Complete With a Water Slide

Things I'd do if I was rich, or somebody else:

- Go to London and watch Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables and surprisingly perhaps, Legally Blonde. (I just really want to watch it, okey?)

- Go some place warm and forget the world for a week or two.

Things I've done lately by just being me:

- PHANTOM OF THE OPERA AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL! I watched the simulcast at a cinema in Oslo with my mother last night, and it was utterly fantastic. I enjoyed myself so much! Hadley Fraser as Raoul, OMG, I'm in love. And Ramin was really, really good as the Phantom. And just everything was wonderful! Especially because I didn't expect it to be the staged version. I thought it would be a concert, like Les Mis did last year. So I was so happy and surprised when it wasn't.

No need to say it, but I'm am going to have to buy the Blue-ray as soon as it comes out in November, no doubt about that!

(Check out my Tumblr for more fangirling there!)

- I had my first test of this school year, and I think... I think I did well. Time will tell, but I think I did well. I really, really need good grades this year. It's my last, before I can finally get that damn diploma and go on to study things so I can actually become something and become a functional adult. This is so important, but it's so hard!

- This week is Autumn break and I've promised myself that I'm going to be good and study for most of it. So I shall. I shall.

While I was in London I managed to catch two musicals! We had planned to see Les Miserables and got tickets for that in advance. But Friday night I spontaneously decided to get a ticket for Love Never Dies. I had been thinking about it, of course, but I never made a decision before I left. I don’t have much of a relationship with The Phantom of the Oprah. I own the movie and like it well enough. The reason why Love Never Dies was the other musical I wanted to see was not because of the story, but because Ramin Karimloo plays the Phantom and David Thaxton plays Raoul and I really, really wanted to see both of them. Why? Because both Ramin Karimloo and David Thaxton has played Enjolras in Les Miserables! I saw Ramin in the 25th Anniversary concert, but have never seen David and he’s supposedly the best Enjolras ever. So I really wanted to see him!

And I did!

Oh wow! They were brilliant! Ramin has the most amazing voice, and when he went full force on Till I Hear You Sing, my goosebumps got goosebumps. And David, oh David! Not only is he incredibly yummy to look at, but he has such a presence on stage. Maybe it was just me, because he was fifty percent of the reason why I was there, but whenever he was on stage my eyes never left him. The scene when only Ramin and David was on stage was understandably my favorite. I just sat there and totally fangirled out inside my head.

( SPOILERS for Love Never Dies )

Love Never Dies in of itself is not something awesome. It was good. I enjoyed myself immensely, and the sets and costumes and lighting was gorgeous. And my boys were brilliant! And that was the sole reason why I went, so I’m very, very happy.

On Thursday we, my brother and I, went to see Les Miserables. And that was a wonderful experience as well. Except for Simon Bowman as Valjean who was a bit of a disappointment, everyone were great. The cast is brilliant! I was actually mostly looking at them because they do a great job in the background. Master of the House and Lovely Ladies was really, really great. I don’t know who played the Pimp during Lovely Ladies, but he was truly mesmerizing to watch.

Killian Donnelly as Enjolras was marvellous! So good, and when he died, I cried a little, and watching them as ghost during Empty Tables was chilling.

Norm Lewis as Javert was great as well. Very American though. In an all British cast his American accent stood out, especially when he said "lord".

But Simon Bowman... At some points he was really good, not going to take that away from him. But! When he sang Who Am I? he completely cheated on the 24601! I was sitting there waiting for the epic 24601 that always makes my hairs rise and just go yes, here we go! But he... didn’t! I’m not music savvy or anything, so I don’t know the right terminology, but he lay it a few notes lower, so it was horribly anti-climatic. And Bring Him Home... well, at least he hit the notes, but it was so soft, no power behind it, and then he overcompensated on the notes he could hit and powered through those parts and it just... wasn’t right. I’m going to pop in my newly acquired 25th Anniversary dvd and hear Alfie Boe nail all of it now, just to make myself feel better.

But don’t get me wrong! It was a great experience. Les Miz can never disappoint me. It’s always awesome. I was also being a major dork who was mouthing the lyrics while watching. But I really want to see the next cast that comes this fall. Hadley Fraser is coming in to play Javert, and Alfie Boe as Valjean, I hope I’ll find a way to see it, but... I don’t know.

To end on a geeky note: I bought two Les Miserables t-shirts and one Love Never Dies. I am one happy nerdy cookie right now. Some people buy band t-shirts at concerts, I buy musical t-shirts! So now my collection is: Wicked, We Will Rock You, Les Miserables and Love Never Dies. I also bought the collection programe from Love Never Dies, so I could scan some of the pictures if you want me to.

On Thursday I'm going to London with my brother. I am absolutely besides myself with excitement! We're seeing Les Miserables, which, while not the sole reason, is the main reason why we're going and I CANNOT WAIT!! But, what else should I do? Do you have any suggestions to must dos in London?

And now I'm going to rec a lot of things:

On the internet:

- narniaexchange has a Tumblr now! Join it! so if you, like me, are spending more time on Tumblr than on LJ you will still be able to keep up with the exchange! (Is it sad that I'm jealous of how many followers it already has? Yes, a bit sad, I'd say.)

- This blog: smart, pretty and awkward is a brilliant advice blog that's just a delight to read. But it on your flist. You won't regret it!

- On Tumblr, I'd recommend adding brotips to your dash. I know many are tired of all these "rules" blogs, but this one is great, smart and not condescending. And yeah, it says bros, but women can be bros too, and the advice is brilliant and poignant most of the time!

To read:

-The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. And if you have read those books, then you should read this brilliant fic: To the Victor, the Spoils by annakovsky IT'S THE BEST FIC IN THE WORLD! When I finished the books this was exactly what I wanted to read, but I didn't think it would exist. AND THEN IT DID! AND I READ IT AND LOVED IT! And now I'm sad that this is the only one of its kind. It's AU, after the Hunger Games. Peeta is dead and Katniss is the victor, and everything is fucked up, messed up and AWESOME! The pairing is Katniss/Haymitch, sort of. So you're warned about that. But if anyone would like to write me something like this then they are so allowed!

- ALSO! Why did no one tell me about all the wonderful genderfuck fics in The Social Network fandom? grim_lupine I'm looking at you! Read: my fingertips are holding onto the cracks in our foundation girl!Mark, who decides to embrace the bitch title and gets a killer makeover that shows her (awesome) breasts and all the boys in the yard (Eduardo) are all 0____0 (description found on delicious). This is brilliant and just so good to read! I love it, love it, love it. Written on the kink meme, though, so there's mistakes here and there, and some parts are better than others. But overall, really good and feeds my genderfuck obsession quite nicely ;)

- Lastly. If any of you haven't started to watch Community yet! DO IT, DO IT, DO IT! BEST SHOW EVER AND I'M NOT KIDDING ABOUT THAT. BEST. SHOW. EVER!

I'M GOING TO LONDON TONIGHT!! I AM SO INCREDIBLY EXCITED! I have a huge shopping list, and a much smaller to do list. Me and my cousin is going to have a blast, and it seems like the weather gods are on our side because reports says SUN!

So I'll be gone for the next four days, but when I come back I'll start narniaexchange sign-ups, so look forward to that!

IN ONE WEEK I'LL BE IN LONDON!!! I'm so excited! I can't wait to see Frankie Boyle. And I'll shop until I drop. I'm going to buy lots of books, dvds, and clothes.

I'm also going to make a Eurovision Song Contest drinking game! It will be awesome and I'll post it tomorrow.

*I finished the first draft of my genderfuck Star Trek Kirk-as-a-girl/McCoy fic. YAY me! I've been writing this fic since early June! So nice to finally have finished it.

*I so want to go see Peter Doherty 6th of December. I'm not really a huge fan, but I just really, really want to go. But the stupid thing is that all my friends who loves music is not old enough. (You have to be 18 to get in.) I think I'm gonna try and convince K to go with me, even though he might not like the music. It's TWO days before my birthday! Surely I can get him to come with me as an early birthday present?

*FIVE DAYS UNTIL LONDON, PEOPLE!! Can't fucking wait!!

I'm leaving for London tomorrow!! I'm so excited. And I need to pack, but I always work best under pressure so I'll probably do it tonight.