Thursday, May 12, 2011
quicko: avoiding bus bloopers
Key strategy for convincing someone not to sit by you on the bus: begin blowing your nose just as the new passengers are boarding. Works wonders.
quicko: utes
Kind of squashed up pick-up truck quite prevalent in Australia. Short, I'm told, for "utility." Occasionally come in fun colors.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
quicko: opposing bus bloopers
Double-edged sword: you can be in a crowd and either
A. flag down the bus and feel stupid because everyone also gets on OR
B. anticipating A, not flag down the bus and it doesn't stop because it turns out everyone was waiting for a different bus.
Also, you can get on a bus that you're sure goes to the place you want to go to with the ticket you're sure you're supposed to have only to have the driver tell you have what is lost in his accent as either the wrong "bus" or "pass" and force you to get off and wait for the next one.
A. flag down the bus and feel stupid because everyone also gets on OR
B. anticipating A, not flag down the bus and it doesn't stop because it turns out everyone was waiting for a different bus.
Also, you can get on a bus that you're sure goes to the place you want to go to with the ticket you're sure you're supposed to have only to have the driver tell you have what is lost in his accent as either the wrong "bus" or "pass" and force you to get off and wait for the next one.
Monday, May 9, 2011
quicko: australians and cable television
So last night I was casually asked, "You've blogged about Australians and cable television, right?"
"Uhh, no," I said. "What about them?"
"They don't have it," my Australian friend said.
"Really?" I asked.
"Well, some people have it, but not so many. It's not like you guys who all have it."
"I don't. My family never had cable," I said.
"But lots of you would," he said, which I had to concede was true.
And there. Now I've blogged about Australians and cable television, and I hope I never have to again.
"Uhh, no," I said. "What about them?"
"They don't have it," my Australian friend said.
"Really?" I asked.
"Well, some people have it, but not so many. It's not like you guys who all have it."
"I don't. My family never had cable," I said.
"But lots of you would," he said, which I had to concede was true.
And there. Now I've blogged about Australians and cable television, and I hope I never have to again.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
happy mothers' day!
Happy Mothers' Day, Mom!! I love you!!!
It's one of the holidays that actually is the same on the same day in both America and Australia -- though I'll always have a "mom" instead of a "mum."
review: company
Bobby. Bobby. Bobby, baby, Bobby.
Sorry, it's just that's the catchiest part of Company. If you've seen it, you'll have it in your head already and know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, well, you probably won't.
It's a good musical -- one of the most true-to-life ones I've ever seen -- but not great on the community theatre stage. It's not exactly fun, but it is a bit on the thought-provoking side. It's Stephen Sondheim, which should really just say it all. Nobody was expecting a happy ending.
Not that it's all doom and gloom. Sure, it's a bit bleak, but the songs are catchy. You Could Drive a Person Crazy, Company and Another Hundred People Just Got Off of the Train are my favorites. At least that's what I'm guessing they're called. Sorry, I didn't feel it that necessary to look up their official titles, but I think I might be right. It's been known to happen.
The Willoughby Theatre Company presented this production at Zenith Theatre in Chatswood. It was reasonably well done, though a bit scarce on the audience end of things. I'm not a musically inclined sort myself, but while the pit seemed okay, I thought some of the singers might have been a bit off key from time to time. Others, though, were really great.
And I was struck again by how normal looking Australian actors are -- though perhaps that really works better with the plot anyway. It's more real life.
Their 70s clothes were quite 70s -- a bit over the top, but I suppose that's to be expected on stage. Their American accents were surprisingly good -- not the usual Valley Girl/hick most Australians get, nor the usual lapsing back into Australian accents you tend to get on stage. One Southern drawl might have been a bit overdone, but really, I don't think there is any other way to do a Southern drawl. I certainly spare no expense when I attempt it.
The set was good -- simple, but more would have been overkill. Props were mimed perhaps a smidge more than necessary, but all in all that department was alright.
All in all the whole show was alright actually. Nothing spectacular, nothing terrible. Probably not worth the $40 they want for it, but how are you to know that before you go?
The bottom line? For me, the best part of the night was the company.
Sorry, it's just that's the catchiest part of Company. If you've seen it, you'll have it in your head already and know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, well, you probably won't.
It's a good musical -- one of the most true-to-life ones I've ever seen -- but not great on the community theatre stage. It's not exactly fun, but it is a bit on the thought-provoking side. It's Stephen Sondheim, which should really just say it all. Nobody was expecting a happy ending.
Not that it's all doom and gloom. Sure, it's a bit bleak, but the songs are catchy. You Could Drive a Person Crazy, Company and Another Hundred People Just Got Off of the Train are my favorites. At least that's what I'm guessing they're called. Sorry, I didn't feel it that necessary to look up their official titles, but I think I might be right. It's been known to happen.
The Willoughby Theatre Company presented this production at Zenith Theatre in Chatswood. It was reasonably well done, though a bit scarce on the audience end of things. I'm not a musically inclined sort myself, but while the pit seemed okay, I thought some of the singers might have been a bit off key from time to time. Others, though, were really great.
And I was struck again by how normal looking Australian actors are -- though perhaps that really works better with the plot anyway. It's more real life.
Their 70s clothes were quite 70s -- a bit over the top, but I suppose that's to be expected on stage. Their American accents were surprisingly good -- not the usual Valley Girl/hick most Australians get, nor the usual lapsing back into Australian accents you tend to get on stage. One Southern drawl might have been a bit overdone, but really, I don't think there is any other way to do a Southern drawl. I certainly spare no expense when I attempt it.
The set was good -- simple, but more would have been overkill. Props were mimed perhaps a smidge more than necessary, but all in all that department was alright.
All in all the whole show was alright actually. Nothing spectacular, nothing terrible. Probably not worth the $40 they want for it, but how are you to know that before you go?
The bottom line? For me, the best part of the night was the company.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
quicko: tortillas
This one gets me every time: Australians, unless they've studied Spanish (and even sometimes if they have), will pronounce "tortilla" at face value.
Now I am not remotely an expert on the Spanish language, but at the very least I know that "ll" is supposed to be more along the lines of a "y."
Australians, take note!
Now I am not remotely an expert on the Spanish language, but at the very least I know that "ll" is supposed to be more along the lines of a "y."
Australians, take note!
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