Ah, lazy days

How I love not having school.  No obligations or plans or commitments means that I can sleep in until noon, and stay in bed in pajamas all day watching Netflix.  That is literally how I spent my day today.  I only got out of bed to get food, go to the restroom, and say hi to my aunt when she came over.

I'm almost done with season 6 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which is like my new favorite show.  Except it makes me hate Joss Whedon so much more than I already did.  Because I just watched an episode in late season 6 where someone dies and I don't want to give anything away if you plan on watching the show (which you SHOULD because it is AMAZING) but it's really sad and unexpected and I cried for like twenty minutes.

Tomorrow I'm going shopping with my mum.  We're going to check out some thrift stores to look for costume pieces for The Diviners.  And I'll probably end up getting some nice, cheap clothes there just for me, because thrift stores are awesome.

I think I'll go get some pizza for a late dinner, then continue watching Buffy because, seriously, I know I already said it but this show is freaking amazing.

The Hunger Games

I love The Hunger Games.  I've only read the books once, about two years ago, but I own them all.  I was camping out to see the midnight premiere of the film (my picture is on the Krikorian theater Facebook page!) and I've seen it twice so far.  This is my review/how I liked it/comparison to the book post.  So yes, there are spoilers in this!  You have been warned...

I'll start with things I liked about the movie.  I liked how they made it easier to understand for people who haven't read the books.  I mean, yes they should have read the books, but I do know some people who are going to read them because they liked the movie so much!  But I liked how they started the film with the decree about the Hunger Games, and I liked how they showed the video from the Capitol at the reaping and I liked how they had the commentary and showed the gamemakers throughout the games.  I also liked how they showed reactions from the people in their districts (IE: District 12, the riot in District 11, etc.)  I love how what Katniss and Rue say at Rue's death is exactly the same as what's in the book.  "Did you blow up the food?" "Every bit of it."  "You have to win, Katniss."

I really liked Seneca Crane's death.  In the books, it's only implied that he died because he screwed up the games, and they just got a new gamemaker for the next Games.  But I loved how they locked him in the room with a bowl of nightlock.  It really shows how powerful and controlling the Capitol is.  Caesar Flickerman was amazing.  I could not stop laughing.  I also liked when they showed President Snow and Seneca Crane in the rose garden.  It was interesting, and it's already setting up Snow as the antagonist, even though we don't find out too much about him in the first book.

AND THE MUSIC.  Oh my goodness the music is amazing.  I am obsessed with the soundtrack.  Not the soundtrack with the popular songs, but the original motion picture score composed by James Newton Howard.  Wow, it is amazing.  I think my favorite song is "The Countdown".  You should listen to it, it's epic.

Now for the things I didn't like.  I didn't really like the way the rose garden looked.  It was really big and outdoors.  It's just not how I pictured it.  How is that supposed to be a prison cell for Snow later on?  When I read about it in Mockingjay I pictured it as an indoor room, kind of like an indoor greenhouse.  If that makes sense.

I hated how they changed the words of the song that Katniss sings for Rue.  Or, I don't remember if they changed the words, but they at least left out the ending, which was my favorite part: "Here is the place where I love you".  I was so looking forward to hearing her sing that line to Rue and it didn't happen and I was so disappointed!  And they didn't really develop their [Katniss and Rue's] relationship enough, so if you hadn't read the book, you might not get why Katniss was so distraught over Rue's death.  There also wasn't the bread from District 11.  That bothered me.  At the beginning of the film (sorry, I'm kind of jumping around), I didn't like how Katniss got the Mockingjay pin from the Hob.  Madge does not exist in THG film universe.

When they announced that both tributes from the same district could live, Katniss was supposed to shout Peeta's name.  Instead she just whispered it.  Peeta's rock disguise was also weird.  Where did he get the resources to look that much like a rock?  When I read the book, I imagined him at kind of a muddy bank of the river where there was a little water flowing so he could still get some water, and he just smeared mud all over him to blend in.  That would make more sense, right?  Also, Peeta's leg injury was not as bad as it should have been.  He got to keep his leg.  That's not right.  Unpopular opinion: I didn't like Peeta.  I liked him in the books.  I don't know if it was Josh Hutcherson, or the way the character was written, but I just didn't like Peeta.  I found him annoying.

Finally, Katniss and Gale's friendship was too friendly.  In the books, their friendship is described as a mutual respect for each other.  The most "friendly" thing they have is Gale calling her Catnip.  In the books, their relationship is more like, "We hunt together and we help each other feed our families and I respect you and I'll let you call me Catnip because well I'm used to it now. I'm going to the Hunger Games and you know that I probably won't come back so please take care of my family."  Whereas in the films it's like, "Oh ha ha Gale's trying to be funny by scaring away my deer but it's cool because he throws a rock to help me get a few birds. Oh we're going to share food it's so sweet.  Oh I'm going to the Hunger Games but Gale thinks I'm definitely going to win, well, just take care of Prim while I'm gone be back soon TTYL."  Okay maybe that was exaggerated a bit, but still.  MUTUAL RESPECT.  That's it.

Anyway, it might not seem like it but overall I really enjoyed the film.  It was really good for an adaptation of a book.  Much better than any of the Harry Potter films, at least.  Now I'm really excited for Catching Fire, because I think it was my favorite book in the series, if only because it's when we meet a bunch of amazing characters.  I'm so excited to find out the casting of the past Victors from other Districts!  Like Finnick, Beetee, Johanna, Mags, Wiress...

I hope this post was substantial and makes up for my past ones this month!

Spring Break

Today was my last day of school before spring break, so now I'm off until April 17!  Except after school I had rehearsal, then right after that was a senior dance so it's been a very long day.

It's been an extremely long, stressful, and overall crappy day.  That is my excuse for this inexcusable horrible and short post.  But I do still have to be up early tomorrow for rehearsal, and I am exhausted, and I would like to sleep off the stress, so as soon as I post this, I'm going to bed.

However, so this isn't completely horrible, here's something to think about: Which first generation Pokemon is the sexiest?  Or just which first generation Pokemon are sexy?  (I say first generation because that's all I know.  Anyway, I was discussing this with a some friends today.  My answer was Rapidash.  Rapidash is pretty sexy.

Until tomorrow, my friends.

Day Two!

We aren't doing anything in my AP Lit class right now so I figured I would take this opportunity to write my blog post for the day.  Technically we're supposed to be discussing Hamlet trial ideas, but...we're not doing that.  I've been talking with some girls in my class about college and money for the last half hour.

My teacher also just mentioned a scholarship contest for writing the script of a play about a disability.  I want to be a screenwriter, so I thought this would be a good scholarship for me to try for.  So I'm going to be writing a play.  I have to send it into Virginia by April 16, so I really should get working on it so it will arrive in time when I send it.

I swear, most of my bookmarks right now are for scholarship applications.  I'm really excited for college, but I'm not so excited for having to pay for it.  I want to use loans as little as I possibly can so I have less to pay back after graduation, but my tuition will probably end up being entirely loans.  Scholarships will help though, let's just hope that I can actually win one.

I will probably save the Hunger Games discussion for Wednesday because that is my first day of spring break and I will actually have time.  I only have like, 6 days off for spring break because after that, I have to go back to rehearsal.  The first Friday we're back at school is opening night... We open in 18 days and I still don't know all my lines!  I need to work on that.

Anyway, class is almost out so I'll just post this now so I don't forget later.  Until tomorrow! (Hopefully).

BEDA: Day One

Yes, it's that time of year again!  The month of writing a blog post every single day!  I actually didn't realize that it's April until about an hour ago, so this will just be a quick thing because I have an essay to write.  And I suppose I wanted to do this as just another means of procrastination...  I mean, technically I already wrote the rough draft and just need to revise it, but I did that all the night before it was due also, so it is entirely crap.  However, it's quite possible I will end up re-writing the entire thing.

I am going to attempt to blog every single day this month.  Attempt is the keyword.  It is highly likely that I will not be able to keep up with it because I am in a play at school and we open this month... It is also highly likely that I will end up writing a few of these posts in the middle of class or publishing them well past midnight (but I only count it as missing if I go to sleep before posting).

Also, on my tumblr, I am doing a Photo a Day in April challenge, so if you want to, you can follow me on there and check that out. :)

Tomorrow I will try to talk about something more interesting like The Hunger Games movie, or the upcoming holiday, or the play I'm in, but right now I must write my paper so I don't fail my senior year!  That wouldn't be good.  It's going to be a long night, but my friend Lisa said she might call me so we can pull an all-nighter together and keep each other awake and discuss our papers because we're chose the same prompt.

Time to go talk about Shakespeare and staging and directing. Yippee!

P.S. If you haven't listened to the Original Motion Picture Score for The Hunger Games yet, LISTEN TO IT. It is amazing.  And I mean the instrumental stuff, not the popular soundtrack with Taylor Swift and The Civil Wars (although they are good songs too).

Hell Week

One of my favorite parts about being in a play or musical is hell week.  I know, that probably sounds horrible because of the name, but despite the excruciatingly long days and sleep deprivation, hell week is so much fun!

If you are not a thespian, the infamous hell week (or tech week) is the week before the show opens.  Rehearsals are much longer (I usually don't get home until 9:30 or 10:00 PM).  It is when pretty much everything is done and you just do full dress rehearsals.  You run through the show as many times as you can before it opens and the director gives you notes.

Hell week is when you spend more time with your director and castmates than with your family.  It is when you spend more time at rehearsal than at home.

I love hell week because I love theatre.  It is fun.  I enjoy the long rehearsals of having fun and spending time with awesome people (because honestly, once you hang out with thespians, normal people just aren't as fun anymore).  I love hell week because you get to see all elements of the show come together to create the show.  All you're doing is touching things up before the finished product goes up in front of an audience.

I love thinking about two months ago, or however long ago you started rehearsals and seeing how far you all have come since then, how much work you've put into this project, how much closer you all have grown by doing this together.  Tomorrow will be exactly two months since our very first rehearsal for Once On This Island, and those two months have just flown by.

I'm a senior this year, and I keep getting sad thinking about these things today.  It is not my last show-- I am in The Diviners at our brother school (because I go to an all-girls school)-- but it is my last musical, my last show with a lot of these people, and my last show with this director, Mr. Bozanich.  He is the best director I know and he has helped me to grow so much in his shows.  I'm extremely grateful that I've gotten to work with him these past few years and had amazing experiences and made unforgettable memories because of him.

Before every single performance, Mr. B tells us three things that I will never forget: watch all your firsts, have big fun, and do something that you can be proud to call good theatre.  Two weeks from today is closing night.  Two weeks from today, I will have heard those words for the last time.

These next two weeks are going to be bittersweet.

I'm alive!

Wow, that's crazy, it's been nearly two and a half months since I last made a blog post!  I have good reason, though: I've been extremely busy lately.  Yes, I will admit that some of that "busy" was actually countless hours of scrolling through Tumblr or reading fanfiction or watching things on Netflix, but most of it was made up of college apps, AP homework, and rehearsals for the spring musical.

I hadn't mentioned yet that I got a part in the spring musical, Once On This Island!  I am a proud member of the ensemble (and if you are familiar with the show, I am a minion of Agwe, the god of water).  No, I did not get the part that I had originally wanted, but I was called back so that made me really happy, and one of my best friends got the part and I am extremely happy for her!  We've been rehearsing daily for a little over a month now, and I just realized that we open one month from today!  When I say just realized, I mean that quite literally-- I looked at the time and noticed the date and we open exactly one month from today; so crazy.  I've been having loads of fun through rehearsals, learning all the music and dances and spending time with some of my closest friends.  It's quite a blast!

Well...that is the most interesting thing that I have been up to lately.  I could bore you with grueling details of doing AP homework or my suffering through all my classes, but I'm sure you don't want to hear that.  I'm just really excited that it is the last semester of my senior year of high school.  I can't wait to go to college.

I promise I will try to post updates a bit more frequently, if I have anything interesting to say! Until next time.