I have started a flicker photoset for Festival photos here. So far, some non-person shots. I’ll start taking shots of peeps tomorrow once everyone is bathed and happy and settled in.

We got to see the first show of the festival tonight, put on by several int’l people that were here for the past week, working out and getting the group mind going. 9 people from 8 countries (only 2 were native English speakers) — and you couldn’t ask for a more coherent show. It was a long-form developed by Randy Dixon called “City Life” wherein the players (basically) enact their day in a non-linear kind of way. Very satisfying to see all the agreement. And the physicality was wonderful. Trusting and big and subtle, all at the same time. The occasionally limited English was no factor at all, except in delightful ways (“White Snow and the Dwarves”).. it was also a pastiche of interesting impressions of America, Seattle, and being a foreigner here. Confusion regarding non-metric measurements, persecution of smokers, and the cost of traffic tickets were big themes.

At some point I’ll start remembering names of people. Everyone seems to be nice. I found Trenton from San Diego early on and am trying not to cling to him as I work through my initial shyness. I just have to take the bravery cue from Masako from Japan, who is here on her own, has a little Japanese-English translater gizmo, and is working it hard, and she seems totally comfortable.

Really, I’m just worried about farting in my sleep.