June Updates...More to come soon...Promised!

Written by LazyLegz Thursday, 11 September 2008

What's up What's up? I know it has been a really long time since I have checked in with all of you. Let me tell you it's been one crazy and hectic non-stop summer. I just started school again (Concordia U.) the plan is to graduate April 2009. I will fill you in right now on what's happened for the month of June and then I will write up another blog for July and august including (Japan, Halifax, Korea, and Japan again). Right now will tell you more about Germany, "No Limits" and France.

So let me fill you in on what's been going on these past couple of months. I never got to write about my Germany trip back in June. I went to Reutlingen, Germany a small town near Stuttgart for a culture festival. I taught some workshops, performed with a live percussion group called the "Beat Stompers", and I performed my first ever 10-minute Contemporary/Break Solo. It was my first time ever in Germany and I had an amazing time my guide/translator Alex was a real cool dude that showed me around town and taught me to order beer in German...

Right after Germany I flew to Rome, Italy to visit my Grandmother.

Since I did not have a real chance to visit my family I decided to take advantage of the fact I was already in Europe to visit the Family. I had a really nice relaxing time catching up with the Grandmother, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins etc... and the food was incredible as usual.

Organizing No-Limits
Literally getting off the plane from my Germany/Italy trip I was straight into "Event Organizing" mode. Before leaving for my trips in Europe at the beginning of June I had decided to organize a fundraiser event for ILL-Abilities. I planned to bring Checho and Tommy Guns to Montreal during the end of June so we would have a chance to practice together before our first big battle together in St. Brieuc, France (June 28). With the occasion of the other two ILL-Abilities members coming to Montreal I decided to bring Kujo as well and make a world debut event called "No Limits". This was the first time that the whole ILL-Abilities crew was actually together. Neither Kujo nor Tommy have met or worked with Checho before. This was the test that the crew could work together even if we didn't know each other especially considering that neither Tommy or Kujo speak Spanish and Checho does not speak English hahaha we were worried about the communication, but when everyone met each other we did not need to communicate with each other to know that we each share the same passion for the dance which created an immediate bond with all the members. The event was a major success, there were many stresses and worries the event was not going to work out, but in the end everything came together and could not have imagined to have been any better. I would personally like to give a big shout out and thank you to: Clare Li, Nikki Spinelli, Marc "Dekoy" Briffaud, Side C, DJ Static, DJ ConnSeanary, Nik B, Flavio and Laura Patuelli, and to everyone else that helped and supported the crew...

Crazy France Trip

Three days after "No Limits" Tommy, Checho, and myself flew out to France for the 3on3 battle. Jed Klemow the director of the ILL-Abilities documentary met up with us at the airport to film our first international battle together. This trip was an experience. We landed on Friday early morning June 27 the organizers picking us up at the airport told us the bus picking us up was stuck in traffic. While at the airport (Charles De Gaulle) we had to meet up with Rox-Rite and Kevo to American bboys dancing for the bboyworld team after getting to know each other at the airport lobby we decided to start practicing in the middle of the airport while we were waiting for the bus. The bus finally arrives four hours after landing. We start driving and the driver decides to cut through Paris because of the traffic, but because it was "Holidays" in France traffic was everywhere. Driving through Paris we realize the driver was getting lost, because we started circling the same statue three times. The driver decides to feed us and then tells us we need to go back to the airport to pick up Kusso the third American bboy for the bboyworld team. We were getting furious, because we felt the driver was just taking us around to waist time. By now it's about 4:30 in the afternoon we are all exhausted and grumpy... I forgot to mention that the bus picking us up was the most uncomfortable vehicle I have ever been in...the windows did not open, there was no air conditioning, and church seats are more comfortable than these seats. After picking up Kusso we start hitting the road for a 5-hour journey to St. Brieuc in the Brittany regions of France. At this time the driver was on a highway heading a certain direction and we (the dancers) all passed out from exhaustion. About 2-hours later around 6:30-7pm we wake up to honking horns and the smell of exhaust fumes, I remember looking up at a traffic sign saying Paris Centre (CDG airport) the driver had gotten lost again and went the wrong direction, after driving 1-hour the wrong direction the driver had to go back towards Paris for the right direction. By now it's been about 12-hours in France we have not gotten to our location and we were stuck in a bus for a minimum of another 5-hours. Everyone was furious and they were all looking at me to translate to the driver for them. After arguing for 5 minutes the radio starts playing Bobby Mcferrin "Don't Worry Be Happy" there is an awkward silence that for a moment and then a burst of laughter from all of us. What a perfect time to play such a song! We all realized there was nothing we could really do and that song helped change the tone of the atmosphere. We finally got out of the Paris traffic and started heading in the right direction. We arrived in St. Brieuc after 19-hours of waiting at an airport lobby and driving around in circles in Paris Traffic. The next day was the event it was a very well produced and fun event. 8 invited teams from U.S, Japan, Morrocco, Spain, France, and Russia where competing. ILL-Abilities won the first round and lost to the U.S team (Rox-Rite, Kevo, and Kusso) in the Semi-Finals. It was an amazing first battle and even after a hectic ride the day before the bonding for the crew and the stories to share after were priceless. "Don't worry be Happy"

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