where my shoes have taken me: 34 - a day in a life of ...

it was weird at first to get used to the daily life in cape town. first of all, it was a complete different lifestyle. the place is different, my job was different, the people are different, and most of all, i was different. but it didnt take a long time for me to soak it all in and got down to living the south african life.

it wasnt a hard life at all. the vibe makes life so carefree and each day is an adventure. i guess the hardest there for me was figuring out the routes of where my next adventure would lead me, and picking the right outfit to go with it. every weekday is a potential "work" day. the casting calls are sent by my agent via sms, and there would be an average of 3 castings a day. it could be as slow as one casting or as busy as five. the castings are sent the day before or a couple of days before. sometimes on the day of, and there would sometimes be 'urgent' casting calls. so every night i would take time to plan the following day. see which casting i should go to first (based on the time frames given), and make sure i pack my day bag of the outfits that it calls for. in one day there could be 3 castings that would ask for: girl next door, mom type, gym gear. so obviously those are all very different looks and you have to dress the part. so in the morning when i leave my apartment, i would be dressed in my first casting outfit, with my bag in one hand and my portfolio in the other. the casting agencies are also all over the place so planning my route was very important. at first i was taking a lot of cabs and it was costing me a lot of money, but after awhile i was getting used to the place and after discovering the "black taxi" it helped out a lot. if you know me, i would probably be the most disoriented/directionally challenged person you'll ever meet. so looking for these casting places would have been disastrous for me, but i am proud to say that i made it to all my casting calls just fine. ive done it a long time here in toronto and i would say that i got lost here more often than i did there.

after i plan out my route and write all my castings in my planner, i would pack my stuff and i would set my hair. since i did a lot of more commercial work than fashion, i couldnt wear my hair flat too much, so i had to set my hair every night. i also couldnt wash my hair everyday otherwise it would get dry. so all this i have to think about and plan. that's the extent of my stress, it's all superficial but at the same time very crucial! castings in itself is already an adventure. getting there and going around, you will already get familiarized with the place and see different things. when you get to the place, you have to sign in your name/age/agency and wait patiently in queue. once your number gets called and its your turn to come up, you have to say your slate which is usually your name, age, and agency. you will then have to show your hands and your profiles. it's such a funny thing if you're seeing it as a "normal" person. but that's how every audition is like especially with commercials castings. for print castings, you will have to leave your zcard (which has your pictures and measurements dressed in the agency layout and logo) and show your portfolio book. ive been to all different castings - something from really quick and boring to something where you have to dance and act out something ridiculous. there was even a time when i had to kiss a guy (yes you read that right!). some castings will have you be in bikini and you'll have to strut there in your bikini in front of the casting directors and other models. after awhile you will just develop a thick skin that you wouldn't think anything of it. it's all part of the job.

i guess the other stuff i have to think about is food. what to eat, where to eat and who to eat it with. everyday is different and it all depends on how many castings were scheduled that day, and then i would hit the gym, or go to the mall or the beach. really i can't say what a "typical" day is like, but i'll try and list out the options i usually go with:

mondays: free night to catch up from the weekend. maybe a night in to watch dvds and just relax. most of the time this is when i would do my correspondence.

tuesdays: dizzy's is a place to check out after dinner for some kareoke session. after that, 'asoca' is the place to see and be seen. it's in the city so we would take the cab there and we'd try to carpool with other people, or get a ride from someone. it's a small place where you can drink and dance.

wednesdays: this is when we'd usually try to be more flexible on where we go. long street is usually a good bet because there's always something to do there. or we'd just have a patio dinner and talk there until they close on us. i guess that's one thing that sucks in my 'hood. everything closes fairly early, unless you live in the city. but i guess it's a good thing too because it makes it safer and quieter.

thursdays: jade! such a fun club, even though it's small and it's ALWAYS packed. so packed that you dont really have much dancing space, but every thursday is 'model night' and models get in for free. they play really good music. it's also really close to where we live so paying for cab is not a biggy.

fridays: let the weekend begin. the list of bars and clubs never ends and it's time to put your sexy dress and dancing shoes on and paint the town whatever colour you desire!

saturdays: although every day in CT is a party, saturday night is still prime night for parties. we usually frequent st yves nightclub, 31, or marvel in long street (an underground black club - kinda sketch so i dont have any photos from this place but so fun regardless). there would also be beach parties and braai's (aka bbqs here in north america).

sundays: caprice is the place to be and to meet people for dinner and drinks. after a few bottles of wine at dinner, that's when the party real party starts.

all this is different of course if you're booked for a job that day. some jobs are half day, and some are full days. there are jobs that are sometimes in a different city so you get your siteseeing done then too. the studio jobs are the most boring but usually you meet different people so it's all good. there are also shoots done in beautful houses.

how can one not enjoy their stay in cape town? but unfortunately not everyone appreciated it the way i did. most of these people are full time models back where they came from and they only know how to do that. and if times are tough and they dont book any jobs, they go crazy (see story on roommate #2) and they over indulge in the good stuff thats when it turns out really bad. like with everything, too much of a good thing is bad for you.

below are some random photos of sites and food. im thankful every morning that i was blessed with one more day to enjoy life.