Re-discovering things as an adult!

As a child I was fortunate enough to have a very committed mother who made sure that I had every opportunity to help me develop to be the best I could be. Every day after school I had a different extra curricular activity- swimming, irish dancing, harp,piano, gymnastics and ballet. As I was getting a taste of everything there were a few things that I was better at than others.I felt I was a more musical child and lacked the co-ordination and agility for dancing and other sports.

I also never considered myself to be have any flair for art and dropped it as a subject after first year secondary school again believing that I didn't have the fine motor skills to succeed in the subject. I avoided all sports activities throughout secondary school and joked with friends about being uncoordinated and non-athletic.

However as an adult there are quite a few things that have surprised me when I began to re-discover things from my childhood and adolescence. When I began my postgraduate degree in primary teaching in Edinburgh I had the opportunity to take many classes that I had in school, art being one of them. I felt quite nervous about the prospect of teaching art as my memories as a young teenager were that I wasn't good at it. It wasn't until one of my teaching placements when I needed to do a sample drawing of Steve Jobs for the class that my fight or flight hormone kicked in. I nervously decided I was going to just go for it. When I actually sat down to draw I was so surprised with the results and it gave me courage and confidence in my abilities.Now art is my favourite subject to teach and I pride myself in having creative displays in my classroom.

Another thing that I have recently started is adult ballet classes.My memories of ballet as a child was being in a production of Swan Lake closing my eyes with passion doing the dying swan with my arms flapping in the most awkward and uncoordinated fashion and my friends being moved onto the more advanced classes while I stayed put at the same stage for several years. I have just joined a Beginners class at Dance Base and I'm not sure whether its being older and more confident in myself or having an encouraging teacher but my hang ups have disappeared and I find myself picking up the moves like everyone else and feeling graceful which is something I have never felt being a self diagnosed dyspraxic.

I suppose I am writing this post to say that getting older is great and its never too late to try again at something! Hang ups and awkwardness are a large part of being an adolescent and its so comforting to now be 30 and be able to turn my back on all of that and start fresh- confident, graceful and to not be better than others but just as good!

Counting Sheep Review

There is no way I am going to be able to give this play the justice it deserves in this review so I have decided to just write a personal response to this piece as what it meant to me as opposed to pretending to be an expert in immersive theatre or the Ukrainian Civil War so here are my words, from me.

From the moment I entered the venue I knew that I was in for something special. I had opted for the ground floor ticket to get the immersive experience and that is something I definitely experienced. The space was laid with long tables covered with white cloths and benches were set out along the sides. Huge projector screens surrounded the audience so we could be surrounded by the revolution. The show opened with news clips about the Euromaiden protests in Ukraine in 2013 playing on the projector screens. These clips gave the audience a background as to why the people of Ukraine decided to revolt which was due to corruption in the government and the pro- Russian and anti European Union policies being put in place.

The cast then came marching out wearing sheep masks and war paint, donned in Ukrainian traditional dress. My interpretation of the masks were that they represented a guerilla war movement. The show intertwined celebration and revolution and joy and suffering together. We were served two Ukrainian meals and were serenaded with Ukrainian folk songs to give the audience a strong sense of what the culture is like. Beside me I saw a few women in the audience singing along and wearing the traditional dress so the company Lemon Bucket Orchestra had successfully attracted Ukrainian natives to come and bear witness to their story.

The cast came to collect members of the audience to dance and join in on the festivities. All of a sudden the mood changes and a group of police march in carrying shields and weapons. The party disperses and the white table cloths are lifted to reveal shields hidden under them. Benches are moved away to build barricades and the revolution begins. The audience on the ground floor are given hard hats and shields to help defend themselves against rioters. It was a very powerful experience as I really felt afraid and could empathise with the protesters that got caught up in these fearful riots. Throughout the show the projector screens had facts and statistics giving information about the protests and violence that occurred, The average age of the numbers that were killed was 24 as it was the youth of Ukraine that wanted better for their country.

The cast did a wonderful job at including the audience and giving clear instructions on what we had to do. I found myself on my knees holding a shield to protect myself from gun shots coming from the police and opposing rioters.

This was an incredibly powerful show that gave me a taste of Ukrainian culture and gave me a deeper awareness of the civil war that is still going on. This is the closest I have ever come to being part of a revolution and the immersive experience really made me feel the terror and the threat of violence that political protesters must feel.

This play is really what theatre should be about, letting the audience feel something, raising awareness of political issues and allowing people to become completely immersed in an experience. I feel so lucky to have seen this show!

http://countingsheeprevolution.com/

Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs Review

As many of you who know me well will know that I am a huge theatre fan and an even bigger fan of the Edinburgh Festival! I always place myself carefully at the edge of the arts scene but never take the full plunge which is why the Edinburgh Festival always makes me feel very emotional. This year was the first time that I have seen anything at the Edinburgh International Festival and what a way to start by seeing 'Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs'. I have always been a huge Alan Cumming fan from back when he played creepy Sean Walsh in Circle of Friends to my new latest tv obsession The Good Wife. I was aware of Alan Cumming's experience in Broadway but it wasn't till I witnessed him live I discovered the true talent he possesses for show business.

The venue was set up to resemble a New York style cabaret club with dimly lit tables and an intimate stage setting. In bright neon lights were the words 'Club Cumming' to give you a feel for what was to come (no pun intended). This was a truly entertaining show that gave the audience an outlet to laugh, cry and just feel something. His songs ranged from Miley Cyrus's 'The Climb', Keane's 'Somewhere only we know' to a 'mash up' of Adele's 'Someone like you', Lady Gaga's 'The Edge of Glory' and Katy Perry's 'Firework'. Each song was introduced by a story or anecdote from Cumming's life which gave the show a really personal feel and all of the songs were performed in such a true and honest way. The song that moved me the most was his version of Rufus Wainwright's 'Dinner at Eight'. To introduce the song he told us about being a victim of child abuse from his father and he delivered the song with every inch of his being which moved many members of the audience. What struck me the most about this gift of a show was that we were seeing an artist that bore his soul to the audience; the good, the bad and the ugly and was so unashamed to feel everything.

It was interesting to look around the audience to see that different songs and stories moved different people for various reasons. A middle aged lady beside me was trying to fight the tears during Cumming's heartfelt rendition of Adele's 'Someone like You' as this song was significant to her. For me just bearing witness to a person who I admire and has led such a fascinating life full of experience was inspirational to me.

After the show the audience were invited along to 'Club Cumming', a club night that emerged in Alan Cumming's Studio 54 dressing room during his run on Cabaret on Broadway and we were lucky enough to get to experience it in Edinburgh. This club night consisted of Alan on the decks and his pianist and cellist chipping in on their instruments when appropriate. We were graced by the presence of a number of acts including a stripping Jesus, an Italian breakdancing company and a David Bowie impersonator. I definitely felt like I was in Studio 54 and gave in to the randomness and hedonism, It was one of the most unique nights of my life that I will never forget and it gave everyone the opportunity to have the full exclusive Broadway after party experience for themselves. Highly recommended!!

Lynn's Top Ten Cafés in Edinburgh!

So after spending the last few months doing some 'research', I have finally arrived at a conclusive list of my top ten cafés in Edinburgh. I'm finding a lot of my happiest moments throughout my twenties have taken place in a café and one of the most enjoyable aspects of travelling for me is visiting a city's local cafés so I thought it would be a worthwhile venture to see what my current home has to offer. Edinburgh is such a beautiful mix of old and new, tradition versus contemporary, that it isn't hard to find a happy place to rest, eat and be content. 

So *drum roll* here are my top ten!

10. Project Coffee, Bruntsfield
This has sneaked into the top ten as it is maybe my Central Perk in Edinburgh, the place where I meet up with friends regularly. It's small, cosy and does a pretty decent coffee and pastry and the staff are very friendly. 



9. Artisan Roast (Bruntsfield and Broughton St.)
Phwoar, this place is nice. There are two in Edinburgh, one in Bruntsfield, the other on Broughton Street. This place really brings you back to the roots of coffee. With coffee bean bags draped across the walls and hipsters who really know their roasts you are guaranteed a good time. There is also a bookcase with books and board games that you can enjoy for free so all in all, a good spot,



8. Cairngorm Coffee & Co., Frederick St.
I came across this place by accident one day with a friend when we couldn't find room anywhere else and thank God we did come across it. I loved its simple design with wooden benches and side tables. Most of all it does a great coffee and grilled cheese sandwich. Definitely worth a visit.



7. Le Café Bleu, Grassmarket
This is not the prettiest or most comfortable café but it serves the nicest waffles I have ever eaten and has the friendliest and kindest owner. It is based on Belgian and Middle Eastern recipes and has a really personal feel to it. The Belgian waffles I had came with a platter of fruit and they were spectacular. Highly recommend it.


6. Falko, ( Gullane and Bruntsfield)
On a drive to Gullane one Sunday with my brother and his Austrian wife we came across this delightful spot. Its a German cafe set up by a man by the name of Falko (never) who when came to Edinburgh loved the city but didn't like the style of baking here. So he brought over his own style of baking, based on subtle and natural flavours. They sell the most delicious bread and a lot of the cakes have fruit filling. If you are looking for a taste of traditional Bavaria I highly recommend this spot.



5. The Pantry, Stockbridge
This is one of my favourite places to have brunch in Edinburgh. My favourite thing on the menu is the (somewhat pretentious) avocado, poached egg and chorizo dish. It makes working hard worth it sometimes. A really nice place to go on a Saturday morning to forget about life for a bit.



4. Obadiah, Grassmarket
This is a pretty new place in the Grassmarket that was recommended to me by my flatmate. It is an Australian run spot (with pretty staff), so pretty in fact they completely got my order wrong and I didn't even mind!(How big of me)! A place where you need to know what a flat white and a tall black is. There is also a cute carpeted area where you can sit on the floor to enjoy the ambiance.


3. Serrano Manchego, Leith Walk
Oh how I love this place. Where nostalgia and delicious meet. This is definitely a happy place for me in Edinburgh. It is great for both breakfast and dinner. With a wonderful atmosphere, delicious Spanish eats and a real feeling of Spain I just want to recommend it to everyone, particularly the Grande breakfast which just has all of the good stuff in it (patatas bravas, egg and cured ham)! So worth a visit.


2. Checkpoint, Bristo Place
This is a place I could go every day and never get sick of it. This is my favourite place to have breakfast ever. Smashed avocado with boiled eggs is a favourite and they also do a hash brown pancake that looks amazing also. With its random array of furniture, quirky staff and views out onto the old town this is just truly a wonderful place to go and relax and be happy!


1. Earthy, Cannonmills

I have to say I have only been to this place once but I will be back!! Both healthy and delicious this place is like therapy. I tried the most delicious hot drink 'the Chocolate Abyss' which consisted of black tea, chunks of chocolate, coconut and cocoa, it really was heaven in my mouth. Its the kind of place you just want everything, There are an abundance of healthy salads to choose from with a unique blend of delicious flavours, soups and sandwiches and all things delicious. Cannot recommend it enough!! It is genuinely food for the soul.



So here concludes my top ten, apologies for the cheesy nature of this post but this was just something I have really wanted to write for a very long time!