Talent Agent redux

Remember Chris, the manga drawer I knew who was oozing talent? Two weeks ago I discovered the boy can also sing <3 I also knew from my previous exposure to him that he is a wicked dancer, having scored House Dance for my house for like the only year it was run at Grammar. I've also remember that he writes his own rap and I'm fairly certain he can deliver it. So he's a young kid who dances, raps, has 'tude, talks like a homie and can sing as well. He's a walking caricature of a nigger :D

'cept he likes and can draw manga. This makes him special.

I only discovered this by chance... one night I was teaching differential calculus (wee <3) and he was sitting in the corner minding his own work (which happened to be working on his manga) and he started singing. Two things hit me. A) he was really really good and B) I knew the song.

A) came as a welcome surprise - the boarding house isn't exactly known for its musical prowess, a reputation at Grammar that I was sorta responsible for trouncing in '07 when we won House Music. Of course we did come last place in the competition which I was directly responsible... But the other two I was responsible "behind-the-scenes", a hallmark of Shanan's work. Anyway, the news of having a good singer in the house lifted my spirits, it meant we could continue our winning streak (as we also won last year)

B) was what troubled me the rest of the night. Where did I know the song? Certainly not from my playlist... I had listened to it on TV... it was incorporated into some show. I asked like 50 people and they all said Family Guy, but it wasn't a cartoon. Eventually I popped down to their rehearsal. They were playing "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey. I closed my eyes as they started and just listened.

Lord, they're so talented. Vocals, guitar, drum, piano, bass <3

And I started listening to the lyrics, and being the flamboyant musical boy that I am, my mind started drifting off to "this song could be an awesome duet" and I realsied where I knew it from. Someone else had hit up that duet idea already for the show Glee, something I'd watched abou a week prior. Love the show, can't wait to see more. Funny how life operates like that, like when I learn a new word like oftentimes and suddenly my lecturers are using it all the time, I hear a song I love and suddenly it appears in unrelated areas of my life.

Today was the actually House rock competition and I have been informed they performed brilliantly, at least top three. And peopel say that only because a lot of houses performed well apparently. I'm a lil' pissed that I didn't go watch. Hopefully there'll be more videos up, but the one I've scene so far was grainy crappy quality, but I could tell the audience was totally diggin' that shit.

Getting Inspired

I know I said I wouldn't do this again, but here I am, 2am, right before bed typing up another entry ;)

For the past few days I've been pretty heavily investing some time with some great writing in terms of plot and character. I just finished watching Prison Break half an hour ago, and boy was it fan-bloody-tastic! I mean the plot in and of itself wasn't exactly the most original, but the way they told it, through the twists and turns, the fabulous dialogue and the strong characters is what made it most enjoyable.

Particularly satisfying were Bellick, T-Bag and Mahone, three side characters that I thought had the best character arcs that I didn't see coming. T-Bag especially. I'm still siting here going through his character in my mind, watching the transition of his character, from the murdering paedophile > seeking salvation > seeking new identity and back to > murder paedophile. I mean a character can only go through a story getting kicked in the teeth so many times, but to watch how his character unfolded in the face of all those hurdles, how his charm and wit and prolixity were anchored despite the changing goals. (And he ran pretty funny <3)

Next was playing Left 4 Dead. So yeah, sure, it's an FPS game, so what story could there be? You're right, it's pretty much the whole world is infected and there are 4 survivors who need to (duh) survive. That's the story. But there's something in their execution of the game that makes it all the more worthwhile. It's not just another FPS. Nor is it just a game with kickass AI. There's just something in how they've executed those insane hordes of zombies, all barging through and door and attacking you. There's something in the "special" zombie characters they've made that just make them fucking insane to play. The overall mechanics of the game are a thing of beauty. And I look forward to heading back to play some more.

Realistically speaking, my experience at the Barracks was not pleasant. For one thing, it's such a geek den down there. Full of geeky internet jokes and "witty" quips tossed to and fro. And they're all pretty much in there all the time everyday. I'm not complaining about that, but by being down there so often, they become great players of the games. Not so great news for me, the n00b. To quote:

"WHO THE FUCK IS ABMO AND WHY AM I STUCK WITH THE NEWBIES?!"

That was yelled across the room when I failed to kill a particularly feisty Hunter that got in and attacked my crew. Did I react? Nope, just stayed low in my seat and kept playing. Eventually I got better and better and though I ain't a pro, at one point I was the only guy left standing after a zombie attack and I pretty much eliminated the enemies so that I could revive my team. Considered not saving the jackass, but I needed him. I'm looking forward to going back and learning more and having more fun with friends campaigning, as opposed to 8-playering it up.

Thirdly I plan to rewatch Code Geass in its entirety starting tomorrow. I'm still feeling shocked and awed by that anime from when I watched it months back and I intend to re-instill that feeling as I move into my holidays and start writing again.

EDIT: OH! And I've spent so much time listening to the soundtrack for FFXII (it was my study music for two exams). Amazing how music can have such visceral effects on a person. I think I should get the full FFX soundtrack and listen to that... see what memories crop up there <3

I've spent a lot of time in-between shows thinking about Spiral. I definitely have a very good, philosophical and intellectual ending ... a discussion that takes place is pretty well planned. Naturally this can change and bend according to Colby's contributions, but I like my ending and I will be writing towards it.

I've also been thinking about Trio, my TV show with Jeanne. I need to write my pitch for the first episode for her. I've been getting a ton of ideas that could fill in 40 minutes. Once I can get that done, I think I will start planning out the full 22/24 episodes - whatever a full season is. I still haven't decided whether I can do more than 1 season yet. I mean I'm not precisely tethered to my show's brief, like how Prison Break stopped being about breaking out of a prison at the end of the first season or Lost sorta stopped being about being "lost" pretty early on. But could I really extend beyond my decided setting, without venturing into the territory of shady organisations like "The Company"!?

Funny how I've sort of thought about making the world of Spiral and Trio the one and the same. Not exactly the same story, just linked in the same universe. I'll have to talk to Colby about whether I'd be allowed to do that ;) Naturally that would also depend on what happens in Spiral. I mean if we destroy the universe then I can't write a sequel set in nothingness. :P

Family in-joke

Gordon: *making some odd comments making fun of me*
Me: *echoing the words of what Grandma always says and indeed said earlier today* Hey Gordon! You know when you go to interview for a job, you should totally tie your hair back in a ponytail.
Gordon: *narrowing eyes* Changing the subject, eh?
Me: 'cause like who would want to hire a guy with hair like yours? They'd think you irresponsible and childish.
Gordon: *pause* ... Get a job.

<3

Insulted.

Today I write about an issue that I've mentioned before. People have a hard time reading me, or more specifically, comprehending my relationship with other people. Can't blame them though, I like doing things my own way, a mentality that I've carried through to almost every aspect to my life.

Last time I bitched about teachers not understanding my "leadership" style. It's interesting how they corner themselves into a mindset that respect is something that is not only important for leadership, but that respect manifests itself within a stringent framework. Tutors sometimes see me being pinned down by a group of Year 7s or whatever, people almost 8 years my junior physically or verbally "abusing" me, or wilfully ignoring my "orders". I put those things in "s because in those situations, neither I nor the boy/s enacting it view it that way ... There is a degree of indifference, we don't take it seriously. And it pisses me off when a teacher reacts in a way where they discipline the boy for "disrespecting a senior" or whatever, and I have to break character and explicitly state that everything's fine.

Worse still is that those people then get a look in there eyes, as if thinking "you spineless coward, stand up to them!"

And I mention all this because the same problem occured last night. I was in Manuka with a few of the boys (dinner at Timmy's Kitchen, which was, OMFG, fucking delicious - best sweet and sour pork EVER). Being a Saturday night, Manuka (and Civic too, it turns out) very quickly fills with drunken people.

Inevitably, what with me standing at the rather public bus stop, a few of these boys (some boarders some not) recognise me and come over and say hi. Despite intoxication, these guys quickly swing into the routine, the language, tones and "respect" that are idiosyncratic to my friendship with them.

Objectively speaking, these comments sound incredibly rude, puerile, borderline racist, crude. So many things that could be rejected by proponents of political correctness. And I give as good as I get.

What annoyed me about last night, however, was that the friends of these guys, who were also drunk, though my friends were being totally serious, verbally/emotionally assaulting me in public. "Just drop it", they said.

My other friend, who wasn't "insulting" me, said "It's okay", parleying the information that that kind of treatment was not only tolerated, but encouraged by me. So entrenched were these boys in their narrow conceptions of behaviour that they couldn't comprehend that I was quite fine ... they went as far as to try and pull away my friend, to which I just merely laughed.

In all fairness, I wasn't as my most witty last night - I hadn't expected to bump into anyone, and thus my reactions were a little slow, a little bit muddled and less articulate, which could've contributed to them thinking I was flustered.

Let me just state here and now: Shanan Kan will almost always never be insulted by anyone, and if you witness a person insulting me, odds care me and them have an in-joke. People who do get insulted by things in this world really do take themselves seriously. You'll note I didn't go with the cliche "take themselves too seriously", where the "too" presupposes that there is a degree of self-serious-taking that is good. But that is patently untrue. No good comes from taking yourself seriously it only serves as a masturbatory fantasy to self-importance.

Dinner with the boys

Lachlan: *deliberately doesn't "get" a joke in a familar fashion*
Me: You remind me of someone. Something about your movements.
Lachlan: Who?
Me: I dunno, you just seem so similar to someone I know ...
Henry: You seem similar to about two billion people I know.
Boys: No racial.

(It's an asian joke :P)