In Character

Whilst watching Broadway.com's 'Ask a Star' (having waited almost two weeks for an over-due Sutton Foster video-which was well worth the wait), I happened upon Sierra Boggess performing 'Part of your world' as Ariel in The Little Mermaid and found myself a little inspired by her performance.

For almost the entire duration of the song (the ending after the climax as the exception), she seemed completely in character, and for me, brought something more human to the renowned Disney character.

The Little Mermaid is by no means a favourite musical of mine- and 'Part of Your World' is an over-baked song. However, I couldn't help but favourite the video for the base fact that Sierra Boggess gave a wonderful performance. She of course sang and acted well, but she also gave just that extra element of herself to the character that was touching and inspiring.
It appears she does it night after night (which of course is expected-but not always the case).



(It's always nice when you come across something like this. Something small, but a video, recording or interview/quote that you can learn from and keep filed away in your memory to be drawn upon in the future.)

Thank goodness for youtube.

Finding a friend in Fanfiction

"When you're weary, feeling small...
And friends just can't be found
Like a bridge over troubled water"
Fanfiction will ease your mind!

Fanfiction, a site filled with stories, poetry and other creative styles, is a wonderful companion and time filler. I know fanfiction got me through long study periods during the HSC. I'd read a fanfiction chapter, summarise a textbook chapter, and so on.

Until the last few weeks, I had happily and thoroughly explored the Phantom of the Opera sequels, re-writes, prequels, alternate universes, the list goes on. However, I now feel the need to write my own. No one has yet to address an issue following a scene that never sat well with me(in the film particularly), and so I answered my own need by crafting a response.

I am a Phantom of the Opera fanatic, and for my Extension 2 English course, I wrote a lengthy critical response addressing and analysing the transformations of The Phantom of the Opera through time and text(through the phsychological theory of the looking-glass self.) It was entitled: Transformations of a Phantom - holding up a mirror to society.

I do not consider myself a 'creative' writer by any stretch of the imagination, however there is a certain freedom in such an unrestricted medium, and I am enjoying the challenge.

My story: Stranger than you dreamt it
My Profile: MaryannfromAus

Hence, when one cannot be bothered to do anything, or simply needs to take their mind off a task, fanfiction is a great friend to have. If you have a favourite book, movie, comic, fairy-tale, or writer that never completely hit the nail on the head, gave you the ending you wanted, or crafted characters you would love to continue reading about, there will be a story for you. (Keep in mind you may have to sift through quite a bit of garbage).

It is only an internet connection and a few clicks away.

Ode to the Internet: Hopelessly Devoted to You

The Internet is full of charm, but also sings a siren song.

Move over TV, we now have yet another form of advanced technology to capture first spot for absolute time waster and number one procrastination tool.

It's a lure we love to hate and hate to love: the Internet.

A reoccurring part of my life now consists of checking my email before and/or after work. That 'catching up' method of communication usually occupies a good half hour. However, due to the wonders of the Internet, one link leads to another link which leads to a quick Wikipedia search, leading to another Wikipedia link, to a related search link, a source link, and so the cycle continues until you glance at the clock and you are either late for work or it is hours past your bedtime.

As much as I'd like to believe time passes quicker while on the Internet, it is a cheap cop-out disguising the real problem at hand- how to avoid wasting time that could be better spent elsewhere.

To me, the biggest time-wasters are community boards and social utilities like Facebook. A quick “hello” to catch up on Facebook can lead to a detailed chat about where you are going next holidays, or what you are having for breakfast- since you have talked the whole night away with your six conversations running at once. All the while you are also playing Café World, checkers with your mate from America, uploading photos from the birthday party last weekend, and joining the “I am Going to Marry One of the Men in Jane Austen's Novels” group.

As much as the Internet is an invaluable source of information, and serves as an extensive vehicle for intellectual development, to those lacking some self-control, it is a nasty distraction to making real progress in your life.

Even writing this blog took me a good part of the morning because it sat stationary while I read the amusing posts of university students on the www.boredofstudies.org student community board. One of the topics: “Which uni has most Asians: UNSW or USYD?”, among with “Which faculty do you think is most attractive [at the University of Sydney]?” Intellectual discussion, indeed.

Yes, in sickness and in health, we are hopelessly devoted to the Internet.