new year's resolutions

[Sahand Sahebdivani]

Hi everyone,

Is New Year's resolutions a thing? How do we feel about having an arbitrary moment in calendar time to decide to be better people? Does it actually help us, or does it hinder? Like, if you decide to stop smoking, but you mess up a few days into January, and you decide to try again next year, does it mean the existence of the New Year Resolution actually made it harder to change a habit? Also, is there anyone who decides to be a worse person for the new year? I don't have any of the answers to these questions, I'm just the guy writing you these weekly mails. However, I do know that if your resolutions include to read a book this year, invest in learning storytelling, or listen to more live music, we have you absolutely covered. And if you don't believe in the resolutions set up, but just want to hang out with us in the cosy dark days (which we are making even more cosy), you are absolutely welcome too.

- Books: the physical paper stuff. We have one, it's an amazing gift to yourself or someone you love. The Mezrab book with contributions by many of our hosts and tellers on the theme of home, can be bought on our site, in the Mezrab during one of the nights, or you swing by Atheneum, Perdu or American Book Center for a copy!

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- Cosy events: We have them, starting today! We will serve Glühwine! (No joke). The events are free and just require your presence. There's:

  - Comedy Open Mic Today (Monday).

  - Extra festive Pearls on a String tomorrow (Tuesday). On this night we let storytellers and improv actors play with and challenge each other. This edition will be even more fun than the others.

  - Storytelling Open Mic the day after tomorrow (Wednesday)

- Later this week we also have the last Vintage Voudou party of the year on Saturday Dec 27. and our New Year's Eve party which traditionally sells out, so get on them ticket ordering business. 

- For those who wanted more music in their new year, we got you covered: There's Turkish Synth-Pop on Jan 8, a Behomian Balkan party on Jan 10, or the Mamar Quintet bringing the best in fusion delights. There's much more obviously, just go to our page (mezrab.nl) and press on full program, or scroll down to the dedicated music box.

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For those who have decided that this year is the year to dive (more) into storytelling, I am very happy to say that we have scheduled a roster for our intro courses, next step courses and Fear course. These are packed three day courses that teach you the foundations of storytelling. There's also a new one day course we premiered last year which will continue into this year: The Spotlight Storylab. In one day you work with a group in a pressure cooker setting, resulting in doing a performance for a Mezrab audience that same day! The next storylab runs Jan 9 and I will be teaching this one. We will soon announce dates for the storytelling for children course (not to be attended by children, but adults who want to tell for them), and perhaps most excitedly:

We are now accepting submissions for those who want to study in the full six month storytelling program! This is probably the most intense thing we do, and if you think storytelling professionally is the way to go for you, hit us up!

There, so much to see and do. Enjoy all of it!

Sahand & Team

www.mezrab.nl