Categories
Academic

#016: Thoughts on school things

Currently listening to: “What Became Of The Likely Lads” – The Libertines

(whaaa, Mary’s actually blogging about school-related things?!?!?!? I KNOW!)

After actually getting back my first Arts One essay today, I’ve realized that 1. everyone has been entirely serious when they advise us not to take the abysmal first grade too personally, 2. the barrage of essays really will not end (my current one on Medea can just go drown itself in the Styx), and 3. this is after all, university, and I oughtn’t expect the work or grades to be like high school (where any slip-shod piece of rubbish writing passed for proper work).

Aussi, je me sens vraiment très déçu car j’ai fait tant d’erreurs stupides pendant l’examen de mi-semestre. Après avoir regardé l’examen corrigé, sérieusement, j’aurais pu faire mieux. La prochaine fois! Une autre examen avec un note comme ça? Jamais!

On the up-side, Thanksgiving long weekend!

Categories
Miscellaneous

#015: Hannah Fury’s Oz cycle

Currently listening to: “It Was Her House That Killed Nessarose” – Hannah Fury

Before the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical (and rabid Idina Menzel/Kerry Ellis/Shoshana Bean fangirls), there was the Oz cycle written by Hannah Fury. Written around 1999 – 2000, it remains relatively unknown; I stumbled upon it completely by accident yesterday while digging around last.fm for more quirky music. Based on Gregory Maguire’s Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, the Oz cycle comprises five songs (which you can find on YouTube):
I. Let It Show
II. I Can’t Let You In
III. All Is Not Well
IV. And Your Little Dog Too
V. It Was Her House That Killed Nessarose [right-click, “save file as” to download]

A quick summary: Wicked re-tells the classic tale of The Wizard of Oz from the perspective of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. This deconstructed political fable is a thought-provoking romp on good, evil and perspective. Class differences are highlighted; prejudice is brought into question. The oppressed animals of Oz are metaphors for the human condition. Elphaba and Glinda illustrate how history is written by the victors. Wicked is smart, biting, and yes, as such tales usually are, frequently quite depressing.

If you’re a die-hard fan of the book (or the musical), you would definitely want to check this out. As much as I absolutely adore the Stephen Schwartz musical adaptation, there’s something else here. Remaining much truer to the book than the musical, the Oz cycle is haunting, delicate and memorable. A little like Elphaba, really, as the sensation of being trapped in a neverending personal struggle is aptly captured. It is chilling, it is heart-wrenching, and it is beautiful. The piano accompaniment of the Oz cycle really does it for me – as much as For Good from the musical reduces me to a wibbling mess.

This is fantastic. I’m going to to read the book again now while listening to this – taking it to new dimensions – so ta for now!

Categories
Academic

#014: And so…

Currently listening to: “My Alcoholic Friends” – The Dresden Dolls

…let Round Two of the Arts One essay-writing begin.
I will keep you posted on the progress of this doubtlessly scintillating activity.

In other news, I have figured out how to play Viva la Vida on the guitar.

Life is good…
except someone has stolen my Green Party lawn sign!

hey, it’s October!

Categories
Miscellaneous

#013: Earl Grey would be rolling in his grave.

Currently listening to: “Viva la Vida” – Coldplay

Today was a bad day for Earl Grey tea.

Having run out of aforementioned tea at home, I stumbled into Ike’s Cafe in Irving before my Arts One seminar in search for tea. It’s hard to describe how disappointed I was. The tea was digustingly weak, with the consistency, and quite possibly, the taste of (as they say in GB) gnat’s piss; adding sugar and milk merely turned it into a watered-down mess of vaguely milky-flavoured sugar water. Not pleasant in the least.

Event two for Earl Grey epic failure happened at work. Since I do not consider the product of Disappointment Numero Uno a proper cup of tea, I decided to get some at Starbucks during work. It’s always been quite satisfactory, and you know, a relatively good cup of tea (all things considered). Today, it was sorely lacking- repeat above, except with added vanilla powder. I still don’t know where it all went wrong.

I really must get to the Superstore tomorrow and stock up on some delightful Tetley tea.

—

In other completely unrelated news, a friend from Regina is coming to visit this weekend, and I am so terrifically excited!

Also, I’ve just found a song called “Je Reste Ghetto”, so I’ll be off to check that out.

Categories
Miscellaneous

#012: The History Boys @ Granville Island Stage

Currently listening to: “Falling Slowly” – Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová


[Best Play, 2006 Tony Awards]

On Friday night, I watched the Arts Club Theatre’s production of Alan Bennett’s Tony Award-winning play, The History Boys. A brilliant and irreverent romp in “anarchy, sex and education”, the story outlines the path of eight British schoolboys as they strive on in their pursuit of getting into Oxford and Cambridge. Taking lessons from Hector, an old, eccentric Literature teacher, and Tom Irwin, a young maverick, they learn to see the world from a different perspective, while turning life on its head and questioning. Questioning preconceived notions, twisting propositions on their heads, challenging suppositions, debating. Daring to speak out and discover themselves. (Or in the words of Rent, “going against the grain/going insane/going mad”.) But that aside, most importantly, a story of the importance of freedom in education – an acknowledgment of the fact that knowledge is ever-growing and ever-changing and nobody ought to be stuffed into little closeted boxes.

There is just so much in this play that tosses you into a rabid intellectual rollercoaster ride. And it is positively delightful. Debate on the Holocaust. Debate on word usage- “put into proportion” vs “put into context”, “racial” vs “racist”, “explained away”, etc. A fantastic scene of improvisation and snark…entirely done en français. Literary quotations abounding. Historical allusions aplenty. It’s all just brilliant. Toss that all together with lots of British sarcasm and wit, and pull it in with historical slides flashing to a marvellously thumping 80s Britpop playlist, and you’ve got one of the most amazing plays on education ever written.

…so I’m definitely watching it again.
I love the movie, but seriously, the play > the movie. Any day.

The History Boys runs at the Granville Island Stage from September 25 – October 25, 2008.

Spam prevention powered by Akismet