A Night At The Opera

…because going to the opera, is like, a thing.

I'm back from another successful weekend in Munich- this was quite an experience! Friday night I went to the opera in Munich, because the prima donna of our generation, Anna Netrebko, made her debut as Lady Macbeth! I just had to hear her sing live, you see. It was such a fanfare at the Bayerische Staatsoper. People of all forms of high society made their way to the royal opera house in their ball gowns, glittering in diamonds and furs, air kisses here and there, and the theater really came to life. I mean, Munich is a pretty fancy city. So when people do go to the opera, the standard attire is pretty nice already. But this was another level of fancy. Never had I seen people so dressed up for the theater- just like in the olden, glamorous days of the divine divas of the opera, back when people really would dress up. And of course, everyone their in their sparkling gowns and finest attire had done all this because of Netrebko. The house was completely sold out and full of energy. People stood on the streets with signs saying, "need 1 ticket!" Everyone, everyone had come to see the famous leading lady. The scent of expensive perfumes filled the halls. All the while with baited breath, we waited for her to make her entrance. The lights grew dim and the delicate intro (it's not really much of an overture) for Verdi's Macbeth began. I sat in my usual spot under the stage, next to the orchestra- where you can't actually see much of the stage, but when the singers come closer to the front you can see a bit of them. Netrebko of course sang her very best as expected, she is very professional. I saw Macbeth last year with a completely different cast, but the mise en scène was exactly the same. At some point in the third act, a ladies chorus comes on the stage completely topless but wearing bubblegum pink wigs (think of a Katy Perry video), all the while pulling long plastic-bag like things out of their mouths that appeared to be jackets, which they then proceeded to put on. Yup. It's a very typical stage design for the Munich Opera, they tend to gear toward modern, highly artistic stages.

Saturday I gave possibly my best and most fun tour of all. Early in the morning I found out that today was Brewer's Day in Munich, meaning that all the brewing apprentices were graduating, there would be a huge parade, a festival, a lot of bavarian dancing (including coopers), and best of all, FREE BEER! And this only happens every two years. Okay, for me the free beer wasn't the most important because I don't drink much in general, and I can't consume alcohol while giving a tour. However- my group was already having a lot of fun it seemed, and we happened to make it to Viktualienmarkt (Munich's main market, where the festivities were taking place) at exactly the right time. So we were able to enjoy a very traditional bavarian show, complete with whip-cracking and knee-slapping dances, but also most of my tourists picked up a free beer! I was really happy for them. And a really nice guy let me have a sip of his ;)

Needless to say, we had a lot of fun and the group was able to have a very special experience, and truly able to see how cool Munich is!

In the meantime I've been plenty busy with going back and forth from Innsbruck to Munich, starting a garden on the balcony (tomatoes, lemon verbena, peppers, and basil, amongst others!), turning 19 (that's right!), sleeping on tops of mountains, and trying to figure out my life. I've written new songs and started new projects, I'm studying to start driver's training, and I want to go to England next month. And that's just a little sample. Other than that, I'm trying to eat a lot healthier (that's why I'm going to England and why we're starting the garden). I have extreme attention difficulties and want to vastly improve my nutrition (nutrition is everything!). Seriously, before you try hard-core medication for anything, consider a change of eating style based on fresh and raw foods (intricate salads are the best). You'll experience a spike in energy and mood when you're better fed! 

My favorite salad to make is with romaine lettuce, rocket salad (arugula), tomatoes, cucumbers, some bell peppers (whichever color is up to you!), shredded carrots, a little red onion, a teeny bit of fresh garlic, some crumbled feta, and to complete with some dried oregano, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar! Super healthy and fresh, this salad leaves me full and totally satisfied every time.

Anyway my point is, before I would try some kind of stimulant from the pharmaceutical industry (such as Adderall), I'm going to start eating mostly fresh things from the garden and farms, not so much pizza, bread, dairy, and meat (though the meat thing is a personal preference for me, I just am not a big meat-eater in general).

Long posts are what happens when I don't write for a month, obviously. How is everyone else out there doing? Have a lovely start of July!

Much much love

India

And the song in my head is: Dear Boy by The Format

Sturmfrei!

Sturmfrei is a cool word. There's no exact English word for this, but it's like when your parents go out of town and you're home alone. In my case, my favorite guy is out of town so I've got the apartment to myself for a few days. 

And boy, do I have a plan! Aside from a few pleasant surprises for when he comes home (I've committed to thoroughly cleaning the entire place for example), I've got a few ideas for how I will use the time for myself (I'm a little excited).

1. DANCING. The apartment has a gorgeous wooden floor that is absolutely perfect gettin' down. So I've decided to learn the choreography for Lady Gaga's Alejandro (one of my favorite songs, ever). I figured it's time to get used to choreographic dance, and why not learn from my favorite dancer? It's very tricky, but I always love a challenge. Maybe when I have it down I'll post a video ;) (hopefully this happens by Monday!)

2. Singing! Most of the time, we're at home working and either I don't have much time to sing, or it's too distracting. Well for the rest of the week, I'll keep working, but I will be singing very loudly as I do it. I listened to a Jack Canfield audio file the other day where he was saying how people know they're born for something. Like, how does a writer know he's born to write? Because he just cannot not write. How do I know I'm a singer? Because there does not exist a world for me where I don't sing! (My mom told me when I was very little and sat in the shopping cart at the grocery store, I used to sing while she shopped. So it's a very long-going thing for me I guess).

3. Minor music sessions. I had a musical epiphany yesterday in the form of Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. Music can really teach you a lot, and boy am I excited to go on a journey with these groups. It's easy to get lost in a deep sound or a moving video, and for me that has always expanded the musical part of my mind. Let's go!

It's almost Friday, so that's good news! Saturday I'll be back in the studio recording yet another two songs. It's getting bigger and better! Yesterday I had the most fun singing a new song written for me about a very funny subject... I'm just laughing and having a ball right now, I can't wait to let everyone listen to my work and hear feedback. I'm very proud of the stuff we're doing right now, and excited to release it. Dance with me tonight, and we will live forever! Who wants to come to the album release party (location immer noch undisclosed)? ;)

I'll be writing again soon. 
Have a sunny Thursday!

India

Music for the morning: Anybody by Bad Things (Shaun White plays in this band, I listened for the first time this morning- they're pretty cool!)

Castles, Caves, and Cakes!

Good morning, world! How was everyone's weekend?

I must say, this past weekend was one of the best in a very long time. On Thursday we did some spring cleaning (always feels good to get that done), got the apartment organized, and got rid of a lot of unused clothing. Friday was not spectacular, as we had talked about doing something outside but hadn't gotten around to it.

(P.S. when I say we, I mean my favorite guy and me)

Well anyway, Friday we wound up visiting a small island in the middle of town and had a walk. We talked about hiking up to a cave and spending the night there, but it was supposed to rain and is apparently a very dangerous trail to get there. 

Schloß Ambras

Saturday was a lot cooler. We got a really late start, but we wound up visiting the castle Schloß Ambras (my first visit) and seeing the grounds there. It was beautiful! And still being under 19, I got in for free (haha- buying the tickets was pretty strange). I packed a picnic and we ate on the grounds (I kept spilling all of the food- in typical India fashion). There were a lot of suits of armor from the middle ages. They were really cool (there was one from a giant who was like 2.5 meters tall!), but there were so many... There were also other trinkets and there were plenty of family paintings from the Habsburg Dynasty, but that was it. The Castle on the inside hasn't retained it's original form (like the rooms aren't furnished or anything), it's just an art museum.

Lanser See (Lake Lans)

We finished up the tour and set sail for Lans. Expecting to just be able to chill out at the cabin in the woods (and finish lunch), we drove up there and went to get a few things organized. But the rest of the family was there when we arrived, so we just hung out for a while and had some coffee and cake. It was so warm that day I was in shorts and a t-shirt; I could not believe how lovely the weather was! After we left the house, we went down to the lake and chilled out there for a while. There was hardly anyone else there, and it was nice to just finally relax for the first time in ages. Just to be alive and breathe, to perceive the things around you... it was all so beautiful and cool. Being at the lake made things get chilly pretty fast though, and as the sun was setting we had to hurry to the car because we were shivering so much! 

Dessert at "Zum Wilden Mann"

At first we didn't know what to do. There was the option of going home, but we were both so tired and didn't feel like driving all the way back down to the valley. So we went back to Lans and ate at a lodge I'm told Grace Kelly used to eat at from time to time. Then we drove back to the cabin and made a fire in the wood stove and spent the night in the woods. It was so cool! I love these "field trips." It's so good to get out into nature every once in a while and just enjoy life. It's important too- I think when you get so close to the edge of burning out from continuous strain from work, it's necessary to take some time out.

Anyway, by Sunday the weather had changed completely (to clouds and rain) and we packed up and went back to Innsbruck. The rest of Sunday was also pretty easy- we made Schinken-Rahm Spatzl (an amazingly fat dish that is very anti-abdomen). It consists of Spätzle (homemade egg-dough noodles), Ham, Cream, and Mountain cheese. It tasted like fat-heaven. (Needless to say, yesterday was my "cheat day").

because I was in such a good mood during my "workout"
this morning,  I couldn't resist throwing in a selfie!

That's another thing! I've been doing a mini ab-workout every morning. I'm doing pretty well with and definitely notice a difference (it's been exactly two weeks since I started). Feels good!

Now that I'm completely recharged and contented, it's time to focus still more on music- I'm writing a new song, and I'll be in the studio hopefully tomorrow to record new things and put finishing touches on the others. It's getting exciiiiiiiting!

Happy Monday everyone! (it's not as bad as it seems)

India

Music for the (late) morning: Fancy by Iggy Azalea (a little generic, but pretty cool)