so.... i'm bailing to tumblr.
http://stopbreathelistenreflect.tumblr.com/
:-)
xxx
Friday, July 15, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
nonsense
so, i have a question...
why spend your time on something you're not good at when instead you could be using that time to do something actually worthwhile? something that you enjoy and are actually half decent at?
why are people always disappointed in me, no matter what i do?
why am i even here?
the world makes no sense sometimes.
why spend your time on something you're not good at when instead you could be using that time to do something actually worthwhile? something that you enjoy and are actually half decent at?
why are people always disappointed in me, no matter what i do?
why am i even here?
the world makes no sense sometimes.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Something New
Yesterday, I was trying to prove a point to a friend. The point that I am not good at anything I don't already know I am good at.
You see this particular person is literally amazing at anything she does. She can dance, she plays multiple instruments extremely well, she can draw, she can sing, she is smart, and the list goes on and on.
As a joke, I decided to try and draw something, to prove to her that I can't do anything that isn't music or performance related.
Instead, I actually drew something that surprised me.
So I guess the point of this post is:
Try something new, you might surprise yourself!
xx
You see this particular person is literally amazing at anything she does. She can dance, she plays multiple instruments extremely well, she can draw, she can sing, she is smart, and the list goes on and on.
As a joke, I decided to try and draw something, to prove to her that I can't do anything that isn't music or performance related.
Instead, I actually drew something that surprised me.
So I guess the point of this post is:
Try something new, you might surprise yourself!
xx
Sunday, June 12, 2011
time to wrap up
I doubt that I even have any readers left by the time I am writing this post, due to my complete lack of blogging... but if anyone is reading this, here is what I supposedly still have left in the blogging challenge:
Day 25 — Your day, in great detail
Day 26 — Your week, in great detail
Day 27 — This month, in great detail
Day 28 — This year, in great detail
Day 29 — Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30 — Whatever tickles your fancy
However, to sum up how I am feeling right now, I need a fresh start. I seem to be sort of stuck in a rut, and doing the same old thing that I have been doing since the start of the year is not doing me any good.
And so, starting from the next post, the blogging challenge (although I do hate ditching things I begin...) will be ended. Or, at the very least, postponed until a much later date where the questions that some of these "days" are asking don't make me want to crawl into a hole, and hide until the storm has passed.
"It is not why we fall, but how we get back up that matters."
Now to get back up,
xx
Day 25 — Your day, in great detail
Day 26 — Your week, in great detail
Day 27 — This month, in great detail
Day 28 — This year, in great detail
Day 29 — Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30 — Whatever tickles your fancy
However, to sum up how I am feeling right now, I need a fresh start. I seem to be sort of stuck in a rut, and doing the same old thing that I have been doing since the start of the year is not doing me any good.
And so, starting from the next post, the blogging challenge (although I do hate ditching things I begin...) will be ended. Or, at the very least, postponed until a much later date where the questions that some of these "days" are asking don't make me want to crawl into a hole, and hide until the storm has passed.
"It is not why we fall, but how we get back up that matters."
Now to get back up,
xx
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
day twenty four - whatever tickles your fancy
I have deliberately put off this post in the hope that I would find something to write about instead of the usual pointless ramblings about general life questions or issues.
And I have.
Each year, our year 12's run a benefit concert to support their chosen charity.
This year, I am in year 12, and our benefit concert was last week.
Just to plug our charity a little more, we chose Frontyard Youth Services - a place where homeless youth between the age of 12-25 can go to get help with a range of different things. They help these people find somewhere to live (temporarily), they might give them a blanket for the cold night, let them use the phones to call someone, a free doctors consult, a haircut, or even most importantly the beautiful youth workers who work there who actually genuinely care. And they have shown that just having someone care about you can make a world of difference.
To list all of the amazing things Frontyard does, I would be here for hours, so anyway...
So our year level has always sort of been the dysfunctional year level - the ones who threw food at the ceiling, stuffed chocolate into the new air conditioners, who got locked out of our centre, the ones who always caused a riot, the ones who the new teachers were warned about.
But this year the class of 2011 have shown every single characteristic that defies our past.
Over the past month, in the lead-up to the benefit concert, girls have spent their holidays and weekends and every spare minute walking up and down into shops asking for donations, they have got things donated to auction, they have designed posters and logos to promote the concert, they have organised food for the night, they have donated blankets and toiletries to go into Frontyard, they have put together an entire concert with dances, songs, duets, backstage crews, lighting, sound, and a whole lot of support and love. Not to mention while still doing year 12 at the same time.
The lead-up to the concert may have been long and tiring and stressful at times, but it all payed off in the end. The emotions that flew when the total was announced were absolutely incredible. I have never seen or felt anything like that from my year level. The teamwork we had demonstrated had paid off.
We raised $46,522.15 for Frontyard.
Knowing that what we raised is going to change lives is a really empowering feeling.
And to give you an idea of how we felt, I choose to share this photo, and to remind you that sometimes by simply saying yes, and choosing to put your hand out to help someone else, you can change someones life. And nothing is more valuable than that.
I couldn't be prouder to be a part of the class of 2011,
and I know that the rest of the year can only go up from here.
Lights will guide you home,
And ignite your bones,
And I will try to fix you.
xxx
And I have.
Each year, our year 12's run a benefit concert to support their chosen charity.
This year, I am in year 12, and our benefit concert was last week.
Just to plug our charity a little more, we chose Frontyard Youth Services - a place where homeless youth between the age of 12-25 can go to get help with a range of different things. They help these people find somewhere to live (temporarily), they might give them a blanket for the cold night, let them use the phones to call someone, a free doctors consult, a haircut, or even most importantly the beautiful youth workers who work there who actually genuinely care. And they have shown that just having someone care about you can make a world of difference.
To list all of the amazing things Frontyard does, I would be here for hours, so anyway...
So our year level has always sort of been the dysfunctional year level - the ones who threw food at the ceiling, stuffed chocolate into the new air conditioners, who got locked out of our centre, the ones who always caused a riot, the ones who the new teachers were warned about.
But this year the class of 2011 have shown every single characteristic that defies our past.
Over the past month, in the lead-up to the benefit concert, girls have spent their holidays and weekends and every spare minute walking up and down into shops asking for donations, they have got things donated to auction, they have designed posters and logos to promote the concert, they have organised food for the night, they have donated blankets and toiletries to go into Frontyard, they have put together an entire concert with dances, songs, duets, backstage crews, lighting, sound, and a whole lot of support and love. Not to mention while still doing year 12 at the same time.
The lead-up to the concert may have been long and tiring and stressful at times, but it all payed off in the end. The emotions that flew when the total was announced were absolutely incredible. I have never seen or felt anything like that from my year level. The teamwork we had demonstrated had paid off.
We raised $46,522.15 for Frontyard.
Knowing that what we raised is going to change lives is a really empowering feeling.
And to give you an idea of how we felt, I choose to share this photo, and to remind you that sometimes by simply saying yes, and choosing to put your hand out to help someone else, you can change someones life. And nothing is more valuable than that.
I couldn't be prouder to be a part of the class of 2011,
and I know that the rest of the year can only go up from here.
Lights will guide you home,
And ignite your bones,
And I will try to fix you.
xxx
Thursday, April 28, 2011
day twenty three - a youtube video
youtube is a wonderful thing.
there have been times when i have literally spent hours watching videos, learning new songs, finding karaoke tracks (yeah, i'm cool...).
there have been times when i have literally spent hours watching videos, learning new songs, finding karaoke tracks (yeah, i'm cool...).
but i honestly do have a favourite clip, that i keep going back to. the amount of times i have watched this video is not okay. it goes for 8:45, so in perspective i have probably spent literally hours of my life watching this video.
so what is this video, you may ask?
incase you weren't aware, i'm a little bit of a musical theatre geek.
in the industry that is showbiz, there is a woman. her name is Sutton Foster.
incase you weren't aware, i'm a little bit of a musical theatre geek.
in the industry that is showbiz, there is a woman. her name is Sutton Foster.
words cannot possibly begin to express my respect and admiration for this talented woman.
she is currently starring as Reno Sweeney in the upcoming production of Anything Goes on Broadway in New York. unfortunately it's not looking as though i'm going to make it... but fortunately for me broadway.com have put up some videos of inside the rehearsals.
but you know what? after watching this, i realised that there are so many talented people out there. yes, Sutton Foster is playing the lead in this particular musical, but every single one of those chorus members is extraordinarily talented.
this clip is the title song, "Anything Goes."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcs09ZaskiM
have a watch. it's only 8 minutes and 45 seconds of your life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcs09ZaskiM
have a watch. it's only 8 minutes and 45 seconds of your life.
and it's so worth it :-)
xx
day twenty two - a website
to be honest, i don't spend much time surfing random websites.
the extent of my net-surfing goes about as far as hotmail, facebook, youtube, google, and the school intranet.
however, there are two websites i am going to share with you today that have nothing to do with those above.
firstly, a blog.
by a good friend - a very clever, intelligent, wonderful and talented young lady.
i always find her blog to be so insightful, as well as enjoyable to read.
it's called Books, Baguettes and Ballet Slippers.
check it out:
http://emilymercurio.blogspot.com/
secondly, i am always in need of a laugh.
and when all else fails, moving images always seem to make my day that little bit brighter.
http://www.gickr.com/ allows you to upload photos and create a gif file out of it.
for example... a personal favourite: the dancing prefects:
http://gickr.com/results4/anim_f4cb258f-85f3-e014-bddd-97a70ddaa8de.gif
:-) enjoy.
xx
the extent of my net-surfing goes about as far as hotmail, facebook, youtube, google, and the school intranet.
however, there are two websites i am going to share with you today that have nothing to do with those above.
firstly, a blog.
by a good friend - a very clever, intelligent, wonderful and talented young lady.
i always find her blog to be so insightful, as well as enjoyable to read.
it's called Books, Baguettes and Ballet Slippers.
check it out:
http://emilymercurio.blogspot.com/
secondly, i am always in need of a laugh.
and when all else fails, moving images always seem to make my day that little bit brighter.
http://www.gickr.com/ allows you to upload photos and create a gif file out of it.
for example... a personal favourite: the dancing prefects:
http://gickr.com/results4/anim_f4cb258f-85f3-e014-bddd-97a70ddaa8de.gif
:-) enjoy.
xx
Sunday, April 17, 2011
day twenty one - a recipe
I firstly open this blog by apologising for the lack of blogging in recent weeks.
The last few weeks of school got a little overwhelming at times, and I have spent the past week in Perth on music tour.
But I will try and continue this blog challenge... I guess my aim now is to actually finish it, regardless of whether it takes a few weeks or a few months.
I have decided to take a different angle on this blog, similarly to how motzie did (see the link to this blog on the right hand side --->), but perhaps a little more on the negative side.
In the past few weeks I have been feeling as though I have had no control over anything; unfortunately resulting in the heightening of my stress levels.
So here I go - found a version of this on google but have altered it a little to suit me at the moment.
'A Recipe For Stress'
Ingredients:
7 days of bad sleep
5 days of early mornings
2 units of VCE
1 list of uni preferences
1 curious mind
Seasoning:
a splash of rain
a sprinkle of homework
a dash of cold symptoms
Method:
1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl
2. Coat large saucepan with a thick layer of attitude
3. Pour ingredients into saucepan, mix thoroughly & cook on high heat until boiling
4. Serve on large plates with a side dish of frustration
5. Add seasoning to taste
Note: Best served day before a SAC
xxx
The last few weeks of school got a little overwhelming at times, and I have spent the past week in Perth on music tour.
But I will try and continue this blog challenge... I guess my aim now is to actually finish it, regardless of whether it takes a few weeks or a few months.
I have decided to take a different angle on this blog, similarly to how motzie did (see the link to this blog on the right hand side --->), but perhaps a little more on the negative side.
In the past few weeks I have been feeling as though I have had no control over anything; unfortunately resulting in the heightening of my stress levels.
So here I go - found a version of this on google but have altered it a little to suit me at the moment.
'A Recipe For Stress'
Ingredients:
7 days of bad sleep
5 days of early mornings
2 units of VCE
1 list of uni preferences
1 curious mind
Seasoning:
a splash of rain
a sprinkle of homework
a dash of cold symptoms
Method:
1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl
2. Coat large saucepan with a thick layer of attitude
3. Pour ingredients into saucepan, mix thoroughly & cook on high heat until boiling
4. Serve on large plates with a side dish of frustration
5. Add seasoning to taste
Note: Best served day before a SAC
xxx
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
day twenty - a hobby of yours
this is slowly turning into a weekly blog, i apologise - i blame my little pal called year 12...
anyway, so about a week ago i wrote about music, and how my life pretty much revolves around it... but believe it or not, i actually do have one hobby in particular that does not involve music...
welcome to the world of scrapbooking.
throughout each year i collect photos from any important events - from shows, (onstage and backstage) to school, to holidays, to parties, to overseas trips (although these end up with a scrapbook of their own..), to practically anything where a camera is handy.
then, at the end of each year, over the summer holidays, i create an annual scrapbook. i select my favourite photos from each event, get the photos printed, spend christmas money on supplies, and off i go.
if you're not 100% sure what scrapbooking is, here's an example - these are two pages (act 1 and act 2) with selected photos from a show i was in last year...
anyway, so about a week ago i wrote about music, and how my life pretty much revolves around it... but believe it or not, i actually do have one hobby in particular that does not involve music...
welcome to the world of scrapbooking.
throughout each year i collect photos from any important events - from shows, (onstage and backstage) to school, to holidays, to parties, to overseas trips (although these end up with a scrapbook of their own..), to practically anything where a camera is handy.
then, at the end of each year, over the summer holidays, i create an annual scrapbook. i select my favourite photos from each event, get the photos printed, spend christmas money on supplies, and off i go.
if you're not 100% sure what scrapbooking is, here's an example - these are two pages (act 1 and act 2) with selected photos from a show i was in last year...
i have been doing this every year since 2007 (year 8), and looking back on those scrapbook it's probably one of the best things i could have done. i mean, seriously, if i'm looking back now, only 4 years later, and reminiscing about the good times i find lay out on the page, imagine how special these books are going to be in 20, or 30 years time?
this year i have no idea where my summer went, so i still have one section of my scrapbook to go, and after that i plan on doing an entire scrapbook on my trip to Japan - there is no way i could possibly have chosen just a few photos out of the thousands taken!
i don't really know why i find scrapbooking so relaxing, but i can spend hours on a single page. i can sit in my room, for hours, music blasting, phone off, no internet, and just enjoy something that is not only fun, but actually really productive as well.
speaking of productive, i better wrap this up and go write this english essay...
remember to keep being creative!
it's in everyone, you just need to find your own way to express it.
xx
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
day nineteen - a talent of yours
i'm not the kind of person to generally acknowledge that i am actually 'talented' at something - i more look on things like that as the idea that whatever it is that i am doing, i am doing for enjoyment, because i love it, not because i am any good at it. what's the point in living life and using your talents when you don't enjoy them?so that brings me to what is probably my biggest passion in life, and i guess i would say the area where i bear the most talent - music.
it's been a part of my life for as long as i can remember.
when i was a baby mum would sing to me whenever i was upset, whenever i needed to be calmed, and almost every night she would stand by the piano and sing while my dad accompanied her.
by the age of 3, i could stand up and sing you most of the songs from the musical "Annie" (yes, i used to wish i was a little red-head with a head of curls...).
i began piano lessons in prep, with my sister already 3 years ahead of me.
when my sister began to learn clarinet, i joined the choir.
since then, the music in my life has only grown: i now play electric and double bass, piano, guitar, and to me most importantly is voice.
it's like the theory says, that we start off our lives as a 'clean slate', and from there we are changed by the environment we grow up in. music is something in your environment, and for me, a very important part of my childhood, of my life, and it seems to be where my so called 'talent' lies.
however, talent is often defined as: "natural abilities or qualities"
although this is true to a certain extent, if we did nothing with our talents then they wouldn't grow, and wouldn't be being used to their full extent.
i believe that talent is a combination of three things:
natural ability, hard work and passion.
yes, i have been told that i have a certain amount of talent when it comes to my vocal ability, but it would not sound anything like it does today if i hadn't have done any work to improve it.
but you know what? enough of that.
i don't care about how 'talented' people are at certain things, all that i care for is the enjoyment that you get out of whatever it is that you are doing.
i found my voice because of music.
i immersed myself in my school life through music.
i met my best friend through music.
i listen to music when i am happy.
i listen to music when i am sad.
and this music can have the power to make me feel these emotions, plus so many more.
and as a result, i express myself through music, and i can't imagine it any other way.
so i will leave you with something to ponder. it's my opinion and you don't have to agree but...
sometimes, passion is more important than talent.
and without hard work and passion,
what's the point in even having a talent?
xx
Sunday, March 27, 2011
day eighteen - whatever tickles your fancy
Japan.
such a beautiful country.
i can't even begin to imagine the destruction caused by the recent earthquakes and tsunamis.
but, there is some good news sometimes.
today i received an email from a friend who lives right in Fukushima - where the earthquake occurred. up until today, we didn't know if she was okay, we hadn't heard from her.
so in this blog, i choose simply to share her email...
such a beautiful country.
i can't even begin to imagine the destruction caused by the recent earthquakes and tsunamis.
but, there is some good news sometimes.
today i received an email from a friend who lives right in Fukushima - where the earthquake occurred. up until today, we didn't know if she was okay, we hadn't heard from her.
so in this blog, i choose simply to share her email...
Thank you for your message!
I'm sorry that an answer becomes slow.
Under the influence of the earthquake, the Internet was not usable.
I'm OK.
Yes. It was really terrible earthquake and tsunami...
My family and my house are OK.
But, I don't know how about my friends and their family.
A lot of houses were strolled around by a tsunami.
My hometown was gone...
There are no houses, no people, no foods, no wear no water, no light...
It's awful...
In addition, a nuclear power plant was attacked by a tsunami.
So, we can't go out or must go other places.
There are few children in my city...They go to other places.
They have to live and study apart from their parents...
We are afraid of exploding every day...
But I alive. We alive. Japan alive.
I believe that this situation improves.
Surely children will come back our city.
Thanks to you, I got well.
I'll get over these days.
Thank you so much!!!
xoxo,
Mizue
to each and every person affected by the earthquakes,
my heart goes out to you.
xx
day seventeen - an art piece
i'm not a big fan of art. i appreciate it, and am in awe of it, but i don't really understand it or remember an specific art works.
so i'm going to mix this up a little, as i believe that photography is an art all by itself.
i have a friend, a very talented friend, who is an extraordinary photographer.
if you are interested, check out her blog - amazing...
http://lizamills.blogspot.com/
and so, for my "art piece" i have simply chosen the first photo on her blog at the present time.
i think the photo and the caption speaks for itself...
"you are not as fat as you imagine."
check out her blog, she's incredible.
xx
so i'm going to mix this up a little, as i believe that photography is an art all by itself.
i have a friend, a very talented friend, who is an extraordinary photographer.
if you are interested, check out her blog - amazing...
http://lizamills.blogspot.com/
and so, for my "art piece" i have simply chosen the first photo on her blog at the present time.
i think the photo and the caption speaks for itself...
"you are not as fat as you imagine."
check out her blog, she's incredible.
xx
Thursday, March 24, 2011
day fifteen - a poem
This year in English, we started off studying the poetry of Judith Wright.
I honestly didn't enjoy the unit that much, as I generally struggle with poetry and understanding it, but I also studied this particular poem in Unit 1 Literature two years ago, and I still love it, even though it kind of makes me angry...
The poem talks about these women, (who are obviously restricted by not only their social class, but more importantly their gender and the role that women were expected to play in society at that time), who are just expected to be the perfect little housewife, and as a result, quite literally must fold up their dreams just like a sheet, put it in the cupboard, and close the door.
So here it is.
Smalltown Dance by Judith Wright.
Two women find the square-root of a sheet.
That is an ancient dance:
arms wide: together: again: two forward steps: hands meet
your partner's once and twice.
That white expanse
reduces to a neat
compression fittin gin the smallest space
a sheet can pack in on a cupboard shelf.
High scented walls there were of flapping white
when I was small, myself.
I walked between them, playing Out of Sight.
Simpler than arms, they wrapped and comforted-
clean corridors of hiding, roof with blue-
saying, Your sins too are made Monday-new; and see, ahead
that glimpse of unobstructed waiting green.
Run, run before your're seen.
But women know the scale of possibility,
the limit of opportunity,
the fence,
how little chance
there is of getting out. The sheets that tug
sometimes struggle from the peg,
don't travel far. Might symbolise
something. Knowing where danger lies
you have to keep things orderly.
the household budget will not stretch to more.
And they can demonstrate it in a dance.
First pull those wallowing white dreams down,
spread arms: then close them. Fold
those beckoning roads to some impossible world,
put them away and close the cupboard door.
xx
I honestly didn't enjoy the unit that much, as I generally struggle with poetry and understanding it, but I also studied this particular poem in Unit 1 Literature two years ago, and I still love it, even though it kind of makes me angry...
The poem talks about these women, (who are obviously restricted by not only their social class, but more importantly their gender and the role that women were expected to play in society at that time), who are just expected to be the perfect little housewife, and as a result, quite literally must fold up their dreams just like a sheet, put it in the cupboard, and close the door.
So here it is.
Smalltown Dance by Judith Wright.
Two women find the square-root of a sheet.
That is an ancient dance:
arms wide: together: again: two forward steps: hands meet
your partner's once and twice.
That white expanse
reduces to a neat
compression fittin gin the smallest space
a sheet can pack in on a cupboard shelf.
High scented walls there were of flapping white
when I was small, myself.
I walked between them, playing Out of Sight.
Simpler than arms, they wrapped and comforted-
clean corridors of hiding, roof with blue-
saying, Your sins too are made Monday-new; and see, ahead
that glimpse of unobstructed waiting green.
Run, run before your're seen.
But women know the scale of possibility,
the limit of opportunity,
the fence,
how little chance
there is of getting out. The sheets that tug
sometimes struggle from the peg,
don't travel far. Might symbolise
something. Knowing where danger lies
you have to keep things orderly.
the household budget will not stretch to more.
And they can demonstrate it in a dance.
First pull those wallowing white dreams down,
spread arms: then close them. Fold
those beckoning roads to some impossible world,
put them away and close the cupboard door.
xx
a few days behind...
this week = ridiculous.
concerts at school, house aths trials, parents teacher interviews, and the list goes on.
in other words, no blogging has been seen since monday...
but am starting up again tonight.
will catch up 2 days, then everything should be back on track. i hope :-)
xx
concerts at school, house aths trials, parents teacher interviews, and the list goes on.
in other words, no blogging has been seen since monday...
but am starting up again tonight.
will catch up 2 days, then everything should be back on track. i hope :-)
xx
Monday, March 21, 2011
day sixteen - a song that makes you cry
It was several days before Christmas...... It was several days before Christmas.
The sisters sat about the parlour and grumbled about their fate.
Meg, the oldest and most romantic said, "It's not fair some girls have pretty things while we have nothing."
"And it won't be Christmas without presents!" said Amy, with her usual pout.
"And we haven't got Father to read to us," said Jo, who yearned to travel and write great books.
Only Beth, sitting contented said in a tone so sweet even angels would have listened...
"But we've got each other."
I'm not sure how many people know, but in 2005 Little Women was made into a musical, starring Sutton Foster as Jo March.
At the end of the musical there is a song called "The Fire Within Me"
It is after Beth's death, and Jo is grieving, finding it very hard not only to continue with life, but to find anything to write about.
I know that the March sisters are just fictional characters, but these sisters, in particularly Jo March, really resonates with me. Jo is just so driven, headstrong, and determined - she won't let anything or anyone stand in her way.
So after she loses Beth, the audience is revealed to this whole other side to Jo. For once in her life she doesn't feel like she can just reach up and re-arrange the stars.
The first time I saw this musical I cried in this scene. Especially when Jo begins to write the book of her and her sisters. It's just a moment of realisation, a moment of warmth, as she understands that Beth's memory can live forever in her heart, and in the heart of her readers.
Again, I have seen a recording of Sutton Foster performing this, as she originated the role of Jo March on Broadway. And yes, I am a little bias towards Sutton Foster (who can blame me, she is phenomanal...), but throughout this entire song, I had shivers, smiles and tears. It is truly incredible.
So there it is, the song that makes me cry, every time I see it performed, without fail.
Here's the lyrics (they are a little different to the link... but they are correct to the sountrack); check out the link below watch the amazing Sutton Foster perform what can only be described as utter brilliance.
(note: at the beginning it's black, something must have gone wrong with the filming? but it comes back in at 1:21. besides, you can just hear the emotion in her voice!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c66VhH-V_mM
The Fire Within Me
How do I go on?
Just an empty room
All I have are memories I need a task to do
Someone give me a task to do I need a....
I thought that somehow we would always have forever
I thought the promises we made would have a different end
I thought the love we shared would keep us as we were
It was the fire within me
We dreamed and plotted with abandon in this attic
When we were gathered here the room became our citadel
We were amazing then my sisters and I
They were the fire within me
In this room I knew we were alive
Nothing was too painful to survive
We faced the world together
The four of us forever side by side
Everything I promised was for them
I was theirs no matter where or when
How can that be lost forever
How when I gave everything with all my heart
(spoken):
It was several days before Christmas.
It was several days before Christmas.
The sisters sat about the parlour and grumbled about their fate.
Meg, the oldest and most romantic said,
"It's not fair some girls have pretty things while we have nothing."
"And it won't be Christmas without presents," said Amy with her usual pout.
"And we haven't got father to read to us,"
said Jo who yearned to travel and write great books.
Only Beth, sitting contented said, in a tone so sweet,
even angels would have listened,
"But we've got each other."
Everything I promised them is here
All of us we used to be
We will always have each other
They will always be the fire in my heart
Here I go, and there's no turning back
My great adventure has begun I may be small
But I've got giant plans
To shine as brightly as the sun
Here in all the smallest details of the past
Here in this attic suddenly life is something vast
The four of us forever here at last
As unexpected as can be
Astonishing
and remember, as Jo sings at the end of the musical -
sometimes when you dream,
your dreams come true in extraordinary ways,
suddenly a day can be so amazing.
and sometimes when you yearn, you burn the air.
and then you are not the same.and the world is astonishing.
oh crap, now i'm crying!!
xx
day fourteen - a non fictional book
the only fictional/biographical book that i can ever remember reading is:
'The World at her Fingertips - the story of Helen Keller' by Joan Dash.
i remember reading this book and just being completely blown away at the idea that someone could possibly live without sight or hearing.
for anyone who doesn't know, Helen Keller is an extraordinary woman who, after contracting a horrible fever at nineteen months, was left both blind and deaf - something that many of us would find difficult to imagine.
to be honest, i don't remember the majority of this book, but i recently watched a film that was based on her childhood and how Helen's teacher, Annie Sullivan, taught her to communicate with those around her.
how she did this was by having a hand sign for each letter, and as Helen would, for example, touch her doll, Annie would spell into her hand "D-O-L-L".
i just can't comprehend how someone could learn to communicate like this, let alone be living without sight and hearing.
so the point of this post, is that i learnt a very important lesson after reading this book/watching the film associated with it...
be grateful for what you have!
xx
'The World at her Fingertips - the story of Helen Keller' by Joan Dash.
i remember reading this book and just being completely blown away at the idea that someone could possibly live without sight or hearing.
for anyone who doesn't know, Helen Keller is an extraordinary woman who, after contracting a horrible fever at nineteen months, was left both blind and deaf - something that many of us would find difficult to imagine.
to be honest, i don't remember the majority of this book, but i recently watched a film that was based on her childhood and how Helen's teacher, Annie Sullivan, taught her to communicate with those around her.
how she did this was by having a hand sign for each letter, and as Helen would, for example, touch her doll, Annie would spell into her hand "D-O-L-L".
i just can't comprehend how someone could learn to communicate like this, let alone be living without sight and hearing.
so the point of this post, is that i learnt a very important lesson after reading this book/watching the film associated with it...
be grateful for what you have!
xx
Sunday, March 20, 2011
day thirteen - a fictional book
alright, so i procrastinated yesterdays and todays blog because i'm not much of a reader.
so i have chosen a book that i used to love, and read, all the time.
and yes, incase you were wondering, this is the BOOK, by Gail Carson Levine, and it came out BEFORE the film.
"That fool of a fairy Lucinda did not intend to lay a curse on me. She meant to bestow a gift. When I cried inconsolably through my first hour of lie, my tears were her inspiration. Shaking her head sympathetically at Mother, the fairy touched my nose. "My gift is obedience. Ella will always be obedient. Now stop crying, child." I stopped."
that's the first paragraph of chapter one, and i used to recite it by memory. in fact i had almost the entire of the first chapter off by heart.
now, although you may have seen the movie, i'm going to go right ahead and explain what this wonderful book is about.
as you can see from the first paragraph of the book, Ella is a young girl who has a "gift" of obedience. in other words, she must do anything that anyone tells her.
at any time, anyone can order her to top on one foot, cut off her hand, betray her kingdom, marry a prince...
her quest is to find Lucinda, the fairy who gave her this gift at birth, and convince her to take the gift back so she doesn't have to kill the man she loves.
don't get me wrong, the film is great, it has musical numbers, and anne hathaway who i adore and does a great job at ella, but as any fictional book made into a film - THEY MISS SO MUCH! i remember the first time i saw the film i was SO disappointed. especially with the character Mandy - they made her such a small role in the film, whereas in the book she plays a huge part.
so that is my choice for my fictional book, and i guess just to point out that the saying "don't judge a book by it's cover" definitely applies to this book, but perhaps even change the saying a little...
don't judge a book by it's film!
xx
so i have chosen a book that i used to love, and read, all the time.
Ella Enchanted
and yes, incase you were wondering, this is the BOOK, by Gail Carson Levine, and it came out BEFORE the film.
"That fool of a fairy Lucinda did not intend to lay a curse on me. She meant to bestow a gift. When I cried inconsolably through my first hour of lie, my tears were her inspiration. Shaking her head sympathetically at Mother, the fairy touched my nose. "My gift is obedience. Ella will always be obedient. Now stop crying, child." I stopped."
that's the first paragraph of chapter one, and i used to recite it by memory. in fact i had almost the entire of the first chapter off by heart.
now, although you may have seen the movie, i'm going to go right ahead and explain what this wonderful book is about.
as you can see from the first paragraph of the book, Ella is a young girl who has a "gift" of obedience. in other words, she must do anything that anyone tells her.
at any time, anyone can order her to top on one foot, cut off her hand, betray her kingdom, marry a prince...
her quest is to find Lucinda, the fairy who gave her this gift at birth, and convince her to take the gift back so she doesn't have to kill the man she loves.
don't get me wrong, the film is great, it has musical numbers, and anne hathaway who i adore and does a great job at ella, but as any fictional book made into a film - THEY MISS SO MUCH! i remember the first time i saw the film i was SO disappointed. especially with the character Mandy - they made her such a small role in the film, whereas in the book she plays a huge part.
so that is my choice for my fictional book, and i guess just to point out that the saying "don't judge a book by it's cover" definitely applies to this book, but perhaps even change the saying a little...
don't judge a book by it's film!
xx
Friday, March 18, 2011
day twelve - whatever tickles your fancy
this topic seems to be appearing quite a lot...
anyway, so i was thinking today of what i was going to write about, and it dawned on me.
i get so frustrated with the whole concept sometimes!!
i'm not someone who hates school either, ever since i can remember i have loved it. yes, of course, there have been off days, and fights with friends, or just days when you can't be bothered because you haven't finished that assignment, but in general i love it.
i love the people, i love the music, i love the feeling of being 'home' when i'm there.
my music teacher always tells us:
"i'm teaching you music for life, not for the exam"
and i totally agree with her. the things on the exam are so simple, that being extended keeps us interested and wants us to learn more.
but what about other subjects?
like english for example. we've learnt our basic english skills, but we are studying a certain context. we are studying certain books, certain techniques, certain authors and films.
maths. we learn formulas, do specific topics, learn equations... and unless we study maths at uni, are we really going to remember all these formulas in 2 years time...?
i have friends who do history, and yes they love the stuff that they learn about, but sometimes there might be something off-topic, not in the coursework that you want to learn about. but because the course is so jam-packed of things you need to learn to pass the exam, there's no time to cover other things.
i guess what i am trying to say is that my one huge frustration with the whole concept of VCE is that all year we study hard and work our butts off just to pass the exam. all we are learning is so we can pass the exam. to get a number. to get into the course we want.
but then again, there is so much that happens in year 12 that i guess VCE is a little price to pay for all the enjoyment i have had over not only the past 12 years of schooling, but the enjoyment i hopefully will have in the coming year.
keep learning, even if it's not in the course.
oh, and 33 weeks until exams... thanks VCAA.
xx
anyway, so i was thinking today of what i was going to write about, and it dawned on me.
VCE
i get so frustrated with the whole concept sometimes!!
i'm not someone who hates school either, ever since i can remember i have loved it. yes, of course, there have been off days, and fights with friends, or just days when you can't be bothered because you haven't finished that assignment, but in general i love it.
i love the people, i love the music, i love the feeling of being 'home' when i'm there.
my music teacher always tells us:
"i'm teaching you music for life, not for the exam"
and i totally agree with her. the things on the exam are so simple, that being extended keeps us interested and wants us to learn more.
but what about other subjects?
like english for example. we've learnt our basic english skills, but we are studying a certain context. we are studying certain books, certain techniques, certain authors and films.
maths. we learn formulas, do specific topics, learn equations... and unless we study maths at uni, are we really going to remember all these formulas in 2 years time...?
i have friends who do history, and yes they love the stuff that they learn about, but sometimes there might be something off-topic, not in the coursework that you want to learn about. but because the course is so jam-packed of things you need to learn to pass the exam, there's no time to cover other things.
i guess what i am trying to say is that my one huge frustration with the whole concept of VCE is that all year we study hard and work our butts off just to pass the exam. all we are learning is so we can pass the exam. to get a number. to get into the course we want.
but then again, there is so much that happens in year 12 that i guess VCE is a little price to pay for all the enjoyment i have had over not only the past 12 years of schooling, but the enjoyment i hopefully will have in the coming year.
keep learning, even if it's not in the course.
oh, and 33 weeks until exams... thanks VCAA.
xx
day eleven - a photo of you taken recently
for starters, i am posting two blogs today because my best friend came over last night and we were jamming for 5 hours. hence no time for blogging.
all good though :-)
so back on track, todays blog is
a photo of me taken recently
i don't exactly have many photos of me that are NOT in costume, so i have chosen this photo from the Easter holidays last year :-)
it was one day on the holidays, and with some friends, we ventured to central gardens in glenferrie for a picnic. fully set with picnic rugs, food, drinks, and of course a guitar.
the afternoon was beautiful, sunny, warm - perfect!
one of my friends bought her camera, and this photo seems to keep recurring in my profile pictures, it's a bit of a favourite.
so there you go, i haven't changed much in a year - dyed my hair black, then mahogany, so that's the only real difference.
the music geek part hasn't changed !
"today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic!"
xx
all good though :-)
so back on track, todays blog is
a photo of me taken recently
i don't exactly have many photos of me that are NOT in costume, so i have chosen this photo from the Easter holidays last year :-)
it was one day on the holidays, and with some friends, we ventured to central gardens in glenferrie for a picnic. fully set with picnic rugs, food, drinks, and of course a guitar.
the afternoon was beautiful, sunny, warm - perfect!
one of my friends bought her camera, and this photo seems to keep recurring in my profile pictures, it's a bit of a favourite.
so there you go, i haven't changed much in a year - dyed my hair black, then mahogany, so that's the only real difference.
the music geek part hasn't changed !
"today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic!"
xx
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
day ten - a photo of you taken over ten years ago
it was actually quite surprisingly easy to pick
a photo of me taken over ten years ago...
i have chosen this photo not only because i am quite fond of it, but because it reminds me of how much i used to love playing dress-ups when i was a kid.
the costume box is a childhood memories that i keep quite close to my heart. there are a ridiculous amount of photos of me playing dressups - with my sister, with my teddy bear, with my barbies, with my entire toy collection. in places all over the house... (you see, when i was little, i refused to take afternoon naps... instead, mum would find me asleep in the middle of the hallway...)
mum has told me stories of how i used to get all dressed up (including the occasional raid of the makeup drawer), take afternoon tea (quite early in the afternoon), take all my toys, my tea set, and sit in the cubby playing for hours.
i would make sure that everyone get dressed up for the grand tea party, and off i would go, until mum came to get me.
my favourite book as a kid was "A Proper Little Lady" - a book which tells of a little girl who just loved to get dressed up in her beautiful dress, her pearly necklace, her best shoes, and her best white frilly socks, but then loved to play.
each piece of clothing has a sound, and by the end of the book, everything has fallen apart, is completely covered in dirt, or is clunking along behind her.
this books pretty much sums up my entire childhood.
and on special occasions, like in this photo, i got to dress up real special, put red lipstick around my mouth, let mum do my hair, and off i went:
the clown of the party...
so yeah, ten years ago, i was a pretty cool kid.
xx
a photo of me taken over ten years ago...
i have chosen this photo not only because i am quite fond of it, but because it reminds me of how much i used to love playing dress-ups when i was a kid.
the costume box is a childhood memories that i keep quite close to my heart. there are a ridiculous amount of photos of me playing dressups - with my sister, with my teddy bear, with my barbies, with my entire toy collection. in places all over the house... (you see, when i was little, i refused to take afternoon naps... instead, mum would find me asleep in the middle of the hallway...)
mum has told me stories of how i used to get all dressed up (including the occasional raid of the makeup drawer), take afternoon tea (quite early in the afternoon), take all my toys, my tea set, and sit in the cubby playing for hours.
i would make sure that everyone get dressed up for the grand tea party, and off i would go, until mum came to get me.
my favourite book as a kid was "A Proper Little Lady" - a book which tells of a little girl who just loved to get dressed up in her beautiful dress, her pearly necklace, her best shoes, and her best white frilly socks, but then loved to play.
each piece of clothing has a sound, and by the end of the book, everything has fallen apart, is completely covered in dirt, or is clunking along behind her.
this books pretty much sums up my entire childhood.
and on special occasions, like in this photo, i got to dress up real special, put red lipstick around my mouth, let mum do my hair, and off i went:
the clown of the party...
so yeah, ten years ago, i was a pretty cool kid.
xx
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