letters - 16 November 2006
Its been a while, I know. I am sorry I haven't been in touch more. There has been a few things going on and I was waiting for them to resolve before I sent another news letter out.
Not that I have been that busy, but life has been good and the time since my last letter in May seems to have flown.
The biggest piece of news is that I am back working, this time for a government department in downtown Melbourne. It looked for a second like I was going to move to Sydney, but better money and better working conditions have convinced me to stay here in Melbourne - for now.
Downtown Melbourne is surprisingly leafy and green in spots, and I can be sitting down at my desk 20 minutes after walking out my door at home if I time things right - and I completely love that. And this is the first place I have worked that REALLY mean the whole work/life balance thing. I am literally not allowed to work more than 40 hours a week - for which I am paid reasonably.
Very happy about it.
Given how turbulent my work life has been over the past three years, this is a really good entre back into the working world.
School has also gone pretty well this year. My films from last year have done really well with one getting into a few festivals including Palm Springs and Manhattan. As you might recall, I am doing my Masters in Film and Television in Producing through the VCA Film School. I need to do three things for that:
- Produce a film
- Write a thesis
- Do an internship
The film has gone really well. I teamed up with a Director I met last year, Emma. She had a great idea for a story about a dog and his teen aged girl. She is growing up and growing away from him, so to get her attention back he turns himself into a guy - unfortunately because he is a 10 year old dog, he turns into a 50 year old guy. Hilarity ensues in a comedy of errors.
Its a fun kids film and my Director is REALLY happy with it. It looks great and I have hopes that it will travel well.
Emma is really talented, so I am very lucky to have gotten to work with her. We were also very lucky with out crew , and I would really like to thank Siobhan, our 1st AD, for her patience. She was a god send.
The next parts of my Masters are not going quite so well, but I have started research into my thesis, and am working on that internship.
The plan was go through the process of applying for and getting a green card for the US (I won the green card lottery) but some paperwork snafus have sunk that particular little paper sail boat into the La Breya tar pits of the US INS department.
So while that door has closed, its not a permanent closure and I have been looking at alternatives. The plan is still to try and move back to San Francisco, its just taking longer than I would have hoped.
Sorting out the visa, even unsuccessfully, took way longer than you would ever imagine, and resulted in a few trips up to Sydney. As a very happy side effect of those trips I have begun rebuilding a friendship with my ex - Steve.
We were together from 1994-1997, but due to my traveling we haven't had much to do with each other since then. We have staying in distant contact, but now that I am back in Australia we have been getting to know each other again.
Its really nice to have someone around who knows me as well as he does. He is a great guy and its amazing to see that even with the years we have had little contact, the trust we forged as a couple still lets us talk really openly with each other. Gives me hope that someone else might learn to speak again - although no signs of that to date, although I have been trying.
I am still pretty reserved socially, but I have been seeing a lot of my old friends - like Mitch and Kathryn, and meeting some good new people, like Dan (pictured here) and Scott.
Between them, my best mate Joe, the inimitable Barbie, Richard, Binky and a few others, life is pretty full. And happy.
One thing that has been making me happy - and that's hearing from my friends and family. I am getting a message - phone, email, SMS - about once a week from someone in the US, UK or Europe. Just saying hi, and letting me know how they are. Nothing huge, but its hard not to feel connected and loved with that going on.
One of my last trip to Sydney was at the end of September for "Sleaze" and all up it was a remarkable trip. I had not planned to go to the party on Saturday night, rather just the day parties on Sunday. As a result I was doing a lot of socialising and trying to see folks.
Here are a very inebriated Miss Jilly, Joe and Vaughan - who has recently won a place in my affections, just don't tell him OK. We have this whole bitchy hate thing going on which suits us both fine. But he has given me reason to really respect him, and to appreciate his loyalty.
I stayed the weekend with an old mate, Nate, who was in need of Boyfriend sitting, since his long term partner (Jeff) is currently working out of town as was going to be away for the weekend.
Nate proceeded to brow beat me about not going to the party, since basically my reason was not wanting to run into my ex, James. Nate usually gets what he wants, and so I ended up going. I didn't see the ex, but I don't think it made a difference. Of the night let me say this:
- Last minute party ticket - $80
- French Champaign and Limo to the party - $200
- Reclaiming my own space and having a wonderful time - Priceless
Thanks Nate.
He and I paled around for most of the weekend - enjoying the party, sleeping (separately) and then going to "recovery" at Home - which was a blast. Sorry about the fuzzy picture - the Portuguese hotty who took it was a little wobbly at the time.
It would have been great to have Jeff around as well - he is one of the most sharply funny people I know - but it was also good to have Nate-as-pal. We teased, we caused trouble and dare I say, we broke a few "hearts".
I think I also charmed and was charmed by a few people and that was a nice feeling. I haven't done that for a while.
Since Sleaze, I have been working and just hanging out with friends - although I did go up to Sydney to see the world premier of "Priscilla Queen of the Desert - the stage musical (which is FAB) and to visit Paul, who I met at the party.
Paul is a great guy, funny, smart and adventurous. We have seen each other a few times since Sleaze and I am really enjoying his company - but for now that's all I am going to say*. No one get too excited, lets not jinx things.
So I am happy and well in Melbourne, although not setting down roots here. I am still looking to the US, or possibly London, as a next destination but in the meantime I am enjoying myself and my friends here. I am saving money, paying off my school debt as fast as I can and having a little fun at the same time.
As always I look forward to hearing from y'all when you get a chance to write.
I hope you are very well,
Love
R
* really, REALLY enjoying his company
