house audition

Yesterday I had my first European 'house' audition.
What they say in all the books and forums (what the fach/nfcs) is true.
You WILL get lost...at some point...in the building.

I was called at 2pm and there were 10 singers.
I showed up to the opera house at 1, (THANKFULLY have a friend that is Fest here who led me to the KBB office), met the nice woman in the office who gave me the general form to fill out--DOB, address, arias, etc.
I was then instructed to go to room 604a or something like that...to warm up with the pianist.
Well, I was on the "3rd" floor for the KBB, but the "6th" floor could only be accessed by walking across the 3rd and a HALF floor, which was half a staircase up, AND across the entire building so that basically I was in the OTHER building that is connected to the first building, and THEN go up to the 6th floor...kind of...and then down half a set of stairs and then I was at 604a.

The pianist asked what my music was...I never need to rehearse with them if they say they know the rep, and he did, but wanted to go through Zerbinetta---apparently for FUN...because he played it PERFECTLY , AND the opera house is DOING that show right now..so there is no reason why he would not have already coached that piece.

So..I sang through the entire thing..which was a nice warm-up, and then it was about 1:45 and I found my way downstairs (elevator directly down from where I was) to the "P" floor...which was where the stage was.

Don't ASK how I was supposed to know which closed door to go in when I got down to level P.
No sign for "stage" (in German), just a bunch of crew guys (they always look the same no matter WHAT country you are in, apparently)...who pointed at one of the closed doors.

So I walk in, and establish quickly that I"m on stage right, there are 6 chairs set up, and the stage manager has the order in which we will sing.

....aaaaand I'm last.
Number 10.

So I'm sitting. Kindof bored. (cue iPhone Sudoku and WordWarp games). At about the 6th person I got up and walked out to the back hallway, had some water, found a bathroom to do some lip trills in.
Come back.
Listen to the 7th and 8th.
Go outside again for the first aria of the 9th person, then they asked her for Pamina, and THEN it was my turn.

I was escorted onto the stage by the stage manager, my accompanist trailing behind with my music.
They told me where to stand on stage (which was REALLY far back...usually at US house auditions there is already a curtain down and you are standing in front of it...or, if you're using a set that's already existing you are somewhere in the middle or on the same level with piano. Anyway, it was UPstage by easily 20-25 feet to the edge of the stage.

Sang Blondchen, they asked for Queen. Sang queen...kicked some high F booty, and then- thank you very much, we will be in touch with your agent.

So--I know that it went well note-wise and presentation-wise.
Am I what they are looking for? Never know. Now I sit and wait.
Except that I DON"T sit and wait at all!
I got on a train BACK to Berlin (a new addition to the travel schedule, so I didn't use my Eurail pass for just a 36 Euro trip), and am back here for an audition this afternoon.
THEN comes the BIG travel day.
And by day I really mean 24 hours.
On a train.
To NORWAY.

I think it will be amazing and I'm really excited to see the entire trip from the window..well, plus be in a sleeper car from Copenhagen to somewhere in Sweden...but then see the frozen countryside for another....TWELVE hours...the next day.

It involves 4 train transfers that have all been plotted out with perfect (supposedly) timing for me...so here's hoping.