liaku

The weather was disgusting outside.  My umbrella (and it was not a crappy drugstore umbrella, it was actually really nice but it already had a hinge broken before today) is demolished.  It's usable if the wind's not strong (it's wicked) and if I hold down one of the sides whenever there's a light breeze or, say, a sneeze, but it was enough of a pain that I decided I'd rather take the rain.  This is significantly better than my dormmate's umbrellas.  Most now open upside-down or are simply in pieces.

I had a class scheduling disaster that may yet work out in my favor.  Basically, I got into the intro international politics class, a class I really didn't think I could get into (why the fuck do they put enrollment limits on intro classes when there's only one section?  It's a goddamn prerequisite for nearly every politics class I'm interested in!), but I somehow magically got a spot... but not before it was too late to change my biology lab section, which happens during the same time.  There are no other lab sections that I can switch into that'd fix the schedule conflict.  I went to the politics class, and it was awesome, I loved it, and I really don't want to drop it.

The solution I'm looking at is to switch into a different level of biology, the intro biology-for-majors rather than the biology-for-retards/non-majors.  It shouldn't present much of an increase in difficulty since my current bio professor is probably the single worst professor I've ever had (including the one that forgot to show up for his own review session) and I have no clue what I'm supposed to be learning, which makes learning anything quite the challenge.  Anyway, this is assuming that the bio-for-majors class has lab sections open for times when I'm available.  I'm waiting on an email back from the lab professor, but since she suggested it in the first place, I'd be annoyed if it turned out to be a dead end.  On the upside, the bio department has agreed to not bitch-slap me for being a pain in the ass with last minute changes.

I saw Corbin Bleu's debut as Usnavi tonight.  He was good.  Not better than Lin Manuel-Miranda (who was there hanging out with the audience before the show, btw), though his voice is very rich and gorgeous.  A lot of the time, he sung more than he rapped, even when he was supposed to rap, which I don't mind.  Most interestingly, in Hundreds of Stories," during a bit where Usnavi talks about his parents and them dying, he totally broke my heart.  That song's never raised anything but laughs for me, and Usnavi's bit in it was touching in a generic way, but Corbin Bleu was intense.  I never even realized how serious that string of lyrics are.  The biggest shame is how much he's out-charisma'd by the original cast, what few that remain, but that's understandable and forgivable at this point.  I swear, Robin de Jesus owns the stage in ways that few actors can ever aspire to.  I'd have a huge actor crush on him if he weren't so short.

Check this out.  Yesterday's Britain's Got Talent episode, I believe.  Or very recently.  I don't keep track.  It's a woman singing I Dreamed a Dream from Les Mis.

The video won't let me embed.  But click the link.  It's a seven minute video, and the song starts a couple minutes in if you want to skip to that.  I suggest you don't.  Watch the whole thing.  I teared up.

edit:

The food here is cheap and delicious.  Also: the fanta abroad is light and sweet.  I actually just thought that I grew over liking soda when I moved back to the states, but no.  It really tastes different abroad.

Midsummer Night's Deam was a glory to behold. I did not get any videos, though we do have an audio.Furedi Nikolett was absolutely stunning as Titania, and I don't see how Kata Janza could possible match her in the role. Kerenyi Miklos Mate (I have no clue where the accents are on valancystar's laptop) is the best Puck I've ever seen in any incarnation of the Shakespeare play on stage.  At the stage door, we only saw Dolhai Attila (who was clearly in a rush, but he stopped for this little boy that ran up to him, so we let him go) and Nemeth Attila.  cricep did not, in fact, die laughing as soon as she saw him. Instead, she turned to me and said, "I'm not laughing."  Well done, cricep, well done.  Anyhow, got his signature and I took a photo (in which both he and cricep don't look so great, though Attila much worse; as soon as I turned the camera so he could see the preview, he did the aughthat'sreallyme?? face).

Now I'm going to try to do my homework before we head out for lunch.

I am now officially on the list for potential roommates to switch into.

Now that I'd mind having a roommate again, but even so. :(  It was nice to have a lot of space to be messy in.

ETA: Currently listening to the untracked Rudolf preview audio.  The orchestra is just fucking gorgeous.  I always love VBW's orchestra, but damn.  They've outdone themselves.  Just the short prelude is hauntingly beautiful.  I wish my German were good enough to understand more than, like, one word per sentence.

I feel like every time I blog, the only thing I've got to say is how much work I have. Well, I have a lot of work, and there's a big test (exam, he calls it, but I don't think it's weighed enough to really be an exam) tomorrow in politics. This is actually a bit frustrating. Last semester, politics was the class where I breezed through with pretty much a 100%. (Okay, I lost one point, but shit, 100% sounds a lot better than 99.9%.) Now, I'm struggling for a B+. Depending on the grade I got on my most recent paper, I might be in A- range, not that I'd be there for long since this exam will surely drag me back down. Either way, I really hope I did well on that paper. I don't want to fall below a B+, and a sold A would put me comfortably into the B+ range.

Columbia app is due 3/15. Northwestern on 5/1. I need to write Barnard a cover letter with my class descriptions included over the weekend. Tomorrow, I plan on chilling at Starbucks with a good book. A real book, mind you. Reading for leisure is something I miss. I have both my favorite Discworld books with me (Night Watch and Going Postal), but I might want to re-read Watchmen in preparation for the movie. I don't have any other books with me at school, so that's pretty much it for my options.

I've been listening to the Tutanchamun OCR quite a bit lately, and I've got to admit that I really like it. I'm not sure the music's quite appropriate for the setting, but it's certainly lovely music with a good blend of different moods and composition. That's probably my biggest issue with Marie Antoinette. I know it's meant to be accurate to the era, but half the songs have the same rhythmic structure, and all the songs have the same mood, which drives me mad. Well, it drives me bored, and the boredom drives me mad. But anyway, my point is that I really want to get my hands on those two Tutanchamun DVDs circulating around.

Also, one of these days, I really need to start a friending meme over at foreignmusicals.

So, uh, given my progress on this essay thus far (and the common essay I need to finish--not necessarily perfect, but finish), I'm going to be up until 4AM or so.  Maybe I'll push to 5AM.  Given that I don't have to wake up until 11AM, that'd still get me six hours of sleep.  I can operate for a good amount of time (long enough for one class + a couple of hours anyway) with less sleep than that, so maybe 6AM or so would work too.

Actually, I'm going to admit that this essay is a lot easier than I thought it'd be.  I just can't focus on it.

And it seems like everyone loves Rebecca except me.  It's gotten to the point where I'm beginning to think I should read the book again, especially since the first time I read it was, what, when I was thirteen?  Fourteen?  Mind you, I still hate suspense in my novels, and while I could likely appreciate at least the writing more now, I don't think I'll find the characters any more interesting than I did before.  I guess once I watch the DVDs of the musical, I'll see if I feel like giving the book another shot.

So the other day, there was this sort of social gala at BC.  Dunno what it was, but a lot of old guys in suits and ties.  I was in the fancy-schmancy athletics building using one of the study rooms there for the football guys working on a project with a few classmates.  I went down the elevator to get out.

Let me just say that in the morning, I hadn't felt like getting dressed.  It was one of those freezing cold days, and Tuesday had my early class, so whatever.  In hindsight, I wish I'd gotten dressed.  Luckily, all I'd be remembered as is that Asian girl that was totally underdressed.

This guy in a suit talked to me while we waited for the elevator.  I told him I was a freshman in political science.  He brightens up at that statement, and when the other guy in a suit (with his wife, I assume) gets onto the elevator, he introduces him to me as the president of the city council.  And he was a former senator or somesuch.

And I was wearing these oversized, baggy sweatpants with PINK UNIV written on my ass.  Oh, yeah.  I rock.

In other news, here's an interesting version of Die Schatten Werden Langer that I rather like.  Der Tod does a nice poppy thing that works for a concert.  Not sure I'd like it as much in an actual staged performance (it'd be a little anachronistic), but it's still interesting.  The Rudolf, whoever the hell it is, is very good.  The ensemble is shit.

Yeah, so the name Bereczki Zoltán doesn't mean anything to you all, but for those of you that I've forced to watch the Hungarian RetJ, this guy should look pretty damn familiar.

Seriously, I might've been the only person in the world that liked most of the music 90s boy bands churned out. Naturally, I am in love with this guy. There's also a vid of him singing Billie Jean (which is one of my favorite songs of, like, all time, so). Then again, this vid was apparently from 2002 or something, so it was nearly the 90s anyway. For those of you that aren't so fond of that particular era of music, I have no clue what this song is or where it's from, but it's great.



eta: Here's Zoltan again with Billie Jean, because I think it's agreed between me and Laura that it is made of pure win.

Yeah.  I liked Ozymandias when he first showed up.  Turns out he's my favorite character.  And he doesn't die.  What were the chances?  Rather grim ending for him anyway though.  Grim ending all around in general.

Really curious who they cast for Ozy in the movie now.  Should go check.

( Romeo und Julia ramblings from 4AM. )

Visually, it was fantastic.  Stunning.  Gorgeous.  Pick any adjective or synonym, it doesn't matter, it was beautiful.  The set, choreography, blocking, costumes, everything was a feast for the eyes.

Casting was solid.  Ariel was alright, definitely had her high points.  Whatever Prince Charming's name is was alright.  Ursula was damn good though she didn't portray the character quite as evil as I would like.  Triton was also spot on.  The ensemble cast was particularly impressive.

The boy that acts Flounder, he must be around ten or twelve, has the single most beautiful voice I've ever heard.  He's outdone Drew Sarich as my favorite Broadway actor.  I thought he was about eight or so at first, but his voice is already pretty deep.  Oh, he's miscast, I'd have thought Flounder was supposed to be a cocky little brat if I hadn't seen the movie (the "guppy" comments threw me every time)--but he can sing.  He's only got one song, and its a new one I think, and it is the single best song in the show--but that's also helped by the fact that he's supported by the female ensemble, and all of them have stronger voices than Ariel.  That's not the point though.

I am in love with him.  Yeah, he's around half my age, but I am in love with him nonetheless.  It's the first time I've bothered keeping the Playbill--well, I didn't even bother keeping the whole thing.  Just ripped out the page with the cast list on it.

I also set a new record--I used the bathroom five times in that theatre.  Once about half an hour before the show, before the seats were open.  Another time about five minutes before the show began.  A third about ten minutes into the show (between songs, mind you, I nearly missed Ursula's intro!).  A fourth during intermission.  A fifth after the show.  I have a bladder the size of a peanut, I tell you.

Seeing Young Frankenstein this coming Sunday.  Hoping it'll be good.