I am ready for my close up

10:12pm: A new day...
A new journal. Ross has changed forums, yet again, and his new home can be found at www.myspace.com/godplum

Yes, he has joined the myspace generation. He may be too old, he may be too self-centred, he may be upset at the complete lack of decent design sported by said forum, but that is where he can be found most days. Feel free to swing by, drop a comment, have some crackers or cheese or wine or all four (oh wait, there are only three things listed there...)

Be kind though. The water may be warm but we all know what they say about sharks.

They bite.

4:51pm: 06 in review.
1. What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?
Travelled through Europe on my own. I didn't actually realise what a big deal that was until I came back, I don't think. I'm sure there are other things too, but mostly that.

2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions and will you make more for next year?
Made none. I make plans, but they are generally just things I want to do anyway. Like keep fit, stop smoking (which I do every year for a while, but this time I want to do it forever), save more.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
I think one of my cousins did while I was away, and my wife's aunties.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Not that I am aware. Unless Robert Altman counts. Which he doesn't.

5. What countries did you visit?
UK, France, Turkey, Bulgaria, Sebia, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Netherland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Iceland. Also went to Tasmania for the first time, which almost counts.

6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
A greater ability to motivate myself. I think I'm getting that, too.

7. What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
There are so many. So, so many. I don't remember dates so much, but a lot of times in Croatia, chatting with Bosnians in Mostar, Iceland in Vagnsstathir... there have been some incredible moments this year.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Europe. And letting go of a lot. And writing a first draft of a screenplay, working a lot on a novel, and beginning a musical.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not letting go of enough. Not finishing No Shoes (still).

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Tonsilitis. Food poinsoning. Something wrong with my patella, something else with my rib, gastro, colds. Pretty sick year, actually.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
I didn't buy a great deal. I love my new jeans and a jacket I bought. Actually, my ipod. saved me on 12 hour train trips.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Everyone I am still in contact with. I did a lot of thinking, and if I'm in touch, you merit celebration.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Let's not go into it. Politics globally in general. I actually don't like to think about the state of the world, because it brings me close to tears.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Travel. that's where almost all of it went.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Iceland! Europe in general (noticing a theme?). November 18.

16. What song will always remind you of 2005?
Rufus as a general entity. 14th St reminds me of the beginning of the year, and Imaginary Love reminds me of the end.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i) Happier or sadder? Happier.
ii) Thinner or fatter? Fatter.
iii) Richer or poorer? Poorer.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
There really isn't anything. I did so much for myself this year.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Drinking.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Spent it with the fam, then got stung by a fucking bee. fucking bees.

21. Did you fall in love in 2006?
With myself. It's a nice feeling.

23. How many one-night stands?
A few...

24. What was your favourite TV program?
Ok, it's really sad, but the only TV I watched this year was British Big Brother, and I got hooked while I was there.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I don't think so.

26. What was the best book you read?
The God of Small Things. But I read that every year. But it's still the best one.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Technically, I discovered Rufus last year. But I discovered so much more of him this year.

28. What did you want and get?
A first draft.

29. What did you want and not get?
A first draft of something else. But I think that was too ambitious.

30. What was your favourite film of this year?
Haven't seen too many. Brokeback (or did I see that last year? I forget)

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 22 and spent it in Munich reading during the day and drinking jager at night. Wait, no, that was the night before... dealing with the fact that I had drunk jager.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Not much.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
Old, very old. I couldn't afford new clothes.

34. What kept you sane?
Rufus (oh god I'm obsessed.)

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Brad always, but probably Cillian too after The Wind That Shakes the Barley.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
David Hicks, the Middle East in general, John Howard as a despisable person more and more so as every day passes.

37. Who did you miss?
I missed soooo many people while I was away. But you deal with it.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
I met a lot of people who changed my world this year. I can't think of any one person more than another.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006.
To look after myself first, and that that often involves looking after others. Give back.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
There are a lot. 'There's never been such grave a matter as comparing our new brand-name black sunglasses... I did go from wanting to be someone now I'm drunk and wearing flip-flops on fifth avenue' - Poses 'Wouldn't it be a lovely headline: 'Life is Beautiful' on the New York Times' - Oh, What a World 'I will not be the one baptised in come' - Gay Messiah. There are So, So many more of them. I could go on for hours.

9:29pm: and finally, two months after returning to these shores, I have finished typing up all that I wrote on the novel whilst I was away. Sitting at a sum total of slightly over 18,000 words, it is less than 200 words short of being the longest thing I have ever actually put on paper (or screen, as the case my be), behind the screenplay that also received some intensive work. Those 18000 words consist of almost one act, the middle one. the first shall come when I have finished and can go back, and the third shall soon commence. I had a plan as to where this was going to go, when I last really worked on it in poland, but i soon forgot it in a haze of alcohol and I have to start anew with the next word. this distance, however, has made my passion for the story grow stronger, and i think i will now enjoy working on it once more.

3:58pm: Warning: 'woe is me' post may be coming up.

I'm freakin' exhausted. I've been freakin' exhausted for three months, and I'm over it. I don't even know what I've been doing, because there hasn't been a great deal of noteworthy activities. Just movies and drinking and catching up and dinners and working working. Today I'm exhausted because I went out for a little last night, which is really the first time since I came back that I have just gone somewhere for the sake of it. Pity I was totally knackered beforehand so couldn't make more of it. Went with Sarah to see the Paper Scissors at the Abercrombie, but played a whole heap of pool before they started, then met with ele and jai and watched most of the set before going home too tired to think.

It seems I've been constantly busy with nothing to talk about. It's screenings and work-related functions tiring me out after stressful days, then the days and nights i have free are filled with other random shenanigans like staying up late drinking and talking with ele, or the same with aaron and leigh, a couple of times with James, shopping with Sarah, going to weddings (well, one), and then on nights when i have nothing going to bed early only to wake up three times through the night and ending up just as tired as if i'd spent the night partying.

I spent the entire weekend at work. We had screenings for all of the craft awards, and a near tragedy with one print, and then having to deal with the occasional panelist ego and demand and questions and just having to be there for 20 hours on a long weekend when I've seen most of everything and am too tired to focus on other stuff I want to be doing while they're watching films and instead falling asleep on couches.

Today was ok though. Tired I dragged my sorry arse to work by 10am, but left by 1pm and have spent the last couple of hours in the backyard with my wife talking about everything before turning jagged little pill up really really loud just for the hell of it. i have a feeling I won't sleep very well tonight either. This weekend I want to put my foot down and say no, i'm sleeping, i'm tired and i want some me time, but I know I won't.

Having said all of that, I have been having fun. I guess. The moments are fun but are eclipsed by the tired aftermath.

Is anyone else sick of hearing how tired I am? I sure as shit am.

11:45am: In the true spirit of procrastination, I just created a quiz:

http://www.quizyourfriends.com/quizpage.php?quizname=060916214334-495306&
(for some reason the coding didn't work...)

I looked at the last quiz I made, and I only got 80%...

9:15am: Today I'm going to see my fourth australian film of the week - i'm very proud of myself. Wait, that was a lie - I saw Macbeth last wednesday... almost true though.

Macbeth: not as bad as I thought it was going to be, but not fabulous.
Em 4 Jay: very confronting. again, i thought it would be diabolical, but it wasn't. the lead actress gave a great performance. not for the weak of stomach though.
Kenny: strangely, the more time passed the more I like it. A ridiculously likeable character. not flawless by any means, but a good kick in the arse for oz film. very appealing to just about everyone. deservedly the surprise oz hit of the last decade, really.
Caterpillar Wish: haven't seen it. seeing it this morning. then i'm going shopping. despite the fact that I literally have no money. oh well.

i'm enjoying Boy Kill Boy at the moment. I only have a couple of songs, but they're very enjoyable. and I love the new scissor sisters track. LOVE it.

7:25pm: I need a haircut. I'm in two minds as to when I do it. i want it now, but I think I will wait a couple of weeks so I can have a fabulous one beofre the nominees announcement.

But I don't know what I should do. I need to get rid of a lot of what I have now, but I still want some length. And I want something different, and fun.

Is this truly the most pressing thing in my life right now?

yes, I think it is.

11:08am: In other news, my user pic is, like, almost a year and a half old. should. update. but not today. actually, not until there are actually photos of me out there that I like.

11:06am: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest should today become only the third film of all time to gross US$1 billion dollars worldwide. Which is a pretty spectacular achievement. The film was definitely good, but the first one was better. That puts it in league with Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Though it will also now be the only film to gross over a billion but not get the best picture oscar.

My trivial trivia for today. What a thrilling life I do lead.

10:25pm: 1. Yourself:
I am. it's true.

2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend:
hmmm

3. Your hair?
long. i think i will take a fair bit of it off next month

4. Your mother:
i see tomorrow. i love.

5. Your father:
i also see tomorrow. i also love. i must buy a birthday present for.

6. Your favourite Item:
took a bath (poor brad)

7. Your dream last night:
um, it was nice, until my alarm (housemate) woke me up

8. Your favourite drink:
water. wine.

9. Your Dream Car:
a harley davidson, which isn't a car.

10. The Room You Are In:
the living room.

11. Your Ex:
my most recent one? i live with. which makes me realise how long i've been single...

12. Your fear?
death. more than anything. and then, probably, clowns. and then, feet. though that's not so much fear as it is hatred.

13. Where you want to be in 10 years?
alive would be nice. at least remembered.

14. Who you hung out with last night?
sarah and james. we got our hair done. and drank champagne, ate canapes, and left with free hair products.

15. What You're Not:
many things. that's a silly question. i'm not black, but that doesn't fuss me... what i'm not that i'd like to be? i don't know, many things.

16. Your Best Friend:
have a few. live with one. work with another. don't see others anywhere near enough.

17. One of Your Wish List Items:
to actually finish a number of things. no shoes, the screenplays, the novel.

19. The Last Thing You Did:
kissed James goodbye.

20. What You Are Wearing:
nudies (oh how i love them), white shirt, pink hoody. socks. underwear.

21. Your Favorite Weather:
cold and snow, but only if there is fun stuff inside. but still cold and snow.

22. Your Favorite Book:
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. I could read it again and again and again. It is the most perfect thing i've ever read.

23. The Last Thing You ate:
a stir fry with brown rice.

24. Your Life:
is still with me, which is nice. is busy. is somewhat satisfying. though today was pretty shitty.

25. Your Mood:
tired (how surprising)

26. Your body:
i'd trade it in if i could.

27. What are you thinking about right now:
how this is taking longer than i thought it would, and i should go to bed.

28. Your Crush:
i gave up on crushes a loooong time ago. but, for the sake of something to put in here, just left.

29. What are you doing at the moment:
quite obviously this. was in between farewelling and sleeping.

30. Your summer schedule:
hoepfully i'll go back to indonesia. then working, hopefully relaxing somewhat. i want a better summer than last year. last year was just too busy. i want a relaxing summer with weekends. i've never had that.

good night sweet livejournal.

4:11pm: Whilst researching for my screenplay just now, I came across this website www.godhatesfags.com

It is the scariest site ever. Ever.

3:36pm: This makes me very, very, very happy. and equally excited.

New Rufus Album
8/1/2006 11:51:00 AM - by mct mgmnt

Rufus is presently working feverishly on his new album for release in 2007. Sessions have taken place in N.Y., Berlin and London. Contrary to published reports, there is no specific release date set, the album has not been titled nor has a first single been chosen. You'll be the first to know if you're a regular visitor to this site.

from www.rufuswainwright.com

9:14pm: So, now for an egotistical photo entry, where all of the photos are of me.

( photos here! )

5:54pm: I'm back and I'm tired. and i just sneezed. and i need to unpack after moving, but i hate unpacking.

8:00am: The Constitution of the Independent Republic of Uzipis
1. Everyone has the right to live by the River Vilnele, and the River Vilnele has the right to flow by everyone.
2. Everyone has the right to hot water, heating in winter and a tiled roof.
3. Everyone has the right to die, but this is not an obligation.
4. Everyone has the right to make mistakes.
5. Everyone has the right to be unigue.
6. Everyone has the right to love.
7. Everyone has the right not to be loved, but not necessarily.
8. Everyone has the right to be undistinguished and unknown.
9. Everyone has the right to idle.
10. Everyone has the right to love and take care of the cat.
11. Everyone has the right to look after the dog until one of them dies.
12. A dog has the right to be a dog.
13. A cat is not obliged to love its owner, but must help in time of nee.
14. Sometimes everyone has the right to be unaware of their duties.
15. Everyone has the right to be in doubt, but this is not an obligation.
16. Everyone has the right to be happy.
17. Everyone has the right to beunhappy.
18. Everyone has the right to be silent.
19. Everyone has the right to have faith.
20. No one has the right to violence.
21. Everyone has the right to appreciate their unimportance.
22. No one has the right to have a design on eternity.
23. Everyone has the right to understand.
24. Everyone has the right to understand nothing.
25. Everyone has the right to be of any nationality.
26. Everyone has the right to celebrate or not celebrate their birthday.
27. Everyone shall remember their name.
28. Everyone may share what they possess.
29. No one can share what they do not possess.
30. Everyone has the right have brothers, sisters and parents.
31. Everyone may be independent.
32. Everyone is responsible for their freedom.
33. Everyone has the right to cry.
34. Everyone has the right to be misunderstood.
35. No one has the right to make another person guilty.
36. Everyone has the right to be individual.
37. Everyone has the right to have no rights.
38. Everyone has the rigt to not to be afraid.
39. Do not defeat.
40. Do not fight back.
41. Do not surender.


This is the constitution of the Independent Republic of Uzipis, a self-proclaimed (yet, naturally, unrecognised) free state contained within a suburb of Vilinius. I like their constitution and am publishing it here without their permission, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind.

11:55am: in less than a week i am on a plane home, and while i will be happy to return, i will be sad to leave. i have had a fantastic time in little old europe, and there are so many places I wish to return to, and even more I never made it to that I want to next time I'm here. As such, I have decided to move here, possibly in 2008. Fabulous.

In other news, due to the very unfortunate break-up of Ele and Dave, I have a place to live when I return, moving to Camperdown to take Dave's place (in the housemate sense only - no way I'm taking any other of his roles... again...) The downside is, I start paying rent three days after I get home. And need to give the only remaining money I have over as bond.

As such, I think I might now go and try and return my coat. The pockets have torn. And it could mean I get $200-odd dollars more play money whilst I'm here. Which I desperately need. Must re-learn how to live cheap, though I did live on nothing but 2-minute noodles in Iceland (I can't believe I went to Iceland!)

Must go. Explore city. I love this city.

3:13pm: Rock on. EuroPride in London, after parading down Oxford St, turns into a party in Soho, centering on Soho Square. Where am I staying in London? Soho St. What is twenty metres down the road, and can be quite easily seen from Martin's (private) roof terrace? Soho Square. Could my positioning be any better? Well, if we were on the corner. But I've gotta say, it's pretty damn good.

Back in London as of a few hours ago, less than three weeks (as in, two weeks, six days, and 15.25 hours) and I'm on a plane back home. Yikes.

But, I go to Iceland in less than a week. Iceland! In less than a week!

I'm quite obviously killing time once more. I can't get into the house until either Jodie or Martin finish work, which won't happen until 6pm at the earliest, and it is now not even 3:20pm. Blah. So, I haven't really slept much in the last week, due to the fact that it is NEVER FUCKING DARK in Latvia, Estonia or Finland at this time of year. Lithuania was a little better, but it was still only dark for, like, six seconds, or something. Iceland will be worse, though.

When does Thom Yorke's album come out? Or is it already out? Should I be next door buying it right now?

And when is Silverchair's new album released? I heard soon... And are Powderfinger back in the studio? I heard that they were from someone whose brother is Bernard's best friend, or something...

My old boss quit the other day. Work is just not going to be the same when I get back.

I'm hungry, and I think that is justified, considering the two hour time difference, as it is 5:30pm in Finland. and I didn't really have breakfast. Well, I kind of had this sort of half breakfast/half lunch thing spread over the two hours of the flight.

I want to go and wander around, but I have my backpack with me, so it's kind of not going to happen (I picked it up off the carousel at the airport and it had a big tag attached to it saying HEAVY - duh! I've been lugging that mofo around for five months, how do you think I feel? Actually, I think I may well come back with muscles.) Instead, I fear that when my time runs out here I will find myself in a bar, celebrating my return to London on my own, paying pounds for pints. And listening to Martina Topley-Bird, because I have fallen in love with her.

All right, I'm going again. But it's been grand, really. I'm so glad you could make it.

3:57am: um,so the sunis up at 3:30am. what thefuck?

3:53pm: hhmmm, i kinda wanna go home again. But i think that is just slovakia. am currently in a city called kosice in the east of the country, staying in a drab 'hello stalin' concrete block of a hotel, counting down the seconds until i go to poland tomorrow. i just friggin' hope that the website i used to work out my trains is right, otherwise i'm fucked and will be stuck in some strange town somewhere near the polish border. great.

time with my parents was fantastic, though since they've left it feels like i'm starting over again, except i have much less purpose now than i did when i first left back in february. i only really have five or six countries left on my plate for the next almost two months, which is nice as it means i don't have to rush, but sucks as i kinda rushed through some other countries as i was afraid of running out of time. i want to go back to berlin, but the world cup is about to start, so i'll never find accomodation and it would be ridiculously expensive anyway.

do i go to new york? i'm contemplating doing iceland and new york, but i don't know if i can afford both, and i def wanna go to iceland. actually, i can't afford either. but when is the next time i'm going to have the opportunity? 2008, but that's not the point.

ok, this is long and rambly and reasonably pointless.

1:44pm: hehehe, i'm going to go on a day trip to luxembourg tomorrow, just because i can.

2:00pm: innsbruck
damn it, put another euro in and didn´t need to, so here comes a beautifully pointless update!
so, i´m in innsbruck in austria. austria is kinda boring, and the service is TERRIBLE. it´s actually quite funny... i loved slovenia, ljubljana is cool and bled is beautiful, the coast of croatia was fun, bosnia was fantastic and i wish i´d spent more time there, the montenegran coast is the greatest place in the world, belgrade was ugly, bulgaria had good and bad points, but i loved plovdiv, overall turkey irritated the crap out of me, though some of the sights there are amaying.
it is my birthday in two days, and i will be in munich, knowing no one. hopefully someone at the hostel will buy me a drink to celebrate. because i don´t know how to say ít´s my brithday´in german to get randoms to buy me drinks. which is what it´s all about.
the aus dollar needs to appreciate against the euro. the euro countries are going to kill me.
i meet jodie in berlin in four days. woohoo!
i meet my parents in berlin in less than three weeks. woohoo!
i´m getting fat. beer and european food is bad, i tells ya.
it is cold again.
mountains with snow on them are pretty.
i´m going for a nap.

3:27pm: i'm in paris!

this keyboard is screwy...

the sun has just come out, it has been cold and rainy this morning.

I had to get an hour on the internet when all i wanted to find was where an sta travel was, so now i'm killing time...

i don't want to go home yet. i've been away for two weeks (!) and it feels like two days. there is soooo much stuff in this continent, i don't know if i can ever be satisfied.

tomorrow i am going to spend the day in the louvre. the thought of it makes me wet myself. which is embarrassing, because this cafe is full of people.

2:20pm: And I'm off! Fuck!

9:49am: So, as we all know, Brokeback opened over the weekend here in oz. Everyone was somewhat surprised that Roadshow only put it out on 48 screens - with the phenomenal success it has and is continuing to acheive in the US and UK, shouldn't it be out on more? Well, I guess Roadshow got their answer over the weekend when it took just under $1.6 million. On only 48 screens. Which means an average of $32,000 per screen. Now, I am a box office nerd who follows it both here and in the states religiously, and I don't recall the last time I saw a screen average like that here. The Harry Potter and LOTR sequels tend to get averages in the mid-$20000 range, and they have enormous hype, a built in following, and huge marketing budgets.

Not only that, I went and saw the Aristocrats at Dendy in Newtown last night, and the 7:30pm session of Brokeback was sold out. On a Tuesday, which isn't even cheap movie night at Dendy. AND it got 8 oscar nominations. Yay! Go Brokeback!

9:06am: Just spoke to J-Mo in London. Forecast for Friday - Rainy, four degrees. Currently, slightly below freezing (it is 10pm, however). Currently experiencing a terrible Russian winter. The same Russian winter has been killing people in Eastern Europe. Must buy much warm clothing. Jodie is bringing me gloves. Can definitely not cut off hair before arriving, as is probably the only thing that will keep me warm.

In other news, however, I will be staying with Martin and Jodie in Martin's place. I'm not totally sure where it is, but Jodie said his closest station was Marble Arch, and that we was near Oxford St. So, looking at my map, I'm placing him ridiculously close to Hyde Park (Marble ARch station is on one corner of Hyde Park), somewhere in the vicinity of Park Lane. At most, two and half kms to Soho. Brilliant. Three stops from Notting Hill, the same from Westminster - couldn't be any better. Basically, I can walk to just about everywhere I want to go. The freakin' queen is only a kilometre away. And, he's just sold the place and bought a new one, moving sometime in the next couple of months into Soho proper. So, in July, I will be staying with them there again. Yay!

That is all. My excitement for this morning. Bit stressed. Bit scared. Bit worried about losing my fingers to frostbite.