How can someone pinch the marmalade?

We are all now safely back home. It was a very interesting four days at the festival.

As always, there was drama. There is always going to be drama when you go away with more than one person. We were a group of thirty eight. So, you can imagine the drama.

We performed for two days with two shows per day. Our first show was not so good. We had a little bit of backstage tension. But every production has one bad show. That was our's. The rest were awesome.

Our last performance was a charity show at the correctional services. We were a bit tense about it. We were nervous because we had never been in an environment like that. We did our show outside in the exercise quad. It was our best performance.

We went to Sundowners. This is where shows have the opportunity to give the people a preview. Each show has six minutes to persuade the crowd. We had a good six minutes. We stayed to watch a few other previews - some were quite strange.

Everyone stayed in the university residences that were turned into hotels. Each res/hotel has a few wardens who are there to help the guests. We were friends with all of them.

Some funny things happened in those four days. At breakfast on the first day there was no marmalade. The people swore that they had put it out before the guests arrived. hmmm...

We had to rearrange our room a little bit so I could get in easier. The first time, though, we had to take my footrests off my wheelchair to get around the door and the bed. We then had a rehearsal, so off we went. without the footrests. Now, Jesse usually uses it as well. That day was no different. He quickly realised the error of his ways when he nearly landed on his face.

Jed, a cast member, slipped in the bathroom and dislocated his shoulder. He was rushed to hospital so they could relocate it.

I have decided to become a Grahamstown Festival regular. You will see me there until it is no more.

On the road again.

For the last six months, our dance school has been rehearsing for a play called 'Soar Like An Eagle'. The play is about how dancing can change a person's life and the journey towards that point of change.

We've performed at various venues, namely Rocklands Civic Centre in Mitchell's Plain and Milnerton Playhouse.

Our next stop. Grahamstown Festival. We're all very excited because we have never performed at a festival before. Our group is leaving at different times to make it easier and cheaper. We have to drive there because it's a mission to fly to Port Elizabeth and then drive to Grahamstown anyway. Ten hours of car here we come.

I think everybody can understand that there is only so much a person can do for ten hours in a car. Eat, sleep, read for a little bit, listen to music, and eat again. For us, that would cover about two hours. What about the other eight?

Things I have learned from previous trips:
1. Always have a good amount of food - mostly sweet stuff. For empty moments when you have nothing else to do.
2. It's all about layering. Wear multiple layers of clothing with varying degrees of warmth. This is to avoid being caught unawares at a robot next to a group of bikers. True story.
3. Most importantly, MOVE AROUND. You don't want to get out of the car, not be able to use your limbs, fall on your face, and die of embarrassment. In spite of your humiliation, this is very funny for others around you.

I hope these are helpful for your trips to come. I hope they come in handy to avoid future catastrophes.