2011. year of the MELON

Its been a big year, so I am trying to keep calm - I think i'm doing a good job too. yoga for life.

After a lovely break in Melbourne with the gang, a million proper breakfasts later, I went back to La Soiree in London to see out winter in January. I managed a fly by visit to Moscow to eat this gingerbread house with the Broken Hearts. and my sister came to visit !

And then it was time for Blackpool YEAH!!! Showzam was epic - see the last post, and filled me with dreams of magic rubiks cubes, indoor roller rinks and pleasure beach revivals.

Little did I know just how much time I was going to end up spending there this year..

I moved into my new home – WHERE I AM STILL LIVING!! Record for longest place Ive stayed – Justin and I had some fun months of hoop flash mobs and dinner parties. I actually have things out of suitcases and onto shelves which is MEGA exciting!! Had a super nice birthday feast at home in amongst rehearsals for BGT – possibly the funniest show I have done this year..

Nisha got married in Brighton – and I finally caved into Hooping at weddings – C’mon it was little Nisha – how could I resist?! (then I ended up hooping at about 10 more throughout the year – even one in San Francisco! )

Alice got engaged that was another piece of great news – LOVE her and it was so nice to go and visit her new Gertrude St world complete with man, house, shop and Rupert the poddle. LIVING THE PROPER LIFE! wampnation <3

I also crossed Buckingham Palace off the list this year, strolling through the gardens with Russell and eating a lot of royal sponge cake.

I choreographed a huge hoop spectacular at Fortnum and Mason – That was epic and the team was so adorable!!!

St Tropez has to be the best gig of the year – 2 days of sun, delicious food and truly glamorous companions.. oh my... You see? I also did my first solo show at Jacksons Lane :)

Where I had a watermelon sliced on my stomach !

I also wrote a proposal to Blackpool council to run a 3 month skating project teaching kids how to skate – The idea being blackpool is the perfect skating town – and they funded it! So I ended up sitting on a train for the best part of 2 months going back and forth between gigs in London and skating in Blackpool. It was pretty exhausting but I think we started something that will hopefully continue, video here!

Then in September I was off on a mad trip !!

2 weeks in Melbourne to perform as part of the Melbourne Circus Festival, barely enough time to hug my mum, and then it was off to Nepal to teach at Sapana circus school video here! – this was super, although slightly marred by the fact that I was a little bit like frankenstein.. 2 days before I left Melbourne I ended up in hospital having a gland cut out of my neck – not ideal when you are about to fly.. so that was a bit sad. But mum bought me an icecream and that made it kind of ok. As a result I am vegetarian again - no more toxoplasmosis (or steak tartare) for me.

Then I flew back to london to wash my socks, and then went to San Fran and LA to check out the Halloween season. They do it so well over there..

Then back to London. Phew. Back to the cold. Back to the grey. Can someone remind me why I am here again?.. anyway its not all bad - Salami Klab has been a weekly highlight even though I am vegetarian now.. and Lily Vanilli has moved in!! so good!! cake for days :)

Looking forward to another adventure filled year, I hope you are planning some relax time before the busy times start up again !!

Love and Lamucans - spinach ones,

Marawa in London, xx xx