Swamped

Where has the time gone? Since my last blog post I have become a school group tour guide for the A Day in Pompeii exhibition, sometimes leading as many as three hour-long tours a day. I never thought I had "a mind for history," but I have become obsessed with trying to learn all I can about the archaeological and volcanological aspects of this place from AD 79 to present.

The International Arts Festival was here in town from the last part of February until the 21st of March. I went a bit crazy attempting to see as many shows as I could.

In the past four days I have been to four movies. Oh dear. I think I am beginning to sense the blogging obstacle -- too much input and not enough output.

I caught a glimpse of the extent of my fatigue and confusion today when my lovely workmates tried to surprise me with a shared breakfast to celebrate everyone's hard work and great attitude through the short-staffed times of the past month and a half. I couldn't figure out how to react in a mature and grateful way. I immediately jumped on all the frustrating uncertainties of the situation. I quickly found a bunch of reasons to feel stressed out.

I'm afraid that I might get sick if I let down my energetic "guarded" sense of being needed (like fainting after the intense part of giving blood). Fortunately I get to sleep in for a bit tomorrow. I hope the clay pot activity I'm supposed to run on Saturday doesn't land me in the hospital. I'll try to focus on the time-and-a-half and a day in lieu I could get if I can make it in on Friday.

In the meantime I would like to reflect on one of the Arts Festival shows I enjoyed most: a physical theatre production by the Red Leap Theatre Company called The Arrival. I got quite a rude shock from someone I know who couldn't find a nice thing to say about it. Nonetheless, I thought the TEN people who created the stage magic I observed did an extraordinary job of illustrating a culture in which a person who is used to "Western" culture would be completely shocked for a while. I would have thought that nearly anybody could relate to feeling out of their element, at least temporarily, or loving and valuing a pet. Amazing storytelling, I reckon.