Public service announcement

Just in case anyone is still reading this: I've pretty much moved to LiveJournal. I'll still keep this account for reading and commenting, but new posts will most likely only appear on my LJ, tangofiction.livejournal.com.



I know some of my friends have LJ accounts too -- if you let me know where I can find you on LJ, I'll be very happy to friend you there!

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A Solo For The Living - Chapter 33

Update, finally.



Chapter 33 - Being Yourself

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A Solo For The Living - Chapter 32

32 - The Defence

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A Solo For The Living - Chapter 31

Chapter 31 - The Prodigal

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A Solo For The Living - Chapter 30

Chapter 30 - Ein Leid



And an icon to celebrate. With illegible text because I'm a hypocrite (and too lazy to make a proper texture ).

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So you think you know Russian grammar?

This monstrosity is being passed off as a lesson on prepositions on a website offering online language lessons. I don't think there is a single correct sentence in the entire lot (although some are a lot worse than others). Hilarious though -- at least until you realise someone out there is probably using it to learn Russian...



Examples:

Бегая к матери, мальчик ударил свою голову о стену -- Running to his mother, the boy hit his head against the wall.

Не слушайте его; он только думает про себе -- Don't listen to him; he only thinks about himself.

Было невозможно видеть сквозь туч -- It was impossible to see through the storm clouds.

Лётчики которых сбились около Кабула, выжили благодаря своей тренировке -- The pilots shot down near Kabul survived thanks to their training.

Наперекор своим приказам, полк удалил из города. -- In defiance of orders, the regiment retreated from the city. This one makes me think of dentists.

Судя по вашей внешности, вы спали на диване вчера вечером! -- Judging by your appearance, you slept on the couch last night!

Не борщ без сметаны! -- It isn't borshch without sour cream!

Они ждали его вне магазина -- They waited for him outside of the store

Внутри городских стен, Солдаты готовили защищать себя. -- Inside the city walls, the soldiers were preparing to defend themselves.

Президент и свои консультанты сидели вокруг стола. -- The President and his advisers sat around the table.

Что ты ешь помимо шоколада? -- What do you eat besides chocolate?

Мой дедушка подрал против немцев в Курске -- My grandfather fought against the Germans at Kursk I couldn't have made this up if I tried.

Ради Бога, остановите! -- For God's sake, stop that!

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Burning question - ballet history

Ever since I saw pictures of a 4-year old en pointe in the "Ballets Russes" documentary, I've been wondering about the First Dogma of ballet training: namely, Thou Shalt Not Dance On Pointe Until Thou Art Ready. This particularly applies to children: if the bones are not yet fully developed, the foot can become deformed.



Now, as the film demonstrates, this dogma wasn't always in place; girls often started pointe work very early. And although this particular woman was still dancing in her late 80s(!), I'm sure many others did suffer injuries and permanent deformities from being forced on pointe too early. So the question is -- what exactly are those deformities? What happens to the foot?



After an extensive search of everything from ballet forums to the scientific literature, all I could find were X-rays of injuries, mainly stress fractures in the bones of the foot and ligament tears. Students of ballet also report toes "crossing over" or not lying flat, and toenails falling off (yuck) due to severe bruising or edema.



All those are just regular sports injuries, though. I'm more interested in the actual consequences on foot development -- from a historical perspective, what would an early ballet dancer's foot look like after 15 years of pointe training? And what about early pointe shoes that were tapered and did not have a platform for the toes (which was Anna Pavlova's invention) -- how did they affect the foot?



I wish I knew.

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A Solo For the Living - Chapter 29

Ta-daa!!



The new chapter of A Solo For The Living is finally up: Chapter 29 - No Man's Land.



I've made some minor edits to the previous chapter as well, nothing important, but if you want to refresh your memory do read the latest version. Here is a direct link to avoid ff.net's delay with refreshing pages: Chapter 28 - To The Death.

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Icon fashion mini-rant

I realise it is fashionable to have icons with decorative pseudo-text (blocks of text at such a small font size that they are illegible). I realise it's supposed to be artistic.



But it's bloody annoying. Maybe I'm the only compulsive reader around, but it irritates me that I don't know what the text says. If it's a psychological experiment, I am clearly failing.



...And this concludes tonight's mini-rant.

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Housekeeping

Seems I'm too lazy to keep two diaries with identical content, so I'm not going to duplicate the posts I've made over at LJ while this site was having "issues". Anyone interested in photos of limestone caves and/or yet another lot of Phantom-related musings is welcome to check these out over at http://tangofiction.livejournal.com



And while I'm on the subject of being lazy -- my mother has found what I think would be the perfect t-shirt slogan for me.

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How NOT to write a review

I don't normally do this, but I need to vent. After weeks away from fanfic, I finally got around to checking my reviews, and found this little gem, for my story The Birds Will Cry.



"Nicely characterised, deeply thought provoking, gripping narative and a

good flowing read. I enjoyed the story, but I think this has the

potential for much more. You've created the situation, now you need the

climax and the resolution. Also, take a little more time with your word

structure and grammar. It's not nearly as bad as some I've seen, but it

would appear that I am a perfectionist when it comes to such things.

On the whole, good work. I hope you continue it."



All I can say is ... That whooshing sound? That was the entire point of the story flying over the reviewer's head. And that other whooshing sound was all my carefully considered style and narrative structure zooming past in the other direction. (The third whoosh came from the chakram that is now embedded in a nearby wall. Fortunately for this reviewer, I have bad aim. )



...But seriously. This is becoming irritatingly common on fanfiction.net. Another reviewer informed me that it's "repetitive" to use the same meter in poems -- and she was talking about a collection of ... limericks! It's as though kids feel obliged to offer "constructive criticism" (some actually apologise when they can't find anything wrong with the grammar!) Would they also write to the author of a book they liked to give them pointers on spelling? Or do they believe that anyone who posts their work on ff.net is asking for pointers?



It's not that I think my work is perfect; there is plenty of room for improvement and I'm always happy and honoured to get genuine thoughtful feedback from readers who understand what I'm trying to achieve. But the purpose of a review is not to "referee" or judge a story. It is excruciatingly bad manners, to say the least, to write in a condescending tone and to assume that aspects of the story that do not make sense to you are objectively "wrong". A review is not what your tenth grade teacher writes at the end of your tenth grade essay. A review is what you say to a peer, respecting them enough as a writer to offer suggestions and helpful comments, rather than assessment.



Undoubtedly I'm in a particularly prickly mood tonight, having spent the last month in a fever of thesis-writing and the emotional rollercoaster that goes with the experience. But the point still stands.

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T-Day

The PhD thesis is finally in. I feel like a zombie with manic depression.



I won't summarise the whole experience, but here is a pretty accurate account of my PhD candidature: The Lord Of The Rings as an allergory of a PhD.



Fortunately, because of my university policy, I will not have to face a Saruman/examiner in person, but I will still have to deal with the detailed reports of three examiners, who each make a recommendation. The options are: award the degree as is, award pending minor changes, award pending more extensive changes, revise and resubmit. The first three options are a pass, so any one of them will do. I'm not picky. Though I must say that the prospect of facing this thing again to make changes is pretty horrifying, but it's too early to think about that now.



The "limbo" stage usually takes between three and six months. The wait has started.

@музыка: total silence

@настроение: exhausted beyond belief

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Census party

A friend has come up with what may possibly be the best imaginable excuse to host a large party, ever. Pity it's right in my middle of my frantic thesis-writing.



You may or may not be aware that on the 8th of August, which is next Tuesday Australia is having a census. And everyone who is in the country on this night is required to fill out a census form wherever they happen to be on that particular night.



In celebration of this quinquennial event, we would like to host a Census Party!! And then we can impress the ABS with our wide range of inhabitants this evening. The more nationalities and religions and names we can get the better, so come along for a cosy census party. I'm pretty sure, from my research on the ABS website, that it is only where you are in the evening, and certainly not after midnight that counts. If anyone feels like having a baby at our house (before midnight) that would be fun too, then we could put it on the census form.



Anyone who speaks 3 or more languages is particularly welcome, and if you know any Zoroastrians or Druse people they also recieve a special invitation.



This is a momentus party not to be missed, going down in the records of our nation!

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Crap...

I turned on the TV today, caught a familiar name and glanced at the screen just in time to see the photo that confirmed it. A former classmate of mine has just been killed in Lebanon. He had just one month left of his service in the Israeli army.



...Our class reunion, when it comes, is going to be a happy affair...

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Marton Csokas in "Peribanez"

Why is it that I always seem to develop a social life at the most inopportune moment? Such as, for example, in the middle of thesis-writing?



Be that as it may, I'm profoundly glad that I hauled myself to the Belvoir St. Theatre's new production of Lope de Vega's 17th century play, "Peribanez" ("Peribбсez y el comendador de Ocaсa"). I knew nothing about the play, except that it stars Marton Csokas, aka Borias from "Xena" and various other characters from recent films like "Kingdom of Heaven". Little did I know that I was in for a real treat: a night of extraordinary, thought-provoking theatre.



I don't have the mental energy for a proper review, but it's an intense play, brilliantly written and staged, which somehow manages to be at once a comedy and a tragedy, with a bit of Spanish music thrown in. I loved it, and while I really enjoyed Marton's performance, I wouldn't say he was the star of the show as such -- the entire troupe were wonderful. I've never seen this company before, although it is one of Sydney's most highly respected, and this play has made me an instant fan.



Watching this translation of a 17th century text also reminded of why I prefer to see Shakespeare in translation. Same time period, but while this play breathed character and energy, most English-language productions of Shakespeare breathe ... great poetry. Here, having shaken off the restraints of archaic language, the translation gives the actors unmatched freedom to convey the nuances of characterisation and drama to the modern audience. It removes the language barrier and just lets you appreciate the play as it is meant to be appreciated -- not because it's a classic, but because it gets under your skin.

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"Beowulf & Grendel" mini-review

As my chemistry lecturer used to say:



Patience is a virtue,

Have it if you can --

Seldom found in Woman,

Never found in Man.



Patience not being my forte, I gave up my all-too-virtuous plans to wait until after I've finished my thesis to watch "Beowulf & Grendel". So, here are my impressions in a few points.



This is possibly one of the most "Xena"-like films I've ever seen -- and I loved every minute of it! It had a central moral dilemma, meditations on the cycle of violence, the conflict between belief in the old gods and the rise of monotheism, gorgeous landscapes, humour, action... In fact, the only thing that would have made it better would be, well, Xena. But in the absence of Lucy Lawless, Gerard Butler's Beowulf made a decent stab at the role of the conflicted hero.



Pros:

- The dialogue. A bizarre mixture of the epic poem with colloquial language and Viking-worthy jokes about beer and sex with sheep (...and not just sheep).

- The central dilemma and the conflicted hero: the 'cycle of violence' is a theme that is simple and folkloric, but it is also sadly modern.

- The witch as a sort of prehistoric post-teenage outcast, complete with dreadlocks and "if looks could kill" eyes.

- The troll.



Cons:

- Editing. Some really strange choices there, with scenes ending abruptly or without any obvious connection to the next scene. Not a major problem, though.

- The "love scene". Not shot terribly well, to put it mildly, but entertaining for all the wrong reasons.



Overall, it was a terrific film and I'm thoroughly glad I gave in to my impatient self and watched it. Now, I just have to stop myself from watching it again.

@настроение: tired

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Raoul gets himself tied up... again

Normally, there is something wonderful about going to the movies by yourself once in a while, it's a total-immersion experience. However, having to say "one to 'Hard Candy', please" adds a certain ... edge to it. Especially when the guy in the queue in front of you asks for a ticket, and you walk into a cinema to find that about half the audience consists of single guys. Hmmm.



Despite the lack of company and the iffy title, I actually quite enjoyed the movie. The premise is that a 14-year old girl hunts down the guy she believes to be responsible for the disappearance of her friend (or maybe not responsible, or maybe not her friend). She then proceeds to torture him, messing with his head and other pertinent body parts until the whole thing is resolved in a way that is supposed to be unexpected.



It's essentially a tame, vanilla version of a much more frightening and intelligent German film called "Devot" ("Devotion"). Like in "Devot", an attractive young photographer picks up a girl whom he believes to be underage, and takes her to his studio. From then on we are essentially treated to a classical locked-room drama with two actors alone in a surgically clean house, in a constantly-shifting scenario where we don't know who is the predator and who is the prey. So far so good. Unfortunately, unlike "Devot", "Hard Candy" just isn't written or directed terribly well. It has a weakish sсriрt and poor thriller timing, so that some scenes that would be scary fall flat because they are much too long. It has other scenes that would be tragic if only the sсriрt gave the actors more to work with. Occasionally it's amusing in ways that are entirely unintentional.



That said, the performances are excellent, notably from Ellen Page as the psycho girl. Patrick Wilson (aka Raoul from "Phantom of the Opera") is just as good, despite getting dialogue that is not as cleverly written as it should have been. The entire role screams of missed opportunities. However, he makes the most of every line, especially when it comes to what little backstory he gets, a subplot with a former girlfriend.



I have no idea what earned the film its 18+ rating, because you could happily show it to your average 14 year old without any adverse effects, and anyone younger than that probably wouldn't get it anyway. If you're looking for a mind-twisting thriller, rent "Devotion" instead, and make sure you're not alone in an empty house when you watch it. This one certainly sets up a frightening situation, but it doesn't, uhh, have the balls to go where it's leading.



So why did I enjoy it? It has a sense of tragedy about it that is very compelling, even if it doesn't quite take the story in that direction. I left with a sense of sadness rather than anxiety, which for me was a good thing. It makes you think, and not about the things you expect. Ultimately, that's pretty good value for my $8.

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The Dying Swan

Perhaps I am particularly ill-informed, but I had no idea that the famous short ballet solo, "The Dying Swan", was partly inspired by a poem by Tennyson. It's beautiful, eerie and hauting, with imagery and a halting rhythm that make the natural both beautiful and disturbing.





Anna Pavlova in Michel Fokine's "The Dying Swan", 1911

Click to read poem >>

THE DYING SWAN by Lord Alfred Tennyson.



I.

The plain was grassy, wild and bare,

Wide, wild, and open to the air,

Which had built up everywhere

An under-roof of doleful gray.

With an inner voice the river ran,

Adown it floated a dying swan,

And loudly did lament.

It was the middle of the day.

Ever the weary wind went on,

And took the reed-tops as it went.



II.

Some blue peaks in the distance rose,

And white against the cold-white sky,

Shone out their crowning snows.

One willow over the river wept,

And shook the wave as the wind did sigh;

Above in the wind was the swallow,

Chasing itself at its own wild will,

And far thro’ the marish green and still

The tangled water-courses slept,

Shot over with purple, and green, and yellow.



III.

The wild swan’s death-hymn took the soul

Of that waste place with joy

Hidden in sorrow: at first to the ear

The warble was low, and full and clear;

And floating about the under-sky,

Prevailing in weakness, the coronach stole

Sometimes afar, and sometimes anear;

But anon her awful jubilant voice,

With a music strange and manifold,

Flow’d forth on a carol free and bold;

As when a mighty people rejoice

With shawms, and with cymbals, and harps of gold,

And the tumult of their acclaim is roll’d

Thro’ the open gates of the city afar,

To the shepherd who watcheth the evening star.

And the creeping mosses and clambering weeds,

And the willow-branches hoar and dank,

And the wavy swell of the soughing reeds,

And the wave-worn horns of the echoing bank,

And the silvery marish-flowers that throng

The desolate creeks and pools among,

Were flooded over with eddying song.

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Spam

As some of you may have noticed, the increased volume of spam on this diary is making it impossible for me to continue allowing anonymous comments. I'm really sorry to do this, because I really wanted to keep this diary freely available to everyone... but it's just not feasible.



If anyone knows of any way to block spam comments, I would appreciate your advice.

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Etiquette

A highly useful, if unintentionally amusing, Manual Of Etiquette, With Hints On Politeness And Good Breeding. It's a sort of "society for dummies" handbook, which covers everything from how to bow to how to serve soup at dinner parties. Handy for anyone interested in 19th century manners.



Some amusing bits and pieces from the first half.

On heating guest rooms

It is merciless to invite friends to visit you in cold weather, without providing a fire in their bedroom or dressing-room. Neither is it courteous to wait until they arrive, and then inquire -- "Would you like a fire?"

The origin of tipping?

Visitors should always give the servants who have waited upon them some little presents, either in money or its equivalent. They have had extra work in waiting upon them, and, therefore, deserve extra compensation.

How to make a phonecall without a phone: leave the dog at home

Visits of ceremony, are those which are paid after receiving attentions at the hands of your acquaintances; after dining, or supping at a friend's house; after attending an evening party; etc.; and they should invariably be of short duration; and one should never take either children or dogs when making them. Hand your card to the servant at the door, and ask if the lady or ladies are in.

Office hours without an office

You should always call at an hour when you would expect to find ladies prepared to receive visitors, and not at lunch, or dinner-time. In most cities, regular reception days are а la mode, and are engraved upon the visiting cards, thus -- "At home Mondays, from 12 o'clock till 4." And then it is needful to call upon that day, and between the hours prescribed. Only very intimate friends would call at any other time.

How to get rid of annoying friends when you intend to travel

When you are going to be absent from your home for months, or years, you should call upon all your friends and acquaintances, or send your card, enclosed in an envelope, with the letters, T.T.L. ("to take leave") or P.P.C. ("Pour prendre congй"), written at the right hand lower corner. [...] If, previous to a long voyage, or absence, or on the occasion of your marriage, you omit to call or send a card to your friends, it is understood that the acquaintance ceases. When you return home, those to whom you have sent cards, or paid visits, will pay the first visit to you.

The author of this book indulges her hat fetish

Gentlemen should always carry their hats in their hands when paying morning or evening calls, but should not place them on the chairs or parlor table. Every well-bred man knows that a hat can be made a very graceful part of his attire, especially if he knows how to hold it.

Differences between the US and Europe: unescorted ladies in public

Ladies, in our country, are allowed considerable freedom in receiving and paying visits, and can appear, in the daytime, in all public places unattended by their brothers, husbands, or friends of either sex. They can also attend public exhibitions, libraries, etc., and appear on the promenades alone, but this is not the case either in Paris or London. If you attempt such proceedings in those cities, you may expose yourself to indignities which would annoy you sadly. But in the United States, ladies who behave with discretion, can go wherever they please without molestation; but in the evening, an escort is always desirable.

No peace for the smokers

A gentleman walking with a lady lifts his hat to every person, gentleman or lady, to whom the lady bows, as a mark of respect to her. A well-bred man will remove his cigar from his lips whenever he bows to a lady, or even if he passes a strange lady in a hotel or in the street.

Ladies second

Gentlemen always precede a lady in entering a church, concert-room, opera, or theatre, etc.; and by so doing they can more easily find a seat for the lady.

Differences between London and Paris: after-dinner entertainment for women and men

It was formerly the custom for ladies to retire after the dessert, so as to permit the gentlemen to drink deeply, and indulge in coarse jokes and conversation; but we take our table manners now from the Parisians rather than from the Londoners, and gentlemen and ladies resort to the drawing-room en compagnie.