Songs of Innocence and Experience

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A new month

The One Act Play Festival is now over. No more rehearsals, no more scripts, no more 'Fuck, line?' ... it's a bitter-sweet feeling really. It was great fun though. A very interesting character and a difficult one too, as all the judges pointed out, but they said that I managed to really pull it off and I gave a good performance. My downfall was that I'm "too generous with the stage". Apparently I don't take enough of the spotlight when I can and let my fellow cast members shine. I also need to work on 'cheating' dialogues by facing forward even when speaking to the person next to me, because otherwise I'm constantly in profile. So, all in all, I got some good tips and great words of advice and encouragement.

Tomorrow I have my first Economics lesson! Today I went and bought two pencils and three pens (a blue, a red and a green). I love stationery! :) I still had stationery left over from last year, still in my pencil case (well make up case from Body Shop that I bought to use as a pencil case cos it's pretty) so I've prepared that and my notebook, with the frame of mind that everything is going to be really neat and tidy... come December, that might change! But you have to start off with a positive attitude.

After my lesson I have an end-of-summer pool party/BBQ - I have to take the sausages.

A Levels

I start 'A' Level lessons next week!

Tuesday and Friday - Economics, and Monday and Thursday - Accounts (only next Monday I don't have a lesson). How weird to be in a class with just a few people and actually be learning a completely new topic! Well, that's how Accounts will be because it's a private tutor. For Economics I'm taking a government evening course so I assume the group will be bigger.

I called St. Martin's Institute to see about their courses... they cost Lm250!! I was flabbergasted!

This method should hopefully work and then a friend of mine is going to give me extra tuition on both subjects which will help considering that I have no background in either of the subjects! A couple of private lessons tutors refused me because I don't have the 'O' Level though I suppose I can understand that because I might have held the class back but this guy that I found seemed to deal with beginners like me who don't want to do the 'O' Level and then have to do the 'A' Level.

I suppose the difference this time around is that it's a personal choice and I don't have the pressure of 'if you don't pass you won't go to Uni'!

Hah! And there I was thinking that once the One Acts are over I'd have time to myself! No rest for the wicked.

Sod's law

First show is tomorrow, and, I've got a cold!!

Pfft.

At least judging is on Saturday so hopefully it will get better not worse.

Migraine

I had a terrible migraine last night! It started out as a slight headache in the afternoon, got worse with the stage lights, then subsided slightly and once I got home it exploded into the feeling of a very persistent jackhammer trying to get through my skull. It was quite agonizing; even sending a text message was painful! In fact I cancelled my plans and finally managed to sleep by 10. Had some weird weird dreams, and this morning I actually still woke up with a trace of a headache! I took two Panadols and it seems to have gone now. I can actually sit at my computer and not feel any form of tension building up.

I hope the rest of the day will be pain-free.

Mondays

I had such a hectic Monday morning! Before I knew it, it was 14:00 and I still hadn't had lunch, so by 14:20 I made it a point to just get up from my desk and walk out! But I'm really enjoying work and there's a lot of stuff to do so I often have to Snooze some Outlook reminders to the next day because I just can't fit everything into one day. Thankfully there are tasks that you can do this with. I suppose Mondays are always a bit hectic though because there are always a few more e-mails and a few more requests and stuff. But now I'm ordering stationary so I'm getting my coloured felt-tip pens... then I'll be happ(y)ier :) hehe. I love stationary. I've already sorted through the mess that was the stationary cupboard and made half the things mine! And in the process I found items that I was going to order and now don't need to, so I am actually saving money! ;)

Rehearsals are going well. Definitely understanding the character more. We read-through and analyzed the second half of the play today and there were very few interruptions because we're both in-tune with the way that our characters would speak and pause, tone inflections, sighs, etc. Less than three weeks to go now!

Matt has invited me to Frankfurt again so I'm debating whether I can go again in December. I probably could because I could save and I should be able to take leave by that time. I wasn't chosen for Panto so I won't have that commitment either. I'm really longing to go abroad again and although it's nice to go to different places, when finances are tight you just accept any offer graciously and with much gratitude! Besides Frankfurt is a great city and I loved it last time round.

Barely on my feet

I'm surviving on the fact that time moves and I cannot stop it so must therefore just go along with it.

I only arrived home 15 minutes ago (23:35) and have been out since 09:00 this morning. Work, followed by work, followed by rehearsals... it's tiring! And tomorrow I've got rehearsals straight after work again but at least we should be done by 21:00. This weekend is definitely a much-needed one!

I've got a September full of this so I might end up a blubbering wreck, but hopefully no. October will hopefully be slightly better but I somehow managed to book myself into Economics lessons twice a week!

Although I'm complaining I'm really looking forward to performing our play because at each rehearsal I get more comfortable with my movements and, sort of, my lines. I'm terrible at learning lines. They're there somewhere in my head but they don't always remain in their place and come when called!

Now I'm ready to sleep; wow, I'm still going to get 8 full hours, I just hope that I don't dream unpleasant dreams as has been happening recently. Not nightmares, just not nice thoughts!

And if you're into musicals then I suggest going to see Wicked... see why.

Bl-istand innovation ukoll!

And the weekend is over. Now that I'm working, I'm starting to appreciate them again!

Friday night I stayed in because I was tired; tried watching that Woody Allen film and fell asleep after about 30 minutes. Had work on Saturday morning and then tried watching the film again in the afternoon, fell asleep again, so I gave up on knowing the ending (I'm really not bothered). Had work at SJCav which was great cos there was With Friends Like These on so there were lots of people that I knew. After my shift ended and the show ended we all went to Inspirations and sat there for a while, then I went to listen to the concert from near the Upper Barakka because I couldn't be asked to move the car to go to the Waterfront; really doubt that there would've been parking anyway. The atmosphere looked great down there but it was nice just to listen to them. And this evening I actually went to watch With Friends Like These and I really enjoyed it. It was a lovely show with some great songs!

And it's back to work tomorrow. But I have a pool party this week to look forward to and then as from next week it's full speed ahead with rehearsals for the One Acts!

Discovery

Woody Allen films always make me sleep

Relying on electricity

Half the island had no power this afternoon meaning that we had no computers, no AC, no lights, and at the office no telephones. So we were sent home early (yay). Once I got home I continued reading my whodunnit book (one chapter to go) but it was so hot that I just conked out for about 2-3 hours! My plan was to finish the book and then start studying my script cos tonight we have our first read-thru and we should have started to learn some lines. I know the last line of the play and that my character's name is Ros. That's as far as it goes. Thankfully power came back (hence the update) and fans are back on. But I think I'll clear up my room before attempting any script reading. It requires less brain usage and brain is on semi-shutdown at the moment.

Tickly tonsils

I think I may be getting sick soon. I'm feeling tingly tonsils which is never a good sign!

The weekend was okay but I was in a very lazy mood so didn't do much and as such got somewhat bored, through my own laziness! Back to work tomorrow and then I have a BBQ of SJ Cav in the evening. I intend to go to Valletta earlier though because Bubbles have a sale, and even though I said that I wouldn't buy shoes from there anymore cos they tend to hurt my feet I can't pass up the opportunity of what may be a good bargain!

September is going to be busy with line-learning and rehearsals but I must make it a point to go diving because I haven't been once this year!! *shame* I just haven't had the money... not that I'm going to be rich next month but if I budget properly I can possibly manage two dives.

Employed!

I have a job! Yes, a full-time job :) I start on Monday.

I'm the administrator with an estate agents whose offices are very close to my house - that means no car, which means no parking problems, which means no petrol expenses. Fabulous!

Whilst I am probably slightly over-qualified for the role it seems to be an interesting one and the atmosphere in the office seems to be a good one. Anyway I'm very happy about it. Finally regain some stability once again.

Tomorrow there are auditions for panto. I still haven't learnt my monologue off by heart but I kind of know the sequence of it in my own way. Plus I need 2 songs and the sheet music. I don't own sheet music and it seems impossible to find it online for free. I shall see what I can bum off other people! I have a feeling that there are going to be many, many people auditioning (like there were for the One Acts). If I don't get selected then I'll try and save up to go abroad in December; if I do get selected then I'll postpone to February and go away for my birthday. It would be nice to get chosen though. I'd like to do at least one panto!

One-Acts

I just got back from the auditions of the One Act Plays... I got a part :) I was called first! I was like, oh cool. I'm in Michelle's play which is great, because the script is excellent and so is Michelle! It's a two-hander (two females) and it's what I would call and emotionally funny play. It's witty but thought-provoking. Really looking forward to it. I've got four weeks in which to learn the script and then we start actual rehearsals for character building, cues, etc.

Next week a small group of us are meeting up for wine, dips and monologue discussion. There are panto auditions on Saturday so we're going to practise and discuss. Feedback is essential. And hopefully I'll manage to find a suitable song!

Bargain Books

I bought 12 books for Lm14 :)

I don't have space for them so now I'm wondering whether I should go through my books and sell some of them, the 'trashy' novel sort. But I like keeping my books, so it would be hard to part with them methinks!

Photo teaser

The Internet's been acting up today. I've finally uploaded the photos of Isle of MTV and of yesterday's cast party which was excellent. We had so much fun :)

I don't think I'll manage to get them up here today though because everything is screwing up and it's rather frustrating. Perhaps I'll get them up on Facebook.

For photos of the actual play you can check out Darrin Zammit Lupi's site. They're branded with his initials for copyright reasons, but you can still see the pictures clearly.

Alack, alack, alack... I am so tired

Whilst everyone is complaining about the heat, I am sitting at the reception desk freezing my tits off. The same thing happened the last time that I was here and I made a mental note to get a shirt with me today, but obviously I forgot it, and am now paying the price. I'm waiting for 14:00 to be able to go out in the heat and feel human again!

Shakespeare is over! Last night was yesterday. The theatre was completely packed and the audience were really great. All audiences were great actually. We had some great responses. It's always weird when a production ends because you would have spent so much time focusing on it and meeting the same people day after day, that once it's over you tend to feel a bit lost. But in a way I'm glad that it's over too because it was a tiring production and I feel shattered. We have our cast party tonight - BBQ at Exiles - so that should be fun :)

After the show yesterday we went to Strada for a drink and there was a live band playing. It was fun. Once the band stopped a couple of people with guitars started playing and everyone was singing along and all of a sudden a shower of water burst from the 'skies'. Someone had thrown a plastic bag full of water from a balcony and it got caught in the electricity wires and burst, showering everyone below. That only got the crowd more geared up and the revellery continued! I left at about 1:00 a.m. because I was exhausted by then and I knew that I had a full day awaiting me. Sleep was the only thing that I cared for at that point.

Next Saturday it's auditions again. We're only two months away from the One-Acts and those are always great fun.

Psychology

I have changed my Nohari window because there were only 2 entries, one of which was a joke! So here's the link My Nohari window if you want to fill it in.

There's also the Johari one that you can get to from either my profile or my journal page.

Be honest :)

Opening Night

Opening night is tonight!!! I'm quite excited about it. Nervous too. I feel like it's going to be a practice run almost!

Yesterday we were at the Opera House until 01:00 a.m.!! And then I didn't sleep too well because I kept having random, confusing dreams connected to the show that didn't let me rest, plus the heat doesn't help. And I had to wake up early because I had work at 08:30 and even though I tried coming in early I still didn't manage to find parking outside the CVA area so I had to park inside Valletta and am going to be charged Lm2.80 which kind of sucks to have to pay to go to work, but considering that I'm going to be parked there for 15-16 hours it's not so bad. On Friday I'll use the bus though because I'm not working a full day so then I can go home and drive in at 19:00 for the show and by that time it's free.

Tonight I'm hoping that we'll be able to leave by midnight. At least tomorrow no work in the morning and then it's Isle of MTV!!!!!

Just a Muggle

I finished Harry Potter & the DH!!!!

Wow! Excellent book. I'm glad that the world has an author like JK Rowling who is able to write simply, without it being lame, and convey so much emotion and such imagery in one's mind.

I didn't get into the HP craze when it came out. I remember being in London and seeing people read it on the Tube and I wasn't bothered. In fact I didn't own any of them until No.5 was out because I received the box set as a present. I must have read the first one or two but didn't actually buy them. And then I waited with bated breath for the sixth and seventh to be released.

This last installment is very dark and rather depressing but it's gripping. I had to take breaks between chapters because I was getting so worked up!

And that's the end of stories about "the Boy who lived". Now we have two more films to wait for :) In the meantime I'm going to browse Mugglenet to see what's happening there.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I got my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows!

Katherine, Bella and I went to the launch at the Valletta Waterfront after rehearsals. We got there are around midnight so decided that we may as well join the queue. I had Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince with me which I had started reading at midday, and managed to finish (admittedly, skimming through the last few pages) before 01:01, which is when Book 7 was to be released. I needed to read it again because I had forgotten it all!! *shock* *horror*

There was some idiot woman on a mic who initiated a countdown from 30(!!!!) for Harry Potter and the Deathly 'Halos', upon which everyone in the shop (and there were a lot of people!) went HALLOWS!! I think she was suitably embarassed.

Kat began reading it before even paying for it! She's already on Chapter 8 I believe. Bella and I started reading it at Hard Rock Cafe where we went for a drink. I read 4 chapters in all. This seems to be the darkest book by far!

At 02:00 we decided to make our way back to the car and on the way out I met Philip and Vicky who had also bought the book and were having a drink, but had not as yet indulged in the pages of magic and mystery. Whilst speaking to them there was an extremely unpleasant incident as a man was thrown out of Heat and beaten up by 2 bouncers who kicked him in the face and hit him even when he had fallen down. Thankfully another guy went up and stopped one of them because they would have hit him again. I don't know what the man did to get thrown out of the bar but the bouncers were pure thugs. They just wanted to release some pent up energy and they found a victim. It was a terrible scene to witness.

I'm too tired to continue reading now although I am very curious, but it is best left until tomorrow when I can concentrate more.

The Philosophy of Housework

I've been really housewife-y today (only without the wife bit, meaning that I don't have a husband who's going to come home unannounced during the day and ravage me wildly on the kitchen table... okaaay, where did that come from?) Aaaanyway... I cleared my room and swept the floor and that of my balcony, changed my bed linen, put a load of laundry for the wash (I have to hang them up now and fold the ones that are outside), I swept almost the entire flat (it's a relatively large flat), washed the dishes, washed the kitchen floor, tried moving furniture around in the reading room because it's still not settled. And now I'm rather tired. I've also just had a yoghurt and it's occurred to me that I now have to wash the teaspoon! That's the thing with housework, it's never really done is it. You're always going to dirty something and have to start the procedure again.

I bought a dress this morning and am very pleased with it, although I'm not sure when I'm going to wear it. It's black and casual but extremely cleavagey. And then I went to buy (use a voucher) these wicked shoes that I had seen at Benetton but she didn't have my size in the shop and couldn't go to the store because there was no one to replace her! So since they're not urgent I told her to SMS me when she'll have them available so that I can call for them.

Am meant to be starting work this week so I might go to the beach today once I can.

Harry Potter

Just back from watching Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Loved it! It was really excellent with astounding imagery as always and lots of spells and charms. It's quite a 'cruel' story in certain areas and the punishments that are handed to the students by Professor Umbridge are positively wicked. The lines scene was particularly painful.

Obviously it's very difficult to get the entire book into a decent-length film and there were lots of jumps and certain things that were left out; however, if you haven't read the book I don't think it would affect you too much. Whilst if you have read the book you have 'insider' knowledge.

I loved Tonks and Luna - I thought that the casting was excellent. And Helena Bonham Carter was exquisitely horrid as Bellatrix LeStrange.

Can't wait for it to come out on dvd. And July 21st - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (the last installment of the series!) where we will find out how "neither can live whilst the other survives".

The Altruistic Four

Rehearsals yesterday were on site at the Old Opera House in Valletta where we had an audience of a few tourists who stopped by to see what was going on, a group of teenagers hanging around on the ruins (as Valletta teens do presunably) and a courting teenage couple who were more interested in each other's faces than the play, although the girl threw a hissy fit when her boyfriend got a case of wanderinghandsitis. The space there is so much bigger than the clubrooms, thankfully the main actors are going to be miked.

After rehearsals we went to Jubilee, after first walking into BK, then considering McDonalds and finally ending up at Jubilee... definitely my favourite of the three, although I was disappointed with the bruschetta because they put garlic butter!! Eeww! We were extremely loud and in fact the tables near us were empty whilst the front of the restaurant was packed! Oops!

Left at about 23:00 and was giving a lift to Bella, Kat(rina) and Kat(herine) who live in Kappara, St. Julians and St. Julians respectively. So I drove into Kappara and ahead of us was an ambulance with its lights on but no siren, yet driving rather slowly, and we realised that it was lost so we asked them where they had to go and they gave the street name but neither of us knew where it was so we couldn't be of much help. We drove on a little further and then I realised that I had a map in the car!! So I pulled over, found the map, located the street and in the meantime Kat(rina) went to hail the ambulance. Showed them the map and explained how to get there and they thanked us and drove off. So we all felt very altruistic and pleased at having done our good deed for the day. Although we were quite shocked that an ambulance didn't have a street map!

Picture Story

I have some photos to post which I took over the past couple of weeks at various events including the Bryan Adams concert, Ladies do lunch at Paparazzi, drinks at Snoopys and some Malta shots.

Firstly here's the single photo that 'I' took at the Joseph Calleja concert. It's more of a 'rikordju' pic than anything else.

I'm not really going to bother with much of a commentary because they're pictures... and you're all clever enough to understand them!

Nat, myself and Michelle

Most photos were taken by other people who had a better (read: taller) point of view than myself!

Krista was here on holiday from Stratford-upon-Avon where she's studying for a Masters so we decided to meet up for a leisurely lunch in the sun Mediterranean-style :)

I also met up with her (and a few other people) at Snoopys later in the week...

Bryan Adams

Just back from the Bryan Adams concert. It was great, he gave a really good show, although I had a bit of a problem seeing! Issoltu! But I have some photos so we'll see what came out :)