2008 has been one of the greatest years I’ve had so far, I think! I have been involved in so much, and everything has been very rewarding. Some of my highlights were speeches, Wearable Arts, ski trip, and the Shoemaker and the Elves. This year feels like it has gone so fast, but I can’t wait for 2009 to start. Because next year I will be a year 8, so everything will be twice as busy! I’m not complaining though, everything is rewarding in the end. (By the way, I’m sorry I haven’t updated my blog in a while, I have just been so busy this term with athletics, my dance production, Christmas preparation, lip sync and magazine work).

Some of my goals next year are…

Getting a role in the school production,
hopefully achieving class councillor, then head student (or maybe house captain),
going on the Ski Trip again,
making the school magazine twice as good as this year (if that’s possible),
being a good role model to all the new year 7’s,
continuing my music lessons with the trombone,
continuing participating in school drama,
and maybe joining another cultural option like Jump Jam or dance.

Wish me luck!

You all probably know about the show I am in at our local town theatre (The Woolshed- owned by Te Awamutu Light Operatic Society- TALOS), The Shoemaker and the Elves. I wrote a post about it earlier. Well, now we are almost at the end of our season. The shows started the first Saturday of the school holidays and have been going ever since -the last one is tomorrow. The whole cast has had a lot of fun performing. There have been many jokes, from the elves chant, to the Shoemaker and the Elves after party!

The group of us has gone from nerve racking auditions, to time consuming rehearsals (two hours, three times a week for two months!), to the great shows. All of the shows have been great fun. The feeling when you step out onto the stage with all the lights on you is amazing. I am definitely going to miss the cast and backstage crew when we end. But I can’t wait to do it all again next time I’m involved with a production!

P.S: If you wanted to know, my part in the production is an elf.

The lights were starting to darken, but my feelings of excitement were starting to lighten! I was sitting in our town Woolshed theatre, and the musical ‘Blood Brothers’ was just about to start. Me, my mum, and a ‘couple’ of her work friends were all there. Mum and her friends had planned to go the week before, but I had persuaded her to let me come too, because I absolutely love drama, and going to musicals. She agreed, seeing as it was the night of my birthday anyway!

The performance started off with a choir-like song, behind an eerie clear curtain. Then the narrator appeared up in a window, and told us in his poetic, booming voice, an insight into the tale we were about to experience. The story starts with a pregnant Mrs Johnstone singing of her problems, including having 5 kids, no husband, and very little money. The woman she works for, Mrs Lyons, convinces Mrs Johnstone to give her one of the not-yet-born twins. Mrs Johnstone gives in, and they swear over the bible. Within the month, the twins are born. Even though she is doubtful, Mrs Johnstone passes on a twin to Mrs Lyons. (Eddie)

Mrs Lyons fires Mrs Johnstone, in fear that she is getting too close to her son. The two brothers, now named Mickey and Eddie, are brought up in different life styles. Mickey lives in a poor, undisciplined world with 5 siblings, while Eddie is showered with anything he desires, and is an only child. The boys end up meeting each other, and forming a special bond. They call themselves ‘Blood Brothers’, but are still unaware of their real connection. The mothers found out, and are furious at first. But kind hearted Mrs Johnstone finds it hard to not like Eddie, and grants him a special locket.
Mrs Lyons is trying to avoid the past, as the narrator keeps reminding her, and so moves away with Eddie, and her husband, up into the hills. Mrs Johnstone, without realising, follows her. The boys grow up some more, but then find each other again. Mickey’s girlfriend Linda starts to accompany them on their little adventures as they develop into young men. Meanwhile, Mrs Lyons discovers that Mrs Johnstone is living near her, and attempts to murder her, but fails and goes mad.

One day Eddie announces that he is headed to college/university. While he is gone, everything changes. Mickey and Linda become engaged, and Linda discovers that she is pregnant. Mickey gets caught up in an attempted robbery and murder with his brother Sammy, and is sentenced to 7 years in jail. He gets addicted to anti-depressant pills. Eddie then arrives back from college, and admits to Linda that he has always loved her. Linda realises that Eddie is the only person she has to turn to. Mickey finds out about them, and goes on a rampage to find Eddie. He does, and threatens to shoot him. Then Mrs Johnstone appears and begs Mickey to stop. And she finally confesses the truth about the twins’ connection. Mickey realises that Linda was all he had left, and that now she had been taken from him. He shoots Eddie, and the police shoot Mickey.

I really enjoyed this musical. My favourite character was by far the narrator. The poetic way he spoke really drew in the audience. So did the way he loomed over some particular scenes, just watching the characters talk.

I also liked the actual storyline. The overall plot isn’t very realistic, but it gets a little more so towards the end. The deliberate lack of props in some scenes left a lot of room for acting, and for imagination. For instance, instead of having a bus, there would just be a steering wheel. Or, instead of a fence, there would only be a climbing block. If this musical opens again somewhere for show, I would definitely recommend it!

Monday 12th May – day 1

I groaned as I looked ahead and saw the remaining distance that I had to lug my weirdly heavy bag and trombone case over. It was a cold and foggy Monday morning, and I wasn’t the only one complaining. I looked around me and saw other TAI students struggling with their luggage and instruments. We were packing the school trailer, and buses, with instruments and bags. It was the day that we were to be leaving for Totara Springs. More and more students arrived, each one shivering as they passed their bags to the parent helpers. At last, some hour later, we were all set to file into the buses and begin the trip. The bus ride took a little over an hour. We arrived at the camp and spotted Matamata Intermediate, who were staying with us, arriving too. After a lot of confusion, everyone had unpacked and settled into their pre-arranged cabins. But not for long! Soon after, it was said over the loud speaker that the first rehearsal for the followings night’s concert was about to begin. There was going to be a presentation from the Junior Band, the Senior Band, and the choir. The three groups walked over to start practising. The rest of the day carried on with 2 more practises, some free time, mealtimes, and a little sing-a-long session after dinner.

Tuesday 13th May- day 2

The day of the concert was upon us! After such a ‘long’ wait! As you can imagine, nerves began to build up as the day progressed to the evening. Me being the only trombonist in Junior Band, I was definitely feeling some pressure too! There were 3 more rehearsals throughout the day, along with free time, meals, and tuning up. The junior band had prepared 4 pieces, but one was cancelled at the dress rehearsal due to timing issues. The Senior band had prepared 6, and the choir had about 5. We couldn’t wait to show them off! Later that afternoon, we were all in the lecture theatre for tuning up. But then, the unthinkable happened- the fire alarm went off! Since nobody had heard about a fire drill, panic was definitely in the air. We all had to assemble out by the hockey field. I can understand why we were told to bring our instruments- can you imagine the cost if they all got burnt!? Anyway, after much confusion, we were told that everything was okay. Apparently, one careless cabin had left a towel on their heater. But someone had stepped in to help, and soon we were all back in the lecture theatre. There was a little pep talk, and then we all piled into the auditorium. The audience was still chattering away about the previous ordeal! I waved to my parents and Grandma as I walked past. Once we had all sat down and shut up, Mrs Germann began her introduction. 

The night breezed on by without a hitch. (If you don’t count the microphone breaking right before a choir solo, and the fire alarm fiasco!). My little solo in ‘Geronimo’- a junior band piece – went well, as did the rest of the junior and senior band pieces, and the choir. There were some extra performances including a talented drum group from Matamata, a flute duet by two older girls, and a violin group (from Matamata). The Salvation Army band also made a guest appearance! After the concert, the students met up with their parents/friends/relatives/etc and then it was time for bed.

Wednesday 14th May- day 3

D-day. Well, not really, but it is the day that we were leaving. Not too much happened, except that both schools got to have a turn on the outdoor hydroslide and other activities. It was one of the parts of camp that people had been looking forward to the most – including me! The ‘other activities’ were shooting, archery, and 3 wire rope walking. The only one of those that I went on was the 3 wire rope. It was okay. Although I was pretty freaked out, especially when it started raining when I was halfway across! I managed to get down alright though. But the best part of the day was definitely the hydroslide. The water from the hot pool was used for it, so it was very warm! Most of us went on it at least 3 times. There were rumours going around about some ‘ghost boy’ that slows you down when you go around a certain corner, but I chose not to believe that. Mainly because most of the corners were extremely fast! Anyway, after everyone had gotten dressed, we started to pack the bus and prepare lunch. We ended up having it on the floor of the dining room, because the tables had been packed up! So there were a lot of crumbs, as you could probably guess.

We arrived back at school around 2:00, to find our bags were being put in the hall. But everyone managed to find their luggage okay! (I think!). Overall, I really enjoyed this camp, not just because of all the free time we got, but because of the new skills I learnt on my instrument, and the new friends I made. I think I have improved a lot on my trombone! Also, I would like to thank all of the parent helpers and teachers that made this trip possible.

Day 1: Tuesday

On Tuesday morning, the students of Rooms 3 and 7 all arrived at school in mufti clothes, much to the envy of the rest of the school! We had our luggage all packed and ready to go. The parents, teachers, and students departed for Ohope beach at about 10:00 am. We arrived at Lake Okataina, which is on the way, around lunchtime. We had lunch there, and walked part way around the lake and back again. After that, everyone jumped back into the cars for the remaining car trip to Ohope. We arrived around 3 o’clock. When we arrived at Ohope Christian Camp, everybody started unpacking and exploring the campground. We went for a short trip to the beach, and we also went for a swim at the Whakatane Aquatics Center. Bedtime was around 9:00.

Day 2: Wednesday

Today, Room 3 went to the High Ropes and Amazing Maze n Maize, and Room 7 went Fishing, Kayaking, and walking over the hills to Shelly Bay. The High Ropes were a lot of fun. Firstly, we stayed on the ground and did some trust exercises and group activities. Then, after lunch, we braved the ropes. They involved climbing up poles, jumping for trapezes, walking across logs in mid air, jumping from platform to platform, jumping across swinging tyres… you get the idea. Of course, these were all supervised by professionals, and we had to wear helmets and harnesses. After all of this, Room 3 trudged on over to the Amazing Maze in Maize. This is, as it implies, a maze in maize. We had to navigate our way through the sweetcorn mazes, to find little snippets of Kiwiana information dotted through the fields. It took forever, with many confused walks around the same area, but my group managed to find most of the asked pictures and questions! We found the exit about 3 times in a row, and this was before we had had enough. Room 7 had fun with their activities too. In the evening, we went to the Whakatane Aquatics Center again.

Day 3: Thursday

This day, Rooms 3 and 7 swapped activities, so now Room 7 was headed to the High Ropes and Maize, and Room 3 was headed for the Fishing, Kayaking, and Walking to Shelly Bay. My group went to Shelly bay first. The walk over there and back was extremely tiring! But it was worth it, for the amazing views, and pretty shells. The next activity was wharf fishing. There was a man there. I guess you could call him a mysterious stranger, because he didn’t say much about himself, apart from that we should call him sir. He made sure that everyone caught at least one fish, rescued us from hungry bees, baited our hooks, and taught us heaps about fishing, which I thought was extremely nice of him. Next was our final activity, kayaking. It was held in the Ohope Beach Harbour. Tiring, because we had to paddle against the strong currents. Painful, because I, along with everyone else, got covered in rashes and windburn. But very fun, because we played ball tag with the kind instructor, Kenny. In the evening, everybody attending camp went over to the Awakeri Hot Pools. The teachers allowed the kids to buy junk food at the shop there, which probably wasn’t such a great idea in my opinion. Everybody went a bit crazy with the sugar!

Day 4: Friday

This was our last day, so we didn’t have enough time to do much, except have breakfast and pack up. On our way back, we stopped at Te Puke, and had lunch there. Since us kids were allowed to spend their money there to buy lunch, most people bought Subway. Including me! We came back to T.A.I at about 2:00 pm.

This camp was a lot of fun, and I think the highlights for me would have been the High Ropes and Amazing Maze in Maize. I would do them again any time!

Okay, so this is how the story goes: (Skip this part if you like)

There was once an old shoemaker, that made good shoes, but they took him a long time to make, and he sold them for very little money. So he and his wife were pretty poor. One night, the shoemaker left the next day’s leather on the bench, and went to bed. The next morning, he woke up and discovered a ready made pair of shoes, beautifully crafted down to the last stitch, where the scraps of leather had been. A customer walked in, and paid well over the usual price for the leather shoes. With the money, the shoemaker bought twice as much leather, and put the leather on the bench for the following night. The next morning, two pairs of top quality leather shoes sat where the leather had been. The shoemaker was delighted! He and his wife sold the shoes for top dollar, and bought twice as much leather to lay out on the bench. This pattern continued, until one day, the shoemaker’s wife decided to find out who was making these shoes, that were bringing customers in from around the country. So that night, she set out the leather, as usual, and hid behind a curtain in the corner with her husband. They stayed there until the clock struck midnight. Then, a window above the working bench creaked open, and in climbed two of the tiniest people the shoemaker and his wife had ever seen, crept in. The sat down in front of the leather, and set to work. They crafted every pair of shoes with great care, as if by magic. When the elves had finished and left, the shoemaker and his wife crept back to bed, but only to lay awake pondering about their little friends. The following morning, the shoemaker’s wife set about sewing together some little clothes for the elves, to replace their ting rags. She left these clothes on the workbench, instead of leather, and waited for nightfall. That night, instead of finding leather, the elves spotted the clothes. They looked at them in amazement, and cautiously put them on. The smiled at each other, and hopped out the window. That was the last time the shoemaker and his wife ever saw the elves. But good luck remained with them. They became very rich, sold every single pair of shoes everyday, and lived happily ever after. 

This fairytale, you might already know this, is being made into a musical. (Showing in August) The auditions were last Saturday, and I was one of the nervous people that tried out. But I made it through! I got a part as one of the elves. I thought I was just going to be acting but it turns out, singing and tap dancing are a part of the deal as well! It was very nerve-racking, (auditioning) but I’m glad I did it. I used to do tap when I was 6, up until I was 9. So I know the basics. Apparently there are 9 other elves, unlike the story. I hope it will be fun!

I got this version of the fairytale from ‘A Lothian Book’ titled ’The Elves and the Shoemaker’

Publishers: Oyster Books Ltd 

Do you like my new theme? It’s a photo of my 16 year old cat, Jaffa, that I took this morning. I was getting bored with my old theme, so I wanted to change. Many thanks to Milly for showing me how to make the header into a photo. And vice versa! Oh, and sorry the photo’s a little pixelated. It came up really huge when I downloaded it, so I had to shrink it to fit.