Shockingly enough, I'm contributing to fandom. This concept got stuck in my head, and wouldn't get out. Plot-bunny much? In any case, it's un-beta'd, and as I'm a New!Trek fan, I'm sure it's ridden with a multitude of flaws. Please, point them out! Criticism is most definitely welcome. Thanks!

 

( Fic under here... )

Hey all. Right so I've been totally absent and noncommunicative of late, but apparently I did not adequately anticipate the amount of one's life university could eat. I would like to inform you that extensive research has shown the result to be...a lot. It eats a lot. But I survived and with decent marks. They could've been better, but I feel confident that that particular area could be significantly altered with more appropriate time management....Oh god, that is not my forte. Any tips? Because it was news to me that starting a final essay at 3am was not a good idea.

In any case, these past few relaxing weeks have been spent indulging a new obsession, which I'm fairly confident is one almost everyone is partaking in - Star Trek. I LOVE IT! The movie was fantastic, and recent explorations of the original series have proved just as exhilarating! I just adore the characters. Spock, Kirk, and McCoy just make me inexpressibly happy! Spock especially. What is it about the emotionally challenged, ridiculously intelligent, overly responsible, submissive authority figures who end up victims of circumstances, but refuse to accept it that makes them so attractive? Honestly! I can't begin to describe how awesome they are. If anyone feels so inclined, and hasn't defriended me in the long absence, I'd be more than thrilled to read ANY thoughts you have on the matter! Or anything else! Let's talk!

Woah, it has been ages. It's sad that I said pretty much the same thing about two posts ago, but this time it was way worse. I guess uni has been a lot more of a time drain than I thought. Not drain, I guess, because I love it...so, time absorber? An absorbaloff? Of the best kind? Maybe?

Anyway, it really has been fantastic, and I had a fantastic Christmas holiday in ENGLAND! Yes, you may recall that several posts back I was gloating about my luck in procuring two tickets to see David Tennant in Hamlet on Dec. 26th. However, many of you are probably aware that at the beginning of December, Mr. Tennant slipped a disc in his back, and had to go in for surgery. Of course this injury fell just over the time I was to be in England, but nevertheless I was still beyond thrilled to be lucky enough to see the RSC do Hamlet in any case. But the adventure was only beginning.

If you live in England, you are likely aware that Boxing Day, while being great for shopping, is hell for travel. My aunt, who lives just outside London naturally assumed that trains would at least be operating on holiday hours. This was not the case. As far as she could discover the only trains into London were running out from Gatwick. So, at 4:30pm, we hop in the car, and drive to the airport only to discover that the automated voice on the phone had been full of lies, and only the Express was in operation.

My mum and I frantically line up for tickets, but are rather less than pleased and rather shocked to discover her card has been canceled because of suspected fraud (always ring the bank before a holiday!). Finally, we scrounge together enough cash for 2 tickets, and enter the ridiculously long queue. At this point I'm cursing everything in sight, frantically checking my watch to see if it's remotely possible we'll make it. We're in line for a good 1/2 hour before we get the go ahead to board the buses. This process itself lasts about another 30 min, as all people who've arrived fresh off the planes have to store their luggage.

We get to London at quarter to eight, which basically means we've completely missed the first half hour of the performance. The next appropriate entrance is at intermission, so my mum and I sit, rather disgruntled, in the lobby to watch the rest of the act (of which there remains at least an hour) on the monitor.

Once we get inside the actual theatre, I am dismayed to find someone in my seat. I go to the usher, and it's finally arranged that I shall swap seats with the woman, who wants the aisle so she can leave early. Fine.

The rest of the show proved to be quite possible THE best thing I have ever seen staged in my life, ever. But perhaps more later. The adventure has yet to finish at this point.

Finally, at the end of the show I decide to line up with a few die hard fans at the stage door. I adore Hamlet, and, well...drama is my...you know...anyway! My mum and I dillydally for a while, content in the knowledge that the Gatwick Express is a 24hr service. Besides, we're in no rush to get a cab as we spent all our cash on tickets earlier, and haven't a working card. I chat for a bit with several of the actors who were as charming and genial as one can possibly imagine, even though it was bitterly cold. Finally, after everyone else has filtered away, my mum and I head off in what we assume to be the general direction of Victoria station. Turns out we did know where we were going, but didn't trust our instinct, being people who more often than not follow it to the wrong conclusion. So, instead of following the roads to our determined destination we turn back early and wander around for a bit more, before discovering that a) the nail in the heel of my mum's shoe has gone through to the sole of her shoe, and was now poking very insistently at her heel, and b) we are incredibly cold, and incredibly lost. Around midnight.

After we manage to circle the block a couple more times I remember that I secreted away a 20 pound note in my wallet. We fish it out, and hail a cab, who only ends up charging us 10quid. Lovely man. We arrive at Victoria station to find it completely closed. The sign that read 24hr Gatwick Express upon our arrival now has a sign pinned up next to it saying, "Closed from 12:30am to 4:30am". We'd missed the last bus back by 5 min. After careful observation we notice that buses continue to pull into the station, dropping people off, but leaving with no one. I have, in the meantime, discovered that my card still works, and we decide to bite the bullet and get a cab to East Croyden. Sure it'll cost at least 50pounds, but we're very, very cold, and rather tired. The first two cabs don't take cards, and the third doesn't feel like driving out so far on his last fare.

After struggling to find a hotel (all filled because no one else being dropped off at the station can get anywhere), we eventually give in and phone my aunt to give her the DL. She insists on coming to pick us up, and we, very gratefully accept. We waited and waited until 2:24am when my aunt pulled up in front of the station, and beckoned us into the car. What a night!

At the time I was so distraught, but looking back on it now, it seems rather amusing. I only hope that when I return in 5yrs, David is doing another show, and I can get myself there on time.

It must be said that even without the Lovely T, Hamlet was just so, so, so fantastic. I loved every minute. The confrontation between Hamlet and Gertrude was just stunning, and Edward Bennett was marvelous. It was really interesting, I thought, that I could tell portions of blocking that had been designed specifically for/by David. His trademark freneticism was clearly evident, and it was really cool to see his body being inhabited by another person, and wonderfully too. EB played the part with a cool cynicism that was still very conscious of the humour in every situation, even as it drifted into the macabre, and I just loved this ostensibly resigned, but definitely not reconciled prince. Patrick Stewart played Claudius with a quiet malevolence that while very difficult to pinpoint, made your skin positively crawl. It was entirely magical. I can't accurately describe my love of this production, and cannot possibly say enough. I wish I could see it every day forever, and I know I would never tire of it. The passages that had been omitted had been removed so smoothly as to scarcely be missed. Oh! It was just great. It really was.

Aaaaaaaaanyway, enough for now, I suppose. I don't mean to bore anyone who may accidentally stumble on this, but anyway, I've put off hmwk for long enough.

I am suddenly facing a grave, grave conflict. Yes. Grave...

Basically, I've rediscovered my fondness for HP, and my absolute, unwavering devotion to our own R.J. Lupin. But my conflict rests in the fact that I have so many problems with, and take such exception to the seventh book that how can I possibly go back and enjoy the first 6? I mean, even if I ignore the existence of the 7th book, the series will only be incomplete. Which is the better option?

Alas! The difficulties one must face upon entering university...

(Yup, and nope. I still can't deal with the things...)

No, I've not entirely dropped off the face of the earth, but almost. I've come to the conclusion that university is a giant, socially acceptable cult. No wonder they're hot recruiting grounds for...other cults, I mean, it's practically a training camp for them. A whole bunch of people, thousands, all around the same age, with no parents, and few restrictions, living alone, running this little world complete with everything you could see in the real world. It's very strange...

All the same, I'm loving it, now that I've friends. Which is always a plus. Hopefully I'll be back here more once things have settled down and I've caught up on my readings! Wish me luck!

 You know, I must say I'm surprised that there don't appear to be ANY music videos for Superman Returns using Superman Song by Crash Test Dummies. I dunno, I just kind of assumed that'd be a natural one to pick for all it's angsty glory and the like. Huh.

In other news, I'm a little inordinately excited for the new Superman movie!!!

Your result for The Harry Potter Husband Test...

Mrs. Lupin

Take The Harry Potter Husband Test at HelloQuizzy

Besides being moderately disappointed that  none actually appeared in The Dark Knight, I will say that reviews have the same effect. Good or bad. I now fully subscribe to DT's advice. Good reviews don't make you better, and bad reviews just make you feel awful. Either way, the pressure is on... Ugh...

Also coming to the conclusion that you can't speak of things like that without sounding unbearably pretentious. SO, there'll be no more of that. I need to find a new topic! Quick!

So you know those books, eh? Like...those ones. Peter Pan! That's a great book. As is Everything is Illuminated because it's all a mess until everything is illuminated at the end. WOW!

In other news. Allergies. I'm not a fan. They just make you sneezy, and stuffy, and miserable...I'd take some med-cine if I remembered where I put it. Although, I don't think it was a huge help.

Oh! We had a GREAT adventure the other night which included British boys, and downtown...That is all. Good times. : )

Fandom is exhausting...

Or, at least we're off to one. I don't want to jinx it *knocks on wood*, but so far only good things have been said! Which is exciting! I mean, I doubt individual people are going to come up to us at the door and tell us how awful we are, but still! Even the reviews have been nice! atmountzoomer is "beguiling"  and I'm  "earnest"!!!

Ok, I'm pleased because I was so worried about this show! It's nice to be reassured, even though...nevermind. Any more of this is going to slip into pure arrogance and pretentiousness more than it already is. I'll just stop with saying that I'm very, very pleased and excited.

Ooooh...

We open Friday.

*has minor panic attack* 

I know what you're thinking (or probably not thinking at all). A meme!? You haven't done one of those in ages, and you were on such a good actual entry posting kick...What a shame...

To which I say, 'I know!' and 'I blame it all on

atmountzoomerwho forced me to do it, andladybracknellfrom who I nicked it.'

I am very, very...slightly ridiculously excited to go see Hamlet. So happy I made this icon, because I was feeling bored, but evidently not quite bored enough to be cleverly creative. Anyway, I enjoy it.

What I don't enjoy is the fact that DT and PS may not be coming out to sign autographs anymore, because it makes me sad. It's understandable, but I think the crowds and stuff were to be expected so this possibility comes as a bit of a surprise because you'd think they'd have foreseen these circumstances, and planned to go ahead in spite of everything.

Still, I know it's probably really overwhelming, even if it is expected. But you know... Still thrilled to go.

Also! I had something more - well moderately more interesting to say, but it's gone now. I left this sentence in to justify this post.

Oh, I got new jeans, which means I have clothing again! Yay!

Is it odd that I'm ridiculously nervous that Hamlet opens tomorrow? Really nervous considering I've obviously not taken part in any portion of the production in any possible way...

I'm just going to say that this nervousness is a result of transference, or something, so I don't have to focus on other upcoming things.




All the same it'd better go well. I've got knots in my stomach...please go well. 




In other news...X-Files finally opens on Friday?

 

What?

...Well...that's not what I expected...