All of the things!!!

It's probably time for an update and what better time than a lazy weekend day.  This is the time of year that things normally ramp up and become extremely busy, but looking back on the past few months I would have to say that life has been steadily busy since we arrived back from our trip to Canada!

Last week I got to attend two events that I was quite excited about, and they could not have been more different.  The first was the musical 'Once' which was adapted from one of my favourite movies, also called 'Once'.  My gorgeous friend Claire agreed to be my date, even though she hadn't even seen the movie.  I would have gone alone if necessary, but having a friend with you is much more fun.  I happened to be in Melbourne for a workshop on neurodegenerative diseases (which was actually excellent - thanks Calvary Bethlehem Hospital!) and cleverly planned my musical outing around this 'business trip'.  Hehehe.  I also got to spend the day with my friend Nicole who now works as a speech pathologist in Hobart, Tasmania.  It was short and sweet, but just lovely to have a few laughs and see her face!

Here is a review of the musical:

ONCE is an exquisite jewel of a musical that will make you want to go home and hug your loved ones to your heart.

Its beguiling story, music and characters are uplifting, enchanting and funny, but Once is simultaneously an achingly melancholic theatrical experience.

This Australian premiere of the Tony award-winning Broadway show is an unusual co-production between musical theatre producer John Frost and the Melbourne Theatre Company.

Just when a disillusioned Irish busker, known simply as Guy (Tom Parsons), decides to abandon his lacklustre music career in Dublin, he meets a young Czech woman, aka Girl (Madeleine Jones), who makes it her mission to revive his love of music and heal his troubled lovelorn soul.

John Tiffany’s smart, swift-moving and imaginative direction looks deceptively simple, but he skilfully balances intimacy with bold passion, using a complex theatrical language to transform the stage and transport us into the world and music of the characters.

A vivacious chorus of actors play the eclectic, evocative music (Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova) live on stage, and Steven Hoggett’s movement provides an inspired physicality that combines stomping, folksy dance with a subtle, abstract, gestural language.

Completing the vivid picture is the rustic, naturalistic design that recreates a Dublin pub (Bob Crowley) and atmospheric lighting (Natasha Katz).

Enda Walsh injects his witty, beautifully structured script with his wicked Irish humour, whimsical dialogue, poignant romance and surprising Irish and Czech characters, all of which makes Once a play about and with music, rather than a traditional musical.

The beating heart of this nearly-a-love-story is Hansard and Irglova’s music and lyrics — much of which featured in John Carney’s original movie — including Oscar-winning song Falling Slowly and moving tunes such as Gold, The Moon, When Your Mind’s Made Up and The Hill.

With its blend of indy-rock/Celtic-rock/pop-rock and plenty of minor keys, Martin Lowe’s outstanding musical arrangements make the music lull then surge as strings, percussion and the harmonies of a fine chorus build to crescendo.

Parsons captures the blossoming and healing of Guy as he grows from glum self-doubt to confidence and the rediscovery of his love of music and of a woman.

He plays guitar throughout the show and his voice has warmth and a bright timbre, but also incorporates an occasional light twang or a raw, emotional quality in songs such as the heartfeltFalling Slowly.

Jones is deliciously eccentric, sweet-voiced, funny and versatile as the brutally honest Girl and her rendition of The Hill is touching and If You Want Me is captivating.

The accomplished, multi-talented cast creates a thrilling environment, impressive sound and quirky characters including: Amy Lehpamer as sassy Reza; Colin Dean as Billy; the hilariously belligerent piano-seller Brent Hill as waggish Svec; Anton Berezin as a musically challenged bank manager; and Greg Stone as Guy’s quietly supportive Da.

Once is ever-so-nearly a love story but it is poignant because, despite the pair’s meeting of hearts, minds and spirit through music, they are destined not to be together because each has an “unfinished love” to resolve.

This production tells its story without spectacle but with simplicity and humility, all of which makes it a musical for people who don’t like musicals.

And of course, a picture:

I returned from my whirlwind Melbourne experience Thursday evening and had plans to go see NOFX Friday night.  Like I said, the two shows could not have been more different!  Seeing NOFX live had been on my list for about 16 years so when I saw that they were coming to Adelaide, I knew that I had to go.  Lucky for me, Jeremy doesn't mind them and didn't take much convincing to accompany me.  It has been years and years since I really listened to their music and I definitely felt out of place in the very punk crowd.  It did bring back long ago memories of Barrymore's and the amazing times I had seeing my favourite bands perform.  The security guards at Barrymore's, however, would never have let people fling full cups of beer all over the crowd which was a regular occurrence at this show!  We left NOFX covered in sweat and beer (and I even got hit in the side of the head with a plastic cup).  Everything you could ever wanted from a NOFX show!  They ended the show with Jeremy's favourite NOFX song, "Theme from a NOFX Album".  When the show ended, we went straight home and immediately showered...hahaha.  

This last weekend was no less busy.  Friday night was the Griffith Christmas party which I knew from last year would be filled with shenanigans.  The theme was 'loud colours' and the Griffith staff certainly took this to the extreme!

In these pictures, you can see just how loud the colours were!  There are a variety of staff represented here, including physiotherapists, an exercise physiologist, physio assistants and a speech pathologist (guess who!)  Actually come to think about it, most of these people in the pics are physios, but there were lots of other staff there - occupational therapists, nurses, doctors, the director of nursing, admin, kitchen, housekeeping, recreation, pharmacists, etc etc etc.  

The timing of this (open bar) event was spectacular, given that I had signed up for a 5K colour run the next morning...bah! I did manage to successfully attend both the party and the run which was actually quite fun.  Here I am with my awesome team, the 'Fluoro Churros'

It was rainy and not a particularly nice day, but that kind of added to the whole experience.

Otherwise...hm...well, I am still doing work at Griffith and Modbury, so very busy in that sense.  The Modbury work will probably end soon but that works out fine because I will be starting a PhD in January!  Jeremy is doing his last rotation of second year at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Anaesthetics so I actually get to have him around for a few months.  Still no confirmation of where he will be next year, but he has interviews next week in Clare (awesome!!) and Whyalla (not so awesome).

Hope everyone is well - looking forward to seeing some family and friends very soon in Hawaii!!!