Hello all!
I have arrived safe and sound in Berlin. This will be a quick blog entry because Sam and I have just checked into our hostel after about 24 hours of straight travel and I need a shower and some dinner (anbier!).
The flight was smooth and instead of the intended 8 hours, our flight was cut down to 6 hours and 50 minutes. Unfortunately we were delayed because the conveyer belt at the Condor check in was not working so all the luggage had to be brought to the plane by hand.
We landed in Frankfurt only an hour later than was intended. Immediately, we made our way to the train station (oder Frankfurt Bahnhoff) and slowly attempted to use the ticket kiosk...all the text was in German. It wasn't until we arrived in Berlin that we discovered it could be switched to English. My poor, sleep-deprived brain was trying to remember my basic German, but I have to say, I was pretty proud of us. We figured it out (whilst clutching to my purse, terrified I would be harassed by some pick-pocket). Wen made it to the Frankfurt Main Station and then took the train into Berlin.
The German countryside is beautiful, lush and so green right now. It has also been so nice to discover how helpful and polite the German natives are. Every time Sam and I boarded a train, a stranger offered to help us with our cumbersome bags. How nice!
When we arrived in Berlin, it finally hit me that I was in Germany! It look took a flight from Canada and two train rides on German soil for it to finally sink in. From what little I've seen of Berlin, I have seen how beautiful it is. Urban culture, meets European history.
I also give myself points for speaking only in German to the taxi driver who took us from Alexanderplatz Station to our hostel on Swedter Strasse. I don't know if I totally fooled him, but he understood and responded only in German. Feeling a little proud! My German that I studied in University is slowly coming back to me, as I'm surrounded by people speaking it. I love this language and I'm looking forward to seeing how much more I'll be able to speak by the end of my month here. Im challenging myself to speak as much German as I can.
Our hostel is great. Incredibly clean, in East Berlin in the Prenzlauer district. Great facility, free internet and great prices. So glad we found it! Looking forward to exploring the area a bit more and having my first authentic German meal here! AND BIER....did I mention I will be drinking German BIER?!
Tomorrow we have our full day tour with Brian Deedrick, a former stage director of mine and Sam's/Berlin tour guide. How fortunate to have a friend and colleague showing us around this beautiful city. I will have much more to write after tomorrow, I'm sure!
Tchüss!
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Welcome!
Hello all!
I have created this blog so that all family and friends can read about my adventures while I am in Deutschland (Germany). For those of you who don't know, I am travelling to Germany to take part in an Opera Study/Audition Workshop, to further my career and hone my craft as an operatic artist! I will be flying into Frankfurt with Sam, my colleague and fellow soprano, and we will be travelling first to Berlin for a couple days, then to Munich, where we will be based until August 1st. In between, we will be making some day trips, one of which will be to visit Salzburg for the day, with the opportunity to visit the home where Mozart and his wife Constanze lived. My friends and family know that my favourite composer and music idol is Mozart. This trip to his home has been a much anticipated life experience and I can't believe it will be taking place in the next month!
This program I am attending is called Bel Canto Singing and will include voice lessons, masterclasses, coachings, acting classes, German language classes, audition training, the opportunity to attend numerous performances at The Bavarian State Opera (Bayerische Staatsoper), as well as day tours. The program accepts only 12 singers, and I am fortunate to be one of them. For more info on the program, here is the link:
http://www.belcantosinging.com/index.php?p=1_9
My own mentor and voice teacher, Kimberly Barber, is among the faculty, and she put the idea forward for me to audition for this program. My interest in voice study in Germany was sparked by a colleague I worked with in my Opera Diploma year, who lives and works as a singer in Berlin. When I heard that Kim would be an instructor at this program, I knew it was a sign that this was my year to travel to Germany.
I've known I was attending the program since October of 2012, so to think that I will actually be in Germany in 9 days time is surreal. My goal is to write as much as I can while I am physically in Germany and while the experiences are fresh. I hope you will enjoy reading them because I look forward to sharing them with you! I'm hope be writing more in the days leading up to my travel, but as many of you know, travel prep can be quite overwhelming, so bear with me if I don't!
Bis später (until later),
Stephanie
I have created this blog so that all family and friends can read about my adventures while I am in Deutschland (Germany). For those of you who don't know, I am travelling to Germany to take part in an Opera Study/Audition Workshop, to further my career and hone my craft as an operatic artist! I will be flying into Frankfurt with Sam, my colleague and fellow soprano, and we will be travelling first to Berlin for a couple days, then to Munich, where we will be based until August 1st. In between, we will be making some day trips, one of which will be to visit Salzburg for the day, with the opportunity to visit the home where Mozart and his wife Constanze lived. My friends and family know that my favourite composer and music idol is Mozart. This trip to his home has been a much anticipated life experience and I can't believe it will be taking place in the next month!
This program I am attending is called Bel Canto Singing and will include voice lessons, masterclasses, coachings, acting classes, German language classes, audition training, the opportunity to attend numerous performances at The Bavarian State Opera (Bayerische Staatsoper), as well as day tours. The program accepts only 12 singers, and I am fortunate to be one of them. For more info on the program, here is the link:
http://www.belcantosinging.com/index.php?p=1_9
My own mentor and voice teacher, Kimberly Barber, is among the faculty, and she put the idea forward for me to audition for this program. My interest in voice study in Germany was sparked by a colleague I worked with in my Opera Diploma year, who lives and works as a singer in Berlin. When I heard that Kim would be an instructor at this program, I knew it was a sign that this was my year to travel to Germany.
I've known I was attending the program since October of 2012, so to think that I will actually be in Germany in 9 days time is surreal. My goal is to write as much as I can while I am physically in Germany and while the experiences are fresh. I hope you will enjoy reading them because I look forward to sharing them with you! I'm hope be writing more in the days leading up to my travel, but as many of you know, travel prep can be quite overwhelming, so bear with me if I don't!
Bis später (until later),
Stephanie
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