Shrek

One year, just as the school year was finishing, and it was that last week of school where all the reports are done, there's no more work and there's nothing left to do.

We'd already packed up the tables and stacked the chairs in the corner of the classrooms and gone into the presentation space to chill for the last couple of hours before we could go home for the Summer holidays.

With nothing else to do; the teachers decided to put on a movie. That movie was Shrek.

Typecasts

For anyone not familiar with theatre terms, a typecast is short for "typical cast", as in, a typical part for an actor. A part that an actor typically plays. Every actor has a typecast, some are blatantly obvious, like the ones I mentioned on Monday, some are more subtle. But since I posted that entry on Monday about typecasts and such, I've had a lot of readers ask me what my typecast is.

The funny thing about being in a Theatre Studies class is that you do a lot of improvisation and experimentation. When you work with an amateur theatre and do three or four shows a year, it can take quite a while for a typecast to come out.

And even longer with movies. If you did a movie a year, it would take a long time for a typecast to be established, like Jennifer Lawrence for example. She's really exploded into the Hollywood scene in the last year years, and even still she doesn't have a clear typecast.

Name Games

Every time someone says anything; you have an idea in your head of what it might look like. We don't put any thought into these images, they just seem to come out of mid-air. But they're always based on a past experience.

For example; when I started writing my novel, I couldn't help but picture the protagonist waking up in my bed, in my house. Eventually I was able to change that notion by thinking up a house for him to live in, but my intuitive reaction was to put him in something that I was already familiar with.

This week I've discussed this concept with some people, specifically around names. I realised that a lot of names have very strong judgements associated with them, for me personally anyway. Some names I hear them and immediately think of a particular type of person.

Yolo

I despise that word. I actually hate how significant that word has become in today's culture. It stands for "You Only Live Once." What began as a simple excuse to do things that you might never have another chance to do has become a phenomenon that has actually changed people's world views.

Similar concepts have existed in history for hundreds of years, but the term was popularised by Canadian Rapper Drake in 2011. It soon became an internet phenomenon, especially on Twitter. People would tweet something like "Wasn't sure about going skydiving, but #yolo." It made sense, you only live once, so make the most of it and take the opportunity to skydive.

Poetry Friday - Don't Wake Me Up

I live in a world where,

Dreams come true.

But when I wake up,

My world says adieu.

In my dreams,

Everything’s right.

Everything’s good,

In the middle of night.

Memories become dreams,

And dreams become shadows.

Nights become fun,

And days become mellow.

"Where Are You Going To Go?"

Whenever I tell people that next year I'm going on a pilgrimage, they always ask me "Where are you going to go?" and the answer is always the same. I don't know. That's the point, I don't want to know. I don't want to have my entire life from birth to death planned out already for me.

If you've read my entry about freedom; you might know what I'm getting at. People often think when I tell them I want to get away from society that I want to avoid responsibilities, or that I'm scared of those responsibilities. That's not it at all.

And it's not because I don't want to get stuck in a rut and live a mediocre, mundane life. I know I could still fulfil all of society's expectations and still have a fulfilling life, the point is that I don't want to have to fulfil all of society's expectations.

Happily Ever After

All my favourite movies are either Disney sing-alongs or animated family movies at the least. I love children's stories and fairy tales for one big reason. "They all lived happily ever after." I love my happy endings. In fact; I struggle to watch movies that are sad.

Sad movies are the ones I usually only watch once and then avoid because I just find them depressing. Even if they're only a little bit sad, I couldn't imagine deliberately putting myself through a depressing experience for entertainment.

One Thing They All Had In Common

I was at World Vision's Global Leadership Conference a few years ago, and the conference opened with this fantastic video clip explaining the one thing all the great leaders in the world had in common. It showed pictures of all kinds of leaders: monarchs, dictators, ambassadors, politicians, etc.

According to the voice over in the video; all the great leaders in the world had one thing in common, one secret that made them a great leader, a secret that had been unlocked and was going to be shared with the people attending the conference.

Ghoughpteighbteau

The word Ghoti can be pronounced two ways. If you don't already know how to pronounce this unusual word; I'll give you a clue: It's not go-tee. It's not even close.

The word Ghoti has been around for at least a hundred and fifty years, and it's a brilliant way to describe the inconsistencies in the English language, specifically in spelling and pronounciation.

Ever had a teacher tell you to sound out a word to work out how to spell it? I think we all know that rarely works, and this word is an exaggeration of the problems associated with English spelling and pronunciation. 

But I won't leave you hanging any longer, I'll tell you how this infamous word is pronounced.