Newsies Anniversary Year Two

I saw Newsies on Broadway exactly two years ago. The flame hasn't burned out.

Unnecessary Noises

When I log into my laptop, it makes a little sound to, I guess, acknowledge that I'm logging in.

I don't like it.

Cause when I'm logging in in class or in the morning while my roommate is still asleep (right now) and I forget to put the laptop on mute, it makes the sound and ugh.

Immature Either Way

Adults making jokes referencing sex displays the same immaturity as children making jokes referencing poop.


Though I'd rather not laugh about them, there are certain jokes that reference sex that are, admittedly, witty and well thought-out. However, the bulk of jokes referencing sex are initiated by the train of thought, "I can make this vaguely about sex and then it will be funny!"

It's not funny. The word "sex" is not a free ticket to humor. So don't roll your eyes at children who make a joke implying "you just pooped!" if you make jokes implying "you must have just had sex" (or something of the sort).

It's tactless, thoughtless, and straight up cheap and ineffective humor.

Cookies and Stuff

I'm just gonna put this here

http://thealmondeater.com/2015/07/no-bake-superfood-breakfast-cookies/

http://apple-of-my-eye.com/2014/10/17/baked-chocolate-chip-cookie-oatmeal/

Don't Joke About It

Don't joke about my race. Don't joke about my inclinations with theatre. I wish I could think of a third one just for rhetoric purposes, but I can't think of one. These are the two that I come into contact with far too many times.

Don't joke about these things, because I get that you're kidding, but I'm not.

Especially theatre, don't tell me that I'm wrong when I research the daylights out of a show I'm about to see, don't tell me that I'm wrong when I go to an audition I know I don't have a chance for, don't tell me I'm wrong when I look up to Broadway performers. ESPECIALLY if you aren't even cultured in the current theatre scene... and EVEN MORE ESPECIALLY if you don't know a thing about theatre. I get defensive about these things, because it's my passion, and I don't need someone's light hearted jest to imply that I'm wrong on a subject regarding my opinion on something that occupies a large majority of my efforts.

And don't joke about my race. I know I'm half Asian. But don't stereotype me. Actually, it shouldn't even make sense for me to be placed in a stereotype because I'm half, and there aren't stereotypes for half cause no one really acknowledges us. I NEVER get labeled with a white stereotype, it's always an Asian stereotype. But whatever it is, do not joke about it.

I respect race and theatre far too much to make jokes at it. And if you grind my gears about it, I WILL call you out and I WILL abruptly stop the "for fun" conversation to chew you out on it.

My boundaries are pretty far apart, there's a lot that flies, but these things do not. There are many things I can "take a joke" about, but never these things. Do not try me.

Telling Things

This past weekend I went on a retreat with the church group that I was kinda sorta half-heartedly (not even, more, like, quarter-heartedly) going to.

I don't know what I was waiting for. Maybe I was waiting for an event (like a retreat) that would connect me with more people, instead of slowly meeting everyone one by one. Maybe I was waiting to see what it was all really about. I think I was really just waiting for an invitation. And they did that, they offered me invitations to Wednesday night worships and everything, and it wasn't that I wasn't interested, it was just that I didn't really feel motivation.

And now I do. I like these people, and I like what LFC (the group) has to offer. So I've been at the campus center, like, every day this past week, cause there's always someone there.

Last night, someone even made squash and turkey chili and brought it for dinner for whoever happened to be there. Like, this happens all the time.

You know how I've said lots about not really having a desire for friends, right? And by that I mean that I don't really SEEK friendship unless it's something that is worth pursuing. So if someone can be good for me, if I can be good for someone, if we can be good for each other, then that's great. But I'm not gonna go LOOK for that and like spend time on friendships that aren't, like, (this sounds bad, but I don't mean it in a bad way) beneficial.

These people are smart, though. They're funny and kind and accepting and they're good people, and I do want them around and I do want to be around them.

I'll sit down and tell you a lot. I've done that already with most of them, I tell them a lot. It's mostly theatre related stuff. But that's just... you know, I don't mind everyone knowing that. And I feel like I'm a pretty open person, I literally do not think I have any secrets. There's not much about me that I would feel uncomfortable for a stranger to know (besides like where I live and stuff).

But with LFC, I know that I'm gonna be up and personal with them, cause that's just the kind of relationship you need with church friends. But HOW personal? HOW deep am I gonna go? And I surprised myself with this, but... I thought I was open? And now I'm realizing that maybe I'm not as open as I think. Because a LOT of the core emotions inside of me, my ambition, it's all stuff I don't talk about, due to the nature of my dream (theatre). Like, auditions, I don't talk about them. I only told one friend about that audition that I went to earlier. During the entire process of submitting and the callbacks and everything, the only people who knew were that single friend, my family, and my vocal coach. I don't talk about these things. I don't talk about my ambitions, and, if I do, it is because I have already made sure that I most likely won't be able to fail at it, it's mostly already set in stone. And that's because I don't want people to see me fail. I know that I will, but people who don't understand theatre don't get that failure is such a big part of the industry. But, regardless... if people only say the things that I get, they'd be like, "Mia always gets what she goes for, wow." And I want that. It's not really true, but, hey. I'd like that reputation. I don't want people to think I'm perfect or anything, or without failure, but it would be nice for people just to see the positive parts. Maybe I'm being dishonest. I don't think so, at least not yet.

Anyways, I'm just wondering how much I'm going to end up telling them. I don't think I want to be saying much, because they don't understand it, they're not theatre people. There's a specific type of person/friend for those things, and LFC is just not going to be that. And that's okay.

I'm Not Patient.

I think my biggest shortcoming is that I'm not patient.

I start taking dance lessons, I wanna be GOOD. As SOON as I can. I start taking vocal lesson, I wanna be GOOD. As SOON as I can.

But these things take time. And I'm having a hard time settling with that. I think that's good though, maybe I shouldn't settle with it, because I need this drive. I have to have this drive or else I won't do things.

And that's another thing. I need to have something coming up in order to feel motivated. I already said this, but after that audition, I just couldn't focus. I still haven't really gotten it back up, but just today I learned what the summer show next year will be, and I am so ready to go at this hard. I think. I mean, it's something I think I have sort of a chance for... I'm not exactly the right ethnicity, but I am not white and that's emphasized, that the cast members shouldn't really be white. Anyways, some things might go my way, some might not, I need to learn hip hop dance, and that's it. We'll see how it goes. But now I feel more of a drive. I know what I'm working towards.

But that's bad. because I am assigning too much value to these fleeting things. I need to be motivated even when I don't have an audition coming up. And I need to get out and audition more and get rejected more, so that I don't have JUST THIS ONE big audition coming up and that's like the only thing I'm in the run for, so it'll have less of an effect when/if I don't get it.

Anyways, though, that's kind of how I'm wired right now.

But I think that's the one thing I should be working towards. I think. Patience. I haven't figured out if impatience is good or bad for me yet. It sounds bad, because it sounds like it makes me keep letting myself down, falling short of my own expectations, but... I shouldn't lift myself too high, either.

Bad Pickup Lines

My friend is pretty swept off her feet by a guy, and she's telling me about the events of the night unfolding. And I'm coming up with AWFUL pickup lines she should say. Here they are. (For the record, these are just for my records.
It goes her, then me.

Her: IT'S JUST US STUDYING NOW! AAHHHAHAHHHHHAHHAHHAHAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHh!
Me: turn to him and say "can I study your face"
Her: I aam alughing so hard
Me: "I'm having a really hard time understanding science. Idk can you help me? Can you explain the physics behind your face?"
Her: MIA STOP PLZZ. I am actually attempting my chemistry homework
Me: "I didn't understand what chemistry was until i met you." SAY IT
Her: watching him stare at the screen in deep concentration is killing me I tell you
Me: wave your hand in front of his screen. "Hey. Eyes over here."
Her: MIA I Can't. I'm laughing too hard.... He's curiously looking at meteorology books
Me: say "This is how the weather works: rain falls for the ground. I fall for you." Say that.
Her: lolol he says "A BOOK ABOUT CLOUDS WHAT?"
Me: "It's funny that you're looking at that book because when I'm with you, my head is in the clouds." Now draw a head on the clouds and look at him meaningfully.
Her: At the beginning we were standing on the opposite sides of the elevator each floor we went up but by the end, we were standing right next to each other.
Me: standing at opposite sides, you should have said "...opposites attract"
Her: and we looked at maps...
Me: you shoulda said "you must be good at maps because you navigated the one to my heart"
Her: We had rubber band wars
Me: aww cute but painful. you shoulda said "ow that one hurt. but love hurts."
Her: we were breathing on each other at one point and I was like "IDK WHAT TO DO."
Me: you shoulda said... "you're breathtaking."


I like that last one the best.Stay posted.

It's Not Goodbye Though

There's this show that recently closed at my university, and all of the cast is posting closing show statuses.

Y'all. You go to the same school. You'll see each other again. Like, every day. Still.

I get that "it won't be the same because we won't have this show anymore" but come ON, you still have these people, and I promise you, it wasn't the SHOW that you'll miss (or else you won't be posting about how you're "so grateful for all these beautiful, talented, extraordinary, inspiring people"), it's the PEOPLE, who you're going to STILL HAVE AROUND YOU because you GO TO THE SAME SCHOOL AND ARE IN THE SAME DEPARTMENT.

I'm all for post-show cast-missing blues, but only if the cast is like legit splitting up because they have actual individual lives to lead.

I'm such a theatre Scrooge.

Thanks for Your Incorrect Input

I just showed someone a photo of what I imagine one of my characters from one of my plays to look like. And they said that it didn't look like my character. They told me what was wrong with it.

Excuse me?

Did you write this play or did I? Did I create this character and know her inside and out? I did. So get out with telling me this isn't what she looks like.

Adult

Every college kid on social media:

*mentions something they did that was particularly childlike* *says something about how "adult" they are*

*mentions something they did that was particularly mature* *says something about how "adult" they are*

It's some joke that being an adult is wow so new! wow so different! wow I thought I'd have it down by now but I still don't know what I'm doing! adult! adult! adult!!

Like, chill. If it even was a joke in the first place, you're running it down.

No one expects adults to know everything. And if you're 18 or older, yeah, you're an adult, it shouldn't be a surprise.

Maybe this irritates me because I don't give much to age. A fourteen year old could be more mature than a forty year old. Age doesn't really matter that much, it just all depends on who you are and what you do with it.

Also, maybe it irritates me because it's lowkey humble brag. "I'm an ADULT now look at ME!" Okay it's not a surprise you literally had 17 entire years of knowing that once you turned 18 you could start calling yourself and adult and guess what that goes for everyone so you're not special and you don't need to tell everyone about how your life is different from when you were a child.

Y'all - just stop putting so much weight on "adult" and what it means and the fact that you are one. Stop pushing a societal joke that's not even funny,

Food Alone? Food with Friends?

As I was walking to put the plates on the conveyor belt to be washed, I walked by my roommate at a table with her friend. She waved and I smiled (hands were full) but it was a little weird because I feel like I was caught doing things alone. Which I always do.

Okay, the thing is, I'm definitely more than okay doing things and going places on my own. It's just that I don't like that being alone usually generates pity, or the idea that someone who is alone is alone because they are not able to have friends or socialize.

That's not the case with me. If I wanted to, I could have lots of friends, hang out in friend's dorm rooms all day, wait for a friend to go with me to the cafeteria... but I don't have time for that. I'm really fine on my own, and I like to be by myself because I don't have to depend on anyone else and no one else has to depend on me (that gives a little bit of pressure).

So I'd rather not be seen while I'm out and about by myself just cause me being alone isn't what it looks like. I don't slow down for others. If someone wants to run with, that's cool, come along, but I'm not going to wait and I'm not going to adapt. I don't compromise, cause it's not worth it.

Really Good Food

I'm just gonna talk about lunch today. Lunch was so good.

I never eat from the cooked food line because the healthiness of that food is sketchy and unpredictable, and there's usually a line. I always get salad (lettuce, with grape tomatoes, black olives, and those black and white mushrooms - those things in clumps on the side so not ON the lettuce, and then I drizzle some ranch dressing across the lettuce, scatter some sunflower seeds, and then sprinkle black sesame seeds over the top... it's gorgeous) and sometimes soup and then sometimes a bowl of vegetables. I didn't get soup today, but there was edamame (!!) and I got a bowl of black beans, peas, and EDAMAME. Edamame is so good. It's SO good. I got so much. It's so good. I was so happy. Wow. Edamame. Wow.

That is all.

I KNOW OKAY

Someone just tried to tell me that most play have "like five" characters.

That's after I said a cast of ten is the largest I would direct. They said "ten seems like a lot" CAN YOU NOT OKAY LIKE (this person is not a theatre person btw) IT IS NOT YOU WHO HAS LOOKED AT AN INSANE AMOUNT OF PLAY HONESTLY WHO ARE YOU TO BE TELLING ME HOW MANY CHARACTERS A PLAY USUALLY HAS

I'm not stupid.

I Know.

75% of this blog is me complaining about things other people do.

I really really do not appreciate when someone tries to tell me things I already know. Like if I say, "I'm looking for a play to potentially direct" and they say "well if you ask me, I think you should choose something you really like."
Um
DUH?

Like.. okay wow I already know what I'm looking for. I'm looking for a play with 6-10 characters all aged between 16-25, not double cast, with minimal set, and with no distinct race (because I don't have the resources to properly execute a play that requires actors of specific ethnicity). And the play has to have a very distinct voice and the ability to be pitched well.

It's not even just this. It's a lot of stuff.

"I'm moving towards a double major." "Oh then you should like probably talk to the advisers sometime soon because they're really picky about letting people in." Thanks for the information, I applied and auditioned five months ago, I've been talking to the adviser since the first day of school, I'm taking 18 hours this semester (6 of them being Theatre courses required for the major) so PLEASE do not tell me how you think I should go about this.

The thing is, I won't mention something to you unless I'm basically sure I've got it set. If I say I'm working on writing a play, chances are I'm already done with it. I don't tell people about the things I'm in the middle of.

So if I mention it to you, I've got it under control. So don't tell me how to do it CAUSE CHANCES ARE, I'VE ALREADY DONE IT.