SMEAR YOUR IMPULSE limited: June 2008

Naples Day 4

Its already Friday, our opening night, there was a fire in the building last night right before our full dress. Can you imagine, while you are standing by backstage, a bunch of firemen is right behind you. Weird, but its Napoli... most of us performing are beginning to realise the dry air.

The space is so huge that the energy that you have to give is a maximum overdrive. So much so, that I had to keep drinking water backstage, my throat gets dry constantly...its like playing an away match with AC Milan or something. Najib is down with food poisoning, we suspected the mussels he ate that night was uncooked. He had Cozze Zuppa di Mare, a signature Neopolitan dish, massive mussels and huge squids above bread soaked in tomato soup.

Last night, we had cup noodle, courtesy of Ema and Fared who brought along a mini cooking stove. We have consumed too much cheese and tomato sauce the past couple of days, I believe our Asian bodies are reacting to it in a rapid manner. This afternoon we went searching for kebabs, we met Nora in one of the Kebab place not far from our hotel. She told us not to eat here, turn back and find another place, for the kebab was quite bad.

We walked around till we found a golden arch, they you have it, a Big Mac meal, a nice change, a familiar taste. It was so bad but so good. After lunch, walked a bit more in search of gifts, we found a lane with Africans selling peripherals from Senegal, and at the corner we found an Arab grocery store selling halal salami.

Fashion for woman here is so 'This Fashion', I am not sure maybe it is summer, but their fashion is quite horrid. There's like a mini pasar malam behind our hotel which reminds me of Petaling Street in KL, they sell all kinds of B-grade clothings and apparels.

Our show is opening tonight, a sold out show, I am curious of the reaction that we are going to get later. I hurt my knee last night after the run, I definitely need a knee guard for tonights show. Breaking some leg...

I am still thinking of what to get for my bee here, I need her help.

Naples: Day 2 and 3

Post show stand by with Fared fooling around at the back.

Our dressing room, with our costumes on standby.

Fared fooling around in the dressing room after his predator make up.

The Temple poster around Naples featuring me in my swimming gear.

Spaghetti Al Filetto and Taglietelle Salmone, a 10 Euro lunch at the Restorante near our hotel.

Hot Napoli: Day 2

Day 2, we began rehearsal, first we did a dry run in a room allocated for us, which was in a huge echoey hall. Then we moved to the space outside, it was 5pm, but it felt like 3pm, technically, the sun set at around 9pm. It was so hot, that I had to wear my shades and cap provided by the festival.

So we got to wait for the sun set, then Suven our lighting designer can plot the lights. Its tough performing outdoors, with the plane.

We had to lower down the volume from 9-11 because there was another performance happening next to our venue.

Then in the middle of the tech rehearsal, suddenly there were fireworks not far from the stage. We had to stop there for a couple of minutes.

We ended rehearsal around 12.45am, all tired. Ended the day with Pizza Marinara, literally Marinara Frutti di Mare, its pizza with dead sea creatures on it that cost me about 10 euros.

There's this restaurant downstairs, we call it Al-Ahmin, its like the coffeeshop in Bukit Timah. A lot of Italians eating and drinking Ferrarele Minarele.

Najib is down with tummy flu, must be the cozzes he's been eating excessively.

The sunset at 9pm and sunrise is at 5am, so there is more sunlight that moonlight here in Naples.

At times, after the rehearsal I got this urge of drinking teh halia, but shops closed really early here, by 6.45pm you can't find any provision store.

The daily breakfast is gettin on me, they serve the same bread, jam and butter on a daily basis.

We will open the show on Friday, and the director of the show is watching the full run tonight. We'll probably rehearse till late again tonight, so we got a whole day off, yahoo, but I am reserving energy, its insane to go out with that heat.

I miss my Bee Strompol...

Nap in Pearls

We reach Naples on Monday night feeling all groggy after a crazy 15 hour flight, I sat next to Fared who got hold of a PSP from a friend, and throughout the trip, we were trying to figure out how to play a simple game of soccer.

Anyway back to Naples, the city reminds me of Jakarta, the sight, sound, pollution, rubbish and the chaos of the traffic. Najib and myself decided to walk around the city for a bit, the buildings are rustic, it is a historical city definitely. Even the space where we will be performing, was actually a former housing for the poor around 1600.

Food can be so cheesy, but here original Italian pizzas are the best, thin, crispy and cheesy. I heard that Napoli is controlled by the mafias, not sure if its true. Almost all the men here look like mafias, or they can become models for Giorgio Armani underwear ad or something.

I just love the visual onslaught of Naples, you can find street kids playing soccer outside ancient churches, dodgy African men selling branded goods on the streets right in front of a branded boutique.

Sharon just told us that the first night show is sold out. So the pressure is on again. The afternoon summer Neopolitan sun can be a killer, its stinging... and blinding. I am preparing for the heat to hit on me.

The hotel is pretty alright, 3 stars, can't complain, free breakfast, the pastries here are awesome, you can't resist it... day 2 is going to be different, we will begin rehearsal.

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