For me, it can range from the smell of perfectly toasted toast, a perfect cup of milk tea or to  the smell of newly printed books, to name a few. Or even a person getting my last name remotely near its correct pronunciation (which alas creates many 'versions' of my name, from the utterly humorous to the utterly dismal -__-)

"Opera is the most expensive noise known to man." - Moliere

Sorry, I just read that on the back of this audiobook of the history of opera and just found this quote hilarious...it obviously seems that Moliere wasn't a big fan of opera XDDD

OMG...I'm trying to write a huge essay AND revise WHILE having a bad cold/infection...

I seriously thought I would never ever be able to do this but since both this essay and exam is tomorrow, my mind is simply forcing my tired, aching body to work anyway. I just hope that I can hold out and that tomorrow I'll be okay and not have to miss the exam. I really don't want to imagine me passing out halfway through... =((

Thankfully though the essay is the one about opera and that makes it doesn't seem so bad since I have some opportunity to fangirl about a particular production/singer/etc.

Just holding on to the fact that after tomorrow, my term here is finally over till January 11! =))

The language which I'm best at (and might be tentatively called my mother tongue despite me not being English or American at all) is English while the second best language I'm good at is French though I seriously need to revise the latter. I know a bit of German and Italian but would love to have a go at learning Russian which is just simply awesome.

Whoa...it's looks like it's really been a while since I last posted here...been busy with a myriad of things this past week. I know that I have to change that poem of the month thing in the sidebar but I really am stumped as to what poem suits this month. I thought about putting up a Christmas poem but decided that was waaaay too sentimental (and vomit-inducing XD) to do so. Anyone have any ideas?

Anyways...moving on. I've been listening to a lot of the band Queen recently for some reason. I once heard their very famous song, Bohemian Rhapsody and didn't like it at the time. Now I've listened to it again (after seeing the hilarious Muppet version recently) and really am fond of it. The weird Scaramouche bit in the middle is just made more funny (and makes more sense) now since I kind of know the basics of opera (which is what Freddie Mercury was trying to imitate/mock). Oh and yeah, Brian May is simply a god on the guitar. It's amazing that he also has a PhD in astrophysics though. Simply awe-inspiring. Is it just me or do the 80s seem like golden age for music, not only for rock and pop but also for classical and opera? Queen, ABBA, Air Supply, Elton John, etc, etc...the list goes on plus it was a great time to see opera greats at their prime onstage with the likes of Domingo, Te Kanawa and last but not least, of course, Thomas Allen. What an experience to have lived in the 80s, I think.

Hmm....what else? Oh yes...finally got to reading books again (it seems ages since I read a book properly and to the end) and bought a copy of a book I've been keeping an eye on: Irish Peacock and Scarlet Marquess - The Real Trial of Oscar Wilde. A fascinating read and a wonderful insight into how Wilde acted and talked in real life. It also gave me an idea on how damning the evidence against Wilde was in his libel suit against Bosie's father. Had I been in his shoes, I really would have escaped abroad and avoided suing the Marquess...but Wilde was defiant...and sadly very foolish in stating his innocence since the amount of witnesses testifying against him was quite shocking. They might of course have been a whole pack of liars but seriously when you get more than 10 guys testifying against you, you're in a bit of hot water, I think. There was an amusing exchange between Wilde and the overbearing barrister, Edward Carson QC, showing Wilde's wit and eccentricity. They were talking about a letter which Wilde had sent to Bosie in which the language was a little overly intimate, shall we say, not to mention suggestive. Wilde kept on talking about how his letters and words were meant as poetry above all else and was marvelling at how beautiful they were while the barrister must have been rolling his eyes sarcastically. Carson was reading them to both him and the court and the following exchange followed (I'm reciting this from memory but the main gist of it should be more or less right):

CARSON: [having read a line from the letter] And was that a beautiful line, Mr Wilde?
WILDE: Not when you read it, Mr Carson. When I wrote it, it was a beautiful line. You read it very badly.

If you didn't know who was talking or what the situation was, I think you could have sworn that this exchange cropped up in The Importance of Being Earnest or something, lol. I must admit that Wilde had guts to say that in court.

Also got a hold of a nice copy of E.M. Forster's Howards End (a favourite book and film of mine)...I think I'll be well prepared for the holidays to brush up on my reading.

Oh, and yeah...it's definitely been decided that I won't be continuing my internship after this month. That gives me time to focus on my history courses next term, hurrah!

First, lol at the choice of title for this...since 'Sense and Sensibility' is one of my favourite novels/films.

I think it'd be tough choice between all of them but I think I'd keep my sense of hearing...my world would be awful, I think, if I weren't able to hear the voices of those I love and care for. Plus a world without listening to music and opera and the sound of Alan Rickman or Thomas Allen's voice, for example, would be unbearable!

I'm sorry but this has to be said (once again and numerous times): Alan Rickman as Snape is so DAMN COOL.

Yes, you might guess after seeing this random fangirling post that I've watched HP6 again...and you're right. Okay, okay...Snape killing Dumbledore isn't the happiest of things but you got to pity the fellow. But the scene beneath the Astronomy Tower between Harry and Snape just got me again. (And the hospital wing scene also got me laughing again...the expression on everyone's faces XDDDD and Snape going like: 'Now someone please for the love of Merlin's beard, tell me again why on earth am I in this scene?!'

I'm just waiting eagerly for the next two installments now...*crosses fingers*

Just found out that HP6 is actually already out in HK...definitely going to buy it the next time I get to a HMV or HK Records...=) Snape goodness here I come, lol.

So relieved now that I only have two more essays to write...managed to finish one earlier today and goodness was I glad to be rid of it at last! [I was so desperate for info to back up my argument about British national identity that I ended up inserting a quote from TA...so sad of me, I know) I was actually planning to at least make a start on the one due on Thursday but nah, I'm not bothered, esp. after just finishing one today. Did some sketching instead (always good since I haven't sketched in ages...) and ended up drawing TA as the Count and Ferruccio Furlanetto as Figaro from the 1991 Salzburg production (my favourite one so far): phantomphan1990.deviantart.com/art/Se-vuol-ballare-145264224 I'm pretty happy with it...TA's annoyed expression actually came from a screenshot I got from the '82 La boheme but that's more than one needed to know, lol.

HURRAH! HP6 DVD is coming out in the US on December 8th...which means that HK will be getting them soon as well!!! =D

I couldn't resist doing this after seeing this on chrisisthelawr 's journal. It's slightly naughty at times but I'm guessing that's part of the fun and making the answers more ridiculously hilarious.

( The 12 Character meme...Opera style )

Yes, I'm bored and posting a couple of icons which I made in my spare time over the past few weeks...

[01-03] AR as Severus Snape
[04-07] King George V (my favourite British king)
[08-09] The Duke of Wellington
[10-12] TA in various roles in the 70s

If anyone decides to use any of these, please credit and also please do not use any of these as icon bases.

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Grrr...I think I've spent waaaaay too much time playing games when I should be focusing on my essays instead. But after playing Call of Duty 2 and Call of Duty 4, I can definitely say one thing: Captain Price is definitely my favourite character from the series. (Oh, and yeah, having that fantastic moustache/beard of his a definite bonus.) Probably I would have to rate Agent 47 (from the Hitman series) and Captain Price as my favourite video game characters so far if I had to make a choice...

Right, that was random...what else can I post up here? Oh...right, it was the prize-giving presentation last Wednesday (and believe it or not, I actually managed to wear that 'Snape' coat of mine seeing that I didn't have and didn't want to wear a suit jacket thing on that cold evening...enserric will be so proud, lol). Expectedly, I was the only foreigner on the list (that meaning not Cantonese or Chinese) but I was surprised that Jade or Joey didn't get anything since I expected them to be the top of their classes like they were at SIS. Argh but I had to wear heels (first time since graduation last May, believe it or not!) and my god...they were nearly the end of me. They also caused a little bit of embarrassment for me when I was on my way to prepare to go onstage (by going around the hall) and I spotted Mr Wray silently giving me his congratulations. Either I was startled by seeing him or the floor was slippery and I nearly slipped in front of him, causing him to look quite concerned...-____- Fortunately though, I didn't fall over and continued to go round the hall though of course, inwardly chastising myself for looking such a fool...yes, I am such a graceful creature, I know.

The ceremony was a joke...the certificate which was awarded to us onstage wasn't actually the real one (WTF? Even SIS gave the real one onstage) and later we were asked to give in the fake one for our real one half an hour after the ceremony. *rolls eyes* The guest of honour awarded the certificates and not the vice-chancellor who was supposed to give them out as well. Gah, once again, I'm expecting too much from this university. But I did manage to take a photo with Mr Wray afterwards (he's leaving SIS after this school year and heading to Canada, btw...and so I thought it would be a good time to give him a farewell present and card last Wednesday.) My mum and I promised to see him again at the SIS fair this coming Friday so that's one thing to look forward to this week, I suppose. And damn, I still need to pick up my A-level certificates...has everyone collected them already though? I hope they aren't going to throw them away! (Idiotic thought, I know, but it's possible)

I guess I better get back to writing my essay which is due tomorrow...*sighs*

If anyone remembers studying the Bayeux Tapestry and the Battle of Hastings in Year 7 history class then this video certainly does bring history to life!

www.youtube.com/watch

I couldn't help grinning when bits of the music from 'Gladiator' AND especially 'O Fortuna' from Carmina Burana was played though XDDD

Gah...now that would be a very hard decision to make... =/

Probably I'd choose the 1990 recording of Mozart's Cosi fan tutte with Thomas Allen, Franciso Araiza, Jose van Dam, et al, conducted by Sir Neville Marriner - that is, if I really had to be forced to pick one out of my favourites. Either that or the 1984 recording of Don Giovanni also with Allen and conducted by Bernard Haitink.

But I guess I'm kind of cheating in a way since both recordings take up 3 CDs...

OMG...I must seriously have opera on the brain in order to instantly recognise a melody being played by a very quiet violin trio on Cantonese television as being none other than the lovely trio 'Soave sia il vento' from Mozart's Cosi fan tutte.

*face palm*

Now though I'm really wondering if the people who decided to use it in the program actually knew it's from an opera and not a random instrumental piece. XDDDDD

It really depends...sometimes after a really long holiday and basically I've done everything that I planned to do beforehand, I can't wait to get back to school. But nowadays when you're in the full swing of essay deadlines, work deadlines, etc...I've got to admit that I'm definitely living for the weekends when they're the only time you have some semblance of a reasonable excuse to relax without anyone pestering you.

 
There's simply too many to choose from -- but my top three are probably:

1. The infamous 'book scene' from The Remains of the Day which I know probably isn't classically categorised as a romantic film but that scene was positively mesmerising.

2. The gazebo scene from The Sound of Music, yes...I'm a real romantic softie at heart. That scene always makes a certain part of me melt no matter how many times I've watched it. And a very dashing Christopher Plummer doesn't help much either in this case!

3. The scene where Hugh Grant's Edward Ferrars finally confesses all to Emma Thompson's Elinor near the end of the film, Sense and Sensibility...his quote always sticks in my head: 'that my heart is, and always will be, yours.'

Finally got a hold of a copy of Kazuo Ishiguro's new collection of five short stories entitled Nocturnes...and the second one quite surprisingly had me laughing out loud since some of the dialogue was utterly amusing. The style is perhaps more modern than in comparison to say, Stevens' POV in The Remains of the Day but definitely signature Ishiguro even with the slightly uncharacteristic use of swearing in the dialogue.

It's been a while since Ishiguro has published a novel so hopefully this is only a little taster of what might come in the future...he's still young yet being only in his mid-fifties, after all.

Call me a romantic softie sometimes who usually scoffs at cliched/overdone/melodramatic stuff but I'm rather glad I'm able to read French otherwise I would have never understood the meaning of this wonderful and tragic line from the romantic/historical/tragic novel Arc de Triomphe:

'Sans toi...je serais morte depuis longtemps.'

(Meaning in my mangled English translation which probably doesn't do any justice to the line...'without you, I would have died a long time ago') Of course the line itself sounds cliche by itself but seeing it in context with the story, it's a tragic line even when the character who's saying this should actually be blaming the man (who is the 'hero' of the book) for her soon to be impending demise.

Funny thing is that the original book was written in German (by Erich Maria Remarque who also wrote the famous All Quiet on the Western Front [which was a great novel]) then translated into French and now I'm trying to make sense of it all by reading it in French since the only way to get it in English is to buy it off Amazon or something since the libraries here don't have it (but HKU has about FOUR copies of it in Chinese?!...you'd think they would think about getting an ENGLISH version, right?).

Hmm...passed by the HKU Anime Society stall this afternoon and I swear that I had half a mind to buy the Hetalia book/comic they had displayed on the table despite it being in CANTONESE...which everyone knows I can't write, read or speak!

Damn it, Reg. You're to blame for this XDDDD

And thank goodness that my group presentation for Belgium and the Netherlands is finally over and done with (just my luck to have to talk about the most complicated bit of their identities...their overly chaotic past and political systems!)...I just wish that my professor (yes, the one I'm doing my internship with just happened to do the same topic we did) didn't keep on referring back to me when he did his presentation afterwards, e.g. 'Oh, as Christy mentioned earlier', 'Hmm...Christy had a better map than mine' or 'Anyway, she's already mentioned this before' since people kept on looking at me and believe me, I wanted to disappear into my chair out of embarrassment.

*is quite sleepy now for some weird reason*