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His Little Paperboat
Sleep No More Shanghai recaps
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#26 #27 #28 24/11/17 & 25/11/17
A binge-watch because it was my birthday weekend. Two relatively *regular* casts and one amazingly brilliant cast which brought me back to the times when I was first addicted to Sleep No More. A lobby girl stays as a lobby girl.
Highlights:
- Carl Harrison’s debuts as Malcolm and Husband. The most Malcolm Malcolm of all the Malcolms, appearance-wise. I’ve heard that his first loop as Husband was a huge disaster, but the third loop was okay...except that he didn’t really pay attention to the details of the role, which was a bit disappointing. Accidentally got his Husband’s walkout - a pretty cute goodbye that was (who else would hold your face and kiss you on the cheek at Manderley?).
- Debby Bride’s bamboo solo. I’d never watch this for enough times! When a snake turned into a woman, Debby put on her face as a little innocent girl. While on the other hand, her snake was wild and dangerous. How could she express the sharp contrast? But she did it anyways.
- An assumption about the storylines: Sexy and Bride were twins. However, Sexy turned to Hecate to become a real witch, but Bride stayed as a pagan out there. Sexy seeked out Bride and tried to convince her to go find Hecate, but Bride just won’t say yes. The three witches made fun of Bride, hinting that if she ever turned to their side, she could be like Sexy.
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#25 22/10/17
Another five weeks since the last time I visited the hotel. Knowing that Austin and Paul are currently working here, I prayed for a dream cast. But nothing came out of it. I did got lucky this time though, for having some of the one on one’s that I’ve never had before.
Upon seeing a *normal* cast in the lobby, I made my mind to follow Yuli’s Danvers for the first loop. Oh finally, the Danvers’ one on one. It was scarier that I had thought, and Yuli was great. I especially loved her un/little-makeup face now.
For the next loop, I followed Xinwen’s Agnes. To see Agnes and Speaks was so heart-warming. Agnes’ one on one moved me to tears. It was dreamy, but one could also sense the lost nostalgia there. I probably will never forget the moment when Agnes put the necklace into my hand, whispering “take it. It will keep you safe”.
The final loop was the most intimidating one. At last I did a full loop with Debby’s Bride. She was snakey as fuck when she danced in the bamboo forest and made the snake sound and scared people around. Her version of Bride was the wildest one - a snake more than a bride. Having seen her and Ben’s DB a million times and knowing that there would be two one on ones that I’ve never had, I stayed for those two and got them. Tingting’s Nurse treated me well with the tea, and scared me good with the performance. Now I have finally heard the story myself. Daniel’s Malcolm took me for a dark room ride. I got very excited when he tried to find something in me. But of course nothing was found. We rushed out of the room and went the separate ways - he to save his unsaved father, and I to see the broken couple.
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#24 17/09/17
It had been three weeks since the last time I checked into the hotel. Tonight, I felt like a first-timer, only everything seemed like a deja vu.
*1
I wasn’t the first ones to step into the hotel, but I was lucky enough to get an ace. A quick daiquiri was all I needed and a gulp of the whole glass could never do a dreamer harm. Before I came into the ball room, I was thinking about following Fania’s Bald, after all, I haven’t followed her like forever, but as soon as I saw Ed as Malcolm, my eyes were fixed. He was as good as always. The stammer of the prince made me giggle again, but the kiss with Agnes seemed a bit strange to me this time. The seeming rape-ness made me feel extremely uncomfortable. I followed Malcolm until he went upstairs to the speakeasy and then, I went up one more floor to use the toilet. There I found Yuli’s Nurse moving along the wall and was immediately intrigued by this. I waited to see her duet with Simon’s Cunning. And as many amazing performances as I have seen, their’s still impressed me a lot. I followed Yuli until Tingting’s Bride came back with the herb.
*2
I went downstairs through the cemetery to the Macduff residence for Danvers. Before she came, I had a little extra time for my own use. Strangely, I never did have the chance to examine this home. Tonight, I checked every little corner of the room. I surprisingly scrutinized the pyramid of milk glasses on the table before I again surprisingly found a little statue of a man holding a woman in his arms. A tragic fate already predicted? Danvers settled everything right in this home and called out Sexy. The door duet was nothing different from the last time I saw it with the same two performers. The bed solo and the pas de trois in the lobby were as good as Camilla could manage. I like the extreme calmness in her Danvers. She almost resembled the Danvers in Rebecca, in that she would do anything for her Mrs. de Winter, be it to poison the king or her husband’s opponent’s Achilles’ heel, just to make her master/lover satisfied.
*3
Imagine my happiness when I realized I would see a new Taxi tonight! A last full loop was wholeheartedly dedicated to him. To be honest, I had been re-adjusting my expectation for the new performer for a while, since somehow I felt like he is here to take the place of Jude (because they both play the same two roles, kind of like Ian and Daniel). Conclusion first: no one is here to take the place of another one. All the new performers, they are creating the characters in their own way. So I am no one to judge.
Back to the subject. The new Taxi didn’t do much bonsai work, instead, he liked to play with the necklaces very much. He practiced the DB dance though, which reminded me of Sam’s Taxi. He didn’t use the corner room, which was a bit disappointing as I had really enjoyed this new scene of Taxi. He peeked at Agnes but couldn’t find the note and the seed. The performer’s improvisation was a bit...nah. You could tell he was confused, although this made me smirk a little under my mask.
What confused me was the interactions. Generally speaking, the new Taxi does not fit into the framework of a Taxi. The creepiness and the weirdness were completely lost; what was presented through his performance was a Taxi who’s a human being. I was not picked for the trans because clearly EVERY person knew there would be the trans inter there. But I did get the one on one in his office. His way of invitation again reminded me of Sam. Not a straightforward player like Jude, but a little tactful. He did not start it with the usual question, and very quickly, we went to the choosing part. After I made my usual choice, he helped me to stand up and leaned towards me, whispering: I think you already know this. Which made me giggle. “But remember, there are no real choices. Good luck.” The next thing I knew, I was in the bar. Back in his room, out of my curiosity about what he’d written down in that notebook I’d never seen any Taxi use, I went behind the counter and flipped through the notebook, but was caught red-handed. Feeling both embarrassed and awkward, I quickly put everything back to order and retired to my old place. I am pretty sure other Taxis would just let it go, but this new one stared at me for a good 30 seconds until I couldn’t help grinning. Finally, the finale came. Taxi went downstairs without taking anyone’s hand, and I began to speculate that I might have pissed him off by checking out the notebook. He stood in the back to watch the scene, and I stopped a person away from him, leaving some space to make myself feel comfortable. In the dim light in which Macbeth was sentenced to his fate, Taxi walked closer to me. As the murder was done, darkness descended, and Taxi fumbled for my hand in it. We held hands without looking at each other because we both knew that this would come. As soon as the music was on, he walked me back to Manderley. Unlike other characters who would just take your hand and walk, this Taxi knew how to do it in the right way: he took my hand and pulled my arm forward a little, then we walked on like what Danvers and Porter would walk after the final dinner! I really really enjoyed and appreciated this walkout! Not only because I have always adored the pair on their way downstairs, but also because I was with Taxi. Back at Manderley, he whispered a “Thank you very much. Thank you.” into my ear, and I thanked him as well. What a lovely night.
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#23 26/08/17
On my way back home, I realized I’ve got the sisters’ kisses tonight.
Calloway was good to me tonight. I’ve got a 2, but he let both Ace and 2 enter the show first.
*1
What I had wished for never did happen, but finally, I saw Chris’ Boy Witch dance in the ball. The telephone booth scene was okay, but the pool table solo surprised me. He was even louder than Tony! And somehow he gave out the vibe that he was very much hurt by the audience’s existence. Isn’t that very witchy? His resentment against human beings continued throughout his performance, even with the after-shower scene, it was so strong. Generally, I would rate him a 6/10 as a Boy Witch. (After all, he did do something which I abhor during the after-shower scene.)
*2
I was hesitating between Matron and Bride until I found Tingting’s Bride first. There were few people following her (so surprised!) so it was an easy job to follow her up. I was unexpectedly invited for her one on one. It was a new one to me and it was both intimate and heartbreaking. There, I got Bride’s kiss.
The duet with Sexy has been clearer to me now.
(my theory alert)
I felt that Sexy used to be the sister snake to Bride until somehow she became a witch. Bride found her on the high street but Sexy was very determined in not talking to Bride. The duet in the rep bar was a battle between the powers of snake and witchcraft and human. Bride was trying to remind Sexy of her past as a snake, but Sexy was not willing to think about it. Finally, Bride won.
May I also suggest the similarities between Macduff and Husband? They were both innocent men who were trying to protect their wives, but failed.
The silhouette of the sweet yet tragic couple in the light had impressed me for so many times tonight.
*3
Oh Macduff...first, I need to laugh for like 10 minutes before I start. Okay, so it was my first time following this character, and by the end of the loop, I would rate it as a not particularly intriguing one. John’s Macduff after he found out his wife’s death was too amusing!? He looked very laborious holding Yuli’s Lady Macduff, and when he reached to a man ghost, he seemed like he just wanted the guy to take over the “burden”. And the guy, not knowing if he should take over Lady Macduff, held out his arms anyway, very confused by the act. Not one single solo impressed me. And why did Macduff perform Banquo’s duet without Bald? Was it because Banquo was injured and disappeared last night? Or is it a regular solo?
So basically here’s a list of things that Macduff does: moving the trees, holding the dead body of Lady Macduff, holding the door, holding the dead body of Duncan. This man is really the blue-collar worker of McKinnon.
After Banquo’s disappearance, it was all a disaster. At the ball, Fania had no one to dance to, but she was so smart to interact with the audience instead! The cards playing was joined by Speaks and Macbeth had no one to murder! But the biggest surprise of the night was the finale. It was almost like seeing the scene for the first time: Macbeth was not hanged, but strangled by Macduff and Malcolm themselves! Holy shit, I was astonished.
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#22 12/08/17
“Good choices are bad choices.”
Tonight was the first time that the thought of leaving McKinnon for a few months had occurred to me. It just didn’t feel right any more. The audience, newbies or regulars, have been equally annoying to me. And deep down, I know I think the current half-blooded cast is somewhat strange. What’s more, my life lately has been a mess, as I am mulling over the idea of getting another job and moving to another town. My life has become more and more unbearable by the day.
And I was saddened again at McKinnon.
*1
After being shut out of Malcolm’s one on one, I walked over to the rep bar for Dragon Boat. Taxi was not there, so I rushed downstairs to follow him. Naturally, I was invited into his office. I wasn’t really looking forward to it as I have been here for many times. This time, I paid much more attention to his words. “You’ve never had no choice. Good choices are bad choices.” And when he sent me out to see the rave, “Time to turn the page. Don’t look back.” The timing was great: Macbeth had just walked into the bar. Following my Taxi’s intention, I stayed a little while for the rave. The next thing I knew, I was seeing the boys play cards.
Before the show, I had only decided to see Malcolm for the first loop. After getting off the elevator, I rushed down to the third floor to find him. But HOLY SHIT, the second I walked into the king’s lavatory, I saw a face which made me the happiest person in the hotel: Ed was there as Banquo, anxiously waiting for the royals to attend the ball together. I kept reminding myself that I was following Malcolm, but my feet were moving on their own will. Luckily, the threesome was together this whole time. At the ball, I stood aside, with my eyes fixed on Banquo.
When the friend became the foe, the scene was especially cruel to see. Olly’s Macbeth has become more ripened by the day, and his murder has become more obvious: you could see how desire for the power has blinded him and his heart. And I wept on the spot again.
“You’ve never had no choice. Good choices are bad choices.” This has become the theme of the night. Tonight, I was thinking, maybe Banquo just didn’t have the time to make a choice before Macbeth did. What if he made a choice? What if his desire overwhelmed his conscience as well?
*2
The second loop was dedicated to Ed’s Banquo. The last time I saw him as Banquo, his wrists were still injured and couldn’t perform a complete luggage room solo (most of the time, he was just crawling on the floor). But tonight, the luggage room dance awed me. The duets with both Bald and Sexy were good as always. The bird solo, still nah.
Standing by the counter to see Macbeth’s crime in the light was both a bless and a curse. Chris’s Speaks has progressed so much over the months; he was very lively tonight. Too many people waiting on the high street for Banquo’s ghost, but every time I witness this scene, it all feels like the first time for me.
*3
I have heard how surprisingly good Garth’s Cunning is, so my last loop was all about him. And I completely got it. His Cunning made so much sense. For example, when Cunning hid behind the door to see Bride and Sexy on the high street, he held out two cards of snakes in his hand. And when he and Hecate met at the rep bar, for the first time ever, I realized they were colluders, but also competitors. Later when Ingrid took the place of the unfortunately injured Debby as Bride, Garth performed Nurse’s solo when there should have been the duet, and unexpectedly, it also made sense! You see, that’s how good Garth’s Cunning is.
Ben Husband made me laugh, the first time in a while at McKinnon. When Cunning took him to his office to sign the contract, Husband took over the pen saying, “My Chinese is a little rusty.” What a gem.
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#21 29/07/17
Surprises always await here at McKinnon.
*1
I have made up my mind to follow Cunning for the first loop, since I reckon it would be easier for me to get his one on one while there are fewer people. (I never have the confidence to squeeze into the first row.) But nope. John Cunning didn’t do this one because Hecate was in her lair at this same time I guess? Anyway a few minutes later, I was standing at a point where I could see both Camilla Hecate and Cunning without anyone’s blocking; neither needed I to stand very close to them. As I was watching intently, all of a sudden, a hand touched my right arm. I looked back: it was Sam Taxi. I did notice him walking into the rep bar with his bear earlier, but instead of the usual way of “looking back and picking someone for the interaction”, he headed to the back of the counter. So I was very surprised that he had chosen me.
I very much understand that the performers are currently working on an effective way to stop the fights over one on ones and interactions, but what I have just experienced doesn’t make any sense because I was not following the performer. Personally, I appreciate the fact that I was chosen because I have never got Sam Taxi’s two on one before, but from an objective point of view, I do not approve this at all.
Sam Taxi’s two on one is more deterrent than Jude’s. For a while, his voice made me even shudder a bit. Speaks was a little green-handed though. At some point, when he pushed me forward, I was pushed onto a wall (ouch!). I first thought it was Chris, but when we stepped into the light, I stared at his face and saw an Asian one. It was Du Yanhao.
Outside, the threesome made me marvel again. Debby never stopped wowing me. I watched her as Cunning watched her. Eyes were fixed on her, and on her only. The rest of the loop was the same old story. EJB, standing at the first row, was naturally “invited” into Husband’s bedroom. I still doubt the righteousness of the duet dance between Tingting Nurse and John Cunning. Something was missing, but I don’t know what.
*2
During the first rave, I wandered around the hotel to check out the cast. Unexpectedly, I bumped into Ed and Gao Yang on the high street. I thought they were Malcolm and Macduff, so when I saw Lily as Lady Macduff and Garth was on as Porter, I soon ditched the idea of following Ed. However, when I came downstairs for Lady Macduff, I realized Ed was Banquo tonight.
As far as I could remember, I haven’t followed Banquo since Daniel was gone. And I have almost forgotten how scary it is to follow him. Whenever Banquo had a scene with Macbeth, I got bumped by the latter’s followers. But Ed made everything worthwhile. His Banquo was basically a ghost who wobbled through his fate but was determined when facing Bald and Sexy. I wouldn’t call his bird solo perfect, in effect, far from perfect, but the thing he wanted to deliver through the dance was delivered to us rightly.
Olly’s Macbeth was particularly vicious tonight. He didn’t come straight for Banquo, but stayed still for a while in the dim light. The eye contact between them was intense, as I held my breath waiting for the murder. Just a few compliments here: I could not tell how much I like the new speakeasy bar. With the new lights on, it seems to be a much more dramatic place, which suits its exact status. I assume that Chris has contributed something to this, since I witnessed that once when the lighting was kaput, he turned on a flashlight and put it to where there is a light now.
When Banquo came back to life, I followed the troubled ghost back downstairs. As we walked to the stairwell, he stopped and slowly turned around to look at me in the eye. I took a step back, but stopped there as he walked towards me. He slightly revealed my mask and basically put his lips onto my ear, whispering those words into it. (To be honest, at this close a distance, it sounded more like shouting than whispering. Imagine the resonance.) The words were different from the last time I got a Banquo whisper, but they made sense anyway.
A surprising move: while I was standing in the ballroom watching Ed Banquo do his thing, I wasn’t aware that I was in the way of Jude’s Malcolm. Usually a performer would just steer by the audience (there was a large space around me), or tap on their shoulders as a reminder, but Jude gently held me around my waist as he walked past me. Just aw.
*3
I may have a few opinions on Garth, but having seen snippets of his Porter last time made me stay with him for a full loop tonight. I still reserve my opinion on the completely different Moonlight dance; it simply lacks the beauty of a dance. Sometimes his Porter was a little pretentious, especially when he was surprised. I wept at the happy dance, not surprised at all. He was SO happy and I thought of my favorite lobby boy.
What a day. I hummed “moonlight becomes you; it goes with your hair” on my way back home.
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#19 & 20 15/07/17
A day of wishes come true!
Calloway’s opening speech has developed so much over the past few months, maybe even a bit out of control now (in a good way though). It is almost like a stand-up comedy, rather than a welcome speech. The interactions between him and Constance and Violet and James are just adorable. What a show before the show.
*1
First wish: to get off on at least the fourth floor and quickly find my way onto the fifth.
The newlyweds had just left; another girl and I were alone with the nurses. Considering that I was at the wrong spot for Tingting Matron’s one on one, my strategy was to just stare at Tingting tightly without even a blink (I know how absurd it sounds). But still, Du Yanhao Nurse held out his hand for mine. This one on one was much much better than I had expected; in fact, I got quite emotional. Hearing him say “we can never go back to Manderley again” in Chinese exerted a great influence on me. I had almost forgotten this.
*2
Second wish (it was a wish that I had when I first stepped into Hotel McKinnon): to wipe off Conor Boy Witch’s tears.
Imagine my inner happiness when I went downstairs into the rep bar and saw Conor there as Boy Witch. It didn’t matter how many people would be there to follow him, I had to full loop him after such a long time. The moment when he lighted up the trees, the even sturdier pool table solo, the Lost and Found farce...I can’t think of one thing that would not make Conor the ultimate Boy Witch, a character that would lead you to doubt if Conor himself is actually a witch. I had long given up on my wish to wipe off his tears, so last night, when he held out his hand to me, I was so surprised that only after a good few seconds, I responded by taking it. And later when he handed a shoe to me (again, I was standing behind the people who were surrounding him), he pinched the shoelaces, I quickly nodded and undid them. Always happy to help, my favorite Boy Witch.
*3
It was not really a wish but I connected with Husband.
It was my first time full looping Husband, all because Ed looked too foolishly sweet as the character. When he came back to life, he seemed to have taken the memories of the last life with him. That kiss with Bride in the light was so sweet I literally can’t! Ed Husband was a real person, a kind one who unluckily fell in love with a snake. Hats off to Ed Warner for taking good care of all the details of the character.
*1
Third wish: to get off on the fourth floor.
Ever since the leaving of my favorite Porter, Barragan's has become my comfort zone. A half loop with Taxi is the best rest I could get between the shows. As much as I did not intend to get his big interaction (I thought I showed it by standing quite distantly, even leaving some space from the people who were close to him), but Jude, I guess he just wanted to give the interaction to the person who first followed him, which was me, still walked over and took my hand. Good things I saw in his Taxi: 1. He learned to interact with the followers. 2. He added what Mingchao did with the corner room, and of course in his own way. Bad thing: he gave way too many one on ones last night.
*2
Fourth wish: to full loop Lily.
First of all, this is all my fault and I should punch myself in the face. Every time I made up my mind to follow Lily in any role, my mind wandered elsewhere. So I finally did it. Lily Sexy was powerful yet fragile, playful yet sentimental. Her dance with one audience member before the ball was as magical as a witch dance could get. The duet with Bride was amazing, though I prefer it with Tingting Bride, as the last time I saw it.
*3
Fifth wish: to have a new cast walkout.
For the final one, I managed to do a full loop with Ed Malcolm. His Malcolm was almost as foolishly adorable as his Husband. He didn’t notice the belt of his trench coat was falling out until very late in his walk. He threw the paper into the trash can without looking but missed. But oh that kiss with Agnes in his office, it is indeed the most romantic thing I have ever witnessed at McKinnon. Anyway Ed’s two kisses on the fourth floor yesterday blew my freakin mind.
Finally, I stood at a spot where I thought maybe I’d have luck to get Lily’s or Ed’s walkout, but no. Instead, John Macduff walked me out. He was sweet though. How could a performer say thank you to me before I do to them? Thank you all for the show.
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#18 30/06/17
What’s better than walking into McKinnon from the pouring rain on a Friday night after work? The cloak room girl smiled at me, saying, “you are here!” as she took over my bag. At this point, McKinnon does feel like home.
Unexpectedly, I got a 2. Back in the Manderley, I saw Lily’s sweet face.
*1
I stepped into the ballroom, and the second I saw Anna as Lady Macbeth, my first loop was determined. The bedroom dance with Andrea’s Macbeth was purely amazing. An aggressive Lady Macbeth was not what I had expected, but what I saw there completely blew my mind. The mirror dance gave me creeps inside and out. The whole path from the bedroom to the cemetery and back to the lobby made me weep under my mask. A drunk mad woman, if this is not a big exclamation mark to the endless discussions of madness in women, then I don’t know what this is. I was so grateful for Lady Macbeth in Sleep No More.
*2
Having never followed Duncan for a whole loop is indeed one of the mistakes that I’ve ever made at McKinnon. Tonight, it was Sam who escorted Lady Macbeth back to her bedroom. I must admit that Sam’s Duncan was the one who impressed me the most at first. I like how he interprets the character, but am not sure if I am still impressed by his Duncan now. After all, I really like Fred’s Duncan’s murder scene and Simon’s Duncan’s shaving scene. Though I have to say, sitting in the almost empty Manderley, watching the flickering feather candles, and listening to Sam’s Stardust, was like the most romantic/saddest thing ever happened that night.
*3
I skipped the second ballroom dance just to check the Dragon Boat. Surprise, surprise, EJB was there as Cunning. As much as I would love to follow him for a loop, I chose to stay with my now favorite character. Plus, tonight he had a new face.
Mingchao’s Taxi was so much fun, and you would know he had learned everything from EJB. He looked much better than when he was Boy Witch (probably because I am a fan of Taxi and think everyone looks better as Taxi). He did a new scene with the small corner room down the corridor. The rest was basically EJB Taxi, but with Mingchao’s own cute and fun (subtle) twists. He actually had some real thoughts on doing bonsai??? The only thing I didn’t like about him was that he chose to split the interactions and gave them to different followers, which didn’t create a full experience for anyone. I got one of them, and just love the scene where he played with my fingers. God knows, maybe it’s from EJB as well?
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#15 09/06/17
Rose’s flirting with me and Calloway’s whispering “hello” were the best “welcome back home” I could ever get.
I didn’t indulge myself by going to the farewell weekend shows, so walking into McKinnon tonight, it all felt like a whole new space. I realized the audience were different, the cast was different, and I was here with different feelings. But Rose was here! And Manderley looked so much brighter and less sad with her presence. She walked over towards me and said hello. I greeted her back. Then, she stared into my eyes deeply, saying, “You have such a sweet face. Has anyone ever told you that? Especially that dimple on your cheek.” These mesmerizing words were followed by her poking my right dimple with a finger. I could swear my heart must be melting at that moment.
*2
I was curiously about the new cast, so when I saw John as Cunning, I soon made my mind to follow him. I don’t think I like him as Cunning though, since he looks too worldly and isn't awing at all. He surely will attract a lot of people, but not me sadly. Therefore when I found out Chris was on as Speaks, I soon left John for Chris.
*3
Chris as Speaks was okay, but not playful enough to reach my standard for a good Speaks. Maybe except that scene when he rushed into Malcolm’s office and lifted the curtains; the fact that it was so dramatic made me laugh. I guess he just needs more time to adjust to his new home. I did see a lot of potential there though.
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