Films during the Easter 07 holidays

The film '300' was based on a graphic novel. I found that interesting as I brought a pile home from the school library to read. I haven't made much progress with them. There is an interesting one on Chinese Myths that I will use with the year 7's for Imperial China topic. Getting back to the film though, I really enjoyed it. It was a great heroic, action film.

Children of Men was a futuristic look at a bleak reality where no more children can be born. It was a really well done film and is one of the best I've seen lately. Great characters, particularly Jasper, played by Michael Caine.

I finally saw The Prestige on DVD these holidays. I have been longing to see it and will watch it again because it was great. I wanted to see it because of my long term facination with David Bowie and Tesla. It was also a good story with an interesting outcome.

I partially viewed the DVDs The Guardian and Memoirs of a Geisha I couldn't really get into 'The Guardian', even though I am a big fan of Kevin Costner usually. Andy loved it though. 'Memoirs' was ok but I kept getting interupted and only really partially saw it after restarting it three times and now I can't be bothered with it. Not meant to be!

The real dissappointment for the holidays was the Australian film Boytown. It was corny and terrible. I guess it was the subject matter of a boy band that killed it. I usually enjoy Glenn Robbins and Mick Molloy, but think this movie was pushing it a lot of the time.

Comics, Cartoons and Graphic Novels

Head Trip - Don't Ya by *shinga on deviantART

David Bowie should definately have stayed! This cartoon captures the voice of the young people I teach.
In my 'Creative Writing' student group at school last year I had a couple of highly talented young people who expressed themselves wonderfully using this form. They created wonderful drawings and turned them into stories. This year not one. The group of young people enjoyed writing, but not in this form.
I must admit I haven't taken much of an interest in this form either, so I am going to challenge myself to read a graphic novel this year and to use more comics and cartoons in my teaching. I want to ensure I don't limit my students to my own tastes.
When I was a kid I remember my dad reading the 'funnies' in the newspapers and laughing and then passing them to me to share the laughs. I often didn't find it that funny. I think I found it annoying that he found things funny at that hour of the day. I was frequently tired and cranky in the mornings. Now I get up early and don't communicate much in the mornings and progress through it much better, not having to talk for a while.
I did like political cartoons though and often laughed at those. I need to give them a go and find out more.

Holiday Reading

I was limited to taking 2 books away for my holidays. Andy works hard to keep what we take away to a minimum, which is good common sense, but a challenge for me when I read so much. I took Isabel Allende's Ines of My Soul and totally enjoyed it. It was kind of violent though in parts. I enjoyed the character Ines though and as always enjoyed the way Allende writes.
The second book I took, one that I had already started was 'The Tesla Legacy' by Robert G Barrett. I have always been interested in Tesla, since I read about him years ago in Linda Goodman's book 'Star Signs'. I am looking forward to seeing the movie 'The Prestige', David Bowie, whom I am a fan of, is playing Tesla in this film. It looks like a great film anyway and I love fantasy. Hugh Jackman is another of my favourite actors, he's an Aussie too!
Anyway getting back to the book,it was a light and easy read with lovable characters and some interesting ideas. Andy read it also and agreed it was a bit childish in parts but still enjoyable.
I finished these books in Woolongong, so set out to find some second-hand bookshops on the way home to fulfil my need to read. My first find was 'Maestro' by Peter Goldsworthy in a fabulous second-hand bookshop in Kiama, where we stayed on the first night of the trip home. My son Tom has it on his booklist so I thought that would be a good buy. I loved it. I was quite surprised by it to be honest. I have read 'Keep It Simple Stupid' and thoroughly enjoyed that, yet found this to be a very different style. It deepened my love of Baci chocolates! I intend to read all his books this year.
Maestro was a short book, so my next find was 'The Moon and Sixpence' by W. Somerset Maugham in an op shop at Bateman's Bay. It was a very hot day and we had walked the streets in a frustrated search for a second-hand bookshop. Eventually we found the op shop and I couldn't see anything that interested me and Andy recommended this book as one he had loved. I thoroughly enjoyed it. In the beginning it was a shift in concentration because the language is less contemporary, but once into the story and characters, I couldn't tear myself away. It is a real journey. This book is freely available from Project Gutenburg here,as are a number of Maugham's other novels, which I will also read this year. In fact after this experience these holidays I think I will get some ebooks one of my memory sticks to take on holidays. The problem is when you are camping it's a challenge.
My final book purchase was from the shop in Mallacoota that has lots of second hand stuff and a range of books. I found a book there called 'Briar Rose' by Jane Yolen, which was another enjoyable read, but unfortunately I consumed it too quickly and was without a book for our last night at Orbost.

All roads lead to David Bowie

In the days before the final bell went at school, I gave each class an overview of what they would be learning next year and the topics that would be covered. Many of my students really weren't interested as they could smell the holidays by that stage and the thought of next years learning wasn't a priority. So I explained to them about the RAS antenae and how it could help them to do better next year.
I did a course once that was about learning and I only vaguely remember the facilitator talking about your Reticular Activating System or RAS being like antenae and once you decided to learn something you would begin to notice it everywhere. The example that was given was when you buy a new car that you feel is rare and distinctive and then you start to see it everywhere. I have had that experience! I have also found that often when I was studying at uni, information and knowledge that I needed would seem to come to me from all different sources that I wouldn't have expected. If you are interesting in learning more about this there is an interesting discussion here.
Getting back to the topic, lately I have been seeing David Bowie everywhere. Well not in person, unfortunately, yet I rather fear that if I did he would make a song about me and it would hurt my feelings like the YouTube clip my brother sent me where he sang about a 'Chubby Little Fat Guy'. I would put it on here, except I thought it was a little sad and cruel. I have no sense of humour sometimes.
I have been reading him on blogs everywhere. Just little snippets or photos. So I think my RAS on David Bowie is in action. The wonder of it is, that I don't know why other than having been a fan for so many years. I have never been to a concert sadly. I was very close to going to one in 1983, yet it was the night before my HSC (now VCE)English exam. Why didn't I just go anyway? It would have improved my performance. I know that now!

Instead I will put this interview from Rove that was filmed about 8 months ago and shows all the things I love about him. He is healthy, interested and creative with a dry sense of humour that I love. Rove is great also. 'The two names are synonymous with sin and fun.' Enjoy!

David Bowie - im afraid of americans

nine inch nails & david bowie I'm afraid of americans I'm a fan of David Bowie. I have been for a long time. One of my students in their "Person I Admire" year 9 oral presentation, spoke about David Bowie. It was well-reseached and well delivered and she wasn't aware I was a fan. Her excellent taste paid off!