Big in Japan had a great set of improv at Harold Night last Monday. Maybe not because it was the funniest or best improv we’ve ever done, but because we accomplished a goal for our performances that’s eluded us for the last couple of months. We’ve been working on evolving the Harold format, which is normally quite a strict structure, based on the suggestion. It’s difficult because we’ve been drilled in the the Harold format for so many years. To spontaneously spin it into something new is something that we’ve had trouble doing. We’ve worked on it in rehearsal, but that’s easy because you have time to stop and discuss it, or freeze it and try it a different way. Once we hit the stage, we usually end up falling back into the structure and playing it out like we can do in our sleep.The audience gave us a gift on Monday night. The suggestion was “anarchy.” It was just what we needed. We tore the Harold format to bits and threw it to the wind. We shattered the fourth wall, bolting into the audience, the tech booth, and backstage to perform our scenes. We dragged an audience member onstage and improvised with him. We included a plastic plant that I found backstage in the cast. We turned the lights out on our own set and did a bit of a Bat in the dark. When we felt we’d had enough chaotic fun, we stormed off the stage and declared our set over. We loved it. The audience loved it. The venue… not so much. Apparently we got charged for the damage we did to the theatre. The charges are ridiculous and fabricated, because we didn’t break anything other than a tabletop plastic card holder that they probably got for free from a brewery, and the Harold format, which is easily repaired. We certainly didn’t throw a chair at an audience member like they claimed we did. Anyway, we feel like rock stars now that we’ve been fined for destroying things. We can thank them for that.

The rest of the week was pretty uneventful, actually. I worked in Montreal, as usual, and then made it home safely this morning. I managed to get my hands on tickets for the Arctic Monkeys on May 12. They were one of my favorite bands of 2006, so it’ll be loads of fun to see them play.

Oh I know what else happened… I started renting an apartment in Montreal. I’m sharing a two bedroom place with a co-worker. It’s about a 20 minute walk to work from there, which isn’t bad in the summer. It’s a huge change from the place across the street where I’ve been staying up until now, though. I haven’t moved in yet, but I will when I return to Montreal on May 8. I’ll be spending the week here in Hamilton to take care of a few things. I have some photo shoots, a couple of meetings, and a doctor’s appointment to go over the results of my MRI.

And finally, I did a shoot tonight with a new model named Mel. We took some photos to continue my Rebirth series. Here are a couple.

They’re very different from each other. I was playing with different visual and emotional “textures.” Not sure how to explain it better than that. I guess that’s why I have a camera.

I always enjoy arriving back in Hamilton, but when the day looks this good, it’s extra special. It’s been a very long week that passed disturbingly quickly. I was glad to set foot on home turf again.

It’s been a busy weekend so far, except for Friday night, which I used for watching Bon Cop Bad Cop and catching up on sleep.  Saturday I taught the level 1 improv class. It was our seventh class out of eight. Next week is the last one. We spent the class putting together some of the concepts we went over in the previous weeks.

After class, we had a Big in Japan rehearsal. We’ve had some changes in the team in the last few weeks, losing some members and gaining others. It’s been a bit disruptive to our chemistry, but we’re pretty dedicated to pulling it back together again. I think after a few weeks we’ll be tight again.

After rehearsal, I went for Indian food at Bombay Bhel in Markham to celebrate a friend’s birthday. Beef Vindaloo is tasty but extremely spicy. No pain, no gain.

After dinner I met a few friends in Hamilton for drinks and hanging out.  There was a prolonged discussion, including a phone call to a food expert in Vancouver, as we debated where oats came from. We realized what dumb city boys we were, because between five of us, none of us knew definitively how oats grew or whether or not you could make pasta from them. After some investigation, we discovered that oats grow in oat fields, like grass. If we’d had Internet, the debate would have been significantly shorter. I also came up with a business idea for a company that would interview you to find out what your life goals were, and then phone you every morning to tell you things you should do that day to work towards your goals. The company would have an extensive list of activities and happenings in the city that you could participate. The counsellor who called you would not tell you the purpose of the activity being recommended, but it would all be designed to move you towards your goal. For instance, “Take mountain biking lessons today,” might move you towards the goal of quitting smoking. After a few years of this, if you had listened to the advice that had been given to you, you’d have reached your goals. I think it would work.

This morning I had an MRI on my knee. I had to lie on this platform with my knee in a cradle that kept it from moving. They gave me earplugs to wear, and then the whole platform slid into the middle of a giant metal donut. The platform hummed and vibrated. There was a fan blowing cool air on my feet. It was like lying on the deck of a very powerful speedboat as the engine idled. During the scan, which lasted about 30 minutes, there were a variety of clanking and grinding noises. When it was done, the platform slid out of the donut again and I was done. I go see the doctor in a couple of weeks to discuss the results.  I’m hoping for the best…

Someone told me a list of “Seven Habits of People with Good Memories” today.

1. Read novels
2. Do crossword puzzles
3. Eat fish
4. Drink less than two alcoholic drinks per day
5. Watch less than one hour of television per day
6. Keep a journal

I can only remember six of them. It’s probably because I don’t crossword puzzles…

It’s been nice to spend the weekend around here. I got back Friday morning, worked, slept a bit (yes, I confirmed that my bed is as comfortable as I remembered it) and went to a party hosted by another photographer in Hamilton. There was another photographer there as well, and the three of us confirmed that photography is, indeed, the best job ever.

That is a belief that I hold pretty dear. My last 10-day stint in Montreal really reinforced that a life in the corporate world is just not my cup of tea. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the trip. I had a lot of fun, hanging out with new and old friends, eating at good restaurants, and working a lot. It’s not my life though. I feel like I’m wearing a costume or something.

I’m likely going to be sharing an apartment with a co-worker. When and where this will be is still up in the air though… I’m working out the details slowly.

Ok, that’s an exaggeration. There are plenty of dull moments in the office. In fact, I’d say 84.7% of moments are dull. But there are also occasional interesting things happening. For instance, on Thursday, there were people here filming a video job posting.

They wanted to interview me about why I was working here, but I thought my reason (helping my friend because he was desperate for a project manager) might be counterproductive to the recruiting function of the production.

I also chose to work on Good Friday, even though most of the staff elected to take the day off. I figured I might as well get some stuff done, since the main reason I’m here is to work anyway. It turned out to be a pretty good day. Because it was only me and one other co-worker battling it out on the island for the title of Software Department Survivor, it allowed me to make some much-needed personnel changes.

I also moved some potted plants around the office and relocated various office supplies. I aim for subtlety.

There was also a game of “Whip the Rubber Ducky at the Guy Across the Room.” The game is pending a better name, but the current name helps people understand the rules.

Basically, you whip the rubber ducky at the other guy across the room, preferably when he’s not looking. With any luck, he might hear the whistling of the red aerodynamic ribbons around the ducky’s neck a split second before it smashes into his computer monitor or head.

There was also a game of “Run and Leap Over the Office Dividers,” but I chose not to participate because of my bad knee.

Last night I went to see a modern dance performance put on by one of Tan’s friends. It was great. There were three dancers. One was a traditional Indian dancer, one was trained in modern and African dance, and Tan’s friend performed a dance that was a combination of multiple styles including traditional Indian, martial arts and Tai Chi. I noticed that some of the dancers used object work similar to improv. Their movements were so precise and graceful. If they were funny too they’d be awesome at improv.