h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

hillooo.

I just decided to say hi, for no logical reason I have been able to figure out in the thirty secods since I decided to...um...you live in Adelaide? I live in Australia (Dizo has forbidden me to say more). I have family in Adelaide. Noarlunga...nice! Big moon.

Nice spot Noarlunga. I enjoyed a few minutes at the Noarlunga railway station yesterday. Bleak. However some of the spots next to the river are very pretty right now.

PT

I was there a few years ago, and my most vivid memories are the fish & chips and the moon. That is, both were good.

So, are you going to the Sydney meetup? Doubt I will.

Can't see myself getting anywhere near Sydly in the next fortnight. So I will try and get the meetup with Ed happening here in Adelaide. Failing that I'll just have to warm the set and cool the tinnies and put in a big afternoon watching sport.

Souths play Centrals at Noarlunga on Sunday. I might head down to the Terra Del Fuego (as it has become known) and see how it ends. Souths can't make the finals but Centrals has a chance for the top spot (I think). Still it is always good fun - even if you do need a camel to get around to the outer.

PT

PS: It is a full moon tonight. You feel lucky. -- or so nethack told me.

Eeek! Would you be talking about football ? I find myself unable to apreciate the intricacies of that esteemed game.

GP

I might be. The intracacies are often beyond me too. I have stood in the middle of League ovals, holding a whistle, and wondered about what the hell was going on.

Did you go to any of the meetups?

PT

No. You?

If you're holding a whistle, doesn't that mean you should know what is going on? (In the same way that, in an emergency, everybody else is better at washing up than oneself)

GP

Nah, Ed seems to have disappeared for the moment and no-one else is SA has expressed interest so I spent the day in the city having a happy time. Didn't think about it at all in fact. I did order a CD of Beethoven string trios though.

This Saturday I will have to do the jobs I didn't around to last Saturday. The weather has gone from 13 and wet to 27 and sunny, clear skies. It is making it difficult to concentrate on boring matters.

PT

PS: if you are holding a whistle you are assumed not to have a clue. However, people then get upset when you live up to their expectations.

Bit hard on you.

It was a beautiful day today. And it's the holidays!

Really, it's not that bad. Some of the comments you get from the boundary are really funny. Some are abusive and frustrated but a lot of people watch footy because they enjoy it.

The weather here was great until Sunday and then it got a bit wet and quite windy. I went for a walk along the cliff tops down on the coast on Monday (a public holiday here) and it was very blowy. Still I finished the day with a drinkable (very) cheap bottle of red and an excellent take-away curry.

This week continues with work, last two days of footy training, the grand final on Sunday (Central Dstrict vs Woodville/West Torrens) - which I am going to with my Mother, a sweedish friend and her german boyfriend. Should be good.

PT

Yesterday morning was the most gorgeous weather we've had for ages, but about 2 it all changed: thunder, lightning, hail, the works. Oh well, I was safe inside.

I'm afraid I can't just lose myself in watching football. Probably a genetic disorder inherited from my mum. I can watch dancing, gymnastics (rhythmic or otherwise) and diving for hours, but I can't bear sheer brute strength. I must eat my first paragraph; the sun's just come out. Oh what a beautiful mooooooorning, oh what a beautiful daaaay
Tis twenty minutes to the hour of eleven. I must make the most of this morning, because I have seven ing hours of dance this afternoon WHY DO I DO IT???? Yesterday was good though. I think I'm finally beginning to "express the character in my part". Wearing a gorgeous polka dotted brown dress and ing character shoes, I think not!

GP

Good lord! Seven hours of dance! Which part of your character are you aiming to express today (or will you hvae expressed)? As I was walking through the city to work today (Adelaide, bless its heart, still only has one railway station) I noticed that the Australian Dance Theatre has moved into an old furniture store in Hindly Street (in the new Arts District). I had known that they were moving from the Balcony Theatre in Gouger Street (where the good resteraunts are) but their new spot was a surprise.

I like it, but I wonder how long it will be before they get sick of the big ground floor windows looking onto the street. Probably long before I get sick of looking in as I walk past.

PT

It's a small world. I read about the move in a magazine the other day. Apparently they hope it will increase publicity...I suppose they'll have a cupboard in the corner for all the injured persons...

Today...I'm going to try to convince my teacher that I really do deserve the spot I want. But it'll be hard. We're doing a couple of perfromances in one thingo, so in another bitsy-do I'll try and remember not to show my (gorgeous!) bum to the audience.

But for the most part I'll just try to not get my name mentioned in the same sentence as "...will be cut today" if that happens.

GP

What are you performing? Selectors are notoriously bad at doing their job, be it footy (playing or umpiring), dance or gallery owners (I have a friend who paints and finds it very difficult to get gallery space even though I think she is quite good). Your best bet is to nobble your opposition. A dodgy cuury, an unfortunate push or (if things get desparate), an anonymous tip to the police are all fair in these circumstances.

PT

Do you really suggest it? Well...my mum's cooking is *famous* at the ballet school, should be. easy to slip someone a bite of something not quite authentic.

At this stage, it turns out she's done the casting (nasty little bugger, making us work out butts off and then telling us it's all done), so nothing we can do will get us a better part . She also said she's still not going to tell us the casting because "everytime she looks at the casting she sees another mistake".

We're doing three ballets: a completely classical one, in which I hope to get maybe...oh...no performances in (we do seven altogether - that is, each one is all three), maybe one or two. A contempory piece, in which I should get maybe *crosses fingers* four or five performances, and a character/classical Gilbert and Sullivan ballet that I'm hoping for maybe four or five performances in. Jolly exshiting and what not, I mush shay!

If I was the praying type, tonight it'd go something like this:
In ballet 1#, please grant *** and ^^^ the soloist girl parts every night, and please may &&& break a couple of vital parts.
In ballet 2#, please may @@@ break some vital parts, and also &&& have a minor illness (damn, she won't be looking good)
In ballet 3#, please may %%% have (this part) most nights, and...well, I've already dealt with &&&.

What do you think he/she/it would think of that?

GP

My initial reaction is that gods that traffic in that kind of action are often none too bright. So you will need to be specific. The vital parts to be broken will need to be named (latin terms are acceptable) and the minor illness requires a full definition and the duration for which it should last. Failing this I would still be prepared to fall back to the curry (so to speak).

So this dance effort runs for seven nights, with three pieces performed as part of each programme. The roles change around, so one night you could be lead in the ballet, roll around on the floor a lot in the contemporary piece and then play the old sailor with the dodgy hip in the G&S. Another night it could all be different?

About a fortnight (or three weeks) ago I went to see Medusa (part of Made to Move). I took out the tickets from my wallet this morning so I can remember no more about it. It was really good. Of the other two people who were with me, one, a PR consultant, didn't like it. The other, a music student, thought it was really good. If you have seen it (or are going to see it) I would be interested in your opinion.

PT

Not seven nights, because there are two performances on some days. Lead role? hadn't heard about that!

Well. Looks like I should have prayed earlier. She put up the cast lists and at first it looked as though my guesses were right on target, but then..."GP, you're going to be really disappointed, but I made a mistake, I meant to write %%% (or sumun)" Well. That sucks.

Ah weeeel. I'll live

GP

Time enough for philosophy when you are sixty. Got any other gigs planned? I am (likely) to be going to an electronic music thing at the Enigma Bar - it is a totally female lineup advertised last night on "Music for the Majority" on 3D radio last night.

Failing that, an early night. The person with whom I would have gone has 2 essays due plus some teaching prac write-ups to complete. If both essays aren't done I might be mean and tell her that she can't go out until they are BOTH done. They were both due some time ago and the extension expires tomorrow.

Ahh, the burdens of responsibility, the loneliness of command...

PT

::chuckles at PT's lordliness::
::Checks out these little squares for size::
::decides she likes them::

It's not too bad, actually. I love the parts I have, and there's always next year.

The tech crew's ing awful, though.

GP

How big are the squares?

One of the essays got handed in yesterday (so much for deadlines...) and the other one is on the way. The teaching prac write ups are happening. Tonight though is two concerts of new music (written for tonight). One is by undergrads (goes for an hour) and the other is a special thing put together by the composition teaching staff at the version of the VCA. I am looking forward to both and the second one is booked for a direct broadcast on ABC radio (I presume Classic FM).

I finish my current contract on Friday and it will take a few days before I get myself back online. If I don't hear from your before then, I hope the dance thing goes well.

PT