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 Montreal weather has gone haywire

The weather has been really terrible of late. A few days ago, the weather was crisp and cold like the end of October. The air you breathed felt solid, it was so crisp. Yesterday, the day was as dull and gloomy like the worst of mid-January (minus the snow and the horrible minus degrees...). Today, the weather is as unpleasant and soggy as a riverbank in March. Yuck.

If someone is still doubting global warming, I think we have definite proof of it now. And for those who say "it's not really 'warming,'" there is still a really weird weather change going on. So please start working on some change! The weather makes me sick! Literally!

I mean, with all the odd weather changes of late, I am not at all surprised that I have caught such a nasty (nasty, NASTY) cold. In all truth, I have caught a man-cold. This is Michael's fault. He had it first. And he really DOES catch man colds. And he just HAD to kiss me while he had said man-cold... *grumble grumble grumble* I hate being sick. I feel really ick. I am currently covered in cold sweat and my voice sounds like that of someone who has been chain-smoking for the past 50 years. Oh, and I look absolutely gorgeous with a red-rimmed nose from all the sniffling and nose-blowing; pasty skin; and really puffy dark circles under my eyes... Sexy!

*Sigh* I actually do not have much more to say. I just felt like complaining about the weather. Partially because the weather is really crappy and because my class is just THAT dull (yes, I am in class).

Tonight is the last night of auditions for Ruddigore (by Gilbert and Sullivan). We are in desperate need for men. You do not have to be a McGill student to participate. So if any Montreal inhabiting man is reading this, please, please, PLEASE come to the SSMU building of McGill and audition on the 4th floor in the so-called clubs lounge. Auditions are from 7 pm to 9 pm. Hope to see some men there! ^_^

Speaking of auditions... seeing as today is the last day, I will have news on the callbacks, hopefully soon. I just hope that I can be called back on the 25th, so that I can redeem myself and hopefully score the role that I wanted...

And I am drifting off on odd tangents right now... I think I will stop here before this post gets out of hand. Please forgive me (I mean it - not the Bryan Adams song!).

My next post will have improved (hopefully) because the pressure my sinuses put on my brain will hopefully have gone by then. Wish me luck!

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!

In which AC called

Before I elaborate, I just wish to say that I had a wonderful weekend. I studied hard and arduously (no, really! I studied airport codes until I could no longer speak: drilling myself with flash-cards and all!), but I still had fun.

Indeed, I went to China Town on Saturday... we had Mongolian hot-pot. It was really good! Loads of squiggly squid! XD And I also made some small purchases which I had wanted to do for a while... Shiro and Kuro (two Monokuroo boo pigs - a black one and a white one - that are on a round throw pillow simply too cute to resist) and Moka (a big black Mokona that is always smiling and insanely cute!). I will have to post pictures of them at some point, as I am sure many of you think all this was Chinese (it was Japanese, just so you know! ;-P )

Anyways...

YXY (Whitehorse), ORD (Chicago), MCI (Kansas City), FCO (Rome), PVG (Shanghai), etc... Overall, I believe I know about 70 airport codes by heart now, as well as airline codes. Because I so got the job! Yes! I am, at last, working for Air Canada! I joined the family trade.

Unfortunately, I am not with in-flight. That is to say, I am not a flight attendant. *sigh* I wish I was... their uniforms are wonderful! But I think that I will apply again (and achieve my goal) next summer, after I have finished my bachelors. It will be much easier to concentrate on being a flight attendant then. I really want to do it. I went to try on uniforms today and I went by the in-flight training center and I REALLY WANT TO DO THIS!!

Until then, I will be a CSSA. Customer Sales and Service Agent at the Montreal Trudeau airport. That is to say that I will be working check-in, baggage tags, kiosks, special needs passengers, etc. Unfortunately, I will no get to do gates, as this is a privilege only permanent employees have at the moment. They seem to believe that if temporary agents learn to work gates, then their jobs will be threatened... which is nonsense really... considering we summer temps are there to allow the perms to go on vacation... *sigh* It puzzles me sometimes...

Alas, as a temp, I do not get to wear the full uniform. Anything with an Air Canada crest is not allowed, as we do not have to pay for our uniforms at all. We get two bottoms and four tops from Air Canada, of our choice, so long as they do not bear a crest. So I picked skirt, a trouser, three blouses and a shell. I think that will do nicely.

As for work - I love it! So far, I am still in training. I have classes every day (from 7 to 3, but I have to get up at 4 a.m. to make it on time!) to learn about policies, security and computer programms... However, I also have half-an-hour of on-the-floor observation every day! I am looking forward to being on the floor! As of June 30th, we will be starting O.J.T. (on the job training)... I cannot wait! I am really excited!! *squee!*

Anyways - the people are really nice in my class. I met a girl, who almost did become a flight attendant, but who had to leave training because of a height requirement. Poor thing! She would have been a great flight attendant too! But she is really nice! I really appreciate her! The others are really awesome too! One girl actually studied opera at the same school as Michael and is currently in a show with the choreographer of the McGill Savoy Society!!! Small world!

I am really, really enjoying work. Everyone at Air Canada recognizes me as my mother's daughter. I got really funny comments about it. Others see my last name and know I am related to my infamous father (who liked to be the bratty one at the airport during his career here). And, today, we got a speech from the union, which means that the union V.P., my dad's girlfriend, visited our class. It was hilarious!

All this to say: I love my new job! I would love in-flight even more... I can feel it, but, until I am finished with school, this temp CSSA position is ideal!

And Michael went out to find a job today! Cross your fingers: hopefully he gets it!

I am looking forward to seeing you come to my airport counter soon!

Cheers!

P.S. If am not posting as frequently, it is because it is hard to post when you are tired after work (yesterday I was kaputt!)

Chapter 23 - In which the wallowing phase is over

So... I've been thinking...
Yes, I am disappointed about Japanese. Knowing your grade will be bad in advance just totally sucks!! However, all things considered, ale iacta est. What is done is done. Japanese is over, let's take a deep breath and move on. Hopefully I'll pass the class... but, come to think of it, I've never ever failed a class in my life before... Breaking that habit would certainly be an experience (not fun, by any means!! but it might harden me against my fear of failure). Sure, even if I pass, I know I will not be satisfied with my grade anyway - it definitely below 80%. This will not do for my 90% average (or more) ego. But, I guess I'll just have to deal with it... God, this reminds me of math class! Except that I hated math and that was my excuse for not doing as well in it as in other classes. And, to be fair, unlike everyone else in my class, I did not exactly study Japanese.
I find studying exceedingly difficult, because I'm just not used to doing it. I usually pass with ridiculous ease and without lifting a finger (I think Michael resents me for it... just a little... ;-D ) For Japanese, I actually had to make an effort. That seems to have taken my brain by surprise. I crammed for all the in-class tests and did average, but good. And I did study very hard for the final - but I probably could have done better. I believe the problem is that I have no studying method... It's what happens when you're a master procrastinator with anxiety issues like myself. I need to face the facts: when I study or cram, I am usually completely and utterly overwrought and a big unmanageable explosive ball of stress. And I still somehow manage to procrastinate everything, essays included, to very late at night and then I basically spew out an essay, usually very good ones too, in 2 to 3 hours tops. If I get distracted by Doctor Who or something while I write, it might take me 4 hours... but usually, I'd say my average is 3. Damn - I'm good! ;-D
So yeah. The point of all this chatter is that I have no proper working method when it comes to school. I usually figure that listening in class will suffice to pass the semester. It usually does, even if I do not listen in class at all. Too bad it did not work that way for Japanese. Oh well, I did my best (I really did! Who else is nuts enough to recopy her textbook by hand???) and, as I said before, what is done is done. No regrets - I enjoyed the class and learned a lot. I probably did not do well - but I did what I could.

And now, the fun part of the post!!
I went to a concert tonight. My brother's first concert actually. He sand (yelled into the mic) four songs, including 'Rasputin' by Boney M. He was painted all in red, wearing faux-fur and some kilt he quickly put together and I helped him sew... A little ridiculous if you ask me - but no bad showmanship at all. He and his band were good. But if he wants to go on with his band, he needs to learn to use his vocal chords properly. He insists that Death Metal singers always scream into the mic without holding back and so he also bawls into it recklessly. But, according to Michael, screaming is very bad for the vocal chords. So, I suspect that the Heavy Metal singers actually have a technique to scream into the mic that spares their voice in some miraculous way. My dear brother needs to learn that. Otherwise, his band career will be very short...

And in other news: my mum is back!! She came back from Germany today!! She survived the stupid ash-cloud from Iceland. Honestly, when I heard about the cloud and all the fuss about the European airspace being closed I nearly threw a fit! I was kind of pissed, because I wanted to see my mum really badly (she's always a good person to turn to during exam stress - and in general as well - she's awesome all around!), especially because I had not seen her in a while, and then the volcano erupted. I was starting to joke (this IS a joke - please don't hate me for it!) that Iceland should be bombed and that way all frequent volcano eruptions done away with. That way, we'd also solve the problem of my brother's obsession with Vikings! But that was just a joke - nothing against Icelanders or their country... I just have an issue with their volcanoes (and I bet that the couple of thousand stranded passengers across Europe are of my opinion as well when it comes to those freakin' magma pits!).

And I think my shower is haunted. No, I'm serious! I think we have a ghost who takes a shower there regularly. It sometimes just randomly starts dripping A LOT of water for about 2-5 minutes (even though all taps are closed) and then it stops... Weird...

Oh great! I DID have something else to say... but I completely forgot it. Darn! This is what happens when ghosts take showers - they distract you! And then there's nothing you can do anymore but kick yourself for forgetting your absolutely brilliant idea for a blog post! *sigh*
Crap... I'm being fussy and wallowing again, aren't I? Apologies...

I still forgot what I wanted to write but I have one last thing to say: I downloaded two of my favourite movies recently for Michael to watch. They are German comedies subtitled by Michael Bully Herbig. They're fabulously hilarious! Of course, we've got them with English subtitles, so that Michael could understand what it was all about. He loved them!! I'm soooo pleased! Here's a video from (T)Raumschiff Surprise: Periode 1, one of their movies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBhaXQ3UaDo&feature=PlayList&p=CA49A852F3907E42&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=12
Ah! These Germans are so wonderfully nuts! No one can do a Star-Trek/Star Wars/Time Machine parody like they can!! I'm sorry Mel Brooks, Space Balls is just... well, balls in comparison to this!
The other movie is called Der Schuh des Manitus and actually was made before (T)Raumschiff. Watch them in order if you watch them, please! Otherwise, some of the jokes in (T)Raumschiff are lost on you!

And with that, I wish you all the best! Pray I get my brilliant idea back! ;-D Ta-ta!

Chapter 18 - In which king Henry VIII of England is more awesome than ever

Despite all my whining and complaining about the folklore class, I cannot deny that I absolutely LOVE IT! Love it, love it LOOOOVE it!!! I just can't get enough of the subject, I drink it all up and feel inspired to write about 10 novels by the end of the 1 hour class. Okay, so the readings are a little lame, but that's the fault of Old English and Old Welsh disappearing into the dark bog of forgotten history... If only we could read the stuff in the original text, it would probably be a lot more poetic than its most basic Modern English translation. Aaaaanyways... LOVE the English folklore class!

Today's subject was Robin Hood. The oh-so-famous, still debated over, roguish archer, Robin Hood (a.k.a. Robin of Locksley). When I say debated over, I mean it: there is such a thing as the Robin Hood society trying to determine whether Mr. Take-from-the-rich-and-give-to-the-poor actually existed or not. Jeez... what a waste of medievalist intellect. Who cares if he's real?! The stories are fun aren't they? That's all that matters!
Okay... I'm digressing...

So, it turns out that cosplay is not an invention of the modern day. Through today's class, we discovered that 16th century English courts LOVED to dress up like "the olden days." This means the Dark Ages and any time period before their own. Certain kings were famous for organizing jousting matches a la old-style, traditional, courtly knight. They had fun boasting about their nobility by pretending to be some feudal lord presiding over a match for the honour of some knight or other. So guess what? The beginning of Ren. Faires? It all started in the actual Renaissance! I squeed in class. I actually got distracted from my multi-tasking of note-taking and facebooking by what the teacher said about Renaissance people in early Medieval getup. Total, utter squee.
But, and here's the best part, COSPLAY finds it's origins at the same time period too. Now, obviously, it had nothing to do with the Anime Cosplay: Japan was not only too far off and a group of isolated islands that were hard to reach for Europeans, but the Japanese also wanted nothing to do with any Europeans and potential "conquerors." So Anime Cosplay would have to wait for a few centuries. But, if you are like me, and you decide to define Cosplay by: "doning costumes and attire that are particular to a specific character - usually anime - but also tv series, and novels in general" then Cosplay it was back then too.
For yes, in 16th century England, people dressed up as Robin Hood!! *Insert fangirl squee here* King Henry VIII of England was absolutely famous for his costume parties and his Robin Hood games. These games included stuff like archery contests and other activities (possibly activities from the Greenwood) that take place in the Robin Hood texts and legends. So King Henry VIII cosplayed! Your Majesty Henry Tudor, you're only becoming steadily and ever more awesome to my fangirlish eyes! No matter that you executed two wives (including Ann Boleyn... my favourite queen of England) - you still rock the socks off all the other European kingdoms of the time! Even today, I'm sure you'd kick some serious ass... though you'd have to get used to paying alimony rather than executing your wives.

So yeah. This was my very fun discovery of the day that I just HAD to share. I have always known that in Henry Tudor's day, courtly activities were numerous and included a lot of costume parties (especially in the days of dear queen Ann Boleyn, as she was a famous hostess of parties and - so say the books and the poets - a brilliant soprano singer). However, that he hosted Robin Hood parties that meant you had to dress up and renact the story is just AWESOME! Henry VIII is basically the precursor of any book-convention or Star-Trek convention. His parties attracted quite a few nobles in his day and were really big events... Ah... Tudors... How I wish I had lived in your day!!! *sigh*

Chapter 2 - In which there is much complaining...

I hate waking up in the morning. I cannot begin to explain how much I hate it! And the worst thing? I don't even have to get up super early!! Today, I got up at 8:30 a.m. Now I feel completely exhausted. And nauseous. Because, in the morning, I'm always nauseous and dizzy (and I can guarantee that is a distinctly unpleasant feeling that makes you want to stay in bed all day). But, despite feeling dizzy, I sit down and write some Japanese homework, for my Japanese class that is in one and a half hours... It's just a really gross way to start a morning. Oh, and did I mention that it's bloody cold outside? Why would I even WANT to leave my bed?
...

Anyways, mornings have been getting much worse for me lately. For some random reason, I've not been sleeping all too well. I have been having all sorts of crazy nightmares (including one where my boyfriend was trying to administer a lobotomy to me using some plumbing tools - his main concern was that no one should see the scar - it was quite terrifying!). Not only are these unpleasant dreams to wake up from, but they also make me very restless at night. Even though I have theoretically been sleeping 8 hours, I feel like I've barely slept for 2 because my nightmares are driving me up the wall and giving me no rest... *grumble* I wish I could knock myself out for a day or two to catch up on sleep. Sadly, this is impossible due to school and rehearsals.

Speaking of rehearsals, the show is going quite well - though the conductor is getting REALLY annoying. He is... a bitch with a god complex, really. There is genuinely no other way to describe the guy. He thinks he's a miracle, a gift to music since Mozart - which I can gurantee you... HE IS NOT! He's not a bad conductor, but he changes his mind more often than stocks on Wall Street about tempo and stuff and it becomes really aggravating and frustrating in the last WEEK before the show. We also have a new director: 3 weeks before the show premiere, our old director was replaced. It stresses me out: we premiere next Friday and I really, really hope we'll be ready! We've got an amazing cast and the foundations of what promises to be a great show and one of the best versions of Pirates of Penzance ever made (me? exaggerate? not at all, why would you think that?) But, overall, will we actually be READY? There are so many last minute changes I don't know how to handle them (especially with 3 essays due the week of the premiere).

And, on a final note of complaint; yesterday I went through one of the worst classes of my life. I love anime, so you'd figure I would have fun in the 'Japanese Animation and Modern Media' class. Not the case. It is important to know that we have two teachers in this class. One of them is brilliant. I mean it: BRILLIANT. She is writing her PhD thesis on the Final Fantasy Franchise... how cool is that? I love that prof. Her T.A. though, who teaches half the time, is terrible. First off, she's Korean (I think) and thus has a very, very strong accent. I don't mind it, but she is really difficult to understand when taking notes. Sometimes, I worry that some of the things she says were lost in translation: half the time, I feel she doesn't know what she's talking about. Yesterday, we were discussing my favourite anime (Fullmetal Alchemist), and I can honestly say that I am a bit of an expert on the matter of that anime. So, when she was talking about the anime and getting many important things (and I'm not talking about details, but about key plot points) wrong, I was getting really frustrated. It felt as if she had never seen the anime and barely Wikipedia-ed the storyline! I kept correcting her and she just went "yes, that too," as if she just randomly accepted what anyone would say about the anime. I bet that, if I had said "Edward has one green testicle" she would have replied "that's right, that too!"

But the reason why I am particularily angry at that T.A. is because of what she said regarding Nazis. Don't get me wrong: I hate the Nazis. I honestly do. They do not deserve to live because I do not tolerate people with a superiority complex - especially not one that exceeds reason, as theirs did. But, as the T.A. spoke of Nazis, she blamed it all on Germany. She said "Nazis are a specifically German problem," "the Germans had no identity until the Nazis," and many more gross generalizations of the sort. As a German (okay, only my mum is German, but I do have the citizenship of that country and I even partly grew up there!) I cannot help but feel offended. Statements like that may be her personal opinion, but they should never be said in front of a classrooom! It is very offensive, and one could even call it racist. Nazis are NOT just a German problem! All it is, is that Germany gave a name to that phenomenon. You still have anti-Semitic morons that roam the world today, most of them in France and in the USA (neo-Nazis, white supremasists, etc.) How the Hell is that only a German problem then? Germany is quite tame in comparison to what some of these new generation Nazis are doing!! As a result, I felt quite upset by the teacher's statement...

Sigh...

Okay, I'd better stop. I am only getting myself worked up again. Besides, I should have some breakfast: I have to go to class in half an hour.

Sorry for all the complaining, should anyone read this.