As many of you know me, you know that I'm a bit of a hedonist; with my perfect time spending being curled up in an armchair with a really good book, in front of a crackling fireplace; drinking tea (used to be hot chocolate, I'm more grown up now; being sixteen).
So waking up to an orchid (which I have an odd fondness for), a BIG box of chocolates and a sterling silver necklaces of roses is rather a lovely way to do so. (Also a subscription to National Geographic goes a long way to make your special day, that little bit more special).

Baby Orchid:
Some Photo's of Moi (in the pub after school):

There is something to be said about standing in front of a wasted printer, with grey-on-white stack of script pages in your hands. It's not finished, I hope some day it will be, but at the moment I can't help feel proud when seeing the 39 pages that came out from 1-2 weeks of work. It was worth it. It was really worth it: to ignore sleep, common sense, homework, holidays; everything and to simply write. It sound more romantic that it was. It was hard, and daunting, and exhilarating and I stopped, didn't reach the finishing line, gave up; gave in. But not before 60 pages of work. 39 of those being this newly printed script.

In these pages you can track my everyday life, the events that influenced me scene by scene; here let me show you:

Scene Three: We danced in the rain that day. It was the last day of term 1 and it was raining. The school got flooded in the end. After science, me and Sarah run about in the rain until we were breathless and our legs were covered in mud. We attempted to dry our clothes and hair in the toilets by the canteen. Yesterday Amy remembering that day, called Matt a hobbit. Rita was sensible and a boy from year 11 -takes my bus from my station, Nick-gave us an odd look as we ran past. In Maths the sky was purple, or maybe another fantastic colour; no work was done: naturally. The boys (year 8?) corridor was flooded. Arriving at writers workshop (R1) I stood in the doorway letting rain drip on me, the I sat by the doorway, took of my socks and attempted to squeeze the water out of them. We made a trip to get our bags from the locker room, and I returned with an umbrella. We watched Rowan Atkinson talk about humour.

Scene Four, A few days before I've been browsing youtube, and one song got stuck in my head. Relativ, by Wise Guys. It was in German. My amusement could go a long way. I wrote it in two scenes, only one was in this play.

Scene Seven, we went to the Casino, that day or the day before. The one on south bank, near the river. It was grand, no specific decorations for Easter. There were lights however glittering from the celling in front hallway/grand staircase. They had a chocolate shop with painted wooded eggs, they reminded me of Russia. Mum too. I couldn't breathe in that place, my thought were morbid, and somewhat tainted by the unobservable sleaziness of the place. I realized it was due to the fact, that there were no windows, no wood. Only stone, metal and people. I hated it.

Scene Eight, we were in Adelaide. We visited a garden there, a gift from a twined city in Japan. There was a African wedding leaving, bright colourful clothes. It was the first time I've seen a zen garden, but what forced me still was a deer scarer. I'm not sure why.

Scene Eleven, I've been obsessing with one phrase that day, attempting to remember it right: "Yesterday upon the stair, I met a man who wasn't there, He wasn't there again today, Oh, how I wish he'd go away". For some reason those words remind me of the stairs leading up to my grandparents flat. More memories. I also mention the bush fires. Then quickly make up for that mistake.

Just a small insight in my writing process. A small glimpse in to my memories of times past.

All I've got to say:

Exam- Will Update Further

Exam Timetable

Thursday

10:30-12:40pm (10:30-12:00 : 90 mins)

English

A5

1:34-3:10pm

Science

A6

Friday

11:08 – 12:48pm

Maths

A8

1:34-3:10pm

History

A5

English:

90 mins

1 Extract Essay

Take Your Time -> Plan

Write About all 3 Extracts

Science-1 double sided A4 sheet

Nuclear

(How do you separate U235 and U238)

What are α, β, γ, and their properties

Half Life and how to use it (equation/Maths)

Decay Rules α, β, γ,

How fission occurs/fusion works (hydrogen)

Nuclear Reactors-Fission/Fusion

9.3, 9.4, Half Life

Know deuterium, tritium,

Radioactive/Carbon dating (equations/Maths)

Uses of radiation (ie X-rays, Medical, Cat, Pet, Tracers, radiotherapy, nuclear reactors, sterilization, gauging, pipeline, tracers, mining, OPAL,)

Electronics

Symbols of components

What do components do

What is: voltage, current, resistance, power,

How does transformer work

Series and Parallel Circuits

V_pI_p = V_sI_s

Power In=Power Out

Ohms Law

V=IR

P=VI

Maths-1 bound book, no unattached pieces

Trigonometry

Matrices

Linear Graphs and Modeling

Relations and Functions

Linear Programming

Non-Linear Programming (only ellipse and Polar Graphs-9G)

History

Early Slave Trade: conditions/name of route (slave triangle)

Re-Read Essay on the Mistreatment of Slaves

Amazing Grace- what were the arguments, pro-anti slavery

Civil Rights Key Organizations (1950’s-60’s)

How blacks were treated-Jim Crow Laws

Montgomery bus Boycott/Little Rock Nine

(specific event-look at annotated map)

Evaluate a primary source document

Picture of primary source in Civil Rights movement (particular event)

Essay: Mississippi Burning or Martin Luther King (specific question)

Feeling Sick

For the last week or so, I've been very proud of myself due to my belief that I understood needs of an artist (being one part-time). My belief was centered around the fact that I totally got Rita's need to use someone she sees everyday for the art project and that I was fine with her using me as it.
However I'm not feeling so placid at the moment when mum needs the master bedroom for 6 weeks for her work, and Andrew moved to the living room. With speakers, musical equipment and a keyboard/synthesiser. And that at the moment he's creating in the dark, using all of those thing. And I'm locked out of the living room; and the sofa, television and bookshelves are no longer at my disposal. For the next 6 weeks. Just a tad cranky at the moment.
On another side of things, I have decided to retreat from script frenzy with 60 pages written. And now after such a long time of writing creativity, I need a little bit of artistic creation to go on in my mind. So am hoping to enter the current Deviant Art Competition with a digital piece. We'll how that goes.
Will start editing my art film script soon. It's not finished but I think fiddling with it will set me in the right mood.

Needs of an artist. Never fulfilled.

For those of you wondering why didn't you get a happy birthday, the one below was automated. He, he.
Went dress shopping today. While there got myself an eye check up, as my glasses seem to have a less and less effect. Found out that one eye got worse by 500%. I'll now will have to wear glasses while driving. My eyesight is now, I believe -1.25.
That's quite a shock, I've got to tell you. Brought two sets of glasses, one for school (more stylish), and one for traveling/drawing/photography with bigger lenses and an UltraClear Coating.
Got up to page 48 (?) on my ScriptFrenzy. The passion is gone. Shame.
Drowning in homework as I only began doing any of it this Wednesday. Also does anybody know what I have for Phycology, I've got a note in my diary saying I've got homework but I haven't got a clue what it is.

PS. just try'd on the dress I wore to my Primary School Leaving Dinner. 4 years on and it still fits. People, you didn't miss much, I still look exactly the same.

Happy Birthday...

Happy Birthday Rowan!!!

Saw English Creatives Today.

All were good, but some deserve mentioning.

Mitch's was good. Naturally. Loved the song. And the messed up menu. And ill-timed Monty Python, and the protesters images. Liked a lot of things.

'Dear Mr President' because I know that song. And like that song, and the images served it perfectly.

Anya's just clicked. Her song was "War is Over" the Christmas one. And it just worked. Because other people? Some spoke grand things, but things that we don't feel -things that I don't feel - hers took the same topic but with a different approach. An approach that worked for me.

It made me want to laugh. Not in an amused way, where everything's fine and the sun is shinning and whoops! that man just slipped on a banana. But in a way that makes you want to cry, but crying admits defeat, so you laugh. Laugh in hacking sobs and true amusement and with the knowledge that you're trapped without hope and there's no way out and fighting a losing battle is a really really stupid thing to do. But desperation and hope, are powerful things and you laugh because what else can you do? The fate is already sealed. I know that laughter. The laughter of opression (I guess). I know it well and intimately, because somethings? They only get dulled down and never truly fade from people's memory.


All were good. Some just worked for me.

I just had an earthquake. A very minor one. But the house shook. It shook. I felt it. My first earthquake. My initial reaction? Again! The walls moved from side to side. The walls moved!!!
Did you have an earthquake?

I'm in the mood to write. Just am. So going to write about books. (Don't look so surprised! If you're reading this you know me well enough.)

Book 1. The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie (Finished)

"In an Empire where rats ruled, he was the king of the rats."- pg9

"It was raining, not violently, but with a quiet, well-bred persistence."-pg327

""The squirrel, my good Georges, collects nuts. He stores them up in the autumn so that they may be of advantage to him later. To make a success of humanity, Georges, we must profit by the lessons of those below us in the animal kingdom. I have always done so. I have been the cat, watching the mouse hole. I have been the good dog following up the scent, and not taking my nose from the trail. And also, my good Georges, I have been the squirrel. I have stored away little fact here, and little fact there. I go now to my store and I take out one particular nut, a nut that I stored away - let me see, seventeen years ago. You follow me, Georges?"" pg296

You know it's good writing when you pick bits to remember for later.

Book 2. Was Napoleon Poisoned? and Other Unsolved Mysteries of Royal History by Peter Haugen (unfinished and will probably remain so)

Sounded interesting. Got it out of the library. Haven't gotten past the introduction but currently it sound much less interesting.

Book 3. Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (unfinished)

On the First Chapter. I left it for a day. Didn't remember names. Damn. This is the type of book one needs to read in one go. Double damn. It thick and I'm not good with graphics novels. Plus Rita wants it. (Well she cant have it, it's mine for three weeks and she read it already.(I think I'll give pretty soon don't you?))

Book 4. Tales of an Urban Werewolf: Howling at the Moon by Karen MacInerney

On chapter 7 or so. 1. I likelove this author. She introduced me to 'cozy' mysteries with her first series, so I was very glad when I saw this book on the library website. So far, not as good as the first series which is a great shame. The third book in that one came out but the library is yet to get it. (This author and her first series are on my 'personal library' list).

Despite all that. It's still good on the whole-or at least so far.


Book 5. Freedom of the City by Brian Friel. (unstarted)

Ok, so yeah I haven't read it. I've been away. And you really don't want to know the amount of books I read in Russia. Lemme do and approximation count:

Ahem. Looked in my Diary Found the Following Poem:
The dark night settles,
Her frost-ridden cloak,
Crunching the armchair .
Leg over leg, hair flapping back,
She smiles at the circle around her.
"I'm here, aren't I?"
Dawn, in her little silk dress,
Waves her feet in the air
and smiles her baby girl smile.
Twilight, snaps her filed sharp teeth
and flicks chapped nail polish.
"We could do with out you..."
Midday is asleep, snuffling slightly,
and the rest carry on
with their own affairs.
A day's gone by,
-and another begins.

I really should keep track of what I write. Should try the idea again.Found some other snippets of poems. Not writing them down.
So books: 15. And that's the ones I remember, and have written down + finished (and I also didn't read the first two weeks there). So school books? Not that much time.

There is a fire in Heidelberg. It is not reported in the news curretly but I can see it out of my windows and doors. THERE IS A FIRE. Rita is curretly buying art supplies there and Grace and Jason (?) live there.

I can hear the sirens and helicopters.

Time: 16:12

"From what I could see, the fire is near the sports grounds or in that general area at least"

Time: 16:22

Found Fire on News

http://mapvisage.appspot.com/fires/FireMap.html

EAGLEMONT
Region: 13
Location: EAGLEMONT
Date/Time: 12/02/2009 15:58:00
Type: NON STRUCTURE
Status: GOING
Size: SMALL
Vehicles: 5

Not sure if it is the one I see.

Time: 16:32

"Ok, from what I am seeing, it's in the Yarra flats, but according to the news (just now on Channel 7 they had it in there as part of the bushfire news) Ivanhoe is under threat, "

I live in Ivanhoe. Watching Channel 7 as well.

Time: 16:43

The fire's in Ivanhoe. Burning. Grass.

Time:16:58

I'm calmer. Can't see the smoke anymore. One is allowed to panic once in a while. Somehow, this one and the Tasmania one were both calmed by Jason. I need a level head sometimes.

Ummm People

I've just been in the air and in and out airoports for the last 2 or so days. I've been flown St.Petersburg -> Munich (because there is snow in London and our original flight was cancelled) -> London -> Singapoure -> Melbourne. Plus they lost our baggage (so very little clothes, no scissors, and no present for anyone). So at the moment I am .... floppy (?).
I also found out (in Munich) that apparently school for yr10 started early, so people please: which class am I in, and what is the timetable for Thursday?
Will be very grateful for above information, however can't bribe because our suitcases were blooming lost!

(Yeah I'm calm)

(( Just reread what I written, my brain isn't with me at the moment ))

(((Re-read the 2nd time, added please. I need sleep. I can't sleep until it's evening. )))

On the subject of...Frog legs, Psychopath-looking Doctors and June air.

Some of the people I know are currently on a short visit to France, may you enjoy it there.
As for my Mud and Fallow. Well it's right up Fallows alley, she's been there many times; as for Mud. I hope that she'll enjoy her first time in a foreign land and be willing to travel alot in the future (with us two of course.)

As pretty much always I don't have time for a well written article of philosophical line of thought. However two notes:

1. The Eleventh Doctor is upon us!!!
2. And there are rumours that the Children of the Earth (short 3rd season story line) will be aired in June... (On BBC1, which is a big deal)
   

On the subject of... lyrics and dry tissues

Two artistic (meaning, not word for word) translations of Russian songs with lyrics I love:

Она идет по жизни смеясь

She goes through life laughing,

She's as light as wind

Nowhere in the world

Her face won't hit the dirt

A tried method of dealing with questions

Like they're not even there

In everything there's sunlight

She goes throught life laughing

Meeting and parting

No regrets in parting easy

and meeting each time

And all the new faces

Quickly mixing

Into a melting circle

Of friends

She goes throught life laughing

As a guest she's like at home

Where everything is known

Luck is with her

Life is Sucessful

With no exceptions

All with amazment

Watch her leaving

Not noting the night that are spent crying

By the one who goes throught life laughing.

The original, does sound much better however this is the best translation I can give. The tune is amazingly catchy (in style I personally call old-style rock) and it was sung by Машина Времени (Machine of Time).

Иностранец (part of lyrics)

Gift me with the first dance,

Take me away with you,

Far and wide I am a foreigner,

And everywhere I'm like their own,

Like a boat upon the ocean,

I have lost the shore my own,

Far and wide I am a foreigner,

Take me, mother, home.

The Original

Подари мне первый танец,

Забери меня с собой,

Я повсюду иностранец,

И повсюду я вроде бы свой.

Словно лодка в океане,

Затерялся берег мой,

Я повсюду иностранец,

Забери меня, мама, домой

Maybe this will tell you something about me. Maybe it wont. Don't over analyze it please. The original was sung by Валерий Меладзе (and the words and the music were by his brother).

I also suspect that at somepoint I shall take upon my self to translate Russian into English (I do take suggestions).

And finally...

Last weekend: Mother wonders if our visa will let us visit England.

Chance of going to England (for a quick holiday visit): 98%

This saturday: A week of finding absolutely no information and being always re-directed.

Chance of going to England: 60%

This sunday morning: Andrew saying that on the Internet there are tales of similar problems.

Chance of going to England: 10%

This sunday afternoon: Found confirming information in Wikipedia.

Chance of going to England: 0.1%

Chance of running out of dry tissues in the house: 90%

Holiday

My plane landed around 4 in the afternoon in St.Petersburg, Russia. While I have some photographs to show you, only my grandparents have internet and I doupt it's up for uploading photograhs. This also means I only have internet once a week or so.

I am taking a break and am glad to do so. While people can speak English they rarely do it unless they have to, so I am surrounded by Russians, it is 11 in the morning, and the outside tempreture is -12. The daylight hours last between 10 (in the morning) and 4 (in the afternoon). Well, when I say daylight, I mean it is somewhat lighter than at night, generally not enough light to read by the window. Accourding to my grandparents, today is the fourth day of when they could see the actual sun since the beginging of winter several months ago.

This is as far from Australia as one could get, cold, no-one speaks English and it is on the other side of the world. And I am relaxed.

A slight book review: Agatha Christie emains the Queen of Crime and 'The murder of Roger Ackroyd' proves it. I can't say a lot without giving away the plot. But if you are looking for a master peice: it is well worth reading.

*Point to the Link's section.*
Read the travel plans.
*Goes back to packing. *

My First Australian Barbecue

One of my mums colleagues decided to hold a barbecue. We went. Not a lot of people mum knew were there. I assumed that barbecue are nicer when it is people who you know rather than mums colleagues and mums colleagues neighbours. So I kind-off sat a bit away and listened to my music, and regretted not bringing a book.

And then I met a fellow book-lover Rebecca.

And I shall write more later. It's too late now.

Appeal

An Appeal for people in the E-class.

1. As I will be a couple of days late in the beginning of year 10, I'll need someone to give me the timetable through email/blog. I'm willing to bribe in dried apricots/chocolate.
2. Emm, on average, I'd like to know the marks you got in the report, in general. Like the ratio of A/B/C. (A being end of year 10, B being middle of year 10, C being end of year 9) My one is :A=7/B=9/C=3 and I was wondering just how average that is?

Also, for those of you wanting an unconventional Christmas.

Update

Reviewed the following books: On What Ground by Cleo Coyle, Eragon by Christopher Paolini, Eldest by Christopher Paolini, Права и обязанности by Карина Пьянкова, Red Dragon by Thomas Harris, A Cage of Butterflies by Brian Caswell.

Am Planning to Review: Harry a History by Melissa Anelli, The Tales of Beedle the Bard by by J. K. Rowling, Vera by Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Ernest by Oscar Wilde.

Continued to update and upload the photographs.

Writting Part 2 of My Trip of a Lifetime.

Got my immunization that I missed. Ow.

Posted 25 cards.

Am taking recommendations for my holiday reading list.

So far my plans include (probably): Oscar Wilde, The reread of Harry Potter Series (maybe),The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Another Fine Myth (Myth Adventures, Book 1) by Robert Lynn Asprin, Titus Groan (Gormenghast Trilogy, 1) by Mervyn Peake, In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O'Brien, The Last Sherlock Holmes Story

by Michael Dibdin, Ratking by Michael Dibdin, Philip K Dick.

Joe, historical books wanted, needed and desired.

One Word: BLACKADDER