I return to the wonderful island of Manhattan to be slapped in the face by the cost of living. I love it here but to live in the areas I want to currently seems impossible. I upped my budget for a room to $700/month and people told me it was extremely modest. Out of curiosuty, I said $900 and people said, “not in Manhattan.” I had a whole apartment for $1050 in Los Angeles. But this is New York and it’s amazing. Oh, well. I’ll find something and one day I will live in an area that inspires me.

Working on Tennis in Nablus has been quite a journey. I’ve had the pleasure of working with tremendously talented individuals and bringing life to a character who is essentially the villain of the show. Our brilliant and kind playwright wrote some fantastic comedy into the script for my character, Lieutenant Duff but at the same time, he made me a man who is doing his job and several inhuman things at the same time. I really enjoyed finding the truth that straddled both elements. Performing the role has been a thrill and it seems the critics enjoyed what they saw as well:

“Matt Falber mimes a flawless British accent as the priggish Lieutenant Duff.” – Lisa Mullenneaux, Mondoweiss

“Matt Falber plays Falbour’s aide and tennis partner (notice that similarity in names… hmmm), a junior edition of the General. He is a maker of moué and it works well for the man he portrays.” – J. Peter Bergman, Berkshire Bright Focus

I just wanted to take a brief moment to recommend a great Central Park tour. If you’re visiting New York, you’ve got to see Central Park and I’m here to tell you this tour is absolutely the best! It goes through the Central Park Zoo, by the statue of Balto, and even through the Ramble, Tavern on the Green and Strawberry Fields. Also, the sunset is absolutely perfect in Shakespeare Garden where the tour ends. Hands down, it’s the best tour of Central Park in the city.

Have I ever been in love? No. Probably not. I’ve been smitten a few times. A few in Vegas and a few in Los Angeles. But recently, no. In New York I’ve been confused about whether I’ve felt “love” but it’s usually because I deeply care about the person that I’m don’t want to be with. What is love like? How can you be physically attracted to them and appreciate their personality but not want them to get any closer? Have I been wrong? Have I missed a potential love because I was too quick to dismiss someone? Have I missed a potential love because I was young and too quick to embrace them? Why does dating always seem to result in someone getting hurt? I say that I’m happy by myself. And I am. But I wonder if I could be happy with someone else. I’m attracted to people. I admire them physically and mentally. In fact, I can’t usually be intimate with someone if I don’t value them beyond their physique. I used to only want to be intimate if I thought it might lead “somewhere.” Now I realize, or at least I think I realize, that you don’t need to know where physical intimacy will take you. But still, I need a “connection” to be intimate. I don’t like to be with someone I don’t feel totally comfortable with. This indicates that there’s a desire for more than physical intimacy but still the desire to be intimate is very much a physical and chemical one. But at somepoint in life, we won’t look the same. But I’m assuming the urge will remain. Isn’t that when I’ll long for element that’s always missing? Or maybe, I’ll still be happy and single. Or maybe I’ll have finally fallen in love. I guess there’s not point in thinking about the future when I am soaked in the present.