2013: new game, new luck

So, 2012 is done, 2013 has just started.
I have done my little recap of 2012 and this is the result:

- 42 Royal Ballet performances
- 4 Royal Ballet Final Dress Rehearsals
- 7 Royal Ballet In Rehearsal
- 2 Royal Ballet in Class
- 4 Ballet Association Talks
- 1 Draft Work in the Linbury
- 3 Royal Ballet Insights
- 3 In Conversation with...
- 1 Royal Ballet Cinecast
- 2 Royal Ballet School (Ursula Moreton Choreo Award & Year End Matinee)
- 2 LAMDA Performances
- 1 Birmingham Royal Ballet
- 1 New York City Ballet (in New York)
- 2 Kylie Concerts (1 London, 1 Abu Dhabi)
- 1 crappy Moscow City Ballet (in Abu Dhabi)

I think, this is a pretty good outcome, considering that the Royal Ballet season finished half way through July and I was rather busy covering 2 jobs from May to August.
And I then moved to Abu Dhabi.

Yes, it's been 5 months today since my arrival in the UAE.  5 months and counting.  Counting down the months to re-home back to the West.  My recent mood was one of resignation.  

But, I do like my job and the firm and am totally committed to both.  However, I don't think this little German Anglophile girl is really the right fit for an Arab country.

I miss my friends (in UK and Germany), miss being close to my family, miss London and its varied offerings (I love that city as much as it can drive me nuts).  Yes, I am homesick and not ashamed to say so.

Being with my friends and family for Christmas did not make it any easier to come back to Abu Dhabi.  Do you see that I'm not saying back home, but back to Abu Dhabi?  And that's coming from the girl claiming she's got several homes:  birth-home (and parents' home) Hannover, best-friends-always-feeling-welcome-home Frankfurt and of course my "spiritual" home London.
Anyway, I am happy to report (mostly for my own benefit) that my spirits are slowly moving up again.

Next week Manu comes visiting for a long weekend.  Whoop whoop!
I miss her!  She's my best friend, travel buddy, honest critic and great motivator.  Oh, how much have we already laughed together, if laughter really prolongs one's life we'll live up to 164.  I wish everyone to have a person in their life who understands you without words, finish each other's sentences, have the same values although not always the same opinion and deeply appreciate one-another.  I'd marry her in an instant (if we were inclined in that direction in any way).


And then...  The week after...         

               
I'll be flying to London for a long weekend.  3 days in London, 3 Royal Ballet events.  Is that efficient or what?  The original reason for this trip was Marianela Nuñez making her début as Tatiana in Onegin, dancing with her husband Thiago Soares (my favourite Royal Ballet couple) at the Saturday Matinée.  Then I saw that on Friday night Laura Morera and Federico Bonelli are cast for Onegin, with the added bonus of the wonderful Gary Avis, so I got a ticket for that performance too.  And last but definitely not least I managed to snatch a ticket for Thursday night's Royal Ballet in Rehearsal in the Clore Studio.  It is always such a privilege to be sitting so closely to watch dancers being coached/rehearsed.  Oh, and not to forget "Bodies in Motion", the Royal Ballet Dancer's photo exhibition which happens to be on exactly the weekend I am visiting London.
I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to this trip: Catching up with my lovely UK friends, seeing the Royal Ballet and possibly even squeezing some shopping in  ;-)

2 splendid weekends to look forward to!
I'll report back!