I am attending the Cabaret Conference July 23 in New Haven. Thinking of what I would like to achieve through it for 9 glorious days at Yale!   It’s been a whale of while since I’ve had any professional feedback on my ‘career’, I’m too busy doing it, not quite at the level I’d like to see myself. I need to make some new ‘moves’.

So a little tune-up is in order, a little refresher course. One of my other goals is to take Ballroom Dancing! I met someone here who was so good, and I think it would help me with rhythm and counting that is so important in music. I am really looking forward to my own return.

I find singing in India with a substitute  rhythm section, (the drummer and bass player were in a serious motorbike accident) very challenging.   The new bass player claims he plays ‘by ear’, yet he doesn’t hear the way the pianist plays the chords.  The drummer says he’s never played THIS kind of music before. What kind HAVE you played? I WILL SURVIVE, I SWEAR TO GOD! This gives a whole new meaning to the word, substitute. (I work part-time in the schools as a sub).  I think I will stop doing that myself…

I prefer to sing with a good accompanist. I am currently singing Joni Mitchels, A Case Of You. This is so rewarding to do. Interpretive ballads.

Sometimes I wonder if by calling myself a ‘jazz singer’ I’ve limited my expression. I  think I am a singer of any songs I resonate with.

My latest new odd song NEVER ON A SUNDAY seems to really fit the venue as well as the band. Well it worked for Nana! Indian people REALLY like this one!

Anyway! I am also exploring the whole concept of self- valuing as a performer. I listened to New Dimensions and I even took notes. (Hope I can find those notes again) ]

The author of this self help book being interviewed said, “ when people are trying to hire you for ‘less money’ than you know you’re worth, that’s the time to ask for even more!!!!” YES!

As an artist one tends to undersell oneself.  But once you wake up and really smell the coffee….like Howard Shultz of the Starbucks empire did, there is NO turning back. Does anyone out there relate?  Let’s twalk!

Hopefully one eventually gets smart about it. You know what they say,” Live and Learn, if you don’t learn, you don’t live too long!”

(Della Reese)

This job has really been a lesson in that. Especially since it’s such a long contract, 6 months!

terrible moment in show business. Very few people , who are not singers, can understand when enough is enough.

It’s hard to get rested up even though my whole day is free. There are always little fires to put out around here, dealing with laundry, (that dress USE to be a perfect fit, what happened in LAUNDRY?)  Working- out in the dark dungeon of a gym, with less than enough air to breathe,.  (but hey, it’s free!)

Finally, after 5 months I’m getting over ‘culture schlok’. Maybe because I know I’m going home! I’M GOING HOME

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myk7N75Pnb0&feature=related

It’s a glamorous life living in a 5 Star hotel overlooking the swimming pool.  I can check out all the new guests before they show up in the lobby. See who drinks, who smokes, who laughs who jokes.  Who is with ‘someone’, who is alone, who knows how to swim…who’s willing to use the poolside shower covered in electric lights that go on at night, but during the day they’re “off” so no one has to be concerned about being electrocuted.   Famous last words!  “THEY’RE NOT PLUGGED IN” . That’s why I don’t fit in in India. I worry about stuff like that! I’ve got to let go and relax, I think.

I am stepping outside the box of ‘jazz singer’ and going more for the ‘entertainer’ and humor… (I enjoy falling back on that) AFTER ALL THE WORST EXPERIENCES MAKE THE BEST STORIES! (Quote from Dan Sherman, one of Seattle’s most observant personalities).

I was adlibbing about ‘it’s so hot here in Mumbai, that even the swimming pool is more like a hot tub. I was so hot, I had to  take off my swimming suit, that’s when management stepped in!” (ya had to be there!, in fact I wish YOU were).

Fortunately one of the ‘best drummers’ in Bombay has been coming by, and we’ve had a few friendly meetings, and borderline dating. He’s a bit irresponsible though when it comes to ‘time’.   I guess they call it ‘Indian Time’. Typical excuses in India are: ‘traffic, family parties’ sudden births, national holidays.

What can you say?? It’s funny, but I know how to be on time here, just take 2 hrs to get anywhere.

I let little drummer boy know that I didn’t want to make plans with him, IF there was a possibility of a birthday party happening in his extended family.

I told DB, I’d let him ‘make it up to me’ for being so late.  He did by taking me someplace I’ve never been before. (I like that in a feller!).

To a resort out of the city, early Sunday evening to watch the sunset.  (It’s basically too hot to do things in the daytime)  He has a car that he insists on driving, this is a rarity for most of the locals I’ve met. We could chat more freely.  Usually there is a driver who can or can’t understand, but it’s the presence of a third person that changes everything.

My ‘date’ is quite intelligent,(I think) and a great musician, and makes me laugh a lot.  Road rage is the norm, I noticed he would swear, and say F word at lot at drivers. At first I thought, it’s not my bizness to tell him to chill.  Isn’t a precursor to wife beating? I read that somewhere.

I said swearing is‘casting aspersions’! I wonder where I ever got that line??? (New Dimensions radio program?) I wanted to say: Focus on me darling, you’re haulin precious cargo!…. Crash

Then I tried to explain that peace starts with each individual…little things mean a lot…..I doubt if he understood a word I said. Ya know, quoting Ghandi and stuff….(I just noticed how strangely I speak when I’m kind of nervous!)

The resort was called, D’monicas in a small island town outside of Bombay called Manori Island. There is a ferry, but you can’t bring the car on it so it was a long drive to it.

We walked on the beach for a bit. It was nice, he seemed a little hesitant…”don’t wanna go that way….” So we sat and talked and listened to the sea. I haven’t done something like that since I met a local gigolo in Goa, friend of my driver, named Romeo. (Was that his real name? I’ll never know)

So, that’s how it goes. Then he took me back to my hotel, after getting lost several times. Overall it was fun!  He drove me up to the hotel entrance, screeching to a halt! (Was he trying to say something without words?)   (Was that necessary?)   A varied arsenal of  uniformed men are  always PATIENTLY WAITING:  Hotel cabbies; the  tall friendly man dressed in the (extremely warm) Rajistani costume, always a joyful smile and opening doors! (a saint); and of course the handsome security guards!   All  on guard. A waiting “Miss Julie’s  return’. It’s nice to know people care where you went and who you were with. One needs that sense of ‘someone is looking out for you’ here in lovely Bombay. It would be so easy to disappear here.

We shake hands, hmmm fleshy, and say goodnight…I had no idea if I should ‘invite him in??” Or what? Take him to my hotel room? Not Yet.

.

I’m helping the street dogs here, they just came back from getting sterilized. Ouch!

(I was responsible for that), I found out about an NGO that does that sort of thang!

I’m kind of nursing them by giving them lots of water and tidbits from my huge meals.(I love to feed the hungry animals and hungry people too!) But in India, one  has to be careful there are so many hungry ones. I’ve got 7 or 8 dogs, I focus on.   I buy Pedigree dry food for them, but they prefer my left over rotis and tidbits from my meals.

This early evening the 2 girl dogs, Elsee and Lulu are coming back, having had their ‘operation’. They may be a bit sore. It will be nice to see them all again.

Rocky, the macho boy dog freaked out when they got carried away by SAVE OUR STRAYS!  The Van guys couldn’t catch the 2 boy dogs.  They’re too clever!

“.No one’s takin my cahonies!”

I hope I’m not overdoing the involvement with the dogs, but  it feels like the right thing to help with. This will increase the quality of  their lives.  My heart goes out to these babies, so  vulnerable, nowhere to go, but the street. They just lie down and sleep on the warm pavement at night, and hide under a car during the day to avoid the extreme heat. If I bring a little ease into their hapless lives for a few months, so be it.

I am recruiting helpers to take my place when I’m gone also. Asking a singer at a hotel across the way, as well as some hotel workers. Mostly I’d love to see them be adopted, but no one seems to want a mature dog. Please remember, mature dogs and cats really need homes.

See you June 15^th 12:30 PM.

Looking forward to seeing you back in Seattle.

I’ll be doing a come back performance party on one of my favorite days of the year, French Independence day. Wednesday July 14^th in the Chapel.

At my car window in Mumbai, flowers for sale

Here I am in the Crystal Lounge at Le Royal Meridien Hotel in Bombay. This is the substitute band, and I now have a new rhythm section. Lenny Heridia on piano continues as a steadfast side kick. Julie Cascioppo sings WILD WOMEN DON’T WORRY.

View video on Facebook

I met another singer in town at a fabulous hotel called Taj Landsend. Anyway, the hotel I work at is a smaller boutique hotel, and not exactly on the grand scale of many other hotels in India. This makes it more ‘homey’ and familiar and almost the great big family I never had. In fact, it’s out by the airport.

Airport usually means a lot of planes flying overhead, but I mostly hear helicopters. When they fly over I ‘m usually hanging out by the pool in my Life Guard bathing suit. I wave to them, and then they come down real low, and I shout out to pool boy, ‘That’s my boyfriend!” Then i get on my cell phone and call someone and pretend I’m talking to ‘my boyfriend…” (An overactive imagination comes in very handy here.

This is a Business Hotel. That means businessmen. They seem to think anything goes at the hotel. At first when ‘guests’ asked, “What hotel room are you in?”, I thought it was out of curiosity regarding the ‘décor, or view’. I found out, they looked at my answering this innocent enough question as if it were a green light to ‘stop on by’ later.

I arrived in Bombay on Christmas Eve. I know God wouldn’t have booked me here if there wasn’t something I HAD to learn, and something God wants ME to do, and help with.

I’m getting to know the poor kids that are waiting for their parents, while the parents are busy working, digging up concrete, with what appears to be garden tools, in order to lay water pipes. You see these poor men and women, both working equally hard, doing back breaking bending and pounding of the cement with sticks and wooden bowls. Their children look on, obediently staying in a roped-off area, playing together with no toys, and happily running about within this small area. They likely don’t go to school, as parents have to pay for the privilege.

I had gone out to talk to a taxi driver at the taxi stand, to ask about fares and to say hello to the dogs. (My location is quite remote, I don’t get out much) and when I do, I’m gone all day. This is one tough city.

At first I did not think I would ever find my way around here. In Delhi I had horses and monkeys to play with…and expat lady friends and even a few Australians stopped over to travel the wild country together when I had a break between seasons.

The pay is ok, as I’m spending so much less here, and I’m getting several more perks — like one massage a week, and in-room dining — extra days off (built in). I’m glad I’ve got a gig, although I really miss Bali!

There’s another singer here at a huge hotel, very busy, and lively and near the sea. I’m conveniently located near the airport, so I can hop a flight to Goa or wherever I like, quite easily. Like I said: God puts you where you are for a reason!

I had some leftovers from last night’s dinner and today my new Indian friend Salil and I went walking out around the hotel area here, and found this little sweet trio underneath a truck. I brought out the goodies, wrapped in bread, and some cheese. They were so sweet and appreciative, catching it as I threw it, and wagging their tails. It was a happy moment for all of us.

Salil also works with abandonded designer dogs. The ones that are so cute as puppies and people buy them for their kids, and then no one knows what to do when the dog needs to be walked. I’m going with him to walk them someday. He’s a nice human being, and fills one of my criteria for a friend: Must be a compassionate animal lover.

I have the sweetest musical trio now, too. I call them the Juliettes. Adorable, loving, clean-living guys. I must remember to count my blessings. This could be a great opportunity for me.

I went out yesterday with my ‘driver’ to meet the Manager of the new Westin. He’s a good friend of a friend from Bali. He would like me to sing for the brunch crowd, which would happen in every one of his five restaurants. Do that many people go out to brunch?

Then I went shopping in the ‘Oberoi Mall’. It’s characterized as a fantastic high-tech mall, but was really uninteresting to me. It all seemed a bit tacky and artificial, and I never know how to find what I actually need. They need to get a Bartels here!

We’re really a bit dynamic for this somewhat conservative, Royal Palace of a hotel — but I’m getting a lot of work accomplished musically.