Quiet week for reflection

So my cold is pretty much gone, (knock wood) and I'm feeling better vocally at last; I sang for the first time yesterday in almost two weeks, and the voice, as always, feels good after a rest, but the endurance isn't there right away, it's harder work. Today my stamina was back, which is also what usually happens on the second or third day of singing after a rest. No new auditions yet, except for the one in Lyon at the end of April. I've been meaning to follow up with the twelve or so opera houses located in the south of France that I contacted by email a few weeks ago, but when one has a sore throat and a head cold, it's particularly hard to talk on the phone in a newish language.

Likewise I've got to follow up with a number of the Belgian, Dutch and Parisian contacts that I've made already. Without at least some intermittent successes, and a sense that progress is being made, it's difficult to keep my energy and confidence level up.

I think one reason that I'm a little pensive today is that the demands on my energy are shifting slightly now that the boys are solidly established in school. Duncan likes going to school, and his outgoing, affectionate nature has made him lots of friends there, and Malcolm is getting good marks. He no longer protests at the necessity of homework activity, since he does most of his work correctly at school now, and actually likes the time we spend together practicing. In the absence of these family stresses, I think I have more time to think (and sometimes worry) about my career.

It's a matter of how one chooses to view things, really. I have to keep telling myself that I've had success in finding quite a few auditions, and have sung some particularly good ones. As well, this is an entirely new country, and I'm making a career here from square one, in a field where - assuming that you have the appropriate skill and ability - your public profile and reputation are the main tools for finding work, and I came here as a totally unknown quantity.

Another thing I need to remember is that I have only been a "pro" singer for a little more than six months. Before that I worked for nine years at my other job while working at developing my singing as, by necessity, a part-time, secondary career. It gives me some perspective when I look at my performing colleagues and realize how long they've been digging away at just one thing (music) and I relax a bit, and realize that I need to keep going, and give it more time to progress, to keep digging... Dig, you groundhog, dig!

I've had support from friends who've emailed, or called; those words of encouragement have been very much appreciated, and I'm saying "thank you" for their (your) efforts to stay in contact, your encouragement does bolster my conviction to continue. I'm also finding support in unexpected places; I recently had the honour of being interviewed in December for the Queen's Alumni association podcast, which was just published in late February.

There is one family task that is occupying me now, and that is finding a house for next year... I've already looked at a couple, and more and more signs are appearing on the streets around us, for houses, and for apartments. If we can find an apartment with two bedrooms, and a large enough living area, and some sort of garden access, that will suffice for our needs and have enough room that we can welcome guests. There is a cute house directly across from the boys' school with two apartments in it that might be just the thing for us, and I'm looking at it tomorrow. I'm also seeing a house around the corner from the school tomorrow morning. It is still a little early to find a place, everybody says wait until the beginning of June, but since we will be in Canada for July and August, I'm a little anxious about finding something that is affordable and still appropriate for us in the little more than three weeks I've got free in June.

The cherry trees have just peaked and are starting to decline; they've been in blossom for almost a month now, as the weather has been cooler, but I noticed this afternoon that the hedges are green with new growth and soon it will be time to cut them. Tomorrow is expected to be a high of 15 degrees, which will coincide perfectly with the plan to turn out the streetlights tomorrow. Apparently it's an annual thing that they do to allow people to see the stars; Belgium as seen from space is very brightly lit, as unlike the surrounding countries, they light everything, even their rural highways, and so that has an effect on the visibility of the night sky.



I remember suggesting the "lights out" idea to Maggie a few days after the North American blackout of 2003, when the skies were clear and open in Toronto, and we had an improptu street party and jam session on our street, huddled around the kerosene lamp and the barbeque. The experience should become an official observance, to remind the millions of people who live in Toronto what the night sky actually looks like. It seems as if the Belgians, or the Bruxellois at least do this sort of thing every year, and there are other "special" days, too. Soon after we arrived, for example, it was the "day without cars", where everyone took part in physical activity out-of-doors, and the use of bicycles, skateboards, rollerblades, etc. were greatly encouraged.

Anyway, I do hope the weather is nice; we're having dinner guests from down the street, and cooking a big Thai meal; it might be a great night for a cigar on the patio after dinner, and I've turned on the pool heater, just in case it's really nice out and we want to have a swim.

Time to go help Maggie get dinner ready. We alternate the cooking during the week, but collaborate on the weekends. It's leftover night anyway!