He was in the habit of taking things for granted (granted... there wasn't much for him to take...)

I can't believe I graduated high school. Every so often it hits me. I keep realizing that I am never going back there as a student. It is really a scary feeling, but I like it.

Anyhow, despite my promises, I haven't blogged since October. Maybe I'll post more often (being serious now) if I see that the interest is there. :-)

So much has happened. I went to my last day of school here in Germany. It was bittersweet. I didn't like going to school... because it was school all over again. High school graduates are way too grown-up for that stuff. Duh. However, the kids were all really nice and I had a good time with them.

I haven't hung out with kids my age in a while. It's a problem. I am working on fixing it. It's difficult; much harder than it sounds. Say a prayer for me when you get the chance.

I started my internship at the Staatstheater in a city not far from me called Darmstadt. It receives loads of money from the local state government; about 80% of the overall budget. Some state-funded theaters receive a little more or a little less, depending on how many tickets they can sell, their needs and the quality. I intern in the music dramaturgy department. The main idea here is to research the opera, musical theater, and orchestral works that will be performed. This information is presented to the public, is used in deciding what will actually be put on and which arrangements will be bought. The department is also responsible for several publications, namely the Theater's montly newspaper pages, performance programs, the season booklet, and the so called "leporelli" which are a monthly look at what is happening. The actors, opera singers, chorus members, dancers and instrumentalists are all employees of the theater. The huge building stores the sets needed for the several operas, plays and other pieces that are performed periodically throughout the season. The "Big House" is used for operas, musicals, and large orchestra concerts, while the "Small House" is usually for dance and smaller theater works. An actor will most likely be in several running shows; for example, some of the actors in Die Fledermaus, which premiered on Saturday, performed on Friday night in Turandot. Same stage, some of the same actors, different sets.

It isn't the Met or anything, but the actors I've seen so far are all very, very good. Visiting their rehearsals several times a week is the next best thing to being on stage and performing. I really feel like I am learning so much, even if I don't decide to study theater at all and remain amateur forever.

I have decided that my first semester at whatever college I go to will be as a major away from the performance realm. Not being in the U.S. and not returning until June means that I couldn't audition anyway... and a recorded audition would be ridiculous. I will then audition for the Spring semester, against the colleges' advice. To top it all off, I will then double major, running my brain into the ground... or coming out on top successfully, with ALL of the career possibilities I've always wanted, both performance and business/marketing/multi-lingual fun.

The weather here is cold. We had a little warm up this week, but the high never got about 60° I would assume.

I am going to visit Felix and the other Germans in Mönchengladbach in about two weeks. A weekend with friends will do me really good. The train company here offered a special deal, 20 Euro to travel anywhere in Germany, as long as you travel between now and the end of November. If you miss the train, you're shit out of luck. Ryan and I jumped on that, and we'll be visiting our old exchange students. It promises to be a very good time.

The theater's orchestra office has lent me a temporary replacement oboe until I come up with a more permanent solution to the fact that one is missing in my life. It could be a lot worse... but it could be a lot better as well. Part of it is that my lips are just bent out of shape. It'll take the rest of this month, practicing a few hours everyday until I am back where I was in May. Thereafter, I can finally advance.

The only thing about Thanksgiving I will miss is family. Don't cry for me Argentina. I hate turkey, stuffing, the cranberry jello-esque lumps, sweet potatoes and pie (especially pumpkin pie *shudder*). 'My God! How can you not like any of those things?!' is usually the question I hear from anyone to whom I tell this fact. I don't know. All of those foods bore me.

I am reading HP3. It is good. I used to hate it when I was little. I am realizing it is at par with the awesomeness of the other HP literature.

I think that's it for now. Comment if the spirit moves you. The time has come to watch more crazy German television.