.... and it is up and running.
Finally have my journal on my site. I'm all about convenience. So check it:
www.melodydavi.com
Hurrah!
Till next time, peace, love, and no more blogspot!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
New Site...
.... And it is now time to put this blog to rest. My new website is up and running, and I will now be posting all my journal entries from there. For now, until the domain name is set to my own (www.melodydavi.com), my site, including blog, can be viewed at http://web.mac.com/melodivanyc/Site/Welcome.html. Hopefully this will keep the entries coming much quicker!
Miss you all! All my love from Costa Rica! Till next time, peace, love, and Macbook!
Miss you all! All my love from Costa Rica! Till next time, peace, love, and Macbook!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Say cheese....
My Cabin! SO cozy...
LOverly ARuba
Holly and I at the Valentine's Day Disco... I know. So festive in Black!
Me and Toucan Sam in Columbia
ANd baby Sloth in Cartagena!
Drinks with Jim and Lelani at the Sofitel, Cartagena
The best Golden Arch... Lelani, Semani, Jim, and I in Antigua, Guatemala
More to come... COuntdown till Fam arrives: 3 days!
Till next time, peace, love, and board shorts...
Old school posts....
February 6- Ft Lauderdale
Oi, how today became so much less than expected. For the past ten days we have been looking forward to arriving back in the good ol’ US of A and making the great journey to my mothership, TARGET. One never realizes how dependant they become on the basic necessities of everyday life (ya know, toothpaste, facewash, Orbitz Whitening gum), until they are stranded on a floating hunk of metal for weeks on end. SO you can imagine how terribly distraught us singers were to learn that instead of jumping ship at 7 AM and power walking to our rental car, our chariot, our only means of escape, we had to wait…. And wait…. And wait… to go through immigration. By the time that was over, we pretty much had enough time for a breeze through of the nearby Walgreens and a scarfed down sandwhich at the local deli. Not exactly the dream day we had planned. But fortunately I got my basic necessities. And the box me mum and dad sent me today arrived! Mostly excited about the piano books they packed, as my cabin’s previous tenant left a keyboard in the room. Therefore, I will be able to bang away on those (plastic) ivories whenever the mood strikes. Hopefully that will pass some of the down time. If not, there is always a deck chair calling my name for nap time!
February 7- At sea
SO I have serious issues with sea days. I function completely if I know there is a port to visit, some sort of daily activity to break up the monotony. But there is only so long that I can stare out my portholes as the water rushes by before I contemplate jumping ship. Fortunately, we have created daily rituals, which, although mundane, help pass the time immensely. Today for instance: Wake up around eight (the latest I can ever sleep in on here, thanks to the aforementioned portholes), and begin by making approximately 6 cups of coffee…. Thank Jesus for my French press! Breakfast with CNN headline news, which is truly our only window in to what in the world is happening outside the ship bubble. Then its time for the deck walk. I got over the ship’s gym after about the first cruise (me and a treadmill are not BFF) and therefore have taken to power walking on deck seven, which is much more interesting since you can people watch at the same time. Power walking is followed by pilates, which is followed by me realizing I’ve only killed about three hours of my day. Tanning time begins, though on sea days, tis more like tanning in a tornado with the insane amount of wind that surrounds you. As I lay out, deck chair cushions rush past my head, but I am determined to keep this bronzy glow! Then lunch at HoCo (Horizon Court) with Jim and Lelani, two of the other singers, which we are determined to stretch out for the maximum amount of time. Trust me, it is a true task to sea how long I can stretch out my salad and whatever other mystery food I have plopped onto my plate from the buffet. By now it is three PM, and time for afternoon coffee at the Pattiserie (which includes mini cookies, my favorite ship treat!). By now it is apparent that I have become a caffeine junkie, but I suppose there could be worse vices, eh? When coffee time is over, I play on my rinky dink keyboard for about an hour, till finally it is sound check time! Tonight’s show is “Piano Man”, but its all interchangeable as these days are pretty much carbon copies of each other. Then off to my room to prep, warm-up, slap on some lashes and lippie, and I am ready to sing me some Elton John!
February 8- Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Do not eat a vegetarian burger in Jamaica. You will get sick. That’s all I have to say.
February 9- Sea Day
See above Sea Day. I swear, it never changes!
February 10- Aruba
I bought a camera, I bought a camera, I bought a camera, hey hey hey hey!
A good ol’ Canon, just like the one my rents got me for Christmas two years ago which somehow ended up in the bathtub and subsequently was completely trashed. So once again I will be able to actually capture some of these experiences that I am terrible at relating through my words.
February 11- Catragena, Columbia
I never thought I would say this, but I absolutely LOVE Columbia.
February 18- At Sea
Yet another in a string of Sea Days. Starting to really appreciate the downtime and am nearly irritated when I actually have to do work. Fortunately, today was 100% downtime, and I took full advantage. Morning walk on the deck, mid day meal with the singers, including my favorite mini cookies from the Patisserie, and laying on a deck chair doing exactly nothing. I’m getting fairly good at doing nothing. But the highlight of the evening was our singers’ night out. (Well, as far out as you can go when you are stuck on a ship). The great thing about nights off here is whenever we do not have a production, someone else is bound to have a show, be it a cabaret act, a comedian, juggler, even banjo player. Last evening’s show completely takes the cake. After getting all dolled up and having a nice relaxing meal at the dining room, it was off to see Miss Joni Butler. A Grammy nominated singer, I was absolutely blown away by her presence, talent, but mostly her spirit. This girl has range for days, like Linda Eder with about three more octaves, and yet she is completely humble about it, knowing all her gifts come from God and thanking him expressly. It is just so rare and refreshing in this business to find someone with such genuine gratitude, minus the attitude. I know I have always looked up to my sister as one of said performers, and now I have another entertainer to emulate. Plus, everyone calls her my mom as she does look eerily like me a few years down the line. It’s a major compliment which I will gladly accept. All I know is that it is seeing her in action really inspired me to get my booty in gear, to keep trying to better myself as a performer and a person, and I know I’m not the only one in the audience who felt that. Really, that’s what putting on a show is all about.
Oi, how today became so much less than expected. For the past ten days we have been looking forward to arriving back in the good ol’ US of A and making the great journey to my mothership, TARGET. One never realizes how dependant they become on the basic necessities of everyday life (ya know, toothpaste, facewash, Orbitz Whitening gum), until they are stranded on a floating hunk of metal for weeks on end. SO you can imagine how terribly distraught us singers were to learn that instead of jumping ship at 7 AM and power walking to our rental car, our chariot, our only means of escape, we had to wait…. And wait…. And wait… to go through immigration. By the time that was over, we pretty much had enough time for a breeze through of the nearby Walgreens and a scarfed down sandwhich at the local deli. Not exactly the dream day we had planned. But fortunately I got my basic necessities. And the box me mum and dad sent me today arrived! Mostly excited about the piano books they packed, as my cabin’s previous tenant left a keyboard in the room. Therefore, I will be able to bang away on those (plastic) ivories whenever the mood strikes. Hopefully that will pass some of the down time. If not, there is always a deck chair calling my name for nap time!
February 7- At sea
SO I have serious issues with sea days. I function completely if I know there is a port to visit, some sort of daily activity to break up the monotony. But there is only so long that I can stare out my portholes as the water rushes by before I contemplate jumping ship. Fortunately, we have created daily rituals, which, although mundane, help pass the time immensely. Today for instance: Wake up around eight (the latest I can ever sleep in on here, thanks to the aforementioned portholes), and begin by making approximately 6 cups of coffee…. Thank Jesus for my French press! Breakfast with CNN headline news, which is truly our only window in to what in the world is happening outside the ship bubble. Then its time for the deck walk. I got over the ship’s gym after about the first cruise (me and a treadmill are not BFF) and therefore have taken to power walking on deck seven, which is much more interesting since you can people watch at the same time. Power walking is followed by pilates, which is followed by me realizing I’ve only killed about three hours of my day. Tanning time begins, though on sea days, tis more like tanning in a tornado with the insane amount of wind that surrounds you. As I lay out, deck chair cushions rush past my head, but I am determined to keep this bronzy glow! Then lunch at HoCo (Horizon Court) with Jim and Lelani, two of the other singers, which we are determined to stretch out for the maximum amount of time. Trust me, it is a true task to sea how long I can stretch out my salad and whatever other mystery food I have plopped onto my plate from the buffet. By now it is three PM, and time for afternoon coffee at the Pattiserie (which includes mini cookies, my favorite ship treat!). By now it is apparent that I have become a caffeine junkie, but I suppose there could be worse vices, eh? When coffee time is over, I play on my rinky dink keyboard for about an hour, till finally it is sound check time! Tonight’s show is “Piano Man”, but its all interchangeable as these days are pretty much carbon copies of each other. Then off to my room to prep, warm-up, slap on some lashes and lippie, and I am ready to sing me some Elton John!
February 8- Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Do not eat a vegetarian burger in Jamaica. You will get sick. That’s all I have to say.
February 9- Sea Day
See above Sea Day. I swear, it never changes!
February 10- Aruba
I bought a camera, I bought a camera, I bought a camera, hey hey hey hey!
A good ol’ Canon, just like the one my rents got me for Christmas two years ago which somehow ended up in the bathtub and subsequently was completely trashed. So once again I will be able to actually capture some of these experiences that I am terrible at relating through my words.
February 11- Catragena, Columbia
I never thought I would say this, but I absolutely LOVE Columbia.
February 18- At Sea
Yet another in a string of Sea Days. Starting to really appreciate the downtime and am nearly irritated when I actually have to do work. Fortunately, today was 100% downtime, and I took full advantage. Morning walk on the deck, mid day meal with the singers, including my favorite mini cookies from the Patisserie, and laying on a deck chair doing exactly nothing. I’m getting fairly good at doing nothing. But the highlight of the evening was our singers’ night out. (Well, as far out as you can go when you are stuck on a ship). The great thing about nights off here is whenever we do not have a production, someone else is bound to have a show, be it a cabaret act, a comedian, juggler, even banjo player. Last evening’s show completely takes the cake. After getting all dolled up and having a nice relaxing meal at the dining room, it was off to see Miss Joni Butler. A Grammy nominated singer, I was absolutely blown away by her presence, talent, but mostly her spirit. This girl has range for days, like Linda Eder with about three more octaves, and yet she is completely humble about it, knowing all her gifts come from God and thanking him expressly. It is just so rare and refreshing in this business to find someone with such genuine gratitude, minus the attitude. I know I have always looked up to my sister as one of said performers, and now I have another entertainer to emulate. Plus, everyone calls her my mom as she does look eerily like me a few years down the line. It’s a major compliment which I will gladly accept. All I know is that it is seeing her in action really inspired me to get my booty in gear, to keep trying to better myself as a performer and a person, and I know I’m not the only one in the audience who felt that. Really, that’s what putting on a show is all about.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
PS. Some Pics...
Creepy "Superstition" puppets...
The ISland Princess!!! My home for six months...
Seats in the Princess Theatre. Muchos lovely...
Matty and I... representing in the UK and the NY!
... stole some pics from Shmatty. I swear I'll get a camera ASAP.
Aruba, Jamaica, oooh I wanna take ya...
Another day, some more paradise. But I must say, I do not feel guilty for indulging in sme enjoyment, for our cast truly deserves it. AT LAST all of our shows are open, and this is the first day we have had completely off in ages. So it only seemes fitting that almost everyone jumped ship as soon as the Island docked in Aruba. Super Bowl Sunday, we care not of, for tis Super Beach Sunday. Let the tanning oil slathering and daquiri drinking commence. Around noon, a large group of us hopped into a cab headed for the highrise resort strip, which is right along the goregous pure white beach. Though we got scammed on the fare (60 dollars for 10 minutes? PLEASE!) it was all worth it as deck chairs were arranged and pure nirvana was discovered. I'd have to say the highlight was our fabulous beach side meal. I'm not talking any 5-star gourmet nonsense. Just the simple fact that it was not a buffet salad bar or room service (yes one does tire of room service) was enough to have me jumping for joy. And man, they sure do make some fine vegetarian quesadillas here. A few hours later and five shades darker, our fried brains decided to high tail it on back to the main road beside the pier where they are having Carnival!! Huge parade was underway, and even as I type, I can still hear the rumbling from down below, fanfare and thumping bass lines. It seems as though the whole island turned out for this event, and for good reason. I'd take this over football any day.
But do not fret that in all this sun worshipping I am not doing anything of cultural value. Yesterday I took part in my very first tour. The location: Cartagena, Columbia (pretty sketchy, I do not deny it). The tour was a speed boat sight-seeing adventure through all the fortresses of the Island. WHich would be very cool... if they had ever been used. All I got out of it was these massive defensive posts were constructed in the 18th Century... and never actually operational as Cartagena was never attacked. At least we took some pretty pictures. And my skin got some good exfoliation from all the salt water sprayed upon me.
Two more days then I arrive in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Another day of shopping for all the nonsensical things one would never think they possibly depended on for survival until stuck out in the middle of the ocean. Let there be Target. Let there be Whole Foods. And let there be a purchase of the oh-so-despised flip-flops. For I have come to learn that cruising and stilettos simply do not mesh.
Till next time, peace, love and Aloe Vera Gel.
But do not fret that in all this sun worshipping I am not doing anything of cultural value. Yesterday I took part in my very first tour. The location: Cartagena, Columbia (pretty sketchy, I do not deny it). The tour was a speed boat sight-seeing adventure through all the fortresses of the Island. WHich would be very cool... if they had ever been used. All I got out of it was these massive defensive posts were constructed in the 18th Century... and never actually operational as Cartagena was never attacked. At least we took some pretty pictures. And my skin got some good exfoliation from all the salt water sprayed upon me.
Two more days then I arrive in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Another day of shopping for all the nonsensical things one would never think they possibly depended on for survival until stuck out in the middle of the ocean. Let there be Target. Let there be Whole Foods. And let there be a purchase of the oh-so-despised flip-flops. For I have come to learn that cruising and stilettos simply do not mesh.
Till next time, peace, love and Aloe Vera Gel.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Hola from Huatulco!
I am in heaven. Simply as that. Huatulco, Mexico is by far my favorite stop on the itinerary as of yet. As I type, I am sitting at the top story of an open air cafe right in the middle of the town square. Birds are chirping all around me, and not in an obnoxious, piercing way, but rather with harmonious chords more often found in Disney movies. Come to think of it, I feel almost like I am in a fantasy here, though instead of my gorgeous ballgown I spend the day in sweats and nights in bedazzled pants suits and polka dot bikinis. Other than that though, I am a true Princess aboard the Island Princess.
Maybe my giddy mood is due in large part to the fact that we are finally settled into our real cabins that we will inhabit for the duration of the cruise. Up until now, it has been a life in transit, swapping passenger staterooms every turn-around day, going bonkers every time I had to pack up and ship out. Yesterday, for the first time in what seems like ages, I was able to finally toss my empty suitcases under my bed and say "Adios" for the next five months. Panda has his rightful place on my bed, pictures have been stuck to the walls, and hot pot is set up and ready for business. The only strange part is that we STILL have not put up all of the shows. "Motor City" looms on the horizon. Five more days, that beast will be up, and then the relaxation shall begin. For now, I am in my happy place, as we have two nights in a row performing "Piano Man" my utter favorite, where I can wear feathers, bust out a high C, do some kick ballchanges, and end the night curled up in my own bed. It doesn't get any better than that!
SO till next time, peace, love, and tortillas!
Maybe my giddy mood is due in large part to the fact that we are finally settled into our real cabins that we will inhabit for the duration of the cruise. Up until now, it has been a life in transit, swapping passenger staterooms every turn-around day, going bonkers every time I had to pack up and ship out. Yesterday, for the first time in what seems like ages, I was able to finally toss my empty suitcases under my bed and say "Adios" for the next five months. Panda has his rightful place on my bed, pictures have been stuck to the walls, and hot pot is set up and ready for business. The only strange part is that we STILL have not put up all of the shows. "Motor City" looms on the horizon. Five more days, that beast will be up, and then the relaxation shall begin. For now, I am in my happy place, as we have two nights in a row performing "Piano Man" my utter favorite, where I can wear feathers, bust out a high C, do some kick ballchanges, and end the night curled up in my own bed. It doesn't get any better than that!
SO till next time, peace, love, and tortillas!
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