The Roaring 20s

I can't wait to see "Burlesque" with Christina Aguilera (who's got a beautiful voice, plus a fantastic haircut!!) and Cher, I'm curious about the plot and how Christina will act, I don't remember having seen her in any film yet, I think it's her first. Recently I've been more and more amazed by rétro style, by the 20s actually, I love those dresses, the music (Bessie Smith in particular) and the power of beauty and magnetism actresses of that time had. It all started when I saw "The Great Gatsby" with Robert Redford and Mia Farrow, a sad, sad story, I loved their costumes and the atmosphere...

...then I saw "Chicago", the movie version of the famous Broadway musical, with a splendid Catherine Zeta-Jones and a surprisingly good Renée Zellweger (her number "Roxie Hart" is unforgettable); finally, the 20s scene set in New Work in True Blood, when Bill is singing at the piano and Lorena is chatting with the house's owners (I'll post it below).
I think I'd love to go back to the "Roaring 20s" to see how life was - even if with the Prohibition and all it must have been an uneasy and contradictory period both for the lower and the upper classes. I don't know, maybe this could be one of my next investigation.:)
I'm so ignorant about many things... I've never loved History, but now I'm realizing that knowing the past is vital. Not just because it's important to know how things were, but it could help if I wanted to write novels or drawing costumes or make a movie which is set in the past. So, again: I need to study! and find out all that is possible to know!

I drank True Blood and I got Lost

A curious thing happened to me a few months ago and keeps happening since. I love watching series. Now I watch episode after episode, enjoying every scene in the original version, and I can't get enough! Starting from Glee, to 10 things I hate about you, The Vampire Diaries, True Blood, and recently I re-discovered Lost. At the same time, though, I'm realizing that I spend less time reading books, novels, even newspapers... and this is bad - I'm really concerned about it. It's just that images, animated images and turns of the camera, lines, soundtrack and many other features of series (as well as films) attract me more than written words, which I never thought could happen to me. I've always been a hungry reader since I was a child, always went to the library, fascinated by the millions of stories waiting for me to be read...and now I'm just a series-addicted! I "have to go back" (quoting Jack from Lost eheh) and don't forget the magic of books.

Hungry of culture!

Summer's not coming to an end yet, but I feel like it is... I don't know, maybe after my holidays in France and then - I haven't told you - those to the seaside in Italy (where I met some friends of mine from other places), the time has come of opening books, checking things about University, the courses I will attend, maybe because I can't wait for classes to begin! Of course after a month or two I will say the opposite, but for now I feel like this. :) I wanna do a lot of things, even out of university...like learning Spanish on my own, subscribing to a movie magazine, reading new books, watching new films... I'm hungry of culture! Probably I should relax now that I can, but I'm so curious! Lately I've been "creating" a personal theory about my personality: I've got some recurring "diseases". The first is that I'm envious. Of others, of others' life...and it'd be better if I stopped being so. The second is that I'm anxious. A lot!!! I think that's my biggest problem. Not only am I anxious for the duties I have to fulfil, exams and all that stuff, but also for the time, which runs inexorably, and I'm afraid I won't have the time for all the things I'd love to do...a little crazy, ah? Keep reading this blog, though, please.:)

Paris, selon nous!

Changes

I think this will be the last post before my departure to Paris. Last night I went out with some friends of mine, especially one who had been my best friend during high school...but it is not high school anymore. Some friendships stay, others go, take other directions...and it hurts. But there's always something that makes me smile. The only fact that I'm alive, that I'm feeling these feelings, makes me feel I can work it out. I'm here, writing on this blog, and I know life could surprise me, again and again and again. I just have to let it go when it feels like this, and learn to move on, even if it hurts. I don't need people who don't give a damn about me and how I feel, they're not friends. Friendship needs to be equal: if it's not, it's not friendship anymore. Wednesday morning I'll be on the plane with my boyfriend, and that's all that matters. :)

Just for tonight, darling, let's get lost

Opening my arms to Summer

Hi everyone!

Sorry, I've had some issues involving University exams and challenges with myself, and I've neglected this blog for a while (for too long, I'm afraid).

But I'm going to tell you what happened during my absence here: I've actually auditioned that day! It was strange, I was frightened and nervous, then it was my turn and I sang. Unfortunately my voice could not overcome the sound of the piano, which was so loud, and they said I didn't pass. But I was not that sad, you know, it was my personal challenge and I was taking a chance, perfectly aware that it would be a fail, but I took the courage to do it and that's what matters!

In the meantime, I had to prepare two exams: the oral English one and the Medieval History one. I decided to postpone the first on September so I could focus on Medieval History.

Now I'm free to enjoy my summer!!! Next week I'll go to France, to Paris, actually! I'll visit "the city of Love" with my boyfriend, trying to see all that I can, I'll take a lot of phorographs, some of which I'll post here when I come back. I'm so happy and I just want to relax. I guess tonight I'm going to the cinema to see "Eclipse", the latest film of the Twilight saga: have you already seen it? How was it?

Is it too soon?

I've always been certain that a stage and some music could be my own world.

Just relax

Well, today I've done my English Literature exam: I got a 24, which is pretty good! (The professor asked me to talk about Milton, Defoe, Margaret Cavendish, The Merchant of Venice and Astrophil and Stella...enough!!!) I couldn't wait to go home and relax a little bit, I was so tired and nervous...that's why I slept from 6.oo p.m until dinner!:) Now I'm here to relax a little more, trying to decide whether to start Glee's Season 2 or continuing True Blood's Season 2! Tomorrow I'll think about the audition: I'll rehearse a lot, make some physical exercise, prepare an extract from Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare. But now, now it's time to take my brain and let it sleep or stand-by while I'm watching my favourite series, which always give me some inspiration.
I want summer!!! Good night everyone!

The Power of Music!

Gotta take a risk, take a chance, make a change

I told you I was not gonna do anything about my audition because of many reasons.

Instead...I sent an email, "booked" it and

...here it comes my audition on Wednesday 23th at 11.30 a.m.!!!

I'm so excited and frightened that I think I'm not gonna do it, I don't know if my feeble heart would stand all this tension and I'm sure it'll be a miserable mess! But the important thing is: I faced my fears and I'm in now! Of course there's much to do, and pretty small time to do it, keeping in mind that this Thursday I've got the English Literatura exam, for which I'm nervous because I don't consider myself ready to do it, but I'm crossing my fingers!

Afterwards, AAAAHHH!!!!! I'll go completely crazy!!!

There's a monologue I should prepare, a song to sing, a photo good enough to be given to the "judges", my curriculum which is fearfully empty and I can't dance like people who danced all their lives! :( Oh, I forgot to tell you, the audition is not for the musical of Alice in Wonderland (in Italian), but rather for "Cats" and "Happy Days", which is sssssscary!!!!! Wish me luck!^^

My problem is

My problem is that I am afraid of taking risks. I know, I know I need to seize the moment, I'm writing and reading it everywhere, but it's hard to do it practically when you're "tired of listening to the sound of my tears"... Obviously I'm talking about the audition...I have to send an email to audition, and I'm not ready yet, I've taken some photos, but my parents don't seem to be that interested in what I long to do in my life... I know they don't feel it's a good way of living and it's hard to find a work in that field...the showbiz, especially here in Italy, is bounded by good relations with the chief or the producers and all that stuff. For me, who had never taken a dance lesson or a singing lesson, it would be hard even to try. Maybe it'll take time...maybe it's not my time now, and I've got to wait until the day I'll show myself and perfect, improve my shape as a performer... I don't know.

Teachers

In my whole scholastic career I've met fantastic people, people who have left a trace, a sign on me, in my heart and in my life. I don't know why, but I've always worshipped teachers who made me love their subject, in a way which is peculiar. It was true affection, respect and admiration.

I always thought I would have become one of them. A teacher. Their special mission, educating children, staying with them most of the time and learn by them, feel that something is happening, "a chain we'll never break" (as Cosette sings in Les Miz) is what fascinated me.

Teachers form you, they help you become what you will be when you're older, when you'll have to solve problems, when all you've studied will have be worth it. And the words they always used to say return to your mind and you miss them, you miss being a little girl with a whole, strange and fabulous world in front of you, falling in love with books and curious characters, fictional or historical, and imagining what would it be to live in their own shoes...

I think it's magic what runs between students and teachers. Unfortunately, every day I see how young people don't have respect of them, they don't give a damn about them, yes, I know school is often boring, but you could take the chance to learn something about life and what surrounds you.

I admit I might be influenced by my latest study of De Amicis' books, an Italian writer who thought education was important for future citizens of the new Italy after the Unification in 1861, but I'm sincere about this question. That's why -also thanks to my parents who always pushed me to learn, read, love, build my own culture- I am what I am today! My childhood has been characterised by school and the discovery of literature, history and many other interesting points of view and traces of humanity until now.

(Illustration by Norman Rockwell, Teacher's Birthday)

Did you miss me??

Sorry, I've been busy these days, I've had an Italian Literature exam, it went well, I got a 30 cum laude, I'm so happy about that! Anyway, now I'm preparing my English Literature exam, which is more difficult! I hope I'll manage to finish studying all the authors in time! Shakespeare, Donne, Milton...and many others!

Oh, talking about the audition... I think I won't do it, but not for discourage or anything like that, but because I want to focus on my studies at university, but in September I swear I'll attend a dancing course or a singing school! So I'll be prepared for the future! :)

Tosca Amore Disperato

"Tosca - Amore disperato", an Italian musical inspired by la Tosca, an Opera by Puccini, re-visited by Lucio Dalla. Here is the most moving song from the strange musical, her voice is so beautiful...

Amore disperato, amore mai amato...