need your help in raising positive awareness that the Sweetwater is worth saving %u2013 for music, for the merchants and residents of Mill Valley, and for the culture of the Bay Area. By signing this petition you are using your voice to show support for this community doing what needs to be done to keep this piece of music history right where it is.

Please show your positive support for the Sweetwater by signing this petition now. Forward it to everyone you know. We need you. This only takes a few minutes and it is so important.

To Sign the Petition Visit:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/savethesweetwater

It's Official

2007-08-15T17:20:29Z

After three months of waiting, and a pretty clumsy interview, I have learned that I did not get the job to go back to England.

I'm actually pretty satisfied, because the last few days I've been feeling like I can't handle another big transition like that.

So I'm happily here to stay!

Vote in 2008!

2007-08-02T08:06:39Z

It's extremely important that our generation votes in the 2008 Presidential election and all elections for that matter. I hope this gets you excited about our future president!

For practice, vote on my blog, it's fun!

Queen's Park Picnic

2007-07-19T07:22:15Z

Queen's Park Picnic
Originally uploaded by Princess_Jul

I went to see Sicko today and I was really moved by the stories of all the individuals interviewed by Michael Moore. I have always been in favor of socialized health care and I would love for the Health Care systems in the US to move towards Universal Health Care rather than through Insurance companies; so I was an easy sell for Mr. Moore.

The film was a bit like a delicious farce. Combining sad tales of the terrors and debauchery of health coverage in the US, with ridiculous field trips which Moore takes to Canada, London and Paris, and is made fun of by the locals.

Two patients at the hospital laughed at him when he asked if they had to pay for health coverage and their reply was a haughty, "No, this isn't America." It made me sad and ashamed of this country and ready to go back London.

In honor (or should I say honour) of London here is a picture of my friends and family enjoying a lovely spring picnic.