George Filev RSS Feed

You gotta ring those bells

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2009-10-01T22:19:23+10:00

We are working up the poles but this time we have to play a score specifically composed for the show by Graeme Leak. ...Seeing that we now need to be musicians as well as acrobats it is only fitting that our conductor (Timothy Phillips), is up a pole. ...As for the setting for the show, it is in a special place called Birrarung Marr in the city of Melbourne, Australia and placed between the Federation Bells. We are performing as part of the official opening of the Melbourne International Arts Festival and if you are in town, I suggest you get along and check it out as it's going to be GROUSE! ...If you are feeling game, and I know many of you tallented individuals would enjoy being a part of the action, you too can be in the show. ...Strange Fruit will be performing Ringing The Changes at the Melbourne International Arts Festival, and they have a part for you – playing a couple of brief tin can interruptions to a piece composed by world renowned composer Graeme Leak, to be played on the Federation Bells at Birrarung Marr.

Turkmen of the Caspian

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2009-06-18T23:14:58+10:00

Since President Kurbanguly Berdymukamedov took over the running of the country, it is working towards becoming a major tourist resort on the Caspian Sea. ...Here is what it will look like with the man made river that will snake its way through the area. ...He is there to greet you on the way in from the airport, in front of the huge gas and oil refineries that Turkmenistan's wealth comes from....does it remind you of anywhere (Dubai perhaps)? ...A tram ride to Taksim, free for those brave enough to tram surf on the back and able to ignore a disapproving glance from the ticket seller. ...Lastly I was pleasantly surprised to see that Istanbul Airport is water conservation conscious and in an effort to save water these signs are placed over every toilet. Not sure if there is a "lost in translation" moment happening here but surely if one flush does the job, a second flush is unnecessary?

Petrograd, Leningrad, St Petersburg.

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2009-06-03T17:15:31+10:00

It was around here that I saw two people taking two baby bears for a walk on leads, I kid you not. ...We were told that if you spent 5 seconds in front of each object, it would take you 11 days to see everything it contained. ...It is best watched with the film makers commentary and it was filmed in one single shot while following a character as he walks through the Hermitage Museum during 90 minutes and historical events are recreated as he enters 33 different rooms. St Petersburg was once a swamp and it was drained to build the city so like other cities that have had their birth the same way, it supports a web of canals. ...All in all, it was a fun gig in a beautiful city and I'd love to visit here again some time. ... The funeral is on Thursday, so I dedicate this blog to the memory of a strong, compassionate and independent woman, Baba Chrisoula and all those other Babushka's out there.

Crocodile Rock

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2009-04-20T11:38:54+10:00

Saw heaps of birds from all over the world that fly from as far away as Russia to breed here and even got to get close to a wild crocodile. ...It left me with a profound appreciation for the aboriginal people that have lived in this wild place for thousands of years. ...Aboriginal people think of the land as their mother or brother so they don't own it, they are part of it and it is part of them. ...When we heard that Litchfield Park had swimming holes we jumped at the chance and I got to have my wish fulfilled. ...We spent that afternoon laying in a crystal clear stream and cooled off with no crocodiles in sight and started to wonder if the danger of crocodile attacks were all hype. We visited Crocosaurus Park, in the centre of Darwin, to see some BIG crocodiles and find out what all the fuss was about.

AS YOU DO

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2009-02-07T00:20:45+11:00

We had a professional photographer take some shots during the dress run and they turned out great. ... "http://www.youtube.com/v/tbUf6oAHPkM&hl=en&fs=1" /> ... "http://www.youtube.com/v/tbUf6oAHPkM&hl=en&fs=1" ...Here is a shot of us promoting the show at Pride March 09. ...Coming up, I have a corporate gig in Adelaide with Strange Fruit on the 15th Feb. ... I am looking forward to getting back up the pole after such a long break.

Hamam Yum

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2008-10-17T12:06:08+11:00

And it also goes some way in explaining why the Kebab store owner made great effort to display this effigy, of the said president, which was printed on a floor matt and attached to a coat stand when we walked in to satiate our appetites. ...I was on my front and some time had passed, and I had finally succumbed to the pain being inflicted by my masseuse, when I heard him yell out something. I thought it must have been some chant and felt the need to respond with what I thought was the same call in my loudest voice. ...I felt a bit the fool when the guy tapped me on the leg and gestured that he was wanting me to turn over so he could torture the remainder of my outer layer of skin. After being soaped up, pummelled, scraped, stretched, manoeuvred, manipulated and thoroughly cleansed, I was escorted into another room where a different gentleman proceeded to dry me and in the process of pulling my ears, sustained cracks out of both sides of my scull like some chiropractor. ...Can’t say it was one of the most serene experiences I’ve had but I did feel relaxed by the end of it all, or was that relieved?

Gaudi, Gaudi and more Gaudi.

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2008-10-12T18:52:25+11:00

You can really see how much of Gaudi’s inspiration for his designs came from observing nature when you get inside and look around. ...The idea behind the park was to be a commercial housing estate but this concept didn’t take off and what is left is a great park with some wonderful architectural features. One of the most popular instalments is a focal point in the park, the main terrace which is flanked with a seating bay in the form of a serpent. ...There is a great big church up there that hosts the Virgin of Montserrat and which is identified by some with the location of the Holy Grail. ...Seeing as the shopping was so good, we decided to head to Sitges, a holiday destination just 30min train ride along the coast. ...Had a blast and got all inspired to build a house after seeing all the beautiful creations but realised you need capital to make things happen.

Alicante

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2008-10-07T18:03:57+11:00

It was Michael’s birthday and I shouted him a trip to Spain so we could celebrate in style. I was performing to help launch the Volvo Ocean Race which started in Alicante, Spain in early October and travels around the world for about 8 months, concluding in St Petersburg, Russia in late June. ...Had a great time wandering around this port town and eating tapas to our hearts content. The weather was hot, as you can tell, up until the second day of performances, when a big storm came in and nearly blew the main stage into the ocean. We had to cancel our show and as we were on hold in the dressing room we had some fun with a site called yearbookyourself.com ...Ok, maybe I shouldn’t be left with too much time on my hands.

Up, Up and Away !

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2008-08-04T07:32:09+10:00

I felt the fillings shake in my teeth and if you didn’t have a back injury before you got on, you would have certainly sustained one after riding it. ...As you know, I am in Bethlehem and you would imagine that people are attracted by the star in the sky but it seems I came here for a different reason. On the day of my first performance here, I managed to stand on uneven ground as I walked out to the poles to perform with my partner in hand and twisted my ankle. I had already performed two shows prior to this one and It was the last show of the day and as I could bear weight on my leg with not too much pain, I decided “The Show Must Go On”. ...This means that it will be the end of this tour for me and I will soon be back on a plane heading home to Melbourne. Looks like I will be in a cast for at least 4 weeks, which will coincidentally be the same time that this tour has left to go.

Windy City of Angels

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2008-07-20T01:16:06+10:00

I have to say the tour guide was a bit rough, not like me when I give a tour at Melbourne Museum. ...My experience then was not a pleasant one, seeing that I was here just before the Rodney King incident and the ensuing L.A. riots. ... This time around I have had a fun time and got to see a lot more of the City of Angels. ...He in fact designed this 5 years prior and it was meant to be in stone but he was happy with it in the end and when you get inside it does have a warm feel to it. ...Had a look at the hand prints in the cement out the front and here are some favourites. ...To have your hand prints in the cement you have to have been in the movie business for at least 5 years and be famous enough to be remembered long after you die.

Ice-cream..... anyone?

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2008-05-27T11:40:14+10:00

Believe it or not, this was part of a dance festival in Guadalajara where we performed as part of the Zapopum Festival of International Arts. ...If you do ever buy a piñata for a party, here is the song that you can sing while hitting the thing and smashing it to smithereens. ...It was as if the wrestling was secondary to the opportunity to freely express themselves vocally at the denigration of another person or group of people in the audience. ...Maybe this is long over due and a side effect of acting like someone else, (for a career), for so many years has made it difficult to stay in touch with who I am? One thing's for sure, in the past month, I feel like I have been to me and it's not such a bad place after all. ...Look after yourselves and find the joy in who you are and what you are doing RIGHT NOW because that is all that matters.

Geysers to Glaciers

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2008-03-23T12:22:13+11:00

Ended up being a lot of fun and we got to see some amazing glow worms on the roof of the caves when we turned our head lights off. ...After a hectic day of sight seeing we spent the evening in a hot thermal pool and it felt like we were there for ages. ...It was decided to rebuild the city from scratch in the style of the time, Art Deco, and within a very short time, only two years, it was the world's newest and most modern city in 1933. ...They even drop you off at the local pub at night and the pub owners drop you back after you have had a satisfying feed and sozzled yourself silly on New Zealand beer. ...I got Michael to do some modeling and I think there is a career in it for him but you be the judge as I am biased after 12 years. ...Back home and hit the ground running with a gig at the Melbourne Museum, where I portray an Ice-Cream seller in Melbourne during the late 1800's.

Monkey Man

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2008-02-21T19:30:47+11:00

If you cut the kernel in half you can see the yellow outer shell that contains the oil that is used in cosmetics, in place of diesel oil and other non edible products. ...It was a great place and displayed a rich history of this country with various conquests by the British, the Portuguese, the Dutch and Sultans from Arabia to mention a few. ...Some of them were decorated quite elaborately and at night time they were lit up with LED lights and loud thumping music spewed out of them as the rode by. ...This is an example of different weddings from different cultures that resided in Melaka from Malay to Chinese to Portuguese and even Chitty weddings! ...It was a magical way to finish off a fun tour and an opportunity to experience some more culinary delights in the way of a seafood lunch in a restaurant on stilts above the river. ...My connection to nature has increased and the more palm plantations causing loss of natural habitat means many of these creatures won't be around for long if this continues.

Happy New Year!

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2008-02-06T17:35:06+11:00

We went on a trip to an elephant sanctuary to look at the elephants and learn about trans-location of problem elephants to protected areas. ...Elephants need a large area of forrest to roam, in order to survive, because the have amazing memories and spend their lives following the same elephant tracks as a herd. ... When a road is made in the forrest, it cuts across the elephant tracks and they need to look for new sources of food. As palm plantations and other industries, like logging, encroach on the forrest, there is less space for the elephants and they run out of food and start to enter villages and plantations to sustain themselves. ...The problem elephants are moved to a protected area of jungle in the hope that they can establish themselves and survive. ... If it doesn't then the elephants may die out and as many symbiotic species depend on the elephants survival, it won't be long before they too die out.

Twin peaks of KL

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2008-01-31T21:18:26+11:00

I am on the ground for most of this season, directing, so it has been great to see the show from outside. ...They are a sacred place for the Hindu's of Malaysia and the Taipusum Festival was just held there. On the eve of Taipusum a procession is organized and the men put metal skewers through their face and hooks in their back and women carry silver jugs full of milk on their heads while climbing the 272 steps to the entrance of the caves. ...It's a shame people don't exercise more often at this sacred site because they seem to find it hard to bend down and pick up their rubbish. ...Imagine that full of 800,000 devotees with hooks in their backs and milk on their heads. ...Ok, the last one was a bit of a joke but believe it or not, this is splashed around town on giant billboards everywhere.

Angels in London town.

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2007-12-25T04:32:09+11:00

For the first time I have realized that the romanticism of Christmas makes sense when you live in a country that has winter over December. It has always felt weird to be eating a full roast dinner on a 40 deg day and why don't we have snow and Mistle toe ?? ...I went to visit here at Buckingham Palace and the flag was up so she was in but I guess she was busy because the front gate was locked. ...Visited the Jewel Tower at Westminster and would you believe I found out how big a Peck is. ...A crack in the ground that looks like it was made by earth movement but in stead the artist has created this amazing void in the middle of the gallery spanning the full length and we don't know how it was done. ...An finally I am debuting a piece of fashion designed by Darren Carmichael for the first time in London.

Life is a circus.

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2007-11-19T12:22:00+11:00

Had a fun day at our friends place watching the running of the Melbourne Cup and the winner was Efficient, in name and in nature. ...To add to that, free Gin and free Cigarettes all night, a hot dog stand, hit the thing with a hammer and make the bell ring and loads of clowning around. ...Maybe they (the Police) had, had enough of drunken loutish behavior from most of the population of Melbourne that day and took out a bit of frustration on a group of people having innocent, harmless fun. ...A couple of days later I was back on a plane and heading to Perth to perform at the Northbridge Festival. We performed two different shows on the same day and the weather was HOT so it was a little taxing but a lot of fun. ...Next month I'm heading to the UK to perform at Covent Garden and it will be great to catch up with old friends.

China Doll !

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2007-11-06T12:29:51+11:00

The skyline has transformed but one thing that has remained is that very few people can speak or understand English. ...On the first night we had Peking Duck from a very famous restaurant that roasted the duck in stone ovens over wood and it was a devine experience. The first place we performed in was near the construction site of the the new China Central Television building and it is shaping up to be a spectacular structure, even if they couldn't get it to stand straight. ...It was such a huge park that they even had little cars to get around in. ...I am off to Perth in three days to perform at a function so best way to get through jetlag is to keep going. Heading straight to a party for the Melbourne Cup this afternoon and drinkies at the Gin Palace tonight for their 10th year anniversary.

High noon at El Rancho

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2007-10-19T10:30:38+10:00

Where else but Mexico are you going to find buildings painted pink, orange with a trim of blue and yet it all works somehow? ...To give you an idea of the place, here is the souvenir shop in the hotel we were staying in. ...We asked for some laborers to assist us with the set up and they arrived with Machetes in hand. ...We were having a great night drinking Tequila and drinking more Tequila and all of a sudden a scuffle broke out between Paul and Kathryn's late Mexican beau. ...You could hear a pin drop, well actually you couldn't hear a pin drop because the band was playing so loud and everyone was coughing up a lung laughing but I have to admit, the lollies tasted good. ...Next month we are off to Beijing where I will be performing in drag as a female synchronized swimmer.

Dogs and Angels.

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2007-09-25T15:01:16+10:00

Angie and Aaron tied the knot and Michael and I were part or the bridal party, party being the operative word for 24 bridesmaids and groomsmen. ...The whole event was a blast from start to finish and as far as couples go, these two beautiful nutters were made for each other. ...It was a sit down dinner for 5500 Woolworths employees and "Ice House" were performing along with 8 of us doing some aerial antics among other things. ...The gig was good fun, even though just before we got up to perform we were advised we should be aware that, preempting our performance, there would be a deployment of very loud and bright firecrackers, an ignition of flame throwers on either side of us (great when you are wrapped in tulle, pig on a spit roast comes to mind), a simultaneous fire works display, bubble machines spewing forth an endless supply of bubbles and thick red billowing smoke effects. Now if that's not bad enough they placed us behind a huge stage and two giant speaker stacks just to make it more difficult to see us. ...It all went spectacularly well in the end and now I am looking forward to next month when I head off to Mexico for the Festival Internacional Tamaulipas.

Foggy days and Sunny beaches.

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2007-08-08T22:57:23+10:00

It is great to see so much interest in reading, not that I got a copy of the book……WHERE’S MY AGENT! I decided we needed to get away from this cold quick smart and kick our heals up on a holiday so Michael and I got on a plane and headed up far north Queensland to Turtle Cove. ...We got up early on the last day to watch the sun rise and it was beautiful and well worth it. It was a great holiday and we met some really nice people from all over the world who come here on holiday. ...The venue is on the Lawns at the Civic Centre, 232 High Street, Melton (mel ref 377 B8) at 12:45pm and 2:45pm and it's free. ...Other than that I am back working at the Melbourne Museum doing some shifts as a Customer Service Officer and don't have anything planned for September but heading off to Mexico and Beijing in October / November.

GO WIF DA FRO.

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2007-07-19T13:57:01+10:00

You never know what kinds of people you will meet on a tour and every place is different. In Denver we were blessed to be looked after by Jim and Lori Taggart from the Cherry Creek Arts Festival and they looked after us like we were family. ...We were performing in Denver at the same time as Cirque Du Soleil were performing Corteo and the lead performer Jeff Raz came and saw our show. ...The last place we performed in was Brooklyn and apparently they transfered all the remains from the WTC site to a warehouse near where we were and they are continuing to sift through remains to identify those lost. ...Here we are after the last show, left to right, Vicki Kromer (Tour Manager), myself (George Filev), Kathryn Jamieson, Paul Bourke, Amelia McQueen and Michael Carr (Production manager). After a tour like this has ended, it is time to party, and the best way to party in NYC is with A Fro !

Reno 911.

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2007-07-04T06:31:19+10:00

The next day we performed in the sun and it was wonderful to see so many people turn out for such a small town. ...Being a University town they were well versed in the arts and for the first time in the companies history we were supplied with a wardrobe mistress (Rebecca), who looked after our costumes by washing, steaming and ironing them. ... ...He runs it with his family and on the first night of our stay we happened, by chance, to meet him while having a drink. ...Witnessed a wedding with the bridal waltz happening in the middle of the street, checked out some casino's and watched a few shows, like the dog show, in Circus Circus. ...Well we are here performing at the Artown Festival of Reno and our first gigs venue is on a delta in the middle of the Truckee River that runs through downtown.

Pitts to bliss in Ann Arbor.

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2007-06-26T09:13:37+10:00

It was pleasant enough and we happened to be in town for the first gay block party in the middle of Liberty Avenue and all of us attended, not wanting to miss out on any culture. ...Not entirely unexpected in Pittsburgh after the technical difficulties we had experienced but to the credit of the organisers it was not long before it came on again and then there was no holding her back. ...We even had a local choir sing especially for us, a rendition of "Bridge over troubled water", and the audiences who came to the shows filled our hearts with joy. ...Finished our gigs, got in a car and we drove to Ann Arbor, well known for the University of Michigan and Zingerman's Delicatessen. ...Thought it would be fitting seeing that I was interviewed by Dave Askins that morning and I was about to hit the road again. ...Lastly we tend to get a lot of people asking about the music in the show so here is a list of the songs in "Swoon" with the artists listed next to them.

The Greenback.

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2007-06-13T13:53:58+10:00

Opened in 1967, Columbia was designed to not only eliminate the inconveniences of then-current subdivision design, but also eliminate racial, religious, and income segregation. ...Amazing to think that 40 years ago, when I was born, there was nothing here but a few farms and today, Columbia has a population of about 94,600. ...There were many local artists and performers and loads of residents from varied backgrounds who attended the festival and a big thank you to the volunteers that looked after us so well, especially Dorethea and Doug. ...It is also the birth place of Andy Warhol so we went to the museum dedicated to his work but to get there we had to cross a few bridges. Seeing that the city has three rivers, it is easy to see how it got the name City of Bridges. ...He was quoted as saying "An artist is someone who produces things that people don't need to have but that he - for some reason - thinks it would be a good idea to give them".

George's trip so far.

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2006-07-04T02:27:34+10:00

We arrive at Poznan station and are greeted by our representative with a van who drives us the 1.5hours to our hotel. We find out that we are actually performing at Zakrezewo Castle and not in Poznan itself. All in all with transfers we have been travelling non stop for 48hours sleeping and eating when we can. You still think this is glamorous now?? ...Next job was for Sally and I to drive the truck and the trailer from Poland to London in the UK. The first day we drove 950km in 16hours to a little town called Venlo in Holland. Enough time to sleep and breakfast before heading off the next day for a 650km drive and boat ride across the channel to London in the UK. We have crossed 6 different countries in 2 days and travelled over 1500km through some beautiful and diverse landscapes to get to our destination only stopping to eat and sleep when we needed it. ...Spent a rest day visiting the Tate Modern Museum. Some weird stuff in there. The next day we performed in Greenwich at the Docklands and it is a huge appreciative audience that go wild after the show. Met up with some friends Michael and Matt who live in London, had some dinner at an Indian restaurant and hear that Australia beat Croatia in the Soccer. Guess where we are heading next...Croatia! ...Now the company is off to Bar Le Duc in France for the Renaissance Festival. I drive the van to Zagreb Airport and we fly to Paris. We then get on a bus, then catch a train to Gare Du Nord, walk to Gare Du Est and catch a regional train to Bar Le Duc on a 3hour journey. We get to the station to be met by our volunteer, Sarah, who takes us to the hotel. Bar Le Duc is a very romantic town steeped in Renaissance history. ...This particular flight had issues the week prior to us catching it. The flight time was changed from 6:30pm to 11:35am on the same day. Our plans had to be changed to fit this in. We then get to the airport and no one knows what is happening with this flight. We are told to wait till more information is given. We are then taken to check in and all the computers are down and there are people running around all over the place. We finally check in after a long time and things seem to be ok. We get to the gate and the screen says that the plane leaves at 1:40pm instead of the 11:45am on our boarding passes. The airport staff assures us it is a computer malfunction and we are leaving at the 11:45am scheduled time. We don’t bord the plane till 12:30pm and then sit in the plane on the tarmac for a further 2 hours as apparently the pilot has not been given a flight plan for take off. We finally start moving. The hosties seem to forget to give the safety instructions before take off and we are off for a bumpy ride to Madrid. ...As it stands we still don’t have our bags so you may be seeing me in the same clothes for a long time because no one knows where our bags are. If that is not enough, they put our lost baggage claims in under the same name so we are only entitled to 100 euros compensation in stead of 100 euros each to buy some clothes to tie us over till they find our bags and get them back to us. We are looking into sorting this out by doing a lot of yelling but as we are moving around so much, we may be without a change of clothes for some time as our bags follow us around the globe.

European tour part 2.

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2006-07-11T02:26:57+10:00

One of the restaurants we ate at with a retractable roof. Most of the buildings have these open courtyards with rooms looking into them and retractable roofs so if it is a nice night you can look at the stars while you eat and drink. Even some of the theatres are constructed this way. ...At night time, everything is lit up and it looks really romantic. Most of the town people come out at night as they all have a siesta during the day. It is not uncommon to see very young children out at 1:00, 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning with their parents, enjoying the cool evening under the moon light. The kid's of the village all had these long balloons that they blew up and set-a-free to make whizzing sounds before descending to the ground. ...I guess it is Pope land after all. This was a weird kind of calendar / clock / moon cycle contraption with Adam and Eve on the top and there was also an organ that dated back to the mid 1500's. There is a recital on Friday night and I will have to check that out. ...Sometimes things are lost in translation. Like when you go to a Polish hairdresser and ask for a number 2 clipper and end up getting your head shaved...oh well it will grow back and until then, I can always wear a cap or go bowling with my head! Keep mistaking my eyebrows for a couple of caterpillars crossing a billiard ball. Went and saw a great company perform yesterday called Banditos. They had this old fire truck and wreaked havoc in the village because the truck was full of fireworks, water cannons, foam spraying machines and flying chickens, (real carcases). They were mad and backed into the crowd and drove straight at them. They also had flamethrowers and bombs they let off that sprayed the audience with water. It was crazy and exciting as they herded the onlookers around the site before dousing them. Having witnessed their shenanigans before, I knew to stand well back. Wonder what their public liability insurance costs are, and whether they have a good risk assessment plan in order? Another company that performed was a French troupe with a show called Aqua Dreams. It took part on a white sailing ship, which looked like a float from Moomba, and drove through the streets before getting to a performance space. The audience followed it and became the ocean surrounding it as musicians, acrobats and stilt walkers performed on and around it.

European tour part 3.

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2006-08-03T02:25:58+10:00

This is the view out of this hotel window. We ended up staying in a place called Aosta, close to Sarre, because Sarre is so small that it doesn't have a hotel. Did I mention how much I love Italian food? Yum! ...The ocean was beautiful and the water was warm all through the day and into the night. We did a lot of swimming and some swimming and did I mention we lay on the beach, oh and we swam as well. We did eventually perform on an estate and this was one of the residences on the grounds. Imagine living in this place. It was set on a large lot of beautifully established gardens and our show took place in front of it. Having had plenty of fun in the sun we journeyed to Vlaardingen, Holland and unfortunately the show was rained out. We were to perform in a public park as part of a music festival. The park had this great feature in the centre of it. It was a petting zoo with goats and sheep and cows and ducks and any other farm animal you could put a finger to. They all lived in harmony together and anyone could walk up to the fence and pat them at any time of the day. They were so tame that they came to greet you and barred and mooed and clucked when you got close. We had a nice night on the town in nearby Rotterdam for Sally's birthday. ...Crossing the fingers that we get some shows in. We are at the mercy of the elements when it comes to out door entertaining. See you at the next instillment, which will probably be at the end of the season.

European tour - the final chapter.

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2006-08-08T02:24:55+10:00

After the 2nd world war, the soldiers went home to find that there was not much work so they had to look elsewhere to make a crust. Many Italian's went to Belgium as there were ads saying free travel, free housing and good wages paid for work. Many men came to Belgium to find that the housing was in ex POW camps, the work was mining coal at some levels up to 1000m's below the ground and as the bosses were only interested in profit and coal, men were expendable so penalties were placed on workers if they did not achieve the targets set to them by the bosses. ...What eventuated was that there were only 13 survivors, 262 men died that day (95 Belgians, the rest Italians). This event changed mining practices all over the world and safety improvements brought annual deaths down to 10. Only the mine director was charged for the event. Neither the mine owners or the government were scrutinised for the disaster. ...We had top dress up as miners and re-enact different stages of their lives. It was incredibly emotional and really well done. I felt it left the audience with a sense of real reverence for the miners. It was a really nice project to be a part of and our hearts were lifted when we were done. This is me being one of the miners in rehearsal. ...Last stop was in France in a town called Ambers. The council have been trying to get us to perform for the past 3 years. We finally were in the position to do the festival this year and we arrive in torrential downpour's that look like they are not going to stop. Luck is on their side and we were able to perform both days and they were very happy. In a nice bit of serendipity the council arranged for all the volunteers to give us a heart felt send off complete with champagne and plenty of applause. They were extremely generous and grateful and it was a beautiful way to end the tour.

Mexico.

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2006-09-13T02:24:03+10:00

The soil around the region is very fertile with minerals and people's bodies, which were buried here, have been preserved and mummified naturally. There is a Museum of the mummified bodies. You get down to the town via a funicular railway. ...In Leon where we are staying and performing, there are all kind of interesting characters on the streets Sometimes people park their cars with live stock in the back, while they shop for shoes. Did I mention there are a lot of shoes here? Mexico produces many of the leather shoes of the world and exports them. ...We went out to a bar called "Pantheon Taurino Museo" in Leon, which is a museum and bar that has been designed and themed like a bullring. A gentleman by the name of Chato loved bull fighting and collected memorabilia like bullfighters capes, tones of photographs, taxidermy heads of bulls that were killed, Costumes and artists recreated the tombstones of the bullfighters that died in the ring with details of the bulls that killed them. ...Traditional music is played really loud and TV screens play video footage of bull fights while you chomp into your freshly cooked steak. The waiters are dressed like matadors and picadors and it is a great atmosphere. ...Well we are here to perform for the Centro Cultural Guanajuato, a new cultural centre that is being built for the town. It will comprise of a Library, a University, a Museum and an Arts Theatre complex. The shows have been really well appreciated and they want us to come back next year and collaborate with a local dance company. At the end of each show there were heaps of children who came up to us for autographs and wanting to shake our hands. Mexican audiences are very warm and receptive. ...So now I am off for the day and heading back home tomorrow for 4 days before taking off to Hong Kong to help celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Cathay Pacific with a special performance.

Honkers.

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2006-09-25T02:23:01+10:00

They also have trams here and they are special little double Decker trams. They have markets all over the place and you can shop till you drop. You can buy anything on the street, even a kitchen sink. Well we only had to do one performance and then back on the plane to Melbourne. It was nice to get a taste of Hong Kong, Had some great meals at little cafés, did a bit of shopping and took a boat trip on the harbour. That's about all I had time for. By the way, if you ever have the opportunity to fly out of China, I suggest you go online and check in over the Internet 24hours before your flight because China is the only place in the world that allows airlines to overbook their flight. This means you could turn up at the airport to find out there is no seat for you and you have to stay in a hotel till they can get you on another flight. Lucky for us, our flights were booked and paid for by Cathay Pacific so they managed to get us on the plane. Next gig in Shepparton!! Then Qatar here I come. George xxxooo

Hello from Qatar (Ka-tar) !!

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2006-10-21T02:22:11+10:00

Getting off the plane, we were ushered and fast tracked through customs and immigration. We drove into town and to our accommodation. The city is in a constant state of construction with roads being built, buildings popping up everywhere and rumour has it that they have run out of raw materials and are ripping up some old roads and old buildings in order to re-use the bitumen and the cement to construct new ones elsewhere. Why is there so much going on here? It all comes down to OIL. The region has rich deposits of the natural resource and as a consequence of the selling of the oil; capitalism, and its guise, have taken over the city. There are Pizza Hut's, McDonalds, Hungry Jacks (Burger King) , KFC's, Housing Estates named things like Beverly Hills Gardens (no jokes), Shopping Malls and heaps of 4x4 vehicles driven by sheiks looking sheik! Can you tell the Americans have interests in this part of the world? I heard another rumour that America and the Qatari governments are paying big bucks to Al Qaida to stay out of Qatar but don't quote me on that. ...Another big difference is that 5 times a day, between sunrise at 4am and sunset at 7pm, the sound of the Call to Prayer erupts from the loud speakers all over the city. It can be quite lovely hearing the singing from the priests in Arabic and only lasts a few minutes to mark the start and the end of the prayer call. If you happen to be driving into the city at the time of the Esha call between 7pm and 8:30pm, you see a sea people near mosques taking over the street by kneeling while facing Mecca to pray. ...We travel at 7am and rehearse in giant sheds that are air-conditioned. In fact, every building, everywhere, is air-conditioned because it is hot here, real hot! In June / July it gets up to 52°C. We are lucky because it has cooled down since then and is only mid to high 40's !! ...Thing is, there are so many new buildings that I have no idea what the old city of Qatar is actually like. Many buildings are just shells and although their façade looks impressive, they are empty and being fitted to be ready for the people coming to see the games. Even the main mosque seems like something modern made by Guggenheim as it swirls up to the sky like a lighthouse. ...The holy month of Ramadan is very much a time for celebration for Muslims but people of all faiths and cultures are welcome and invited to participate in these celebrations. An Iftah meal at any of the hotels or Ramadan tents set up at this time is a great experience and the atmosphere in the evenings is generally one of fun.

The Desert with the inland sea.

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2006-11-01T02:20:52+11:00

When I am not hanging around I am by the pool and or going on a desert trip to the inland sea !!!!! Well that's what I did on my day off. ...This is the main guy that organised the 12 cars and we convoyed out into the desert. We drove for about 2 hours and up and over the sand dunes. ...Here you can see the inland sea behind me. It is actually in Saudi Arabia, not Qatar. Took us 4 hours to get to it. The drivers liked to scare us by driving really close to the edge of the sand dune and ride the ridge at the top, then go straight down them with speed. ...Then we got to a beautiful spot on the inland sea and swam, rode camels, did some sand boarding and played volleyball against the Arabs. This is the top of the hill, looking down on the camp, where I got to slide down on a sand board. While swimming in the inland sea I noticed some phosphorescence in the water so when you moved your hands or clapped them under water the algae in the water lit up and glowed in the moonlight. It was amazing.

Life on the gulf.

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2006-11-12T02:20:09+11:00

It was even better than last time because the guys that organised this one where up for some fun and along with the volley ball, the swimming and the sand boarding, they bestowed a wonderful atmosphere at the camp with lute playing and singing and dancing through the night. They shook and shimmied their sheikish selves while holding a sword in their hands while we watched and drank Cardamom tea and devoured semolina cakes and nibbled on some baklava with fresh dates. ...This is a statue erected to honour its past and as luck would have it, a stage manager at work managed to get us all a free boat ride out in the bay with a wealthy entrepreneur. ...I had never been on a jet ski before and I have to say, it was great fun. Boy can those things go fast. It was sort of like riding my scooter, only on water. Then we fired up the bar and filled our bellies with some yummy food. ...We were very grateful for the enormous generosity displayed by Kalim, as he didn't want any payment for the day and was just happy to make new friends. We were certainly happy to become acquainted with him. It was interesting talking to him about the changes in the city of Doha in the last ten years. I am looking at oil in different ways. This city was built on oil. Oil is used to manufacture many of our modern luxury items. Plastics and polymers are one form of oil based products but looking at this city, which has been built on a desert, it is incredible in itself. Nearly everything is imported and it has all the mod cons of a modern city and in exchange they export a black substance that they extract from the earth. What a kooky world we live in and how will it change when there is no more of the black stuff? This was a day not to forget and it just so happened to be on Remembrance Day. As much fun as I am having here, I can't help but think of my friends and family back home and how much I miss them all. Sometimes my job can be a bit of a drag when it takes me away from those I love. Hopefully soon I will be too busy to feel melancholic and start doing more of what I am here to do. I think the stadium will be ready this week so fingers crossed, we will be in there working overtime, getting this show on the road, or at the least, in the stadium.

Let the games begin!!!

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2006-11-30T02:19:18+11:00

I saw a glimpse of the Amir yesterday as he drove past in a convoy of BMW's. The roads were all blocked off by his private police prior to his arrival at the intersection and reopened after he passed. The stadium is named after him, Khalifa Stadium. ...Most of the stuff I am performing on is suspended for the top of the worlds largest video screen. This is also the reason most of the rehearsals have been running late. The screen was very late in being built. We are one day out from the opening and there are still elements of the show that have not been rehearsed fully. Flying things are crashing into ground-based things and the stress is being felt in many departments. ...I was walking behind some people the other day in the compound at the stadium and I over heard one say to the other, "Have you done anything interesting today?" This was straight after I did this.... ...You may think I have been on holiday up till now and to tell you the truth it has felt like one, what with the sun-baking and swimming and going on desert trips and boat rides but I am making up for it now. ...So I have given you a glimpse of what to expect with the ceremony, naughty me, don't tell anyone ok. Make sure you look out for me riding a rocket and a giant camera as well.

What you didn't see

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2006-12-02T02:18:06+11:00

(null)

Kabaddi, Kabaddi, Kabaddi!

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2006-12-07T02:17:15+11:00

I started with the gymnastics and it is basically the Chinese against everyone else. They are incredible gymnasts who perform double, doubles (double twist with a double back Sault), with the greatest of ease and grace. I watched floor routines, beam, parallel bars, vaulting, boxing and many other sports that I have seen before but I wanted to see a sport that was from the Asian region. Something different, something I have never seen before. ...Kabaddi originated in South Asia and is played with two teams of 12 players (seven on court and five in reserve). The game consists of two 20-minute halves. Two teams compete, alternating defence and offence, to reach the highest score by touching or capturing the opposing team's players, (and here's the good bit....), all the while chanting "kabaddi, kabaddi". There are three forms generally played: surjeevani, gaminee and amar. They tossed to see who goes first and then they started playing tag while holding hands and chanting Kabaddi. The person who was IT and trying to tag the others only has the time of one breath while chanting to do so. When he has run out of breath it is the other teams go to send in a man to tag the other team till he runs out of breath. ...The team who are trying not to get touched are also trying to do a stacks on, on the guy tagging but making sure only to do this when he can't reach the centre line because if he gets any part of his body over the line, any played touching him gets sent off the field. Sound complicated?? You should try watching it! Now to add to the excitement the Indian team are experts at the acrobatic nature of the game and some players perform tricks like touching the other side of the court past the back line, (in turn scoring bonus points if you can get back to the centre line) and leaping up and over the defending side to score the point. ...Looking forward to seeing more bizarre sports from Asia. On the work front, we are working on the closing ceremony and it is a hard slog. I think people are a bit on the back foot with preparations and this is causing a lot of stress on the field. Hopefully we will get the show together soon and then have a big party when it is all over. I could use the rest and I also want to get home asap. Not enjoying this second show because I am on the ground for the whole show due to one of the ground acrobats hurting his ankle and having to fly instead. Can't say I am too happy about that but I will give it my best shot.

Enough games, back to the real world.

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2006-12-16T02:15:44+11:00

The closing ceremony was hard work. I helped train a bunch of local Indian school boys who volunteered. They were great fun and full of energy. We all had to wear these whacky outfits with flashy lights. This is what we were training to do and looking at it now it was pretty impressive for inexperienced year 12 students. But the highlight will always be riding that rocket into Khalifa Stadium during the opening ceremony. Next tour will be in India. I am excited about going because this will be another place I haven't been to.

India, get it in dia!!

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2007-01-13T02:13:59+11:00

There are heaps of different forms of transport. You can take a luxury cab like this. ...We were greeted at the Hotel by a lovely man in a turban. My room is pretty quaint with a mezzanine bedroom and a view of the ocean, if you can see past the grime on the windows. We are here to perform for the Mumbai Festival, which is now into it's 3rd year. Our venue is in front of the Gateway to India. Spent most of the day walking around and checking out the city. This is the Municipal Town Hall. Also saw this great ambulance that looked like something the A-team would have driven. It was funky.

Elephanta Island.

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2007-01-18T02:13:05+11:00

We set up in front of the Gateway of India and performed the Spheres and The Field to a roaring crowd of onlookers. Everyone from the festival was very happy with the press coverage and the performances. ...I saw some of the Great Indian Hornbills. Hornbills are especially remarkable for their extraordinary nesting habits. The start of nesting by the birds is to hollow out a hole in a tree into which the female enters just before her eggs are laid and with the aid of the male the entrance to the hole is closed up with mud, mixed with resin from the trees and the birds droppings, and a narrow vertical slit is left as an opening. ...When the young Hornbills have sufficient covering of feathers, the mother bird with the aid of the male, break down the partition and rebuild it again. The young are fed and finally set free when they are able to fly. Here is a cut away that shows this in action. ...We left the Gateway of India and headed for Elephanta Island. Here is what King George V would have seen as his boat entered the dock. You can see the Old Taj Mahal Hotel to the left. It was named Elephanta Island because the Portuguese, when invading this region, came across a giant stone carved Elephant and named it Elephanta. Unfortunately they ruined most of the beautifully carved Hindu temples on the island. You can see it in the background of this shot. ...Our tour guide, Ramadand, was fantastic and he imparted great knowledge about the carvings in the cave and Indian Religious beliefs. We were taught about Brama, Shiva and Vishnu the three gods who represent birth, the journey of life and death. He told us many insightful stories of wisdom about the importance of balance for the health of our society and our ecology.

The belly of Delhi.

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2007-01-24T02:11:58+11:00

On a bad day it made you sick just looking out the window, let alone walking outside and breathing the air. We were here to perform at the National Drama School. Here we are setting up. ...The last show, in particular, was a very nice show. The head of the school came out and presented us with flowers and a plaque to commemorate our visit. We had the next day off so when in India, what is a must see before you leave....The Taj Mahal of course! It took 22 years and 20,000 workers to complete this amazing memorial that was built from the inspiration of love for a lost moguls wife. Up until recently the only people that were privy to seeing the Taj were foreign dignitaries visiting India and then the Indian government took over and opened it to the public. We entered the gardens and had to go through this gateway. The four towers the flank the central tomb have been built to lean away from the main building so that if there should be an earth quake they would fall away from the building. How smart is that! ...Well that was India. The best way I could describe it is a land that is fragmented in time yet exists in the present with all that diversity somehow working side by side. ...Things that stick in my mind are 40 people riding on top of a container truck on a highway passing a camel pulling an enormous tray of hey. Cows eating rubbish next to pigs next to dogs next to rats next to birds in the street. Beggars and peddlers everywhere trying to make a buck. 20 people riding in a motorised rickshaw. Vehicles everywhere honking their horns all the time. People sleeping in the streets on cold evenings with a tyre on fire to keep them warm. Dirt everywhere. Wonderful food. Pollution on pollution. Smells that turn your stomach and smells turn your appetite on. A wide smile on the face of children with hope filling their eyes. Cows roaming the streets. An elephant with a painted face by the roadside. Some things here will never change while others are in a constant flux of change. I feel privileged to have experienced this part of the world and even more blessed that I live in Australia.

Synchro Swing.

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2007-03-29T02:09:21+10:00

The venue for all this was Birrarung Marr in Melbourne Australia and the performance was commissioned for the 12th FINA World Championships. Rehearsal's took place in the beautiful Fitzroy Town Hall and it was such a laugh working out what funky moves we were going to do up on those poles. ...Now you may not be aware but deck work is very important in Synchronized Swimming and we made sure we did a good job of it. The back story we created was that we were the under 9's women's swimming team from Wangaratta in regional Victoria who came to Melbourne to compete for the Swimming Championships. You may be wondering what I was doing being a part of all this, I was a last minute substitution. Here is the resulting show we put on. This was one of the most fun projects I have been involved with and I recommend to anyone, if you are given the opportunity to dress up in a pink ladies one piece swim suit in front of a lot of people, I say, GO FOR IT! Next month I am heading to Thailand on holiday and then Athens for a Gig.

Sawadee Crap.

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2007-04-21T02:05:44+10:00

Thai people are amazing builders. Have a look at this office building that looks like an elephant. It also happens to be the building that Michael's brother teaches English in. He works in the trunk apparently. Two thirds of the building are unfinished and unoccupied and it is a grave reminder of the Asian Financial meltdown like many other white elephants around Bangkok it was unfinished when the cash dried up. ...I may not have mentioned that we happen to be in Thailand during Songkran, the New Year Celebration and that means the whole country celebrates by having a massive water fight. You need to be prepared because anyone is a target, especially Farang or foreigners like us. It was the most fun I have had in a long time and seeing that Australia is in a desperate drought, it was decadent. You had to arm yourself with a bucket or water pistol and we did both. Sometimes it became a bit much as it went on for days and you had no dry clothes left. The symbolism is to wash away any negative aspects to the last year to clear the way for the new year. See how well it works! ...Next we got back on a plane and headed for Chang Mai in the North. Here we bathed in rivers, swam in hot springs, canoed through caves, rode our scooters through town while being sprayed and splashed with water and relaxed in our huts by the creek. ...Well that was the Thailand experience and it was a lot of fun. I recommend to anyone to go visit during Songkran and a special Kop Kun Crap or thank you to Simon and Toi for looking after us and showing off your beautiful country.

Greece is the word.

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2007-04-25T02:01:49+10:00

You can see the plaster mould on the right and the marble being cut here on the left. This speeds things up when you need copies made of the same piece. There was a Museum at the top and it had the usual artifacts that you would expect like these, ...They still use the space for performances every now and then and as I walk around these ruins I wonder what it would have been like all that time ago when this place was filled with people watching some special event. When I was born I was nearly named Dionysos by my god parents and it is interesting to find out more about the name and the god most famously associated with it. Dionysos is the god of wine and madness, vegetation, and the theatre. He is a male god, but he is always surrounded by women, his chief worshippers. His worship involved transvestism and the blurring of sex roles. Men and women both dressed in long robes covered by fawnskins, and women, as bacchants, left their normal sphere of activity, the home, and danced madly on mountainsides. ...I went and checked out Kerameikos which was the cemetery of ancient Athens and now an open air gallery. To my surprise, among the artifacts, there were tortoises feasting on weeds and in turn tending to the grave sites. Their shells on their backs and that slow pace at which they moved somehow fitted in well with the surroundings and it seemed appropriate to have them in this space. It was really tranquil. The last time I was in Athens for any length of time was in 1989 and I remember it to be a dirty, polluted and a noisy place that I was in no real hurry to get back to. This time around it has been cleaned up and I am guessing that the Olympics here in 2004 had a lot to do with that. The parks are sanctuaries where you can escape the hustle and bustle of the city and people on the street look well. Almost everyone speaks English and the scenery is stunning with views of the Acropolis from nearly every vantage point around town. All this sight seeing and you might be mistaken for thinking I am on holiday again but I am here to work. I am doing a gig for Vodafone and we are performing in Syntagma Square in front of the parliament buildings in the heart of the city. Our first performance is tonight and we will be doing shows over the next couple of days before heading home again.

Another Souvlaki?

georgefilev@ozemail.com.au — 2007-04-27T23:07:20+10:00

and if that's not bad enough all the priests are walking around the city in black or blue full length numbers. I managed to fit in some more sight seeing and checked out the Ancient Agora and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Athens also has Traffic dogs. These dogs wait around at intersections and bark at cars that go through red lights. That is why you won't find red light cameras in Athens. ...Last night we also had a very famous Greek pop star performing so there were huge crowds in a very excited mood. His name is Sakis Rouvas and you can find out more about him at www.sakisrouvas.com I managed to get a picture of him as he walked past my dressing room table but I am not sure I did him justice? ...It is weird being a citizen of two countries. Especially seeing that I can't speak the language of this one. It was quick getting through customs though with just a flash of the EU passport and not a word exchanged.