In which the blogger finally found how to activate spell check on Firefox

Not that this really matters. But for the past six months (at least!) my Firefox browser was void of all spell-checking functions, which was insanely frustrating when blogging, because I hate (hate! HATE!) spelling mistakes... and usually I post when I am tired, which, inevitably, means poor spelling. So, readers, be happy you no longer need to deal with my tired brain butchering the odd yet wonderful English language... Because I have now activated a weapon against it.

Brutal change of subject.

Some of you (you know who you are and I love you!) have pointed out to me that I have not posted on my blog in quite a while. You speak the truth and I am sorry. I am quite happy to know that I have such loyal readers! It makes me happy to know that this blog of randomness gets some attention...

Aaaaanyways - I have not posted in a while because I was busy (very, very, very busy) with the 2011 production presented by the McGill Savoy Society. The show was called Ruddigore and it was all presented in a Tim Burton-like aesthetic. It rocked! I kid you not, the show was awesome. I wish to extend a special thanks to all the technical team (without whom this sort of production would never be possible), our awesome set designer Genia, great costume designer Victoria, our fabulous and absolutely delightful orchestra (without whom the show would really just suck!), the hardworking creative team, and my super-special-awesome fellow cast members!! (I hope I have not forgotten anyone...)

The show was awesome and we did really well! I just wish more people could have come to see it and appreciate all the hard work of the past six months. Because the show was, so far, the best show (in my experience) that Savoy has put up. The jokes were hilarious, the music was awesome, the plot topsy-turvy and ridiculous, the choreography enthralling... Michael, for once, did not have to play a sissy-boy character and rocked the stage with high energy and high notes, as well as an over-the-top ridiculous cockney accent! It was delightful. He got to play the bawdy sailor and it is general consensus that he acted with a lot of charm and that this was his best role yet... (the character was called Richard Dauntless, sailor with the Royal Navy on the Tom Tit... yes, the ship was called "Tom Tit") I also sincerely think that Ruddigore contains, by far, the most penis-jokes of all Gilbert and Sullivan shows. It is too bad if you have not had a chance to see it... but here is a small consolation: some good people have posted videos of the show online. Here are a few links for your viewing pleasure (sorry if the movies are not the best quality):
Welcome Gentry (chorus of Bridemaids and Buxom Blades, interrupted by Sir Despard)
When the Night Wind Howls (chorus of ghosts)
The Hornpipe Dance (which Michael rocked beyond all measure, watch THIS ONE and enjoy Michael's dancing gifts!)

Still related to Savoy, I have gone on a complete shopping spree with my mum, after spending a wonderful reading week in Toronto (more on that later), and purchased my dress for the Savoy formal. It's preeeeetty! The formal is April 8th. I promise pictures! ^_^ I also went to Sephora in Toronto and purchased a nice kabuki face brush, which applies powder foundation like nothing else! *happy*

I feel like I should discuss school a bit... because, let's face it, all my blog posts need to talk about school one way or other! *wink* I have completed all my applications to both Concordia's Theatre program and Dawson College's Professional Theatre program. I really hope I get in, as these are quite good schools for acting here in Montreal. Some people keep asking me if I will apply to the NTS, but I really have no interest in their teaching methods: I feel they do not have enough variety in their program. It is hard to explain, but I understand myself...

This semester, though, until graduation, is turning out to be a complete disaster! A nightmare I tell you! Very few of my classes are actually interesting... I mostly took them to fill the missing credits. I tried to take interesting courses, but they all took place at the exact same times and days of the week, so I had to make a difficult choice of which class I preferred. I ended up taking Costuming for the Theatre 2, which is absolutely awesome! I learn a lot and have a lot of fun sewing a Jacobean Scholar Woman's dress out of eggplant-coloured velvet. It is my design and all! However, the scale of the project is extremely daunting and it takes a lot of work. This class demands, at the very least, an extra 9 hours a week spent in the costuming workshop doing "sewing duty." I am very nervous because I have a lot of hand-sewing ahead of me and I am very slow at hand-stitching... And the one disappointing thing about the class is that I do not get to try on what I am making (not even in secret) because the actress for whom I am making the costume is so much tinier than I am... *pout*

The other classes I am taking, aside from Costuming, are Studies in Shakespeare (which is fun, as the prof is awesome... but a very difficult class due to its level), Materiality and Sociology of Text (I love the prof, but the subject matter sucks!), 20th Century Drama (I hate the professor AND the subject matter... unfortunately, it was the only class that fit my schedule), and Modern and Contemporary Chinese Art. This last class I am taking simply to complete my East Asian Studies credits. I was hoping to take a class concerning Japan, but none of the classes that interested me fit into my schedule. As I could not move around my drama classes (and have to take them) I am stuck with Chinese Art, a class that I absolutely detest due to the dullness of the subject and the hateful attitude of the prof. *sigh* And I have a midterm in that class tomorrow. Motivation = 0.
Yeah, this semester has been stress, stress, stress, busy, busy, busy... Which is why my posting on the blog has been so scarce (or rather non-existent).

And now to the (finally!) interesting stuff!

Last week was reading week. I went to Toronto with Michael and visited his parents. It was great fun. Unfortunately, the fun was kind of marred by the need to do homework for the return to school *pout* My professors are sadists, I swear! But Michael and I did visit the Eaton Centre a couple of times, and we went to see the movie Black Swan which is ridiculously intense and kind of totally awesome (though I still managed to predict the end long before it happened...) It is a great thriller and I will not say more about it here, or this post will be too brutally long. We also got together with Michael's good friend Meredith. I really enjoyed meeting her. She is witty and sarcastic - I like that in a person. We had brunch and it was really fun hanging out! ^_^
I also had a photoshoot for Cinched Tight Corsets (beautiful pieces!) with Kindred's Muze (amazing photographer!) while in Toronto. I was invited to the shoot on a whim and it rocked. I had a great deal of fun shooting there and really enjoyed meeting the other amazing models that were there. I hope to repeat the experience soon! ^_^ I hope to have pictures for you soon.

Aaaand last but not least...

I auditioned for the Montreal Shakespeare Theatre Company's play Titus Andronicus, which will be presented this summer at the NTS. By far Shakespeare's most bloody play, it is still a totally awesome story, with Romans and Goths and lots of good stuff (and rape, mutilation, cannibalism, etc. too!). My audition went well. The best part was that the MSTC came to my high school several times to present some adaptations of Shakespeare plays. I used to hang around after their shows to talk to them. The producer and director actually recognized me from my high school days!!! It made me squee. Also, we spent quite a bit of time discussing my high school English teacher's awesome hair! XD

After the audition, I actually got a callback!! Can you imagine?! My first "real-world" (i.e. not school, or extra-curricular, but still attached to the school) audition and I got a callback!!! I was more excited than a cat on heavily concentrated catnip. For the callback, I had to be off-book for a scene from the play: the scene where Lavinia (Titus' daughter) is about to get raped Tamora's two sons (Wikepedia the story if you do not know it... it is too complex to explain correctly) and is desperately pleading for mercy. This was the most intense scene I have ever acted out. The guys playing Demetrius and Chiron were all really kind and sweet "offstage" but when they were in character, they were downright terrifying! I just wanted to run away and cower in a corner. It made the scene so intense - I was all wrought and emotional by the end of the callback. The guys also asked me, before starting the scene, how comfortable I felt if they "manhandled" me, as they would do so. I think that made me more nervous, but the scene went well and the director said I had good intensity.

Here comes the best part, though... I HAVE A PART IN THE PLAY!!!! *MAJOR MASSIVE SQUEE OF DOOM THAT WOULD BURST YOUR EARDRUMS IF YOUR WERE WITHIN EARSHOT!* It is only a small part, I play one of the Goths named Domitia, but it is a part!! This is a really great start for me! And I understand why I would not be cast as a main character: I am only a beginner in acting (despite my love for it) and I cannot truly compete with professionals or professionally trained actors (most of them were from Dawson College, which is why I really hope to get in there...). Also, the company does not know how I work and how disciplined I am, so I understand that they are not ready to trust me with anything bigger. But the producer told me that if I did a good job on this role, it would open many more doors for me in future... I look forward to that! *big smile*

I had more to say, but a glitch in the internet connection made me forget about it... Sorry.
Anyways, other than school (which I just want to be done with right now... stupid classes!), things are going swimmingly right now. I had my 22nd birthday at Nickels with good friends and a voice extinction (yeah, I lost my voice on my birthday!) followed by a week of a really heavy cold (it sucked!) and Michael and I celebrated a wonderful and romantic Valentine's day at a really fancy and wonderful restaurant, dressed in our best clothes. I am ranting again... I guess you could say I am really, totally happy right now? If you take away all the unnecessary stress, that is! *wink*

Catch you readers later (and hopefully not in another 2 months!)! Cheers!

In which Michael donned a flowery kimono

Greetings to all the world wide web out there! I apologize for my prolonged absence and wish to say that no, I did not abandon my blog at all. I was just too freakin' busy to write a single syllable. And, when I say busy, I am not kidding!

The double shifts after my return with Germany were hard. Very hard. I was completely exhausted and still have back and neck pain due to the whole fiasco. And, believe me, early mornings at an airport ARE a fiasco! First of all, you get all the people who missed their flights the previous night flooding your counter with bogus excuses and, most often, tears and very overweight luggage. Then, you get everyone who has decided that they would fly out to Cuba lining up for miles inside the airport so you can barely breathe. And, as those flights are usually around 5 am, you are working very hard, very, very, brutally early.

I am sorry if I sound snarky. I do not mean to. I am just soooooooo tired. I am afraid that the black rims under my eyes have become permanent by now. I have given up on the idea of make-up and concealer. No matter what I try, I look like death warmed up. I think I should star as the next victim on a CSI episode.

... And I know I promised many anecdotes from the airport at the beginning of the summer. Truth be told, there are so many by now that I no longer know which ones to tell. One thing can be said for sure, passengers always forget to pack their brains. They left it in some corner at home and arrive at the airport illiterate, without a sense of direction or logic. It is incredible how often you have to repeat yourself sometimes. Take one example: we have these huge, four kilo boxes made of sturdy grey plastic piled up in columns all around the check-in area. We ask passengers to place soft fabric bags or backpacks (or any other kind of bag that might get damaged from being thrown down a bagage chute) to place their bags in these boxes to prevent snagging on the equipement as well as tearing and damaging of the bags. And every time you point at the pile of boxes and ask with your brightest smile: "Could you please fetch me one of those big grey plastic boxes back there. I need you to put your bag in it," you get the dumbest responses. "What, my passport?" No, the plastic box! Were you not listening? "Something wrong with my carry-on?" No! I said the BOXES behind you! "What is behind me?" Turn around and look at where I am pointing in the name of God! And then, when you indadvertantly sigh, you get a nightmarish reaction out of a passenger: "Why are you sighing? Did you hear her sigh? She has no right to sigh! You have no right to sigh! We are passengers too and you owe us your respect! I am never traveling with you again! You are so rude!" (I swear, around 6:30 pm, just before my break, that was exactly the sort of character who showed up before my counter!).

I know I must sound exhasperated, but I am mostly just tired. I still love my job. It is better than a desk job anyday! And I get to practice my Japanese. And my colleagues are absolutely awesome! But the shifts are a bummer. And the more tired you get, the more passengers can get on your nerves. But I am good. It is a lot of fun to exchange passenger stories with other colleagues. The stories that come out can be epic! It is wonderful.

But my tiredness mostly ensues from a harsh back-to-school week. I am starting my final year of my BA in English Literature, East Asian Studies and Theatre and Drama. Guess what, my classes this year are, for the most part, uninteresting and mostly filler. Basically what I am missing to complete my degree. I am stressed out about it being the end of my degree. I do not want to be done with school yet. I enjoy it far too much! I will even endure some classes for the sake of staying in school! For intance, one of my classes, a rather dreary class called Mass Culture and Postwar Japan, is given in the Birks Chapel Building. It is such a gorgeous building! Every time I walk up the stairs to my class, I feel like a Renaissance princess due to the architecture and dark stained wood-panelled walls. This is why I am keeping this class.
...
Wow, I was on a roll there. Anyways, I am very tired because, at this point, I have to balance school with work. And that sucks big time! Because I go to school, all day, Monday through Thursday and then I work Friday to Sunday, three full-time shifts. Weekends and outings? Sorry, not happening. The workload is taking its toll on me. And it is a very harsh one.

On the other hand, I spent my one day off with my mum, last week. We had a lot of fun and I finally went to get the massage I had received for Christmas (my mum had given me a gift certificate). The massage was great! But I do believe I need another one already... And my mum was at the airport today, traveling to Deer Lake (wherever that is). It made me very happy to see her. I think she misses me too...

And, speaking of mum, her birthday is coming up soon. Too soon... I work (or have school) almost every day leading up to her 50th birthday... What shall I do? Suggestions???

...
Okay, this is turning into a much more cock-and-bull post than I expected and/or planned to write. It is not too late to give up on my post and go read a chapter or two from Tristram Shandy. It might make more sense than my late-night blog ramblings.

Anyways, Michael is back in the country. It makes me deliriously happy. I have missed him so much! It feels so good to have him back (even though the bastard gave me his cold!). I like having him in bed beside me. He is the best teddy bear ever! And I have less weird dreams and nightmares with him around. Must be love, don't you think? *wink*

This is where this post's title comes into play. I hope this story will at least make you smile.
So, I was working the day Michael came back. I offered him the couch in our "quiet" staff room to sleep on until my shift finished and then we went back together to the apartment. I was really happy to have him back. So much so, I barely slept. But, during the time I spent awake, Michael was out like a burned out cellar light.

However, he must have gotten up at some point during the night. Why? Because, when I woke up, happy and bubbly at the idea to have him back, and turned to look at him and wish him a "good morning," words failed me. Instead of "good morning," I blurted out: "Why are you wearing my kimono?" Big, round staring eyes. Michael was casually wearing my pink and gold flowery kimono. I cannot describe the sight. But it was epic in its hilarity. A scruffy and unshaven man, like Michael, lying comfortably in bed in what was obviously a woman's garment... It turns out Michael woke up at some point and grabbed what he thought was his shirt. Obviously, the man has poor eyesight in the dark! (Sorry Michael!) It was very funny, but maybe you had to be there to get it.

Other than that, I have barely had time to spend with Michael because the two of us were back to the grindstone as soon as he touched ground. Work and school for the two of us. It is a pain. I miss him despite sleeping at his side every night. I barely get to see him for an hour when I wake up. He is at work when I come home. I am currently waiting up for him.

And, in completely other news, I finished three Diana Wynne Jones books in the past two weeks. And I bought a brand-new Kathy Reichs novel, as I had nothing new to read. Also, I finally got to do a paid shoot and it turned out pretty darned well, I should think. Here is the link: http://www.productionsmarcboucher.com/page2.html The photographer really enjoyed working with me. I enjoyed it too. We spent the evening on a street in the Old Port of Montreal. Unable to find the owner of an old Dodge we had found parked by the sidewalk, we decided to shoot around the car anyway, waiting for a red light so the photographer could stand in the intersection and shoot as I posed for him...

... And here I thought I had another thread of thought to follow, but I lost it at some point through my ramblings. Oh, well. Better luck next time. The good news is, with the new start of term, I will probably be blogging a lot more (probably during some dull classes, tee hee), and thus my updates will be more cohesive and will actually make sense.

I send my love to all! Even grouchy passengers!

Chapter 3 - In which there is too much excitement to describe

So I'm excited.
EXCITED.
EXCIIIITED!!! REALLY, REALLY EXCITED!!!
Why?
TONIGHT IS THE PREMIERE OF PIRATES OF PENZANCE!!! I'm in the chorus, as one of the Major General's daughters... I get to be the skanky one and prance about on stage in a corset... :P I LOVE IT!!
Unfortunately, I have a start of a cold: blocked sinuses and I'm losing my voice, so I hope I'll be able to sing the huge choral numbers tonight (I'm onstage for most of act 1, sweating half to death in my 6 layers of a costume! *sweatdrop*) I think it'll go well though. The McGill Savoy Society has never disappointed me yet! We can do this!! My boyfriend is the tenor lead (Frederick, a naive pirate's apprentice and slave of duty) and it's his birthday today (happy b-day, my love!), just as last year - his birthday was also on opening night!!

Anyhow... I'm super excited and bouncing around in class... The only drawback of being in this super-special-awesome show is that I am soooo not motivated to write my stupid essays... but, honestly, who cares? Why would I write essays when I can be in the best show EVOR?

Okay... this was just a rant... I AM EXCIIIITEEEED!!!!!!!! XD

(sorry about that... if anyone actually dared to read this)

Oh... and, I forgot, but I feel I should write about this: my birthday was last Sunday. It was a good birthday... A very good birthday!! ^___^
I had lots of lovely gifts, spent my time with loved ones in a lovely ambiance (had tons of sushi for food), did three-way translation (this is what happens when you have Francophones, Anglophones and Germans at one same party and you can speak all three languages). And it was finalized with the most awesome birthday sex ever!! :P
Thanks my love!!
(And thanks to all who wished me a happy birthday, it was very, very good... It's good to be 21 and legal in all the world!)