day 43: lu zhou, one last time

the logo


the head and noodle ball


the body


Pony with a back view of the noodles painted

another morning of women dancing tango at 9:30AM and another project 95% done. for some reason today went just ok. maybe it's because I was by myself, jessie and jeri were missing, maybe I was tired, or maybe i was a little more sensitive today. i kept feeling that they weren't entirely happy with how it came out. I didn't know what to do or how to communicate with them in order to give them everything they wanted. All I know is I tried my best today and I left them where they can certainly finish it on their own. I think everyone did a spectacular job and I think it looks great.

fieldtrip: parade route and pageant

us looking at the pageant space and president's hall in the background


the performance space for the pageant

tonight we went to Taipei to check out the performance space for the pageant. it is an entire block of an avenue, approximately 11 car lanes, in front of President's Hall. I feel so incredibly honored to parade in Taipei and have a gigantic pageant in front of "the white house" of Taiwan. The parade is on Saturday, October 31 from 3-5PM and the pageant will be from 6:30PM to 8:30PM, at night. They expect about 5,000 people to come see the pageant and thousands more to see parade. This will be the first year the Dream Parade will be in Taipei. . .oh my my. It will be gorgeous.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Building_(Taiwan)

the next big thing: wow

ben, jessie and dan


kristi, jerry, wendy, jody, and jeri near the door


patti, tomas, elena


Yesterday was our first artist meeting and we got the scoop on what's on the horizon from now until the parade. There are 100 groups with about 20-30 people each. They will range from elementary schools, organizations, college students, community groups, aboriginal tribes and so on. Each artist, there are 9 of us total at 3 different workshop sites, will have 10 groups each. We are to design, teach, and juggle all these groups to create projects they have already have in mind or if they are at an inspirational loss, guide them. Each artist is also responsible to build for 2-3 floats for the parade. This is to be made with the groups in whatever way we can figure out is best according to schedules, people power and desire. This is just for the parade. There will also be a pageant with ten sections. Each of us has a section and we are to create the objects to be used, they can also be made by our groups.

What do i think? Wow. This is so much work, for not that many artists along with other factors that make this task really stretch reality. A nearly impossible task. I say to myself, breath and yell "Ji-yo!" (keep going)

day 38 through 41: the midnight hours

almost every night i've been up to about 3:00AM to 5:00AM madly and tirelessly finishing the turtle. i've gotton about 6 hours of sleep each night and working nearly every waking moment. and alas the day has finally come . . .that is it 95% done. it's done enough, that I can work on the little things between now and until the parade. overall, i'm proud of myself.

I am running a little ragged and finding less time to do anything, including updating this very blog. Despite this, I am amazed at my ability to keep my energy and spirits up as well as the lovely folks around me. Including new folks that have come: Kristi (Minneapolis), Patti (Colorado) and Ben & Dan (Melbourne, Australia). Tomorrow I go back to Lu Zhou by myself, one last time, for some finishing touches with the giant noodle baby float (it is not a noodle man at all), I am looking forward to it. The Jessie and Jeri combo will be separated to three sites. I will stay here at Dream Community, Jeri will go to the Jane Goodall Institute in Taipei and Jessie will go to
Neihou Community College. We've had separation anxiety all day. I will miss them. . .