The Emperor Bites Back

How awesome! I went for a cup of coffee with a friend to Cafe Rossi (my favourite little Italian right across the street from Borough Market) and look who dropped in for a quick bite with the Misses...

The Emperor from Star Wars! (Or judging from his choice of eggs sunny side up, probably a doppelgänger.)

Seems like the old chap didn't die of a long tumble after all and has decided to retire somewhere on the southbank.

Yet fret not squirming Jedi-Paduans, even though I heard him mumble something about "Dark boils the force within you!" to his coffee, he then had an amazed discussion with the waitress how he'd never seen anybody shave parmesan in a restaurant...

Let's face it: We always knew he was a bit senile.

Cadogan Hall

Cadogan Hall is an extraordinary concert venue situated in the middle of a rich London area called Sloane Square.

This place is one of the venues where I earn a meager wage doing ushering jobs, but loving it because the varied programme allows me to see concerts I would rarely get to see. Aside of big names like Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and crooner Icon Jack Jones I often get to experience the London Philharmonic and the English chamber Orchestra, who have taken this place as one of their regular residencies. It makes the small-time work a rather pleasant job.

The building itself is an old converted church of Christian Scientists and has a fantastic acoustic (partially down to the 5.1 surround capabillities of the sound equipment installed). So much so that Michael Jackson is rumoured to make his first appearance in Cadogan Hall in the UK since 1996.

If you ever have a chance to go I suggest you do... (if you can afford a ticket).

Spank the singing gerbil...

And once again the Gods of fortune have gotten out the spanking paddle to make my seat in life a little warmer...

Guess what? My internet has broken down thanks to my phone company (whom I'll refrain from mentioning as not to give them free advertising). Here therefore a big thank you for pubs with wireless internet who only allow you to use it if you buy a beer...

The news this week are many as despite the fact that I've been working double shifts every day, I've gotten to meet and see a fair few interesting things including Kevin Spacey, Colm Meany, Eddie Izzard, Jack Jones and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa.

I've also taken loads of pictures of Cadogan Hall (one of the Concert venues I work at), to bring you a little closer t the places I might refer to more often.

All of these I will write more about when the internet is working again (which is meant to be on Wednesday if I'm gonna believe the tyrants professing themselves to make communication possible).

In the absence of my own picture material, here is an image of a singing gerbil (imagine the sound of him getting spanked like me...):

...before I turn off the light.

I've done it again. Sitting at the computer surfing blogs and the news while looking for acting jobs and it's 2:30am. Am working at St. Lukes classical concert venue at 9 and shudder to think that I'll have to pry my eyes open to the sound of beautiful lullabies.

Why does that happen, that you sit at a computer and despite watching the clock you remain glued to the screen like a fly to neon light?

Anyway, today was nice. The fall season is coming up and people are starting to cast for next years tours. After I wrote off to a couple of castings I got to listen to Welsh singer Aled Jones at Cadogan Hall which wasn't a good concert but hilarious for all the wrong reasons. (Picture a mob of Welsh groupies and you'll understand). Plus, my boss fed me leftover salmon sandwiches which was cool.

Well, this fly is turning off the light and going to bed. Sleep tight everybody.

Sheik Pictures (...continued)

Posing in the boardroom... Guess who had too much fun with his digicam at work.

Temping can be Sheik

One of the great things about living a starving actor's life is temping...

Yeah, yeah, I can already hear you scream: "WHAT? Working crap jobs for minimal wage is a good thing?!?!?!" Well, no. But it has one great advantage: You get to be in some random places...

I am currently sitting in Pall Mall (around the corner from St. James' Palace) at the european headquarters of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation. - How strange. As part of the (obviously) expensive interior, I find myself surrounded by photos of burning oilfields and paintings of Arabs with hawks and of course the Kuwaiti Towers.

All cups plates and saucers are enameled with gold, most of the desks are mahogany, but the best is yet to come...

I'm sitting here getting paid £8/hour because there is a meeting taking place between 5 people and my job is to ensure that they are stocked up on coffee and cookies.

Let me just say that again... I'm getting paid to be the Sheik of coffee and cookies! Aaaah, life is awesome sometimes.