Note: To understand the story from the beginning click here.
I promise, I am not always doing the cliffhangers on purpose. I’ve got SO much to write it’s starting to give me the sweats. I had to cut the last post in half. HALF. Told you there would be no shutting me up!
So I looked like the artful dodger, sneaking about Macy’s shoe department trying to avoid being in sight of the staff and the customers, positioning one of my postcards carefully on a shoe shelf. Once it was in place, I legged it. Well, “legged it” is a slight overstatement. I didn’t get far before I swung around mid-escape to snap the section I’d left it in. “Stealth” is actually my middle name.
Introducing postcard finder Annabella!
Annabella actually tweeted me when she first found the postcard. I thought that I was an intermediate tweeter. It seems that I am definitely a beginner as I had a mini panic attack that everyone could see it. Nope, just me. Phew.
The email:
“Hey Rachael,
Love your project and definitely made my day to find one of your postcards! My name is Annabella and I began to study at the Fashion Institute of Technology here in NYC. I was shopping around Macy’s (my favorite store) for little gifts to take back home to Miami. After a while I went to my favorite part, the Shoe Department, and found one! I wanted to drop it off in another favorite spot of mine, Starbucks near my school; the last time there I had found a dollar and received a free coffee, so it was definitely a lucky spot! Wish you the best and keep up the great project!!
Annabella”
As a follow-up to where this postcard was found, I asked Annabella to tell me about any particular favourite shoes she has (preferably not the type to get stuck in drains) and why they are special to her.
“Certainly, I would love to talk about my favorite shoes! Lol. I’ve attached a couple of photos with them and my best friend, Ashlee. Ashlee and I fell in love when seeing the booties and we tend to buy the same shoes in different colors. Hers are black and mine are purple, sadly we’re not the same shoe size. When trying them on they were so comfy, great to dance in, and on sale! We wore them throughout our school events (in Pictures with purple short dress was to my Homecoming), going out (in Picture celebrating St.Patricks Day) and in mini photo shoots (in Picture black and white) and auditions. I consider them my lucky heels since they tend to receive compliments :)”
So thank you Annabella! NYC postcard finder numero 2.
Wishing you all the best in your finals exams and your modelling auditions. Look forward to keeping in touch :).
Now I’m moving away from the killer heels and I’m taking you back to the ballet shoes….
On Saturday night I went to see Ballet Black’s performance at the Bernie Grant Art’s Centre.
I was there thanks to Steph and to Bec’s mum, Sue (see post), as I got to see the rehearsal of War Letters at the Royal Opera House in Feb. I contacted Ballet Black to let them know about the blog and they told me that I still had a chance to see the performance in Tottenham, so off I went along with close friend and Paris crew member, Fun Clare.
The skill, strength, poise, elegance and the emotion of these dancers was exquisite. Team that with some beautiful choreography and the fact that this ballet company don’t just dance it, they act it – it’s no wonder that they are special.
In the interval a chance encounter occurred.
Thandie Newton was there to support Ballet Black and a blog reader that came along to see the show, Pimmi, managed to grab Thandie’s attention for me before everyone had to go back into the theatre.
It felt like challenge Anneka. If I am showing my age and you don’t know what that is – it was a TV show in which Anneka was given a TIGHT timescale to complete various challenges. Hers were slightly larger than this one mind – ha.
With the announcer telling us that we had ONE minute to get to our seats, I set off on explaining why I was there……
“Hi Thandie, so sorry to bother you…MUM, birthday, 60 postcards, Paris, NEW YORK, Stephanie found one, Ballet Black, I saw Steph perform, she used to be IN Ballet Black, BLOG, I’m here because of a BLOG yes, but there is more, but errr yes sure, POSTCARDS. Thanks so much.”
So that went well. Woops. I could see her watching me intently, clearly completely confuzzled but by the end of it she thanked me for telling her my story and appreciated that I was doing it in memory of mum. A quick pic later and we were back inside. She was on the same row as us wasn’t she. I got up sheepishly to let her through. “It’s me again”, she joked as she squeezed past. I am just not cool.
After the performance I got to meet founder of the company Miss Cassa Pancho (above left). What a cracking lady she is. We nattered away whilst she waited for her taxi and later in the evening we had a bit of banter on twitter with choreographer Chris (Marney) who is off gallivanting with Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures. I hope that I get a chance to meet these guys again. A witty bunch, that’s for sure.
I wanted to use this blog as a platform to post a message from Cassa to Steph:
“Hi Stephanie! So glad you put Rachael in touch with BB – how wonderful and random! Hope all is great for you at DTH – please come and visit us soon! CP and all at BB xx”
And all of this from one hand written postcard left in Paris.
It makes me think of a moment from New York….
Caroline: It’s like you said, you can’t write this sh1t.
Me: Yeh but I actually have to.
[Hysterical laughter]
I still can’t quite believe it myself.
60 POSTCARDS 