Paused

There's been a bit of a gap between posts...I shall try an account for this:

• Two General Studies exams, neither of which I believe has gone particularly well
• My Dad's birthday
• Being scared out of my wits by a talk about personal statements ('the single most important piece of writing you will ever do') at school
• Working
• Essays
• Being ill

The pro about the latter thing is that I finally managed to sleep okay and had a day off work yesterday, which mainly involved just sleeping. However, am slightly frustrated that mother rang up work to say I was sick and then didn't click that next Saturday is the weekend I've asked to have off (yet again, work seem to turn a blind eye everytime I mention the days I need off to them). This means that I'll probably have to phone them tomorrow (not looking forward to that conversation). Which means I've been stressing out about having to call them tomorrow. Which means I now feel worse.

Wonderful.

In other news, I've discovered Mad Men through my Dad's birthday gift of the first two series. It's brilliant.

I've also set up a LoveFilm account, awaiting La Vie en Rose, The West Wing-Series 1, (500) Days of Summer and St Trinians (the first one) among others

Americana (An American Wife, CSI:NY & Glee)

An American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

This has got to be one of the best books I've read in quite some time. This book follows the life of Alice Blackwell, from when she was a child growing up in Riley, to becoming the First Lady of America. I can't really do a thorough review of it as it is just so full and so...good! From incidents in Alice's past that haunt her (the death of a childhood friend in a car accident and an abortion), to meeting the man that would become president, Charlie Blackwell to talking to a man who has lost his sons in a war that is very reminiscent of Iraq, and enraging her husband. The main talk about this book is about how it is supposedly inspired by George Bush Jr and Laura Bush; Charlie is Republican, his father ran for president, he has a drinking problem, he is religious, he is portrayed as not-so-smart in the media and he starts an unpopular war. Whilst those references are there, this is really a story about a woman who goes through a lot and yet has to be one of the most recognisable figures in America. It's a wonderful book, almost cinematic, and it is amazing to find that this is only Sittenfeld's third novel.

CSI:NY-'Blacklist'

(AJ Buckley & Hill Harper)

Having missed the first episode of the new series, I'm not entirely sure where the personal relationships lie at the moment. However, there was little time for that this episode, as a dying man (Greg Germann) was busy tracking down and ensuring death for the people he viewed as the culprits for his death, the CEO of a medical company that closed his cancer ward (Dameon Clarke) and the doctors that had been caring for him, Jeff Evans (Boo Arnold) and Lisa Kim (Michelle Krusiec). The episode was almost a cautionary tale about technology, with the ill man hacking GPS, 911 Calls and lift systems to inflict damage on his victims. He also revealed how Mac's (Gary Sinise) father died, of a similar cancer, and that he was the inspiration for Mac joining NYPD. CSI:NY is now in it's sixth series, and is still brilliant, though (obviously) very inplausible.

Glee-The First Episode & Showmance

(Lea Michele & Chris Colfer)

It seems that this version of the pilot had been tightened and I don't remember Matthew Morrison singing on the first view. After 'Showmance' I'm pretty much won over by Glee, the appearance of the Celibacy Club (filled with the football players and the cheerleaders) and the Glee Club performing 'Push It' in assembly, in order to win over more members. Quinn auditions for Glee Club (performing 'Say A Little Prayer for You') and appears to being used by the Cheerio's coach Sue (Jane Lynch) to bring down the club from within.

St Trinian's 2-The Legend of Fritton's Gold

The first St Trinian's was the largest-grossing independant UK film after Four Weddings & A Funeral and this second installment debuted at number two in the UK Box Office (behind Avatar). The story is somewhat crazy (the ending twist is a kind of...what on earth?). In around 1589, Pirate Fritton (Rupert Everett) robs Lord Pomfrey (David Tennant) of his treasure, in order to prevent Pomfrey attempting to overthrow the Queen of England. In 2009, the new term is starting at St Trinian's School for Girls. Camilla Fritton (Rupert Everett) appoints her niece Annabelle Fritton (Talulah Riley) as Head Girl. It is Annabelle's task to try and control all the various cliques at the school. These include the 'Rude Girls' led by Bianca (Zawe Ashton) the 'Posh Totty' led by Chelsea (Tamisn Egerton) the 'Emos' led by Zoe (Montserrat Lombard), the geeks led by Lucy (Ella Smith) and the new girl Roxy (Sarah Harding).
Although this seems futile, when Celia (Juno Temple) is discovered in the library searching for a ring for a mysterious caller who has offered £20,000 for the ring, the girls soon are excited about a new task. When the caller appears in the school, he is revealed to be Piers Pomfrey (David Tennant), leader of AD1-an secret sexist society-and Charity Tsar, who has come to reclaim his ancestors treasure. With the help of Camilla's old flame Jeffrey (Colin Firth) and the ex-Head Girl Kelly (Gemma Arteton) the girls are soon on the bad guys tail , discovering that all cliques can work together (for now). Rupert Everett is incredibly camp as the head mistress and Colin Firth is pretty good sport as her/his love interest. David Tennant is, as usual, brilliant as the bad guy, even if he is sporting a rather intriguing hairstyle. Talulah Riley, Juno Temple & Gemma Arterton all put in fine performances, proving that they are probably ones to watch-Riley has previously appeared as Mary Bennett in the Keria Knightley Pride & Prejudice and in The Boat that Rocked along with the first of these St Trinian's films; Temple is appearing again as Celia, having performed in Atonement with Keria Knightley & James MacAvoy, Wild Child and The Other Boleyn Girl and Arterton has been seen as the title character in the BBC's Tess of the D'Ubervilles and in the most recent James Bond film-Quantom of Solace. The major flaw acting-wise is Sarah Harding of Girls Aloud, who appears in pretty much every scene looking TOTALLY out of place in a school-she looks older that Arterton, and is incredibly wooden. Whilst the story is pretty flimsy, there are a couple of good laughs ('Death is like life, but without the crap things, like poverty, facism and Miley Cyrus'). Not a bad way to spend an hour and a bit.

Haiti

Really horrified to hear about this diaster. Feel horribly ignorant that I was very unaware that it was the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.



Links to donate if you're in the UK are all included on that video

De quoi s'agit-il?

I've spent around 3 hours (an hour last night and two today) 'preparing' the French speaking task for tomorrow. Speaking tests tend to bring me out in a cold sweat when it comes to foreign languages. My French GCSE speaking exam terrified me so much, that when my French teacher played the tape to get it to the right place for the next person, I could my voice shaking. GCSE Spanish was even harder, on account of the fact we learned the entire language in two years to enter Higher Tier speaking (which is when you can gain A*-C, anything less is ungraded). We had one practice before the actual exam, resulting in even more terror than French.

Of course, at AS/A-Level they make it harder by throwing in an unknown examiner. You have to go into a room and speak French with someone you have never met (panics).

They could make it more interesting than having these questions on our speaking cards:

De quoi s'agit-il?
Est-ce que l'avenir du cinema est vraiment menace par les DVDs?
Quels sont les avantages d'aller regarder un film au cinema?
Est-ce qu'il y a les inconvenients?
Pourqoui est-ce que les films si sont populaires chez les jeunes?

Moving on..
I should have actually gone to French Speaking class today, but the ice on the roads was stupid and I was terrified of leaving it too late and it might have started snowing or something (which it did later).
I've rediscovered the joy of actually reading before bed, something I haven't done for ages. Thoroughly enjoying Sittenfeld's An American Wife.
Sorted my Dad's present, he will be recieving this, he adores the book so now he can put this on his iPod (ah, thoughtful daughter)
Speaking of the cinema, I'm going to see St Trinians 2 tomorrow afternoon, after school. Will be nice (:
You know the whole 'I won't let work make me feel guilty' thing, I feel awful that I'm not there tonight...sometimes I wonder why I put myself through all this "/

ALSO!
This is my wonderful, slightly mental, cat-Tiggy. Because she features prominently in my life (ie, I'm the one she wakes up for food). Tonight she managed to pull a band poster off my wall and then decided to sleep within my curtains. Now she's on her normal spot, under the radiator on the landing on top of the hot-water pipes.

General Studies

Is a complete waste of time...sample question:
'In what way can we help protect celebrity privacy?'
Ans: ....They should not be celebrities?

Well, that's not what I put. I waffled about child protection and public interest and fame-seeking celebrities in the hope that I may pick up one or two marks. Slightly worried that if I mess it up then I will be rejected from any Politics course I try to apply to...on account of the fact GS is supposed to somehow link to politics or something...

Anyway, moving on from my first AS-Level paper, the past few days have been quite quiet.

Work called to ask me to work tomorrow night, I said no (my Mum has booked tomorrow afternoon off in order to be able to pick me up from school [I finish early on Wednesday] and I'm not messing her around because of this). And got told it was short notice. And loved how one of my bosses' (I don't actually know *who* my boss is, there are a lot of people wondering around not in uniform that I guess are my superiors) changed from being like 'Hello!' to 'that's short notice' within a couple of seconds.

I'm on a four hour contract. I've already worked four hours this week, and I'll be working another four on Saturday....I don't see how on earth I can be made to feel guilty for not being able to work more than my contract (though I do).

And now I feel worried about Saturday. And the fact I need to tell them I can't work in a couple of weekends time. *Gulps*....maybe my 'tempory' contract will be up anyway...

But then I won't have any money....

Argh....the monkey hottie calls I think...

Simon's Cat

Being on fitting rooms at work for four hours leads to someone really needing something amusing to cheer themselves up with

This does the trick quite nicely (and is very true, my cat has an aversion to snow)

Les Miserables (West End)

Cast

Jean Valjean-Simon Bowman

Inspector Javert-Hans-Peter Janssens

Thenardier-Mark Hedges (u/s)

Madame Thenardier-Rachel Bingham (u/s)

Fantine-Rebecca Seale

Eponine-Nancy Sullivan

Marius-Alistair Brammer

Cosette-Emily Bull

Enjolras-Mark Dugdale (u/s)

Les Miserables was one of the first musicals I discovered via iTunes about six years ago, and so I was thrilled to recieve tickets for Christmas.

Currently in its 25th Year, Les Mis still seems to be packing them in (there were about three or four empty seats around in the stalls-not bad considering it's been crazy weather here). It's not hard to see why. Les Mis is an epic show, that contains both extremely moving moments and is balanced out by some humerous moments courtesay of the Thenardiers. It has most recently come to attention thanks to Susan Boyle's rendition of 'I Dreamed a Dream' that has appeared all over the world-and is used on the current advertising (although I think 'Dream the Dream' is a little strange, Les Mis isn't exactly a story you would want to dream).

Centering around the life of Jean Valjean, a one-time chain gang member who breaks his parole to change his life-and who is being pursued relentlessly by the unmovable Javert. In his life, he comes across the factory-worker Fantine, who turns to prostitution after being sacked by Valjean's foreman, and who Valjean promises on her deathbed that he will take care of her distant daughter. This takes him to the home of the Thenardiers, pub landlords turned crooks, who are probably the real bad guys in this story. Here he takes Cosette away from being treated appalling, whilst the Thenardiers dote on their daughter Eponine. Years later, in Paris, the students-led by Enjolras, are preparing to lead a revolution against the oppressing regime in France. Here, we see the Thenardiers as mere pickpocketers, and their daughter Eponine being hopelessly in love with Marius, a student. He, in turn, meets Cosette and they fall in love instantly. The revoluton begins, infiltrated by Javert, who is discovered by the street-urchin Gavroche. Javert and Valjean meet again, but Valjean releases him, refusing to kill him. The revolution destroys all the revolutionaires-including Eponine, who dies in her beloved Marius' arms-with the exception of Marius, who Valjean carries to safety through the sewers. Javert desperatly tries to stop Valjean, but eventually caves, and decides he cannot keep living forever in the 'debt of a thief', and throws himself into the River Seine. Marius and Cosette are reunited and are married. Valjean reveals his true identity to Cosette as he dies, guided to heaven by Fantine, Eponine and the souls of those who died on the barricade.

The whole cast were incredibly talented. Simon Bowman (probably best-known for originated the role of Chris in Miss Saigon) and Hans-Peter Janssens (a Belgian regular to the West End production) were both very well suited to their roles, and both had huge and very powerful voices. Rebecca Seale as Fantine was incredibly moving, and her ability to show Fantine slipping away before the audience's eyes was stunning. Mark Hedges and Rebecca Bingham would be unrecognisble as understudies, had the annoucement not been made, Hedges being a great mix of comical and corrupt. Nancy Sullivan had a huge voice, and her portrayal of Eponine made you wish that Marius was not quite so blind to her. As Marius, Alistair Brammer was able to portray his dilemma of being caught between his love for Cosette and his duty to his friends on the barricade, although his voice was perhaps one of the weaker in the cast. Emily Bull made a very earnest Cosette and Mark Dugdale was, again, a great understudy, looking quite at home commanding a group of revolutionaries.

There were numerous standouts in the ensemble as well-particularly the Sophie Josslyn as the Factory Girl, Antony Hanson as Feuilly and whichever boy played Gavroche (either Jamie Davis, Jonathan Gardner or George Sergeant)

My only irks have nothing to do with the production:

1) Why charge for a souvenir brouchre & a programme which is basically the cast info? I bought the brouchre assuming the cast list would be inside, I was wrong...

2) Surely CamMac can afford to update the website photos etc (the photo accompanying this review I think was last year's cast-but Nancy Sullivan is the Eponine in it)....and perhaps give more ensemble info? Although at least their listed on the Les Mis site, Oliver! has no such luck

Brace-Less

After two, maybe two and a half, years of looking like a human tin-opener, the brace finally came off today.

However, to replace it I have retainers, which usually would be worn in bed, but I have to wear all day today and tomorrow. Rendering me incapable of speaking.

They feel like the mouth guards I had to wear for playing hockey way back in Year Seven (when you all pay attention to the need for mouthguards, after no one really bothers unless they start doing the whole playing it properly thing)

At least they'll stop me snacking, on account that it's too much hassle to faff with them just to eat a biscuit.

Icy

Would apply to both my mood and the weather.


Think I'll be spending a night in with my monkey hottie and hope that all the problems go away tonight

Snow Day

Hot Water Bottle
Cups of tea, coffee & hot chocolate
Toast & lemon curd
Musical Talk podcast
And doing all the work I had two weeks to do

The Book of Tomorrow

Yesterday was a closed book, tomorrow, however, was a different story

Ahern is best known for her first novel PS I Love You which was a best-seller and became a film starring Hilary Swank, and Gerald Butler.

Her newest novel is again set in her native Ireland, and follows the story of Tamara Goodwin who is transported to rural Ireland with her mother after the suicide of her father. There she will live with Arthur-her Mum's brother-and his wife Rosaleen. For spoilt only child Tamara, moving to the country and dealing with a grieving mother is far too much for her. She finds a way out through the visiting mobile library, specifically Marcus, the librarian. However, when she discovers a magic diary that tells her what will happen the following day, life around Tamara begins to unravel as she meet a beekeeping nun, a young man who has moved out of Dublin as well, and unearths secrets her family would rather keep hidden.

The Book of Tomorrow is a fine, enjoyable read. It is not mind-blowing and I'm not sure who it is being aimed at. Whilst PS I Love You and many of Ahern's other works are 'adult' reads, I would question whether Tomorrow is in the same league. It reads very much like a teen book, and that is not just because of the age of the protagonist.

It does however clearly depict the emotions and feelings of a sixteen-year-old girl, without making her seem too adult or too childlike. Whilst it does descend somewhat into a soap opera in the final chapters (revelations about parentage and people appearing to come back to life for example), it is a good piece of escapism.

New Year's Resolutions

1) Stick to this one blog. Perhaps try and work out how to make it look more interesting.

2) Work hard-hard-hard for AS-Levels in summer

3) Keep standing up for what I believe, try not to worry continouly about what other people will think
4) Apply for work experience at the local newspaper

5) Learn to cook recipies from cookbook given for Christmas

6) Make cupcakes from other recipie book for everyone's birthdays (:

7) BUT try and eat more healthily-stop snaking on flapjacks before work

8) Stop procrastinating when I should be doing homework/revision/etc

9) Try and see more theatre....pray that train fares get cheaper

10) Stop beating myself up about things that happened over half a year ago

These are going here so I don't have an excuse to forget them.