Here's my HLGCB for the Fest, as taken from the rec.juggling thread: Okay, you had to know that was NOT going to be it. Not even close. Here's the real deal (and it's LONG): Highs: Backgammon and Kendama in Ruth's bedroom with Mini and fakoriginal (Or is your name.....?) Kendama Jam I with Tom and Void on Friday night (Void with Kung Fu style endings and Tom blasting) Diabolo Jam with Duncan and Dave Barnes on Friday night Club session with Sam V. on Saturday morning (thanks for the help with the club swinging!) Kendama Jam II with Void in the workshop (More converts to the cause...and....damn your eyes Ewan!) Multiplex Workshop (seeing people really improve and get the technique down) Podcasting with Luke (finally! I really enjoyed seeing Luke's notebooks as further proof of his passion for being a student of the game) Finding out the show was starting at 6:30 when I finished the podcast at 6:00 and thought the show was starting at 6:00 and I was the first act. (SAVED!!!!) Doing the Atomic Dog routine reasonably well and certainly better than the other three times I've done it. (hitting the final vertax genocide-infinite suicide was the clincher--whoo hoo! That's where you got that picture from LP!) Watching the rest of the show with Luke and Ewano in the back (I forgot about Wes in the window---classic! Pimp-0-liscious!) The Show in General. So many acts had me smiling, cheering, and just plain awestruck. Walking back to KP with LP and having a nice little chat Take Out Fun with the lads (Luke, Ewan, and Mike) Drinking and eating and talking smack downstairs after the show The Ceilidh!!!!! Marco, Jeroen, Sam, Alice, Lynne and company are all heroes! What a freakin' blast AGAIN!!! I'm addicted. MC'ing the Renegade and having it go reasonably well. (Much kudos to Luke for DJ flava and strong juggling sets, as well as to Sean and Wes for rocking so much it's almost getting boring. Getting to see Sam V. do her club routine finally. Being initiated into Wanker...how special...oh! I lose again?! What a surprise?!!!??!!) Drunk Dialing Lisa at 2am and telling her everything about the festival and generally chatting for an hour. Getting to know Marco and Jeroen--Dutch convention is going to go OFF! I'm bringing the t-shirts! These two are great performers and great guys. Invite them to your festival now. Actually getting to sleep in a private space on Saturday night and sleeping well. Warm showers on Sunday!!! Vertax workshop (hitting both the duicide and Tempei's body bounce on the first try. Also, seeing people walk away with new tricks and the confidence that it is doable). Bounce workshop (having a smaller group, seeing people get it, and James has major skills). Ewan's gift. Sunday night at Ruth's place with Wes, Sean, Luke W. and Martin. (Indian food, Parkour videos, professional photo portraits and kendama--what's not to like?!?) "Finish your drink, Wes." Just generally spending more time and getting to know these five very fine individuals more...perfect.
Lows: Not getting to see Donald Grant but for 30 seconds. Stressing about my music during tech. Stressing about being late to start the show. A crap 5 club endurance run. Getting knocked out of Simon Says on Luke's Jedi Mind Trick (I have a weak mind...). Not finding Ewano in the morning (grrrrrrrr....I was too hung over to make a real go of it).
Goals: Catch up with everyone-check. Eat copious amounts of take away-check (with salt and vinegar on it). Teach some quality workshops--check (NOTE: anyone reading this who took my workshops, I would be VERY grateful to hear your comments and critiques here or privately. I want to improve the workshops for the future). Not suck in the show--check. Dance the Ceilidh--check (Marco and Jeroen rule!). Meet new people--check. Push the kendama envelope--check. Buy some funky crisps to show my students--check.
Crushes: Sarah B.--for ball juggling burliness. Martin--for the best first festival performance I have ever seen. Alice--for fine whiskey and dance partnership. Sam V.--for club style, dance partnership, and the whiskey on Jaffa Cakes idea. Mini--for sorting out my music, picking me up, and for just being da man. Miles--for being a super hard worker, bacon sandwich creator, and good chap. Sean B.--for always leaving me spellbound with his presentations of the art. Luke B.--for being patient during the podcast, and for lots of help with Renegade. Ewano--for being Ewan, and for agreeing that we should never again do Look Over There. Luke W.--for Grosse Point Blank (more later...) and for always offering a good perspective on what it means to perform. Ruth--for essentially making this the best Scottish ever. I was doubtful at first that my last experience could be duplicated, much less improved upon. No contest. You da woman. And thank you for the photos as well!!
Banes: The beast suitcase--I'm throwing that freaking thing out. My own packing skills--You don't know where your limits are until you have, without a doubt, exceeded them. This is the first festival that I can remember where I was constantly looking for stuff, forgetting stuff, and just being unorganized in general. Very not-the-teacher-me.
Surprises: Tom's skills with the kendama. The looks on peoples' faces when I offered them a handout during the workshops. The energy (or lack of it) during the first half of the show on the part of the crowd. Discovering Luke W.'s passion for GPB....and then finding my brother from a different mother Ewan also reciprocated it!!! And that was also my biggest high this weekend as well. Now, THAT's a HLGCBS!!!!!!!! Whew.....
To read the Scottish HLGCB on rec.juggling, click here
To view a clip on MSN Video about the SJC, click here
To view more photos of the SJC, click here
