CAYPAKS

I spent Monday and Tuesday in Perth volunteering at a conference called CAYPAKS (Children and Young People are Key Stakeholders). Click on the image to go to the website. It was an awesome experience! I met tonnes of interesting people who work with children and youth, and some very switched-on young people. It was a fantasitc positive forum.

The best thing for me was hearing Andrew Fuller speak yesterday afternoon. He was inspiring, entertaining and refreshing.

He said we should eliminate "busy" and "not bad" from our conversations when someone asks how we are.

He also said we are what we notice. (And lots of other things which I'm sure I'll mention later because I was so inspired.)

man and machine

haiku x2

my toes just brushed past
the mass of cables beneath
my computer desk

it felt good
touching all those cords
why is that?

Too busy to be me

Sometimes I wonder why the people who really knew me before I got so busy still like me. To myself, I seem to have lost so much of who I was before I took on the crazy lifestyle I now have. Moving to the city has changed me. If people can like me in my city form, imagine how much more they'd like me if I had time to be the me that I wish I had time to be. If I once again had time to read books and get inspired and write again (dream of dreams!) and make things and curl up on my beenbag and sleep in the afternoon and hold my guitar just to feel it hold me and play Cluedo again and be transfixed by the inside of a capsicum and give people presents when it's not their birthday and make muffins for everyone and talk on the phone or msn for 5 hours and stare into people's eyes for as long as I can and sit in silence in the moonlight without thinking of a thousand other things I could be doing.

I miss that girl and I don't want to lose her. I know she's there. I feel her smiling when I skip and jump in puddles and drink milkshakes and wear my hair in pigtails and breathe in the ocean and swing on my silent swing and giggle at nothing and get caught up in a painting or a poem and I forget my busy world for a few moments and instead of trying to be something, I just am... what I am.

The picture is a self portrait. I decided I wanted to give my blog a creative edge and really put something of my true self into it. I'm sick of posting the same boring details of my life... "I'm so busy... Lots to do... So much on..."... So I drew myself. Watch for this picture in future posts. It may alter depending on my frame of mind. At the moment I'm feeling worried and pensive. I hope that comes out in the image. Creating the picture was theraputic, because I knew it didn't have to please anyone but me, and it took my mind off...

...all the other things I should be doing.

Is it just me or is there an echo in here?

50TH POST!

Yayyyyy! Celebrationnnn! Happy 50th postaversary, Mr Blog!

Saw Canterbury Tales for the THIRD time last Friday :) with Therese and I still laughed. I had a huge week at camp but I'm still really glad I went to Busso after. Therese, her friend Sam, David and I watched the sun set over the beach. Therese's mum, Ursula, gave me a banana. David let me wear his hat and I had ice cream for the first time all week. I had two kinds of ice cream - a caramel sundae and some delicious company.

Camp was full on. I got to write and direct, which was exciting. It was great to hear the audience laughing at my script in the concert! But it was the kids who did most of the work. I was just their vehicle, they drove. I got to know some delightful kids and saw (and heard) lots of talent. We had our fair share of tough times on the camp, but we had a strong leadership team, so that made it easier. I didn't get much rest over the 5 days. If I wasn't looking after my dorm or doing activities, I was writing scripts and running orders or working on the slideshow with Steve. There was sometimes a little time for breathing and sleep!

This week I've been spending some time with friends and family and trying to do some prep for next term. So much on. I need to work harder.

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to camp I go

Today I depart for Starz camp, so if you want me (or want to contact me) before Friday it'll have to be on my mobile. Come see the Starz concert at Grammar on Thursday night! Should be a load of fun. I know I'll be showing off! Hehe.

If you want to see the thing that gave me one of the best laugh sessions I've ever had, read this review/article/thingy that Danny Katz wrote about Othello. It's 2 pages, make sure you read both. Mum and Leigh will testify that I was literally crying and couldn't breathe as I was reading this... maybe I just needed a good laugh, and I spose it was mostly funny because I'd just seen the show 3 times, but I definitely did some work on my '6 pack' (as Clara would say)!

Also, while I remember, this is one of my favouite things on youtube in my recent discovery - the Pachelbel Rant. Particularly funny if you've ever played cello or been in an orchestra of any kind, but still a hoot if you haven't.

I actually want to learn cello. I'm thinking of saving up for one. (That could take a while, poor part timer and student that I am.) I picked one up when I was babysitting the other night and I liked the way it felt to hold it. Different to a guitar, sort of more formal, but still with that familiar shape. So one day, maybe in a few years' time, I hope to take it up.

I read The Importance of Being Ernest again the other day. I heard a rumour that auditions might be coming up for it sometime. I'm dying to play Cecily. I think I would've been like her, had I been born in her place and time.

"Oh! I don't think I would care to catch a sensible man. I shouldn't know what to talk to him about."

Catch you after camp, my dear blogreader/s.

CT & O

I've spent most of my time this week at the theatre. I've seen The Canterbury Tales twice and Othello 3 times (and I think I may go again) in the space of four days! They're so brilliant! I found myself mouthing some of the lines of Othello the third time through. Specifically, "This fellow's of exceeding honesty" (cough, splutter!) and "Look on the tragic loading of this bed" (appealed to me, and reminded me of R&J!). And there are so many great gags in The Canterbury Tales. I'll never forget the "half Volcan", "O well o weh, thou must be kidding me", "tubs", "wecipwocate", Stephen's burping! Lol!

I got David to play the 'mirror mirror on the wall' mirror in some film snippets I had to do for BUZ. It was excellent to have a professional to do it. I think it took under an hour and it turned out perfectly if you ask me. I hope Steve likes it. A bald head was exactly what we needed. I might even be the person talking to the mirror. Depends if we replace Talynt with a guy or a girl. If it's a girl then I want to keep on playing Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. I've got some great ideas on how to put a new spin on them. If it's a guy, he'll have to play Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. He he he he.

BRECCY's finished for the term. It was so successful. I'm looking forward to doing even more with these great kids. They've given me a whole new level of enthusiasm for teaching and for theatre in general. It's just occurred to me that I could be working with these kids well into their teens! How exciting it will be to watch them grow as performers and people. At the moment it's a mutual learning experience for both teacher and student parties, but perhaps when they (and I) are older I'll be a seasoned teacher with a wealth of experience and skills! If, by any chance, you are an out-of-town actor/director/drama teacher/student drama teacher looking for a seachange, get in touch with me! There are heaps of opportunities to teach and direct. Come and join me. If you've got a good business head on your shoulders that would be great, too. Ha ha.

Just dreaming.

Freinds and the festival

"A backwards poet writes inverse."

I had a gorgeous day on Saturday! I got to see Clara, my best friend and the most beautiful girl in the world. (And those are all one person!) Leigh came over which never fails to make it a good day. Cla and I caught up with Dave, then ran into Rhys and the three of us hung out and had a super time! There was a stunning rainbow. And as if that wasn't enough, we then ran into Sam and I met her friend Emma and saw Bus. Sam seems to get more and more beautiful and complex every time I look at her. I don't think I'll ever understand her, but I know I'll always want to. After that, Clara, Dave and I threw spinning leaves off the tower (an exciting activity from the forthcoming Hitchhiker's Guide to Bunbury by Dave and Kate!) and talked about wind camels and camel tunnels (the new name for wind tunnels). Then we ran into Dave B and Sofie. It was such an awesomely fun and beautiful day.

Today was the Perth Speech and Drama Festival. It was quite a nice day. Rhys came with me, which I really appreciated. I performed reasonably well. Not as well as I did at Gala the previous night! That felt brilliant. I felt like I had the audience right there with me. You could cut the tension. It was an excellent night of entertainment, especially the Sultans of Jazz! They were so spectacular.

I think we need a revival of words like splendid. We can't let them die! We need to keep as many 'good' words as we can in this cruel world as it becomes crueler. Splendid, super, swell, superb, sublime, stupendous (wow, there are a lot that start with 's'), ace, dandy, delightful, neat, tremendous , grand, glorious, etcetera!