costume

Hejj!

✿ It's May!! ✿ ♥ ☼


So.
I've got this big gala coming up on Sunday, YAY!
The teacher I'm working with, Paolo, it's an opera gala with a big bunch of his super awesome students singing at it.
And me.
Like people from the Latvian National, and these awesome competitions, et cetera.
And me.
SO COOL!
I just started studying with him beginning of December and he is amazing.
And this concert is gonna be so much fun!
I was so stressed about it and un-zhuzhed beginning of the week but the excitement has returned.

So I'm still ill, but I had our first lesson today (Paolo lives in Italty so he comes here every few months) and it was super awesome!
And now I'm going to google-inspire myself in terms of the costume for Sunday.
Basically - I've got two outfits.
_one is just a concert dress, formal.
_second is a more casual costume for Zerlina, the peasant girl, who ends up getting quite down and dirty with Don Giovanni - and this I currently don't have.

Therefore I'm channeling cute milkmaid.
Or like, lolita-esque free nature spirit girl.
Simple.

So inspiration away, ahoy!

Peace out, happy first of May!
Yours truly.

M.

face the sun

Hey, guys!

First of all, can I have a geek moment and just say that Game of Thrones starts today!
I'm never this excited over any any TV at all, but seriously, yay!

Secondly, I've got an allergic reaction on my face, quite fun actually.
I think it's contact-based nut allergy.
First time in my life.
But hey, all about the new experiences!
(..and the contact is due to new face oil. Not just rubbing nuts onto my face, in glee.)
Also, it's really encouraging me to keep super clean (eating, beauty products) post-fasting.

Thirdly, Grey's Anatomy: Derek Shepherd just mentioned Estonia!


This is my Sunday so far.
I've made hummus today, with roasted red peppers, and then I made a halloumi and mushroom salad. And I did a foodshop, more vegetables - parsnips this time, and spinach.


Below is a photo of an inspirational fox.

With love.
Yours truly.
M.

turn it into

There was this thing somewhere - "Don't dwell on the past, but turn it into art."

I have been creating somewhat lately, or at least I don't feel uninspired.

But still, I feel, there's so so much room, for more.
So many things I want to do and so so many things I want to accomplish.

So many ideas that are kind of there, but kind of not.
Seedlings.

But hey, can't rush stuff.
It gets there, when it gets there.
And I'm not brave enough to talk loudly of not-even-new-born ideas.
But soon.
I'd love to talk about these things, out loud, soon.

For now, keep creating.
And I'll do the same.

Yours truly.
M.

Rachel

I mean, I don't really remember how many times I've posted about Rachel Brathen, but quite seriously, I find her so positive, and positively inspiring!

So therefore.
Just some shameless link-giving.
http://www.rachelbrathen.com/
http://instagram.com/yoga_girl
http://www.facebook.com/rachelsyoga?hc_location=stream

I just find her super awesome.
Simple as.
And promoting really healthy ideas, and images of women, men, people, dogs and whatever.
And courage.
Courage to more from Sweden to Aruba (??), in your early twenties, and do things your way.

Seriously.

This also goes hand-in-hand with my constant reminder at the back of my head: "Hey, Maria, do yoga. Why are you not doing yoga."
I love it, yet I'm not doing it.
Shall be fixed.

Thursday for Rachel.

Yours truly.
M.

today

The weather today is literally divine.


So, what's your definition of being successful?

There's this blog I sometimes check, when in need of something. I'm not her biggest fan, but sometimes she hits the right notes.http://www.bexlife.com/
I was listening to Bex's half an hour talk earlier on. And she stopped on the question of what we perceive as "success".

I mean, success is what people crave, very often. But what exactly do we perceive as "success"?
So, success for me, I guess, is living a life with health and family, a life in which I do what I enjoy, have people to share it with, and get paid good money. Enough to have freedom to travel, and explore the world. Challenging myself, and excelling at being Myself.

She had some pointers, some of which I really enjoyed -Identify your passion, write down things you love doing (even if this is watching trashy TV, or growing chickens in your back yard), circle the things that people might pay you for, and what people thank you for on a regular basis.
All extremely and I mean extremely useful things to do.

"Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn't work hard."
AEM said this to me, back when I lived in London. And he's right. I don't work hard enough, for my own measure. I used to work hard, now I pretend to work hard.
At this point can I just say I rock at deceit. I really do. I can convince everyone, including myself, of how "hard-working I am".
Lies.

Another one that I've always enjoyed, so much -
"Success happens when opportunity meets preparation."
This should put everyone's fear of failure (the greatest hinderance) to rest.
Do the preparation, do the homework, the go and channel it at the right people.
Boom.
I mean, life really is that simple.
We just like over-complicating it, starting with your's truly.

And so what I took from her and what I really plan on doing is this.
Work from "success" backwards.

In other words, take your idea of success and break it down, tracing it in backward steps.
Is doing whatever you're doing RIGHT NOW going to help you in the life you want, or is doing what you're doing the behaviour of the kind of person you want to be?

In order to be, you have to do.
There's no way around it.

So ask for opportunities, ask for favours.
And be ready to return them.
The asking for opportunities is something I really have to start doing.

And let's be honest, the whole aim of the game is to learn how to be "Best at being me".

I mean, I want to get to a point where I have opportunities of singing and making other art and/or connections in Europe and around the world, so I have to start behaving like that person.
As opposed to shutting myself off, and building this ridiculous shell.
Makes no sense.

In order to be, you have to do.

And after-all, it's summer, everything is fine, it's a Thursday, and the sun will rise tomorrow, so why not give it a go.

From the depths of Yoloheim.
Yours truly.
M.

AMAZING

How amazing would it be to be able to do this!

Just the thought.

Mind. blown.
M.

walls

It's funny how there are two kinds of walls.
The walls which feel like walls, concrete, and cold and have absolutely no life in them.
They keep you from the light, keep you from air. Keep you from your dreams, buried and out of sight somewhere in cement.

Wall type number 2, however, is very different. These walls don't actually feel like anything. It's rather a safe and sound environment. They protect and keep safe. They are there, of course, but they don't feel like stone. They feel like, the palm of a hand.
Warm and protected.

Currently I'm residing between wall type no1.
Oh, joy, upon joys.
And this is also where a lot of my angst comes from.

I want my own HQ, you know?
Head Quarters where I can plot and scheme and plan my life.
A place that serves as inspiration, not hindrance.

UGH.
M.

today

Today is a REALLY weird day.
Two simple reasons.
First of all, my cat's got some tooth drama, but to the extent that he's gonna have surgery today.
Those of you who might not know this, I love my cat. But not like, awwwwwwwwwwwwww ohhh cat baby. No. I mean, this cat is a ghetto blaster boss man. The last level boss. He runs the mafia, runs the town and he secretly runs your life.
Hence, I respect this kitty a whole bunch.

And because of this surgery he is not allowed to eat the entire day.
Now then.
My cat lives for food.
He eats anything from raisins to beef jerky and all the cat stuff in between.
And all I'm allowed to give him for 8 hours is water.
And I'm trying not to worry about the surgery.

Secondly.
I've got this conference thing coming up in a few hours.
It's for this school in Tallinn who host a conference via Skype, so they get all sorts of people around the world to encourage and inspire students, to study abroad, or just to follow their path, or choose a new one.
And I'm one of the people talking today.

So these two paired together make this day very, very weird.

Hooray for weird.
M.

Simon Keenlyside

Lets start with saying, this is an opera singer.


what
a
lovely
man


During school holidays he spent time as a warden with the Royal Society for Protection of Birds. As a teenager “I knew most European bird songs”, he says. Went to Cambridge, studied Anthropology, played rugby, then final year, changed to Zoology. Whilst doing his post-graduate singing studies, indulged in his love of running.

When he’s not singing he enjoys anything zoological, diving, walking, drawing (good doodles), painting and fly-fishing. “Travelling to places like Australia and California, I get the chance to see things that no one else except David Attenborough would!” He has a farm by the sea in Wales where he plants trees, digs ponds and encourages the wildlife to flourish, in his own words, “leaving that tiny little patch a little bit better than I found it”.

Oh, and of course, he is one of the leading opera baritones around, in the world, right now.

YES.
M.