Hi Everyone,
I hope everyone is going well - I'm home in 2 weeks time so I hope I can catch up with most you when I get home - can't wait!
The past month has continued to be busy, but really fun! Where to start????
I think last time I wrote, I was just getting to Argentina, so that's as good a place as any...
The week went really well. I spent time in the Buenos Aires office and three days out at Merlo (50 mins from the city) at the factory. I was there for training that was being run by an external consultant, except said consultant had an issue (that's another story entirely....) and after finding this out at 8pm the night before, I ended up having to deliver the training. Add to that, I turned up at the training and the consultant had printed the wrong materials!!!... Not happy, Jan! ... I just wanted to use that saying in here, because I can't use it in the US, noone has a bloody idea what I'm saying - not even my fellow Aussie colleagues because they haven't been in Aus for the past 10 years - feel so good to say, well write it!
Enough about work - as usual, busy and crazy, but nevertheless enjoyable.
Well, here's the most exciting news of all - that week on 26 July little Jackson Brown was born into the world - 3 weeks early, he arrived safely and he and Renee are doing beautifully. He and I are regularly skyping, well via Renee anyway, so I'm lucky I get to see his gorgeous face. I can't wait to have a hold of the little man soon.
That weekend, on a high as a new aunty, I went with Teena, Matt and Judy to see the Sydney Theatre Company's "Uncle Vanya" - it was an Aussie star packed cast with Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Richard Roxburgh (from one of my fave shows Rake) and Jackie Weaver. I will just say it was very 'interesting' - a Russian play performed by Australians. We were in the nose bleed section of the theatre so it was tough to see, but it was so funny to hear true ochre Aussie accents - I was even struggling to understand some of what was being said, I can't imagine what the American audience was going through. Afterwards Judy and I hung out by the stage show and managed to see Cate Blanchett - she wasn't up for photos with people as it was starting to rain, so this is the best we could get (that's me with the blue necklace on).
That week I then went off to Mexico City for the week - I was working with Jimena from my team (little fact #1 - in Spanish J, has the sound of a "H", therefore Jimena sounds like Himena. In emails, instead of people showing laughter with Ha ha ha, in Latin America they send you Ja ja ja - so cute!). Anyway, during that week I discovered through MTV that Metallica was playing 8 shows(!) in Mexico City with a few being on that week (little fact #2 - in the 80's international music acts were banned in Mexico, and when the ban was lifted Metallica was the first hard rock band that came, and they told all other bands to come, so Mexicans are huge, huge Metallica fans - this tour was a commemerative tour for Metallica to say thank you to their Mexican fans). So, I made mention it to Jimena in the office and she said, "Yeah, me and my husband are gong to 3 shows" (fact proven...their friends were picking on them because they were only going to 3 shows!)... I made comment how cool it would be to go, but the shows were sold out - thought nothing else of it. Anyway, later that night I get a text from Jime, who said her husband, Ignacio (nickname Naco - pronounced Nacho) managed to get me a ticket through putting out a call on Twitter (little fact #3... Mexicans are huge social networkers. 95% of people with internet have a facebook account and there are over 4 million twitter users - put it this way, the network at PM goes super slow after lunch in Mexico because they all get on facebook). So, the next night, dressed of course in all black, off we went to an old bull fighting ring to see Metallica. Mexicans are hard core fans - we were in General Admission (i.e. on the floor) and it is the done thing in Mexico to throw cups of beer everywhere. Luckily I only got hit one and 1/2 times, but needless to say I didn't wear that outfit to the office the next day. It was pretty cool, I officially got to do the Mexican Wave in Mexico, and everyone sings in Mexico "Ole, ole, ole, Me-tal-lica; ole, ole, ole, Me-tal-lica...". The show was really good, insanely loud and full of lots of cool effects. Here's some pics
check out the litre cups of beer (yes, I did only have one as it was a school night, and they only served light corona to keep the crowd under control)...
So, home from Mexico on Friday. Judy, Edward and I managed to catch up and upon Edward's request we made our way to Little Korea to try a little Karaoke. We had our own private disco room - classy joint as you can see below...
We spent 2 hours singing away. I managed to get in Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler - pretty good performance I must say.... not sure Judy and Edward would say the same.
I also caught up with Broadway friend Lindsay to watch her husband Chris play a gig. He's just written some solo stuff so was testing it out. He played at Rockwood's in SoHo - this great little place which has three separate rooms where people play 1 hour sets of their music one after the other. His show was really great (sorry, I couldn't get the pic to go the right way...).
This is Lindsay and Chris...
Afterwards, we watched a bit of the next performer, but his music was a bit snoozy so we went to another bar and what do you know, it was karaoke night! This time, instead of singing to recorded music, you sing with a live band! Pretty cool for a frustrated rock star like me. The bad thing though was I was there with a singer and a broadway star, and anyone who has had the pleasure of hearing me sing knows that as a singer, I make a pretty good HR person - however, never to shy away from the microphone I managed to sing a bit of "The Sign" by Ace of Base - an old fave from the 90s.
More on the music theme, tonight I am going to see Kasey Chambers who is playing in NY! I'm going with a fellow colleague from work - Yaelle who is also here on international from Switzerland. Her friend's in town with her, so the three of us should have fun.
Finishing on something much more trivial, I had to share an experience from this week. I caught the subway this week and I just had to share this photo with you (sorry again for sideways again) ....
.. if you can't tell, I'm sweating my onions off (and forgive the pose - I was trying to cool myself down) - I seriously had sweat dripping off me and when I got up a giant sweat patch on my back! (Little fact #4 - the subway stinks in summer!!! It's horrible and hot, no not just hot, boiling!... but apparently according to a lady sitting near me much better now than the 80's where it was really bad.... Not possible!)
Anyway, can't wait to see most of you when I'm back.
Have fun and speak soon :)
Michele
