why does the french word for SHIT sound so much more elegant?
'merde!'
it's impossible to say it with a rude tone!
here's a site that has explainations for naughty words in many, many different languages. it's fun to learn... in a way :)
hong kong team training was better than i thought... it was a good workout, had a good sweat.
got home... hey! i'm in disco inferno! there's a casting call again in june to find out what roles we end up with. so- my fair lady or disco lady? or neither? since our school auditions will be in june as well??? argh... there'll be tough decisions to make soon.
i was woken to my phone ringtone this morning... i didn't bother to look at the caller indicator but only at my alarm clock, which indicated that it was 840 in the morning... i answered... there was this familiar indian voice... so i said: "david?"... that's david gonsalves, my former employer in australia... he must have called from his office during morning tea or something and forgot the time difference... but alas, no, it was the hong kong women cricket team coach, nasir, telling me that there will be training, come rain or come shine.
ah... australia...
then dad called fifteen minutes later asking me my ID card number... he's another one who asks strange questions at strange hours of the night. he once came into my room at 7 in the morning (when i was still working at shaws, on the afternoon shift) and asked me how to pronounce some obscure name of some obscure figure in french history...
and i finally finished tinkering with the cultural salon post.... it's obvious that i put very little effort in the layout, but there's not much i can do. playing around with indesign and illustrator is fun!! it came in this package ReadyMadeMagazine sent me for being a member of their magazine... the Cd had all the macromedia family (cos they merged with adobe) as well as the programs for print & graphic design in the adobe family. yay! i have toys to play with for the summer!
beautiful paris... there's even art inside the metro!i got pulled up twice by these promotional people asking me if i wanted to be something in the lines of a fitting model, and another saying he's from a "magazine" (he didn't specify... maybe he's an intern :p) that news stalls sell... getting pulled up by these people is not a strange occurance in causeway bay, and i've been asked before, actually... but twice in the space of five metres and ten seconds? very strange indeed...
happy times. a pic from our last day of our dip1 lives, after our last test and our last lesson- cantonese articulation. (carmen-- if you're reading this... notice the headband i'm wearing? it's my ganbare headband for the exam :p)we're about to hit summer and i'm getting a reminder of last year.
it DOES NOT stop raining during summer here.
bloody hell! the hong kong women's cricket team are supposed to tour pakistan later this year and we are consequently supposed to be in the middle of some intensive training. however, due to the horrid weather we haven't trained at all this week... we are to train about three times next week--- i wonder whether we'll get to train at all.
i was removed from my cultural salon commitments for an excursion to IKEA today... we bought home three storage sets... how we got home via MTR i never understand but we did it... again... cos we've been through the whole "getting-home-from-telford-IKEA-with-our-fucking-hands-full" thing before. argh...
and i'm trailing firefox :) let's see if it's better than IE.
bad news first!
queensland lost by a point... and although i knew NSW deserved the victory a whole lot more than QLD b/c of their commanding display, i was still awful crushed.... to lose by a point!!! to get so close!!!! so dramatic!!!! johnathan thurston converting that steve bell try at the 75th minute! and we fucking lost....
sigh....
ah well... there's always the next game...
the good...
i saw amelie after the game, in hope that it will cheer me up. and cheer me up it did. what a delightful movie. it's the first movie since "only yesterday" (the japanese anime film) where i got weepy eyes in a.......... i won't give the ending away.... well, yes, i got weepy eyes, but it made me a little happy, even! and i'm always grumpy after a queeensland loss. thank you, amelie, for cheering me up!
p.s. anyone who's not seen this film---- for those who have a penchant for fairytales/fairyfloss light films.... amelie's for you.... the last scenes gave me not only a warm fuzzy feeling... it gave me the same feeling i got when i found out (years ago) that the person i once liked actually liked me back. that.... shiver up your spine... and it's a good shiver...
there's so much shit happening this week in the lead up to our exams... i spent the whole fucking weekend translating 600 words worth of crap that i'd written for public speaking... again cementing the fact that i have ''zero'' writing skills in chinese. argh.
okay marg.... one more week until two weeks of rest and more prep....
all for one day:::::: 8 june 2006 :::::::: 9:30am to 6:00pm... seven and a half hours of drama and related stuff....
shit, i hate mondays..........
no, i'm not going back for semester 2... i've gotten over my yips.
music and dance cheers me up, yet again... funnily, i've enjoyed acting this week... we played this "rave party" game right, and i had to "strip"... it's forced me to be more comfortable with my body than i've previously been. makes me sound twisted, heh, but i did find the game to be fun!
half a month to go until exams................. add oil!!!!
otherwise, i'm loving the pulp fiction soundtrack that i bought today... it's quite a classic.
You fit in with: Spiritualism Your ideals are mostly spiritual, but in an individualistic way. While spirituality is very important in your life, organized religion itself may not be for you. It is best for you to seek these things on your own terms. 60% spiritual. 40% reason-oriented. | ||||
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Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com |
HKAPA, i'm having an affair.
i'm having an affair with QUT.
i'm thinking of going to QUT.
or was i actually having an affair with HKAPA,
and thinking of going back to QUT?
or was i having an affair with Hong Kong,
and thinking of going back to Australia????
shit. this can't come at a worst time, 1 month from our exams, but i also have 1 month to lodge my QUT R form... shit...
am i at the apa to smell the roses that aren't there or a bohemian destiny?
jason akermanis "bitch slaps" jarrad crouch in frustration of giving away a free kick.
did the lindsey mcalister thing in the afternoon... fun fun... discovering the triple threat in me... but the successful afternoon put my schedule in great conflict with the my fair lady gig... yes, i got a spot in the chorus in MFL but poop i have to ask my teachers whether i can take part in it... if there's a part for me in disco inferno i'd probably take that instead of MFL... who knows?
tonight? it's a sssssh thing cos of school... but i sang in front of people and it was fun :) and got flowers...
i have mixed feelings about this...
Muslim leader welcomes citizenship test
Friday Apr 28 17:46 AEST
A Muslim leader has welcomed a federal government proposal to introduce compulsory citizenship tests for Australian migrants.
Under the proposal by immigration parliamentary secretary Andrew Robb, prospective immigrants would have to take a test to demonstrate their English language skills and knowledge of Australia's values, customs, laws and history.
Muslim leader Mustapha Kara-Ali, a member of the prime minister's hand-picked Muslim community reference group, said a basic level of language skills and understanding of Australian culture could be a useful tool for new citizens.
"A basic understanding of Australian culture and a practical knowledge of the English language will go a long way in laying the foundation for a new mindset in the Muslim community," Mr Kara-Ali said.
"It's stifled minds that are opposing outright this draft blueprint by Mr Robb - it's in the Muslim community's best interest to set such citizenship requirements."
Federal Attorney-General Philip Ruddock, a former immigration minister, said it was important new citizens understood their obligations to Australia.
"The process that Andrew is foreshadowing may require some additional commitment of funds, of resources and they're matters that the government will look at," Mr Ruddock told reporters.
But the Australian Greens and the Australian Democrats questioned how fluency in English and an understanding of so-called Australian values would make someone a better Australian.
Greens senator Kerry Nettle said not all native Australians were fluent in English, while not all ministers epitomised Australian values.
"A fluent grasp of English is not a prerequisite of being Australian," Senator Nettle said.
"Has Mr Robb forgotten that many indigenous Australians do not speak fluent English? Is he suggesting that they are less Australian?"
The Australian Democrats echoed these concerns by arguing that if the government was serious about the citizenship test it should make everyone take it, not just migrants.
"If Andrew Robb is serious about a compulsory citizenship test on Australian history, customs and values, he should have the courage to require all Australians to take the test," Democrats Senator Andrew Bartlett said.
"Clearly many existing Australians have little understanding of the history and heritage in this country."
Labor has backed the government's proposal, subject to a discussion of what constitutes Australian values.
"We would need to look at who is going to decide what would be in the test, what consultation there would be and how the test would be assessed," Labor immigration spokeswoman Annette Hurley said.
Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia chair Voula Messimeri said citizenship should not be a matter of passing or failing a test.
"Australia has a very long and very proud tradition of accepting people from all around the world and that, by necessity, means that there will be people that arrive, and arrive to the door now, that speak no English now," she told ABC radio.
Sikh Council of Australia secretary Bawa Singh Jagdev said the Sikh community would oppose a compulsory English test.
Meanwhile, Mr Kara-Ali said the government's proposal to set up an institute to teach moderate Islam could backfire.
Mr Robb said he was still seriously considering establishing an institute for Islamic studies in Australia, attached to a prominent university.
It would be run by moderate Islamic scholars.
Mr Kara-Ali said such an institute would need to be implemented carefully.
"The university would need to get selective and go for those leaders that are moderate, those for integration," Mr Kara-Ali told AAP.
Otherwise, the institute may further entrench the "old boy's club" of Australian Islamic leaders, many of whom preach a "ghetto mentality", he said.
"But with the right circumstances, I think it could be a very important milestone in community history," he said.
"I think it could go a long way and set a precedent for other western nations as well."
and so i dived to be safe from being run out... but that extra run didn't matter because we lost anyway. it was such a pretty dive, and same as the 亡命飛撲 dives i dove head first onto the bloody pitch which soon became a little bloody with my very own blood. ick. but this will take longer to recover than the stuff without blood because the graze is a little bit deeper... i was quite pleased with the way we played today. although neither betty, natatsha or i took a string of wickets, the most important thing was that the other, younger girls did. they stepped up to the challenge instead of moping around whinging about the whole situation. the fielding was marginally better. had we fielded like we usually do, we would have let in about 50 more runs than lamma got today, so congrats team, for that! it was somewhat disappointing though not to send tash off to england with a win... but we did our best, and if our best didn't get us a win than that to me is okay. just as long as we gave 110%.
so... obviously i didn't have the time or energy to head to dance this afternoon, but we kicked the footy around for half an hour... and i found that hong kong is a small world: kylie knott--- tasmanian--- works as the feature writer for SCMP / bethan greaves--- heave ho batter--- works as the chorus tutor at the APA school of MT dance.. which explains my bethan sighting about half a month ago in an APA lift... i was putting stuff into my locker, and i turned around, the lift door opened, and i thought i saw bethan... when i acertained that it was bethan, i said hi, and the lift door closed again... turns out she's this super dooper soprano singer and singing teacher! small world, small world... and down down sam mcillwraith (south australian) for supporting port power! it was a bittersweet afternoon.
good news today- mum allowed me to train with the HK squad... but only if i put on SPF100+ and put on mask when i get home... ahhh the price one pays to play cricket...
here's to sport!
RIP Mr. Brazier... though i never experienced your teaching i loved your kindness and your bond with us as a teacher and friend...
sending lots of love your way ------------>
hmm... 1-0-0 anniversary... i've lasted 100 posts here, and i have to thank blogger for its cool features.
music of the week:
Stereophonics "Performance and Cocktails"
Annie Lennox "Medusa" (a lighter shade of pale, take me to the river)
David Gray "A Century Ends"
Seal "Seal" (crazy!)
all from the HKAPA library, thank you very much!
got auditions here, there and everywhere... i've applied to do this lindsey mcallister thing called "disco inferno" next saturday... and the my fair lady thing tomorrow night... fingers cross i get something in the chorus but let's not get too optimistic... or too pessimistic...
i feel that i've shaken off the shakles somewhat at school now... i don't get afraid of doing an improvisation or an exercise or get too disappointed if i fuck up... i haven't fucked up, actually, in two months... i've finally learnt how to learn, and that, i reckon, is the greatest skill to learn when attending any education institution.
but i am getting more and more tired by the day... and i got sick again... it's the change of weather!
and so it's time for bed.
i swear ken alan-- ex.dance captain of the broadway show fosse, is a dead ringer for brett lee!
http://www.gatewayplayhouse.com/2004/fosse.html
