Greetings all! Please accept my most sincere apologies for my prolonged absence... No I have not given up on my blog, though it has been just short of a month since my last post...
Here is a quick explanation as to why I was absent for such a long while... Not only have I been busy, I have also been sick. For a month, I had been coughing and hacking and truly sounding like someone on the verge of dying from Tuberculosis. Luckily, I suffered of no such illness, but it was more severe than a common cold. After three weeks of non-stop symptoms, I finally decided to consult a doctor. I was diagnosed with "Acute Bronchitis" and prescribed very strong antibiotics for a week. I am now completely cured: only slight seasonal sniffles remain...
However, I think that bronchitis is quite a good excuse for not blogging. I preferred spending my free-time sleeping and recovering, as I spent the rest of the time doing schoolwork and going to rehearsals for Savoy. In other words: zero motivation to do anything for the past few weeks. It is a natural consequence of being ill. I hope you (yes, dear reader, I am actually addressing my blog right now) will find it in your virtual heart to forgive my neglect...
Now, for the updates - as you have surely all spent a month in complete suspense, awaiting what would happen to me next (lol).
First and foremost... I got called back by Air Canada! I cannot tell you how happy this makes me! I will be working at the airport over the Christmas break and I am really excited about it. I do not have my new start date yet, but I do look forward to it. It promises to be a very busy time at the airport and I am always up for a challenge. I am excited to go back - it will certainly be more stimulating than school right now.
Indeed, school has, sadly, reached an ultimate low right now. I am not at all motivated, my classes suck. To be fair, this year, I am taking all the classes I am missing to complete my degree... but that does not make them interesting. I am bored out of my wits in class these days. The only class I enjoy is German Literature. Yes - my last elective happens to be the only class I enjoy this semester, and this because the professor is totally awesome. All my other classes will turn me into a mollusk if the subject matter does not improve. Case in point, Intro to Theatre Studies. I have not learnt a thing all semester. I have merely been bored. Everything the instructor mentionned was something I already knew, and she never explained any topic in depth. Many students have complained about knowing more about the subject before they ever took the class. *sigh* At least it is almost over. This week is the last week of classes and total "crunch time." I have three essays due this week, and after that I have four finals to worry about. Then I will be free to rant about passengers again! ;-)
In other news... I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; Part 1 in theatres (twice!). Loved it! Some of the added dialogue (i.e. dialogue that is not in the books) is hilarious and well paced. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also liked how the overall movie was directed. There was a very dark mood throughout the film, and certain choices on the director's part emphasised this brilliantly. The one scene that did bother me was when Harry, Ron and Hermione are running from the Snatchers in the woods... the camera is handheld and "sort of" following the actors running away through the woods... But there were too many trees for this to be quite effective. The only result was that I became extremely nauseous looking at the screen (yup - I got motion sickness looking at a movie!). I think that this scene was supposed to be directed à la Bourne Trilogy, but that effect fell flat. The cut-off of the film was to be expected though - obviously, the battle of Hogwarts would be kept for part 2. They will probably have the second film based heavily on this arch of the story (rather than the three measly chapters dedicated to it in the books - I found the battle far too short...).
But yes, I much enjoyed the film. Daniel Radcliffe still sucks. Rupert Grint is awesome as ever. Emma Watson has improved but still leaves me indifferent. The adult actors, though, are flabbergasting. I loved Jason Isaacs and lamented the little screen time that had been granted to Alan Rickman. Ralf Fiennes was amazingly creepy and Helene Bonham-Carter was terrifyingly crazy. I really enjoyed watching them. ^_^ Before I move on to another subject, I have to let you all know that the Dark Wizards and Death Eaters (for the most part) wear very snazzy outfits in the movie... their "lordly" clothes look really hot!
The second time I went to see the movie, I went with Michael. We made a date out of it. I loved it. It was so much fun! We went to see the movie in a matinee (cheap and early) and then went winter-boot shopping and for a nice dinner. I dressed dapper for my love and truly enjoyed the time I spent with him. We really ought to date more - it is always so enjoyable when we do. *sigh* I love him!! (sorry for the sappiness...)
And... on to another subject...
I went to my very first SCA event on Saturday. The SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) is an awesome group that basically takes mildy insane people like myself, puts them in period garb, and has them pretend they lived back in the Middle-Ages for an evening (or weekend, depending on the event). The SCA does all kinds of workshops about Medieval cooking, crafts, fighting techniques, etc. I am considering going to their archery session - it sound like fun. The evening I went to was the Montreal SCA's harvest feast. It was a potluck of Medieval (or Medieval inspired) food. It. Was. DELICIOUS!!! I really loved the food! Entertainment was provided by all the participants: many got up to tell stories or sing. I was invited to dance on some fiddle music that sounded like a gig, so I made good use of the hornpipe gig that we learned for the upcoming Savoy show and got a great round of applause for my dancing (as well as many gasps when I lifted my skirt a little so my feet would be seen). All the people at the event were really nice and I look forward to meeting them again. One gentleman was a pirate and he sang the most bawdy songs I have ever heard! I had quite the laugh. Remind me to put the lyrics up here someday... Oh, and the same pirate gentleman had some amazingly delicious grog which kind of tasted like liquid Rocket candy! lol And I got many compliments on the gown I was wearing (see picture over my profile). People thought I was an "import" from another SCA kingdom, because my dress was so pretty and well constructed! Yay!!! ^_^
It was a great evening, and I would elaborate more if I did not have more to post about. I do want to thank Victoria, though, for accompanying me. It was really great!
Okay - now for the last (I think) bit of news in this post...
I have been asked by the organizer of Dr. Sketchy Montreal to model for them in January! I am so excited! I have wanted to participate in Dr. Sketchy for AGES and now I finally get to go as a model! I am very happy about this... and soooooo excited! For those who do not know what Dr. Sketchy is, it is a figure drawing workshop that invites lives models to pose for artists on a stage. The models usually work on a theme and wear costumes (it is not nude modeling) and pose for a certain amount of time for the artists, who may then sketch and draw to their heart's content. It is great fun and I look forward to posing for them! I will give you all more details as the date for my Dr. Sketchy appearance draws closer, but I had to mention it now, because I am really happy about it.
And before I forget: Michael and I (and our roommate) encountered a really eerie light last night. It sort of whizzed right in front of Michael, making him stop in his tracks (and me do a double-take, because I thought it would hit his eye), and then slowly trailed to the ground, whizzed accross the sidewalk and vanished. It was a small yellow light. Our roommate thinks it was someone using a laser pointer - but laser light is only visible when it hits a surface. This light was actually floating in the air in front of Michael's nose for a bit. Laser does not do that... it was a little creepy... I do not know what to make of it...
Also... I started working on my cosplays for next summer. I am looking forward to updating you all on my progress...
And now, dear readers, I believe you are all up-to-date. I will now go eat (as I am starving). I promise (really, I do!) more frequent posts in future - I no longer have bronchitis, so I have no excuse!!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
In which Eulalia Milburga Antonia Deverell makes her appearance
Halloween! The best (the very best!) night of the year, where ghouls leave their attics, ghosts come down from their tower ruins and the undead creep out of graveyards... Devils and goblins, feys and sprites come out to spook people... Will o' the Wisps mislead poor straying trick-or-treaters and Kelpies drag poor children to their watery deaths... While Barguests scare the lonesome wanderers out of their wits and Wolperdinger come out to eat their gory meal... (look up Wolperdinger, they are awesome!)
I love Halloween. I love myths and legends and stories about eerie creatures (and I actually mean "eerie" this time), and I drink up stories of Samhain, witches, ghosts and frightening encounters... And I love dressing up! This is why Halloween is the best night of the year! (Heck, it even beats my birthday!)
Unfortunately, this Halloween was a little wretched for me... Mostly because I had a horrible chest cold. I seriously considered going as someone dying of consumption for Halloween (i.e. wear nothing but a nightgown, have a hollowed out pale face, red-rimmed eyes, and coughing up my lungs all night... maybe a little blood trickle from the mouth for added effect too...) But I decided that would be too drab and depressing. Though some of my friends suggested that my costumes were the "consumptive" version of my actual outfit. Ha ha. I love them anyways, but the coughing was really annoying and unpleasant. Especially because it meant I had to be quiet during the annual Rocky Horror Picture Show presentation. Due to all my coughing, my voice was seriously starting to fail me and, even when I did try to scream "Slut" or "Asshole" at the screen at the top of my voice, or even when I tried to sing along, all that came out were these pathetic squeaking sounds worthy of a tiny frightened mouse... *pout*
Aaaaaanyways... It was still fun. For Rocky, I dressed as a slutty nun with a considerably short skirt... And it started freakin' SNOWING!! My buttocks were not happy, lol. I was (literally) freezing my butt off (okay, it was my fault, but still! It should NOT snow during Halloween!). Despite all this, I got many compliments on my costume. A performer at the Rocky show told me I was truly the sexiest slutty nun she had ever seen "and I've seen a lot!" she said. Also, whilst waiting in line to get into the theatre, several men called out to me that they "want to confess their sins" which caused me to giggle and feel rather proud, despite the cold and cough. And I think a classmate of mine was rather stunned by the shortness of my skirt, commenting that he "was intimidated" because I am usually not taller than he is (I was wearing 6 inch heels) and usually not that sexy. It was great times... until nighttime came and I started really hacking up a lung... but that does not matter, as I am starting to recover now.
It was a little unfortunate, because Michael had a catering job that night and therefore only arrived at the very end of the Rocky Horror Picture Show (that is to say at 2:30 in the morning!). I felt a little sad to spend most of the evening without him, but, as it was spent with friends, it was still very much enjoyed.
On Friday though (the day before Rocky Horror), I went as my own original character. Let me introduce you to her... Eulalia Milburga Antonia Deverell. She is a character for a steampunk story I have started to develop sometime in June. It is really a fun character and it was perfect for Halloween (as I only needed to piece together pieces from other costumes to bring my character to life). So here is the beginning of Eulalia's story:
The smell of coal and engine oil was lying thickly in the air, creating a heavy and warm atmosphere that was perfect for sleep and sweet dreams. Sleeping on the concrete floor, she felt at peace and relaxed - she was exactly where she wanted to be. Her chest rose and fell slowly, and with every intake of breath, the irony scent of machinery tickled her nostrils. Without realizing it, she smiled in her sleep.
She was so distracted by the wonderful smells that she did not notice the warm breath by her right ear. It therefore came as a complete surprise to her when 'NIIIIAAAAA!' was screamed in her ear by a shrill child's voice.
Screaming with rage, Eulalia Milburga Antonia Deverell, better known as Nia, tore herself from her dreams of machinery and blueprints and looked around for the perpetrator of this foul crime that was waking her up. With her ear painfully ringing with a strident sibilant note, she looked around to find Kurt, the eleven-year-old boy who worked in the hangar as a sort of "messenger".
Her eyes fell upon him quickly. He was sitting cross-legged, about two feet away from her, with a huge impish grin (enhanced by a great hole where his front teeth were missing) on his face, topped by a shock of tousled red hair. An irritated twitch quivered under her left eye. 'Pipsqueak...' she said in a voice trembling with annoyance, 'what was that for?'
Kurt pulled out the tip of his pink tongue, which led to Nia pursing her lips to avoid an irritated outburst, and said with his customary lisp: 'The engineth are finithed...'
Nia, who had started shaking her head in the hopes of ridding herself of the painful whistling in her ear, thought she had heard wrong. Looking up into the child's eyes, she uttered a faint: 'What?'
'It'th the engineth are failing... Jutht thought you thould know... The gentth wanted me...' Nia did not let him finish. Swearing at the top of her voice, she gathered her skirts and jumped to her feet. Grabbing the hefty tool belt that had lain beside her, she rushed towards the farthest end of the hangar, ready to repair whatever damage those amateurs had done to her beloved engines.
So that's the start of the story I had written. It was basically my mind going haywire on a steampunk scenario... I love steampunk! ^_^
To be more precise though...
Nia is an aristocrat, a countess actually, who has always enjoyed flying things and steam engines. Instead of learning embroidery, like her mother wanted her to, she designed machines deemed worthy of Bedlam by her mother and father. She was placed under many strict governesses and school masters, but the love of engines was never beaten out of her.
When her parents died and her brother (and his wife) succeeded to the title and the estate, he decided to get rid of his crazy sister. He placed Nia on the doorstep, with a handful of jewels and her best clothes so she might make a meagre living for at least some time without bothering him, and then turned his back on her completely.
But Nia did not care. She simply reveled in the fact that she was now free to pursue her love of flying and inventions. Soon, she found herself "taxiing" people accross all of London in one of her own inventions, a flying machine she has lovingly baptized "Astrid" (she believes Astrid to be the epitome of her inventory genius). Basically, she is a very unusual taxi driver... and her taxi flies.
And the clothes her brother gave her? She still wears them! Indeed, Nia would rather make no money at all than wear rags. Therefore, she still wears her best clothes from her days as a countess, despite working with engine oil and steam and having added some wacky goggles to the lot!
There you have it. The history behind my Halloween costume.
And for the moment, dear readers, that must be it. I must go to bed in the hopes of getting over my bloody chest cold.
*cough* Good night to all! *cough, rasp, hack, cough*
Oh... and a picture of me as Nia:
P.S. I met up with a friend from Air Canada today (she is now a flight attendant at Jazz). I was really happy to see her again. It makes me realize how badly I want to go back to Air Canada for the Winter season... it really was a fun (though strenuous) job!! ^_^
I love Halloween. I love myths and legends and stories about eerie creatures (and I actually mean "eerie" this time), and I drink up stories of Samhain, witches, ghosts and frightening encounters... And I love dressing up! This is why Halloween is the best night of the year! (Heck, it even beats my birthday!)
Unfortunately, this Halloween was a little wretched for me... Mostly because I had a horrible chest cold. I seriously considered going as someone dying of consumption for Halloween (i.e. wear nothing but a nightgown, have a hollowed out pale face, red-rimmed eyes, and coughing up my lungs all night... maybe a little blood trickle from the mouth for added effect too...) But I decided that would be too drab and depressing. Though some of my friends suggested that my costumes were the "consumptive" version of my actual outfit. Ha ha. I love them anyways, but the coughing was really annoying and unpleasant. Especially because it meant I had to be quiet during the annual Rocky Horror Picture Show presentation. Due to all my coughing, my voice was seriously starting to fail me and, even when I did try to scream "Slut" or "Asshole" at the screen at the top of my voice, or even when I tried to sing along, all that came out were these pathetic squeaking sounds worthy of a tiny frightened mouse... *pout*
Aaaaaanyways... It was still fun. For Rocky, I dressed as a slutty nun with a considerably short skirt... And it started freakin' SNOWING!! My buttocks were not happy, lol. I was (literally) freezing my butt off (okay, it was my fault, but still! It should NOT snow during Halloween!). Despite all this, I got many compliments on my costume. A performer at the Rocky show told me I was truly the sexiest slutty nun she had ever seen "and I've seen a lot!" she said. Also, whilst waiting in line to get into the theatre, several men called out to me that they "want to confess their sins" which caused me to giggle and feel rather proud, despite the cold and cough. And I think a classmate of mine was rather stunned by the shortness of my skirt, commenting that he "was intimidated" because I am usually not taller than he is (I was wearing 6 inch heels) and usually not that sexy. It was great times... until nighttime came and I started really hacking up a lung... but that does not matter, as I am starting to recover now.
It was a little unfortunate, because Michael had a catering job that night and therefore only arrived at the very end of the Rocky Horror Picture Show (that is to say at 2:30 in the morning!). I felt a little sad to spend most of the evening without him, but, as it was spent with friends, it was still very much enjoyed.
On Friday though (the day before Rocky Horror), I went as my own original character. Let me introduce you to her... Eulalia Milburga Antonia Deverell. She is a character for a steampunk story I have started to develop sometime in June. It is really a fun character and it was perfect for Halloween (as I only needed to piece together pieces from other costumes to bring my character to life). So here is the beginning of Eulalia's story:
The smell of coal and engine oil was lying thickly in the air, creating a heavy and warm atmosphere that was perfect for sleep and sweet dreams. Sleeping on the concrete floor, she felt at peace and relaxed - she was exactly where she wanted to be. Her chest rose and fell slowly, and with every intake of breath, the irony scent of machinery tickled her nostrils. Without realizing it, she smiled in her sleep.
She was so distracted by the wonderful smells that she did not notice the warm breath by her right ear. It therefore came as a complete surprise to her when 'NIIIIAAAAA!' was screamed in her ear by a shrill child's voice.
Screaming with rage, Eulalia Milburga Antonia Deverell, better known as Nia, tore herself from her dreams of machinery and blueprints and looked around for the perpetrator of this foul crime that was waking her up. With her ear painfully ringing with a strident sibilant note, she looked around to find Kurt, the eleven-year-old boy who worked in the hangar as a sort of "messenger".
Her eyes fell upon him quickly. He was sitting cross-legged, about two feet away from her, with a huge impish grin (enhanced by a great hole where his front teeth were missing) on his face, topped by a shock of tousled red hair. An irritated twitch quivered under her left eye. 'Pipsqueak...' she said in a voice trembling with annoyance, 'what was that for?'
Kurt pulled out the tip of his pink tongue, which led to Nia pursing her lips to avoid an irritated outburst, and said with his customary lisp: 'The engineth are finithed...'
Nia, who had started shaking her head in the hopes of ridding herself of the painful whistling in her ear, thought she had heard wrong. Looking up into the child's eyes, she uttered a faint: 'What?'
'It'th the engineth are failing... Jutht thought you thould know... The gentth wanted me...' Nia did not let him finish. Swearing at the top of her voice, she gathered her skirts and jumped to her feet. Grabbing the hefty tool belt that had lain beside her, she rushed towards the farthest end of the hangar, ready to repair whatever damage those amateurs had done to her beloved engines.
So that's the start of the story I had written. It was basically my mind going haywire on a steampunk scenario... I love steampunk! ^_^
To be more precise though...
Nia is an aristocrat, a countess actually, who has always enjoyed flying things and steam engines. Instead of learning embroidery, like her mother wanted her to, she designed machines deemed worthy of Bedlam by her mother and father. She was placed under many strict governesses and school masters, but the love of engines was never beaten out of her.
When her parents died and her brother (and his wife) succeeded to the title and the estate, he decided to get rid of his crazy sister. He placed Nia on the doorstep, with a handful of jewels and her best clothes so she might make a meagre living for at least some time without bothering him, and then turned his back on her completely.
But Nia did not care. She simply reveled in the fact that she was now free to pursue her love of flying and inventions. Soon, she found herself "taxiing" people accross all of London in one of her own inventions, a flying machine she has lovingly baptized "Astrid" (she believes Astrid to be the epitome of her inventory genius). Basically, she is a very unusual taxi driver... and her taxi flies.
And the clothes her brother gave her? She still wears them! Indeed, Nia would rather make no money at all than wear rags. Therefore, she still wears her best clothes from her days as a countess, despite working with engine oil and steam and having added some wacky goggles to the lot!
There you have it. The history behind my Halloween costume.
And for the moment, dear readers, that must be it. I must go to bed in the hopes of getting over my bloody chest cold.
*cough* Good night to all! *cough, rasp, hack, cough*
Oh... and a picture of me as Nia:
P.S. I met up with a friend from Air Canada today (she is now a flight attendant at Jazz). I was really happy to see her again. It makes me realize how badly I want to go back to Air Canada for the Winter season... it really was a fun (though strenuous) job!! ^_^
Monday, October 25, 2010
Which is full of eerie stories...
I know I should be fired from life for making such a terrible pun, but I made the pun anyway...
When I say "eerie stories," I must disappoint my readers. This is not a Halloween-themed, ghost-story filled post. This is full of ears. Ear-y... eerie... get it? Lame, I know. *sigh*
Now, you must be wondering why I am so keen about talking about my ears. Is it because I have the most delicate earlobe and most beautiful inner-ear one has ever seen? Alas, no. The topic of ears comes into play in relation to cosplay.
Indeed, I have decided that, this year, I would get ready for the summer conventions in advance and start working on my costumes now. This is because I do not want to be stuck in a half-depression like last summer, and end up botching some work and skiving off sleep just in order to sew some more... Not that I do not enjoy sewing: I just need some sleep too. However, I have a dress to sew for my mum, which I promised I would have finished by next month. This means that I cannot start sewing a new project until then (or I might get distracted). Concentrating on sewing my mum's dress, though, still allows me to work on other cosplay pieces, such as wigs, accessories and prosthetics.
As it turns out, my cosplays for next summer need a lot of ear-work. Why? Because for some random reason, none of the characters I have chosen to cosplay has normal ears. Just my bleeding luck for me to choose this sort of thing! *sigh* I am looking forward to the day I will decide to have an uncomplicated life. Because, right now, I fail abysmally at making my life easy...
The ears I will need are (the bold names in colour are links to pictures, if you wish to see):
a) Persocom ears (persocom stands for "personal computer" and it is from the Chobits series by CLAMP) for Chii (the weird pink and white things poking out the side of her head are the ears)
b) Elf ears (I hardly need to tell you what those are) of a really long length for Pirotess (from the Lodoss War series, do not ask me how I will change my skin colour, please!)
c) Cat ears (very unusual cat ears) for Naria (from the Visions of Escaflowne t.v. series, she is the one on the left with the purple inner-ear)
I told you this would be an ear-filled post. This is basically my current project. Make three sets of ears (or commission them from someone). I have the intention of purchasing the elf and cat ears, as they seem more complicated to make. I have found, however, some great tutorials on how to make persocom ears out of craft foam. I look forward to making those.
As for the cat ears... they got me a little down in the dumps, mostly because I enquired on the cost for a commission of the cat-ears and that, because they would be custom-made, they would be around 350$. As a poor, penniless student, I obviously cannot afford ears at that price. I will try and fashion them myself... maybe out of craftfoam or out of that other plastic thingy (the name of which completely slips my mind right now) that can be shaped while heated... It will be the time to experiment and try stuff out.
The elf ears, really, are the easy part. I found a great online store that sells them (they're about 6-8 inches in length!) for a modest price, along with make-up and adhesives. I think the Pirotess outfit will go well. I am also very hopeful for the Chii one.
The Naria costume concerns me, though. As you will have guess from my name, I love this character above any other character (I have been head-over-heels for the silver cat-girl since I was ten). I really want to make her costume perfect and potentially make her my signature cosplay. But I insist on making the costume perfect or I shall not cosplay her... otherwise I will feel like I am disrespecting my favourite character... I am really scared of that costume... it will take a lot of time and work... and tons of spandex! (Can't wait to see how that will turn out!)
On a completely different note, I am finally getting in shape. It is not on a purely voluntary basis, though. Do not get me wrong, I want to get in shape! I have been needed to get back in shape for months (especially if I want to cosplay a spandex-clad character!). The only thing is, my exercise currently consists of choreography rehearsals with Savoy. Do not get me wrong, our choreographer is really nice and really helpful and I really like her... the problem is that I think she is also the reincarnation of an agent from the Spanish Inquisition. The stuff she makes us do! It hurts so much! I nearly cried at the last rehearsal and could not feel my arms for several minutes after the warm-up... the WARM-UP!!! I think she has a mildly sadistic side behind all that kindness and she delights in the looks of pain on the faces of the girls chorus. I still think our choreographer is nice though. The show will turn out great!
Finally, I went on a date with Michael last night. Our first date in MONTHS! I cannot believe how busy we have been. But it was so nice to be treated out for dinner and have a nice drink. My drink was a really good cocktail called the "Blue Sapphire." It would have been two dollars less had I ordered it as a virgin cocktail, but then the drink would have been nothing but lemon juice with a tad of sugary syrup... not really worth it as a virgin drink. There was no less than four alcohols in that drink: including Blue Curacao (which granted the drink its colour and name) and Amaretto. It was like liquid candy! Delicious!
I am really glad I went out with Michael alone. I really enjoyed it and had fun. I love my friends, but, all too often, whenever Michael and I are out of the house, we are always with friends. It was good to be out of the house on our own. It was really nice. And really kind of relaxing (you thought I would say "romantic!!" Admit it!). It was not the most romantic evening I have had with Michael, but it was nice and I really appreciated it nonetheless. We finished off the evening by having a sinfully chocolaty chocolate souffle... My God, that souffle was rich! But the chocolate was so gooooooood *drools*...
And a movie night really ended our evening. It was fun. I wish Michael was not at rehearsal tonight... thinking of him makes me horny, lol. ^_^
Cheers!
When I say "eerie stories," I must disappoint my readers. This is not a Halloween-themed, ghost-story filled post. This is full of ears. Ear-y... eerie... get it? Lame, I know. *sigh*
Now, you must be wondering why I am so keen about talking about my ears. Is it because I have the most delicate earlobe and most beautiful inner-ear one has ever seen? Alas, no. The topic of ears comes into play in relation to cosplay.
Indeed, I have decided that, this year, I would get ready for the summer conventions in advance and start working on my costumes now. This is because I do not want to be stuck in a half-depression like last summer, and end up botching some work and skiving off sleep just in order to sew some more... Not that I do not enjoy sewing: I just need some sleep too. However, I have a dress to sew for my mum, which I promised I would have finished by next month. This means that I cannot start sewing a new project until then (or I might get distracted). Concentrating on sewing my mum's dress, though, still allows me to work on other cosplay pieces, such as wigs, accessories and prosthetics.
As it turns out, my cosplays for next summer need a lot of ear-work. Why? Because for some random reason, none of the characters I have chosen to cosplay has normal ears. Just my bleeding luck for me to choose this sort of thing! *sigh* I am looking forward to the day I will decide to have an uncomplicated life. Because, right now, I fail abysmally at making my life easy...
The ears I will need are (the bold names in colour are links to pictures, if you wish to see):
a) Persocom ears (persocom stands for "personal computer" and it is from the Chobits series by CLAMP) for Chii (the weird pink and white things poking out the side of her head are the ears)
b) Elf ears (I hardly need to tell you what those are) of a really long length for Pirotess (from the Lodoss War series, do not ask me how I will change my skin colour, please!)
c) Cat ears (very unusual cat ears) for Naria (from the Visions of Escaflowne t.v. series, she is the one on the left with the purple inner-ear)
I told you this would be an ear-filled post. This is basically my current project. Make three sets of ears (or commission them from someone). I have the intention of purchasing the elf and cat ears, as they seem more complicated to make. I have found, however, some great tutorials on how to make persocom ears out of craft foam. I look forward to making those.
As for the cat ears... they got me a little down in the dumps, mostly because I enquired on the cost for a commission of the cat-ears and that, because they would be custom-made, they would be around 350$. As a poor, penniless student, I obviously cannot afford ears at that price. I will try and fashion them myself... maybe out of craftfoam or out of that other plastic thingy (the name of which completely slips my mind right now) that can be shaped while heated... It will be the time to experiment and try stuff out.
The elf ears, really, are the easy part. I found a great online store that sells them (they're about 6-8 inches in length!) for a modest price, along with make-up and adhesives. I think the Pirotess outfit will go well. I am also very hopeful for the Chii one.
The Naria costume concerns me, though. As you will have guess from my name, I love this character above any other character (I have been head-over-heels for the silver cat-girl since I was ten). I really want to make her costume perfect and potentially make her my signature cosplay. But I insist on making the costume perfect or I shall not cosplay her... otherwise I will feel like I am disrespecting my favourite character... I am really scared of that costume... it will take a lot of time and work... and tons of spandex! (Can't wait to see how that will turn out!)
On a completely different note, I am finally getting in shape. It is not on a purely voluntary basis, though. Do not get me wrong, I want to get in shape! I have been needed to get back in shape for months (especially if I want to cosplay a spandex-clad character!). The only thing is, my exercise currently consists of choreography rehearsals with Savoy. Do not get me wrong, our choreographer is really nice and really helpful and I really like her... the problem is that I think she is also the reincarnation of an agent from the Spanish Inquisition. The stuff she makes us do! It hurts so much! I nearly cried at the last rehearsal and could not feel my arms for several minutes after the warm-up... the WARM-UP!!! I think she has a mildly sadistic side behind all that kindness and she delights in the looks of pain on the faces of the girls chorus. I still think our choreographer is nice though. The show will turn out great!
Finally, I went on a date with Michael last night. Our first date in MONTHS! I cannot believe how busy we have been. But it was so nice to be treated out for dinner and have a nice drink. My drink was a really good cocktail called the "Blue Sapphire." It would have been two dollars less had I ordered it as a virgin cocktail, but then the drink would have been nothing but lemon juice with a tad of sugary syrup... not really worth it as a virgin drink. There was no less than four alcohols in that drink: including Blue Curacao (which granted the drink its colour and name) and Amaretto. It was like liquid candy! Delicious!
I am really glad I went out with Michael alone. I really enjoyed it and had fun. I love my friends, but, all too often, whenever Michael and I are out of the house, we are always with friends. It was good to be out of the house on our own. It was really nice. And really kind of relaxing (you thought I would say "romantic!!" Admit it!). It was not the most romantic evening I have had with Michael, but it was nice and I really appreciated it nonetheless. We finished off the evening by having a sinfully chocolaty chocolate souffle... My God, that souffle was rich! But the chocolate was so gooooooood *drools*...
And a movie night really ended our evening. It was fun. I wish Michael was not at rehearsal tonight... thinking of him makes me horny, lol. ^_^
Cheers!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
In which an essay is completed
Okay, I will have to finally admit it. I AM BRILLIANT!
No, seriously.
I finished an essay last night in roughly 4 hours. I had done absolutely no work on this essay beforehand. I had done no readings. I simply started writing what I thought would be a crappy essay - as a spur of the moment thing - at 8 p.m. last night. The essay was due this morning. The people whom I had proof read it thought it was an excellent essay. I must say, with 10 secondary sources and 7 pages, for a "quickie" of an essay, it is, indeed, a creation of pure genius. Especially as I managed to write something good about a really crappy play.
I still find it unbelievable how good I am at writing essays, despite hating them. The worst grade I have ever gotten on an essay was a B-. And that was after a Savoy cast-party and tons of red-bull (in my first year, the essay was completed at 6 a.m.). When I start essays at a proper time (the evening before the essay is due) it turns out very well... despite how much I detest, loathe and scorn essays.
Enough self-flattery now. I just thought that I should make those few people who were NOT jealous of my essay writing skills yet, jealous as of this moment. (Lol, just kidding - you know that, right?)
One of the plays I decided to write about was Aphra Behn's The Rover. This stupid play is super popular because, apparently, Aphra Behn was a feminist. FEMINIST MY ASS! She does give her female characters determination and, more importantly, "a voice" at the beggining of her play, but during the entirety of the play, she seeks to subdue that voice and eventually silences it completely by having her female characters "bravely" married to "men of quality."
The play has about three plots, but the one turning around Florinda, the main (and typically romantic) heroine, is absolutely riddiculous! She is in love with a dude called Belvile and she tries to go against her brother's will and marry him in secret. But the stupid tart fails, because the one time when she doe have the guts to do something sexually licentious, she is mistaken for a whore and nearly raped! So much for representing female desire as a good thing, Aphra Behn! Obviously, Behn thought it was wrong, otherwise Florinda would have succeeded in her plans with her lover and there would have been nothing more to it. I am certain that Behn thought that women had their place as properly married, and virginal (and faithful) until their wedding. This is certainly what transpires from her allegedly "feminist" play!
Also, Florinda proves herself as being an even GREATER nit-wit later on in the play! After a THIRD rape attempt on her person, by no less than 4 men at once, she is discovered as being a "maid of quality" i.e. a lady of good birth. The men are shocked to discover this, as all they wanted was to "ruffle a harlot" (... "rape a whore"... nicely said) and they apologize. And the stupid tart Florinda ACCEPTS their appology! Although she does not say it, what the bottom line of her words are is this: "Oh, well, because you appologized, it's all okay!!" (She is totally what inspired the stereotype of the airheaded, dumb-blonde cheerleader!).
*Sigh* The Rover was a waste of my time. But I still think my essay about it was pretty good - considering the material I had to work with!
On another note... my new computer is AWESOME!! Okay, so it was expensive... and yes, bloody Windows 7 is going to take some getting used to... (*sigh* I want the CLASSIC XP view back! I do not care about how "cool" and Mac-like Windows 7 looks... Apple computers suck anyway!) I really wish XP were still in place. On the other hand, my computer still rocks. It is larger than the old one and lighter. It performs better and much more smoothly... It. Is. EPIC!
... I think that's it...
Oh, yeah. I e-mailed some professional cosplayers for some cosplay advice (about the costumes I will make for the summer). I may be starting to make my own latex prosthetics!! ^_^ Their advice was awesome and I truly appreciated it! (Thank you Sarcasm-Hime and Lillyxandra!) I cannot believe how nice these people are, and how willing they are to share their knowledge. It is heart-warming and makes me want to give them a great big HUG! ^_^
Anyways - look forward on more cosplay news... I will probably be posting pictures of my progress. Until then, I will let you guess what I will be doing next year. Feel free to discuss it if the suspense is too much for you! lol ;-P
That is it! for now...
Cheers!
No, seriously.
I finished an essay last night in roughly 4 hours. I had done absolutely no work on this essay beforehand. I had done no readings. I simply started writing what I thought would be a crappy essay - as a spur of the moment thing - at 8 p.m. last night. The essay was due this morning. The people whom I had proof read it thought it was an excellent essay. I must say, with 10 secondary sources and 7 pages, for a "quickie" of an essay, it is, indeed, a creation of pure genius. Especially as I managed to write something good about a really crappy play.
I still find it unbelievable how good I am at writing essays, despite hating them. The worst grade I have ever gotten on an essay was a B-. And that was after a Savoy cast-party and tons of red-bull (in my first year, the essay was completed at 6 a.m.). When I start essays at a proper time (the evening before the essay is due) it turns out very well... despite how much I detest, loathe and scorn essays.
Enough self-flattery now. I just thought that I should make those few people who were NOT jealous of my essay writing skills yet, jealous as of this moment. (Lol, just kidding - you know that, right?)
One of the plays I decided to write about was Aphra Behn's The Rover. This stupid play is super popular because, apparently, Aphra Behn was a feminist. FEMINIST MY ASS! She does give her female characters determination and, more importantly, "a voice" at the beggining of her play, but during the entirety of the play, she seeks to subdue that voice and eventually silences it completely by having her female characters "bravely" married to "men of quality."
The play has about three plots, but the one turning around Florinda, the main (and typically romantic) heroine, is absolutely riddiculous! She is in love with a dude called Belvile and she tries to go against her brother's will and marry him in secret. But the stupid tart fails, because the one time when she doe have the guts to do something sexually licentious, she is mistaken for a whore and nearly raped! So much for representing female desire as a good thing, Aphra Behn! Obviously, Behn thought it was wrong, otherwise Florinda would have succeeded in her plans with her lover and there would have been nothing more to it. I am certain that Behn thought that women had their place as properly married, and virginal (and faithful) until their wedding. This is certainly what transpires from her allegedly "feminist" play!
Also, Florinda proves herself as being an even GREATER nit-wit later on in the play! After a THIRD rape attempt on her person, by no less than 4 men at once, she is discovered as being a "maid of quality" i.e. a lady of good birth. The men are shocked to discover this, as all they wanted was to "ruffle a harlot" (... "rape a whore"... nicely said) and they apologize. And the stupid tart Florinda ACCEPTS their appology! Although she does not say it, what the bottom line of her words are is this: "Oh, well, because you appologized, it's all okay!!" (She is totally what inspired the stereotype of the airheaded, dumb-blonde cheerleader!).
*Sigh* The Rover was a waste of my time. But I still think my essay about it was pretty good - considering the material I had to work with!
On another note... my new computer is AWESOME!! Okay, so it was expensive... and yes, bloody Windows 7 is going to take some getting used to... (*sigh* I want the CLASSIC XP view back! I do not care about how "cool" and Mac-like Windows 7 looks... Apple computers suck anyway!) I really wish XP were still in place. On the other hand, my computer still rocks. It is larger than the old one and lighter. It performs better and much more smoothly... It. Is. EPIC!
... I think that's it...
Oh, yeah. I e-mailed some professional cosplayers for some cosplay advice (about the costumes I will make for the summer). I may be starting to make my own latex prosthetics!! ^_^ Their advice was awesome and I truly appreciated it! (Thank you Sarcasm-Hime and Lillyxandra!) I cannot believe how nice these people are, and how willing they are to share their knowledge. It is heart-warming and makes me want to give them a great big HUG! ^_^
Anyways - look forward on more cosplay news... I will probably be posting pictures of my progress. Until then, I will let you guess what I will be doing next year. Feel free to discuss it if the suspense is too much for you! lol ;-P
That is it! for now...
Cheers!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
In which there was an awesome party
Last night, the McGill Savoy Society (best student society in the world!) hosted a party in collaboration with Queer McGill (another awesome student society) called Into the Wild(e). The event refered specifically to Oscar Wilde, wildly famous (pun totally intended) author and poet who will never be forgotten thanks to his hilarious play, The Importance of Being Ernest, and to his dark novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. Incidentally, has anyone seen the Dorian Gray movie which stars Ben Barnes and Collin Firth? It is absolutely AWESOME! Watch it if you can - it was sadly never released in Canada *cries*.
Here is the facebook description of the event, to give you a better idea of it:
Basically, it was a kick-ass dance party with lots of people in really cool costumes. Michael went as a respectable Victorian gentleman, my roommate went as a proper governess, and I myself went as a Victorian harlot. We looked awesome! The other costumes looked great too, but we truly rocked the house! We even came in with a backstory.
Here it is:
Mr. Beckett = Michael
Melinda Smythe = my roommate
Claire = Me
Claire was orphaned at a very young age and forced to live out her life in the misery of 19th century London. The hardships of life in the lower classes of London was difficult for her and, like many women who did not work in factories, Claire went for her only other option: prostitution.
However, on her sixteenth birthday, after being "on the market" for two years, Claire received the visit of a notary who held a large, fancy looking will. Claire was discovered to be the long lost daughter of a rich countess and the sole heiress to the fortune and title.
This is how, in her sixteenth year, Claire came to hire Melinda Smythe, a young and reputable governess, in order for her to be tought in the ways of high society and learn some proper manners and decorum. But old habits die hard and getting the streets of London out of the new aristocrat proove difficult for poor Melinda, who does try her hardest with the young harlot.
Luckily, during a party, a respectable gentleman, Mr. Beckett is introduced to Claire. He quickly becomes Claire's suitor and causes changes in Claire Melinda had never seen before. Will Mr. Beckett motivate Claire to become a true lady? Or is it all fleeting fancy and Melinda Smythe will have to give up on the girl? The dance party on Friday, October 15th will prove to be eye-opening...
lol
Okay - I will admit it... I had fun writing this crap just now. I know it is crap, so shush! It was fun. We went with these roles because of the ways we were dressed... I should have pictures up sometime soon.
The dance party was absolutely AWESOME! It was so great and we all had so much fun! Initially, I did not want to go at all, due to stormy weather and dreadfully strong winds (60 km/h). It had been a nightmare getting to school and back and the idea of braving the weather again did not appeal to me. But then we started on the costumes and then the fun started. It was so great, I do not regret walking around with exposed legs in high velocity winds at all! We finished off the evening nicely, after the party, eating fresh bagels with cream-cheese at 3 a.m. outside one of the most famous Montreal bagle places... It was GREAT! (I am sorry - other words fail me to describe the party... my mind is still a tad drowsy after going to bed so late...)
In other news... Michael got a new computer. I did too, but it is not ready yet. I should have it by Tuesday. The new computer Michael has is awesome, it is what I am writing with right now. My only problem with it is the keyboard... it is spaced out differently from every other keyboard I have ever touched and so I have been making typos in places where I usually would not, simply because I keep hitting the wrong keys (I have been proof-reading this post several times already). Apparently, my keyboard will have the strange odd layout... I am not looking forward to taking notes with the new keyboard for the first time! But my new computer will be awesome - as my old one is nearly dead, I am looking forward to having a perfectly functional laptop. I will miss my old one, however, it has been a trusty companion to me for five years now... *sigh*
And, as a concluding note to this post, check THIS out! My favourite cosplayer, Lillyxandra, is one of the major players in this project. It is amazing how these people bring fantasy to life. It makes me want to escape into the world they are in. *sigh* I wish I was this good at cosplaying... The costumes are stunning, and the photos even more so. There is so much dedication behind this project - it is just awe-inspiring. I am posting it here so you can all appreciate it. Make sure to look at the galleries! (Whether you know Zelda or not, this is just pure awesomeness!)
And that is it for today. My wrist hurts... It probably still hurts (along with my elbow) from Thursday's mid-term. I wrote 8 single-spaced pages of text in less than 70 minutes. I am good! I am very good! ^_^
Cheers!
Here is the facebook description of the event, to give you a better idea of it:
Into the Wild(e) celebrates the counterculture of 19th century England, from the high-fashion fancies of Jimmy Whistler, to the perverse passions of Lily Langtry, to the free-spirited sexuality of Wilde himself. Get dressed up in your best armor, corset or codpiece and dance / drink to the memory of the people who queered England!
In the spirit of Oscar himself, no colonial (or any other) oppression allowed!
Basically, it was a kick-ass dance party with lots of people in really cool costumes. Michael went as a respectable Victorian gentleman, my roommate went as a proper governess, and I myself went as a Victorian harlot. We looked awesome! The other costumes looked great too, but we truly rocked the house! We even came in with a backstory.
Here it is:
Mr. Beckett = Michael
Melinda Smythe = my roommate
Claire = Me
Claire was orphaned at a very young age and forced to live out her life in the misery of 19th century London. The hardships of life in the lower classes of London was difficult for her and, like many women who did not work in factories, Claire went for her only other option: prostitution.
However, on her sixteenth birthday, after being "on the market" for two years, Claire received the visit of a notary who held a large, fancy looking will. Claire was discovered to be the long lost daughter of a rich countess and the sole heiress to the fortune and title.
This is how, in her sixteenth year, Claire came to hire Melinda Smythe, a young and reputable governess, in order for her to be tought in the ways of high society and learn some proper manners and decorum. But old habits die hard and getting the streets of London out of the new aristocrat proove difficult for poor Melinda, who does try her hardest with the young harlot.
Luckily, during a party, a respectable gentleman, Mr. Beckett is introduced to Claire. He quickly becomes Claire's suitor and causes changes in Claire Melinda had never seen before. Will Mr. Beckett motivate Claire to become a true lady? Or is it all fleeting fancy and Melinda Smythe will have to give up on the girl? The dance party on Friday, October 15th will prove to be eye-opening...
lol
Okay - I will admit it... I had fun writing this crap just now. I know it is crap, so shush! It was fun. We went with these roles because of the ways we were dressed... I should have pictures up sometime soon.
The dance party was absolutely AWESOME! It was so great and we all had so much fun! Initially, I did not want to go at all, due to stormy weather and dreadfully strong winds (60 km/h). It had been a nightmare getting to school and back and the idea of braving the weather again did not appeal to me. But then we started on the costumes and then the fun started. It was so great, I do not regret walking around with exposed legs in high velocity winds at all! We finished off the evening nicely, after the party, eating fresh bagels with cream-cheese at 3 a.m. outside one of the most famous Montreal bagle places... It was GREAT! (I am sorry - other words fail me to describe the party... my mind is still a tad drowsy after going to bed so late...)
In other news... Michael got a new computer. I did too, but it is not ready yet. I should have it by Tuesday. The new computer Michael has is awesome, it is what I am writing with right now. My only problem with it is the keyboard... it is spaced out differently from every other keyboard I have ever touched and so I have been making typos in places where I usually would not, simply because I keep hitting the wrong keys (I have been proof-reading this post several times already). Apparently, my keyboard will have the strange odd layout... I am not looking forward to taking notes with the new keyboard for the first time! But my new computer will be awesome - as my old one is nearly dead, I am looking forward to having a perfectly functional laptop. I will miss my old one, however, it has been a trusty companion to me for five years now... *sigh*
And, as a concluding note to this post, check THIS out! My favourite cosplayer, Lillyxandra, is one of the major players in this project. It is amazing how these people bring fantasy to life. It makes me want to escape into the world they are in. *sigh* I wish I was this good at cosplaying... The costumes are stunning, and the photos even more so. There is so much dedication behind this project - it is just awe-inspiring. I am posting it here so you can all appreciate it. Make sure to look at the galleries! (Whether you know Zelda or not, this is just pure awesomeness!)
And that is it for today. My wrist hurts... It probably still hurts (along with my elbow) from Thursday's mid-term. I wrote 8 single-spaced pages of text in less than 70 minutes. I am good! I am very good! ^_^
Cheers!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
In which a major decision was made
Hello all! I apologize for the last, whiny tantrum post. But that tantrum was much needed.
Thanksgiving was wonderful! Michael's family came over and we had great food and a lot of fun. We also went to visit my mum, which was great and made me really happy. Michael's parents are great! I wish Toronto was not so far away (for student means of travel...). And I cannot thank my lucky stars enough for the presence of so many great people in my life. I am truly greatful! And I am still as greatful as on day one that Michael is my boyfriend! ^_^
But...
I cannot believe how much short holidays (i.e. 3 day holidays) suck! Zero motivation to go back to school/work afterward... Anyone agree? (I hope you do, otherwise you are very strange!)
*sigh*
Anyways - before I start on my proper subject - I hate being broke! My bloody school books are so expensive, and I have not even bought the whole lot yet! And I keep looking at the stuff I need for my planned costumes... and I am discouraged by how poor I am. I want to sew! I want to make more costumes! I want to cosplay!! But I have absolutely no money to pursue my favourite hobby... *pout*
Okay, enough complaining... so, my major decision...
Until last week, I had no life after this year at university. My degree in English Literature will be over in April 2011 and I had absolutely no desire to follow up on it in a Masters Degree... not yet at least (at this point in my life, there is no topic about which I am passionate enough to spend two years writing a bloody essay about it!). So my life, as of April 2011, was over. A total void. I did not know where I would be going. The one thing I did know was that I wanted to stay in school (I do not want to start work! Work is tedious! Especially the 9-5 office work which most university graduates do...).
Then I decided to go back to my ideal career choice. Acting. I still believe in that dream. I want to become a musical actress. When I look at the future, I do not see myself doing drab office work - I do not want to either. Drab offices are not my thing. I want to be out there and be seen! I want to show off my assets and talent and all the other stuff people say I have got. And, most of all, I want to be on stage and act. I want to slip into the skin of a character, blend my soul with that of another, transform myself into anyone or anything at a given time. And I want to please/shock/upset/move audiences all over the world. I want to be an actress.
My biggest obstacle for this career is training. The more trained an actor is (and the more contacts one has in the acting world), the more chances one gets of eventually having a breakthrough (even if it is just a hobby). But acting school have really high standards and one has to go through a strenuous and highly competitive audition process first.
As someone who is finishing her degree in literature, I would like to focus all my efforts on finishing my BA and not have to worry my pretty little blonde head about auditions abroad and monologues, etc. (FYI: yes, I am suggesting that I am a dumb blonde in this sentence. Now shush! I am the only one allowed to make such a comment about myself! *blows raspberry*)
Therefore, I have come to the perfect solution/decision. Next year will not hold great acting academies for me. Instead, I will go to Concordia University and start on their theater performance programme. It is a very good programme, teaching a variety of acting techniques and not focusing on academics all that much. It is the perfect programme to find out about coaches, audition techniques and to find the time to PRACTICE my auditions. I think that Concordia would be the perfect way for me to spend time doing what I love, practicing and learning what I love, and preparing for auditions for the schools I truly desire to attend. Once I hit Concordia, nothing stops me from auditioning for German Theater Schools or for the schools in London or New York. I definitely want to get out of Canada... otherwise it will be unlikely for me to have any real success... But Concordia is definitely a start. And it gives Michael the chance to finish his degree too, while still benefiting of my encouragement (I love you Michael! ;-D )
So that is it. My major decision. The future is no longer a void. It is filled with bright lights, theatrical make-up, and warm costumes. It is filled with the planks of a stage and the applause of audiences and the absolute, spirit-raising, inspiring delight of acting a part.
*smile*
Okay - I must now go and study for tomorrow's mid-(but not-so-mid) term. Blergh! I do not feel like it! *pout*
Before I go, I just want to let people know about my new favourite restaurant: Sumo Ramen in China Town!! My GOD their food is good! I went there for a Japanese-class reunion last Friday! It was so much fun!!! Anyone who feels like ramen, get in touch with me! Any excuse is good enough to go!
Cheers!
Thanksgiving was wonderful! Michael's family came over and we had great food and a lot of fun. We also went to visit my mum, which was great and made me really happy. Michael's parents are great! I wish Toronto was not so far away (for student means of travel...). And I cannot thank my lucky stars enough for the presence of so many great people in my life. I am truly greatful! And I am still as greatful as on day one that Michael is my boyfriend! ^_^
But...
I cannot believe how much short holidays (i.e. 3 day holidays) suck! Zero motivation to go back to school/work afterward... Anyone agree? (I hope you do, otherwise you are very strange!)
*sigh*
Anyways - before I start on my proper subject - I hate being broke! My bloody school books are so expensive, and I have not even bought the whole lot yet! And I keep looking at the stuff I need for my planned costumes... and I am discouraged by how poor I am. I want to sew! I want to make more costumes! I want to cosplay!! But I have absolutely no money to pursue my favourite hobby... *pout*
Okay, enough complaining... so, my major decision...
Until last week, I had no life after this year at university. My degree in English Literature will be over in April 2011 and I had absolutely no desire to follow up on it in a Masters Degree... not yet at least (at this point in my life, there is no topic about which I am passionate enough to spend two years writing a bloody essay about it!). So my life, as of April 2011, was over. A total void. I did not know where I would be going. The one thing I did know was that I wanted to stay in school (I do not want to start work! Work is tedious! Especially the 9-5 office work which most university graduates do...).
Then I decided to go back to my ideal career choice. Acting. I still believe in that dream. I want to become a musical actress. When I look at the future, I do not see myself doing drab office work - I do not want to either. Drab offices are not my thing. I want to be out there and be seen! I want to show off my assets and talent and all the other stuff people say I have got. And, most of all, I want to be on stage and act. I want to slip into the skin of a character, blend my soul with that of another, transform myself into anyone or anything at a given time. And I want to please/shock/upset/move audiences all over the world. I want to be an actress.
My biggest obstacle for this career is training. The more trained an actor is (and the more contacts one has in the acting world), the more chances one gets of eventually having a breakthrough (even if it is just a hobby). But acting school have really high standards and one has to go through a strenuous and highly competitive audition process first.
As someone who is finishing her degree in literature, I would like to focus all my efforts on finishing my BA and not have to worry my pretty little blonde head about auditions abroad and monologues, etc. (FYI: yes, I am suggesting that I am a dumb blonde in this sentence. Now shush! I am the only one allowed to make such a comment about myself! *blows raspberry*)
Therefore, I have come to the perfect solution/decision. Next year will not hold great acting academies for me. Instead, I will go to Concordia University and start on their theater performance programme. It is a very good programme, teaching a variety of acting techniques and not focusing on academics all that much. It is the perfect programme to find out about coaches, audition techniques and to find the time to PRACTICE my auditions. I think that Concordia would be the perfect way for me to spend time doing what I love, practicing and learning what I love, and preparing for auditions for the schools I truly desire to attend. Once I hit Concordia, nothing stops me from auditioning for German Theater Schools or for the schools in London or New York. I definitely want to get out of Canada... otherwise it will be unlikely for me to have any real success... But Concordia is definitely a start. And it gives Michael the chance to finish his degree too, while still benefiting of my encouragement (I love you Michael! ;-D )
So that is it. My major decision. The future is no longer a void. It is filled with bright lights, theatrical make-up, and warm costumes. It is filled with the planks of a stage and the applause of audiences and the absolute, spirit-raising, inspiring delight of acting a part.
*smile*
Okay - I must now go and study for tomorrow's mid-(but not-so-mid) term. Blergh! I do not feel like it! *pout*
Before I go, I just want to let people know about my new favourite restaurant: Sumo Ramen in China Town!! My GOD their food is good! I went there for a Japanese-class reunion last Friday! It was so much fun!!! Anyone who feels like ramen, get in touch with me! Any excuse is good enough to go!
Cheers!
Monday, October 11, 2010
*MAJOR SIGH...*
I wish that the Thanksgiving weekend was longeeeeer!!!! *cries* I do NOT want to go back to school tomorrow. I already had enough grief writing my stupid essay tonight. Not. pleasant.
*pout*
I do not want to go to school!!! *throws tantrum*
More on this subject tomorrow. I will go to bed now. I am sorry for the short tantrum post.
I wish that the Thanksgiving weekend was longeeeeer!!!! *cries* I do NOT want to go back to school tomorrow. I already had enough grief writing my stupid essay tonight. Not. pleasant.
*pout*
I do not want to go to school!!! *throws tantrum*
More on this subject tomorrow. I will go to bed now. I am sorry for the short tantrum post.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
In which there was a major hair change
Hello all out there!
Sorry if I did not post in a while... blogger was going really weird on me. I have tried to post twice already, with, alas... no result. *sigh*
Anyways - it seems to be working now... YAY!! ^_^
My most drastic update of late (though it is already been a week, so I suppose it is not that great an update) is that I have changed my hairstyle... rather drastically. In concede that I still look perfectly normal and like myself (no asymmetrical haircuts or unnatural colours going on), however, I am now sporting bangs. Yes, you read this right... BANGS!
Those who know me well are aware that big changes can frighten me... so how did I come about getting bangs, a hair trend that I have last been seen wearing when I was in grade two? (I still cannot believe it has been fourteen years since I have last had bangs... I feel old!)
I truly have to give my wonderful roommate thanks for that. For some reason, she was scouting craigslist one evening, and I was ranting about how much my hair needed work. I had a four inch ash-blonde root contrasting sharply with my golden blonde-dyed hair! I was not kidding when I said I needed to get a hair update. However, I was planning to pay for it. My roommate (thankfully) stopped me. She found a model call for a hairshow on craigslist. A PAID hairshow, no less! I immediately applied.
Lucky me, a few days later, I was called and chosen to be "the blonde" in the hairshow. More precisely, it was the Regis Colour Awards, a show for the stylists of the Regis Salon chain. They do colour contests year long and the winners get an all-inclusive trip to a North American city to see a hairshow by Wella. Ah, P&G! How I love thee! This is the second hairshow I have done under a P&G company (the other one, a few years back, was for Sebastian, Wella's sister company). Funny, how they always pick me as a model, lol.
Anyways... I basically got paid to get my hair dyed and cut! AWESOME! The condition was that I had to let the stylist do pretty much what he wanted with my hair... When he mentioned bangs, my heart leapt into my throat and it was all I could do to give a forced smile. But it turned out really nice. On top of the bangs, the stylist layered my hair wonderfully. The stylists who watched the hairshow were all over me in the end, loving my hair and look. I am quite pleased with it myself. The only thing I miss is the thickness of my hair. With all these layers, there is barely anything I can tie back... *sigh* too bad. But it looks cute.
To be honest, when the stylist first cut my bangs and 6 inches of hair fell into my lap, I had to use all my self control not to look shocked. I got my hair cut on stage, so I had to smile all the time. Looking like you are about to panic is not a good idea, lol. The worst part of getting your hair cut on stage is that you do not get to see the result until AFTER the hairshow. So even when all stylists are complimenting you and asking you "how do you like it?" you cannot really give an answer because you do not have the slightest clue of what you look like.
But the hair show was LOADS of fun! Food was provided and absolutely delicious (it was all at The Queen Elizabeth hotel in downtown Montreal *squee*), and the other models were really fun to talk to and hang out with! ^_^ The other great thing about hairshows is that the stylist really puts a lot of effort into your hair, because if your colour looks bad, he looks bad. He actually told the audience that he had the most fun doing my so-called "colour correction", which consisted in bringing me back to my natural blonde and adding a few streaks here and there...
Oh! And while we are on a majorly hairshow/model tangent, I have to tell you about the make-up I got for the show. My face got AIRBRUSHED! I could not believe how flawless my skin looked after having foundation airbrushed onto my face. I had never been airbrushed before... no wonder movie stars like it - it makes you look fresh, young and absolutely flawless! It feels weird beyond all belief though! The airbrushed foundation itself feels great. You do not feel like you are wearing make-up at all. I seriously had forgotten all about my make-up until I got into the shower and it got washed away... But when applying airbrush make-up, it feels super odd. Have you ever looked out of the open window of a speeding car? Remember the way it feels when the cool rushing wind whips at your face and how strange and windswept you feel when you close the window, despite there being no more wind? Same feeling! Except much wetter because of the liquid foundation... So picture the same wind situation, but add a rainy drizzle. There you have it. Airbrush make-up, lol. Oh! And I got to wear fake eyelashes again! I cannot apply those myself for the life of me, so I enjoy when someone else does it. It feels a little strange, though, because they make my eyelids heavier and caught in my glasses. But I looked awesome anyway!
Now... after all this rant, I was going to rant about essays and mid-terms. Mostly because McGill professors do not seem to grasp the concept of the prefix MID in "mid-term." It is there for a REASON!! The first week of October is, by no means, the MID of the bloody term!!!
And I will rant no more. Must go write essay. Will update again soon.
Cheers! Enjoy the pics! ^_^
(Wow, that last bit makes me sound psychotic!)
After the show, at home With the other models, in the not-so-green Green Room
Sorry if I did not post in a while... blogger was going really weird on me. I have tried to post twice already, with, alas... no result. *sigh*
Anyways - it seems to be working now... YAY!! ^_^
My most drastic update of late (though it is already been a week, so I suppose it is not that great an update) is that I have changed my hairstyle... rather drastically. In concede that I still look perfectly normal and like myself (no asymmetrical haircuts or unnatural colours going on), however, I am now sporting bangs. Yes, you read this right... BANGS!
Those who know me well are aware that big changes can frighten me... so how did I come about getting bangs, a hair trend that I have last been seen wearing when I was in grade two? (I still cannot believe it has been fourteen years since I have last had bangs... I feel old!)
I truly have to give my wonderful roommate thanks for that. For some reason, she was scouting craigslist one evening, and I was ranting about how much my hair needed work. I had a four inch ash-blonde root contrasting sharply with my golden blonde-dyed hair! I was not kidding when I said I needed to get a hair update. However, I was planning to pay for it. My roommate (thankfully) stopped me. She found a model call for a hairshow on craigslist. A PAID hairshow, no less! I immediately applied.
Lucky me, a few days later, I was called and chosen to be "the blonde" in the hairshow. More precisely, it was the Regis Colour Awards, a show for the stylists of the Regis Salon chain. They do colour contests year long and the winners get an all-inclusive trip to a North American city to see a hairshow by Wella. Ah, P&G! How I love thee! This is the second hairshow I have done under a P&G company (the other one, a few years back, was for Sebastian, Wella's sister company). Funny, how they always pick me as a model, lol.
Anyways... I basically got paid to get my hair dyed and cut! AWESOME! The condition was that I had to let the stylist do pretty much what he wanted with my hair... When he mentioned bangs, my heart leapt into my throat and it was all I could do to give a forced smile. But it turned out really nice. On top of the bangs, the stylist layered my hair wonderfully. The stylists who watched the hairshow were all over me in the end, loving my hair and look. I am quite pleased with it myself. The only thing I miss is the thickness of my hair. With all these layers, there is barely anything I can tie back... *sigh* too bad. But it looks cute.
To be honest, when the stylist first cut my bangs and 6 inches of hair fell into my lap, I had to use all my self control not to look shocked. I got my hair cut on stage, so I had to smile all the time. Looking like you are about to panic is not a good idea, lol. The worst part of getting your hair cut on stage is that you do not get to see the result until AFTER the hairshow. So even when all stylists are complimenting you and asking you "how do you like it?" you cannot really give an answer because you do not have the slightest clue of what you look like.
But the hair show was LOADS of fun! Food was provided and absolutely delicious (it was all at The Queen Elizabeth hotel in downtown Montreal *squee*), and the other models were really fun to talk to and hang out with! ^_^ The other great thing about hairshows is that the stylist really puts a lot of effort into your hair, because if your colour looks bad, he looks bad. He actually told the audience that he had the most fun doing my so-called "colour correction", which consisted in bringing me back to my natural blonde and adding a few streaks here and there...
Oh! And while we are on a majorly hairshow/model tangent, I have to tell you about the make-up I got for the show. My face got AIRBRUSHED! I could not believe how flawless my skin looked after having foundation airbrushed onto my face. I had never been airbrushed before... no wonder movie stars like it - it makes you look fresh, young and absolutely flawless! It feels weird beyond all belief though! The airbrushed foundation itself feels great. You do not feel like you are wearing make-up at all. I seriously had forgotten all about my make-up until I got into the shower and it got washed away... But when applying airbrush make-up, it feels super odd. Have you ever looked out of the open window of a speeding car? Remember the way it feels when the cool rushing wind whips at your face and how strange and windswept you feel when you close the window, despite there being no more wind? Same feeling! Except much wetter because of the liquid foundation... So picture the same wind situation, but add a rainy drizzle. There you have it. Airbrush make-up, lol. Oh! And I got to wear fake eyelashes again! I cannot apply those myself for the life of me, so I enjoy when someone else does it. It feels a little strange, though, because they make my eyelids heavier and caught in my glasses. But I looked awesome anyway!
Now... after all this rant, I was going to rant about essays and mid-terms. Mostly because McGill professors do not seem to grasp the concept of the prefix MID in "mid-term." It is there for a REASON!! The first week of October is, by no means, the MID of the bloody term!!!
And I will rant no more. Must go write essay. Will update again soon.
Cheers! Enjoy the pics! ^_^
(Wow, that last bit makes me sound psychotic!)
After the show, at home With the other models, in the not-so-green Green Room
Thursday, September 23, 2010
For all those who saw the post that was previously here, please ignore it. I was very frustrated and angry and I fear that I may have hurt one of my best friend's feelings by posting it. I did not mean to hurt anyone, but I just felt so wronged myself that I did not think straight. I hereby sincerely regret the previous post and hope that all who have read it will hereby ignore it. Thank you.
P.S. Anger and sadness can make you do stupid things sometimes... I am really sorry.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
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!
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!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
In which there are events almost more unfortunate than Lemony Snicket's series of said events
Hello world. No I am not dead, sorry to disappoint in that regard. I have just caught a really, really bad cold. I sound like a 90-year-old woman who went to the grave and returned... or like a bullfrog... you decide (I think the first choice was the most poetic though). Anyways, this was (I swear it) my last extended absence from blogging. It was more extended than I expected, due to a series of events that just ate up my time and made my life suck for a while.
...
So... events (sorry, my blocked sinuses mess with my brain and chronology just failed me)...
Well, I guess the first key event that happened last week was the end of my Summer Temporary period with Air Canada. It was a bitter-sweet parting, really. Despite all my complaining on the blog (yeah, I know I do that a lot... sorry!), I really did like my job. I did not like passengers from France, but, aside from that, it was a great job. In all honesty, it was my very first job that I did not HATE. I loved the variety in my day of work. It never really got dull. It was very hard and very physical work (not for sissies, that's for sure!), but it was enjoyable and easy to do with a smile. There is always something interesting going on at the airport. So, except for the few passengers that were real... uhm... arses (and I'm being polite)... it was great! I will especially miss my colleagues who made my job fun. I thoroughly enjoyed gossiping about this and that passenger or XYZ movie star that passed through the airport during a shift. So yeah - now that Air Canada is over, I can relax and I am a lot less stressed. No more weird schedules or double shifts (sadly, also means no more money...) and passengers pressuring you to get things done eight hours before their departure. However, it also means that there will be days when I will not know what to do with myself and miss the hustle and bustle ambiance created by the airport. And the laughter with the colleagues. I will totally miss that. Luckily, I have a great boyfriend and roommate to keep me cheered up. And, hopefully, I will be hired again for the Winter season with Air Canada. That would be really nice.
Now, before I move on to the next event, I must finish with a few Air Canada anecdotes, as I had promised many more than I was actually able to write out. In my last few weeks of work, I met a) the worst passenger to ever cross the airport; and b) some really cool individuals. Here are the stories.
A) A passenger was traveling back to Paris with Air Canada to the Charles-de-Gaulle airport (who wants to go THERE?! Seriously!). This is not particularly unusual... it just means that you have to deal with a lot of France French (blergh!). But this French guy was the worst I have ever encountered. It is CLEARLY posted, all over the Internet (on aircanada.com in the info and services section, under "Baggage"), that Air Canada only accept 1 BAG PER PASSENGER on flights to the US and Europe. It is even placed in a beautiful, easy-to-read, coloured chart. So when the passenger with 2 bags to Europe starts lamenting to my colleague that "it says NOWHERE on the website that I am only allowed 1 bag! It says you are allowed 2!" and my colleague insists that, no, our website clearly states that the second bag to Europe is for a fee... the conversation is already going downhill. The passenger stomped away angrily to look at one of the seven thousand signs all over the airport giving you a nice chart (like the one online) with exact detail of how many bags one is allowed to check in. The sign says something like this:
Baggage Allowance
Flights Within Canada: 1st Bag = Free 2nd Bag = Free 3rd Bag = 100$CAN
Flights to the USA: 1st Bag = Free 2nd Bag = 30$CAN 3rd Bag= 225$CAN
Flights to International Destinations (except Europe and USA): 1st Bag = Free 2nd Bag = Free 3rd Bag = 225$CAN
Flights to Europe: 1st Bag = Free 2nd Bag = 50$CAN 3rd Bag = 225$CAN
This is almost exactly the signs we have planted everywhere in the airport... And so the passenger read this sign and stormed back to my colleague. "You are a LIAR!" he yelled. "The sign RIGHT THERE says I am allowed 2 bags for FREE and the 3rd one is 100$!!"
At this point, I had to get involved, as I know that sign like the back of my hand. "Sir, the 3rd bag for 100$ is only for flights within Canada. If you look again, just a little lower on the chart, you will see that, to Europe, the second bag is 50$ and the third is 225$."
"ARE YOU SAYING I CAN'T READ?!"
Seriously? No. But I was sure thinking it!
Anyways, he ended up storming off, saying he would never travel with AC again and saying that if there are no passengers, we have no jobs. He said he sincerely wished homelessness upon us. Luckily, that jerk is not our only passenger. We hoped he would not make his flight. Sadly, he did.
B) Now for the awesome ones...
The first one was pretty cool. It was not something particularly impressive, but interesting nonetheless. He was flying to Shanghai with only a small backpack and a briefcase. Nothing more. Curious, I asked: "You must be one of the very few who travels such a long way and brings so little!" He smiled and said he was only staying in Shanghai for four days, continuing on to Tokyo for four more and then going to Hong Kong for three days before coming home. I said that was an unusual trip and enquired on what the purpose of his trip was (it is always good to make conversation with passengers). He said he was one of the directors for Cirque du Soleil in Japan. He was going to China to do some recruiting, going to work a little on a show in Tokyo and then going to do some more recruiting before coming home for a tad of family vacation. I was awed. I did not think I would meet a director of Cirque du Soleil someday! It was cool.
The second one was really funny. It was a pirate. I mean it. The guy wore full pirate garb! From head to toe, he was basically donning Captain Barbossa's outfit (with a few minor differences). My colleagues were all awed by his face. It was browned and wrinkly by too much sun (what a sun-tanned old pirate should look like) with a long, straggly and braided black beard and a shock of long greasy hair under a jaunty hat. It freaked out my colleagues that "he really LOOKS like a pirate!" I thought it was awesome. Especially because the guy was missing a leg! He only had about ten inches of thigh and then nothing. He was leaning on a wooden crutch. I think it is clever of him to have made the best out of the situation (the situation being losing your leg) by making himself into a pirate! I actually remarked to him that he was one week early for Talk Like a Pirate Day, to which he giggled. My colleagues were awed that I actually talked to him. The funniest part though, is that he never checked in. He stood in line until he got to the check in counter and then left. I do not know what he was up to, but he cause quite a stir! lol
The third encounter made me squee. I met the pilot of the Gimli Glider by pure accident! ^_^ I actually checked the guy in! For those who do not know, Captain Pearson, who was the pilot of the Gimli Glider, is a hero of modern aviation. Air Canada flight 143 left dear old Montreal airport on July 23rd, 1983 to head to Edmonton. About halfway through the flight, an alarm sounded, alerting the pilots that the engines had run out of fuel. This is any pilot's worst nightmare, I think. Despite the end seeming near, Captain Pearson and his co-pilot safely landed the aircraft in Gimli, Manitoba (which used to be an Air Force base) without anyone dying or being grievously injured. They accomplished this feat by using glider techniques. To understand how impressive their maneuver was, I strongly suggest you look up the episode on Discovery Channel's Mayday. It is AWESOME what they did! And so you can imagine my squee when I checked in this aviation hero! When I asked for his ID, he held out his retired Air Canada employee card. Out of curiosity, I enquired what he used to do at Air Canada. He said he used to be a pilot but I was probably to young to have heard of him. I told him to try me. When he mentioned the Gimli Glider (which is the nickname flight 143 was given after the events), I realized I had Captain Pearson in front of me!! It was so cool! ^_^
So those were my awesome encounters. One of my colleagues saw Robert Pattinson on the American side of the Airport. It is confirmed: the guy is ugly as all hell and apparently, also the biggest jerk the planet has ever encounter. He is a worse divo than many others that have come through the airport. I am very happy I did NOT have to encounter that Twilight twat of an actor!... Pity my colleagues who did meet him though.
Brutal change of subject...
The other events that prevented me from blogging were all related to the McGill administration. THEY SUCK! I am seriously starting to think that they do not want their undergrads to graduate. It was so complicated to get everything done! It turns out that grades and transcripts are not enough to graduate at McGill. No. You need audit sheets to be signed by a prof to prove and confirm that you will have completed your programme by the date you put down on your audit sheet. And this sheet needs to be handed in before a certain date or you cannot graduate. I thankfully found out just in the nick of time or I would have been stuck, unable to graduate. But I am seriously starting to miss High School, where they looked at your transcripts, saw your grades and went: "Oh, great! You pass! Here is your diploma!". Apparently, your transcripts are not worth anything at McGill because they do not confirm that you have completed your programme. What sort of sick bureaucracy is this?!
And, to top it all off, it was really, really difficult to make my schedule this semester. All the classes were at the SAME BLOODY TIME! Every class I had to take turned out to be at 2:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. How the Hell was I supposed to balance this out?! After much discussion with advisors, I was able to sort it out, but man did it take time and running around for absolutely no good reason! grrrr! Stupid McGill administration!!!
And, finally, I had my audition for the McGill Savoy Society this year. I was, for the first time, really going for a role (that of Mad Margaret for Ruddigore). I kind of blew it. Mostly by becoming really, really, REALLY sick the night before and thus ending up with a near complete voice extinction on the very day of my audition. Try singing "I Can Hear the Bells" from Hairspray when your throat feels like it will suffer imminent Diphteria and your sinuses threaten to make your skull explode! It is agony! It sucks, it hurts and you sound terrible (even more so than usual). Add nerves to that and you end up with poor acting and tears by the end of your audition. I hope I can still get the role, but my hopes are currently low...
Furthermore, this morning, I woke up and my mouth hurt from the pressure in my sinuses. Conclusion, I am really, really bloody sick. I blame Michael. He's been having a man-cold for a while and I think he gave it to me. But it seems to have hit me tenfold because everyone around me is sick too and there have been some extreme and sudden weather changes of late... *sniffle* I hate being sick!
I probably had much more to say but this post already seems torturously long, so I will stop myself here. Wish me luck with getting my health back, I will need it so I can impress people at callbacks for Savoy (which are on Saturday). Hopefully I will rock those and I will get the role.
And that, everyone, was my series of unfortunate events that lead to an abscence of blog posts. I will now go make myself more tea... *sniffle*
P.S. Despite the oncoming illness, Talk Like A Pirate Day rocked! I was not a historical pirate, but still a drop-dead sexy pirate wench, if I do say so myself! ^_^ Too bad I do not have any pictures... And I bought some AWESOME spiced mead for said Pirate Day. It comes in a stone bottle with a wax seal! How cool is that?! And it was yummy too!
...
........ Okay, tea now!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
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!
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!
Monday, August 23, 2010
In which Cosi Fan Tutte is reviewed - or The Germany Chronicles 5
Most of you already know the cause of my long silence on the blog lately. Indeed, it is because I have been working double shifts for several days (thus completely exhausting myself) in order to get the 21st and the 22nd of August as days off. Why are these dates so important to me? Because Michael starred as the lead in his first Opera on Sunday August 22nd. However, it is not like the show was easily accessible... I had to head to Weimar, Germany, in order to show Michael my support and see his show. So on the 19th in the evening, I flew to Frankfurt, landed on the 20th in the morning, and then took a three hour train ride to Weimar. I have only just come back from said trip a few hours ago.
Before I review Michael's opera, allow me to say how wonderful a city Weimar is. When I got off the train, I thought I had somehow time-travelled back to the 1800s. Except for the modern cars and a monument to the Buchenwald victims (which dates to the late 1940s, I think), most of the city is enormously old. Indeed, Schiller and Goethe, famous German authors, both spent much time there, and the city still looks like it may have been back in their day. Among other things, most of the city (I would say 95 percent of it) is covered in cobblestones. No ashphalt. Usually, that would have been fine, except that I had made the trip in my work heels, and for those who have tried it, you know that heels on cobblestone are a nightmare! I do not want to know what women's feet were like back in the Victorian age, when cobblestones and high-heels ruled and one had no choice but to circulate in them! The cobblestones would not have been so bad if I had not gotten completely lost trying to find Michael's opera studio. I ended up with bleeding ankles due to my confused wanderings. However, I ended up successfully finding Michael's opera studio, called the Lyric Opera Studio Weimar. The reason it was so hard to find is that, in old European cities like Weimar, people had little consideration for parallel streets when the city was built. Unlike North American cities, where a system of parallel streets and squares was divised, Weimar is more like a huge Celtic Knot of Strassen (streets), Plaetze (plazas), and Gassen (alleys). It was really hard to figure out where I was going and I think I went in circles a few times, only barely missing Michael's opera studio, before I finally found it. But the whole city was really gorgeous and worth seeing! And the weather was great! I think I will go back there sometime, but for a longer period of time (and with better shoes).
Michael was really happy to see me. I was very elated to see him too. Apparently, my visiting him provided great moral support at a very opportune moment. The manager of the programme, a certain Greek bass-baritone Damon Nestor Ploumis, is probably the most flamboyant individual I have ever encountered, along with my high-school math teacher, Mr. Tarakdjian. Indeed, he was the type of person who wore custom-made waist-coats from his "tailor in Cypress" (I asked him, this is all true!). Despite his over-the-top persona, though, Damon was a very nice man and I think he was a great help to Michael in his musical progress, along with several others of the wonderful and great people I have met there, in Weimar. I think Michael did have a great experience there, no matter how difficult it was.
And now to the review...
I saw Cosi Fan Tutte, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, performed by no less than three casts while I was in Weimar. All of them were phenomenal performances! One of them was particularly fun, as we all went to a castle from the 1600s called Schloss Kochberg (where Goethe also spent some time) and the opera was performed in the tiny adjacent theater dating back to the days of Mozart himself. The other performances were in the Volkshaus of Weimar, basically in the "people's playhouse."
But that's all beside the point. I will only review Michael's perfomance (the Sunday evening) as reviewing them all would take me forever. But I can tell you they are all brilliant perfomers and I hope they all have great success in their later careers.
So, in the Opera, it all started out with a really funny fight-scene, in which Michael (as Ferrando) was basically taunting a fellow soldier, all with regards to how honest and faithful their respective fiancées are. Michael opened the opera with the very first line "La Mia Dorabella" setting a very good energy for the play. The baritone and bass characters, Guglielmo (performed by the baritone Bryan) and Don Alfonso (performed by a bass from Montreal named Alain) were also phenomenal. I thought Alain was absolutely hilarious as Don Alfonso, especially because he has, as Michael put it so well, "a fifty-year-old bass wobble" to his voice. It was absolutely epic. Bryan, the baritone, was very good too and sounded great, but I believe he may have had more experience than the others in the Sunday cast, as he had performed in the Castle performance as well.
Anyhow, Michael's great moment of glory came when he sang his aria: Un'aura amorosa—"A loving breath." I was speechless with the beauty of the song. So speechless I could barely find the strength to clap, while in the back, many girls cheered loud "bravos" for Michael. I think he did the aria beautifully, probably best than all the other tenors in the other casts. I think he made every woman in the audience swoon when he sang. He sang it so beautifully, and, more than once, he looked directly at me while singing. He told me later he was singing it for me. I guess it helped him sound so in love during the song! ^_^ His acting during the number was also phenomenal. You could SEE the love pouring out of his pores, just like it poured out of his voice. And, in the words of some fellow singers of Michael's; "it was a really difficult aria, and Michael nailed it!" I was so proud of him!
Most of the Opera was comedy, and it was wonderfully and hilariously stages, with funny little dance moves that can only be shown, and, sadly, not described. But just picture Michael in a faux-beard-moustache (because he was disguised as an Albanian) and shaking his booty in an attempt to woo a pretty soprano. It was epic and hilarious! I loved watching it. It is too bad it was only on for a very short time, otherwise, I would advise all to go and watch it. It is a great opera, fantastic music, fantastic staging and fantastic performances. I hope there will be videos, because every one should see it!
I know, this is an odd review, but it is difficult to review a piece like Cosi when performed by new up-and-coming singers. But I can guarantee that the whole thing was absolutely amazing!
Back to the post...
The unfortunate thing was that, while spending some time with me after a rehearsal, Michael's laptop was stolen from his room. I feel really guilty because, had we not spent some time together, Michael might still have his computer. And there are many things of value to the two of us on that laptop, such as all the pictures from Germany in May (of which we have no copies and not nearly half of them were uploaded to Facebook yet!). I do hope it turns up. It really put a damper on Michael's amazing performance that such a stupid thing had to happen!
Okay - I will go and get some shut-eye, seeing as I was up by four in the morning, German time, in order to take a train back to Franfurt airport and fly home. I am completely exhausted. But, before I go, I wish to say that, other than Michael's amazing performance, one of the best things in Weimar is that most of the town is "Fussgaengerzone," i.e. "pedestrians only zone." It makes it a great city to visit!
Before I review Michael's opera, allow me to say how wonderful a city Weimar is. When I got off the train, I thought I had somehow time-travelled back to the 1800s. Except for the modern cars and a monument to the Buchenwald victims (which dates to the late 1940s, I think), most of the city is enormously old. Indeed, Schiller and Goethe, famous German authors, both spent much time there, and the city still looks like it may have been back in their day. Among other things, most of the city (I would say 95 percent of it) is covered in cobblestones. No ashphalt. Usually, that would have been fine, except that I had made the trip in my work heels, and for those who have tried it, you know that heels on cobblestone are a nightmare! I do not want to know what women's feet were like back in the Victorian age, when cobblestones and high-heels ruled and one had no choice but to circulate in them! The cobblestones would not have been so bad if I had not gotten completely lost trying to find Michael's opera studio. I ended up with bleeding ankles due to my confused wanderings. However, I ended up successfully finding Michael's opera studio, called the Lyric Opera Studio Weimar. The reason it was so hard to find is that, in old European cities like Weimar, people had little consideration for parallel streets when the city was built. Unlike North American cities, where a system of parallel streets and squares was divised, Weimar is more like a huge Celtic Knot of Strassen (streets), Plaetze (plazas), and Gassen (alleys). It was really hard to figure out where I was going and I think I went in circles a few times, only barely missing Michael's opera studio, before I finally found it. But the whole city was really gorgeous and worth seeing! And the weather was great! I think I will go back there sometime, but for a longer period of time (and with better shoes).
Michael was really happy to see me. I was very elated to see him too. Apparently, my visiting him provided great moral support at a very opportune moment. The manager of the programme, a certain Greek bass-baritone Damon Nestor Ploumis, is probably the most flamboyant individual I have ever encountered, along with my high-school math teacher, Mr. Tarakdjian. Indeed, he was the type of person who wore custom-made waist-coats from his "tailor in Cypress" (I asked him, this is all true!). Despite his over-the-top persona, though, Damon was a very nice man and I think he was a great help to Michael in his musical progress, along with several others of the wonderful and great people I have met there, in Weimar. I think Michael did have a great experience there, no matter how difficult it was.
And now to the review...
I saw Cosi Fan Tutte, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, performed by no less than three casts while I was in Weimar. All of them were phenomenal performances! One of them was particularly fun, as we all went to a castle from the 1600s called Schloss Kochberg (where Goethe also spent some time) and the opera was performed in the tiny adjacent theater dating back to the days of Mozart himself. The other performances were in the Volkshaus of Weimar, basically in the "people's playhouse."
But that's all beside the point. I will only review Michael's perfomance (the Sunday evening) as reviewing them all would take me forever. But I can tell you they are all brilliant perfomers and I hope they all have great success in their later careers.
So, in the Opera, it all started out with a really funny fight-scene, in which Michael (as Ferrando) was basically taunting a fellow soldier, all with regards to how honest and faithful their respective fiancées are. Michael opened the opera with the very first line "La Mia Dorabella" setting a very good energy for the play. The baritone and bass characters, Guglielmo (performed by the baritone Bryan) and Don Alfonso (performed by a bass from Montreal named Alain) were also phenomenal. I thought Alain was absolutely hilarious as Don Alfonso, especially because he has, as Michael put it so well, "a fifty-year-old bass wobble" to his voice. It was absolutely epic. Bryan, the baritone, was very good too and sounded great, but I believe he may have had more experience than the others in the Sunday cast, as he had performed in the Castle performance as well.
Anyhow, Michael's great moment of glory came when he sang his aria: Un'aura amorosa—"A loving breath." I was speechless with the beauty of the song. So speechless I could barely find the strength to clap, while in the back, many girls cheered loud "bravos" for Michael. I think he did the aria beautifully, probably best than all the other tenors in the other casts. I think he made every woman in the audience swoon when he sang. He sang it so beautifully, and, more than once, he looked directly at me while singing. He told me later he was singing it for me. I guess it helped him sound so in love during the song! ^_^ His acting during the number was also phenomenal. You could SEE the love pouring out of his pores, just like it poured out of his voice. And, in the words of some fellow singers of Michael's; "it was a really difficult aria, and Michael nailed it!" I was so proud of him!
Most of the Opera was comedy, and it was wonderfully and hilariously stages, with funny little dance moves that can only be shown, and, sadly, not described. But just picture Michael in a faux-beard-moustache (because he was disguised as an Albanian) and shaking his booty in an attempt to woo a pretty soprano. It was epic and hilarious! I loved watching it. It is too bad it was only on for a very short time, otherwise, I would advise all to go and watch it. It is a great opera, fantastic music, fantastic staging and fantastic performances. I hope there will be videos, because every one should see it!
I know, this is an odd review, but it is difficult to review a piece like Cosi when performed by new up-and-coming singers. But I can guarantee that the whole thing was absolutely amazing!
Back to the post...
The unfortunate thing was that, while spending some time with me after a rehearsal, Michael's laptop was stolen from his room. I feel really guilty because, had we not spent some time together, Michael might still have his computer. And there are many things of value to the two of us on that laptop, such as all the pictures from Germany in May (of which we have no copies and not nearly half of them were uploaded to Facebook yet!). I do hope it turns up. It really put a damper on Michael's amazing performance that such a stupid thing had to happen!
Okay - I will go and get some shut-eye, seeing as I was up by four in the morning, German time, in order to take a train back to Franfurt airport and fly home. I am completely exhausted. But, before I go, I wish to say that, other than Michael's amazing performance, one of the best things in Weimar is that most of the town is "Fussgaengerzone," i.e. "pedestrians only zone." It makes it a great city to visit!
* Edit: Due to popular demand, some of the wording in this post was changed! ^_^ Cheers!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
In which the Otakuthon took place
Please feel free to (finally) have a look at my cosplay. Here is the completed result. The photos are scanned, though, so forgive the poor quality of them. The second photo was taken from above, so the angle is a little odd... But I am glad at how it turned out!
Anyways, on with the post...
For one glorious weekend, I was back among the living. No work. No stress. Just some great fun with even greater friends.
I attended the Otakuthon, a Quebec anime convention that takes place in Montreal. Considering how insignificant the convention was a few years back, it has much improved, featuring stars of anime like the Full Metal Alchemist voice actors and the master cosplayers Sarcasm Hime and Lillyxandra.
My cosplay turned out AMAZING! For those who do not yet know, I was cosplaying the Archangel Gabriel (aka Jibril) from the manga Angel Sanctuary. The specific costume I made was actually from the second Artbook by Kaori Yuki (the mangaka mastermind behind Angel Sanctuary), called Lost Angel. Despite all my complaining and my near depression with the difficult progress of the costume, I am really happy at how it turned out! I only finished it at 4 a.m. on the Saturday, just before the convention. With bags under my eyes, but a smile, I went to the convention with a happy strut.
Quick details about my costume. It was hard to make. First of all, because my job is eating up so much of my time and I do not feel like doing anything when I get home. But it was also difficult because I had one single picture as a reference and no proper pattern to work with. I did buy a commercial pattern, because the waist of the dress seemed to suit my cosplay, but, upon further observation, I noticed that the dress pattern was entirely wrong for my purposes. I had to ditch the skirt of it and use a skirt pattern from something completely different and I also had to change some seams around to have the zipper on the side instead of in the back, not to mention all the tweaking and shortening that was done to the waist bit. Then came the really hard part. Improv. I had no pattern for either sleeve, so I just measured my arms, cut some fabric, and improvised. I sewed my left sleeve a grand total of four times before succeeding. The hood and the neck corset nearly gave me an ulcer from all the work it took. I basically did my own pattern drafting for these pieces... except without a drafted pattern. I should buy pattern paper, because improvising on your fabric can be stressful when you only have limited amounts of it. I then used a pattern for the bum-roll and completely improvised the tulle petticoat.
There are a few things I want to change about my design, but I believe I can make all those changes for Anime North and maybe absolutely rock the house there. I am even considering entering the masquerade (the costume contest of the convention) at Anime North if I manage to bring this costume up to scratch (amongst other things, I should really think of adding the wings). One thing I know for sure is that I am never using such ichy fabric again!! The main part of the dress was fine, that was not the ichy part. It was the neck corset and my left sleeve... they were made of a sheer, tulle-like fabric that iched like chicken-pox! It was driving me NUTS during the whole convention!!
I also have to give great credit to my roommate, Vanessa, who handcrafted my head jewel and the jewel on the neckpiece. She also did my make-up, as my make-up talents are very limited and the flowers on the original drawing were very intricate.
It made me deliriously happy to see my friends at the convention. We went to loads of events and had a lot of fun. I even made new friends, which was great!! And many, MANY people took pictures of me wherever I went. This has never happened to me before, but I really enjoyed it! I think about 100 random people must have asked for my picture! AWESOME! Not too bad for a first convention cosplay, eh?
My main joy to the Otakuthon, though, was a major fangirl moment, when I met Lillyxandra face-to-face. I had been following that amazing woman's website for ages, ever since I discovered her on cosplay.com (which must have been about two years ago, now). She is one of my very favourite cosplayers! She does many original designs and absolutely gorgeous fairy costumes! Her work is jaw-dropping and stunning! I got a hug from her, which made me very happy! I am also the proud owner of her autograph. The best part, though, was when Lillyxandra actually complimented me about my costume. She loved the paint-job I did on the bra and the way I had made the costume. She thought it was well made and said that she loved that outfit from the artbook and had considered making it for herself too. It made me very happy and I had a major squee moment. Then we talked for a long time. She was there on both the Saturday and the Sunday, dressed as Queen Serenity on the Saturday, and as her own Fairy Design on the Sunday. I hope to be as gifted as she is with costumes someday!
I also met Sarcasm Hime!! (She is another of my favourite cosplayer, by the way.) However, she had to run, as she was on the judging pannel for the masquerade. But she suggested I contact her by email! She was so nice!
The one really disappointing thing about the convention happened at the very end of it. A disappointing moment aside from the moment of shock when a picture of Michael's ex stared up at me from the photography booth....
Anyways, I decided, after a long debate with myself, to purchase the complete first season DVD box set of Full Metal Alchemist. It is my absolute favourite series, it was at a reasonable price and I had wanted it forever, so it was money well spent, I think. And besides, it was my only purchase during the entire convention (except for a 10$ photoshoot).
Unfortunately for me, I put it in the only bag I had brought to the convention with me. When the time came to leave, I rummaged through the bag in order to find my metro pass. In order to make the search easier, I took out the DVDs. However, I have several friends as witnesses who SWEAR they saw me put the box set back into my bag. So how did it manage to disappear after that? Did I lose it? Was it stolen? I have already shed some tears over the lost DVDs and I am super angry at myself, because I usually never forget this kind of stuff. It is really frustrating for me, because I was really happy about it and looking forward to it until it vanished. And I have no idea what happened either! No recollection of anything. It did not turn up in the lost and found and I searched the premises of the convention myself for it. Zilch. It really ruined what would otherwise have been a great evening. I am really disappointed, both in myself and in the situation. And to put a damper on things (no pun intended), it started pouring rain when I came home, so I got drenched... in costume!
Anyways, I think that is enough updates for today. I will update again soon. I am sorry my writing is not of its usual quality, but I am super tired. I will now turn in for a good night's sleep. Please pray with me, though, that some honest soul has found and will return my DVDs...
P.S. But the Otakuthon was still absolutely awesome! So many pretty cosplays! Wish I had had a camera (which, unfortunately, I did not! *pout*)
Anyways, on with the post...
For one glorious weekend, I was back among the living. No work. No stress. Just some great fun with even greater friends.
I attended the Otakuthon, a Quebec anime convention that takes place in Montreal. Considering how insignificant the convention was a few years back, it has much improved, featuring stars of anime like the Full Metal Alchemist voice actors and the master cosplayers Sarcasm Hime and Lillyxandra.
My cosplay turned out AMAZING! For those who do not yet know, I was cosplaying the Archangel Gabriel (aka Jibril) from the manga Angel Sanctuary. The specific costume I made was actually from the second Artbook by Kaori Yuki (the mangaka mastermind behind Angel Sanctuary), called Lost Angel. Despite all my complaining and my near depression with the difficult progress of the costume, I am really happy at how it turned out! I only finished it at 4 a.m. on the Saturday, just before the convention. With bags under my eyes, but a smile, I went to the convention with a happy strut.
Quick details about my costume. It was hard to make. First of all, because my job is eating up so much of my time and I do not feel like doing anything when I get home. But it was also difficult because I had one single picture as a reference and no proper pattern to work with. I did buy a commercial pattern, because the waist of the dress seemed to suit my cosplay, but, upon further observation, I noticed that the dress pattern was entirely wrong for my purposes. I had to ditch the skirt of it and use a skirt pattern from something completely different and I also had to change some seams around to have the zipper on the side instead of in the back, not to mention all the tweaking and shortening that was done to the waist bit. Then came the really hard part. Improv. I had no pattern for either sleeve, so I just measured my arms, cut some fabric, and improvised. I sewed my left sleeve a grand total of four times before succeeding. The hood and the neck corset nearly gave me an ulcer from all the work it took. I basically did my own pattern drafting for these pieces... except without a drafted pattern. I should buy pattern paper, because improvising on your fabric can be stressful when you only have limited amounts of it. I then used a pattern for the bum-roll and completely improvised the tulle petticoat.
There are a few things I want to change about my design, but I believe I can make all those changes for Anime North and maybe absolutely rock the house there. I am even considering entering the masquerade (the costume contest of the convention) at Anime North if I manage to bring this costume up to scratch (amongst other things, I should really think of adding the wings). One thing I know for sure is that I am never using such ichy fabric again!! The main part of the dress was fine, that was not the ichy part. It was the neck corset and my left sleeve... they were made of a sheer, tulle-like fabric that iched like chicken-pox! It was driving me NUTS during the whole convention!!
I also have to give great credit to my roommate, Vanessa, who handcrafted my head jewel and the jewel on the neckpiece. She also did my make-up, as my make-up talents are very limited and the flowers on the original drawing were very intricate.
It made me deliriously happy to see my friends at the convention. We went to loads of events and had a lot of fun. I even made new friends, which was great!! And many, MANY people took pictures of me wherever I went. This has never happened to me before, but I really enjoyed it! I think about 100 random people must have asked for my picture! AWESOME! Not too bad for a first convention cosplay, eh?
My main joy to the Otakuthon, though, was a major fangirl moment, when I met Lillyxandra face-to-face. I had been following that amazing woman's website for ages, ever since I discovered her on cosplay.com (which must have been about two years ago, now). She is one of my very favourite cosplayers! She does many original designs and absolutely gorgeous fairy costumes! Her work is jaw-dropping and stunning! I got a hug from her, which made me very happy! I am also the proud owner of her autograph. The best part, though, was when Lillyxandra actually complimented me about my costume. She loved the paint-job I did on the bra and the way I had made the costume. She thought it was well made and said that she loved that outfit from the artbook and had considered making it for herself too. It made me very happy and I had a major squee moment. Then we talked for a long time. She was there on both the Saturday and the Sunday, dressed as Queen Serenity on the Saturday, and as her own Fairy Design on the Sunday. I hope to be as gifted as she is with costumes someday!
I also met Sarcasm Hime!! (She is another of my favourite cosplayer, by the way.) However, she had to run, as she was on the judging pannel for the masquerade. But she suggested I contact her by email! She was so nice!
The one really disappointing thing about the convention happened at the very end of it. A disappointing moment aside from the moment of shock when a picture of Michael's ex stared up at me from the photography booth....
Anyways, I decided, after a long debate with myself, to purchase the complete first season DVD box set of Full Metal Alchemist. It is my absolute favourite series, it was at a reasonable price and I had wanted it forever, so it was money well spent, I think. And besides, it was my only purchase during the entire convention (except for a 10$ photoshoot).
Unfortunately for me, I put it in the only bag I had brought to the convention with me. When the time came to leave, I rummaged through the bag in order to find my metro pass. In order to make the search easier, I took out the DVDs. However, I have several friends as witnesses who SWEAR they saw me put the box set back into my bag. So how did it manage to disappear after that? Did I lose it? Was it stolen? I have already shed some tears over the lost DVDs and I am super angry at myself, because I usually never forget this kind of stuff. It is really frustrating for me, because I was really happy about it and looking forward to it until it vanished. And I have no idea what happened either! No recollection of anything. It did not turn up in the lost and found and I searched the premises of the convention myself for it. Zilch. It really ruined what would otherwise have been a great evening. I am really disappointed, both in myself and in the situation. And to put a damper on things (no pun intended), it started pouring rain when I came home, so I got drenched... in costume!
Anyways, I think that is enough updates for today. I will update again soon. I am sorry my writing is not of its usual quality, but I am super tired. I will now turn in for a good night's sleep. Please pray with me, though, that some honest soul has found and will return my DVDs...
P.S. But the Otakuthon was still absolutely awesome! So many pretty cosplays! Wish I had had a camera (which, unfortunately, I did not! *pout*)
Sunday, August 8, 2010
In which there are further head injuries
All right, I confess... this one is not exactly a head injury. But it is pretty darned close to being one!
When I woke up this morning, I had a very nasty surprise. I woke up two hours before my alarm clock - which, as many know, very unusual for me - and woke to find a nice day and to find that I was quite alert and ready to start my day. As I shifted in bed, wishing to get up, pain shot from my left shoulder to my head, causing an almost instant migraine. Wondering what was wrong, I tried to shift my head... and found it was impossible. My head was stuck to the right. I could not even force myself to look to the front.
For half an hour, I made calls to my mum, my dad, etc. in order to figure out what was wrong. It turned out I had what we call, in good French, a "torticollis". Now, I was looking up the word to figure out what it was in English for the sake of my readers, but it came up with such a variety of translations that I am not quite certain of what it is I have. There is a "torticollis" in English too, but it seems to be a handicap from a genetic disorder at birth. I can assure you, this is not my case. Other translations were "wry neck," "neck sprain," "stiff neck," "whiplash," "cricked neck," "neck sore," and several medical conditions in Latin that I will not list here. So take your pick. Decide what I have. One thing I can assure you is that I cannot explain it. I have no idea how it happened. I just woke up with the misfortune of having XYZ condition this morning.
And let me tell you... it is bloody painful! Ignore my previous post. I was fit as a fiddle during that one (despite the top of my right ear being blackened for two days... it has now gone down to a slight redness, which is a good sign). My neck, this morning, was absolute agony! It made me realize just how heavy a body part the head actually is.
Getting up was a bloody nightmare! It took me about 10 minutes just to sit up and it made me cry out as tears stung my eyes from the pain. As I pushed myself up from the mattress, my head's weight pulled my neck backwards. It cause me accute pain, so I tried tensing the muscles to avoid my head tilting backwards... and the pain was even more severe. With my head stuck to the right I tried to get dressed - which is an immensely difficult task, I assure you - and then proceeded to try and look straight ahead of me, instead of constantly to the right (having glasses, I do not like to count on my weak peripheral vision too much). Despite trying to force through the pain, my head would not turn. I even used both my hands to try and turn my head to look forward, but the only result I got was that I ended up screaming and crying. It was rather pathetic.
Anyways, with my head awkwardly twisted to the right, I exited the apartment (through the hint of a new staircase we now have at the front... speaking of which, since that hint of staircase, no further renovations have been done! *pout*). I felt really uncomfortable walking down the street, only able to look over my right shoulder. I had to turn my entire body to look accross the street before crossing at an intersection. And I looked like I was constantly window shopping too! I think others thought I was a bit of a freak really. The oddest thing? A guy picked that moment to compliment me: "You are a very beautiful woman!" he said. However, I could not quite look at him to smile or thank him... because I was stuck at such a stupid angle.
Anyways, I finally made it to the pharmacy and bought several anti-inflamatory creams (which makes me sound like an old arthritic lady, I know!) and several pain-killers. I also bought some Robax muscle relaxants, but I resolved to take those only at night, as I do not wish to fall asleep at work. In the end, after smearing my neck and shoulder with cream and taking several pills, I managed to dull the pain enough to bring my face to look straight ahead of me. I needed to use my hands to turn it forward though. After that, I did not dare move it back to the right in case it got stuck again. So I basically spent the whole day looking straight ahead of me.
Now, work today was, literally, a pain in the neck. I am not used to moving with my entire body when looking at something, or turning to someone. I usually move my head alone. So I made many involuntary sudden movements (especially to my left side). The pain shot through me like a gunshot (not that I would know what that feels like, but... well, never mind!) and caused migraines, nausea and dizziness. I think I even came down with a small fever at some point, because I felt cold, then warm, then shivered... It was, all in all, a crappy day! I even think passengers thought me rude, because I would often lead them (to bagage drop, etc.) with my back to them. Usually, I like turning around to address them, but it was impossible today. And looking down at passports and computer screens was excruciating and difficult! And people kept walking out of my line of sight too! I did not enjoy this at all! *pout*
As a result, despite wanting to complete my cosplay tonight, I was unable to work on my costume at all. I will admit, I am not keen on leaning over my sewing machine when my neck is making me swear every few minutes. This is really stupidly painful! And I cannot explain why! Frustrating!
Unfortunately, I do not have many other news to convey. Michael has been completely silent for a while, though I imagine his programme keeps him that busy, so it is not really an issue. I still miss him dearly... though the strong pain in my neck is providing a good (however unhealthy) distraction. I am looking forward to seeing Michael back.
Other than that, there is not much to say. I am still watching the series Bones with enthusiasm. I find it brilliant that Brennan (the main character) is, like the creator of the series, an author of mystery fiction on top of being a forensic anthropologist. But the funny part? The main character in Brennan's book is named after the author of the "Bones" books: Kathy Reichs! I thought that was a hilarious idea (you only find out in passing in the episode "The Bodies in the Book" from season 2). Anyways... I thought I would just share my appreciation for that.
Okay... that is it for me tonight! I will now turn off the lights and sleep as well as I can with a neck that feels like it has been wrongly screwed onto my vertebrae. Goodnight!
When I woke up this morning, I had a very nasty surprise. I woke up two hours before my alarm clock - which, as many know, very unusual for me - and woke to find a nice day and to find that I was quite alert and ready to start my day. As I shifted in bed, wishing to get up, pain shot from my left shoulder to my head, causing an almost instant migraine. Wondering what was wrong, I tried to shift my head... and found it was impossible. My head was stuck to the right. I could not even force myself to look to the front.
For half an hour, I made calls to my mum, my dad, etc. in order to figure out what was wrong. It turned out I had what we call, in good French, a "torticollis". Now, I was looking up the word to figure out what it was in English for the sake of my readers, but it came up with such a variety of translations that I am not quite certain of what it is I have. There is a "torticollis" in English too, but it seems to be a handicap from a genetic disorder at birth. I can assure you, this is not my case. Other translations were "wry neck," "neck sprain," "stiff neck," "whiplash," "cricked neck," "neck sore," and several medical conditions in Latin that I will not list here. So take your pick. Decide what I have. One thing I can assure you is that I cannot explain it. I have no idea how it happened. I just woke up with the misfortune of having XYZ condition this morning.
And let me tell you... it is bloody painful! Ignore my previous post. I was fit as a fiddle during that one (despite the top of my right ear being blackened for two days... it has now gone down to a slight redness, which is a good sign). My neck, this morning, was absolute agony! It made me realize just how heavy a body part the head actually is.
Getting up was a bloody nightmare! It took me about 10 minutes just to sit up and it made me cry out as tears stung my eyes from the pain. As I pushed myself up from the mattress, my head's weight pulled my neck backwards. It cause me accute pain, so I tried tensing the muscles to avoid my head tilting backwards... and the pain was even more severe. With my head stuck to the right I tried to get dressed - which is an immensely difficult task, I assure you - and then proceeded to try and look straight ahead of me, instead of constantly to the right (having glasses, I do not like to count on my weak peripheral vision too much). Despite trying to force through the pain, my head would not turn. I even used both my hands to try and turn my head to look forward, but the only result I got was that I ended up screaming and crying. It was rather pathetic.
Anyways, with my head awkwardly twisted to the right, I exited the apartment (through the hint of a new staircase we now have at the front... speaking of which, since that hint of staircase, no further renovations have been done! *pout*). I felt really uncomfortable walking down the street, only able to look over my right shoulder. I had to turn my entire body to look accross the street before crossing at an intersection. And I looked like I was constantly window shopping too! I think others thought I was a bit of a freak really. The oddest thing? A guy picked that moment to compliment me: "You are a very beautiful woman!" he said. However, I could not quite look at him to smile or thank him... because I was stuck at such a stupid angle.
Anyways, I finally made it to the pharmacy and bought several anti-inflamatory creams (which makes me sound like an old arthritic lady, I know!) and several pain-killers. I also bought some Robax muscle relaxants, but I resolved to take those only at night, as I do not wish to fall asleep at work. In the end, after smearing my neck and shoulder with cream and taking several pills, I managed to dull the pain enough to bring my face to look straight ahead of me. I needed to use my hands to turn it forward though. After that, I did not dare move it back to the right in case it got stuck again. So I basically spent the whole day looking straight ahead of me.
Now, work today was, literally, a pain in the neck. I am not used to moving with my entire body when looking at something, or turning to someone. I usually move my head alone. So I made many involuntary sudden movements (especially to my left side). The pain shot through me like a gunshot (not that I would know what that feels like, but... well, never mind!) and caused migraines, nausea and dizziness. I think I even came down with a small fever at some point, because I felt cold, then warm, then shivered... It was, all in all, a crappy day! I even think passengers thought me rude, because I would often lead them (to bagage drop, etc.) with my back to them. Usually, I like turning around to address them, but it was impossible today. And looking down at passports and computer screens was excruciating and difficult! And people kept walking out of my line of sight too! I did not enjoy this at all! *pout*
As a result, despite wanting to complete my cosplay tonight, I was unable to work on my costume at all. I will admit, I am not keen on leaning over my sewing machine when my neck is making me swear every few minutes. This is really stupidly painful! And I cannot explain why! Frustrating!
Unfortunately, I do not have many other news to convey. Michael has been completely silent for a while, though I imagine his programme keeps him that busy, so it is not really an issue. I still miss him dearly... though the strong pain in my neck is providing a good (however unhealthy) distraction. I am looking forward to seeing Michael back.
Other than that, there is not much to say. I am still watching the series Bones with enthusiasm. I find it brilliant that Brennan (the main character) is, like the creator of the series, an author of mystery fiction on top of being a forensic anthropologist. But the funny part? The main character in Brennan's book is named after the author of the "Bones" books: Kathy Reichs! I thought that was a hilarious idea (you only find out in passing in the episode "The Bodies in the Book" from season 2). Anyways... I thought I would just share my appreciation for that.
Okay... that is it for me tonight! I will now turn off the lights and sleep as well as I can with a neck that feels like it has been wrongly screwed onto my vertebrae. Goodnight!
Friday, August 6, 2010
In which there was a lot of injuries
Hello all! I do not have all that much to say/update/blog on today, unfortunately. However, I felt the need to keep my readers up to date on my comings and goings and odd musings (especially my favourite reader, who is currently halfway across the world! ^_^ )
Anyways. Today was ridiculous. I do not think I have ever hurt myself THAT often in less than 24 hours. It all started this morning. As you are all aware, the front steps are no longer there (though this evening, when coming home from work, I happily discovered the skeleton of a new staircase being erected! Hopefully it will be completed by tomorrow and I can use the normal way out again!) and I have had to use the back door, in other words the emergency exit, to get out of my apartment and safely down to ground level. Now, the issue is that there is a fence that keeps our backyard "safe". My roommate and I have a huge issue with said fence... It is locked! We both have the key to the lock, and it IS the correct key (for we compared it with that of our neighbours), however, for some unfathomable reason, it simply does not work. For either of us. So, lately, Vanessa and I have taken to acting like eels of the coast of Canada and just squeezing ourselves through the gap in between the two fence "gates". I must say, we are both very good at that... I am starting to think we may both share some genes with invertebrates.
Anyhow, for some reason, the chain holding the two gate "doors" together was much tighter than usual this morning. Indeed, I could not squeeze through! Or, rather, my body could, but my bloody head could not! I wish I was not so smart! A smaller brain would have been convenient (just kidding here - I am not that pompous... that I know of...) But I certainly did wish that my skull had not fused together yet! Stupid ossification! I was nearly stuck in that fence!! However, after lots of pulling and painful yanks, I got my head out and went to work, temples throbbing like someone had whacked them with a hammer.
I wish the headache had been the worst consequence of my squeeze-through mishap, but there was more. I really hurt my right ear squeezing through that fence. At first I thought it was nothing. My upper ear-lobe was just throbbing and smarting right after the event... which would be consistent with some bruising obtained as I pulled my head through the fence. There were no cuts, no blood, nothing to worry about... so I ignored it. However, that ear has been hurting all bloody day! For nearly 20 hours now, my ear has been smarting. It is not extremely painful, but I cannot say that it is not annoying! I am getting tired of this painful throbbing!! And after having people look at the upper lobe of my ear, they keep saying it looks very red... either bruised or inflamed. I am praying it is a bruise. Because if there is damage to the cartilage, nothing can be done to repair it (cartilage has no blood vessels... I looked it up)... stupid cartilage!
Anyways, now I am trying to figure out a way to sleep without ending up on that ear and making it hurt more.
The day is not over yet, though. The hurts got worse. First off, I have managed to keep my paper-cut record pretty low since starting work for AC. After the first week of work, during which I paper-cut about every square millimeter of my hand, I managed to stay relatively paper-cut free. However, today, I managed to achieve seven paper cuts in four hours alone. It was starting to irk me enormously.
And for the last injury... a passenger showed up with two bags. One of 20 kilos, and one of 36 kilos... DO THEY NOT READ THE RULES?! No single airline would accept that weight! It is 32 kg maximum, even if you pay a fortune!! If you have something that exceeds that weight, I can only say a) Cargo; or b) ship it! Do not put it on a passenger plane! Anyways, the lady wanted help lugging this Godzilla of a luggage... And I promptly somehow screwed up my shoulder while helping her. That will teach me to be nice! I have no idea what I did, all I know it that the lower tip of my left shoulder blade is starting to make me swear and curse a lot. It hurts. I imagine that if someone had lodged a knife in my back, between my bones at that exact spot, it would feel the same. Pleasant. Very pleasant.
And now... in order to no longer sound so frustrated about the pain... (sorry about that... but I ache all over... it does kind of piss me off!)
I had a wonderful two days off with my mum. We did not do much, only hang out together and watch some prime-time tv shows (notably the Mentalist), but it felt really good. It was nice to be back at home. I miss the house I grew up in. I also missed my mum. It was really good to see her. I am happy that her chemo is over soon! And for those who are on facebook, I swear that my mum makes the best Spätzle in the world! I even got some for lunch the next morning!
And that is about it for updates. You may want to know that I have been reading a lot of late. I have been drinking more than the daily recomended dose of water in books in the last three days. I love reading... and I had forgotten the joy of it. I have been reading Katy Reichs novels... you know, the ones that inspired the tv show Bones? I love that show. I have been rewatching some episodes online (picking the ones with the most appealing titles) and I have been quite enjoying myself. It is quite the well written show, especially for geeks. And the book is REALLY good! And, speaking of books, the book on how to write fantasy re-appeared... In the KITCHEN! I do not know what it was doing there, as I avoid the kitchen like plague... Must be the wormhole.
Finally, I am sorry to announce that Michael's flowers have dried out. They have lasted about a week, though, which makes me happy. I am just sad to see that their beauty has wilted. Strangely enough, though, they have dried out rather than simply died. That struck me as strange, seeing as I have been changing their water every second day... Oh well... I am not someone who knows much about botanics anyways... It is just unfortunate. I loved those flowers, they meant a lot to me. The first proper bouquet Michael has given me... *sigh*
Anyways - I am off to bed now! I cannot believe how much I have been rambling!
Oh, and P.S. Michael's mum suggested I write about the disappearing objects in my room. Except that I should make it faeries. I like faeries. I think I will take her up on the idea! Look for more developpements on that soon! ;-D
Anyways. Today was ridiculous. I do not think I have ever hurt myself THAT often in less than 24 hours. It all started this morning. As you are all aware, the front steps are no longer there (though this evening, when coming home from work, I happily discovered the skeleton of a new staircase being erected! Hopefully it will be completed by tomorrow and I can use the normal way out again!) and I have had to use the back door, in other words the emergency exit, to get out of my apartment and safely down to ground level. Now, the issue is that there is a fence that keeps our backyard "safe". My roommate and I have a huge issue with said fence... It is locked! We both have the key to the lock, and it IS the correct key (for we compared it with that of our neighbours), however, for some unfathomable reason, it simply does not work. For either of us. So, lately, Vanessa and I have taken to acting like eels of the coast of Canada and just squeezing ourselves through the gap in between the two fence "gates". I must say, we are both very good at that... I am starting to think we may both share some genes with invertebrates.
Anyhow, for some reason, the chain holding the two gate "doors" together was much tighter than usual this morning. Indeed, I could not squeeze through! Or, rather, my body could, but my bloody head could not! I wish I was not so smart! A smaller brain would have been convenient (just kidding here - I am not that pompous... that I know of...) But I certainly did wish that my skull had not fused together yet! Stupid ossification! I was nearly stuck in that fence!! However, after lots of pulling and painful yanks, I got my head out and went to work, temples throbbing like someone had whacked them with a hammer.
I wish the headache had been the worst consequence of my squeeze-through mishap, but there was more. I really hurt my right ear squeezing through that fence. At first I thought it was nothing. My upper ear-lobe was just throbbing and smarting right after the event... which would be consistent with some bruising obtained as I pulled my head through the fence. There were no cuts, no blood, nothing to worry about... so I ignored it. However, that ear has been hurting all bloody day! For nearly 20 hours now, my ear has been smarting. It is not extremely painful, but I cannot say that it is not annoying! I am getting tired of this painful throbbing!! And after having people look at the upper lobe of my ear, they keep saying it looks very red... either bruised or inflamed. I am praying it is a bruise. Because if there is damage to the cartilage, nothing can be done to repair it (cartilage has no blood vessels... I looked it up)... stupid cartilage!
Anyways, now I am trying to figure out a way to sleep without ending up on that ear and making it hurt more.
The day is not over yet, though. The hurts got worse. First off, I have managed to keep my paper-cut record pretty low since starting work for AC. After the first week of work, during which I paper-cut about every square millimeter of my hand, I managed to stay relatively paper-cut free. However, today, I managed to achieve seven paper cuts in four hours alone. It was starting to irk me enormously.
And for the last injury... a passenger showed up with two bags. One of 20 kilos, and one of 36 kilos... DO THEY NOT READ THE RULES?! No single airline would accept that weight! It is 32 kg maximum, even if you pay a fortune!! If you have something that exceeds that weight, I can only say a) Cargo; or b) ship it! Do not put it on a passenger plane! Anyways, the lady wanted help lugging this Godzilla of a luggage... And I promptly somehow screwed up my shoulder while helping her. That will teach me to be nice! I have no idea what I did, all I know it that the lower tip of my left shoulder blade is starting to make me swear and curse a lot. It hurts. I imagine that if someone had lodged a knife in my back, between my bones at that exact spot, it would feel the same. Pleasant. Very pleasant.
And now... in order to no longer sound so frustrated about the pain... (sorry about that... but I ache all over... it does kind of piss me off!)
I had a wonderful two days off with my mum. We did not do much, only hang out together and watch some prime-time tv shows (notably the Mentalist), but it felt really good. It was nice to be back at home. I miss the house I grew up in. I also missed my mum. It was really good to see her. I am happy that her chemo is over soon! And for those who are on facebook, I swear that my mum makes the best Spätzle in the world! I even got some for lunch the next morning!
And that is about it for updates. You may want to know that I have been reading a lot of late. I have been drinking more than the daily recomended dose of water in books in the last three days. I love reading... and I had forgotten the joy of it. I have been reading Katy Reichs novels... you know, the ones that inspired the tv show Bones? I love that show. I have been rewatching some episodes online (picking the ones with the most appealing titles) and I have been quite enjoying myself. It is quite the well written show, especially for geeks. And the book is REALLY good! And, speaking of books, the book on how to write fantasy re-appeared... In the KITCHEN! I do not know what it was doing there, as I avoid the kitchen like plague... Must be the wormhole.
Finally, I am sorry to announce that Michael's flowers have dried out. They have lasted about a week, though, which makes me happy. I am just sad to see that their beauty has wilted. Strangely enough, though, they have dried out rather than simply died. That struck me as strange, seeing as I have been changing their water every second day... Oh well... I am not someone who knows much about botanics anyways... It is just unfortunate. I loved those flowers, they meant a lot to me. The first proper bouquet Michael has given me... *sigh*
Anyways - I am off to bed now! I cannot believe how much I have been rambling!
Oh, and P.S. Michael's mum suggested I write about the disappearing objects in my room. Except that I should make it faeries. I like faeries. I think I will take her up on the idea! Look for more developpements on that soon! ;-D
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