The title is a direct quote from someone at the motley crew at Shawn's bonfire last night. In attendance were artists, actors, musicians, Shawn's roomates from Cairo, econ/political science students, a Harvard student, and a soldier just back from his first tour of duty in Afghanistan. All connected by that oh-so-tenuous thread that is High School.
"Our generation is the generation that's going to change things!" said one of them. There was a drunken debate between two white guys (of course) on libertarianism versus socialism (which seemed to mostly mean privatized medicine to the guy). Lots of talk about the Middle East, and lots of bad Arabic spoken (I countered by talking in Spanish to the guy from Guatemala who was the only other one in conversation group who didn't speak Arabic to some extent). Challenged Clare to define "science", which she struggled with. Would I have done much better? Atheists especially place tremendous value in "Science" (capital 'S') without even understanding what it is. "It gives answers that are true" is not a definition. But I feel even science students who I know might be challenged to really answer the question--there is a whole course on it this year, which sadly conflicts with SD this semester or I might have taken it. Also had a thought last night: while it's a running joke that theatre at St Andrews is all arts students, there are biologists, psychologists, geoscientists, and management students I know who do stuff. My question is, where are the physicists, chemists, and mathematicians (and econ and computer scientists, come to that)? And, of course, the medics...but I'm more interested in the hard/soft science split.
"Our generation is the generation that's going to change things!" I felt so fucking cynical. I'm not sure why Shawn sees me as political, I think it's just that every time someone comes up with a proposition I question it from every practical angle I can think of to see if they've really thought it out. There was a guy in Jordan who annoyed me a little bit because he "tested" people to see if they could really speak the languages they said they could and had the cultural knowledge they claimed to. But I suppose I do the same when people make an ideological statement.
Why *should* it be our generation? Or, assuming that change does happen, wouldn't it be fair to say that *every* generation is *a* generation that changes things? Vietnam, civil rights, the Cold War generally, etc. What makes green issues and US (ex?) hegemony so different or special? Wanting change is great {Onion headline during the Obama campaign: Black Man Asks for Change} but I think there is a danger in overvaluing one's significance, even if that danger is just in coming off as a douche.
So that's a lot of word vomit....Christmas was good, seeing people is good, life is pretty good.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Coming home!
Dec 20th (late) to Jan 12th or whenever I decide I really should start revising (studying). Really looking forward to seeing everyone, including the sun, who I believe is scheduled to be out more than 2 hours every day in California. And Lisa, yes please! Can you come up--can we come down? I have no idea what is going on, but we'll figure something out.
Got Bleakhouse from the library (which I'm excited about) and still haven't gotten past page 50 of the Silmarillion, so I've got flight reading sorted. Dreading it, really am...and I've gotten to the stage where I'm nervous using regular old tickets-what does that say? :)
I also wanted to provide my own commentary on Casnocha's bit in 'The Diatribe Continuith', since I left it as an afterthought and didn't say anything about it myself. It's interesting that the reaction has been so uniformly negative. He is a bit of an idiot, but he has a certain point that gets muddled up in the way he frames his argument. Starting with college is the mistake here, because I don't think he's actually complaining about universities at all, but rather about the schooling leading up to them that means that students come to university and only then have any sort of freedom. People talk about figuring out what they are really interested in in university, and it is the peculiar mixture of rigor, breadth, and specialization that does that. My issue, and I think Casnocha's as well, is that there is no reason that this should not always be going on. Through primary and secondary school you are set, by and large, down a set number of broad paths and then pushed along by a railroad of pre-prepared material. My favorite, and most memorable, moments of my schooling were research projects where I got to pursue my own agenda: sloths, slavery...actually, those are the only two I can think of. Ben's idea of specialization I don't think is a rigid enforcement of sticking to a subject field, but rather a freedom to explore within fields outside of usual boundaries. Of course the context is important, as is a well rounded education, but if at any point in my education I had the opportunity to study Aztec or Viking history, ecosystems and super-species, the psychology of mass action, or the interplay of technology and culture, I would jump at the opportunity. Maybe it's the fault of a UK system, but even here at Uni these are footnotes and footnotes to footnotes. One thing I'm seeing closely studying Greek philosophy/ethics/science this semester is how choosing a single point of view and looking at everything else from that perspective can be really broadening. Casnocha's remedy isn't that universities or schools should allow people to do only what they are interested in and nothing more, it's that deeper explanation and the ability to set questions are powerful tools that we are given no incentive to pursue.
On the issue of setting questions, I have a 'UK perspective'. In the States, I get the sense that professors tend to give quite general topics or encourage students to come up with something original or creative in everything they do as part of that "critical thinking" thing that seems to be so big at the moment. Here there's usually just the opposite, with verbose and specific questions posed so that essays are strictly the answer to a question rather than the exploration of a topic. This makes them a lot more focused and helps me tremendously in cutting my ability to waffle, but I do feel less attached to and enthusiastic about the work. The SD "choose your own topic and do a presentation on it" got me really excited, though I suspect most viewed it as more of a chore, and the idea of a dissertation makes me very happy.
Got Bleakhouse from the library (which I'm excited about) and still haven't gotten past page 50 of the Silmarillion, so I've got flight reading sorted. Dreading it, really am...and I've gotten to the stage where I'm nervous using regular old tickets-what does that say? :)
I also wanted to provide my own commentary on Casnocha's bit in 'The Diatribe Continuith', since I left it as an afterthought and didn't say anything about it myself. It's interesting that the reaction has been so uniformly negative. He is a bit of an idiot, but he has a certain point that gets muddled up in the way he frames his argument. Starting with college is the mistake here, because I don't think he's actually complaining about universities at all, but rather about the schooling leading up to them that means that students come to university and only then have any sort of freedom. People talk about figuring out what they are really interested in in university, and it is the peculiar mixture of rigor, breadth, and specialization that does that. My issue, and I think Casnocha's as well, is that there is no reason that this should not always be going on. Through primary and secondary school you are set, by and large, down a set number of broad paths and then pushed along by a railroad of pre-prepared material. My favorite, and most memorable, moments of my schooling were research projects where I got to pursue my own agenda: sloths, slavery...actually, those are the only two I can think of. Ben's idea of specialization I don't think is a rigid enforcement of sticking to a subject field, but rather a freedom to explore within fields outside of usual boundaries. Of course the context is important, as is a well rounded education, but if at any point in my education I had the opportunity to study Aztec or Viking history, ecosystems and super-species, the psychology of mass action, or the interplay of technology and culture, I would jump at the opportunity. Maybe it's the fault of a UK system, but even here at Uni these are footnotes and footnotes to footnotes. One thing I'm seeing closely studying Greek philosophy/ethics/science this semester is how choosing a single point of view and looking at everything else from that perspective can be really broadening. Casnocha's remedy isn't that universities or schools should allow people to do only what they are interested in and nothing more, it's that deeper explanation and the ability to set questions are powerful tools that we are given no incentive to pursue.
On the issue of setting questions, I have a 'UK perspective'. In the States, I get the sense that professors tend to give quite general topics or encourage students to come up with something original or creative in everything they do as part of that "critical thinking" thing that seems to be so big at the moment. Here there's usually just the opposite, with verbose and specific questions posed so that essays are strictly the answer to a question rather than the exploration of a topic. This makes them a lot more focused and helps me tremendously in cutting my ability to waffle, but I do feel less attached to and enthusiastic about the work. The SD "choose your own topic and do a presentation on it" got me really excited, though I suspect most viewed it as more of a chore, and the idea of a dissertation makes me very happy.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Time to start living again?
Other than my philosophy lectures, I have been a lump for these last few days, sitting in my room eating, sleeping, and playing video games. Mostly sleeping, which is brilliant. But a lot of video games. And a wee bit of reading. Need(ed) a break, a recovery period so I can jump right into Christmas. Dunno if I'm done yet. Went out with Robbie, Jim, and Julie tonight for some quiet drinks, which was nice. Want to see a bunch of people before we break. Want to read a bunch of books. Start having rehearsals again tomorrow night, and tomorrow should have the SD lecture that clarifies what I want to do with my degree.
I'm at that stage now of trying to process what this semester has meant to me, what Christmas will bring, and what I want next semester to be.
I'm at that stage now of trying to process what this semester has meant to me, what Christmas will bring, and what I want next semester to be.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Sunday Psychosis
After our party last night (which was fun and amusing if not newsworthy) woke up 'round noon and have spent the day at/discussing callbacks for Sarah Cane's "4.48 Psychosis", which I'm directing with a 4th year friend after exams during the inter-semester break (which is not the Christmas break...we are seriously never in school). Good stuff, we've got a cast of 7, three of whom were in 1984 but can I help it if my people were brilliant? Jokes, of course. It'll be weird--I've never directed the same people twice before.
One observation: For an actor, "acting" is dangerous--overdoing character and scene to the point where they become phony. For the director, ideas themselves are equally dangerous. Harry, my co-director, I think is very susceptible to them, because he'll see or think of something and immediately say, "Wow! We should have that in the show." Unfortunately, 9/10 of what comes out of rehearsal is, I think, unsuited for the actual show (because it will be different--or because it will be the same but the show will be different) so that even if some things are incredible, you often have to settle for second-best to find stuff that is appropriate to the show. This pops up in set as well; we could have all sorts of stuff, but really, should we? I think I tend to approach shows with the idea of the show first (which can, of course, change) and then go to the text, but Harry is all about the text and his ideas of the theatrical elements are much more nebulous and uncertain. We shall see.
And, there are two black people in the cast, which is more than in the whole of St Andrews/Scotland. Booyah.
One observation: For an actor, "acting" is dangerous--overdoing character and scene to the point where they become phony. For the director, ideas themselves are equally dangerous. Harry, my co-director, I think is very susceptible to them, because he'll see or think of something and immediately say, "Wow! We should have that in the show." Unfortunately, 9/10 of what comes out of rehearsal is, I think, unsuited for the actual show (because it will be different--or because it will be the same but the show will be different) so that even if some things are incredible, you often have to settle for second-best to find stuff that is appropriate to the show. This pops up in set as well; we could have all sorts of stuff, but really, should we? I think I tend to approach shows with the idea of the show first (which can, of course, change) and then go to the text, but Harry is all about the text and his ideas of the theatrical elements are much more nebulous and uncertain. We shall see.
And, there are two black people in the cast, which is more than in the whole of St Andrews/Scotland. Booyah.
Friday, December 12, 2008
The Diatribe Continuith
V. ill today, felt like one of the living dead. Not much of note--handed in assessments for my modules. It surprised me, on reflection, that I rated Philosophy almost perfectly and had major gripes with SD. Not because of the content or even the ramshackle way the course is taught, but rather because they keep pounding us with stupid generalizations (management is good! the environment needs protected! we all need to work together!). But I finally got an e-mail back from the course coordinator so I should meet with her and talk about future options in this next week.
Also met with the Mermaids president to talk show stuff. There is a very funny (probably one-sided) feud going on between the "new blood" and "old blood" in Mermaids. The "new blood" complains the "old blood" only cast "old blood" people, and then proceed to cast only "new blood" in retaliation, perpetuating the cycle and causing there to be no difference between the groups. Meanwhile, I cast all Freshers and 4th/5th years, who don't know/give a shit! Anyways, the prez is "old blood royalty" by the standards of "la revelucion!", but he's really enthusiastic about the online show and I'd like to have him involved both for what he can bring (resources, knowledge of St Andrews' weird and wacky ways) and to bridge the imaginary social gap. We mainly just chatted about stuff we were working on and what the main obstacles might be. What I found most interesting and entertaining was his assurance of support. It went something like, "if you need anything, or if anyone gives you a hard time, let me know." Who is going to give me a hard time? It's theatre, not drug trafficking. It was a very sweet and Mafia-like thing to say, and on reflection I think it showed the faux status of the leadership position, where an offer of help comes in the form of protection from bullies. But honestly, all of school government is a hoax, as is (I suspect) much of "management" and "leadership" in that oh-so-distant "real world". It got me thinking about positions of power and responsibility, and just how firmly we create and maintain their illusion. The illusion itself gets you nothing, but its ability to convince others to go along with you is all-important. Directing and the always-competitive theatre friendships this year have got me thinking a lot about power relationships.
But enough about that. Time to go pay my respects at a party and then head off for bed. I'll leave you with some good education bashing from Ben Casnocha's blog today that I found really accurate:
"Here's today's question: Why do so many young people, upon graduating college, have such a hard time finding a rewarding job or a calling?
One explanation: Because to find a job or calling you need to know what you like to do, and by the time you graduate from college formal schooling has eroded your natural radar for detecting things which genuinely excite you.
Think about it...You've just graduated from college. You have just spent the last 17 years of your life in a formal schooling environment non-stop. As a young child, through to adolescence, into your early adult years, an authority figure has been telling you what to read, study, and write, and then judging it good or bad.
Take learning how to write. 99% of the writing you do in school involves offering answers not questions. A teacher gives you an essay topic, and you write about it. Over and over again. Yet, the real word rewards those who themselves can ask the right question. Coming up with an essay topic is 99% of the work -- yet teachers rarely make you do this.
Then there's the formal school philosophy promoting breadth not depth, weaknesses not strengths. If in school you found yourself unusually interested in a particular topic area, you couldn't really pursue it seriously since you had all your other classes to manage. I.e., if you found yourself a math whiz, it's the rare school that will seek to nurture this precocity. Instead, they said if you finish math early, get on with your English, biology and basket-weaving homework.
When parents reviewed your report card, did they ever say, "Wow - an A+! Why don't you continue to focus on that and maybe you can become really good at it?" No. They probably stroked their hairless chin, nodded solemnly at the A, and then pounced on you about the C. Whereas the real word rewards those who can discover and build upon a couple core natural strengths and interests, in school you're taught to pursue a broad balancing act and shore up weaknesses.
So there are two intertwined dynamics in school that I think contribute to the aimlessness of new college grads: an entrenched habit of rule-following (the real world has no clear rules and no clear authority articulating them) and the promoted philosophy of "be pretty good at lots of things as opposed to extraordinarily good at one thing."
Bottom Line: Formal schooling dulls one's exploration of natural interests. To ask yourself what you naturally enjoy and excel at, and then pursue it vigorously, would detract from the balancing act and contradict the authority structure. Unfortunately, asking yourself this very question is the key to a rewarding real-world career!"
Also met with the Mermaids president to talk show stuff. There is a very funny (probably one-sided) feud going on between the "new blood" and "old blood" in Mermaids. The "new blood" complains the "old blood" only cast "old blood" people, and then proceed to cast only "new blood" in retaliation, perpetuating the cycle and causing there to be no difference between the groups. Meanwhile, I cast all Freshers and 4th/5th years, who don't know/give a shit! Anyways, the prez is "old blood royalty" by the standards of "la revelucion!", but he's really enthusiastic about the online show and I'd like to have him involved both for what he can bring (resources, knowledge of St Andrews' weird and wacky ways) and to bridge the imaginary social gap. We mainly just chatted about stuff we were working on and what the main obstacles might be. What I found most interesting and entertaining was his assurance of support. It went something like, "if you need anything, or if anyone gives you a hard time, let me know." Who is going to give me a hard time? It's theatre, not drug trafficking. It was a very sweet and Mafia-like thing to say, and on reflection I think it showed the faux status of the leadership position, where an offer of help comes in the form of protection from bullies. But honestly, all of school government is a hoax, as is (I suspect) much of "management" and "leadership" in that oh-so-distant "real world". It got me thinking about positions of power and responsibility, and just how firmly we create and maintain their illusion. The illusion itself gets you nothing, but its ability to convince others to go along with you is all-important. Directing and the always-competitive theatre friendships this year have got me thinking a lot about power relationships.
But enough about that. Time to go pay my respects at a party and then head off for bed. I'll leave you with some good education bashing from Ben Casnocha's blog today that I found really accurate:
"Here's today's question: Why do so many young people, upon graduating college, have such a hard time finding a rewarding job or a calling?
One explanation: Because to find a job or calling you need to know what you like to do, and by the time you graduate from college formal schooling has eroded your natural radar for detecting things which genuinely excite you.
Think about it...You've just graduated from college. You have just spent the last 17 years of your life in a formal schooling environment non-stop. As a young child, through to adolescence, into your early adult years, an authority figure has been telling you what to read, study, and write, and then judging it good or bad.
Take learning how to write. 99% of the writing you do in school involves offering answers not questions. A teacher gives you an essay topic, and you write about it. Over and over again. Yet, the real word rewards those who themselves can ask the right question. Coming up with an essay topic is 99% of the work -- yet teachers rarely make you do this.
Then there's the formal school philosophy promoting breadth not depth, weaknesses not strengths. If in school you found yourself unusually interested in a particular topic area, you couldn't really pursue it seriously since you had all your other classes to manage. I.e., if you found yourself a math whiz, it's the rare school that will seek to nurture this precocity. Instead, they said if you finish math early, get on with your English, biology and basket-weaving homework.
When parents reviewed your report card, did they ever say, "Wow - an A+! Why don't you continue to focus on that and maybe you can become really good at it?" No. They probably stroked their hairless chin, nodded solemnly at the A, and then pounced on you about the C. Whereas the real word rewards those who can discover and build upon a couple core natural strengths and interests, in school you're taught to pursue a broad balancing act and shore up weaknesses.
So there are two intertwined dynamics in school that I think contribute to the aimlessness of new college grads: an entrenched habit of rule-following (the real world has no clear rules and no clear authority articulating them) and the promoted philosophy of "be pretty good at lots of things as opposed to extraordinarily good at one thing."
Bottom Line: Formal schooling dulls one's exploration of natural interests. To ask yourself what you naturally enjoy and excel at, and then pursue it vigorously, would detract from the balancing act and contradict the authority structure. Unfortunately, asking yourself this very question is the key to a rewarding real-world career!"
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Awww
As the US does its precious "oh wait, we've been wrongfully invading countries, killing and torturing people for the last 8 years in the name of a Democracy whose spread will supposedly benefit everyone because of the human rights it brings", the UK has it's own cute little unique quirks going on.
November 25th saw the beginning of National ID cards being handed out (for the first time since WWII), and by 2010 they want to have a comprehensive National ID Register that will track people's movements and personal information, and has no upper limit restrictions on what information may be stored on it. Now a page on Wikipedia on a German rock band (Scorpions, if you're curious) has attracted ire because one of the band's album's covers features a nude girl, and so is considered child pornography. The page was censored--at this time I don't know if I can't see it because the picture has been removed by users or by UK internet providers. Still, fun business.
Personal-wise: Had two bad lectures today. The stats (in SD) one covered so much ground so generally that it ended up both confusing and full of inaccuracies and half-truths that even I could spot. In Philosophy I may just have been tired, but the lecture seemed to jump around a lot and not have a concrete point or central idea, and several of the ideas contradicted one another. I have been managing to keep on top of the reading, though, so that's good. The the first night of Macbeth, which went pretty well. I know my lines, which is exciting because I realised "oh, I should learn these" this last Friday, as we were not given an off-book date. As I type most of my upper body/face/hair is painted red for ghostiness. This weekend is party heavy, next week almost empty, and I am looking forward to getting back to LA.
November 25th saw the beginning of National ID cards being handed out (for the first time since WWII), and by 2010 they want to have a comprehensive National ID Register that will track people's movements and personal information, and has no upper limit restrictions on what information may be stored on it. Now a page on Wikipedia on a German rock band (Scorpions, if you're curious) has attracted ire because one of the band's album's covers features a nude girl, and so is considered child pornography. The page was censored--at this time I don't know if I can't see it because the picture has been removed by users or by UK internet providers. Still, fun business.
Personal-wise: Had two bad lectures today. The stats (in SD) one covered so much ground so generally that it ended up both confusing and full of inaccuracies and half-truths that even I could spot. In Philosophy I may just have been tired, but the lecture seemed to jump around a lot and not have a concrete point or central idea, and several of the ideas contradicted one another. I have been managing to keep on top of the reading, though, so that's good. The the first night of Macbeth, which went pretty well. I know my lines, which is exciting because I realised "oh, I should learn these" this last Friday, as we were not given an off-book date. As I type most of my upper body/face/hair is painted red for ghostiness. This weekend is party heavy, next week almost empty, and I am looking forward to getting back to LA.
Sunday, December 07, 2008
2 interesting internet thoughts today
Both about online gaming (which, apparently, 30% of the US does--and Second Life, a life simulator rather than a traditional 'game', is played mostly by females and over-30s). Both about language on the internet, an international space. The first: in Second Life, there are a number of user-created bots (mini-programs) that you can buy in-game that do simultaneous translation with google/babelfish. The result I'm sure is horribly muddled, but decipherable. The second: in more fighting-oriented games (World of Warcraft, etc) you see a lot of multi-lingual collaboration because the game has its own mini-language, largely of English abbreviations that become understood as words in their own right. There are some common to the internet (lol-laughing out loud, brb-be right back), and some more game specific (afk-away from keyboard, kekeke-laughing [from the Korean usage] and, most disturbingly perhaps, rl-real life [as in, "my rl gf (girlfriend) is calling-brb"]).
So, could the internet be the death of language? Or is this a symptom of a wider phenomenon of mixing languages (see: English). Or is the whole internet thing overblown and nothing is honestly changing at all.
So, could the internet be the death of language? Or is this a symptom of a wider phenomenon of mixing languages (see: English). Or is the whole internet thing overblown and nothing is honestly changing at all.
Life post-essay
Has actually been fairly boring. No immediate stresses means I sit online watching TV, or read my Borges. Have been some parties this weekend so that's picked up the social scene, at least. Christmas trees, mulled wine and mince pies! Apparently missed the off-book date for Macbeth (during 1984?) but everyone's had their scripts for rehearsal so I didn't worry it until this Friday when I went "wait, we open Tuesday...I probably need to know lines...or something?" So working on that.
Met with Harry about 4:48 Psychosis, the Sarah Kane play I'm co-directing with him after exams. It's interesting being sort of secondarily involved in a project, because I've got no pre-conceptions or firm image of what I'd like, so it's just a (fairly incoherent) stream of ideas in my mind at the moment. Kinda reminds me of what I did with Cheolseung...I'd quite like the main character to be a paper mache figure. We'll work on that.
Have been doing Epicurean Philosophy this last week. They enticed us in with Hedonism and then put all sorts of restrictions and limits on it. I don't want to live in a garden on a diet of crackers. Go away Epicures. Next week is the skeptics.
A linguistic note: the words "paw" (as in a cat's paw), pour (a liquid), and poor (like a hobo). Americans pronounce them "pah", "por" and "poor". Scots pronounce them "poh", "poo-ar" and "poo-er". English people pronounce them exactly the same: "poa", "poa" and "poa". At the Hamilton Ave house, this is much noted and discussed.
Met with Harry about 4:48 Psychosis, the Sarah Kane play I'm co-directing with him after exams. It's interesting being sort of secondarily involved in a project, because I've got no pre-conceptions or firm image of what I'd like, so it's just a (fairly incoherent) stream of ideas in my mind at the moment. Kinda reminds me of what I did with Cheolseung...I'd quite like the main character to be a paper mache figure. We'll work on that.
Have been doing Epicurean Philosophy this last week. They enticed us in with Hedonism and then put all sorts of restrictions and limits on it. I don't want to live in a garden on a diet of crackers. Go away Epicures. Next week is the skeptics.
A linguistic note: the words "paw" (as in a cat's paw), pour (a liquid), and poor (like a hobo). Americans pronounce them "pah", "por" and "poor". Scots pronounce them "poh", "poo-ar" and "poo-er". English people pronounce them exactly the same: "poa", "poa" and "poa". At the Hamilton Ave house, this is much noted and discussed.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Done with essays until exams
Lots of stuff left to do. Catching up on reading, for one. Academic, and the Euripides and Borges I've gotten out of the library. (I've read two of the Borges short stories, one about the fabrication of a country and another about a country where people's lives are ruled by a systematized, enforced probability. They are odd snippets, somewhere between essay and story and metaphysical musing, but definite brain teasers). Figuring out what's up with subjects for next year, figuring out study abroad. Giving myself a crash-course in Asian history. Being in Macbeth and figuring out what I'm doing for 4:48 Psychosis ("co-directing", but what does that mean?). Watching TV online--Rez turned me on to DeathNote, an anime that's compelling if not good, and Pushing Daisies, which is slightly obsessed with how clever and quirky it is but clever and quirky non-the-less.
Have decided to use Twitter for self-observation, since I've got no friends who use it so it can't be a proper social networking site for me yet. Instead, I'll record how I feel every day just before I go off to lectures and then again when I get home in the evening. See if I spot any interesting trends. Very like me-get scientific about happiness and emotions in general. I was thinking today that I have succeeded in living fairly in-the-moment, but because of that it's hard to tell what sort of fluxuations are going on in my overall state on a day to day basis.
Second Life persists in crashing my computer, so I think my forray into internet theatre using free online games may be cut short. Am still thinking a lot about the internet and trying to re-define the role it plays in my life, which I think is important.
The Internet Classics Archive put up by MIT is really good. I've done all my Plato/Aristotle readings from it and just found Sun Tzu's The Art of War, which is something I've wanted to read for a while but never had in front of me. There goes that excuse.
Have decided to use Twitter for self-observation, since I've got no friends who use it so it can't be a proper social networking site for me yet. Instead, I'll record how I feel every day just before I go off to lectures and then again when I get home in the evening. See if I spot any interesting trends. Very like me-get scientific about happiness and emotions in general. I was thinking today that I have succeeded in living fairly in-the-moment, but because of that it's hard to tell what sort of fluxuations are going on in my overall state on a day to day basis.
Second Life persists in crashing my computer, so I think my forray into internet theatre using free online games may be cut short. Am still thinking a lot about the internet and trying to re-define the role it plays in my life, which I think is important.
The Internet Classics Archive put up by MIT is really good. I've done all my Plato/Aristotle readings from it and just found Sun Tzu's The Art of War, which is something I've wanted to read for a while but never had in front of me. There goes that excuse.
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Cybertheatre thoughts
My main question in doing performances using the internet is what will make them different from simply using pre-recorded images? But I'm getting ahead of myself a little here. First off, there are a few types of cybertheatre:
1. Entirely online--actors, audience, everything. The main form of this, as I see it, is theatre in a massively multiplayer game, like World of Warcraft or Second Life. Second Life keeps crashing my computer, so I'm having second thoughts about it (no pun intended). It's advantage is that it's free and easy to create an account, as well as being built for social interaction rather than combat and achievement. The other form this type of theatre might take is using facebook or youtube. A few options here: a dialogue between people's walls on facebook (would work on a blog as well, I suppose), or video responses on youtube. Neither are exactly in realtime, and the facebook one is text, but if we're going to be out of the box let's get out of the box. However, if we're getting away from images and people I think it crosses some artistic boundry, even if it's live. The main issue with anything video online I think is that it becomes video. Camchats might be one way around this, a group of actors broadcasting to an audience in their homes. You could even set it up so people paid to get in...dunno how you would set it up, though, and there might be some stigma as I've only seen that type of thing on weird quasi-porn dating sites and the like.
2. Online/offline mix--Sort of like the last thing I mentioned, where actors would meet in real life but the audience would just log in. A potential buy for todays youtube obsessed, non-theatre-going audiences? But really I'm thinking about the kind of thing I'd want to do as a show here, where you have a live audience, with live and online actors onstage, with the online actors coming in via skype/ichat on video screens. This is where the question, "what's the advantage of having it live, rather than canned?" comes in, as a canned performance would be much easier and not have any tech/timezone/location issues. I think the important thing here is the fourth wall. It's something rigidly in place in cinema, and playing with it would seriously screw up people's preconceived notions of what is allowed to appear on a screen. Having an onscreen actor comment on a member of the audience's hair or clothing, or maybe asking for a suggestion from the audience, as in an improv show. Some sort of real interaction. Interaction with the actors onstage is equally important. The idea of a sex scene just popped into my head, but my original thought was a phone call from an actor onstage to one on the screen. The actors are actually talking to each other over and hearing each other over the phone, but the audience hears what they say straight from their lips. Whispering could be effective here, something both actors hear but the audience does not. It also ties into the tech atmosphere an internet show would invariably have. That leads to my next question: what play, what themes, are appropriate for this kind of performance? You don't want to be too self-referential, but at the same time there needs to be a reason for the internet to be used. The idea of distance and connection I think is definitely one to get, as there is a real difference between in-person connection and connection over skype. Though I'm still not sure what that is, really. Any ideas?
1. Entirely online--actors, audience, everything. The main form of this, as I see it, is theatre in a massively multiplayer game, like World of Warcraft or Second Life. Second Life keeps crashing my computer, so I'm having second thoughts about it (no pun intended). It's advantage is that it's free and easy to create an account, as well as being built for social interaction rather than combat and achievement. The other form this type of theatre might take is using facebook or youtube. A few options here: a dialogue between people's walls on facebook (would work on a blog as well, I suppose), or video responses on youtube. Neither are exactly in realtime, and the facebook one is text, but if we're going to be out of the box let's get out of the box. However, if we're getting away from images and people I think it crosses some artistic boundry, even if it's live. The main issue with anything video online I think is that it becomes video. Camchats might be one way around this, a group of actors broadcasting to an audience in their homes. You could even set it up so people paid to get in...dunno how you would set it up, though, and there might be some stigma as I've only seen that type of thing on weird quasi-porn dating sites and the like.
2. Online/offline mix--Sort of like the last thing I mentioned, where actors would meet in real life but the audience would just log in. A potential buy for todays youtube obsessed, non-theatre-going audiences? But really I'm thinking about the kind of thing I'd want to do as a show here, where you have a live audience, with live and online actors onstage, with the online actors coming in via skype/ichat on video screens. This is where the question, "what's the advantage of having it live, rather than canned?" comes in, as a canned performance would be much easier and not have any tech/timezone/location issues. I think the important thing here is the fourth wall. It's something rigidly in place in cinema, and playing with it would seriously screw up people's preconceived notions of what is allowed to appear on a screen. Having an onscreen actor comment on a member of the audience's hair or clothing, or maybe asking for a suggestion from the audience, as in an improv show. Some sort of real interaction. Interaction with the actors onstage is equally important. The idea of a sex scene just popped into my head, but my original thought was a phone call from an actor onstage to one on the screen. The actors are actually talking to each other over and hearing each other over the phone, but the audience hears what they say straight from their lips. Whispering could be effective here, something both actors hear but the audience does not. It also ties into the tech atmosphere an internet show would invariably have. That leads to my next question: what play, what themes, are appropriate for this kind of performance? You don't want to be too self-referential, but at the same time there needs to be a reason for the internet to be used. The idea of distance and connection I think is definitely one to get, as there is a real difference between in-person connection and connection over skype. Though I'm still not sure what that is, really. Any ideas?
Monday, December 01, 2008
These things I have accepted:
I feel like making a list, and like a little introspection. So here goes.
1. I want to be eccentric. It's allowed here. High School was good time to learn how to mold the dough, now I get to decide what shape it will be. And I feel like violating norms and breaking social groups. At the same time, I feel like a quiet, unwatched life is not a bad thing.
2. I will not like school. I don't know why. I love learning. But University is no different. Maybe it would've been different with tutorials at Oxford or tiny, intimate classes at Reed. But maybe not. I will happily read articles and academic books and listen to lectures on my iPod as I walk, but I don't like class times and homework and the regimented joblike feel of it. If I'm not producing a product, I don't need to be efficient. Learning should be as inefficient as possible, because how else will you stumble on new things? That's a slight exaggeration, but not that much of one.
3. Learning a new language is going to be a massive struggle for me. At least in an academic setting. For Chinese I don't have the discipline to really get on it by myself. And I know I'll regret it. But it's rote memorization at a very basic level and that's really difficult to commit to. I'd say "learn a language" cd/tape/iTunes audio might be the way to go, but I might just tune out. Worth a try.
4. For whatever reason, I'm always going to do the confidant thing. Schedule blocks of time to listen. It's a nice closeness thing once in a while, but not constantly.
5. Balance is not necessarily for me. I was going to say, "I need to find something outside drama", but not really. I love it when I have it. And then I love it when it's over. That's not a bad way to live, if a bit of an exhausting one. Downtime also gets me going creatively.
6. It would be good to have a day a week where I put the computer in a desk drawer and leave it there. No internet (email, blog, tv online, facebook, blogs...the list goes on). Have an afternoon blocked out to go to a coffee shop and read something I like.
7. I have been keeping in better touch with people at home this year, especially on Skype, especially since Jordan. For whatever reason, I think that trip clicked something in me that said, "you can have friends here, AND at home". And that's a very good thing.
8. I go to bed far too late.
9. I want to throw weekly, or fortnightly, parties. Because it's a good way to hang out with people you don't know well until you know them well enough to actually hang out. There are loads of people I'd like to see more but would feel awkward asking on a personal basis.
10. It's the modern day, I have an information IV drip. Try to hang out with interesting people, look at, listen to and read interesting things. Fail miserably. Damn you internet.
11. If I spend that much time on my computer, I should really know (research) how to use it. If I spend that much time on the internet, I should be using it rather than the other way around. This doesn't mean spending less time. This means creating collective story blogs, doing cybertheatre, taking advantage of youtube and facebook as creative tools. The internet as performance art.
1. I want to be eccentric. It's allowed here. High School was good time to learn how to mold the dough, now I get to decide what shape it will be. And I feel like violating norms and breaking social groups. At the same time, I feel like a quiet, unwatched life is not a bad thing.
2. I will not like school. I don't know why. I love learning. But University is no different. Maybe it would've been different with tutorials at Oxford or tiny, intimate classes at Reed. But maybe not. I will happily read articles and academic books and listen to lectures on my iPod as I walk, but I don't like class times and homework and the regimented joblike feel of it. If I'm not producing a product, I don't need to be efficient. Learning should be as inefficient as possible, because how else will you stumble on new things? That's a slight exaggeration, but not that much of one.
3. Learning a new language is going to be a massive struggle for me. At least in an academic setting. For Chinese I don't have the discipline to really get on it by myself. And I know I'll regret it. But it's rote memorization at a very basic level and that's really difficult to commit to. I'd say "learn a language" cd/tape/iTunes audio might be the way to go, but I might just tune out. Worth a try.
4. For whatever reason, I'm always going to do the confidant thing. Schedule blocks of time to listen. It's a nice closeness thing once in a while, but not constantly.
5. Balance is not necessarily for me. I was going to say, "I need to find something outside drama", but not really. I love it when I have it. And then I love it when it's over. That's not a bad way to live, if a bit of an exhausting one. Downtime also gets me going creatively.
6. It would be good to have a day a week where I put the computer in a desk drawer and leave it there. No internet (email, blog, tv online, facebook, blogs...the list goes on). Have an afternoon blocked out to go to a coffee shop and read something I like.
7. I have been keeping in better touch with people at home this year, especially on Skype, especially since Jordan. For whatever reason, I think that trip clicked something in me that said, "you can have friends here, AND at home". And that's a very good thing.
8. I go to bed far too late.
9. I want to throw weekly, or fortnightly, parties. Because it's a good way to hang out with people you don't know well until you know them well enough to actually hang out. There are loads of people I'd like to see more but would feel awkward asking on a personal basis.
10. It's the modern day, I have an information IV drip. Try to hang out with interesting people, look at, listen to and read interesting things. Fail miserably. Damn you internet.
11. If I spend that much time on my computer, I should really know (research) how to use it. If I spend that much time on the internet, I should be using it rather than the other way around. This doesn't mean spending less time. This means creating collective story blogs, doing cybertheatre, taking advantage of youtube and facebook as creative tools. The internet as performance art.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
And on the seventh day...
1984 is over, so over. Cast party was good, everyone got absolutely wasted. I've spent today completely resting, left the house exactly once, otherwise layed and lounged and watched the entire 4th season of Weeds, to my intense amusement. It really is a good show.
It's the detox I needed...time to step things up again, socially, academically, and planning for the future-wise. Socially, I have quite a few dinners and coffees I'd like to have with people from last year, as well as talking to people in the states more and perhaps organizing weekly or fortnightly parties/dinners at our house. Much as I hate entertaining, it's a great way to get people together. Academically, I've got my Wednesday essay and a fair bit of catch-up reading. I also want to figure out what the deal with Sustainable Development is to see what I can do as far as combining it with Philosophy for a degree. Looking further to the future, I want to start looking at options for this summer and maybe some abroad stuff next year. I have very vague designs on Asia that let me visit Cheolseung, see some of China, and live in China or Korea teaching english or ideally ideally ideally doing some sort of development work that I'd be able to get credit for. Very tentative goals. I've got a month to hopefully get a more solid idea.
And the whole not majoring in Theatre thing? Yeah, I'm Banquo in a production of Macbeth going up in 2 weeks, Saturninus in Titus in the second week of second semester, and I've been coerced into co-directing Sarah Cane's "4:48 Psychosis" for the first week of next semester. Thinking about the internet for a show next semester...I'll keep busy.
It's the detox I needed...time to step things up again, socially, academically, and planning for the future-wise. Socially, I have quite a few dinners and coffees I'd like to have with people from last year, as well as talking to people in the states more and perhaps organizing weekly or fortnightly parties/dinners at our house. Much as I hate entertaining, it's a great way to get people together. Academically, I've got my Wednesday essay and a fair bit of catch-up reading. I also want to figure out what the deal with Sustainable Development is to see what I can do as far as combining it with Philosophy for a degree. Looking further to the future, I want to start looking at options for this summer and maybe some abroad stuff next year. I have very vague designs on Asia that let me visit Cheolseung, see some of China, and live in China or Korea teaching english or ideally ideally ideally doing some sort of development work that I'd be able to get credit for. Very tentative goals. I've got a month to hopefully get a more solid idea.
And the whole not majoring in Theatre thing? Yeah, I'm Banquo in a production of Macbeth going up in 2 weeks, Saturninus in Titus in the second week of second semester, and I've been coerced into co-directing Sarah Cane's "4:48 Psychosis" for the first week of next semester. Thinking about the internet for a show next semester...I'll keep busy.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Numero Dos
Went well, and I videotaped it, so there's a record of tonight (and I'll get one of tomorrow night). Wondering what to do with the odd £500 this production should leave me for future ones...it's a wee bit daunting, actually, especially thinking, as I do, that simplicity and minimalism are the way to go.
Went through my SD presentation with my partner today (we give it tomorrow) and it's twice as long as it should be. To be expected, I suppose, so I'm off to his to work on that again after I post this. Therefore, my shopping list for tomorrow is as follows:
1. 10AM, give presentation on war and the environment.
2. Enter story into short story competition at school of English.
3. Complete my risk assessment form for the files.
4. Get food? There's not much in the house. Dinner was potatoes, herbs, corn, and egg, which tasted oddly like hash browns. Then, for desert, milk, peanut butter, honey, oats, chocolate glop.
5. Have the last performance, obviously. Think of something to say to each cast member.
6. Cast party at my house...clean?
7. Present production proposal for JustSo, the musical theatre people...I'll propose Jekyll and Hyde, if I have the energy.
8. Work on Philosophy? I've got an essay in this coming Wednesday that I've just started, on Aristotle.
9. Watch Weeds! I've finished this season of Heroes so far pre-bed (and when I should've been sleeping) and started on the latest season of Weeds. I'd forgotten how much fun it is.
So, that's life.
Went through my SD presentation with my partner today (we give it tomorrow) and it's twice as long as it should be. To be expected, I suppose, so I'm off to his to work on that again after I post this. Therefore, my shopping list for tomorrow is as follows:
1. 10AM, give presentation on war and the environment.
2. Enter story into short story competition at school of English.
3. Complete my risk assessment form for the files.
4. Get food? There's not much in the house. Dinner was potatoes, herbs, corn, and egg, which tasted oddly like hash browns. Then, for desert, milk, peanut butter, honey, oats, chocolate glop.
5. Have the last performance, obviously. Think of something to say to each cast member.
6. Cast party at my house...clean?
7. Present production proposal for JustSo, the musical theatre people...I'll propose Jekyll and Hyde, if I have the energy.
8. Work on Philosophy? I've got an essay in this coming Wednesday that I've just started, on Aristotle.
9. Watch Weeds! I've finished this season of Heroes so far pre-bed (and when I should've been sleeping) and started on the latest season of Weeds. I'd forgotten how much fun it is.
So, that's life.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
First show
Skipped Philosophy to print programs...Sustainable Development continues to make me wish I'd done biology, though I know all the species/ecosystems stuff is only 1/4 of the subject. First show went well, about 30 people. Sort of our peer presentation more than a real show--that's Thursday and Friday (where hopefully we'll sell out 200 tickets). Still, payed for all the costs of the show, its all $$ or rather ££ from now on in my production company. Odd feeling. Not sure what I would, or rather will, do with expendable money for theatre. The show itself went well, not perfectly, but it was good seeing an audience's reactions. As with anything like this, I feel there's a "what the fuck?" period before acceptance of the style, then really getting into the story and actions. Robbie and his girlfriend came over after and had good things to say, which was really nice. Actors felt good, I think. I really want to start a full-on movement toward experimental theatre. Alternative Mermaids, of some sort. Tomorrow should be a day of rest and finishing my SD presentation. But hopefully, I will mostly play The Witcher and sit on my ass.
Feel very much like writing again. I think I need to read more fiction. Even in my spare time, I've been reading non-fiction for fun. And knowing stuff is a lot of fun, but it doesn't give me impetus to create. Let's see what the library has...
Feel very much like writing again. I think I need to read more fiction. Even in my spare time, I've been reading non-fiction for fun. And knowing stuff is a lot of fun, but it doesn't give me impetus to create. Let's see what the library has...
Monday, November 24, 2008
These days have been a year
But a good year.
Sunday: went to a buddy's house and worked for 6 hours straight on a poster that was originally due next month and now is due this Tuesday (finished it! good think cause I've got 1984 and he's got track this mon/tues). Came home to find Sammy's rasin party well underway. I may have never seen so many types of alcohol. Drank an orgasmic mixture of coffee, hot chocolate, honey, sugar, milk, cinnamon and baileys, then switched to Long Island iced teas, the drink of the day. Stayed at ours for a while and then hit the resident drama party 10 minutes away. Re-connected with some new people from Narnia, talked 1984. Came back. Went to bed at 4 or 5 and...didn't fall asleep. I've never had insomnia like that before. Part nerves about setting up 1984 today (Monday) I'm sure. But only partly. Ended up sitting up from 6-9AM watching the Colbert Report and youtube videos and writing.
Today: 10AM-8PM 1984 lighting/set/makeup/dress-tech rehearsal. And it went well. Really well. I am feeling very pleased with it. I hope people come. Met my lighting person and 'minion' who helped make the set, will call cues, and probably take tickets. Aka stage manager on short notice, basically. Really cool people. Any my cast of course, who are getting in pre-show mode. It's amazing to watch..I'm sure I've seen it with every production, but each time it's beautiful. It's looking great, and we have literally a ton of newspapers. All audience risers are covered in them, as is most of the stage, stacked up. AND I recorded at least the first 40 minutes. I will have a record of this, goddammit.
Finished Laughable Loves by Kundera, a book of short stories. Some good stuff (particularly The Hitchhiker and Symposium), but I think I prefer the novels.
Made noodle/onion/cabbage/soysauce/mushroom soup for dinner. Very filling. I am tired now, but not extraordinarily so. It doesn't feel like I've been awake for 48 hours. Really looking forward to tomorrow. Feeling very calm, relaxed. Thinking about the future. Have a lot of thinking to do.
Sunday: went to a buddy's house and worked for 6 hours straight on a poster that was originally due next month and now is due this Tuesday (finished it! good think cause I've got 1984 and he's got track this mon/tues). Came home to find Sammy's rasin party well underway. I may have never seen so many types of alcohol. Drank an orgasmic mixture of coffee, hot chocolate, honey, sugar, milk, cinnamon and baileys, then switched to Long Island iced teas, the drink of the day. Stayed at ours for a while and then hit the resident drama party 10 minutes away. Re-connected with some new people from Narnia, talked 1984. Came back. Went to bed at 4 or 5 and...didn't fall asleep. I've never had insomnia like that before. Part nerves about setting up 1984 today (Monday) I'm sure. But only partly. Ended up sitting up from 6-9AM watching the Colbert Report and youtube videos and writing.
Today: 10AM-8PM 1984 lighting/set/makeup/dress-tech rehearsal. And it went well. Really well. I am feeling very pleased with it. I hope people come. Met my lighting person and 'minion' who helped make the set, will call cues, and probably take tickets. Aka stage manager on short notice, basically. Really cool people. Any my cast of course, who are getting in pre-show mode. It's amazing to watch..I'm sure I've seen it with every production, but each time it's beautiful. It's looking great, and we have literally a ton of newspapers. All audience risers are covered in them, as is most of the stage, stacked up. AND I recorded at least the first 40 minutes. I will have a record of this, goddammit.
Finished Laughable Loves by Kundera, a book of short stories. Some good stuff (particularly The Hitchhiker and Symposium), but I think I prefer the novels.
Made noodle/onion/cabbage/soysauce/mushroom soup for dinner. Very filling. I am tired now, but not extraordinarily so. It doesn't feel like I've been awake for 48 hours. Really looking forward to tomorrow. Feeling very calm, relaxed. Thinking about the future. Have a lot of thinking to do.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
So I guess I should post....
Stuff is hectic, always, as always, ah well. I'm feeling really good and on top of it, though, so that's cool. Had a really good 1984 rehearsal where we ran through it twice, am slightly terrified of Monday where we've got to put up lights, set, display stuff, and do our tech/dress. Will be fiiiiine. Also, got a presentation that Friday (due in Wednesday) which I think my partner is a lot more stressed about than I am. Put my slides together in 2 days and feel good about it: War and the Environment. Some interesting stuff, definitely in the scope of our SD program but not really talked about explicitly.
Watching Lawrence of Arabia again, now. It's funny how living in Britain and having visited the Middle East twice are changing my perspective on the movie...it makes it seem a little more Hollwood, as is probably only right.
Finished a book of Sarah Kane plays, as one of the guys here wants me to co-direct one of her plays with him next semester. Maybe choreograph is a better word than co-direct, as its poetry/physical theatre-y bits. She is a big emo. The play itself is about suicide. It's cool, though not something I'd want to do 24/7. Bit one dimensional. Still, might be fun.
Rasin Sunday is tomorrow, and Sammy (flatmate) has academic kids, so there should be slaughter going on there.
Just had a plate of pasta with butter--it's funny, its the most student meal, which I had all the time at home but haven't had once here until now. I am really just waiting until I get off the 1984 roller-coaster to pick up my life. I'm not sure how I feel, what I want to do. Want to look into abroad programs.
Watching Lawrence of Arabia again, now. It's funny how living in Britain and having visited the Middle East twice are changing my perspective on the movie...it makes it seem a little more Hollwood, as is probably only right.
Finished a book of Sarah Kane plays, as one of the guys here wants me to co-direct one of her plays with him next semester. Maybe choreograph is a better word than co-direct, as its poetry/physical theatre-y bits. She is a big emo. The play itself is about suicide. It's cool, though not something I'd want to do 24/7. Bit one dimensional. Still, might be fun.
Rasin Sunday is tomorrow, and Sammy (flatmate) has academic kids, so there should be slaughter going on there.
Just had a plate of pasta with butter--it's funny, its the most student meal, which I had all the time at home but haven't had once here until now. I am really just waiting until I get off the 1984 roller-coaster to pick up my life. I'm not sure how I feel, what I want to do. Want to look into abroad programs.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
No comments!
Awww discouraging after a long post to have no comments. Ah well.
Things are moving full-speed-ahead here. Mostly frantically busy with 1984, but with lectures and ambassadoring and making sure my baby production company gets affiliated and oh dear when oh when can I research for my presentation? Things are ball-splittingly insane. On the other hand, its been a nice day and the sunset looked like the clouds were fire. I've got set stuff and lighting stuff sorted (conceptually, at least) so it's back to focusing on acting times. Oh dear. It's hard to believe this is going up now. The good news is loads of stuff is happening every day to bring us from 5% to 100%, and that's kinda cool to be orchestrating.
Talked to Cheolseung for a long time yesterday. Found his number in Korea in a book he gave me and called him up to set up Skype, Really, really, really good to talk to him again. It's been like 5 months. Soooo...Korea this summer?
Today was a slow day for ambassadoring and so I get pay for 2 hours without having done a single tour. So that's cool.
New thought: a production that 'tours' around the halls of residence for a pound or something in each. Could be good, and not done.
I got a Twitter, cause I don't have enough tech distractions. Check it out: https://twitter.com/home
Things are moving full-speed-ahead here. Mostly frantically busy with 1984, but with lectures and ambassadoring and making sure my baby production company gets affiliated and oh dear when oh when can I research for my presentation? Things are ball-splittingly insane. On the other hand, its been a nice day and the sunset looked like the clouds were fire. I've got set stuff and lighting stuff sorted (conceptually, at least) so it's back to focusing on acting times. Oh dear. It's hard to believe this is going up now. The good news is loads of stuff is happening every day to bring us from 5% to 100%, and that's kinda cool to be orchestrating.
Talked to Cheolseung for a long time yesterday. Found his number in Korea in a book he gave me and called him up to set up Skype, Really, really, really good to talk to him again. It's been like 5 months. Soooo...Korea this summer?
Today was a slow day for ambassadoring and so I get pay for 2 hours without having done a single tour. So that's cool.
New thought: a production that 'tours' around the halls of residence for a pound or something in each. Could be good, and not done.
I got a Twitter, cause I don't have enough tech distractions. Check it out: https://twitter.com/home
Monday, November 17, 2008
Jordan
Quite a bit to say, and I didn't keep a detailed journal so this may be a bit scattered, but here we go:
Arrival: On the taxi ride into Amman, there was a crossroads with three signs. "To Amman", "To Saudi Arabia", and "To Iraq". Little bit freaky. Jordan is literally sandwiched between Iraq and the Gaza strip, and is as close as I'll come to either.
Day 1: Slept. I got in at 3 the morning before and had stayed up all night in St Andrews, so I slept until 5, when Shawn came home and we went out for dinner (fuul, or beans, and hummus) and chatted. Met his flatmate Sushi, a half-Jordanian half-Thai guy with limitless energy.
Day 2: Explored downtown Amman, wandered around the marketplace, saw some sights. Didn't have a spare key to the apartment so had to climb to and from the balcony to get in and out, which was kinda odd with lots of arab guys in the street. This night a few of Shawn's friends came over and there was some fascinating conversation. Dealt a lot with identity, as Jordanians are a mix of Palestinian refugees and Bedouins, Muslims and Christians. In this context, what does it mean to be Arab? Or even Muslim, as a lot of the traditions originate with the Bedouins and predate Islam. How can Palestinians integrate into the whole? Also a lot of talk of the inefficiency and stupidity of the monarchy (which is absolute and amusingly uncriticized in the press...apparently they found Shawn's blog and made him take down some posts about Jordan--ahhh, to be a politically repressed nation!). Also questions of how Jordan will fare in the financial crisis and how it can become more independent or self sufficient, as now something like 1/5 of the country's economy comes from foreign aid. This being said, Amman is 100 times more Western than Cairo, and although poverty and unemployment are high you can see the cultural assimilation very clearly.
Day 3: Shawn had the day semi-off, so hung out with him. Went to the passport office and he was told to come back in a week (the standard reply for everything). Went shopping for vests for his recycling project (his main employment, a scheme to get scavengers to bring in recyclable goods that can be shredded and exported, or used in gardening, etc). Had some shisha and used the internet, as well as printing out the text of the tattoo he wanted to get.
Day 4: Bussed to Jerash, an old Roman town with the most complete ruins I've ever seen. Pictures to come. Explored the Roman city and more of the current one, which was out of the way and so much more authentic-seeming than Amman. Read Plato's Republic a bit in a Roman theatre, which felt badass, and experienced major cognitive dissonance with a Bedouin playing the bagpipes and female Jordanian tourists in headscarves dancing and singing "We Will Rock You" in dubious English. Came back to Amman (after some difficulty with busses and "third circle" sounding a lot like "Zirca", another city) and went with Shawn and co to get his tattoo. In Arabic, a quote from Kahlil Gibran: "Of the two treasures of the world, truth and beauty, I found the first in the heart of a lover and the second in the hand of a laborer". Very Shawn. He says he wants to get a tattoo for every country he spends a lot of time in, and this seems to take care of both souvenir and having-a-tattoo-that-means-something, so I'm all for it. Tattoo's are haram in Islam and there is only one real (aka not out-of-a-basement) artist in Jordan.
Day 5: Bussed to Madaba, a more Southern town famous for Roman/Byzantine/Crusader/Islamic mosaics. They were alright, but the town itself was awesome. Running mainly along one street, you could imagine it being an oasis on a long road between cities and gradually growing up over the centuries. Spent some time in a shisha place reading and chatting with some locals, no easy feat in that I had 10 words or so of Arabic and they had just a bit more English. But people overall in Jordan were extremely friendly and inquisitive, and despite language barriers (which were slight--the fact that people in an out-of-the-way city spoke some English is indicative of the fact that EVERYONE did) it was fairly easy to communicate.
Day 6: Went olive picking at an orchard owned by one of Shawn's friend's family, and they fed us and we slept there in exchange. It was good--reminded me of Costa Rica, hard, mindless physical labour with visible results and the rewards that it entails. It was in the far North of Jordan, and while the South is the impressive Lawrence of Arabia-style deserts, the North is very much mediterranean and reminded me of California, Greece, and Spain all at once. Conversations in this circle tended to be extremely political. I felt like I learned a lot, especially about the reason, but have a nagging and growing suspicion that politics as they are bore me more than just a little bit. As a means for understanding culture and people's behavior or history, great, but not as an ends.
Day 7: Went rock climbing with the same group; the friend whose family owned the olive orchard does all sorts of nature tours, and we went along with him and a tourist group. It was fun, a bit of a thrill, although all in all not as scary as I thought it might be. I'd liken it to a roller coaster ride. Went out to dinner and hung out with people...it was the last night in Jordan.
So: All in all, nothing spectacular, but a welcome break. I spent a lot of time alone and that was incredible self-reflection time, though it's sent me into a bit of a loner mood. Shawn is extremely burnt out and worked most of the time, so it wasn't nearly the connection time that Egypt was. Made me step back and think about what I want to do in St Andrews and generally, seeing all the things people were doing and the connections between them.
Now I'm back, with priorities 1 and 2 being 1984, which goes up next Tuesday, and a presentation for next Thursday about the effects of war on the environment. Life back to just where it was before, which is bizarre. I feel like I'm starting to get a tiny bit jaded by all the travel...need to find a new approach. We shall see.
Arrival: On the taxi ride into Amman, there was a crossroads with three signs. "To Amman", "To Saudi Arabia", and "To Iraq". Little bit freaky. Jordan is literally sandwiched between Iraq and the Gaza strip, and is as close as I'll come to either.
Day 1: Slept. I got in at 3 the morning before and had stayed up all night in St Andrews, so I slept until 5, when Shawn came home and we went out for dinner (fuul, or beans, and hummus) and chatted. Met his flatmate Sushi, a half-Jordanian half-Thai guy with limitless energy.
Day 2: Explored downtown Amman, wandered around the marketplace, saw some sights. Didn't have a spare key to the apartment so had to climb to and from the balcony to get in and out, which was kinda odd with lots of arab guys in the street. This night a few of Shawn's friends came over and there was some fascinating conversation. Dealt a lot with identity, as Jordanians are a mix of Palestinian refugees and Bedouins, Muslims and Christians. In this context, what does it mean to be Arab? Or even Muslim, as a lot of the traditions originate with the Bedouins and predate Islam. How can Palestinians integrate into the whole? Also a lot of talk of the inefficiency and stupidity of the monarchy (which is absolute and amusingly uncriticized in the press...apparently they found Shawn's blog and made him take down some posts about Jordan--ahhh, to be a politically repressed nation!). Also questions of how Jordan will fare in the financial crisis and how it can become more independent or self sufficient, as now something like 1/5 of the country's economy comes from foreign aid. This being said, Amman is 100 times more Western than Cairo, and although poverty and unemployment are high you can see the cultural assimilation very clearly.
Day 3: Shawn had the day semi-off, so hung out with him. Went to the passport office and he was told to come back in a week (the standard reply for everything). Went shopping for vests for his recycling project (his main employment, a scheme to get scavengers to bring in recyclable goods that can be shredded and exported, or used in gardening, etc). Had some shisha and used the internet, as well as printing out the text of the tattoo he wanted to get.
Day 4: Bussed to Jerash, an old Roman town with the most complete ruins I've ever seen. Pictures to come. Explored the Roman city and more of the current one, which was out of the way and so much more authentic-seeming than Amman. Read Plato's Republic a bit in a Roman theatre, which felt badass, and experienced major cognitive dissonance with a Bedouin playing the bagpipes and female Jordanian tourists in headscarves dancing and singing "We Will Rock You" in dubious English. Came back to Amman (after some difficulty with busses and "third circle" sounding a lot like "Zirca", another city) and went with Shawn and co to get his tattoo. In Arabic, a quote from Kahlil Gibran: "Of the two treasures of the world, truth and beauty, I found the first in the heart of a lover and the second in the hand of a laborer". Very Shawn. He says he wants to get a tattoo for every country he spends a lot of time in, and this seems to take care of both souvenir and having-a-tattoo-that-means-something, so I'm all for it. Tattoo's are haram in Islam and there is only one real (aka not out-of-a-basement) artist in Jordan.
Day 5: Bussed to Madaba, a more Southern town famous for Roman/Byzantine/Crusader/Islamic mosaics. They were alright, but the town itself was awesome. Running mainly along one street, you could imagine it being an oasis on a long road between cities and gradually growing up over the centuries. Spent some time in a shisha place reading and chatting with some locals, no easy feat in that I had 10 words or so of Arabic and they had just a bit more English. But people overall in Jordan were extremely friendly and inquisitive, and despite language barriers (which were slight--the fact that people in an out-of-the-way city spoke some English is indicative of the fact that EVERYONE did) it was fairly easy to communicate.
Day 6: Went olive picking at an orchard owned by one of Shawn's friend's family, and they fed us and we slept there in exchange. It was good--reminded me of Costa Rica, hard, mindless physical labour with visible results and the rewards that it entails. It was in the far North of Jordan, and while the South is the impressive Lawrence of Arabia-style deserts, the North is very much mediterranean and reminded me of California, Greece, and Spain all at once. Conversations in this circle tended to be extremely political. I felt like I learned a lot, especially about the reason, but have a nagging and growing suspicion that politics as they are bore me more than just a little bit. As a means for understanding culture and people's behavior or history, great, but not as an ends.
Day 7: Went rock climbing with the same group; the friend whose family owned the olive orchard does all sorts of nature tours, and we went along with him and a tourist group. It was fun, a bit of a thrill, although all in all not as scary as I thought it might be. I'd liken it to a roller coaster ride. Went out to dinner and hung out with people...it was the last night in Jordan.
So: All in all, nothing spectacular, but a welcome break. I spent a lot of time alone and that was incredible self-reflection time, though it's sent me into a bit of a loner mood. Shawn is extremely burnt out and worked most of the time, so it wasn't nearly the connection time that Egypt was. Made me step back and think about what I want to do in St Andrews and generally, seeing all the things people were doing and the connections between them.
Now I'm back, with priorities 1 and 2 being 1984, which goes up next Tuesday, and a presentation for next Thursday about the effects of war on the environment. Life back to just where it was before, which is bizarre. I feel like I'm starting to get a tiny bit jaded by all the travel...need to find a new approach. We shall see.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
The story so far...
Lesson 1: Gateagents are clueless and absurdly helpful--despite dire warnings got to heathrow just fine, no fuss. Slept a bit on the bus and the flight, as I didn't the night before (packed mostly, showered, all that good stuff).
Lesson 2: Not being able to check flight fullness is a bitch. After some confusion because the flight to Amman is a BA/BMI codeshare (crossing Star and OneWorld...God, what hast thou done?) I went and waited at the gate as one of two standbys. Other guy got on, I didn't, but the gate agent was really cool and told me to try Royal Jordan (flight j122 if you want to track) in the other terminal. The flight that I tried to get today is tomorrow, of course, nearly empty. Worst comes to worst I sleep here and get it tomorrow.
Lesson 3: When buying rum as a gift to bring from duty free, make sure they actually seal the bag. Going between terminals I just managed to get them to let me keep the rum.
Lesson 4: Apparently, my passport sets off metal detectors. Or rather, one metal detactor and the handheld one. Wierd.
Lesson 5: Gate agents are very, very helpful. Royal Jordanian, who have no reason to help me, and for whatever reason are located at the Air Canada desk (?), are going to see what the flight looks like in 20 minutes and, if there are seats, the nice lady will spend some quality phone time with someone who knows how to work the wonderfully simple and intuitive system to get me on! So if it works out, it's just a couple hours setback. If not...well, I suspect I'll have another blog post.
Lesson 2: Not being able to check flight fullness is a bitch. After some confusion because the flight to Amman is a BA/BMI codeshare (crossing Star and OneWorld...God, what hast thou done?) I went and waited at the gate as one of two standbys. Other guy got on, I didn't, but the gate agent was really cool and told me to try Royal Jordan (flight j122 if you want to track) in the other terminal. The flight that I tried to get today is tomorrow, of course, nearly empty. Worst comes to worst I sleep here and get it tomorrow.
Lesson 3: When buying rum as a gift to bring from duty free, make sure they actually seal the bag. Going between terminals I just managed to get them to let me keep the rum.
Lesson 4: Apparently, my passport sets off metal detectors. Or rather, one metal detactor and the handheld one. Wierd.
Lesson 5: Gate agents are very, very helpful. Royal Jordanian, who have no reason to help me, and for whatever reason are located at the Air Canada desk (?), are going to see what the flight looks like in 20 minutes and, if there are seats, the nice lady will spend some quality phone time with someone who knows how to work the wonderfully simple and intuitive system to get me on! So if it works out, it's just a couple hours setback. If not...well, I suspect I'll have another blog post.
Friday, November 07, 2008
fingers crossed
Alright, its 4.30AM and I've done my usual pre-flight all-nighter. Off to Edinburgh in a couple hours after a good shower and pack and breakfast. Hopefully by nightfall I'll be in Amman and Shawn will be at the airport (I have no details for where he is, etc) soooo I feel a bit nervous and risk-take-y, honestly. Either way, by tomorrow night I will sleep easy. We'll just see where I sleep.
Won't post for a day or so chances are, so wish me luck!
Won't post for a day or so chances are, so wish me luck!
Thursday, November 06, 2008
So done.
Handed in my SD essay...whipped the first half into respectable shape, then it falls apart a bit, but its in and I am officially not thinking about it any more. Won't be the best mark ever, but should be good enough. Meanwhile, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, otherwise known as "I'm offstage, quick, write an essay!" went really well, sold on all the nights which means around 600 people got to see me leap around, growl and die onstage. Good fun, and people are really complementary. I also find that I really like the cast, lots of cool people. It's a huge mix, massively bisexual drama my-life-is-a-musical standards along with fundie conservative Christians and just...randoms. Happens in such a big cast, I guess.
Now....well...now I'm having a beer (Okocim, 99p Polish lager from Aldi's, not bad at all) and am about to play video games and relax. Finally. I've really needed some downtime. Of course, in 3 hours I have a 1984 rehearsal and while I'm not worried I know we need to buckle down since we have 9 more rehearsable days and have never gotten through the whole thing (constant re-writes may be party at fault...) but I really do think my cast for that is fantastic.
Listening to iTunes U on writing fiction and storytelling in online games, which promises to be interesting. Wondering what I want to do with my life. A bit lately. It stuck me that I'm 20 next year. It scares me.
Now....well...now I'm having a beer (Okocim, 99p Polish lager from Aldi's, not bad at all) and am about to play video games and relax. Finally. I've really needed some downtime. Of course, in 3 hours I have a 1984 rehearsal and while I'm not worried I know we need to buckle down since we have 9 more rehearsable days and have never gotten through the whole thing (constant re-writes may be party at fault...) but I really do think my cast for that is fantastic.
Listening to iTunes U on writing fiction and storytelling in online games, which promises to be interesting. Wondering what I want to do with my life. A bit lately. It stuck me that I'm 20 next year. It scares me.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
What a day
Bit tired. After an unexpectedly heavy night last night (chat in a friend's kitchen is defined as a 'quiet night' until the bottles of rum and vodka arrive) got up slightly before 8AM (unprecedented this year!) to go to the latest madness my actors in 1984 have inflicted on me: the breakfast rehearsal! 2 hours of bagels and Butoh...really good fun, and a fresh mindset. Feeling good about 1984, although the fact that we have 1.5 rehearsable weeks left and have yet to really block the show is a smidge worrying.
Then ran around for a bit, talking to loads of people and generally in a daze--got lots of stuff sorted on the forms for my production company, and should have an account by the week's end. Stubbornly went to my 1PM lecture rather than the start of dress rehearsal (didn't miss anything, as I expected...we weren't needed for a couple hours after call time) and had the first performance of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe! Went pretty well, packed house, and we made a little boy cry. So it's all good. It may be fiddling with my essay backstage (Thanks Mom! Mind if I send you another draft tomorrow?), but performing itself has become a little...less. A shift of priorities, perhaps, from acting to directing? Who knows. The aftershow rush was good as always.
Came home to dinner--hooray for flatmates! And I was planning on porridge...it's getting on in time and I'm stalling, wondering whether I have the energy to sit down for a serious crack at essaying or if I'll leave it to the morning. Morning, I think. Play a bit of The Witcher and get to bed. Sounds like a plan.
Then ran around for a bit, talking to loads of people and generally in a daze--got lots of stuff sorted on the forms for my production company, and should have an account by the week's end. Stubbornly went to my 1PM lecture rather than the start of dress rehearsal (didn't miss anything, as I expected...we weren't needed for a couple hours after call time) and had the first performance of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe! Went pretty well, packed house, and we made a little boy cry. So it's all good. It may be fiddling with my essay backstage (Thanks Mom! Mind if I send you another draft tomorrow?), but performing itself has become a little...less. A shift of priorities, perhaps, from acting to directing? Who knows. The aftershow rush was good as always.
Came home to dinner--hooray for flatmates! And I was planning on porridge...it's getting on in time and I'm stalling, wondering whether I have the energy to sit down for a serious crack at essaying or if I'll leave it to the morning. Morning, I think. Play a bit of The Witcher and get to bed. Sounds like a plan.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
I was writing an essay and feeling so productive that I had to blog!
Instead of writing the essay...
Decent weekend. Lots of rehearsals for The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe, which goes up Tuesday and Wednesday and marks the official end of my academic career as the dress rehearsal and matinee show both take place at the EXACT same time as my lectures. So long, philosophy and SD, I barely knew ye... But seriously, it's a bit annoying, but should be fun. Also, offstage is brilliant speed-reading and note-taking-for-essay time. Who'd have thunk?
Going backwards then: made a pork roast tonight. Reminded me of Christmas--I got the roast because it had a half-off sticker on it and I thought it cost less than it did, but for a massive boneless slab of meat it actually ended up being quite cheap pound-to-kilogram. And tasty, for a first effort, nice and juicy. Mmmm.
Last night went and saw Call of Cthulu, a student-written show based on and HP Lovecraft novel. Had a 'total immersion' thing going on which was cool--the whole thing was presented as a lecture from a guest which devolved into madness and ended in the lecturer being shot and all of us being rushed out the building by the fake security. Kinda cool, though the 'lecture' itself was not completely inspired.
Halloween was decent enough. Went out and to a house party, but nothing inspired.
Been feeling like I have a lot of creative juices flowing lately. Equally, been exhausted. Reading Week can't come soon enough. Also been a bit lonely in an odd way...I don't think I understand it myself. I'm not sure how much I like the *me* that I am at St Andrews. I can't define the difference, only to say that I loved the *me* of Costa Rica, am used to my home-self (who has issues with boredom and purpose but that's mostly it), but I don't know about this incarnation. We'll see. Again, Reading Week should be good time. Have also discovered Tesco's value mulled wine in my wine skin from Spain is a Good Plan. Also, that constant consumption of tea, however weak, has the same effect as diesel fuel. Finally, spent a day away from the internet and nothing changed. I REALLY need to get back into doing that.
Decent weekend. Lots of rehearsals for The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe, which goes up Tuesday and Wednesday and marks the official end of my academic career as the dress rehearsal and matinee show both take place at the EXACT same time as my lectures. So long, philosophy and SD, I barely knew ye... But seriously, it's a bit annoying, but should be fun. Also, offstage is brilliant speed-reading and note-taking-for-essay time. Who'd have thunk?
Going backwards then: made a pork roast tonight. Reminded me of Christmas--I got the roast because it had a half-off sticker on it and I thought it cost less than it did, but for a massive boneless slab of meat it actually ended up being quite cheap pound-to-kilogram. And tasty, for a first effort, nice and juicy. Mmmm.
Last night went and saw Call of Cthulu, a student-written show based on and HP Lovecraft novel. Had a 'total immersion' thing going on which was cool--the whole thing was presented as a lecture from a guest which devolved into madness and ended in the lecturer being shot and all of us being rushed out the building by the fake security. Kinda cool, though the 'lecture' itself was not completely inspired.
Halloween was decent enough. Went out and to a house party, but nothing inspired.
Been feeling like I have a lot of creative juices flowing lately. Equally, been exhausted. Reading Week can't come soon enough. Also been a bit lonely in an odd way...I don't think I understand it myself. I'm not sure how much I like the *me* that I am at St Andrews. I can't define the difference, only to say that I loved the *me* of Costa Rica, am used to my home-self (who has issues with boredom and purpose but that's mostly it), but I don't know about this incarnation. We'll see. Again, Reading Week should be good time. Have also discovered Tesco's value mulled wine in my wine skin from Spain is a Good Plan. Also, that constant consumption of tea, however weak, has the same effect as diesel fuel. Finally, spent a day away from the internet and nothing changed. I REALLY need to get back into doing that.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
the downside to scheduling things...
...is that I can't remember what day I did what. I take my responsibilities completely off my mind except when they occur, putting them down in a document, but then after the fact they haven't been in my mind so they don't stick in any chronological order. Not a problem, really, just an observation.
So, what did I do today? Re-wrote and sent off my report for the travel scholarship from this summer. Had an absolutely useless SD tutorial where we calculated our carbon footprint. Weeee flights. Nothing I haven't already done online. Nothing too much new...usual pretty good philosophy. Rehearsal for Narnia (fight scenes really coming along), gym for the first time since I've been ill, which put me in a somewhat better mood. Videochatted with Clare for the first time this year, which was really nice. Still need to catch cheolseung grrrr. It's late, so I'm not terribly coherent. Had an idea for doing the 'palmers' scene in Romeo and Juliet with text messages in a video focusing solely on the actor's hands...new project? I'm tired of theatre people drama and really like the main film guy (who will hopefully have something to display at 1984) so I might propose that to him. Never done film and might be a fun venture.
Meanwhile, my SD essay looms monolithic. I'm trying not to think about it with limited success. One thing at a time, though.
Watching the second half of "Drunken Master" before bed. Watched the first half last night. Comedy already, and the dubbing is so bad I think it might count as meta-comedy.
So, what did I do today? Re-wrote and sent off my report for the travel scholarship from this summer. Had an absolutely useless SD tutorial where we calculated our carbon footprint. Weeee flights. Nothing I haven't already done online. Nothing too much new...usual pretty good philosophy. Rehearsal for Narnia (fight scenes really coming along), gym for the first time since I've been ill, which put me in a somewhat better mood. Videochatted with Clare for the first time this year, which was really nice. Still need to catch cheolseung grrrr. It's late, so I'm not terribly coherent. Had an idea for doing the 'palmers' scene in Romeo and Juliet with text messages in a video focusing solely on the actor's hands...new project? I'm tired of theatre people drama and really like the main film guy (who will hopefully have something to display at 1984) so I might propose that to him. Never done film and might be a fun venture.
Meanwhile, my SD essay looms monolithic. I'm trying not to think about it with limited success. One thing at a time, though.
Watching the second half of "Drunken Master" before bed. Watched the first half last night. Comedy already, and the dubbing is so bad I think it might count as meta-comedy.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Further adventures in the neverland
Feeling a bit surreal at the mo', probably from lack of sleep.
Last night TROUPE did our first thing. You can read about it at www.troupit.blogspot.com and hopefully soon also see some pictures. Good fun. Got to sleep at 4AM and gave tours of Regs starting at 9.30 today. Ahhhh. Otherwise, stuff's going well. Had another biology guy in SD, and the bio bunch are good. Got another e-mail re the travel scholarship report and it's due Friday, which means plenty of time. So that's good. Also had rehearsal and I'm really pleased with the new direction we're going in for 1984. A lot more emphasis on secondary characters and what they mean in that world. And Winston got semi-nude today for the first time, so that's good fun. Still far from a finished product, but at least a flare of hope after our black Monday. Went out for coffee with an old friend, then got a battered pizza (my first this year...I can feel the grease sitting in my stomach, comfortably munching years off my life-span), went shopping at Aldi's (the big find? Christmas cake! Of course, America will be decked out in Thanksgiving now, but we're already on Christmas. We're also 7 hours ahead. Britain is in the future!)
Drinking tea. Work on 1984. Work on travel scholarship. Go to bed?
Last night TROUPE did our first thing. You can read about it at www.troupit.blogspot.com and hopefully soon also see some pictures. Good fun. Got to sleep at 4AM and gave tours of Regs starting at 9.30 today. Ahhhh. Otherwise, stuff's going well. Had another biology guy in SD, and the bio bunch are good. Got another e-mail re the travel scholarship report and it's due Friday, which means plenty of time. So that's good. Also had rehearsal and I'm really pleased with the new direction we're going in for 1984. A lot more emphasis on secondary characters and what they mean in that world. And Winston got semi-nude today for the first time, so that's good fun. Still far from a finished product, but at least a flare of hope after our black Monday. Went out for coffee with an old friend, then got a battered pizza (my first this year...I can feel the grease sitting in my stomach, comfortably munching years off my life-span), went shopping at Aldi's (the big find? Christmas cake! Of course, America will be decked out in Thanksgiving now, but we're already on Christmas. We're also 7 hours ahead. Britain is in the future!)
Drinking tea. Work on 1984. Work on travel scholarship. Go to bed?
Monday, October 27, 2008
what. the. fuck.
I got a text from one of my actors asking if we could talk before rehearsal a couple hours before. Fine, I know what that means. Fine. What I was not prepared for was calling two other actors to ask why they weren't there and get a "didn't you get my e-mail?" reply. Fair enough, but this means they sent the e-mails after 2PM on the day. Both also quit.
So, my 12 person show is now 9 people. Fine. My issue is, they all quit just after I had handed out the first script. For a 12 person show. So now, instead of going on to blocking the script and getting really in-depth, which is what the leads at least need so as not to stagnate and plateau with their characters, we've got to go back to square one (okay, maybe two) of workshops. And I've got to write a play where I thought I'd be focusing entirely on an essay. I am not a happy goose.
So, my 12 person show is now 9 people. Fine. My issue is, they all quit just after I had handed out the first script. For a 12 person show. So now, instead of going on to blocking the script and getting really in-depth, which is what the leads at least need so as not to stagnate and plateau with their characters, we've got to go back to square one (okay, maybe two) of workshops. And I've got to write a play where I thought I'd be focusing entirely on an essay. I am not a happy goose.
This is what it means to be at Uni
I'm not going to my 1PM lecture. I am not ill. The lecture is very much on, same time as always, same stuff in SD. But this week, the lecturer happens to be profoundly boring, utterly incoherent, and reliant on Wikipedia for much of the information on his slides. At least he cites it, bless him. So I am not going. I'll go tomorrow, because the topic should be decent though he is not. But today, I'll take that hour to do reading instead. It feels really good to say, "fuck you, you're a terrible lecturer, so I'm just not going to go. I'll learn the material more efficiently on my own." I know it sounds petty, but it's a bit of a realization for me. I'm usually of the opinion that, as long as you can stand it, you'll generally get more from going to lectures than not going, even if you space out half the time. At least you get sound-bytes for essays and exams. But no. Not this lecture. It's a powerful and liberating feeling to have made this a conscious choice.
I am reading a lot again, which is good as I am very behind. Constant headache being sick meant reading was difficult, so now I'm racing to catch up. I'm feeling a lot more on-top in general...wrote a letter to Robbie which I now just need to get a stamp for and send...caught up with some people from last year. There's still loads to do, of course, but I'm feeling much more up for it and much less like death. Though the cough is still with me.
So today should be 3-4 Philosophy, 4-5 1984 rehearsal, 6-7.30 Chinese. And that's it. For now, Chapter 4 of the Republic.
I am reading a lot again, which is good as I am very behind. Constant headache being sick meant reading was difficult, so now I'm racing to catch up. I'm feeling a lot more on-top in general...wrote a letter to Robbie which I now just need to get a stamp for and send...caught up with some people from last year. There's still loads to do, of course, but I'm feeling much more up for it and much less like death. Though the cough is still with me.
So today should be 3-4 Philosophy, 4-5 1984 rehearsal, 6-7.30 Chinese. And that's it. For now, Chapter 4 of the Republic.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Great article
http://www.thesmartset.com/article/article10100801.aspx
On the failing of education....from a man who writes other people's term papers. The conclusion: People can't write because they aren't reading--"But that's standard!"--because they aren't reading term papers. Thinking about it, I always loved the peer-review and edits in class because it meant that I got to see what other students were doing, where everyone clung to the same points and the few little jumps of genius. And in return for fixing some typos I'd get to steal some genius and give the common ground, stylistically and thematically, a wide berth. Before writing my last philosophy article, I went online and looked up what the professor had written on the dialogue or essay was on. The topic was completely different, but her loopy writing style and pointedly logical steps gave me the framework I needed to write the essay in two hours.
Now I'm struggling with another essay, and I think, after reading the article, that it's because the professor is from Biology, a 'foreign' discipline, and the essay itself on a massively vague topic. So what's next? Let's check out what the professor has written. I've been looking for sources covering the same topic, but since I'm vague on what the topic even is let's just start with style.
On the failing of education....from a man who writes other people's term papers. The conclusion: People can't write because they aren't reading--"But that's standard!"--because they aren't reading term papers. Thinking about it, I always loved the peer-review and edits in class because it meant that I got to see what other students were doing, where everyone clung to the same points and the few little jumps of genius. And in return for fixing some typos I'd get to steal some genius and give the common ground, stylistically and thematically, a wide berth. Before writing my last philosophy article, I went online and looked up what the professor had written on the dialogue or essay was on. The topic was completely different, but her loopy writing style and pointedly logical steps gave me the framework I needed to write the essay in two hours.
Now I'm struggling with another essay, and I think, after reading the article, that it's because the professor is from Biology, a 'foreign' discipline, and the essay itself on a massively vague topic. So what's next? Let's check out what the professor has written. I've been looking for sources covering the same topic, but since I'm vague on what the topic even is let's just start with style.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
lying in bed, watching heroes, doing nothing
After not a short-and-east day...couple hours ambassadoring, a lecture, a 1984 rehearsal (butoh workshop!) and a Narnia fight rehearsal...but it's all good now. Still feeling not fully recovered, but on the mend. Managed to burn a pot today--put water in it, put it on the oven, forgot. Fire alarm goes off, I come downstairs and there is an empty pot with the plastic handle on fire. Spectacular! In good news, the new season of Heroes is great so far, lets hope it stays that way. I've got a shopping list and a trip I need to do in the next....oh dear, next 40 minutes. Sigh. Getting out of bed...
I also really need to start in earnest in research for my SD essay, wonderfully vague topic of "Is it practicable to harvest life sustainably?" How can academics make even QUESTIONS obtuse, contradictory and meaningless? Also, horror of horrors, we have 'chemistry guy' lecturing in SD on atmospheric chemistry at the moment...He just sort of throws formulas up, tell us what they mean, and then throws more up. And? If we were doing proper chemistry, I'm sure we would be deriving them and plugging stuff in--dandy. If we were "oooh at how you don't actually need to know anything about science to understand the earth and plan for a sustainable future"-SD-as-usual people, we wouldn't bother with the formulas and instead go on and on about what people are doing to mess things up and how much better nature is on its own because of things like hydrogen and nitrogen in some vague sense, because those sound like gasses and gasses are science-y. Not too much of a complaint but rants are more fun both to read and write.
Looks like I have hit something, maybe not much, but something with 1984. The creative writing society is getting into the exhibition idea and the film head sounded pleasantly interested...though artsoc and photosoc ironically seem very 'meh, we'll do it if you force us' about the whole thing. We've also gotten loads of contacts in and through the town, which could be incredible as far as starting some town-gown relations and meeting people who are also Scottish goes. Even all the visiting day people seem to be English.
I've also committed to starting writing again. Huzzah for old computer back. It's actually really stress-relieving, in these dark and schedule-filled times, to sit down and write complete nonsense. And blog, of course. And blog.
I also really need to start in earnest in research for my SD essay, wonderfully vague topic of "Is it practicable to harvest life sustainably?" How can academics make even QUESTIONS obtuse, contradictory and meaningless? Also, horror of horrors, we have 'chemistry guy' lecturing in SD on atmospheric chemistry at the moment...He just sort of throws formulas up, tell us what they mean, and then throws more up. And? If we were doing proper chemistry, I'm sure we would be deriving them and plugging stuff in--dandy. If we were "oooh at how you don't actually need to know anything about science to understand the earth and plan for a sustainable future"-SD-as-usual people, we wouldn't bother with the formulas and instead go on and on about what people are doing to mess things up and how much better nature is on its own because of things like hydrogen and nitrogen in some vague sense, because those sound like gasses and gasses are science-y. Not too much of a complaint but rants are more fun both to read and write.
Looks like I have hit something, maybe not much, but something with 1984. The creative writing society is getting into the exhibition idea and the film head sounded pleasantly interested...though artsoc and photosoc ironically seem very 'meh, we'll do it if you force us' about the whole thing. We've also gotten loads of contacts in and through the town, which could be incredible as far as starting some town-gown relations and meeting people who are also Scottish goes. Even all the visiting day people seem to be English.
I've also committed to starting writing again. Huzzah for old computer back. It's actually really stress-relieving, in these dark and schedule-filled times, to sit down and write complete nonsense. And blog, of course. And blog.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Illness, I know you love me, but I think it's time for us to start seeing other people
Sick again--snot-and-sore throat are the theme of the day(s) this time...though I think I'm beginning to recover.
Yesterday I was an absolute waste of space, but today I've written my Philosophy essay and a bunch more for 1984, all around (and, lets be honest, in) two rehearsals. Macbeth remains a waste of time, as we're doing 'character building' improvs before we get into the actual text, but its very specific to our characters and situations in the play and so is limiting in the worst way. Also, who is Banquo? I don't know. How will I find out? The script? Are we working with that? No. Next week should be better. Narnia is coming well (my current lack of voice is perfect for the wolf! All raspy and growly...Jim says I sound like Batman), although we need to do separate fight rehearsals a bit. Still, it's good fun.
What else? Have been going out at night rather than getting better. I blame peer pressure, and think it's an interesting phenomenon that I find that almost an acceptable excuse. Wonder why that is? Doubtless some odd, half-forgotten rebellion against drug education as a kid.
Learned that it is possible to make cupcake frosting with alcohol in it. Have not made said frosting, but found it intriguing.
Really excited about TROUPE. We met Saturday night, and every day we add more to a list of events (I think I may slowly change the name to 'heists', sounds cooler). Should have our first one on last week of November...I'm excited! We'll be videotaping everything and putting it online (I've started a TROUPE blog and will link to it when new stuff goes up). But it's really cool.
In that vein, last night (rather than sleeping...pshhh) I was online for quite a bit researching theatre...avant garde or just non-traditional, trying to find a list of things which are impossible to stage. I have a vague idea of doing a comedy next semester that will take something completely ill-adapted to staging and do it...my current forerunner is "The Matrix: A Hip-hop Musical". Feel free to post any ideas--I'm looking for stuff like naval battles, flight, monsters, many locations, and completely underwater. I find I'm really thinking about the nature of theatre, maybe art in general. How bourgeois of me. But: what is next? We've had deconstructionism. We're bored with it.
Found an interesting article on the future of the internet and theatre (aka the internet is an important part of our lives, how to stage it?), and just today Clare messaged me and Jessica about doing Shakespeare or something through iChat's 3 person video call. Excited, much.
Just waiting to get better....I'll get to bed soon.
Yesterday I was an absolute waste of space, but today I've written my Philosophy essay and a bunch more for 1984, all around (and, lets be honest, in) two rehearsals. Macbeth remains a waste of time, as we're doing 'character building' improvs before we get into the actual text, but its very specific to our characters and situations in the play and so is limiting in the worst way. Also, who is Banquo? I don't know. How will I find out? The script? Are we working with that? No. Next week should be better. Narnia is coming well (my current lack of voice is perfect for the wolf! All raspy and growly...Jim says I sound like Batman), although we need to do separate fight rehearsals a bit. Still, it's good fun.
What else? Have been going out at night rather than getting better. I blame peer pressure, and think it's an interesting phenomenon that I find that almost an acceptable excuse. Wonder why that is? Doubtless some odd, half-forgotten rebellion against drug education as a kid.
Learned that it is possible to make cupcake frosting with alcohol in it. Have not made said frosting, but found it intriguing.
Really excited about TROUPE. We met Saturday night, and every day we add more to a list of events (I think I may slowly change the name to 'heists', sounds cooler). Should have our first one on last week of November...I'm excited! We'll be videotaping everything and putting it online (I've started a TROUPE blog and will link to it when new stuff goes up). But it's really cool.
In that vein, last night (rather than sleeping...pshhh) I was online for quite a bit researching theatre...avant garde or just non-traditional, trying to find a list of things which are impossible to stage. I have a vague idea of doing a comedy next semester that will take something completely ill-adapted to staging and do it...my current forerunner is "The Matrix: A Hip-hop Musical". Feel free to post any ideas--I'm looking for stuff like naval battles, flight, monsters, many locations, and completely underwater. I find I'm really thinking about the nature of theatre, maybe art in general. How bourgeois of me. But: what is next? We've had deconstructionism. We're bored with it.
Found an interesting article on the future of the internet and theatre (aka the internet is an important part of our lives, how to stage it?), and just today Clare messaged me and Jessica about doing Shakespeare or something through iChat's 3 person video call. Excited, much.
Just waiting to get better....I'll get to bed soon.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Voting
An odd experience. I am not as cynical as I thought: it really had some impact on me. Let me set the stage:
Jim is playing a football (soccer) game in the background. I've just eaten breakfast and showered. Been thinking most of last night about my script for 1984, thinking that my tasks for this morning, after voting, are to read the first 2 chapters of Plato's Republic and write all my Chinese vocab in one place. Somehow, all of these become relevant in the light of voting. I put on the Colbert Report, then think of the wonderful irony of voting while listening to him. It's "The Word", about how whoever the next president is they will be a POW: Prisoner of W.. Not bad.
So, thoughts:
1. Oh god, it's a multiple choice test. Oh God. I guess school has....prepared me well? Or maybe just disgust that it never, ever, ever ends. Ever. I also note that the voting options are slightly more incoherent than your typical multiple choice test. The numbers are arranged up-to-down, making it hard to find things as we read left-to-right. This is further confused by the fact that each section seems to have different rules for how to fill in bubbles. You mark one box by party for president and vice president, one of two to vote for other positions (given things like the persons occupation and occasionally political affiliation...to be honest I didn't vote on several of these offices because I'd never heard of the person or what the position actually did...yeah Democracy!), and then a bubble for "yes" or "no" for each of the state measures, where you are provided with a general statement of aims and costs.
2. I am an adult. I am putting in my voice to choose how the US fucks other countries and masturbates itself for the next four years. Sorry, it was too good a metaphor to resist. But it did feel like something special. Like having some sort of a voice, making a difference. It felt like being out of school, like having the decision what to do with my time at all times, like living on my own. It felt adult and powerful.
3. I can't even drink legally in the United States.
4. The whole "An Historic Election" thing, the race/gender/etc shock that we've been bombarded with feels insignificant when you're filling in bubbles for little black-and-white names on paper. Even so, before I sat down I had the thought: This is the first election I've voted in. This will be my standard, and the standard of my generation. And perhaps it's just being Californian, but if this is our standard, then I think we have come a long way. Democrats are voting for a black-ish man, Republicans are voting for McCain and something that resembles a cross between a woman and an iguana. Whichever way this goes, this election has re-defined the office of president in the US. No matter that most other countries did this 50 years ago, it might--just might--be our time. Policy change seems nigh impossible, but if attitudes start to change it's a step.
5. Colbert has been my main political advisor for the last 4 years or so. His humor expresses a rejection of politics and media so complete that rather than provide commentary it attempts to imitate it, as if to say, "is this even possible?" He tries to transform himself to enter the world of current politics and in that transformation shows how over-the-top yet overly-serious American politics have become. It's an anthropologist gone native. And about as much American politics as I can stomach (at least British MPs actively make fun of each other).
6. The state measures are interesting. Lots of green stuff, public transit creation/improvement stuff. The interestingly conservative "oops gay rights are a mistake" and "teens should definitely have unwanted babies!", though some nice breaks for druggies. And standard school/law enforcement/veteran stuff. This was actually the section that made me feel best to vote for--actual policies which, while I'm sure I have the understanding of a retarded chipmunk about most of them, will make a direct difference that voters can actually control. Lets have this kind of ballot on wars and stuff in the future, mmkay?
Done. Just got to pop it in the mail. Took a lot longer than expected...The Republic may have to wait a bit to be read. It feels special though. I've inherited my white middle-class American birthright: caring about politics. I can see where people say the ballots are shittily confusing and where people never even register to vote. There's just nothing to make you. I hope Obama wins, there'll be a brief surge of international friendliness toward the States and he'll look good on magazine covers.
Jim is playing a football (soccer) game in the background. I've just eaten breakfast and showered. Been thinking most of last night about my script for 1984, thinking that my tasks for this morning, after voting, are to read the first 2 chapters of Plato's Republic and write all my Chinese vocab in one place. Somehow, all of these become relevant in the light of voting. I put on the Colbert Report, then think of the wonderful irony of voting while listening to him. It's "The Word", about how whoever the next president is they will be a POW: Prisoner of W.. Not bad.
So, thoughts:
1. Oh god, it's a multiple choice test. Oh God. I guess school has....prepared me well? Or maybe just disgust that it never, ever, ever ends. Ever. I also note that the voting options are slightly more incoherent than your typical multiple choice test. The numbers are arranged up-to-down, making it hard to find things as we read left-to-right. This is further confused by the fact that each section seems to have different rules for how to fill in bubbles. You mark one box by party for president and vice president, one of two to vote for other positions (given things like the persons occupation and occasionally political affiliation...to be honest I didn't vote on several of these offices because I'd never heard of the person or what the position actually did...yeah Democracy!), and then a bubble for "yes" or "no" for each of the state measures, where you are provided with a general statement of aims and costs.
2. I am an adult. I am putting in my voice to choose how the US fucks other countries and masturbates itself for the next four years. Sorry, it was too good a metaphor to resist. But it did feel like something special. Like having some sort of a voice, making a difference. It felt like being out of school, like having the decision what to do with my time at all times, like living on my own. It felt adult and powerful.
3. I can't even drink legally in the United States.
4. The whole "An Historic Election" thing, the race/gender/etc shock that we've been bombarded with feels insignificant when you're filling in bubbles for little black-and-white names on paper. Even so, before I sat down I had the thought: This is the first election I've voted in. This will be my standard, and the standard of my generation. And perhaps it's just being Californian, but if this is our standard, then I think we have come a long way. Democrats are voting for a black-ish man, Republicans are voting for McCain and something that resembles a cross between a woman and an iguana. Whichever way this goes, this election has re-defined the office of president in the US. No matter that most other countries did this 50 years ago, it might--just might--be our time. Policy change seems nigh impossible, but if attitudes start to change it's a step.
5. Colbert has been my main political advisor for the last 4 years or so. His humor expresses a rejection of politics and media so complete that rather than provide commentary it attempts to imitate it, as if to say, "is this even possible?" He tries to transform himself to enter the world of current politics and in that transformation shows how over-the-top yet overly-serious American politics have become. It's an anthropologist gone native. And about as much American politics as I can stomach (at least British MPs actively make fun of each other).
6. The state measures are interesting. Lots of green stuff, public transit creation/improvement stuff. The interestingly conservative "oops gay rights are a mistake" and "teens should definitely have unwanted babies!", though some nice breaks for druggies. And standard school/law enforcement/veteran stuff. This was actually the section that made me feel best to vote for--actual policies which, while I'm sure I have the understanding of a retarded chipmunk about most of them, will make a direct difference that voters can actually control. Lets have this kind of ballot on wars and stuff in the future, mmkay?
Done. Just got to pop it in the mail. Took a lot longer than expected...The Republic may have to wait a bit to be read. It feels special though. I've inherited my white middle-class American birthright: caring about politics. I can see where people say the ballots are shittily confusing and where people never even register to vote. There's just nothing to make you. I hope Obama wins, there'll be a brief surge of international friendliness toward the States and he'll look good on magazine covers.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Stuff
Had a good rehearsal today after a decent lecture. I'm torn between sticking to butoh incoherence and doing it as a straight-ish play. I think the butoh will win out. It's looking really cool, anyways. And it looks like we'll get some interest from other societies to be a part of it, which is cool. Ideally, I think I'd have an hour of show and an hour of speeches/slam poetry/etc...though maybe not on the same night. Could be alternate nights or something? Heh dunno, I'll figure it out. I think I'll be cutting out a lot of 1984, but I may yet succeed in making it poetry, which is my eventual goal.
Really need to read the first couple chapters of The Republic....uhhh must just start. Also, finishing the Phaedo. Damn reading...
Really need to read the first couple chapters of The Republic....uhhh must just start. Also, finishing the Phaedo. Damn reading...
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Weekend end
Busy and not...Got up quite late both days and had not too much to do. Cleaned the kitchen Saturday, which was long overdue, had Narnia rehearsal, went to a house party for a bunch of ex-regs people which was fun, though odd. Seeing lots of people who I haven't really talked to since summer.
Today just basically had more Narnia rehearsals which I used largely to re-read 1984 and get down a linear plot summary, as well as re-write some good speeches and bits in my notepad. Then had my first meeting for TROUPE, which a lot of people weren't able to attend but came up with some cool ideas for event performances in St Andrews. Made a beef stew...things have calmed down a tiny bit, or maybe not, but at least have settled into a clear schedule, which is good for peace of mind. So that's that.
Today just basically had more Narnia rehearsals which I used largely to re-read 1984 and get down a linear plot summary, as well as re-write some good speeches and bits in my notepad. Then had my first meeting for TROUPE, which a lot of people weren't able to attend but came up with some cool ideas for event performances in St Andrews. Made a beef stew...things have calmed down a tiny bit, or maybe not, but at least have settled into a clear schedule, which is good for peace of mind. So that's that.
Friday, October 10, 2008
In brief
Robbie's back in Glasgow this weekend so I'll get my computer back! Watched "The Constant Gardener" yesterday and thought it was really good, gave me some direction for 1984 in an odd way. Have lost my first page of notes for Chinese...gotta try to find them by Monday. Really need to go shopping; also, to clean the kitchen and take the garbage out. First philosophy tutorial today, hopefully will go well. Independent reading wise, got through 120 pages of "Dangerous Misconceptions" about the eugenics movement and birth/population control before getting bored and returning it--now am reading "Not by Genes Alone" which is arguing cultural evolution vs biological evolution for human behaviour. Have found, via links on this blog (much to my embarassment, for the fact that I hadn't remembered them) a few of my old favorite blogs that will be handily bookmarked on my old computer, so I've been catching up on those. Bookforum especially has lots of interesting links, though all the economic blogs are overrun with "oooh pretty recession" comments. Got a topic approved for research/presentation in Sustainable Development: the effects of war on the envionment (natural and cultural). Should be cool!
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Hectic Wednesday
Last night had the first Macbeth rehearsal, a Gilbert and Sullivan rehearsal (don't know if I'll stick with it...big choir, not really sure what my role is), and the news that I'm Saturninus in Titus! Which is cool. Proceded to stay up most of the night, which was a bad idea because...
...9AM started giving tours of Regs--my job! 9-1, which is a good four hours at decent UK minimum wage. Not really hard work, basically what I did at Aviarios but shorter and they're paying me (yet to find a sloth though...sigh). It was cool cause it's a lot of people I know, so downtime ended up being decent banter.
Then 1PM lecture, an hour to go home and eat and get ready, and then rehearsal. 3-6: my first 3 hour rehearsal? Quite possibly. Started with warmup, a workshop thing, had the actors pair up and make scenes, read a chapter of 1984, learned an Irish drinking game/song (amazing. always have the irish in your shows.), and did another workshop with eye contact and had more devised scenes. I'm really pleased with my cast (though had yet another dropout, so I need one more person to get to the mandatory 13) AND stole a couple production people from Macbeth ("share" might be a nicer word), so I've finally got people out and inquiring. Big plans--talking to the union for a venue, artsoc for an exhibit, possibly live musicians, and all the political societies at least for mailing lists and possibly to help with exhibits...ahhh chuffed about everything that's going on. THEN straight to the gym, then Tescos, now out for a friend's birthday!
...9AM started giving tours of Regs--my job! 9-1, which is a good four hours at decent UK minimum wage. Not really hard work, basically what I did at Aviarios but shorter and they're paying me (yet to find a sloth though...sigh). It was cool cause it's a lot of people I know, so downtime ended up being decent banter.
Then 1PM lecture, an hour to go home and eat and get ready, and then rehearsal. 3-6: my first 3 hour rehearsal? Quite possibly. Started with warmup, a workshop thing, had the actors pair up and make scenes, read a chapter of 1984, learned an Irish drinking game/song (amazing. always have the irish in your shows.), and did another workshop with eye contact and had more devised scenes. I'm really pleased with my cast (though had yet another dropout, so I need one more person to get to the mandatory 13) AND stole a couple production people from Macbeth ("share" might be a nicer word), so I've finally got people out and inquiring. Big plans--talking to the union for a venue, artsoc for an exhibit, possibly live musicians, and all the political societies at least for mailing lists and possibly to help with exhibits...ahhh chuffed about everything that's going on. THEN straight to the gym, then Tescos, now out for a friend's birthday!
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Sick again
Woke up this morning and went, "oh shit". My nose has been running all day and is a bit tired. Unfortunately I had 3-5 rehearsals for Narnia, 5 audition for Hamlet (next semester) and "5-8" (read, until 9.30 at least!) callbacks for Macbeth. Meh. Sickness and sitting about without much to do but not being able to leave in rehearsals/callbacks=not too fun.
On the other hand, rehearsal for 1984 last night went well, am happy with the people and energy. Got choreographed for three of fifty million fights for Narnia. Picked a book at the library called "Dangerous Misconceptions" because it was a cool title. It essentially is a historical look at birth control coupled with eugenics (guess what the author thinks about both?). So far at least the population and health aspects are interesting, as well as a look at how terms like "family planning" came into existence and the interactions between church, nation and race.
I'm having trouble thinking coherently right now so I'm going to have something hot and go to bed. I really should do laundry tomorrow...mmm we shall see.
On the other hand, rehearsal for 1984 last night went well, am happy with the people and energy. Got choreographed for three of fifty million fights for Narnia. Picked a book at the library called "Dangerous Misconceptions" because it was a cool title. It essentially is a historical look at birth control coupled with eugenics (guess what the author thinks about both?). So far at least the population and health aspects are interesting, as well as a look at how terms like "family planning" came into existence and the interactions between church, nation and race.
I'm having trouble thinking coherently right now so I'm going to have something hot and go to bed. I really should do laundry tomorrow...mmm we shall see.
Friday, October 03, 2008
Mmmm
Friday night! Managed to be almost stereotypical, believe it or not. Today was fairly relaxed--got up at 9, went straight back to bed until 12.30, ran to my 1 o'clock lecture, met the Mermaids treasurer for show-talk (starting my own production company with a bank account and everything! snazzy!), went home, read Plato's Socrates's Apology for the afternoon (interspersed with eating, chatting, listening to Reggaeton, and getting groceries), went and auditioned for Titus Andronicus (I've got a callback for Macbeth but didn't get in to one of the a capella groups--sorted), watched a play of Alice in Wonderland with some people (psychadelic 60s inspired...started great, then got bogged down, literal, tedious and incoherent), got a book from the library on population control, got beans at Tescos, ran into Jim and Robbie and went out. And that is my complete day.
The weekend: Tomorrow, 2-5 fight scene choreography for 3 of my infinite Lion/Witch/Wardrobe fights, 5-5.30 training as one of the Regs ambassadors for my bit of part time employment, possibly going into the gym (with Jim!) after that, then 8PM rehearsal/getting together at my house for 1984, Regs anexxe party (possibly). Sunday 2-5 Lion/Witch/etc rehearsal, Macbeth callbacks. Ahhh might just keep this blog as a schedule planner!
I'm really enjoying the pace right now, we'll see when deadlines start coming up...but I think it'll be alright. Feels a bit more like my high school years, never a spare moment--but talking to loads of people, making new acquaintances and solidifying old ones. Reminded, going out with Robbie again, of how well we get on. Deciding to dedicate an hour or two a day for reading, no matter what--but we'll see how well I'm able to stick to that.
PS: Airlines--fantastic. Or is that just their employees?
PPS: The dollar, despite bedlam and the apocalypse, is at 1.83:1 with the pound! Not bad!
The weekend: Tomorrow, 2-5 fight scene choreography for 3 of my infinite Lion/Witch/Wardrobe fights, 5-5.30 training as one of the Regs ambassadors for my bit of part time employment, possibly going into the gym (with Jim!) after that, then 8PM rehearsal/getting together at my house for 1984, Regs anexxe party (possibly). Sunday 2-5 Lion/Witch/etc rehearsal, Macbeth callbacks. Ahhh might just keep this blog as a schedule planner!
I'm really enjoying the pace right now, we'll see when deadlines start coming up...but I think it'll be alright. Feels a bit more like my high school years, never a spare moment--but talking to loads of people, making new acquaintances and solidifying old ones. Reminded, going out with Robbie again, of how well we get on. Deciding to dedicate an hour or two a day for reading, no matter what--but we'll see how well I'm able to stick to that.
PS: Airlines--fantastic. Or is that just their employees?
PPS: The dollar, despite bedlam and the apocalypse, is at 1.83:1 with the pound! Not bad!
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Thursday night
Still no word on the computer--if I don't hear by the end of the weekend I'll worry and call.
Had one of the busiest days yet, and didn't attend a single lecture! Got up nice and early and did the philosophy reading and read sparknotes on it too since I couldn't go to that lecture. Tried to go to the 1PM SD to find out that was slotted as a tutorial and so doesn't happen until next week. So I went to the Mermaids meeting, which is supposed to be at the same time anyways. Set up a production meeting for tomorrow...I really need a producer, all the planning/tech stuff bores me. 3PM started auditions again (had around 10 more people audition) and stayed in the room for a Habitat for Humanity meeting. Yawn. Fund raising to go build houses in the third world for two weeks. Charity just amuses me. They raise 11000 pounds (a year of my tuition) and give it all to the airlines and a first world office. Ah well.
Went home, ate some of my "Brian's own bootleg rice pudding" (leftover brown rice with honey, milk, and rasins), then went to audition for another a capella group. They were really pretentious last year but really nice this one. Then headed over to Model UN to watch a bit of their conference and go for free wine afterward. It's cool since I know lots of the people--though it's all a ruse, really, the whole thing is run by Germans! Would be a cool thing to do. Time? Yeah, that. Afterward headed home and sent out my cast list. The turnout for 1984 was interesting--almost an even number of guys and girls auditioned! Felt almost wrong having a balanced cast list. Easily half of them American, almost all either first years or fourth year/postgrads. Wierd. Should be fun though, first meeting this Saturday. Finished off by making "Brian's own leftovers tacos" (chicken, mushrooms, spinach, and salsa in a tortilla). Bit bland, but good. Headed over to 'the others' house where we are watching Gangs of New York and I am multitasking as usual.
Feels good to be busy again, though I may have to do some serious academic-ing just to remember that I'm at university. Meeting lots of new people, getting involved in new things. Also starting to think about maybe doing a year abroad next year? I'll see what I can do.
Had one of the busiest days yet, and didn't attend a single lecture! Got up nice and early and did the philosophy reading and read sparknotes on it too since I couldn't go to that lecture. Tried to go to the 1PM SD to find out that was slotted as a tutorial and so doesn't happen until next week. So I went to the Mermaids meeting, which is supposed to be at the same time anyways. Set up a production meeting for tomorrow...I really need a producer, all the planning/tech stuff bores me. 3PM started auditions again (had around 10 more people audition) and stayed in the room for a Habitat for Humanity meeting. Yawn. Fund raising to go build houses in the third world for two weeks. Charity just amuses me. They raise 11000 pounds (a year of my tuition) and give it all to the airlines and a first world office. Ah well.
Went home, ate some of my "Brian's own bootleg rice pudding" (leftover brown rice with honey, milk, and rasins), then went to audition for another a capella group. They were really pretentious last year but really nice this one. Then headed over to Model UN to watch a bit of their conference and go for free wine afterward. It's cool since I know lots of the people--though it's all a ruse, really, the whole thing is run by Germans! Would be a cool thing to do. Time? Yeah, that. Afterward headed home and sent out my cast list. The turnout for 1984 was interesting--almost an even number of guys and girls auditioned! Felt almost wrong having a balanced cast list. Easily half of them American, almost all either first years or fourth year/postgrads. Wierd. Should be fun though, first meeting this Saturday. Finished off by making "Brian's own leftovers tacos" (chicken, mushrooms, spinach, and salsa in a tortilla). Bit bland, but good. Headed over to 'the others' house where we are watching Gangs of New York and I am multitasking as usual.
Feels good to be busy again, though I may have to do some serious academic-ing just to remember that I'm at university. Meeting lots of new people, getting involved in new things. Also starting to think about maybe doing a year abroad next year? I'll see what I can do.
How daily is this!
Updates on all the stuff I keep piling on myself:
Joined the St Andrews Ambassadors--essentially the people who show new people around. It's in the mornings before I have lectures, you can opt in or out of whatever dates you want, and it pays! Minimum wage, but in neat 3 hour chunks. So hopefully I'll be called a bit for that, though chances are I'll only do it a few times because loads of people signed up this year.
Did some auditions yesterday and (so far) have ended up in a Gilbert and Sullivan concert-show-thing. Don't know anything about it aside from the fact that its a staged concert, Opera I think, but I haven't sung in a year and am really looking forward to that. More updates to come. So I doubt I'll do any 'acting' this year but this should be a good excuse to sing, kind of like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe will be a great venue to do more stage combat than ever in my life (I swear I have 5+ fight scenes with various people).
Also had the first day of auditions for 1984/TROUPE (my outdoor theatre *thing*) yesterday and was really pleased--21 people showed up! For Doctor Despite Himself I ended up with I think 13 after 2 days of auditions and all sorts of asking favours of people to come audition at irregular times. So it looks live I've got options and interest as far as that goes, which is great. Though, in a burst of deep insight and wisdom I've scheduled todays auditions over my Philosophy lectures. Fortunately today should mostly be summary of Plato's Meno, so I'll just take good notes.
Sat in on the OneWorld society meeting last night. Decided, yeah, hippies really aren't my thing. Not in groups where they are "making a difference" at least.
For Sustainable Development I'll be doing an essay on technological fixes to global warming and a project on (our choice of topic) the effects of warfare (probably nuclear fallout, why not) on its surroundings. Looking forward to that. And Meno! Yeah, off to read it now.
Joined the St Andrews Ambassadors--essentially the people who show new people around. It's in the mornings before I have lectures, you can opt in or out of whatever dates you want, and it pays! Minimum wage, but in neat 3 hour chunks. So hopefully I'll be called a bit for that, though chances are I'll only do it a few times because loads of people signed up this year.
Did some auditions yesterday and (so far) have ended up in a Gilbert and Sullivan concert-show-thing. Don't know anything about it aside from the fact that its a staged concert, Opera I think, but I haven't sung in a year and am really looking forward to that. More updates to come. So I doubt I'll do any 'acting' this year but this should be a good excuse to sing, kind of like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe will be a great venue to do more stage combat than ever in my life (I swear I have 5+ fight scenes with various people).
Also had the first day of auditions for 1984/TROUPE (my outdoor theatre *thing*) yesterday and was really pleased--21 people showed up! For Doctor Despite Himself I ended up with I think 13 after 2 days of auditions and all sorts of asking favours of people to come audition at irregular times. So it looks live I've got options and interest as far as that goes, which is great. Though, in a burst of deep insight and wisdom I've scheduled todays auditions over my Philosophy lectures. Fortunately today should mostly be summary of Plato's Meno, so I'll just take good notes.
Sat in on the OneWorld society meeting last night. Decided, yeah, hippies really aren't my thing. Not in groups where they are "making a difference" at least.
For Sustainable Development I'll be doing an essay on technological fixes to global warming and a project on (our choice of topic) the effects of warfare (probably nuclear fallout, why not) on its surroundings. Looking forward to that. And Meno! Yeah, off to read it now.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
After a day of classes:
This year looks harder! Wierd...Reading on the first day for Philosophy, major project stuff and an essay in Sustainable Development. But it also looks GOOD. The lecturer for Ancient is a famous Aristotle scholar and no mean shakes with Plato as well as being a compelling lecturer (in her dry way) and looking like a bat in tweed. SD has all different lecturers, but already we've got great freedom in terms of essays (12 possible topics) and project (choose your partner, choose your topic-anything relating to ecology or the environment). But yeah, they look good. Let's see how a first day in actual teaching looks.
And I'm kind of glad that I've only got 2 classes (plus Chinese--must remember that starts up next Monday) this year, because it's getting closer to audition crunch-time and I'm just hoping people turn up. Ah well breakfast time for now.
And I'm kind of glad that I've only got 2 classes (plus Chinese--must remember that starts up next Monday) this year, because it's getting closer to audition crunch-time and I'm just hoping people turn up. Ah well breakfast time for now.
Friday, September 26, 2008
And I didn't do a theatre degree because...?
Matriculated today. The lineup for this semester looks like:
Semester 1:
Ancient Philosophy
Sustainable Development (Science)
Mandarin Chinese for Beginners (evening course--marked but no credit)
Semester 2:
Modern Philosophy Descartes to Kant
Sustainable Development (Arts)
Drama: Reading and Performance (a second year English module with no pre-requisites...it's either that or Comparative Religions, but seeing as how the school of divinity is completely nutsoid and I'm soon to be churning out plays faster than I can count, figured a drama literary class might be ok to fill the 20 credits I need).
Also in the first semester, directing 1984 (whose name will probably need to be something else due to lovely copyright, and whose auditions are this wednesday and thursday), starting up TROUPE, my outdoor performance...thing. About which I know very little, despite it being 100% my project. But I've got some ideas, along the lines of doing surreal public performance to highlight the mundanity (is that a word?) of modern life and see if we can't do some performance psychology in making people question their routines. And I'm in "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe". Well, the societies fayre is yet to come, so we'll see what else I end up with.
On the "intimate feelings online" end, this week has been bizzare. On the bus into St Andrews I scrawled on a piece of paper: "When you feel a kind of ironic detatchment from a place--that's when you know you're home". Remains true. Seen lots of old people, met a few new people, mostly solidified aquantinces with old people who I really didn't know but had seen around. Have talked to very few Freshers. Have spent a lot of time alone, and it's actually been a bit lonely for the past few days. I do miss having someone to go around with in the afternoons--even something as simple as Robbie and I last year "I'm going to pop down to Tesco"--"I'll come with you". It's a decently productive solitude, but still. Got a bit stressed about what lectures I could take since SD conflicts with every f*ing thing I wanted to do second semester, and the cues were not great. But nights out have been consistently good, though it's interesting to see who maintains the "let's go out all the time!" attitude and who is now too "grown up" for such childish persuits! Both strike me as a bit silly. I really want to form some meaningful relationships. Yeah, well, we'll see. That kind of thing doesn't happen because of wishing.
Semester 1:
Ancient Philosophy
Sustainable Development (Science)
Mandarin Chinese for Beginners (evening course--marked but no credit)
Semester 2:
Modern Philosophy Descartes to Kant
Sustainable Development (Arts)
Drama: Reading and Performance (a second year English module with no pre-requisites...it's either that or Comparative Religions, but seeing as how the school of divinity is completely nutsoid and I'm soon to be churning out plays faster than I can count, figured a drama literary class might be ok to fill the 20 credits I need).
Also in the first semester, directing 1984 (whose name will probably need to be something else due to lovely copyright, and whose auditions are this wednesday and thursday), starting up TROUPE, my outdoor performance...thing. About which I know very little, despite it being 100% my project. But I've got some ideas, along the lines of doing surreal public performance to highlight the mundanity (is that a word?) of modern life and see if we can't do some performance psychology in making people question their routines. And I'm in "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe". Well, the societies fayre is yet to come, so we'll see what else I end up with.
On the "intimate feelings online" end, this week has been bizzare. On the bus into St Andrews I scrawled on a piece of paper: "When you feel a kind of ironic detatchment from a place--that's when you know you're home". Remains true. Seen lots of old people, met a few new people, mostly solidified aquantinces with old people who I really didn't know but had seen around. Have talked to very few Freshers. Have spent a lot of time alone, and it's actually been a bit lonely for the past few days. I do miss having someone to go around with in the afternoons--even something as simple as Robbie and I last year "I'm going to pop down to Tesco"--"I'll come with you". It's a decently productive solitude, but still. Got a bit stressed about what lectures I could take since SD conflicts with every f*ing thing I wanted to do second semester, and the cues were not great. But nights out have been consistently good, though it's interesting to see who maintains the "let's go out all the time!" attitude and who is now too "grown up" for such childish persuits! Both strike me as a bit silly. I really want to form some meaningful relationships. Yeah, well, we'll see. That kind of thing doesn't happen because of wishing.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Back on the town
Yes! Got the keys and found the house with no difficulty...it's not bad. All our stuff is strewn all over the living room, but it should be nice with some clean up. The fridge is VERY small and the freezer is a shelf, so we'll work on that. Also, still no internet as of yet, but it should be coming...in the meantime, I'm entering this from the library. ALSO my mobile's been deactivated (something about not being turned on in 4 months....hmmm) so I'm working on that. And need to stop in at the bank to figure out accounts and wire transfers and stuff. And buy a towel and maybe sheets/blankets. So, work cut out for me.
Fortunately, on the eating front, this week is Fresher's Week so there are loads of free food events so I think I'm sorted for now. I've got two lunches today and one tomorrow, so that's good. Also, Jim got a kilo of bananas and a kilo of carrots, not realizing how much that was. So, there's nutrition for this week!
Good seeing people again. It's frightning how little actually changes, on the surface at least. First impressions and all. Anyways, off to the bank/phone store/flat again to see if people are up and about.
Fortunately, on the eating front, this week is Fresher's Week so there are loads of free food events so I think I'm sorted for now. I've got two lunches today and one tomorrow, so that's good. Also, Jim got a kilo of bananas and a kilo of carrots, not realizing how much that was. So, there's nutrition for this week!
Good seeing people again. It's frightning how little actually changes, on the surface at least. First impressions and all. Anyways, off to the bank/phone store/flat again to see if people are up and about.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
St Andrews--tomorrow
The laptop is still pushing up daisies-hopefully, in a box in a flat somewhere in St A's there will be a piece of a cardboard box cut out with a number on it, which, when e-mailed to apple, will cause them to activate my warranty, allowing me to request them to ship me an envelope in which I can stick the damn thing and ship it off to get fixed. I'm anticipating "5-7 working days" BUT am much more optimistic because Mom's letting me take her old laptop. No files but at least a hook-in to the internet and a place to type/print stuff from.
Greece has been nice, though it comes at an odd time sandwiched between Costa Rica/LA/Scotland--good "bonding with parentals" time, anyways. Looking forward to getting back to Scotland, slightly dreading having to cook all my own meals, but now actually thinking it could be a great social opportunity. A lot of societies do 1 pound lunches to encourage people to come to their meetings. A cheap gimmick or dastardly effective? Time will tell.
Also really getting into concept for my production of Orwell's 1984 (note to self-investigate copyright! Possilbe name change to come...). Conceptualizing it less as a "play" than as an event, taking place in the US elections week or the week after and featuring an art gallery, donations box for torture victims, chalk graffiti all over town by way of promotion, and, if I can get some of the politically active societies in on it, maybe even some speakers and other, as-yet-unthought-but-potent-in-their-own-right *things*. Also thinking of having the entire thing done without stage lights (almost the entire thing, at least-think "we will meet in the place where there is no darkness") and possibly with a Frank Sanatra/crooner score for a taste of irony. But of course it's all unformed ideas, and everything is liable to change. Also need to think more about my TROUPE outdoor semi-scripted theatre *thing*. What's that? Don't ask me. But I'm thinking to hold auditions just after Fresher's week.
The economy is looking scary, but tuition is payed for this year at least. And hopefully I'll arrive in Scotland to a mail-in absentee voter confirmation letter to sign and send back to vote in the McCain/Palin 2008 Republican elections. But hey, I've left the country and I bet it would boost 1984 ticket sales. Also, I need to matriculate and confirm my class choices for this year. How do I do that? The answer, and many other mysteries, await.
Greece has been nice, though it comes at an odd time sandwiched between Costa Rica/LA/Scotland--good "bonding with parentals" time, anyways. Looking forward to getting back to Scotland, slightly dreading having to cook all my own meals, but now actually thinking it could be a great social opportunity. A lot of societies do 1 pound lunches to encourage people to come to their meetings. A cheap gimmick or dastardly effective? Time will tell.
Also really getting into concept for my production of Orwell's 1984 (note to self-investigate copyright! Possilbe name change to come...). Conceptualizing it less as a "play" than as an event, taking place in the US elections week or the week after and featuring an art gallery, donations box for torture victims, chalk graffiti all over town by way of promotion, and, if I can get some of the politically active societies in on it, maybe even some speakers and other, as-yet-unthought-but-potent-in-their-own-right *things*. Also thinking of having the entire thing done without stage lights (almost the entire thing, at least-think "we will meet in the place where there is no darkness") and possibly with a Frank Sanatra/crooner score for a taste of irony. But of course it's all unformed ideas, and everything is liable to change. Also need to think more about my TROUPE outdoor semi-scripted theatre *thing*. What's that? Don't ask me. But I'm thinking to hold auditions just after Fresher's week.
The economy is looking scary, but tuition is payed for this year at least. And hopefully I'll arrive in Scotland to a mail-in absentee voter confirmation letter to sign and send back to vote in the McCain/Palin 2008 Republican elections. But hey, I've left the country and I bet it would boost 1984 ticket sales. Also, I need to matriculate and confirm my class choices for this year. How do I do that? The answer, and many other mysteries, await.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Right, let's try to start posting again...
For real. Got back from Costa Rica, spent the fastest 5 days ever in LA, and now am in Athens Greeceing it up.
Costa Rica was definitely up there in the "best 2 months of my life" rating, both for fun and learning, in an extremely non-academic sense. Living in a 3rd world country and interacting with the people there, even just for a couple months, was eye-opening. I'd describe it as "more basic" but not "more simple". That is, people had just as many worries, just as many conflicts, and a much more difficult life. BUT their worries were about real, life-altering issues, their conflicts took the backseat to what they needed to do, and less assurance of life meant both more respect for it and a different attitude toward risk. Overall, it opened my eyes to the pettiness of our worries and wants. And that's not even mentioning the sloths!
LA was just a quick re-connect, to discover that my computer, which I left in LA to keep it safe, had broken while I was gone (the monitor's out). Still waiting for the warranty number from Apple, then have to send it in to a UK office to get fixed. So no real computer for a little bit longer.
And Greece! Arrived tired, but the food is good, and walking around seeing stuff is cool. More impressions to come. A couple words (good morning-kalimera, and sorry-signome) I recognize from the video game Quest for Glory 5. Hooray for the intense educational experience that is computer games!
Reading "Kite Runner" for the first time, and finding it very emotionally powerful, though I'm unsure where it's going. Also going through "1984" again and writing down stuff to use in my adaptation when I get back to school. Which I'm looking forward to getting back to, incidentally.
And hopefully blogging will be come...consistant?
Costa Rica was definitely up there in the "best 2 months of my life" rating, both for fun and learning, in an extremely non-academic sense. Living in a 3rd world country and interacting with the people there, even just for a couple months, was eye-opening. I'd describe it as "more basic" but not "more simple". That is, people had just as many worries, just as many conflicts, and a much more difficult life. BUT their worries were about real, life-altering issues, their conflicts took the backseat to what they needed to do, and less assurance of life meant both more respect for it and a different attitude toward risk. Overall, it opened my eyes to the pettiness of our worries and wants. And that's not even mentioning the sloths!
LA was just a quick re-connect, to discover that my computer, which I left in LA to keep it safe, had broken while I was gone (the monitor's out). Still waiting for the warranty number from Apple, then have to send it in to a UK office to get fixed. So no real computer for a little bit longer.
And Greece! Arrived tired, but the food is good, and walking around seeing stuff is cool. More impressions to come. A couple words (good morning-kalimera, and sorry-signome) I recognize from the video game Quest for Glory 5. Hooray for the intense educational experience that is computer games!
Reading "Kite Runner" for the first time, and finding it very emotionally powerful, though I'm unsure where it's going. Also going through "1984" again and writing down stuff to use in my adaptation when I get back to school. Which I'm looking forward to getting back to, incidentally.
And hopefully blogging will be come...consistant?
Friday, August 22, 2008
Another update (again via the mom...)
Took a day off today and went snorkeling and walking in Cahuita National Forest with some other volunteers. Nothing groundbreaking, but good fun. Tomorrow night is another beach bonfire (provided it doesn't rain), and there's a waterfall I'm hoping to go with some local friends to on Sunday. Also hoping to do a zipline tour, since it seems like the 1 thing in Costa Rica that I haven't done. Stuff is going well, first sign done, just going over a little entrance sign and going to start on the other one. Have enough volunteers now (7 including me) to split them up for various jobs, from cleaning the education centre's walls to yardwork/gardening at the volunteer house to painting to working on a business plan for Judy and Louis to ignore :) . Borrowed a book from Judy on the founding of Costa Rica's national parks, which should be insanely boring but because its Latin America it's full of intrigue, yellow journalism, corrupt politics and machetes and so is pretty cool. A good Tican swear word to end the email on: "carapicha", literally translatable to "dick face"
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Checking in (via the mom...)
Stuff is pretty good here. Finished the sign to go out front, been doing a lot of rowing down to the beach, bonfiring, kyaking, sloth holding (duh), tour giving, and bossing around/translating for what will soon be 6 volunteers with little to no spanish. Mostly just good fun, my Spanish has gotten a fair bit better and I´ve started picking up Panchuco, the Tican slang, as well as a bit of the accent (the ¨r¨s are almost gringo and the ll´s and y´s are slurred like in Chile). In terms of grand projects I haven´t come up with much (although the sign, and the next one I´m doing, are somewhat a big deal since they are people´s first introduction to the place and being able to paint (which I fortunately gambled correctly on being able to do) has gotten all the construction guys interested and they´re always in watching and chatting during downtime, which is cool).
Lots of adventures (last night, biked with a couple of the guys down to a bar about 15 minutes away...in the dark on potholey roads with semis whizzing past and a broken bike seat-at least I´m staying safe :) ). This trip has at least gotten me really interested in the ecology side of Sustainable Development (thinking about maybe weedling in a alternative energy project for Aviarios some summer...borrowed some books from Judy on stuff like canopy expoloration and the Costa Rican national park system), and interesting ideas about guide stuff (where a company will pay you to travel around Central/South America with a bunch of gingos, which could be really cool...one of the volunteers here knows a guy, but guides have to be 21 for his company).
Lots of adventures (last night, biked with a couple of the guys down to a bar about 15 minutes away...in the dark on potholey roads with semis whizzing past and a broken bike seat-at least I´m staying safe :) ). This trip has at least gotten me really interested in the ecology side of Sustainable Development (thinking about maybe weedling in a alternative energy project for Aviarios some summer...borrowed some books from Judy on stuff like canopy expoloration and the Costa Rican national park system), and interesting ideas about guide stuff (where a company will pay you to travel around Central/South America with a bunch of gingos, which could be really cool...one of the volunteers here knows a guy, but guides have to be 21 for his company).
Monday, August 04, 2008
More from the Land of the Slowest Internet in the World
5 new volunteers get in tomorrow. The 2 who were here when I arrived (2 girls, from Canada and England) left this weekend. I feel like I am finally getting into a good position with the staff. I feel like because so many people pass through, everyone here is a bit reticent about making friendships, and so just having been here for a while and having a while left is what I need to form relationships. It´s also interesting interacting more in Spanish...I feel like I´m in middle school again, where I wasn´t exactly shy, but just didn´t have the first idea of how to make small talk. Also, Tico slang.
Got my first tip of $10 from a tour...nice! Pretty unexpected, considering that I only did half of it and the people were quite-mmm-pushy, maybe is the word. Louis, the grandfather, was on the news lately over an issue of closing off some of the property with a fence and more building which the neighbors (mostly squatters) are really unhappy with. Last week was entirely crazy with running around doing a PR job on that, so hopefully this week I´ll be able to move along with my projects. It´s looking right now like the Arryos are going to have me work on the entrance, painting a couple of signs and looking at ways to try to make the gate and general entrance from the road more attractive. I´m reading a lot and writing at least a page a day, which adds up nicely. But I find I´m not that worried about ¨productivity¨, partly probably because figuring out the social scene is project enough, and partly because now I´ve moved on a bit to thinking about stuff to do back in St Andrew´s (job? auditing classes? theatre company? street theatre?). I find myself quite content at the moment. We´ll see what the arrival of new volunteers does.
Still not sure how I feel about volunteering in the 3rd world, or animal rescue, or ecotourism. The road to hell and all that. There´s got to be a way to make it all WORK.
Reaggeton is good. Cahuita rum is not really, although I´m not a rum person so I´m biased. Sloths are good. Tourists are at least interesting. Adam Sandler is perhaps not as deplorable an actor as I once believed. The book Darkmans by Nicola Barker is awesome so far. I wish I could live everywhere at once, always.
Got my first tip of $10 from a tour...nice! Pretty unexpected, considering that I only did half of it and the people were quite-mmm-pushy, maybe is the word. Louis, the grandfather, was on the news lately over an issue of closing off some of the property with a fence and more building which the neighbors (mostly squatters) are really unhappy with. Last week was entirely crazy with running around doing a PR job on that, so hopefully this week I´ll be able to move along with my projects. It´s looking right now like the Arryos are going to have me work on the entrance, painting a couple of signs and looking at ways to try to make the gate and general entrance from the road more attractive. I´m reading a lot and writing at least a page a day, which adds up nicely. But I find I´m not that worried about ¨productivity¨, partly probably because figuring out the social scene is project enough, and partly because now I´ve moved on a bit to thinking about stuff to do back in St Andrew´s (job? auditing classes? theatre company? street theatre?). I find myself quite content at the moment. We´ll see what the arrival of new volunteers does.
Still not sure how I feel about volunteering in the 3rd world, or animal rescue, or ecotourism. The road to hell and all that. There´s got to be a way to make it all WORK.
Reaggeton is good. Cahuita rum is not really, although I´m not a rum person so I´m biased. Sloths are good. Tourists are at least interesting. Adam Sandler is perhaps not as deplorable an actor as I once believed. The book Darkmans by Nicola Barker is awesome so far. I wish I could live everywhere at once, always.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Grrr this internet
is the slowest sine the early 90s. so.
Planes awesome. Taxis/buses bad (flat tire and missing the entrance to Aviarios and going all the way into Cahuita).
My day: work starts at 6AM, mucking out the 70 some cages in the back and feeding breakfast-green beans and watercress (vainica y berros). Then breakfast, then taking the babies (15 or so in all) out for exercise and to use the bathroom (the base of a tree). Then playing with Amanda, the one legged kinkachoo, and Fivela, the woolly opossum, or else giving tours to tourists, until 11:30, at which point it's time to chop veggies (carrots, sweet potato, and mango) for the cages, then lunch, then more tours/taking the babies out for afternoon potty if they need it, until 2, when its feeding time for the adults. Feed them all, and then we're pretty much done. Bedtime tends to be around 10, just after Futurama and The Simpsons. Nights out in Cahuita as well (hooray for drunkeness in Spanish), and odd jobs. I've agreed to paint new signs for the sanctuary, as the old one is a bit shite. Also working on a kids book and writing a lot in general, as well as reading somewhat less than I'd like.
There's more, but the half hour is up at the internet cafe. Anyways, you've got an idea. We'll see if the internet is any faster anywhere, at any point, ever.
Love
Brian
Planes awesome. Taxis/buses bad (flat tire and missing the entrance to Aviarios and going all the way into Cahuita).
My day: work starts at 6AM, mucking out the 70 some cages in the back and feeding breakfast-green beans and watercress (vainica y berros). Then breakfast, then taking the babies (15 or so in all) out for exercise and to use the bathroom (the base of a tree). Then playing with Amanda, the one legged kinkachoo, and Fivela, the woolly opossum, or else giving tours to tourists, until 11:30, at which point it's time to chop veggies (carrots, sweet potato, and mango) for the cages, then lunch, then more tours/taking the babies out for afternoon potty if they need it, until 2, when its feeding time for the adults. Feed them all, and then we're pretty much done. Bedtime tends to be around 10, just after Futurama and The Simpsons. Nights out in Cahuita as well (hooray for drunkeness in Spanish), and odd jobs. I've agreed to paint new signs for the sanctuary, as the old one is a bit shite. Also working on a kids book and writing a lot in general, as well as reading somewhat less than I'd like.
There's more, but the half hour is up at the internet cafe. Anyways, you've got an idea. We'll see if the internet is any faster anywhere, at any point, ever.
Love
Brian
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Shadows
Really should be in bed.
Summer is wrapping up for me--sort of--as I prepare for Costa Rica. Which, with some small luck involving airlines and latinamerican busses, I will get to this Thursday.
The first summer after college I guess is bound to be different. I guess my single greatest realization is this: people are people. That means that your special, unique and irreplaceable friends are...well...not so much. There are friends everywhere. And the question becomes wether to try to deepen friendships through time and effort or to make as many friends along the roadside as possible. I realize that this summer has been partly unfulfilling because I have not met new people or made new friends. A lot of my friendships have deepened and strengthened, and I have realized the value of some of the them, particularly my friendship with Robbie. I know I've always used him as somewhat of a yardstick to see how we both had grown and in which directions, but this summer I've felt very close to him--that our shared journey has been infinitely more important than where we've gone, and that however different we are or become, that path has shaped us both.
That's kind of the end of cheesy sentimentality, though. Other friendships have deepened, all changed, and many...sloughed off, fallen away. Through lack of effort, lack of interest, lack of time. Whatever. Their death hurts deeply, but in the end I know that people are people. That there will always be more friends, as long as there are humans in the general vicinity there will be more friends. Which I guess is one of the reasons I'm not scared of Costa Rica. Or or leaving, so much.
What I'd do differently next summer:
Purpose. Not a job, necessarily, but something. Something to do, something to meet new people, something to get out and have a reason and something to take a break from and to have commitments to. I've not been bored, but I've been listless. I've not done things not because of laziness but from sheer inertia. And when I noticed I had maybe a month left and couldn't think of a way to start something. What? Anything? Maybe.
And I'm left with that terrible 2 days left feeling. Where I kind of want to get on the plane right now and kind of want to write everyone I know a long long letter. Where inertia bleeds into urgency. Or something.
There's a cat purring in my bed and it's late and I've been sick and I've got to get up tomorrow. So goodnight. What do you think of the "heartfelt diaries for the readership of the internet at large"-type post from me?
Summer is wrapping up for me--sort of--as I prepare for Costa Rica. Which, with some small luck involving airlines and latinamerican busses, I will get to this Thursday.
The first summer after college I guess is bound to be different. I guess my single greatest realization is this: people are people. That means that your special, unique and irreplaceable friends are...well...not so much. There are friends everywhere. And the question becomes wether to try to deepen friendships through time and effort or to make as many friends along the roadside as possible. I realize that this summer has been partly unfulfilling because I have not met new people or made new friends. A lot of my friendships have deepened and strengthened, and I have realized the value of some of the them, particularly my friendship with Robbie. I know I've always used him as somewhat of a yardstick to see how we both had grown and in which directions, but this summer I've felt very close to him--that our shared journey has been infinitely more important than where we've gone, and that however different we are or become, that path has shaped us both.
That's kind of the end of cheesy sentimentality, though. Other friendships have deepened, all changed, and many...sloughed off, fallen away. Through lack of effort, lack of interest, lack of time. Whatever. Their death hurts deeply, but in the end I know that people are people. That there will always be more friends, as long as there are humans in the general vicinity there will be more friends. Which I guess is one of the reasons I'm not scared of Costa Rica. Or or leaving, so much.
What I'd do differently next summer:
Purpose. Not a job, necessarily, but something. Something to do, something to meet new people, something to get out and have a reason and something to take a break from and to have commitments to. I've not been bored, but I've been listless. I've not done things not because of laziness but from sheer inertia. And when I noticed I had maybe a month left and couldn't think of a way to start something. What? Anything? Maybe.
And I'm left with that terrible 2 days left feeling. Where I kind of want to get on the plane right now and kind of want to write everyone I know a long long letter. Where inertia bleeds into urgency. Or something.
There's a cat purring in my bed and it's late and I've been sick and I've got to get up tomorrow. So goodnight. What do you think of the "heartfelt diaries for the readership of the internet at large"-type post from me?
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
A (now monthly) blog post and the close of Summer Part 1
In 9 days (July 17th), I head off for Costa Rica to volunteer with the sloths at Aviarios. Of course, my carbon footprint getting there will cancel out whatever good work I could hope to achieve, but ah well. At least it will be pretty, and hopefully educational.
This last week has been a hectic one, after over a month of very quiet summer. Last weekend I went camping with Shawn and a couple friends about halfway to San Fransisco (right beneath the fires), then took off to Colorado for the week to visit a bunch of friends who drove there and were staying with Jessica's aunt, who lives there. Went on a couple cool walks and saw a rodeo, which was a cultural experience and a half. Then came back for the 4th and headed out the next day to camp with Robbie in the mountains right above LA. All this has made me somewhat feel that I've done something this summer.
However, I'm reading a book called "Doing Nothing: A History of Loafers, Loungers, Slackers, and Bums in America" which is making me feel a lot better about the summer. Fuck you, Post-Industrial Puritan Work Ethic! It's got me thinking about people who avoid working (like at a Starbucks, not at anything in life), and the ways to live without a shite 9-5 minimum wage job--without being a wage slave. More so how it can be done well, or differently, rather than how I've heard of or seen it done: Keroac bumming around and surviving on apple pie, the couchsurfer I hosted last year living on people's couches and being a "freegan" (a person who takes food that the grocery store puts out back as it reaches its sell-by date) until he learned it was illegal in the UK. What other ways are there to do this? Something like my Costa Rica trip seems something of an answer, though of course that comes with a fee. But there are networks like WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms) where you can stay at a farm and get room and board for a day's work. Sure, it's still work, but its not $8/£4.45 per bored hour of the same day to day tasks. I was at a bonfire last night for Shawn going back to Jordan (where he's working for the semester) and hearing everyone sit and talk about their jobs was the most depressingly adult thing I think I've ever experienced.
I feel like there are, again, infinitely many things I want to do before I leave again. It makes me wish I had to leave sooner, almost, because in 9 days I can get a lot done...the question is, what to choose to do?
In Costa Rica I'll only have access to the internet in internet cafes, so posts will be...probably more frequent, if anything! When you're on a schedule, you tend to get shit done that needs done rather than watching that YouTube video another 7 times...
This last week has been a hectic one, after over a month of very quiet summer. Last weekend I went camping with Shawn and a couple friends about halfway to San Fransisco (right beneath the fires), then took off to Colorado for the week to visit a bunch of friends who drove there and were staying with Jessica's aunt, who lives there. Went on a couple cool walks and saw a rodeo, which was a cultural experience and a half. Then came back for the 4th and headed out the next day to camp with Robbie in the mountains right above LA. All this has made me somewhat feel that I've done something this summer.
However, I'm reading a book called "Doing Nothing: A History of Loafers, Loungers, Slackers, and Bums in America" which is making me feel a lot better about the summer. Fuck you, Post-Industrial Puritan Work Ethic! It's got me thinking about people who avoid working (like at a Starbucks, not at anything in life), and the ways to live without a shite 9-5 minimum wage job--without being a wage slave. More so how it can be done well, or differently, rather than how I've heard of or seen it done: Keroac bumming around and surviving on apple pie, the couchsurfer I hosted last year living on people's couches and being a "freegan" (a person who takes food that the grocery store puts out back as it reaches its sell-by date) until he learned it was illegal in the UK. What other ways are there to do this? Something like my Costa Rica trip seems something of an answer, though of course that comes with a fee. But there are networks like WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms) where you can stay at a farm and get room and board for a day's work. Sure, it's still work, but its not $8/£4.45 per bored hour of the same day to day tasks. I was at a bonfire last night for Shawn going back to Jordan (where he's working for the semester) and hearing everyone sit and talk about their jobs was the most depressingly adult thing I think I've ever experienced.
I feel like there are, again, infinitely many things I want to do before I leave again. It makes me wish I had to leave sooner, almost, because in 9 days I can get a lot done...the question is, what to choose to do?
In Costa Rica I'll only have access to the internet in internet cafes, so posts will be...probably more frequent, if anything! When you're on a schedule, you tend to get shit done that needs done rather than watching that YouTube video another 7 times...
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Hello internet....it's been a while...
Not really, I just haven't posted. Re-acclimated to time zones, allergies, etc. Back being fairly active doing...stuff. Not too much, really. Got a talent agency and am looking to do film/tv extra work while I'm back. Next step is headshots etc. Makes me feel slightly dirty.
Re-read 1984. Different from what I remember. I'm reading far too little and infrequently for my comfort lately. There's a stack of books on my desk that goes unread. I really want to, but some inertia stops me. This internet article seems revelant:
"what do we really know about the typical profile of members of the Google generation? As a group, according to the Ciber paper, they were "turning away from being passive consumers of information", as revealed by the decline of television and newspapers. Though they were generally "more competent with technology... older users are catching up fast". And some of the more critical claims made about them seem to apply across the board: "From undergraduates to professors, people exhibit a strong tendency towards shallow, horizontal, 'flicking' behaviour in digital libraries. Power browsing appears to be the norm for all. The popularity of abstracts among older researchers rather gives the game away."
So is it not just a particular generation but the whole academic world that has been Googlised? There seems to be some evidence for this. "With Google Scholar and Google Library under way," Library Journal reported in 2006, "Google strengthened its claim as the ubiquitous front door to the web and all of its content... 72 per cent of scholars surveyed for a report on self-archiving confessed to using Google to find scholarly literature on the web. Journal publishers of all sizes and importance are shaping their business plans around this phenomenon, sharing metadata with Google and other web crawlers in hopes of drawing users to content behind their tollgates.""
Full article: http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=402225&c=1
Also, this is the funniest thing I've seen in a LONG time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obIGsb-IZMo
And I've discovered Craig's List....really good for LA, useless for Scotland, but some cool stuff, from internships to this agency that I'll hopefully be doing stuff with by late next week.
Re-read 1984. Different from what I remember. I'm reading far too little and infrequently for my comfort lately. There's a stack of books on my desk that goes unread. I really want to, but some inertia stops me. This internet article seems revelant:
"what do we really know about the typical profile of members of the Google generation? As a group, according to the Ciber paper, they were "turning away from being passive consumers of information", as revealed by the decline of television and newspapers. Though they were generally "more competent with technology... older users are catching up fast". And some of the more critical claims made about them seem to apply across the board: "From undergraduates to professors, people exhibit a strong tendency towards shallow, horizontal, 'flicking' behaviour in digital libraries. Power browsing appears to be the norm for all. The popularity of abstracts among older researchers rather gives the game away."
So is it not just a particular generation but the whole academic world that has been Googlised? There seems to be some evidence for this. "With Google Scholar and Google Library under way," Library Journal reported in 2006, "Google strengthened its claim as the ubiquitous front door to the web and all of its content... 72 per cent of scholars surveyed for a report on self-archiving confessed to using Google to find scholarly literature on the web. Journal publishers of all sizes and importance are shaping their business plans around this phenomenon, sharing metadata with Google and other web crawlers in hopes of drawing users to content behind their tollgates.""
Full article: http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=402225&c=1
Also, this is the funniest thing I've seen in a LONG time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obIGsb-IZMo
And I've discovered Craig's List....really good for LA, useless for Scotland, but some cool stuff, from internships to this agency that I'll hopefully be doing stuff with by late next week.
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