True Blood awesomeness - Preview

I just watched the True Blood season 3 final and it blew me away. I can't say too much because it has not yet aired in Australia but just you wait.

I have read the books - so I pretty much thought I knew what was going to happen (in a round about way) but it was just epic. The only problem is that I have to wait forever for the next season to start! SUX!

But it does mean that we have months of predictions and guesses (all spoiler free of course) ahead of us.

For those of you who have not yet entered into the wonderful world of Sookie Stackhouse either on television or in print here is something to wet your appetite...



Also I'm in Paris... and well this ones for my Mum.



By the way, we walked all the way down the Champs Elysees and it was a rather busy... boulevard.


More tales from London and such coming tomorrow.

xx,

Von

My dreamboat and his petticoats...

I'm sure you are all super worried about the why's and how's of our night on the West End. Stop the presses because your wait is no more. I know this is supposed to be mum's holiday and that she can make all the decisions because I have a WHOLE year to go back and do whatever takes my fancy. But if you have ever tried to travel with my mother you might know that she is not particularly good at making decisions and especially not when under pressure. So as we waited in the line at tkts (as explained in the last updates) it was just too much for my poor old mum, there were just too many choices and the 20 minutes it took to get to the end of the line just wasn't long enough.

Ok so maybe that is not exactly how it happened... Maybe I had already looked up what all the shows where and knew exactly what was going on. But my mother does not like pressure so I was really just helping her out pre-emptively. Seeing as I knew what would be playing and I had had months to pour over the various shows and make an educated decision.

I asked myself:

What have I seen before? (Less importantly – What has mum seen before?)

How long is it playing?

What do I really want to see – Mamma Mia, Wicked, Oliver?

But in the end I made my decision based on eye candy.

Superficial, I know but as it turns out, it was well worth it.

I don't know if any of you saw a show called How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? If not, it's not really that important... but if you have seen please skip forward to the next marker.

***

I few years ago now the English (rulers of reality TV) created a television show that is basically what I have been waiting for reality TV to make for years. It consisted of 12 hopeful (both professional and unprofessional performers vying for the role of Maria in Andrew Loyld Webber's new production of The Sound of Music. It was fabulous! They sung, they danced, they wore some of the most hideous outfits on television and in the end the British public crowned Connie the winner.

Because we live in at the ass end of the earth it took about three years for the tapes to be sent (by telegram I supposed) to UKTV and it aired last year. I watched it avidly and had I been able to I might have even voted (well probably not, but I might have thought about it). And before you ask, yes I watched it with my mum, but my grandmother was a fan as well. Mum and I would rush home on a Thursday evening to catch the latest performances followed immediately by the eliminations.

I thought this couldn't possibly get any better... I was wrong.

***

The next show they chose to make was Any Dream Will Do? Which followed basically the same premise as Maria only this time they were searching for Joseph in Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and you know what that means – BOYS! The girls were pretty enough, but there was no real talent and they dressed so badly that it was impossible to find them sexy. The boys on the other hand were definitely sexy. Not all of them of course but as a rule they were much better looking then the girls.

Now if you ask my mum she will have only one name on her lips and I have to admit that he is really quite fit. Even though it is still majorly gross when you hear your mother talk about “doing” some guy that is almost the same age as you... but that's something for my therapist to deal with later on. The guy in question is of course the beautiful Lee Mead.

He may have won the competition but there was was another who stole my heart.

Mr Ben Ellis!

I can't help it he makes my knees go all weak and stuff.

He was eliminated in like the 2^nd last week! It was horrible – especially as it brought back memories of when Rob Mills was eliminated from Australian Idol.

Anyway because it took too long for Any Dream Will Do? to air in Australia the Production of Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (starring mum's honey Lee) had already finished... Unfortunately it meant that the production of Hairspray that stared none other then BEN ELLIS himself had also ended.

Sadness abounds!

But do not despair because both these boys had moved on to bigger and better things. Lee was staring in Wicked. Which was awesomely good because mum had just seen the Australian production so she wasn't that keen to see it again. Which meant that I was free to point her in the direction of Dreamboats and Petticoats the cast of which had recently been joined by a youngster by the name of Ben James-Ellis (he changed his name for some union crap I mean reason).

So the moment I saw Dreamboats and Petticoats on the list... and that the tickets were half price, there was no turning back.

Boy am I glad I didn't. The show was fantastic. It had all this great early sixties music which mum loved (I did too but not in the same nostalgic way as her).

It was as if Ben had been made for the part of smooth talking crooner, Norman (yes really Norman). I swooned the moment he walked on the stage and took the mic (especially when he ripped open his shirt – but don't tell my father). He's got a bit of pudge that makes him all the more cuter. So by the time he came out at for the encore of “Let's Twist Again” I couldn't help myself but get up and dance!

Don't freak out with embarrassment, everyone else was dancing too. It was sooo much fun.

If you want a fun easy night out... where you don't have to think but you do get to have a good time then I would suggest seeing Dreamboats and Petticoats.

That was the tale of my future lover (well one of many).

Stay tuned for more London shenanigans!

xx

Von

An Australian in London.

Ok it's official.... I love it here. I may never leave (but shhh don't tell my mum).

The first thing I have to say is that the weather has been fantastic! All those people who complain that it's cold and rainy here are wingers. I have been caught in the rain ONCE since I arrived here. Every time I think, the rain has finally caught up with us it starts to fine up again... usually just in time for us to start touristing (e.g walking and open top busing).

The first day we got here (the day I wrote my last blog) I was smashed with jetlag... But I thought I have to get out and see something. I can't just hide away in my hotel room when I have come all this way (even though that is what I desperately wanted to do).

*Travel Fact*

Sleeping Pills don't help with jetlag, they just make you more tired...

So after what was too short a nap I forced myself and my aged mother out of the hotel room and onto the street. Luckily the hotel room we booked (on "otels.com") was in a FANTASTIC location. It's the City Inn Westminster and it is literally a 3 minute walk to the Houses of Parliament (BIG BEN), Westminster Abbey and the London Eye. So even though we were out of the hotel room for about 30 mins in total we actually saw heaps and did not feel at all bad when we went right on back to the room ordered some room service and passed out for about 17 hours.

*Nerd Fact*

Nerdsicles out there might recognise this location from the Doctor and Rose's first adventure against the Autons.

By the way - I have not stopped smiling like that since I arrived here!

The good thing about many sleeps is that the next day I was fully prepared to tourist like a mad woman, which is exactly what we did.

Me and mum being a new breed of lazy tourist decided to do The Original London Sightseeing Tour (according to the website it's award winning). I know it sounds lame and as I said it is the lazy way to to tourist but it was actually fantastic! I would recommend it to anyone. It's really good in a big city like London because it's so hard to get around and if you can't read a map like me then it's difficult to navigate yourself. With this bus all you have to do is wait outside a landmark and it's bound to come around.

*Travel Fact*

The City Sightseeing tours are also great if you don't have a lot of time in a city (especially if they have a live guide) - as we learnt later in out travels.

Back to travel journalness...

The first thing we did was go into Leicester Square to pick up some cheap West End tickets. Now I am paranoid, I was so freaked out by various travel guides that I would not go near anything that wasn't the OFFICIAL tkts booth. It took a while to find it the brochure we had said it was in the clock tour building. We spent about half an hour wandering around Leicester looking up until we realised it was right in the middle! Ok lame out of towners... I was surprised we weren't mugged. Walking around with various maps looking lost. But like I said we found it.

Yeah there was a bit of a line. But we were there when it opened and it moved pretty quickly.

This ticket office opens at 10am.

*Travel Fact*

If you're going to be traveling in England then you best get used to scenes like this because the Pohms they like to queue.

The wait was well worth it though because not only did we get half price tickets to a show but they were fantastic seats. I'm talking in the stalls about 10 rows from the front. The show that we, well I say we but I really mean me, chose to see comes with a bit of a story. More on that later.

After we had procured tickets we headed of on another adventure. We decided to take advantage of the walking tour that came free with the Bus Service. We had no idea what it was but it seemed like a good idea. So off me and mum trotted towards Trafalgar Square where the tour left from.

It turns out it is a tour for the changing of the guard... only it was a non changing of the guard day. I know it's one of those things that I still really want to see but it turned out to be a good thing that it wasn't on for a few reasons. There were a total of 3 people in our tour group including me and mum and we had TWO tour guides. We got up close and personal with the changing of the horses and we got way closer to buckingham palace then you would if it was a guard changing day. So I would recommend going on a non guard changing day you'll learn more and see more and you won't been crush by the masse. Plus you'll be cooler because you knew it would be better on a non guard day.

There you go now your in the know.

We were pretty much buggered after this... and did I mention that we had forgotten to get breakfast! I would recommend that you always get breakfast when you are touristing... and maybe just in general.

*Life Fact*

Always eat breakfast... it's the most important meal of the day.

We were so hungry we got a sandwich at a small sort of deli place that might have been the front for some kind of drug pushers. But I was so hungry I didn't care. What I find strange is that the English don't eat much salad and after all that travel and bad food and not enough and too much sleep all I really wanted was a salad sandwich. What I had to settle for is an egg sandwich with lettuce and cucumber. Weird. But it was only the first day we were in the country and we didn't really have a feel for the place and where to eat and all that yet. Now we do.

*Travel Fact*

This may only be new and different for us Aussies but if you're in the UK and good place to get healthy/nice/fresh and reasonably priced food is at Pret a Manger (ready to eat).

After the weird ass sandwich we got back on the bus and headed out to the British Museum.

This Place is EPIC --------->

So epic that it wasn't the best idea to attempt to see it all in about an hour... but we were short on time and like I said we are lazy tourists. The only thing I wanted to see was the relief from the Parthenon and it was worth navigating the maze that is this museum to see it.

I will have to go back to have a closer look.

After the worlds shorted trip through history we got back onto the bus and headed out towards the tower... as in The Tower of London!

The tower is full of fun history stuff and guards and torture and mystery. It was fun and all but it wasn't my favourite part of London. I'm not a huge fan of the whole looking at weapons thing but I do like the building and for someone who loves shiny things I wasn't that impressed with the crown jewels (I've seen better). I'm glad I saw it but I don't think I'll rush back in a hurry but if I did I would go on the tour so that I could learn more about all the history and stuff.

*Travel Fact*

DON'T take picture of the crown Jewels... They don't like it and they make you figure out how to delete the photo of your stupid and difficult new camera. I'm pretty sure I'm on some kind of list now. But there were no signs saying not to take photos.

So after this debacle we caught the bus almost to our door and prepared ourself for a night on the west end. And a chance to look at one of the many possible future Mr Yvonne Popplewell's

Ok so you get it now - Hop on Hop off Tours = Good!

Check back soon for the tale of...

Love from the land of history...

Von

xoxo

Joss Whedon, Journeys and Jetlag

Ok so uber much has happened since my last post... So here's what you missed.

There was an election... but no one won.
Bob Catter for Prime Minister.
There is a Green in the the house of Reps... Way to represent Adam Brant.
Only one more episode of True Blood season 3.

AND

I was in the same room as Joss Whedon!

I know some of you are saying - who the hell is Joss Whedon and why are you so excited about breathing the same air as him... to those people I say "grrr arhg". If your still have no idea what I'm talking about I say, Google It. Otherwise all you have to know is that on Sunday 29th August at the Sydney Opera House I achieved one of my dreams.

In case you didn't know, I want to be a writer (duh). Any kind of writer would do but I guess it's no secret that there is a specific kind of writer in my mind when I say that.

One like this:



(That's Joss Whedon btw)

I want to create something so amazing that people are still in love with the characters for years after it's cancelled (and it will be cancelled like anything good).

I want to create something like this:



Yes that is "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" - only like the greatest television show ever. It was such a ground breaking show that it was the first to tell is that bad ass blonde vampires are way hotter then boring broody brunettes (See, Angel/Spike or Bill/Eric).

Anyway here are some highlights of the show.

So Joss came out on Concert Hall stage at the Opera House (I had grand seats, I could almost smell him). He talked about wonderful things but most importantly he talked about the "why".

Why did so many people come to see a writer talk?
Why do people love his shows?
And why does he continually write adolescent girls with super powers?

Apparently it comes from the dark place (but not the lady part). FEAR! Which is as a writer is like duh! I mean I'm pretty sure most writers write out of fear. But it was nice to know I am not the only crazy loner person who creates characters that are both there to rescue me and are manifestations of myself.

Writing tip - Always write from the Dark Place.

So he talked about writing for a bit - I was in such a fangirl haze that I can't really remember the details. All I know is it was awesome!

Then guess who came out to interview him - Will Anderson.

Ok so I should have guessed that after years of listening to him talk about Buffy on his Triple J radio show. It was one of my highlights of the week as I glued my ears to his hilarious but loving commentary of my favourite show. In fact the day after the last episode of Buffy aired in Australia they had a special morning panel about Buffy and Will was one of the panellist.

After we watched will fan fap himself over being able to talk to Joss Whedon there was question time by the audience. Some of the questions were worth while some were not... In fact there were two questions about the lameness of Twilight. The first one was a little bit more subtle then the second but I mean come one people GET OVER IT, your wasting valuable Joss time. Which is exactly why I didn't ask a question - I wasn't capable of making sentences at the time, it would have turned out something like "Hi, umm, arghhhhh, yeah, I love you, and umm, can I touch you?" As I will one day be working with him I thought it wouldn't be appropriate.

The day ended with Joss sort of jumping of Will Anderson and hugging him (making his and my life a little bit more complete).


Also I travelled to England!

Yes that's right... I made the long arduous Journey from the merry old land of Oz to the motherland.

The less said about the journey the better I think.

It was long... really really really long. Like really really really long. Next time I'm like "I wanna visit the other side of the world I shall think twice" it was so long.

But apart from that it was good. Not bumpy and I even got some sleep. Emirates was lovely I would recommend them and all that.

I didn't spend enough time in Dubai to talk much but the airport was bloody busy for 5am in the morning. When did the world get so many people? It was scary. But I have pretty much learnt that airports are just the same anywhere... lots of shops and bars such.

Like this:



Not all that interesting really.

I made it to London (FINALLY) and me and mum caught the fast train to London. There is free Wifi on the train - EPIC! We ended up at PADDINGTON STATION! Totally a true story.


Is that Paddington Station? Why yes, yes it is.

It's 2 am in the morning and I am starting to feel tired again. Damn jetlag. So I am outs... Check back for more soon.

xx,

Von