Wellington, NZ- Adelaide, AU

23 January- on the road to Rotorua

"I really loved Wellington. It was so great to spend time with people who live there too- Jo and Becca...Jo and Seamus went through sort of the whole cultural history of New Zealand with all the Maori relationships, and Jo sang the national song for me in English and in Maori. Maori and the way the language is incorporated into Kiwi English reminds me of Gaelic/Irish."

"So I'm on the bus and I couldn't get any accomodation so I'm staying with a friend of Jo's in Rotorua!"

"New Zealand's history is in it's geological and land history. The history of human beings in this place is not that old- even the Maori came here not that long ago. But the Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Erosions, glaciers- that's where the ancient lies, in the earth and land. That's what makes New Zealand special."

Rotorua, 11pm
"TE PO, INDIGENOUS EVENING EXPERIENCE- It was ok. The show/music/language/dance was really cool and beautiful. The food (Hangi) was really good, and there was a lot of it. But really, I could have done without that part. I also had a boring table. But at the end we saw the hot sulfur guyser- THAT was worth it. That's when it felt sacred. The sun was setting, casting light play all over the clouds and sky, you could see the moon, and the clouds of guyser was all intertwined- it was beautiful and incredible that it was all a part of the Earth. The Maori culture is endlessly fascinating, but I felt that this was a nicely packaged, entertaining "show" as opposed to any kind of real spiritual experience."

"What I like about Maori is that it is a LIVING earth-based indigenous culture that is a major part of New Zealand culture. It is NOT in the background or even very untouchable. Although this thing was so touristy and put on display, it is still a major part of life here."

"Val is really cool and I basically have my own room tonight and I got to play piano for them and I'm lucky that I got to stay here tonight."

24 January- Rotorua

"OHINEMUTU- Maori Village- That was good! That was so real! The church...which was interesting, a real living village, and I spoke to real people and FELT IT."

"I dont feel like I'm going to Australia tomorrow. Or I guess I feel like Australia is just an extension of New Zealand. The West Island, they call it."

"It still hasn't really hit me that I'm traveling around the world."

25 January- Sydney, Australia

"Goodbye, beautiful, laid back, open and 'sweet as' New Zealand. What will Australia give me..."

"Sydney is AWESOME. I am liking it so much so far- cute little alleys and very real workers, livers...So far I don't feel as drawn to Australians as I did New Zealanders. But they're kind of the same to me. The Sydney crowd is more cosmopolitan, sure of themselves, less rugged."

"Now I'm in Coco Cubano- a very atmospheric cafe by the hostel. I'm having a tasty flat white. Sydney is a great place for people watching."

"Ok so I think I'm starting to get homesick. To miss my New York way of life. Coffee dates and deep conversation, interspersed with musical/artistic endeavors."

"Sydney is a hard place to get a read on Australians because it's just a great big city like New York. It quite reminds me of London, actually."

26 January- Australia Day (like the 4th of July)

"I'm exhausted. Spent the whole day walking, in the sun, met with Pauline and Nienke (Dutch girls I met in New Zealand) and had a good time wandering about the throngs of people, sampled a few beers outside in a pedestrian area, and then heard an AWESOME band for free, dancing and all."

27 January- Bondi Beach day

"I've found a spot by the water where a bunch of navy ships are docked. It's quite peaceful among the ships, industrial buildings and few people on their cigarette breaks."

"Now I'm at Bondi Beach. Was here with Pauline and Nienke. It started to rain so they left. Now I've found a little shelter on the beach so I can look out at the waves and surfers and seagulls and rainclouds. So Sydney is a strange sort of place. It is (or seems to attract) a party scene- and therefore in my mind very plastic and souless. People who feel so bad about themselves that they'll do anything for attention. and then, outside the hostel and Kings Cross, there are these little pristine alleys and residential areas, hills that wind and a vibrant arts culture. I guess it's like New York.I also had a epiphany- I don't need to do the touristy things- the real city always lies in the people who live there."

"The Ocean sets me free."

28 January- Sydney

"I just experienced some magical warm things. A puppet shop where clearly everything comes to life at night. I bought a headpiece for my street performing. The shop was in a complex of stone alleys and hideaways, with levels and steps- the sort of thing I love. The magic I felt inside the shop combined with the strange energy I'm carrying with me finally brought the rain."

29 January- Melbourne

"I met my new best friend, Nikki from Brighton...we wandered along and talked for a while, looked in various vintage shops and bookshops, had coffee in this cute, hip, williamsburg-y area called Fitzroy. It was just right."

30 January- Melbourne

"So last night I went with Nikki to a very cute restaurant and had a bottle of wine- it was really lovely. We had a fab conversation about spirituality, travel, relationships, culture- the whole thing."

Seen on a wall in a cafe- 'MORNINGS EVENINGS AND AFTERNOONS, MY LIFE IS MEASURED IN COFFEE SPOONS.'

"Today I am going to attempt to make art out of myself by singing/performing, making live theatrics out of public art- graffitti and murals..."

"and I managed to do it! It was awesome! And Nikki was a huge help- she made it look like something. These two people stopped and watched for a while and then asked me, "were you drawing energy from that mural?" They answered my questions and gave me money and generally supported me. We made some more photos and sang some more, and then I did some more singing/busking in another location. I brought The Other Side, myself, my art, to the streets and real people of Melbourne, inspired people, were judged by people, brought people together and made them think.

I DID IT!

31 January- Melbourne

"SO last night was really lovely. Cooked a big veg dinner with Nikki and Katie (from Scotland), and we went through a few bottles of wine. SO lovely. Two sweet German girls joined us as well. It was very girly and reminded me of a night with the Emilies. Just what I needed. Then the Germans answered my questions, with awesome answers. I feel like I'm really doing my trip, really making it happen, really learning and growing and connecting, and it all feels very much a part of the show."

"Well Melbourne was so peaceful, wholesome, real and girly. I just left and said goodbye to Nikki and the really sweet German girls. I feel very warm and fuzzy from the people I've met and the real experiences I've had in Melbourne. It really felt the most like a home."

New Zealand!

Journal Excerpts, Christchurch, Queenstown, Lake Tekapo, Wellington, buses/trains/ferry inbetween:

(14 January)
"The 13th of January will never exist! We are about to arrive in Auckland! It still haven't exactly hit me yet that I'm going to be in New Zealand."
"My first international cup of coffee. A flat white."
"I did have to not only go through customs, which always makes my heart race in case I'm doing something unknowingly illegal, but after getting my bags I had to declare snack food and my shell. Then all my bags had to go through an x-ray, and they questioned my orb. I thought that was kinda funny.
SECURITY: What is that?
ME: oh..it's a uh...giggle...I can show you, a bouncy ball with glitter inside.
SECURITY: Ok, that's what I thought.

or
SECURITY: What is that?
ME: Oh, that's my magical orb of energy that holds the concentrated power of the universe, I only use it when I need to spread love and peace through movement and song.
SECURITY: Ok, that's what I thought.

"I can't believe I was in San Francisco "yesterday". Christchurch isn't impressing me all that much. It just reminds me of a regular English town, like Nottingham."

10:40pm
"very tired. Now I've just spent the past hour or so chatting with 2 very sweet British girls and one very obnoxious and offensive but amusing and immature Irish kid. It was fun, actually. So there seem to be a lot of British, Irish, and Israeli people here. It's nice to be anonymous. It's nice to be traveling. It's hard to believe I'm on the other side of the world right now! Tomorrow will be an adventure, a series of wanderings, hopefully it will be a day of Melanie Magic."

15 January- a day in Christchurch
"Maori performing group in Cathedral Square...it was awesome to hear the music and see the dancing. They do this thing with their eyes and make this scary warrior face. Tht music is pretty and simple. The language is also very interesting."
"I can't help but thing I'm in England. It just feels like Europe and people speak English."
"What I have connected to is the Maori folk culture and art. The performance was a treat! There is a lot of art and some books at this Arts Centre. THe only thing is that it's all presented a bit for tourists- like Native American stuff or Celtic, and I'm sure every country will be like that."
"meanwhile, I still can't tell the difference between a Kiwi accent and an Aussie accent."
"I did it! I sang! I sang my usual repertoire, with the hat sort of thing. Just leant my voice. I also sang with a young high school girl who was singing musical theatre songs to raise money for a choir trip. I did "I feel pretty" "Far from the home I love" and "Dream a little dream" It was cute and she was excited. When I sang, I made 10.00 NZD! Awesome! At least it's a way to save money."
"The seagulls here do the weirdest thing. They crane their necks in this strange way."

16 January- bus ride to Queenstown
"I went to a lovely bar with couches and a fireplace with a nice German guy I met at the library."
"I wish I was in New Zealand Longer."
"Lake Tekapo for lunch!God its so incredible. I can not describe the depth of color in the blue of the lake."
"Well, things aren't working out so great. Couch surfing Phil never showed up. I had to catch the last bed in an expensive hostel."
"Queenstown is beautiful. The mountains, the lake- it feels very Swiss. It also feels wealthy, like Switzerland."
"I am so happy that I am sitting on a tree by the lake alone while I can hear the rest of the "city" partying."

17 January- Milford Sound
Today I am on my way to Milford Sound. Yet another bus ride."
"So Phil finally texted and he said his internet was down. So I'm staying with him tonight. Phew."
"Sheep on hills. So many sheep."
"right now I am closer to Antarctica than to the equator."
"I had a moment on the ferry of feeling the water and the mountains, of feeling far away, yet being in touch and close to myself and beautiful."

18 January- Lake Tekapo
"Lake Tekapo is pristine, peaceful, beautiful and the water is magical. I'm sitting on a rock in front of the Church of the Good Shepherd, which is too crowded with tourists for me to experience just yet. I find this to be really lovely, and finally the kind of nature I was looking for."
"Oh so I just went for a walk along the lake, which was magical and quiet just after rain (when the world smells good) and as the sun was setting into the clouds, I followed a rabbit down the road."

19 January- Lake Tekapo
"I think I found Olivia's spot! I followed her instructions, and there are a lot of trees it could be, but I felt it was this one. I could feel it's Olivia energy."
"So it's 1:30, I have hiked a mountain, sat on many rocks, had my lunch, dipped my feel in the lake, and now I'm cooling off in the shade."

20 January- bus to Christchurch
"Tekapo was centering and connected me to something, to people to New Zealand. ANd now I roll through on the bus, back past the sheep and hills. There is an over hanging mist in the air that reminds me of Ireland and makes everything feel magic."
"well this is a strange hostel indeed. It is literally an old Jail turned into a really nice hostel."

21 January- train and ferry to Wellington
"yes, I'm on the train passing the ocean and it just gives me so much energy and power. Lakes are pretty, so are mountains, but it's the ocean that connects me to the universe. Trains that run alongside the ocean with the mountains on the other side."

Ok, I promise I won't write something for every day, just highlights from the journal. I get excited in the beginning of the trip, and I want to share everything. Wellington is lovely and my host Jolene is great. More soon, look for photos!
-Mel

San Francisco- The start of the journey

Excerpts from my journal while in San Francisco:
(From the flight:)
(6 Jan)
"I wonder how long this journal will last. I haven't been writing as much lately, but I know that my journal is my best friend while I travel. It's amazing to think of the last time I was in San Francisco..."
(11pm)
"I already feel the connectedness and accessibility of people. People really make, and hold, eye contact. I forgot about that."
(10 Jan)
"Just-be-ing in Marin yesterday with good people and having little interactions in crystal shops, walking a bit in the woods, driving through the hills and spending time with lovely ladies such as Heather and Erin. That's what gives me life, hope, light, spirit- not as much with church services."
(4pm)
"I just saw Kat- gosh I love her! Things feel good today. I still feel a bit scattered and nervous that I need to do something or I may forget something in preparation for the next flight. It's going to be important that I relax and regroup before each flight.--
"Ok. San Francisco taught me a few things. Keep doing soulful spiritual things."
"Oh man. It's gonna be really something. There are some freaking GOOD PEOPLE in San Francisco. I'm glad I have them in my life. They are magic. I am happy. I feel beautiful. I am ready."
"What is it about San Francisco? It's enchanting, and yet somehow too powerful or un-tangible or something. I think it's hard for me to touch it and feel it- there's something somehow unfinished about it, always yearning for more, like an unresolved suspended chord in a song- beautiful and yet without a solution, or promise, or product, unattainable, constant, longing, beautiful in its imperfection. Yet I can't seem to hold it in my hand. It's rain and fog and mist and a sunset, where New York City is a rock, a very resolved chord, hard rock and roll. It has the suspended chord too- right before the resolve."

Ready to go!

Hello friends. I am sitting here in a pile of bags and travel documents and files related to the show, trying to make sure I have everything in order, and trying to cut back on as many things as possible. Last night I had a lovely going away party in New York City, and got to give big hugs to all my favorite people in the area. The journey of a lifetime is about to begin...

It's hard to believe that I am going to be away from familiar faces, things, culture, food...for 9 months. Although my excitement is bubbling over, the most overwhelming feeling is the challenge of this long period of time. I will be alone, I will see things I've never seen before, I will meet all kinds of people, I will face new challenges and fears, I will find beautiful places and ugly places, I will experience the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and being an educator in India. Everything is so big, and so daunting, and yet also so calming and amazing that I am FINALLY going to be doing all of these things I've always wanted to. I'm following my dream!

Thanks to those of you that have sent me off with beautiful kind words, and all those non-verbal hugs, kisses, squeezes of the arm- they are felt and appreciated. I feel your energy and support as I venture on.

Tomorrow I head out to San Francisco and from there New Zealand...Bon Voyage, wish me luck!

The Other Side in the Brooklyn Eagle

Check out this article in the Brooklyn Eagle on November 24th!

Artist Travels World To Get to ‘Other Side’
by Mary Frost (mfrost@brooklyneagle.net), published online 11-24-2009


Traveling Interactive Play Comes to Brooklyn Heights

By Mary Frost
Brooklyn Daily Eagle

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — There were no seats for the audience at the First Unitarian Universalist Church Saturday night — as visitors to The Other Side, they were full participants in a traveling interactive performance that explores what “culture” is, the differences between cultures, and how they define us as human beings.

The audience followed the action around the stage as performers scattered among them, held their hands and danced with them. When someone caught a ball of yarn thrown into the group, they would say what “connection” meant to them — like “love” or “family.” Then they threw the ball to someone else.

The participants were repeatedly split into opposing groups based on concepts that connected them to other people on “their side,” like chocolate vs. vanilla; morning person vs. night person; gay marriage supporter vs. gay marriage opponent. Then they would come back to the center and split again, based on another concept.

Melanie Closs, director, producer and performer of The Other Side, was pleased with the New York performance of her event. “It went very well, the audience participated and had a good time — it was really beautiful,” she told the Brooklyn Eagle.

To read the rest, follow this link:
http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=12&id=32096

The Other Side New York City Performance

An interactive performance event that explores what "culture" is,
the differences between cultures and how they define us as human beings.

Previously performed in San Francisco, The Other Side is a poetic adaptation of a Sioux creation myth and draws on five themes/words for inspiration: Sacred, Connection, Side, Land, and Other. The piece evolves from a series of workshops with the participants and changes each time it is performed by incorporating the performers' personal experiences with culture and cultural differences. Come and see what the New York City cast has created.


This event in New York kicks off my project that will travel around the world!

November 21st, 9pm, 2009

McKinney Chapel

First Unitarian Society of Brooklyn

Pierrepont St between Clinton and Monroe, Brooklyn Heights


$5 Suggested Donation


No one will be turned away for lack of funds!

Check out my facebook event page to rsvp to the event:

CONNECTION

(How do I connect with people in Switzerland? Who do I connect with?)

Things that make me feel connected:
Age
Language- English, Spanish
Pubs, going out, wanting to meet people.
Similar communities and cultural backgrounds (Americans, California, Liberal Arts education, etc)
Gender- women. We usually had a lot of the same intentions, anxieties, needs, things we love or find beautiful…
Travelers, musicians or music lovers, artists

And sometimes I found that I had none of these things in common with someone, and I can still connect to them, because of that simple unexplainable energy or vibe that someone has, that seems to match with my own.

There are also always those moments when I am not interacting or connecting with any people, but feel connected to the community at large. I always feel I am a part of something when I walk down a crowded street, take the metro, or sit in a café. I am anonymously a part of the city, a feeling of connection, and yet somehow without obligation, that I love.