Chasing Rainbows

Well it has not been an easy task but I have finally pieced together some writing I have been meaning to post for the past 6 weeks! That's right I have been here for almost 6 weeks. It feels like it too, but most importantly it feels like my home...

I am writing from my laptop in my lil home (cabin : ) on the MS Paradise in the dancers corridor which I have very appropriately renamed the "horridor". There is no rest for the wicked in this place! The new golf pro was just introduced to us, and the warning was to stay well away from the dancers corridor! Hehe. I have not long got back from the crew bar to find my young dancing friends with all of their doors open, in their PJs imitating flashdance down the "horridor" while 2 of the officers watch on! (the officers have taken an extra special liking to the new dance cast, I am staying well away from it all- we have been well warned!... tho I did go to one of their parties a couple of weeks ago and it was hands down the craziest party I have been to and I have been to my fair share of well out there parties- I took photos for evidence)!!!

We have now opened all 3 shows so rehearsals are finished! No more 16hr long days without a moment to spare! I am so happy at the moment. We have been getting off in Ensenada Mexico, and tho not the most gorgeous place, it is loads of fun. Papas & Beers is the place to be (check out some photos in the new Paradise Album), and when I am not there I go to a hotel called St Nicholas to swim, sunbake, eat mexican and drink cocktails! They also do massages behind the waterfall which I will def. be getting next time I am there! Other than that, not much to report! It is now Tuesday afternoon & I had a crazy night of drinking red wine with my Aussie friends Ben & Steph & one of the muso's Michael, after the shows. We ended up at Darion from the Calypso band's cabin till about 5am, as it is his birthday today! He sang us some original reggae, including one about 9/11- yesterday was a extra tough day for some of the people here...

It is amazing how unbelievably talented everyone here seems to be tho, Darion is the third person this week to play quality original tunes for us, and my friend Michael has been moonlighting on the piano on the Boulevard whenever we pass by on the way to the disco (in fact Sat night we never even made it inside as we gathered such a crowd- guests were buying drinks for us to thank us, was SUCH a blast)!

Anyway, I must go, call for tonight's shows is in a few hours and I need to do weights, hit the steam room and have some sustenance first.

I will write more soon I promise, in the meantime check out the notes below that I wrote earlier in my contract and also check out Bens Blog.... - esp. juggling and self esteem- http://www.ben-lee.com/blog.htm

Love the guy (it's his birthday today yay- will no doubt have a drink for him at tonight's crew party ; )!!!

...... also post me a note, I miss you all lots and would love to hear what you've been up to. I will be posting more fun, wicked and hot photos soon so check back.

Much love from Paradise

Rainbow xoxo

..........................

Life is so surreal at times, when I think back to a week and a half ago I had a COMPLETELY different existence to the one I am experiencing now. Both good, in fact both great but just sooooo different. I am writing this blog from my cabin on the MS Paradise, today is a sea day, so am guessing we are off the California coast somewhere but you can't see land so who knows)?!!! We have an hr before we are due back at rehearsals.- we have already done 2 hrs this morning.... My roommate and I are resting as there is barely a moment to yourself in this place!` I absolutely love it here tho. The girls in the old cast (all are leaving after 4-5yr stints) claim that you know within the first 2-weeks whether life on a ship is for you, and tho I don't want to speak too soon- if that is true then I have to say it is definitely for me. It is Sooooo much fun. Life is manic, crazy, exhausting, we are all delirious and a couple of the girls are at each others throats already! We can't believe we have only been here just over a week- feels like a month- seriously!

I just adore our cast, there are 9 new girls (1 dance captain from the old cast), & 2 new guys (2 Mexicans in the old cast). have 2 fab aussie friends- one from Bris Vegas whom I room with- there are also 5 English gals (all look like footballers wives is hilarious, -boys you will want to see photos), 2 russians (they're an adage couple that were in a russian circus- UNBELIEVABLE), 1 south african, & an Irish and 2 American singers! I am the Nana out of the female dancers- it is the youngest cast they have EVER put together- typical!!! They are all 18-22- mostly 19 tho and therefor only allowed to drink at sea hehe (have to be 21 in the States remember)!!! From day 1 life here has literally been breathtaking, the ship is just gorgeous there are 12 decks and everything under the sun you could want (ok no climbing wall- yet- Royal Caribbean have one tho, jealous). Some surreal moments in our first couple of days were seeing the sunrise over Ensenada on day 1 (jetlag; ) a small group of us rehearsing on the mini golf course at sunrise on day 2- in the middle of the ocean! Looking out the windows of the stunning Normandie Lounge (where we perform the shows) during rehearsals and either seeing just water as far as the eye can see or heaps of boats (when we are docked in port), yes we are constantly rocking too- is just lovely for falling asleep! I can't even put into words how bizarre it is. And I certainly can't put into words how lucky I feel to be doing this...

The shows are really amazing- by anyones standards, they are even better that I was expecting and my cast is exceptional so it really will be something when we open the shows in about 2 weeks. We have made heaps of friends outside the dance cast too and all of them are keen to know when we take over so they can come and watch (might have something to do with the fact that these girls are seriously hot, hhhmmm)! Anyway, the piano man- yes there is a piano bar just like Minskys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND the piano man- Trevor- is Australian!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!! I feel so at home! ; ) We called in there the other night in between shows and he played Land Downunder and Waltzing Matilda for us- the Americans were fascinated and my snotty English friends were jealous that they don't have a London song! Hehe the banter between us all is classic- don't think it'll ever get old!

Anyway, that's about it from me for now- need to get back upstairs to the theatre, we are rehearsing with the revolving stage & props this afternoon- you try doing can-can kicks on a revolving stage between perspex boxes (which we have just danced on, my legs are covered in bruises)!!!! An image to leave you with- walking out onto Lido deck late afternoon, the sunbeds are packed kids are going nuts on the waterslide and the Calypso band is killing it on the outdoor stage, people are dancing, guys are playing basketball & waiters are serving cocktails- I may not have time to lap it up yet, but I am not so delirious I can't appreciate it.

Life is so good.

Take care all

Much love from the high-seas

Mellie xoxo