International Birthday Thanksgiving

My birthday was on the Monday before Thanksgiving. This year's Thanksgiving was on the Thursday after my birthday. When they are closer together, we sometimes have a combination birthday/Thanksgiving dinner. Since pretty much no one else in my current life grew up with or cares about Thanksgiving, those tend to be more birthday celebrations to everyone else and Thanksgiving to me. Sometimes, they are several days or even a week apart. Then we have a Thanksgiving dinner that everyone acknowledges is Thanksgiving. This year, they were a few days apart with different activities in different countries.

For my birthday, Lily and I went to Disneyland. It seemed like a pretty good idea at the time. We first met each other while working at Disneyland, what feels like a lifetime ago. She quit in early 2016. I left a year later. Neither of us has been back since 2018.

Hong Kong Disneyland is in the middle of a massive expansion and renovation, including two entire lands. Frozenland was originally going to open in 2020. Now, it is supposed to open next year. Marvel Land is currently scheduled for 2023. Those are not the real names. Frozenland is Arendelle: World of Frozen, built on empty land that was always intended for such an expansion. The other one is something equally stupid, like Iron Man Expo or Marvel Something, built over the former Autopia and empty space. They should call it Avengerland, which would cause all kinds of confusion with Adventureland on the opposite side of the park. As it is, there is no Land in the name. Not that it ever stopped Grizzly Gulch or Mystic Point. But Mystic Point is more of a small neighborhood than a full land. Grizzly Gulch, however, has always been Hong Kong's version of Frontierland.

Frozenland, coming 2020 2022

Marvel Land, coming 2023


An obvious difference from our time, that we could clearly see, was the castle. Back in our day, Sleeping Beauty Castle was a copy of the one at Disneyland California. When they announced the remodeling, a lot of people liked the idea of having a castle that did not look just like another park's castle, though there were rumors that the new castle would be more like Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant at Disneyland Paris. Today, it is the Castle of Magical Dreams, and looks more like Cinderella Castle at Disney World in Florida. They spent millions of dollars to go from California to Florida. The fireworks show over the castle was suspended during the renovation. They say it will resume on New Year's Day 2022. So, no fireworks for my birthday.

The park was closed from the Wednesday to Friday before we went. On 17 November, they closed because one cast member or guest tested positive for that popular virus. To avoid any bad publicity, and maybe disinfect the place, they shut down for a few days. They also tested everyone who works there and encouraged visitors to get tested as well. We went fully aware that any number of problems could prevent us from going or lead to a phone call from the government after we left. So far, no one has told us that we came in contact with anyone more contagious than usual.

The closure and hullabaloo over a single person with the plague entering the park made no difference to us, as long as it was open when we showed up. The benefit was that the place was far less crowded than usual. There are no holidays in Hong Kong between Double Nine and Christmas. November is a month of nothing, and generally a good time to go to Disneyland. A November day without fireworks, parades, and after everyone freaks out is even better.

One of the best things about working at Disneyland was that we could get in for free. Now that we no longer work there, we have to pay. Not full price, fortunately. The cheapest one day ticket that includes nothing but entrance to the park is currently HK$639 per person. As high as that sounds, it is still 20% less than Disneyland California, for a slightly smaller park. Food throughout Hong Kong is dirt cheap, except at Disneyland. You can easily spend HK$99 (US$12.75) on a single cafeteria meal. The restaurants are even more. I looked around and people are spending over US$20 (HK$156) per meal at Disneyland California. Ironically, a standard cup of pop is HK$30 and US$3.99, which is practically the same.

No matter what you do, you are going to spend too much money at Disneyland. Unless it is your birthday. Then you can get a birthday button at City Hall on Main Street, USA for free. My complimentary birthday button is destined to take a place of pride in a box in my closet.

At most Disney parks, I used to follow the same general pattern, depending on each park's layout. After a walk up Main Street, USA, I turned left through Adventureland into New Orleans Square and headed straight for Pirates of the Caribbean, followed by the Haunted Mansion. From there, I would travel clockwise, more or less. Hong Kong Disneyland has no Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion or New Orleans Square. There is a Mystic Manor in Mystic Point, which some people like to compare with the Haunted Mansion, but other than a dark ride inside a “house”, they have nothing in common. Mystic Manor is a decent ride in its own way, but it is no Haunted Mansion.

In Hong Kong, instead of turning left from Main Street, USA, I used to turn right into Tomorrowland and head straight for Space Mountain. But then they turned Tomorrowland into Star Wars: Tomorrowland Takeover and changed Space Mountain to Hyperspace Mountain, though the ride is basically the same. Now, Tomorrowland is Stark Expo. At least until the new Marvel Land is finished. Since the two lands will be right next to each other, Marvel rides are bleeding into Tomorrowland as they gradually open. So far, they have the Iron Man Experience, a motion simulation ride like Star Tours, and Ant Man and the Wasp, which is the new version of the old Buzz Lightyear shoot 'em up ride.

On Monday, we headed up Main Street, USA and straight into Fantasyland, which is in the same location at every park. Neither Lily nor I have a particular ride order, but we will always hit it's a small world, the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and Cinderella Carousel. I used to like the Mad Hatter Tea Cups, but my head does not approve of getting dizzy anymore.

Hong Kong's Adventureland only has one real ride, the Jungle Cruise, which takes up most of the lake/river. The rest of the Land is Tarzan's Treehouse, food, and shopping. Just past the Karibuni Marketplace, which is souvenir shopping, is the entrance to Grizzly Gulch, home to my favorite Disney ride, Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars, a faster and less predictable version of Big Thunder Mountain. Geyser Gulch, with its fountain and water pistols, is an excellent place to cool off on a humid summer day. November is not especially hot, making it an even emptier time to go. Frontierland is called Grizzly Gulch in Hong Kong for the same reason it is Westernland in Tokyo. Unlike fantasy, adventure, and tomorrow, frontier does not mean the same thing in Chinese and Japanese as it does in English.

The opposite entrance to Grizzly Gulch leads to Mystic Point and Mystic Manor. Continuing through Mystic Point is Toy Story Land, which has a couple of fast rides for teenagers and a lot of fluff for children. The other entrance to Toy Story Land leads back to Adventureland and Fantasyland, and will lead to Arendelle in the future.

Hong Kong Disneyland is the smallest Disney park in the world. A single day is more than enough time to ride everything we are interested in, sit down to lunch, catch a show or two, and snack too much along the way. A good deal of the space is dedicated to walk-throughs and places to take pictures. The overwhelming majority of guests are Chinese, who have loved to photograph everywhere they go since long before Facebook and Instagram were invented.

Despite the small size, the railroad can be a convenient way to get to a different side of the park on crowded days. When it was first built, it ran around the outside perimeter, just like every other park. But Hong Kong Disneyland was specifically designed to expand gradually over the years. Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Point, and Toy Story Land are on the other side of the tracks. When Arendelle and Marvel Land are finished, half the park will be outside the original perimeter. Instead of surrounding the park, the railroad will be an inner ring. What I always found interesting was that they built Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Point, and Toy Story Land to the south, toward their hotels and a large body of water. If you stay at the Disneyland Hotel, you are only 100 meters from Grizzly Gulch, but of course cannot get in unless you go a kilometer around the corner to the park's entrance. Arendelle and Marvel Land are being built just to the west and north, where there has always been ample room. When I first set foot in Hong Kong Disneyland, I assumed they would expand to the east, where there is a large patch of absolutely nothing. Maybe they are saving that for whatever comes next.

Sleeping Beauty Castle
2005-2018
RIP

The Dating Kingdom

Frozenland
Coming 2020

Marvel Land
2023

Back when I worked at Disneyland, one of the performers had a crush on me. I thought nothing of it at first since almost all of the men in the entertainment division are gay. It turns out, he is not. But I had a boyfriend at the time, so it never made any difference. We kept in touch when he left for another job. We talked on the phone from time to time and got together in groups, but we never spent any time alone, just the two of us.

During a recent phone call, we talked about acting and the theater. I'm going to call him Russell, after Russell Crowe, because he takes his thespian career a little too seriously and they are both Australian. Russell casually asked me how my boyfriend was doing. I mentioned that he just got a promotion at work and that we were no longer together. Russell's face lit up, at least as far as I could assume over the phone. He immediately asked me out on a date. I always knew that he used to have a crush on me, but I assumed that he moved on.

I said yes. If I was diving back into the dating pool, I reasoned, I might as well say yes to someone I have known for a few years. Dating can easily destroy a friendship, but we were never great friends anyway. We had things to talk about, mostly acting, and I knew a lot more about him than most dates.

Russell suggested we go to Disneyland. I was thinking dinner and a show, but under the circumstances, Disneyland made sense. We both used to work there and he had never been back since he quit. I would never go there on a blind date or with someone I just met. Once in the park, you are basically stuck with that person all day. I already knew Russell, so that was not a problem. It made even more sense when he suggested that since he suggested it, he should pay for it. When we worked there, we could always get in for free. Now, Disneyland is ridiculously expensive.

At most Disneyland parks, the rides are jam packed and people go to the live shows while waiting for something else. In China, the theaters are full and some of the ride lines move quickly. Russell considers himself a serious actor, and has left his frivolous days as a Disney performer behind him, but he wanted to see at least one stage show while we were there.

We saw Mickey and the Wondrous Book at the Storybook Theater. Russell did not recognize anyone in the cast. The turnover rate is pretty high at Disneyland. I struggled to think of anyone who might still be working from his time. I was the last person he kept in contact with, and I left a year ago.

After the show, we went on a few rides, but Hong Kong Disneyland is the smallest Disney park in the world. You can easily do it all in a short day. That might be one of the reasons the shows are so popular. Still, Disneyland is a great place for a date. Everything and everyone around you is happy and it's a nice, wholesome place to spend the day.

Unless your date makes it creepy.

Standing in line for it's a small world, Russell revealed more than I wanted to know.

“You know what I've always wanted to do on this ride?” he asked me. “Get a blowjob.”

Small World is not a dark ride. It's a “dark ride”, but it is not dark. You can clearly see the other people in your boat and the boats ahead of you. There are no rides at Hong Kong Disneyland where you can do anything like that. I would never want to anyway. Not on a first date or a thousandth date. When I go to Disneyland, I want to see children having the time of their lives, not horny dudes getting their poles waxed.

I tried not to overreact. After all, he did not ask me to do anything untoward on the ride. He merely pointed out one of his fantasies. Maybe someday he will meet a girl inconsiderate enough to do something like that around children. Or maybe he will grow up.

Most of the rides at Disneyland are perfect for children or adults with broken heads. Disneyland has always been more about the fantasy environment than roller coasters. As long as Russell kept it in his pants, we could easily enjoy the park. Then he wanted to go on Space Mountain.

My doctor told me not to get on any roller coasters for a few months, but that was a few months ago. Eventually, he told me that I would know when I was ready. I suppose after the medical restrictions passed, it was purely psychological. Hong Kong Disneyland only has two roller coasters, so it was always going to be a safe place, but now I had to make a decision.

Russell knew about my car accident, and even though I never got into any real detail with him, he knew why I was wearing a hat. Unlike a previous date, he never complained about it. But he wanted to go on Space Mountain, and he wanted me to go with him.

I used to love going fast. I have been to Valleyfair in Shakopee a million times. I would ride the roller coasters as much as possible, lines permitting, especially Renegade, Wild Thing and High Roller. I don't know if I could do Mad Mouse anymore. Corkscrew would be out. I don't think anyone has ever ridden that without banging their head.

I went ahead and said yes to Space Mountain. I figured the pitch dark of the ride would be on my side, even though I have a problem with darkness. My greater concern was all the rolling and coasting. At the beginning of the ride, when it's slowly moving through the space port, or whatever that is supposed to be, I had second thoughts. What would I do if this happened? How would I handle that? It was too late to do anything about it. I was trapped.

The ride was determined to go ahead whether I liked it or not. As it turned out, I liked it. Nothing popped inside my head, but I had to close my eyes most of the time. Not because it was a fast ride, but because it was dark. Opening my eyes in the dark bothers me more than high speed dips and turns. There are no real dips on Space Mountain and the turns were never too fast.

Russell was encouraged by my lack of medical emergencies and wanted to hit the other roller coaster. Fortunately, we had all of Adventureland between the two.

The Jungle River Cruise has English and Chinese options. I recommended the Chinese since the English cast members are not necessarily as comfortable delivering the jokes in a foreign language. Timing is important in comedy. You have to really know the language. Those who are still learning English tend to rush through their script. “Knock knock who's there ghost ghost who ghost spooky boo ha ha.” The Chinese jokes are a different style, but they are delivered properly.

Russell wanted English because he knows precious little Chinese, but the English line was twice as long as the Chinese, for some reason. It is almost always the opposite. We went with Chinese, not that it made any difference. If you have been on the ride, you know pretty much what they are going to say – Schweitzer Falls, ginger snaps, two of his heads for one of yours, lions can jump 20 feet, apes find bananas appealing, etc.

Next to Adventureland is Grizzly Gulch, Hong Kong's version of Frontierland. The only ride in Grizzly Gulch, and the other roller coaster in the park, is Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars, Hong Kong's version of Big Thunder Mountain. It's slower than Space Mountain, but about halfway through the ride, it stops and moves backward. If you have never been on it, it's pretty sneaky how they do it. After riding backward for a while, it stops again and pauses for a few seconds. If it's your first time, they want you to think it has broken down. If you have been on it before, you know exactly what is going to happen. When it starts up again, it shoots away much faster than before. They are called runaway cars for a reason.

I wanted to go on it. It is arguably one of the best non-New Orleans Square rides at any Disney park, and sometimes my favorite in Hong Kong. Most parks have no New Orleans Square, but for some reason, Hong Kong does not even have a Haunted Mansion or Pirates of the Caribbean. I can understand the Haunted Mansion for cultural reasons, but those Mighty Pirates movies were popular in China.

Since nothing bad happened on Space Mountain, I took the plunge and went on Grizzly Mountain. I already knew about the surprise twist, so there were no surprises. Other than the fact that going fast backward did not bother me at all.

After spending a wholesome day at the happiest place in South China, Russell wanted to go back to my place and do decidedly unwholesome things.

“The perfect way to end a perfect day,” he said.

I said no. We left the park together, but ended our date at the Kowloon MTR station.

I will probably go out with him again if he asks. There were a couple of creepy moments, but I don't know what issues he is dealing with in his head. I can't assume he is a raging pervert. Maybe he has simply not gotten laid in a while. I used to think he was gay. Obviously, I don't know anything about his sex life.

Overall, it was a good day.

It's a small world after all

That it's time we're aware

There's so much that we share

Cinderella Carousel

Let the Storm Rage On

Six years after walking into the underground cast maze of Disneyland, I walked out for the last time.

I watched the park change a lot during those years. When I first arrived, there was no Toy Story Land, Grizzly Gulch or Mystic Point. With the expansions of Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, the park is bigger than it used to be, but still the smallest Disneyland in the world. In the next few years, Tomorrowland will get even bigger and there will be a Frozen Land.

I was there during the Celebration in the Air 5th anniversary and the Happily Ever After 10th anniversary. I watched four different parades and participated in one and a half. I watched the Disney in the Stars fireworks show become the Nightmare in the Sky for Halloween, as well as other dressing changes for Christmas, Halloween and Chinese New Year.

The biggest change to Tomorrowland was when it was remodeled into a Star Wars Tomorrowland, but oddly enough, the Star Tours ride was changed to an Iron Man ride. They will add more Marvel themes in the future, with an Ant Man ride replacing Buzz Lightyear, and some other Avengers ride in 2023.

Working at Disneyland was never meant to be a lifelong career. Most performers rarely work more than a year or two. Being a face character was always a temporary gig. I got too old to do it pretty fast. Fortunately, there were always plenty of stage shows, which also changed considerably over the years.

I met a lot of people working at Disneyland. Most came and went quickly. Some I already can't remember. A few are hard to forget. One became my roommate and best friend.

When you work at Disneyland, you are not allowed to talk about any behind the scenes details. Facebook and Twitter were specifically mentioned in my contract. They want to keep the illusion alive as much as possible. Talking to people who work at McDonald's can make you sick to your stomach. Talking to people who work at Disneyland can spoil some of the magic. Telling a child that Mickey is really a small Chinese woman in an itchy costume is like telling them that Santa only visits rich kids.

As a former cast member, I am now free to spill as many beans as I want. One friend told me that I should write a book about it. But there are already too many of those. I don't have any axe to grind or unique hook. I have nothing especially bad to say about the place and publishers don't want happy tails about a happy place. My experience was mostly positive and I'm sure I will go back to visit sooner or later.

The downside to quitting is that I lost that sweet free pass. Disneyland is very expensive.

I'd Like to Thank the Academy

I consider myself a dancer more than anything else. I have spent far more time on training and practicing dance than anything else. But it turns out I'm a pretty good actor.

Cold and flu season jumped out from behind a corner and hit me square in the face this year. One day, I was fit as a fiddle and ready for whatever life brought. The next day, I was coughing up a lung and plugging my nose up with a cork. I never saw it sneaking up on me. It was an ambush.

I don't know anyone whose job gets excited when they take sick days off, but my job practically requires it when we are contagious. We are always supposed to project an image of happy sunshine and rainbows. Coughing and sneezing all over the place is not the Disney way. For ten months of the year, they would rather have less productivity than tarnish that image.

But this is the big holiday season, and the worst time of the year to take any days off. This is easily our busiest season. Taking a vacation in December/January is rare, but it can be done with enough advance planning. Calling in sick with no notice is not good for anybody around here. It puts an unnecessary strain on the people you have to work with when you come back.

So I went to work feeling like a dog on the wrong end of a car wash. This is where my great acting skills came into play. We were doing a show that everyone had already rehearsed a million times. That was the easy part. But I put on my happy face and acted like I was not sick. I had no idea how successful I would be, but about halfway through one of my least favorite songs, I had a sudden urge to relieve myself. This is not uncommon in my profession. There are all kinds of tricks of the trade, but all of my energy was focused on acting like I was not the least energetic person in the room.

So I did something that Katharine Hepburn taught me. She did not personally teach me anything. She and I were probably never in the same city at the same time. In an interview, she described shooting a scene in one of her Spencer Tracy movies. He was agitated and needed a drink and she needed to use the bathroom. They had already shot a million takes and everyone was ready to go home. She said that she used the intensity of a full bladder to deliver her lines twice as fast as before, which prompted Tracy's surprised reaction. Everyone liked it, and they could move on.

My situation was a little different, but by focusing on my bladder, my sneezing and waterfall nose subsided until they knew they could have my full attention. The second I could get off stage safely, I went to the nearest restroom. You know that scene in The Green Mile after Michael Clarke Duncan gives Tom Hanks a prostate exam and Hanks can finally let loose? The look on Tom's face is exactly how I felt.

Then I went back to coughing and sneezing.

Paris Diary part 12

Day 14
24°, sunny.

Lily, our roommate and I all had the day off, so we went to Disneyland. That sounds like a crazy thing to do when you are in Paris, but you have to remember that Lily & I work at Disneyland. Seeing the other versions in other countries can be interesting to us. Plus, we can get in for free, and doing something free in Paris is always a good idea. Our roommate had never been to any Disneyland anywhere in the world, so we just had to take her. That's the law.

It was a great day to go. This was the warmest day so far, and one of the warmest days of the entire month. It was never especially cold, but this was April, with the hot days of summer still a few months away. Most of the schools started their spring breaks a week later, so the park was never crowded. Going to Disneyland, anywhere in the world, can be a chore when it is wall to wall people.

We never planned on going, and we had no idea what was going to be closed before we got there. That is always dangerous. If you don't check beforehand, you can go when Pirates of the Caribbean or the Haunted Mansion is closed. If those are closed, there is little point in even going, as far as I'm concerned. They don't have either ride in Hong Kong, for reasons no one has ever explained. Hong Kong has Mystic Manor, but that is absolutely nothing like the Haunted Mansion. I don't know why there is no Pirates of the Caribbean. Chinese people love all those Johnny Depp movies.

We got lucky. Space Mountain was the only good ride closed that day. We actually went in the middle of a six month refurbishment.

We did not care about the other closures – Dumbo the Flying Elephant, which just spins around in a circle, Les Mystères du Nautilus, which is like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea at Tokyo Disneyland and not even a ride, and Captain EO, which we thought had already closed years ago.

There is no Jungle Cruise in Paris, but they have Les Pirouettes du Vieux Moulin, an old Dutch windmill that used to be a ride but was closed a long time ago and is now little more than decoration, and Alice's Curious Labyrinth, a hedge maze that was not all that difficult to conquer. In all fairness, it was designed for children. The view from the Queen's Castle showed us just how empty Fantasyland was that day.

We ate lunch at Fuente del Oro Restaurante in Frontierland. This was a pretty good Mexican restaurant considering we were at a Disneyland in France. Dinner was at Annette's Diner, an “American” style 1950s restaurant at Disney Village, a shopping center just outside the park. The dinner was decent, but the dessert was outstanding. We all shared a giant sundae made with Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey and Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream, caramel and strawberry sauce, whipped cream, chocolate sprinkles, peanuts and a cherry on top. Très magnifique.

After dinner, we saw the big fireworks show. The Paris show was mostly lights and water. It looked like a Las Vegas water fountain show. In Hong Kong, it is more fireworks than anything.

The highlights for me were Big Thunder Mountain, it's a small world, Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast, and of course, Pirates of the Caribbean and Phantom Manor. Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril should have been a great ride. It is certainly faster than most Disneyland rides and even has an inverted loop. I can't think of any other Disney ride that goes upside down. But the entire ride lasts less than 90 seconds. That's just too quick.

Big Thunder Mountain was fast and goes under water for a second. it's a small world had a lot less Chinese than the Hong Kong version, and looked like they put more effort into the design. Our roommate really got into Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast, scoring in the Cosmic Commando range. Lily & I were in the Ranger First Class category. Pirates of the Caribbean was like the original California version without any of the Johnny Depp movie additions. The dialogue is in French, which makes sense in its own way, but at least it is not politically correct. Phantom Manor was just great. It had a specific storyline that runs through the entire ride and connects with the rest of the Frontierland story. It is also a lot scarier and more gruesome than any of the others. I can only imagine what they do for Halloween.

The only rides we completely skipped were Orbitron Machines Volantes, which is the Astro Orbiter ride that just spins around in circles, and Autopia, which is never all that exciting after you get old enough to know what it is really like to get stuck in traffic on the freeway.

Disneyland might not be on everyone's itinerary when they go to Paris, but it was a fun day, and walking down Main Street USA when it was all lit up at night was beautiful.

An American in Paris part 2

Going to Paris for a month certainly sounds like a good idea, but I have a job. Fortunately, April is an easy time of the year to get some time off. The big New Year rush is long gone and summer is months away. Ryan and I actually took our first vacation from Hong Kong in April. We did not even want to. They made us take the days off, so we went to Macau. Macau is nothing special and there are plenty of better places to go in China, but I will always remember it as my first Chinese vacation spot.

It also helps that I have been at my job for four years now. That's not really a long time, but it is long around here. Most of the people I work with stay for a year or two. Foreigners are lucky to make it past a full year. Not that they get fired, although some do. The main problem is adapting to the new culture. A lot of people think it will be a great adventure, but too many can't handle how different everything is. If you want to live the life you lived in Canada or Australia, don't come to China. It is not the same.

Back to Work

I went back to work for the first time since the accident. Everyone was happy to see me and they even gave me a welcome back cake. It was very sweet. The gesture, not the cake. Chinese cakes are not all that sweet.

Someone, not at work, asked me why I had to take any time off at all. You can dance with a broken hand, right? Well, no. Not really. Your feet support all your weight and do most of the work, but your hands are almost as important in dancing. Unless you're doing one of those Irish step dances.

They also have this funny rule that maybe Snow White shouldn't be wandering around the park with a cast on her hand. I can imagine how people might react when they see me signing her autographs.

“What happened to your hand?”

“Oh, it's nothing. You should see Queen Grimhilde.”

First Audition part 7

I’ve been talking to everybody about this Jeffrey Lau movie. I was originally up for a very small singing part. I would have spent maybe a few hours on the set, one day at most. Now I’m up for a small speaking part. The good news is they don’t expect me to speak Chinese. They specifically want a foreigner who speaks English. The bad news is I don’t know how long it would take to film the part. No one can tell me.

The problem is that I have a job. Disney doesn’t like it when I take too many days off. They didn’t care when I started working there. I could take off as many days as I wanted whenever I wanted, but now they want me to work more. That’s good in the sense that they want me around, but bad when I want to take time off.

There’s a slight possibility I might have to choose between Disney and the movie. Ryan thinks I should leave Disney if it interferes with the movie. He says the movie will do more for my career than working at Disneyland, even such a small part, and he’s probably right. How many people hit the big time working at Disneyland? Steve Martin is the only one I can think of and working at Disneyland had nothing to do with his success. No one ever made it working at Hong Kong Disneyland. Disney makes lots of movies and TV and they’ve started lots of careers, but they don’t cast their movies from their theme parks.

Lily thinks I should choose Disney. My Hong Kong ID and visa are all because I work at Disneyland. If I stop working there, I can’t legally live in Hong Kong, unless I get a visa from somewhere else. A small part in a movie isn’t going to get me a visa. The fact that I don’t need a visa is probably a big plus in the eyes of the producers. Disney is also very helpful when it comes to all the government paperwork. They know how to get through it and the government knows Disney. Even if I had a steady stream of acting jobs, the government wouldn’t recognize my employers the way they recognize Disney.

I think it’s too soon to worry about it. I haven’t heard back from anyone after my callback. If I don’t get the part, none of this will matter. Even if I do get it, I might only be on the set for such a small enough time that it won’t hurt my job. I like to be prepared, but in this case I’ll ignore the problem until it actually becomes a problem.

First Audition part 1

People keep asking me how I expect working at Disneyland to help my career. Even working at an American Disneyland isn’t going to make anyone a star, and I’m in Hong Kong. It’s not like Steven Spielberg wanders around Hong Kong looking for Disney dancers.

I don’t expect it to work that way. Working at Disneyland is like being able to rehearse all the time with professional caliber singers & dancers, and I get paid to do it. I’m not expecting to get discovered at Disneyland. I’m expecting to develop and grow and be that much better whenever I go back home. The next time I’m at an American audition I’ll have something on my resume that makes me stand out from everyone else.

So I was completely surprised when I was asked to audition for Jeffrey Lau’s newest movie. He’s a famous producer/director in Hong Kong, but I have to admit that I’d never heard of him before now. I’ve never been interested in Hong Kong movies, but that’s not going to stop me from trying to get a part in one.

Apparently, someone who works for him saw me perform and suggested me for some part in his movie. I really don’t know much about it. I know it’s a small part, which is ok since I barely speak any Chinese. I assume it’s a singing & dancing part, but I don’t even know that. I’d like to do my homework and get this audition right, but right now I don’t even know what kind of audition it is. It’s on Friday [MARCH 16], so I’ve got some time to figure out who this guy is and hopefully find out what I’m auditioning for. I have the phone number for the guy who first approached me, so I’ll call him tomorrow. For now I’m going to see what the internet can tell me.

Another Year in Hong Kong

Ryan and I have been arguing back and forth about whether or not to stay in Hong Kong another year. I want to stay and he wants to go back home. Eventually he decided to just wait and see what happens.

I’ve signed another contract for another year. If Ryan doesn’t sign his contract he’s not going to have many choices. Without a job he will have to leave Hong Kong. I’m contractually obligated to stay. If he leaves, he might just have to leave without me. He should think about that.

Disney Pictures 4

Goofy’s Kitchen

Disneyland Pictures 3

Tarzan’s Treehouse

Disneyland Pictures 2

Mickey fountain at the Promenade

Disneyland Pictures 1

Mickey fountain at the Promenade

Year of the Dragon

Out with the rabbit, in with the dragon.

I spent most of the Chinese New Year working. The park was open longer hours and there were more shows – which meant more work for me.

It’s all over now. Everything’s getting back to normal.

Full Time

I’m working a lot more now that the Chinese New Year is coming up. My job is classified as full-time, but I’m really working part-time hours. Until now, that is. The park will be open longer hours during the two weeks of the Chinese New Year and they’re really pulling out all the stops. It’s a lot busier than it was during the regular New Year, or even Christmas.

I wasn’t originally supposed to work this much, but I traded hours with a couple of the Chinese girls who wanted to be with their families during the Chinese New Year. I think that’s only fair. It’s their holiday, not mine. I didn’t have to work as much during Christmas while they did. Now it’s their turn.