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 |   Nothing official here; just come chill! |
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Welcome! ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Welcome to my little Den! Here you'll find all sorts of things- mostly blog challenges, but mixed in, you'll notice:  I'm a bit of a fangirl  My life is very busy I enjoy using emoticons  I don't tend to swear, but stuff happens. |
| Well, now that I know we're spending half a day doing wine-tasting, I think I'll take that time to look through the other parts of the museum I didn't get to see yesterday. (I have a slight alcoholic allergy, I believe) I'm definitely not a fan of these hostels. Wouldn't trust any of my stuff in there- gonna make sure I double/triple lock/check EVERYTHING I leave in the room and bring my passport with me everywhere! If I have time after looking through the museum from the day before, I'll pop by the shopping center to see if there's any fun souvenirs I can buy to remind me of this time.  I'm not much on nightlife, but I'll definitely check out the bottom places- just for the experience- and hey, I'm old enough here, so why not?  |
I love hop-on-hop-off tours! I haven't been on one yet, but they sound so fun.  There's one around Melbourne I have yet to try. I've got discount cards for it, so I really should use it.44 stops sounds pretty cool- I'd get a 2 day pass so I don't feel rushed to see all the sights. 22 a day- that's 1 per hour, with 2 hours of sleep. And knowing me, I would be able to spend an hour (or more) at some stops, just looking around, taking in the surroundings, and probably wandering off to a nearby street to see what's there.  Will I have time for the museum? I have no clue. I mentioned I like museums, yeah? I could spend forever in those, too. Soo I may have to skip the museum and do the tour, or do the museum and only part of the tour. But, realistically, I doubt the tour operates 22/24 hours every day. As for the dancing, I am so in. Been practicing my moves (no lie) and still attempting those aerial cartwheels- in the gym and in the tutorial room. Tutorial room has beanbags and gym has those foam puzzle pieces. I think I'll try to practice at least once a week.  Still very afraid of falling and cracking open my head. Flamenco must be much safer though, no fancy cartwheeling/leaping/jumping tricks involved, yeah?  |
| Well, day 2 of Europe, and we're in Madrid. I'm in Melbourne. And Day 2's itinerary is looking suspiciously similar to the Welcome Week activities in Melbourne- city tour, tapas, and a museum! All we need is some Salsa dancing. Good thing I like museums- guided tours are even better 'cause you get to learn more about what goes on behind the painting- the what/why/how. At least, that's what we got at the Queen Vic Gallery. Once more, not clicking the link.  Oooh, segway! I've wanted one ever since Mall Cop came out. They're pretty cool. I'm assuming if I can ride a hoverboard (which I can!), I can ride a segway, no problem? The only difference would be the added handle.As for the tapas, I'll skip the alcohol (as per usual) and just stick with soft drink with paella and cheese. Yummy! ***** Side note about "soft drink": apparently that's what they call "soda" in Australia. If you're in a club/bar/whatever, they'll give you soda water if you ask for soda.  I finally figured that out when I was at Queen Vic Market a week-ish ago, when I successfully ordered myself a Solo soft drink. |
So according to Lyn's a Witchy Woman  "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS"  is heading to Europe for August. Considering I'm also studying abroad in Australia and keeping in touch with friends and family from the US, I'm spread pretty thin. I mean, 3 continents all at once? geez. Anyways, hostels: My sister's WSS teacher (Writing/Study Skills) in 6th grade had an entertaining story warning her students against staying in those- apparently, it's just one step up from staying in a cardboard box. "Hotel, Motel, Hostel, Cardboard Box" was her order if I remember correctly. I've been lucky enough to not need to stay in a hostel before... I know it's essentially a giant bedroom with a bunch of beds for people to live in for however long they need- and it's cheap. A bunch of students did that before Welcome Week if they arrived in Australia before the week actually started and didn't already have accommodation. I'm not clicking the link because I'm in my apartment with the limited (15gb) internet about which I keep whinging... I clicked it before (not in my apartment, probably at school!) and I remember it was rather picture-heavy, which equates to lots of data usage. Speaking of data usage, Grok (the online system we use to learn code) also seems to be a data chomper because it automatically refreshes/saves itself every so often.  And no, I can't turn that off. |
| So I guess I have a (grudging) new respect for the dude. he can rap incredibly fast- live- and he's not the type to sugar-coat things. After the concert, Mom and I were discussing (once more) how she was the one who wanted me to go with her, when typically it would be the other way around. I mentioned to her the two main reasons I wasn't a huge fan of Pitbull- the cussing and all the little not-so-subtle innuendos, the reason why my two favorite songs he performed were "On the Floor" and "Feel this Moment", collabs with other people. Her response was, "I don't go to the concert for the cussing or the references, I go for the music!" I sent that to shadowfanglerz because we were discussing Mom and Pitbull last night, and how the two are a very unlikely pairing. P.S. There are actually articles and threads on what to wear to a Pitbull concert. Look on Buzzfeed for their "What happens at a Pitbull Concert" article. Very, VERY entertaining. |
| I really wonder why a Canadian show is casting in the US. But then again, if So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation can have a Canadian dancer on it, why not? This audition is even crazier than the first one I attended: Dancers ranging from pre-teens to teens are all here, waiting to dance for their once in a lifetime opportunity. When it's finally my turn, I'm brought into an interview room with Logan Fabbro and Brittany Raymond on the panel. I grin; Amanda and Riley are two of my favorite characters. Smiling and being friendly shouldn't be an issue here. They're around my age, which should make things easier. "Hi, what's your name?" One of the adult panelists ask. "Anna Nicole Johnson. I'm seventeen." I extend my hand to shake everyone's hand on the panel. "Nice to meet you, Anna. My name is Heather, and I'm running the auditions today. I've brought along Brittany and Logan today to see how well you can get along with the cast members. Chemistry is extremely important on our show. And the other two ladies over there are Bethany and Joanna. We'll be your interview panel today." They shuffle through some papers until they find my resume and headshot. "Anna, you haven't been dancing very long, have you?" Brittany is looking at my resume and frowning. "No, I just started this year, but I'm an extremely fast learner. I've been accepted into my studio's invitation-only ballet team, and I'm also teaching the baby ballet class. Usually I have my mentor present to co-teach, but she's recently let me teach by myself while she oversees." Brittany nods, "Hey, I taught baby ballet, too! Not just in the show, but in real life." "Oh, that's really cool! I love teaching kids the art of dancing, and when they start to appreciate it, it's so nice." "Right?" Logan replies, "I mean, without a song or dance, what are we?" "Yeah, we'd probably be a bit bored. Or we'd find another way to dance, that's not called dance. I mean, it is just a name." I point out. "Like how red might not really be red, right?" Brittany asks. "I took a philosophy class for fun and we discussed that. It's pretty interesting." "Exactly! And that's neat that you took a philosophy class. If you get a good teacher, the subject can be fascinating." "I know, right? My teacher was awesome. He-" "Back to the interview, girls," Bethany interrupts, "So Anna, you're about to enter your senior year of high school. That's a busy time for you. How will you make it work with our filming?" "Actually, senior year won't be as bad as junior year, because the first semester is all about college apps, and the second semester is all about graduating, while in junior year, both semesters are all about college prep, AP tests, grades, and extracurriculars." "That's pretty true," Logan laughs, "Junior year is horrible!" "And I juggled two part-time jobs with SAT classes, dance, and extracurriculars this past year, on top of school," I mention. Brittany and Joanna look horrified. "Sweetie, how on earth did you manage that?!" Joanna exclaims. "I micro-managed myself. Scheduling and time-management is everything." "Did you have a life?" Logan asks. "I had dance?" Everyone laughs. "Touché, Ms. Johnson," Bethany replies. "So what would life be like for you next year, if you got the job?" "It would be amazing," I reply. "Depending on how long you want me and when you film, I would have a new extracurricular, and I live for the challenge of scheduling myself so I still keep up with school." Everyone looks at each other and nods. "Well, Ms. Anna," Heather stands up, "It was a pleasure to meet you, and we look forward to working with you in the very near future." Everyone else nods in agreement. "You're one heck of a candidate, Anna," Logan remarks. "Wait, you mean, I got the part?" "Yes, you did. Congratulations." Bethany smiles. I'm stunned. "Thank you, all, so, so much. I promise you won't regret this." "I don't think we will, Anna." Brittany laughs, "You're pretty cool." I run out, giddy with excitement. I can't wait to tell Ms. Nancy and Ms. Elena! |
| "Hey, Ms. Nancy!" She's my modern teacher, and also at the front desk for the shift before mine on Saturdays. "Hey, Anna! Nice to see you again. You still coming to class, right?" "Of course. Nothing's gonna stop me from dancing, unless it's an extreme case of sickness or punishment," I joke. "Great, I'll see you then! And I've posted the latest open call audition list on the bulletin board- take a look and see if any of them catch your interest." "Thanks so much!" I hug her. "I'll definitely take a look!" "There's a few interesting ones I think you might like," she winks. "Hmm, Christopher Rice, Nia Sioux, Pentatonix, music video backup dancer..." I scan the list and gasp, "The Next Step. NO. WAY." If I got a role on The Next Step, it could mean big things. Thankfully, I'm well-versed in modern, contemporary, and lyrical, as well as the more traditional tap, ballet, and jazz genres. I love hip hop but I know I fail at any attempts to pop and lock, which is my biggest weakness. I take a picture of the list, making sure to star the one about The Next Step. Sure, it's a small show in Canada, but they show it on CBBC, so at least Britain would have access, too. I just hope they're willing to take a chance on me. I feel like I only need one chance to show what I can bring. If you put me to the test, if you let me try, I'll do my best, and I'm a fast learner. This could be my big break. |
| Mom's door is closed when I walk past, so I decide to leave her be and just write a note instead. I don't even know what the right thing is anymore. Should I want to? I'm not sure I know how.to do the "right" thing anymore. I just scribble, "Out. Back by 10 pm. Don't wait up."  AnnaI don't have a strategy anymore, besides avoidance. I grab my purse and head out to meet Ms. Elena. **** I slump into Ms. Elena's car, and we sit in silence for a few seconds before she asks, "so, what now?" "I'm so confused, Ms. Elena. I want to please her so badly but she's not exactly being receptive of my attempts. I feel like the only way I'll ever make her happy is if I quit dancing, but that would make me miserable. And I know that sounds a bit selfish, but I don't want that. I don't want to break just to make her happy." "My other theory here, Anna, is that your mom sees you're growing up, and she just isn't dealing with it very well. Every mother wants what's best for her child, even if it's not what the child wants. I mean, she wants you to go to college. It's not a completely unreasonable request- it's not like you live in the middle of nowhere in Texas or Arizona, where some girls get pregnant by 17 and then drop out of school. You're an extremely bright girl, and I have full faith that you'll do extremely well in whatever you choose to do, be it computer coding, dance, or science." I manage out a laugh. "I'm not sure that's completely comforting, Ms. Elena." "Okay, okay. Well, why don't you lay low at home for a while. If you don't have to dance, don't. I'll give you some extended work hours and you can use those to rehearse and practice. As for transportation, I'm sure some of the other local teachers would be quite willing to pick you up or carpool with you." Sometimes, I wonder if I was switched at birth. "Thanks, Ms. Elena. I really appreciate that." "Okay, then, why don't we go get some dinner?" |
| I called Ms. Elena and told her what happened. "I don't know what to do anymore," I sobbed. "I'm not sure what your situation is, but you'd better make amends with your Mom before you leave," Ms. Elena advised. "I tried. I didn't pick another fight with Mom even though it sounded like she wanted to. I apologized to her like you suggested and told her how I felt. And then she turned her back on me and went to read!" I already held back my tears after Mom left, but as soon as she went away, I couldn't help but cry. Ms. Elena sighed. "You need to get out of that environment. It's wreaking havoc on your spirit. I've never heard you break down like that- you're such a strong girl." "I have nowhere to go except the studio, and at this point, I'm not sure that's a great idea. I still don't have car access either," I mention bitterly. "Well, if you can, talk to your mom and tell her you're going out. You don't have to mention where unless she asks you. I'll meet you in ten minutes at the city hall parking lot and you can tell me more about what happened, okay? I don't condone lying to your mother, but if she's really being stubborn like that, I'm not sure there are many other options." "Thank you so much." I'm thankful for all the chances Ms. Elena gives me, even if I'm a train wreck, like now. |
| "You brought me up for this." Mom's voice is flat- unemotional. I look at her in the eye, "Yes." She shakes her head, "You really know how to push your limits, don't you? I'm not interested in your dancing. Do you know how hard it is to get a decent paying job without a college education? Even if you become a dance teacher-god forbid you do- you'd need a master's degree in dance or at least teaching. Just knowing how to dance isn't good enough," she lectures. "Mom, I work all night, I work all day, to do the things you tell me to do. And you're giving me more and more responsibilities by the day. I don't mind that you do, but at the same time, it's like you think I don't have enough work on my hands already." "That's too bad. I was beginning to think your head finally cleared up and you weren't going to pursue dance anymore. Looks like I was wrong. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some reading to do." I watch her leave the attic without another word. At this point, I think our relationship has hit rock bottom. And it's an argument over dancing. |
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