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Playwriting Debut (Abigail - Day 8)2/23/2020 I wrote a play today. It was really bad and inspired by a purple pillow. I am not an actor or a writer or a director. I am a performer, but I’m starting to think that dance doesn’t compare to theater very well. Neither of them is better than the other (although, I might be a little biased...), but they’re very different. I’m trying to get everything out of the theater we’re seeing that I can. I’m impressed by the creativity of my peers and their confidence to show off the work they make. I’m not there yet.
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A Sad Sky(Emma Day 8)2/23/2020 It feels like the whole world is crying. Rain follows us everywhere. The world lives in a constant wet. Even if the sun soaks up the sidewalks in the day, the clouds pour down upon the earth again overnight. “Why so sad??” I ask the sky. It’s a little bit beautiful though, just as tears on cheeks can also be a little bit beautiful. I watch the rain drops trace paths, like snakes racing across the glass of the dome. They sliver slantways, manipulated by the wind. All of Belfast is a little gray. But later, as we walk back to the hotel, wet and down trodden, the sun makes an appearance. Hello!
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On We Drive (Emma Day 7)2/23/2020 black cab tour
our day begins squished into cabs Pat’s lovely and welcoming voice fills the space between us he laughs we laugh he compliments my irish accent my heart glows we stand in the cold more sardines also penguins i feel grateful that i read the packing list on we drive so many people have been here to this wall. so many names so many stories empathy & compassion for everyone always how nice on we drive a red X instead of simply removing her, painting over they have crossed her out as if to say: “we should not forget, we should remeber the wrong she did” on we drive back to the hotel to rest and recover and set out again
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transformation (Megan Cramer: 2/22/20)2/22/2020 Moving from an idea to shape feels like attempting a magic trick that will instantly turn the sparkly “what ifs” into the concrete “I have a plan…”. But there are no Abra-cadabras or Open Sesames or Ta-Das! that will transform it. It’s vulnerable work. It’s tenuous work. And it’s always easier to continue once the words are on the page, the sketch is drawn, the first plan is made.
“Don’t look yet.” “I’m not ready.” “It’s not done.” But we aren’t supposed to be done. And we aren’t doing a magic trick. We are transforming. In a Book Bar in Belfast.
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Ella 100 Words (2/22/20)2/22/2020 The city skyline glinted
As we gazed from atop a terrace Covered and protected by glass It’s easy to watch the world move past From so high up Like swimming in a fishbowl Admiring the slightly distorted buildings It’s easy to get lost at such an altitude Almost like you’re reaching for the sky Just like the giant metal cranes Scattered about Trying to fly Or grab a piece of that freedom The sky provides Looking down will bring you back And dizzying vertigo will take hold Pulling the air from your lungs And reminding you There’s only wax wings waiting
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scene + overheard | lauren holt | day 82/22/2020 St. George's Market -- breakfast bacon double bap on a softie add an egg bapman: "what kind of bun?" me: "which would you pick?" man: "a softie" me: "a softie then" Belfaster beside me: "the crusty roll is what we'd choose in Belfast" me: "..." man: raises eyebrow me: "a softie please" Victoria Square Police Station -- lost + found looking for glasses call box: can I help you? me: I have a student who has lost his glasses... officer: ... me: I was hoping you have a lost + found...? officer: ... me: or suggestions? officer: ... whatsapp buzzes Megan: he has a spare pair me: great - I was getting nowhere
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The past and present wilt - you have filled them, emptied them.
And proceed to to fill your next fold of the future. Wall over there! What have you to confide to me? Or me to you? Look in my face while I snuff the sidle of the evening, Talk honestly, we witnesses hear you, though I stay only a minute longer. Do you contradict yourself? Very well then, you contradict yourself, (You are large, you contain multitudes!) You concentrate toward them that are nigh, you wait in your murals. Who has done his day’s work? who will soonest be through with his supper? Who wishes to walk with me? Will you speak before I am gone? will you prove already too late? or I too soon?
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Pat by Anna Kitts2/21/2020 Abigail said to our waitress at The Dark Horse, “I prefer Belfast to London.” I agree. The waitress asked, “Why?” Abigail answer but that made me think about why I felt so relaxed in Belfast. Here, there are a lot less people than in London, and despite the fighting we have heard of, everyone I have met are pretty. Our tour guide Pat said to our Black Tax group: “See what you want to do and it will come looking for you.” I was not expecting to be graced by such godly words today. The murals and street art are amazing!! The hidden meanings and political opinions on every corner make Belfast unique. Instead of a written history, Belfast has a painted history. There is a wall splitting Catholics and Protestants, and people have signed it over and over again. It was shocking and scary to see that a wall could and can be a reality. Pat said by the fifth generation maybe there will be a change.
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100 Words (Alex: 2/21/20)2/21/2020 Milkshakes. For the past few days, as I’m sure nearly everyone else on this trip can tell you, I’ve been craving a milkshake. It’s been really bad. At one point a few days ago I almost convinced Megan to let us stop at a five guys to get a milkshake which would have made us have less time for dinner and in result be late to a show. I’ve also been mentioning my love for milkshakes, specifically chocolate milkshakes, to nearly everyone who talks to me. Tonight, it happened, folks. I finally had a milkshake. And it was so amazing.
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100 Words (Alex: day 6)2/21/2020 It is currently two days after my 100 words for this day was due. I have missed the past two days and am stressing about it. Thankfully I have speedy typing skills and quick brain cells so I can get it done quickly. Anyway, thinking back to day 5, we saw Albion which was the only play so far that I have genuinely enjoyed the dialog of. Personally I prefer dialog that sounds like humans you would hear in everyday life as compared to something poetic. I find that I'm more engaged when there is conversational dialog in a play.
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100 Words (Alex: Day 4)2/21/2020 We saw Daniel Radcliffe in person. The Harry Potter. The man, the myth, the legend, who defined my childhood. What an honor to have been graced by his presence. As soon as he entered the stage, the room became magical(haha). You could say that I’m a big Harry Potter fan. According to Pottermore I’m a hufflepuff but I took it multiple times and I also got slytherin. But more importantly my patronus was a dragon. I personally love that combination. I don’t love the idea of people falling into one category. Though I do love taking personality quizzes online.
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100 Words : Alex (Day 3)2/21/2020 I don’t know if I can find the correct words to describe Death of England. The leading actor who was alone onstage for an hour and a half was incredible. He showed the important relationships in his life to the audience very clearly which I found impressive since there wasn’t any interaction with other actors playing those characters. The set was also brilliant. The topics it dealt with(loss, racism, family relationships, national identity, mental health, among many others) were very well handled and spoke to the audience well. 9/10 overall because I got bored once or twice throughout.
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Siggy 100 Words (2/21/20)2/21/2020 Today was pretty amazing. We woke up and had a good breakfast at the hotel café. We went and took the black cab tour with pat, pat and pat. Pat was a pretty funny guy but he didn't want to share his opinion on brexit with me which was upsetting. But we saw some great murals and then went to the kabosh theater and had a good talk with the woman who runs it. I got a chance to interview her on her opinions and i am getting all the materials i need for my project so thats great.
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Siggy 100 Words (2/20/20)2/21/2020 Today was okay i got up ate some breakfast and hung out until about 11 we went to the airport and got onto the plane to northern ireland. My ears hurt really bad on the plane but i was okay eventually then we met patrick and took a little tour to see some of the murals which although they were a little dark i could still see that they were really cool. I then went out to dinner with emma rose mika ella anna davis and some others to the black box bar which was really yummy but they take a really long time here to eat tho so....late :)
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The Wall (Abigail - Day 7)2/21/2020 I often find myself thinking about whether or not people are inherently good or evil. Sometimes I enjoy thinking about this. Other times I do not. Today, I saw murals of murderous men, immortalized in giant color pictures on the sides of buildings. I wondered why something such as religion, the SAME religion, would have caused such a conflict. They built walls. It’s the easiest and most simple solution. They’re huge and concrete and built to withstand bomb blasts. They’re tangible proof of the violence. The walls are covered in words of peace and hope for the future. One day, they might fall.
“I hope you keep your children away from religion.” “You should be loving someone.”
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Can we go in? (Ella: 2/21/20)2/21/2020 Rain soaking the streets
Rain dampened pedestrians Walking across reflective sidewalks Looking for something to fill us up The street lights glare and the passerbys do too No Vacancy No Entry We can’t go far But the streets seem to stretch Winding and twisting Around our ankles Slowing us down Waterlogged Street signs sigh as we pass There’s no room on these slender roads The alleys push us single file And file us down Until we can fit through Steps beginning to slow Direction washed away Raindrops dripping into our eyes Stinging and washing us away No Space No Room
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As You See Me, I See You (Mika, Day 6)2/21/2020 Christina’s monologue really got to me. If you couldn’t tell.
But it gave me directions; it gave me a stricter purpose. I have the gift and burden of have a...complex identity, which means I see more people than most would think. I want people to know they are seen. But it’s hard to do, me speaking as...me, when there are other, distracting pieces that people don’t know what to do with. So I’ll break it down. I’ll break me down. Races, genders, sexuality, past experiences - anything considerably important. It’s easier to identify with someone who highlights what you can identify with than with someone trying to show you all of them. I’ve realized how important it is to be seen. Now I want to give back. Because really, in the end, all anybody wants is to be seen for who they are.
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Seen (Mika, Day 5)2/21/2020 Albion. It’s brilliant. Maybe too brilliant; maybe to personal. All I can see is Alex and Chase instead of Anna and James, because I’ve seen this pain on her face before. It hurts.
Forgotten She-Wolves. I won’t lie - I watched passively for the first two monologues. And then...and then Christina’s came. And in it, I heard my older sibling, their beautiful articulation and passion. They spoke - the both of them - of two sisters (which we once were) the able bodied one caring for the other. I heard my siblings fear for my safety. I heard them defend my privacy. And in all of this, I wondered why. Why was it that my older sibling and a complete stranger were the only people to have ever made me feel seen? And I know now, the simple answer. They do see me. They see me for me. Saya is the only one who truly understands me, all of me, because they would never have me change. They see me for who I am, for my otherness, and they embrace it. Every time I think of that monologue I tear up. I’ve never felt that seen by the arts. So thank you. Thank you for making me feel seen.
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TODAY we started with an Albion workshop. We played games dealing with cards. We got to have certain “special” people be in charge of the “garden” (A.K.A. The circle we made with our chairs). We also wrote down some themes from Endgame & Death of England to find themes that will also take place in Albeon (DUN DUN DUNNNN). It was all quite fun. I think quite is my new favorite word to use in these 100 words! We then went out for lunch where I got a Juice from Joe & the Juice!!!!!! While these may seem like any other food comment from Kelsey it is much much MUCH more special than that ( and I mean it to). If you can recall to day 1 England 100 words from me myself and I then you know how excited I was just to see a Joe in the Juice image me stopping in there! Let me set the seen for you. It is a rainy London day we are trying to find food( the “we” I am referring to doesn’t matter except it includes Margarite). I looks across that busy street and dare I say it it’s a Joe and the Juice! I stop unable to move a say guys I gotta go. I then try to cross that treacherous street right then and there but one on the “we’s” stops me. I go to a cross walk and cross to the Joe and the Juice where I pick at my amazing juice, but then they only allow payment of card. My face falls till Margarite offers to lay with her card. Overjoy I am. I drink it. Delicious! Some other stuff happened after too plus we do a play, but all that really pales to my one true love of Joe and the Juice.
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(Did you like the “Friends” reference one the title?) Today we went to Trofolgrad Square. It was pretty. Then I got a plain croissant (which took going to Pret and Cafe Nero to find, but luckily they were next door to each other) for breakfast. On the way to the square we got a little turned around on the tube, but it ended up alright anyway. Thrilling right? Then we took the tube to the East end. There we looked at a church and found a TOP SECRET (shhhhh) food place in the crypt. We then looked at a bunch of really interesting graffiti. Both political and non-political. We then ate some good food at Pret. (Yes I did indeed go to 2 different Pret's in the same day) We then took the plays for the day at the Old Vic Theater.
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Phone Home (Mika, Day 4)2/21/2020 We go back to the hotel early, desperate for some rest, some peace and quiet. And while we rest, we it turns out the peace and quiet isn’t what we needed. After eating a makeshift dinner from Tesco, I call home. Rather, Ella and I call my mom - it’s funny how these things work, how natural it is for me to want Ella to have the comfort of my home and knowing my mom is equally worried about them. It gives me a joy I didn’t know I was missing. Ella’s cooing over the cats, and then the roles reverse, and I know I’ll always have comfort here.
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Purpose (Leila day 7)2/21/2020 I am full of many emotions and feelings after seeing the wall and murals. Seeing the literal divide between the Catholics and Protestants is insane. I have heard about walls like the Berlin Wall that separate people, but to see it in person (especially still here in 2020) was crazy. It made me think a lot about peace and the issues my ancestors had to go through and how these issues aren’t ‘fixed’ now. How can I help? How can I change things? These are questions ringing in my head and brought me to tears in the car back. I hope one day I can feel good that I have somehow helped people.
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How do you feel about brexit?-Kelsey2/21/2020 I got 5 people to answer my question today. I first ask them if they will answer a question for my school project. I then ask them if they know about Brexit. This set them up for the next question to come their way. My real question is drumroll.:... (drumroll in head plays) How do you FEEL about Brexit? Today I had 2 people say they LOVE Brexit! I also had 2 people say they DISLIKED Brexit. One very passionate man on the tube said he HATED Brexit. These answers were a LOT better than yesterday. Yesterday, 3 people rejected my question completely! Can you believe that?! That was my day including a little insight NOT about food from yesterday.
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Gather ‘Round (Abigail - Day 6)2/21/2020 Today was a travel day. After a Tesco run, we picked up coffee and arrived fashionably late to the hotel as everyone was frantically weighing their bags. The 10 kilo limit wouldn’t matter anyway; we all had to check our bags. I hoped that we wouldn’t have a repeat of Rome. It was fine.
It’s cold in Belfast. The wind gets you. I’ve never been here before, but it feels strangely familiar. I feel like I can stretch out here. Patrick, our guide, ran us frantically around the city. Twenty people can only stand so close.
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Goodbye London(Emma Day 6)2/20/2020 goodbye Ridgemount hotel
goodbye eggs and hash browns goodbye London streets and sky and air goodbye yellow bikes goodbye motorcycle that tipped over in the rain goodbye Goodge street and Goodge street station goodbye tube and tube travel card goodbye pret goodbye itsu goodbye to the best vintage store i’ve ever been in goodbye idian place where I tried my first cheese nan goodbye Daniel and Alan goodbye Christina, thank you & thank you goodbye Globe and Almeida and Old Vic goodbye gelato and the cheery man who sold it to me goodbye to the woman i met in the soho street market goodbye disposable camera that I lost in Wesminister goodbye Rose and Mary Ella’s water bottles, also lost goodbye statue of winston churchill goodbye Tate Modern and Wellcome Collection goodbye kings cross station goodbye trees and sheets of ivy goodbye London, thank you & thank you |