Sights Seen, Events Experienced

Here's a small list of things that have made me sigh or chuckle in appreciation over the last week:

• A little girl in a witch hat at one of the shows last week
• End-of-the-night discount grocery store deli gyoza
• End-of-the-night discount grocery store deli sushi
• said sushi being good and not making me sick
• hearing Japanese muzak in the store with lyrics being sung in English. The song in question at the time: "Saturday in the Park"

On a T-shirt

• Earth Laundry
• Victory goes to the most persevering
• You control your own life
• manual control you are a good driver
• Aphorism proverb interesting words
• Motor City Mad Van
• Share your favorite things
• Let it frock [and there was a picture of a frog with a guitar, so I guess it was an attempt at mixing words or making a pun]
• lump of nature
• Everybody has unlimited chances to make their life better
• I love him
• You make me laugh
• Too much swelling
• Rabble rousing
• Do it acoustic dude ranch style
• Who got a props?
• SK8R BOY what's up?

Yatta!

I didn't want to jinx a situation – not that I'm superstitious, but I suppose in that way I am – but now I can freely squawk about my achievement.

I successfully worked all of the shows in a week without dropping in juggling! Oh, sure there were some sticky spots and sketchy throws, but I did it. It's not the be-all and end-all to things, but it's a goal I had and I always seemed to drop at least once each week. We even had an extra show this week.

On a T-shirt

• Punch Drunkard – the Yellow Monkey
• eat the rich/ get stoked
• smile for peace
• peaceful enticement
• Fort McPherson Mechanical Fireman
• beach always
• mermaid's sweet melody
• I [heart] beans
• pleasure decently
• It is gentle like a hippo
• secret limitation rad
• growth is easy
• I [heart] nice
• Ghost! Boo! Ghosts threaten you!
• Dear God, why aren't you on tv?
• It is very fine today
• cute rock girl
• you make progress with lots of luck
• sweet girls love rock
• don't forget your original intent
• happily clappy
• In 305 mistake
• the peaceful world
• to all girls
• thirty years of successful living
• Chick Fight Night Club London Rock
• Happy in my future
• since we wants to see the face at which you laugh
• Give me plug!
• Envy is the ulcer of the soul/ Hate the justice
• Crowd one's luck, breathe a prayer.
• I wish you joy/ my only love you

Return to Form

YES!

Today is the first day back at working out after the slight injury. I just wanted to make sure I was in decent enough form so that I wouldn't aggravate anything. Holy crap, it was great to be back and –

I did more of this grouping of exercises than I was doing two weeks ago when I last worked out. Was it the rest period? I have no idea, but it felt so good! I'm really thankful for my health and am determined to take care of it.

Even though I admit I do drink alcohol at times and eat junk food. I'm not perfect, you know. I don't have worse vices, so I guess I have to have something.

Whatchu Laffin At?

There are spots in one of our gags where I do some small scale goofiness that came out of the moment earlier on in my time here. One of the joys of what I do is when I'm doing one of these goofy things just because something has to be done in that empty space. When I look at my "dirty" hands in disgust and then wipe them on the railing in between me and some of the audience, that usually gets a small laugh. There's another part where I take the torn paper and fold it back up neatly, only to throw it on the ground. When that gets a laugh, I think that feels the best.

Those unexpected laughs let me know that people are paying attention. It's the same with this Music Box gag we do, which is a classic gag that can be done well, or it can be trite, emotionally manipulative treacle. Some people might not like it when the audience is laughing when I'm getting angry and ultimately destroy the music box. When that happens, the point to me is that the audience members laughing are identifying with the fact that the person with the music box is obviously interrupting the other person. Eventually, the interrupted person gets so frustrated that they destroy the music box. When the audience laughs, I feel that they are recognizing the times that they've felt like that in their lives and have wanted to do such a thing. To get all psychological, I'm acting on an impulse they've had and the laugh comes from the recognition. The audience is laughing and we struck something personal. I'm not a touchy, feely clown person, but I think that's one for the win column!

Staring Role

I remember when I was on tour with Disney Live! Winnie the Pooh, some members of the cast and crew were losing their minds when we were in China. They had never been stared at so much in their lives. Anywhere we went, Chinese people would stare at the foreigners. These people had spent their lives in places where they looked like everyone else, and had spent time in countries where they could at least pass for a local if they kept their mouths shut. For me it was a field day watching the locals fall over themselves, running into each other and stationary objects to get a good gander at the six-foot tall black guy. I admit that I was also chuckling at the white guys just losing their minds, getting slightly paranoid and aggressive about people staring at them. I wanted to tell them that they'll get used to it like I did years and years ago, but I decided to keep my mouth shut so I could keep getting a free show. Kids were often the best.

I get stares everywhere I go in Japan, although it's a bit more rude in Japanese society than in Chinese society. It's pretty entertaining to see teens and college students get all smiley and "Look! Look!" when they see me. It's pretty easy to smile back at them since I find it so entertaining. When I'm working, I have an even bigger effect as a clown, since they might have seen clowns before, but never a black clown, let alone one with dreadlocks. It's a pleasant surprise for them when they learn that this is my hair and not a wig.

This past week gave me two new gems of entertainment, courtesy of younger kids. I had just finished checking out at the grocery store and was bagging my groceries. I noticed a little girl and her father walking past me and her eyes were riveted on me. Her head swiveled to stay locked on me as I smiled at her. Her father saw what was going on and then he swiftly gave her a disciplinary tap on the head, presumably for staring, for not watching where she was going, or both. I was sorry she got in trouble for her curiosity, but it was endearing all the same.

The second was also in the grocery store as I was waiting to check out. I tend to survey my surroundings instead of zoning out, seeing what I can notice and as a former girlfriend always caught me doing: practicing reading my kana. I spotted some movement out of the corner of my eye as one of the kids in line behind me was dancing. I turned my head more and he stopped and froze his face in a mockingly innocent look as if he was doing nothing. I wasn't sure, but I'm sure he returned my smile as we both recognized the game he was up to. As I turned my head back, he started dancing again, but moved out of my field of vision.

Holy cow, those were great moments.