el 21 de febrero de 2011

My dear and loyal readers, though I don't know who many of you are or if you exist, (this is a plea for comments - a simple anonymous "hi! I love reading your adventures" sort of deal will do!) I am so sorry for the long delay in between posts. My excuse is that I've been mentally and physically exhausted. Wondering why? Well that is exactly what this post is about.

As I had mentioned on my last post of the 16th, I was recruited for a volunteer translating gig. Well, this was extended to include me being on call for the band members and attending two exclusive events!

Some days after my initial volunteering experience, I received a call from Sergio asking me to reserve 3 dates for the Granada Retro Back Festival and to stop by the office and pick up a staff pass!

My first reserved date I also receive a call from the singer of the band, Vanessa, asking me to stop by the rehearsal to watch, translate, and get a general idea of things. So Friday afternoon comes along and I head on over to el Teatro Isabel la Católica. There I finally meet the entire group of Sexteto Retro Back and I make myself comfortable in the extremely cushy theater chairs (Honestly, Spain has the most comfortable audience chairs - for the cinema, for the theater...). It's a really cool sound - cello, bass, guitar, mandolin, drums and during one part a box drummer.

Two really bad photos of the band...

And then later,  I got to go to a special, invitations-only party at one of the fancier bar/clubs in Granada - the Aliatar Café (which happens to be situated directly above one of the popular clothing chains Blanco). The café had a really awesome atmosphere as is, but then it went above and beyond expectations with a little Gaslight Theater-esque performance of Some Like it Hot with the original movie playing silently in the background. Also, there were some really interesting and delicious apéritifs being passed around - hush puppies and aioli sauce, fish and pineapple, shrimp cocktails, meat filled corn bread type squares, etc...

While there, I met another, legitimate and established, translator - an older woman from Texas who one year decided to move to Spain to study Spanish, and now 20 years later has a family and a life in Granada. It was really inspiring to hear her story, to discover that these sorts of things happen in real life too.

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Then Saturday evening, I end up hanging out in Vanessa's dressing room helping to translate the chaos that is hair, makeup, and clothing at the same time. And afterwards I was able to watch the Opening Ceremony for free. It was so entertaining, really well done, and only about an hour and a half long.

Stage and the hostess, wearing a beautiful dress.

Two actors (yes, they are men) helping to introduce the festival...(inspired by Some Like it Hot)

The singer Vanessa in a Marilyn inspired gown...