Interview with Natalia ‘Saw Lady’ Paruz: “All one needs is a little courage”
Hi Natalia, thanks for the interview! Please introduce yourself.
I am a musical saw player (for those who don’t know what a musical saw is, this is me in action: http://youtu.be/lPvTTc7jAVQ). I play the saw in concerts, on movie soundtracks, TV commercials, etc.
I was born in Israel but because my parents traveled a lot, I got to live in Switzerland, France, Germany and England as a kid.
Why did you decide to move to the US?
I first came to the USA to study dance. I was accepted into the Alvin Ailey school of dance and studied there for a year. During this year I realized the potential of NYC for a performer, and after returning to Israel I couldn’t stop dreaming of moving to New York. It is truly the land of opportunity for people in the arts. I felt that I have already exhausted all the performance possibilities in Israel and I was doomed to only repeat myself if I stayed there. I felt like a “big fish in a small pond” and I longed to be a “tail to lions”.
Did you have the chance to gain some US-related experience before you moved here?
I first came to the USA for one year with my parents. So I had a few friends in the USA already when I moved here by myself, and places were familiar to me. That was extremely helpful. I was familiar with the transportation system, with certain shopping places, etc. I am lucky I didn’t have to “feel my way around blindly”.
How did your friends react when you told them that you were leaving?
They were happy for me, and perhaps even a bit jealous… My family was not happy, though. They didn’t want me to leave them. It was difficult.
Do you still have connections to Israel or Germany? Do you travel there occasionally?
Yes, I do. I love all the countries I ever lived in and I feel I have a home in all of them. I miss my life in all of them and I constantly long to visit again.
Israel, Germany, the UK and the USA: You lived in a lot of different countries. What country do you love most? Why?
It seems I always love the country I’m in at the moment the most… I relate to all the countries I lived in. Because I lived in all these different countries as a kid, I have fond memories of all of them. So when I visit, it’s more than just a vacation – it’s going down memory lane. The two countries I lived in the longest are the hardest for me to leave, even if I’m only leaving for a short while. Like the proverb says: “Leaving, is like dying a little bit”. I feel it.
Since the majority of your readers are in Germany, I will say something about that country: I remember that when I lived there I thought the sky is bluer there and the green of the forests is greener than anywhere else. There is a gorgeous brightness, a shine to nature there which is striking.
Your parents moved a lot and you were a teenager. Wasn’t this a problem for you?
My father confided in me a couple of years ago that he & my mother were worried at the time that I would find all the moving difficult. I was surprised to hear that and I told him that I LOVED the moving around! I looked forward to discover the new country and kept wondering who my new friends would be. I think all this moving around at a young age helped shape my character: it taught me that one can have a home anywhere, and those new friends are waiting to be met. Also, living in different cultures taught me to think openly. Somehow when one thinks in one language, one might arrive at different conclusions than when thinking in another language. That can be helpful when facing dilemmas 
.
Now you live in the USA. What was your first impression of the USA? In which points the American people differ from people in Israel and Germany?
I remember when I arrived in the USA, as we drove from the air-port to Manhattan I looked out the window and thought all he houses looked like doll houses…
I was told by so many people before moving to the USA to ‘watch out’ because New Yorkers are not friendly. I was told that “one could be stabbed in the middle of the street and no-body would come to their help”. I don’t know why New York has this reputation overseas. Living in NYC I learned that it is not so at all. One day I was hit by a car when I crossed the street and immediately many people rushed to me, helped me get up and called an ambulance for me.
I think people are basically the same everywhere, if you only give them a chance to relate to you. New Yorkers might look stern on the street, avoiding eye contact, but if you approach them and say something to them, they immediately open-up and are very friendly and helpful.
How were the first months in the US, where there any problems, what went well?
Finding an affordable place to live at was a challenge, but luckily I was accepted into a dormitory run by Catholic nuns! Safety was a concern of mine, and their place certainly felt safe!
I remember going to the supermarket for the first time, with a friend from Sweden. We wanted to buy milk. We stood in front of the milk refrigerator and didn’t know what to do… In our respective countries there were only a few different types of milk, but in the supermarket in NYC there were maybe 20 different types of milk! All we wanted was “normal” milk, and we couldn’t seem to find one… .
Do you have a green card or are you already an American citizen?
I have an American citizenship.
What did help you to settle down?
The fact that I was in the USA before – places were familiar to me, and I had friends with whom I kept in touch, who helped me. Also my school was very helpful.
The fact that I came to the USA together with 2 other friends was also helpful. Eventually they both left and returned home, but having them there to begin with was helpful.
How would you rate your decision in retrospect?
I have chosen this life, and it has been immeasurably kind to me. If I got a chance to live my life all over again, I would do it exactly the same way – moving to the USA was the smartest thing I ever did.
Do you have specific ideas for the coming year?
Renovating my home and spending more time with friends. Also, working on the 10th NYC Musical Saw Festival which I run – I have to come up with ideas to make next year’s festival even more special, to mark the 10th anniversary J
Are there other things that you want to point out?
I believe that if a person has a dream, all one needs is a little courage. If you don’t try to make your dream come true, than 100% it won’t come true. But if you try, then there is maybe a 50% chance that it WILL come true!
Today the world is much smaller than before and travelling much cheaper. Cultures are intermingled and borders mean less than they used to. I think there is a benefit to experiencing different places and choosing where we want to live.
More information on www.sawlady.com
Photo taken by Jinyoub Kim