When we arrived in the village, to my surprise, I became an instant celebrity. Everyone wanted to meet the foreigner. I was the only person from the Western world that the villagers had ever met. Most of the children seemed frightened of me, yet curious at the same time, as they observed me from a safe distance.
We spent the day preparing and sharing communal meals and hiking through the countryside. Despite being the center of attention, I also had the luxury of being an observer. Because I didn't speak their language, I wasn't able to participate in most of the conversations. My main observation: I could not tell which child belonged to which parent. Every adult took responsibility for caring for each and every child in the village. The whole village of maybe 50 inhabitants felt like one big family. Although by our standards they were very poor economically -- most of the people didn't even wear shoes -- they were abundantly rich in love and social support by anyone's standard.
Confused and fearful that I was on the verge of having a Buddhist version of
The Thorn Birds on my hands, I did a little research. Apparently, almost every Thai Buddhist man becomes a monk for at least one week during their lifetime in order to make merit for their families in the afterlife. Some remain monks for a much longer period, like my friend did, because it is one way for impoverished families to ensure that their male children will be fed and educated. Boontom had been a monk for 20 years. Long story short, I discovered that it is acceptable for a monk to take a sabbatical and later return to the monastic life, although he will lose his place in the social hierarchy.
Join a church, synagogue or temple. We don't need these places to have a personal relationship with our creator, but we do need them for fellowship. The key is to really become involved. Weekly attendance probably won't create the sense of community you're seeking.
Enlist your current social network. Are your friends off and running in a million different directions like you are? Do you get together with your extended family only on holidays and birthdays? You can create your own village by hosting casual social events on a regular weekly basis in your home. Invite friends and their children over to your house for coffee "happy hour" on Fridays. Invite your extended family over to join you for your regular dinners each week. No special occasion - just extend regular invitations and share time with those you love. No one really cares what you're serving or how clean your house is. What they will remember is that you invited them and they got to share some meaningful time with you and your kids.
These are some of the many unnecessary questions/comments that come out of the mouths of even extremely experienced actors before they begin their auditions.I have sat in on countless professional casting sessions to read and/or operate the camera. I am constantly amazed at what actors say and do seconds before they begin to perform. I am equally amazed at the advice that actors give each other when it seems they have no experience on which to base their opinions other than perhaps something an acting teacher told them who was just trying to sound like he knew what he was talking about.Based on my experiences, I feel it my duty to dispel certain myths and point out some of the best ways that an actor can improve their chances of booking a job when they get that magical call to audition.
Unlike the small rural village, it takes consistent, committed action to create a village in our fractionated, fast-paced world. But the payoff of love and support that you give and receive for you and your kids will make the extra effort well worth it.
Six years ago before giving birth to my two beautiful daughters, I went backpacking through Thailand
Nike air max 24/7, Cambodia, and Australia for about a year and a half. One day I happened to be exploring Bangkok by myself with no particular agenda. I was strolling along the bank of the Chao Phraya River when a diminutive monk in an orange robe walked toward me from the opposite direction. We smiled at each other and for some reason we both reflexively stopped to converse. "Hello!" I chirped. "Are you American?" he asked. "Yes, I am." He asked if I had any plans for the day and whether I would care to join him at his wat (Thai word for temple.) When I agreed to join him, he said he had invited many Westerners in the past, but I was the first to actually take him up on his offer.
Where has the village gone in our society? As we know, more demands are being placed on today's families than ever before. In today's urban and suburban cultures, how do we create or find a village to support and nurture our families?
A few days later my new friend, Boontom (the first syllable is pronounced like the "bon" in "bonbon"), invited me to travel with him to his sister's village up north near the border with Laos. There was just one problem: Buddhist monks are not supposed to fraternize with women. We're not supposed to even casually touch a monk on the arm or even hand him a piece of paper. If you do, they have to go through a lengthy purification ritual. Technically, we weren't even supposed to be talking to each other without chaperones. "No problem," he said. "I not be a monk when we travel."
The next day we boarded a bus and took the long overnight journey to Northern Thailand. Boontom
polo Bikinis, showing his mischievous side, relished the idea of surprising his sister whom he hadn't seen in 20 years. Consequently, he didn't bother to call and tell her of his impending arrival, not to mention that he was bringing along a tall, blonde foreigner.
1. Show up! I'm serious...show up at your audition...preferably on time.Last week I sat in on a session where a full 15% of the actors did not even show up for their time slots. Not only that, they didn't call or have their agents call to offer a reason or apology. This is simply unacceptable and rude behavior. If you do a no-show for a good reason, then at least call or have your agent call.If you don't have a good reason
Jordan 9 Fusion, then show up or quit acting. You're just making a fool of yourself, claiming to want to act, but not having the self-dignity or respect of all the parties involved in casting to do the work and prioritize your auditions. You are not going to last, so either change your work habits or switch professions. There are too many hungry actors who could have filled your spot to leave it unfilled.
Become involved on a regular basis in a small play group when your children are young. It can be uncomfortable at first meeting new people, but these parents could become some of your closest friends. They can be an incredible support for you and you for them. One friend I met through an organized playgroup became such a close friend of mine that we now trade babysitting each other's children every week so we can go out and have date nights with our husbands.