it's only words, and words are all i have

spontaneity is the spice of life. as is variety. and stuff.

Amelia — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:10:28 +0000

I’ve said it before (although not here) – experiences are what make life. In my view, it doesn’t matter how much or how little these experiences cost, but they’re so much better than material goods. Don’t get me wrong, I’m as much of a material girl as every other 21st century female (now with Madonna in my head), but I honestly would rather spend my money on experiences.

Tomorrow it will have been exactly two weeks since I arrived home from the UK and Paris. I spent a lot of my savings (although slightly less than I’d anticipated which was a big yay), but it was all so worth it. I had the most amazingly awesomely fantastic time, with great company, which is all anyone can ask for really. Three West End musicals in as many days. Paris in the summer. Finding ourselves in the middle of nowhere on a tiny road amongst Welsh hills. Conning our way into various places as various ages other than our own. Flirting with the cute French gelato guy. The Moulin Rouge in the Twilight. Rhyl beach at 1am. Pere Lachaise and Oscar Wilde. Fireworks. And the little things. I want to travel some more – I have the itch, the bug. Europe definitely feels like my second home. In fact, I almost feel more at home there than I do here. I love New Zealand, but the history and culture of Europe – my history and culture – just has so much more of a draw to me, for whatever reason. Paris, je t’aime. Europe, te amo.

On Wednesday night I saw the one and only Patti LuPone in concert with Mandy Patinkin (who is also fairly awesome, but let’s face it – he’s no Patti). It was incredible. I was probably the youngest person in the audience, but that was okay with me. It may sound weird, but it just felt incredible to see her perform on a stage where I’ve performed, knowing that she was in the wings I’ve been in. I don’t know why, but it was just an incredibly cool sensation. And she was every bit as awesome as I’d hoped.

This post doesn’t really have very much flow. It’s rather all over the place. My typing is trying to keep up with my train of thought, and failing miserably. I think too much, far too rapidly in a far too random way. It can be frustrating at times, as it means I sometimes forget what I was trying to say halfway through saying it. Probably why I’ve always sucked at making lecture notes (and debating rebuttal notes for that matter).

I should probably head to bed. Work awaits me in the morning.

One final thing – everyone should try and see more live theatre. Nothing beats the magic of it. Of all my experiences, the musicals I’ve seen rank pretty high up there. For two or three hours, you’re transported to another world, and it’s fabulous. If I could, I would spend the rest of my life travelling and seeing musicals. Starlight Express next Wednesday. And then the world awaits.

“Life’s a show, and we all play our parts.”
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”

rainy days and mondays

Amelia — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 12:12:44 +0000

I can hear the rain falling on the rooftop, and it’s comforting. I’m not at all a rain person, but I love to just lie in bed on a rainy night, knowing that I’m safe and warm in bed with no potential of getting cold or wet. It’s nice.

I’m leaving for the UK in 21 or so hours. It’s strange really, but it hasn’t quite hit me yet. I don’t know if it’s because my flying experiences are so different from most others my age (or any age) or what, but I haven’t yet clicked. I’m sure that’ll happen on the plane (as it always does). I’m really looking forward to this, my first self-funded holiday sans parentals. Here’s to the forthcoming experiences and fun, and to rain on rooftops, joy and simple pleasures.

There’s nothing more important in life than to live, love, and love living.

red red wine

Amelia — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:58:51 +0000

Today was my little sister’s 18th birthday, which is kinda strange for me. Everyone just keeps getting older. I kinda just want it all to slow down a bit. But I also realised just how gorram close in age we really are. It’s kinda nice actually.

Anyway I’m rather tired and a little tipsy, so basically I’m going to cut to the chase, and the whole point of me writing this. I really like red wine. It tastes good and is a prettier colour than white wine (shouldn’t it technically be called yellow wine? Or at the very least cream wine… But I digress), and gives a lovely warm fuzzy feeling. But the main reason I’m liking red wine right now? It stains your lips to a pretty colour too lol.

Night world (well, the currently-nighttime half at least lol).

the world keeps turning

Amelia — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:58:40 +0000

It’s been a while since I last blogged anything. It really is not my forte. I don’t know if it’s because when I actually decide to write something it feels like I have nothing to say, or if I’m just not that introspective (or extrospective?), or simply if I’m just plain lazy. Who knows. This all may change however – now I can blog with a touch of a button, and convenience always seems to make things more appealing.

Life has been puttering on as usual. I feel a bit rut-y though. I seem to be cruising through life, without doing or interacting with anything exciting. I hope this is all going to change after these holidays. At the moment I’m feeling in a similar mindset to the way I felt two years ago, which is something I don’t really want to repeat. So I’m going on an adventure. Going places, seeing things, and (most importantly) doing things I’ve never done before (at least not sans parentals). I want to experience life in a way I have yet to do, I want to rebel, I want to fly away and be free, even if only for a few weeks. Don’t get me wrong, I love my life and my ‘people’ and my place, but there are just so many more exciting things out there. I hope to come back a little different but the same, a shiny new me full of excitement and joy. Life is great, but I need to start living it properly.

“Today for you, tomorrow for me.”

“No day but today.”

seven is a strange number

Amelia — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 09:04:41 +0000

I’ve just come to a very weird and random realisation that three of the shows I really enjoy (well, two I really enjoy, one I have yet to watch but know I will enjoy mainly because of the writer’s association with a certain celebrity [and his awesome writing of course]) have all had seven seasons. Buffy had seven seasons. Gilmore Girls had seven seasons. The West Wing had seven seasons. I’m sure there are multiple other shows out there that also have had seven seasons, but this whole thing has also made me realise: shows are very rarely having that many seasons any more. At least, not the ones that deserve it anyway. And sure, all three of those shows went a bit crappy towards the end (as for the West Wing [and Gilmore Girls which I haven't yet finished], I’m just going on what I’ve heard) but the point is that they had that chance, that time to get crappy after being incredibly awesome for the most part. This may be a somewhat poorly disguised rant about my lingering annoyance and sadness at the cancellation of Pushing Daisies (which totally deserved far more seasons than the pitiful one [two half seasons] it got), but I don’t know. Nothing seems to last anymore. People used to keep things for their entire lives, but we now live in a society where everything becomes outdated and obsolete and needs replacing before it should, just because it’s not new/pretty enough anymore. I don’t really know where I’m going with this. But I think it kinda sucks. I mean, sure, I want a shiny new Mac/iPod/iPhone/car/whatever as much as the next person, but why do I have to want it when my current laptop/iPode/phone/car/whatever is serving me perfectly well? I hate that I want it, but there’s nothing I can do to stop me wanting it, because I want it. It’s like an evil cycle. An evil cycle determined to make me feel sad and depressed and poor and worry that I’m never going to have the things I want in life (not just pretty gadgets, mind you), because I have no idea how I’m going to get to do what I want, if I will ever get there or even if I really want to be doing it. I hate that I’m constantly questioning myself, and my values, and the values of our society (well, okay, not so much with the society constantly. I do question it, just… not so much). Sometimes I just wish it would all stop.

And yes, this didn’t actually have anything really to do with the number seven, but I totally can’t be bothered changing the title now.

i wish i could eat a dream cookie

Amelia — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 02:43:54 +0000

So. Last night I had a very bizarre dream. I was on the Titanic. Only it wasn’t exactly the Titanic. It was the Titanic, but manned by superheroes. So I had some awesome super powers (I could teleport, and fly, and I was also pyrokinetic, telekinetic and telepathic. It was awesome). Anyway the ship came under attack so we were battling and winning and then I was dressed as a pirate for some reason. Then we were just sailing and sharing experiences. I can’t exactly remember the experiences we were sharing, but they were interesting. Captain Nemo from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was there. Suddenly we were in port and I was no longer dressed as a pirate. We went to the supermarket and I was with A and there were these AMAZING new cookies for sale so we sampled some. The tutti-fruity flavour were disgusting, but all the others were good. We bought a packet of double chocolate ones each, and they came with two free copies of Cosmo (so we had four copies of the same magazine). Then we ran into T and were like “OMG you should buy the coffee flavour they are soooooo good!” And T was like “Umm…. okay….” and then my alarm went off and I woke up.

I know there was more detail/weirdness to it, but I’m pretty sure I left the writing of it too late, therefore it is a very brief/confuddled account of what was a very very very strange dream.

when you were young

Amelia — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 06:01:18 +0000

Ah, nostalgia. Whilst cleaning my bedroom today (and I mean seriously cleaning), I found my ‘story writing’ book from when I was five. I find it somewhat hilarious, and I feel like typing every story up here. Of course, they are better with the accompanying illustrations, but yeah. Here they are (teacher’s corrections/comments are in italics).

[2/6/95] Today it is the Queen’s birthday and we are having a holiday. I am going to Christine’s house to play with her. (I love your work, Amelia.)

[No date] My Dad has come home and he brot (brought) back a noow (new) computer game. On my calinder (calendar) I have five stars. (Well done, Amelia.)

[12/6/95] Here is a tree with a blue bird on it. (Lovely.)

[No date] Bridget is coming to my house today and we are going to pick her up. (I hope you have fun, Amelia.)

[No date] Today I am going to the fair and I am going to see lots of animals.

[No date] I have lost a tooth. (I hope the tooth fairy comes Amelia.)

[No date] There is (are) some birds and they are pretty seagirls (gulls) in the sky. (Fabulous work, Amelia. You are trying very hard.)

[No date] In the sea there is a magic mermaid and all animals are friends. (You are writing interesting stories, Amelia.)

[22/6/95] If I ran the circus I wad (would) put on a bara (bear) jugling (juggling) coms (commas) and cwestchmacs (question marks) and one fullstop. (That would be an interesting circus, Amelia.)

[No date] My sister has had a birthday and I gave her a sky dancer. On Sunday I went to a party. (You have had a busy weekend, Amelia.)

[27/6/95] Here are some fireworks and they are going to pop some bulos (balloons) and lolies are going to fall down. (I hope you catch some lollies, Amelia.)

[No date] Look in the sky there are some birds and they are going to the moon. (You are writing good stories, Amelia.)

[29/6/95] Up in Space by Amelia Do you see the rocket? and there is a shuooting (shooting) star. do you think the sky is purple? If the shooting star hit the Moon the Moon would pop. (What an exciting story, Amelia! Good girl.)

[10/7/95] I went to the Swan Princess with my Daddy and my sister ceri and the Princess terde (turned) into a swan by a evil Mu (magician) and a prince made a vow and she turned back into a Princess. (Good girl, Amelia.)

[11/7/95] Do you know why the sun is red? because it is very very hot and the grass is green. (The grass might burn, Amelia!)

[12/7/95] It is sunny and the sky is blue and there is a invisible bird on the cloud and there are some mae (more) birds in the sky flying to the cloud and they are it’s friend’s. (You write lovely stories Amelia.)

[13/7/95] Principal’s Award Here is a sky rocket and the sun is green Do you know that the rocket is colourful? and the cloud is shaped as a pot of pepper and some parts of the sky have people eating star’s and all the planets have aliens. (What an interesting story, Amelia.)

[17/7/95] I am under a rainbow and you cannot see me because the rainbow is on the ground and I am in the grass. On saturday I went to the airport to pick My Mummy up. (Super work, Amelia.)

[18/7/95] Here is a rainbow and Bayley is under it daydreaming about Greedy Cat and she is Greedy Cat and I am with her and I am a fairy and I turned her into a fairy and we bowth (both) have wings am my ones are pink and Bayley’s are purple. (Your story is amazing, Amelia! You are a clever girl.)

[No date] Here are some colours from a rainbow and I am under them. The colours are orange and pink and blue and brown and yellow. Bayley and her baby brother are coming to my house to play with me and my sister. (Super work, Amelia.)

[No date] Nicky’s Mummy is going to puck me up from school and I am going to ballet. after ballet Nicky is coming to my house for tei (tea). (What fun, Amelia!)

[25/7/95] Morgan is coming to my house and she is going to play with me. My sister is only 4. Sora let me use her pencils. (Good girl, Amelia.)

[No date] Here is plant erth (planet earth). It is glowing. Today Morgan is coming to my house to play with me. My sister is going to ballet. Mrs Emery is my best teacher. I have some polly pockets. (Good girl, Amelia.)

[27/7/95] It is very very hot and the grass is burning. there is a path in the grass. My Daddy is coming home and My Mummy and Me and My Sister. We are going to pick him up. Natalie has got a baby Kelly doll. We have a special friend in room 4. Bayley is my best friend. Nicky is taking me me to ballet. (You have worked hard today, Amelia.)

[31/7/95] Nicky and Sora are going to My house and they are going to have some jelly. They are going to play with me. One night I saw a Witch. (Was the witch on her broomstick, Amelia?)

[1/8/95] Here is a girl and she is Bayley swimming in a rubber ring and there is a shark beside her. Today Katherine is coming to my house to play with me and to eat with me. The ♥’s are on orange book’s. Bayley is My Best friend. (Excellent work, Amelia. You are trying very hard.)

[2/8/95] Do you see the lolly pops? they are for Bayley and Natalie and Sora and Me. My’n (mine) is the big and colourful one. Bayley’s one is the yellow one and Natalie’s is the red one and Sora’s is the purple one. Tomorrow Sora is going to ballet with me and after that Sora is going to My house to play with me and Ceri. (Amazing work, Amelia.)

[No date] In my picture there is a sunshower. A sunshower is some rain when the sun is up and the could’s are grey and the sky is blue. (Great work Amelia).

[4/8/95] Ones (once) upon a time there was a magician with a piano and he did’dt have a wife just then.

[7/8/95] Tomorrow I am going to the movies to watch pocahontas with Sora and Bayley and Natalie and Nicky. We are going to get some pop corn. (Is this your best work, Amelia?)

[9/8/95] Today some firemen taught us to stop dop cover our face and roll if our clothes catch fire ater we roll and there is some smoke in the room you crawl under the smoke and go outside. On Friday Natalie is coming to My house for tea and to play with me. (Beautiful work, Amelia.)

[14/8/95] This is me dresed up as a Welshgirl all the people in room 4 are dresed up too. (I think you looked fabulous today, Amelia.)

[17/8/95] Here are people playing ball with me and I am throwing the ball to the green one. Today I am going to Georgie pie with Sora and Nicky. I am going to have chicken McNuggers (McNuggets) and chips after I’ve eatn (eaten) I can go and play on a slide. (Did you enjoy your dinner, Amelia?).

[21/8/95] In My picture there are three girls and they are Natalie, Bayley and Me. It is in My house. (Too slow today, Amelia).

[23/8/95] Today am going to georgie pie with Sora and Chloe and Nicky is going to-morrow. on Thursday I am going to ballet to do some dansing (dancing). (Good story, Amelia.)

[22/8/95] Here I am in my back gardin (garden) playing in the grares (grass) and in the grarer (grass) there are some insects and I have an insect on my hand. In the August holidays I am going to Bayley’s house. (Better work today, Amelia.)

[24/8/95] Big Bird is a big y. (This is a very short story, Amelia.)

[No date] On Thursday I am going to the bay of islands and My Mummy is going and My Sister is going but I am not sure if My daddy is going. (You will have a lovely time.)

[No date] When I am going to the bay of islands and My Daddy is going with us.

[No date] I have a book of Ariel’s world and there are lots of thing to do like Ariel’s Make and do and sounds of the sea.

[No date] Today Tony is having a paty.

[No date] Today I was a little bit late because we had to pick up a friend. (Great writing.)

[No date] On Saturday night i lost a tooth. I got a 1$. (You are rich.)

I just found some of them hilarious. And some of the teacher’s comments. Ah, how I wish that assignments and grading was still like this!

weirdest dream i’ve had in a while

Amelia — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 21:14:38 +0000

So last night I had the strangest dream I’ve had in quite a while. It was very odd. I was simultaneously myself and Veronica Mars. Anyway I was at the uni/college Veronica is at in the third season, and there were a whole lot of people from SKC there. So A was my roommate, and for some reason O was in the room next to us. C was there also and was having a huge conversation with me about how he had been having difficulty picking a degree to change to. He was choosig between a planning degree and a law degree, and had eventually settled on a planning degree (which I was like wtf? about). Anyway O was a disadvantaged student so he had an awesome scholarship, yet A and I were suspicious of him for some reason, so we decided to investigate him. We broke into his room and discovered he had drawers and drawers of designer clothes, and then in the bottom drawer was this library book (called “How to Draw”) and in it he’d written this creepy stalker diary thing about me. So we went to the dean person and he was like “what were you doing in O‘s room anyway?” and so I was like “oh he said he’d lend me a library book for French class.” So the dean came with us and when we were investigating O‘s room he somehow managed to fall out of the window and had to have both legs amputated. He came back in a wheelchair and came with us to investigate O‘s room again. This time O was there, and somehow it got revealed that O had a prosthetic leg. The dean guy then got really mad at me, and called me a bitch and accused me of conspiring against O because he was disabled and of hating disabled people. Then I woke up, but all in all it was a very bizarre dream. And somewhat scary actually haha.

i’m too depressed to think of a more interesting title for this post

Amelia — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:18:54 +0000

And why am I depressed you may ask? Only because the best show to ever grace television screens in the history of ever has been CANCELLED. Slash euphemism for cancelled because apparently networks don’t like using ‘cancelled’ for shows that are still airing because it discourages advertisers. Or some such nonsense. Bottom line is I DON’T CARE. Pushing Daisies is honestly one of the few things that can brighten my day no matter how shitty it has been every single time I watch it. It makes me so incredibly sad and simultaneously angry to think that it has been cancelled. And yet shows like The Bachelor and Two and a Half Men continue to survive. Seriously people. There is something wrong with our world when crappy, predictable, overdone humor and contrived ‘reality’ situations continue to exist, and wonderful, whimsical, funny gems like PD get cancelled. No other show can compare. Or for that matter, no other show probably will compare. How many programmes can honestly have pie, PIs, crazy aunts, pigs, nuns, singing, polygamy, prank calls made to mothers, AMAZING colours, illegal gambling with Chinese food, death by scratch’n'sniff and a character named Randy Mann and still manage to be awesome? PD is yet another show I love which has been cancelled much before its time. Maybe I should just stop watching TV altogether. Then I couldn’t love a show which will inevitably be cancelled. I love the characters, I love the crazy world it’s set in, I love the music, I love the colour – I love everything about it. I seriously believe that I will never love another show as much as I’ve loved this one. I hate the fact that it will end on a cliffhanger, I hate the fact that I’ll never know if Olive will ever get/get over Ned (coz, let’s be honest, the former is what I’ve been rooting for the whole time), but more than anything I hate the fact that it’s ending.

Basically, this post is me ranting at ABC. I seriously hate them all after this. Well, maybe not hate, as without them PD may not have even happened in the first place, but I seriously hate the decision they made. Both to cancel it and put it in the same timeslot as ANTM and Bones (coz seriously, that is not a good mood. Even I’d be tempted by Seeley Booth/crazy model wannabes on occasion). And it was stupid to make their decision based on the ratings on the night of the ANTM final. That’s just dumb. And I want to cry. I probably will cry. And I also have to say this: FUCK YOU ABC. (“Word.”)

something for the history books.

Amelia — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 04:36:14 +0000

Today has been truly an historical day. And I felt that I should write something. Barack Obama has just won the US Presidential Election, and become the first African-American President of the United States. It is hard to find the words to express my feelings at such a momentus occasion. I only wish I could have been a part of it. Yet it is truly moving to think of how far the US have come since the days of the Civil Rights movement. They have gone from a nation who had slaves, to the abolishment of slavery, to equal rights for blacks and whites, to finally awarding an African American the highest office in the nation. It is an appointment that gives hope for the future. I know I am very idealistic, and can be overly utopian, but I hope that this paves the way to there one day being racial equality on a global scale. I have witnessed history unfolding in front of me today, and it is truly a moment I will never forget. It is a moment that will define the future not only of America, but of the entire world, and a moment that I know I will one day share with my children and grandchildren.