Manila Thriller

I read about this in my local paper this morning and just had to check it out. Seems the inmates in the Phillipines needed something to do and dancing to Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' was the perfect way to pass the time.

Now, I was impressed with the choreography of getting 1500+ inmates all inline to do the moves to the dance. I mean, these guys (and one 'lady') sure do have rhythm!

If only they could've dressed up for the occassion rather than wear those not so flattering prison jumpsuits...

I've discovered Facebook

And My God... what an addiction!

I was travelling in Paris for a few days in 2006 to see in the New Year for 2007 (I have previously put some pictures up in my January post titled - 'Seeing in 2007, Parisian Style'). Anyway, I was staying at a nice little hostel only a stone's throw from the Louvre museum and in my dorm were two lovely American College girls from Ohio. I am a somewhat experienced backpacker who was travelling on my own and they hadn't done much travelling, but they had the company of each other. So, they took me under their wing and I spent some time with them in the few days I was in Paris.

We played the tourist, ate at a nice restaurant, checked out the Notre Dame and instead of joining me for the (non-existent) Fireworks at the Eiffel Tower... they watched it on T.V. in a Parisian bar. They were two of the friendliest girls I've met in my travels.

I got their email addresses and contact details and we parted ways. Before I left them though, they mentioned Facebook and said I had to join it. I didn't know what it was really, though it wasn't the first time I'd heard the name.

That was all the way back in January. This week, I finally decided to join because I had a few emails from friends around the world saying that they use the site and it's a great way to keep up with what everyone's doing.

I've been able to put a map on my page and can pin point all the teeny tiny towns around the world I've been to. At present, the count is 210 cities in 19 countries. I'm not sure that's accurate, because it includes places off the beaten track like a 1000 population town in country Australia or a place I stopped at overnight while driving across the USA. It would've been more, but I decided not to list EVERY place the greyhound bus stopped in my travels!

Besides listing where you've been and where you'd like to go, you can put music on there and make note of your favourite sports teams. Naturally, being the fan of American sports that I am, I've already discovered how to list my favourite Major League Baseball and National Hockey League teams as well as making mention of my favourite players.

I can also add photos and view my friends photos and I can see where in the world they are and where in the world they're going. It's a wonderful network and it certainly has grown on my in the very short space that I've come to use it.

I'm sure we all don't 'talk' as much as we used to. Certainly not the way my parents were brought up in the world, but the internet is a wonderful way to stay in touch with the happenings of your family and friends spread out across the globe. That said, I still don't trust enough in the internet so I'm still deciding whether to put my surname on Facebook. For the moment, my first name is listed as my surname and I've put something else as my first name. Maybe that'll change, but I don't have a common surname. Perhaps when I become more carefree and a little more trusting in the world wide web then I may update it.

For the moment, it's a great way to keep up with everyone and I seem to be on there everyday!

In Celebration

That's the title of the play that Orlando Bloom is performing in currently on London's West End.

I went to watch it this past Monday night. The 9th. I didn't know what it was about, my friend booked the tickets and me, ever one to jump at the chance to take in a night at the theatre said I'd go along with her. I asked her what it was about, and she couldn't really tell me. I figured, well, it can't be too bad if it's sold out for it's entire season run.

Turns out the reason it's sold out is because of this guy....




Yes, that's Orlando Bloom. Will Turner in Gore Verbinski's Pirates Trilogy. Or you may know him as Legolas in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. His didn't have the moustache then and his hair was blonder and longer, but it's definitely the same guy.

I guess it's good news for the other actors in a play when you can get someone famous enough that they'll help boost your ticket sales because I apologise Mr Bloom, but you're probably the only reason people are off to see this play. I just didn't get it. Maybe it's because I'm not english. Infact, I think that's why. My friend that came along with me is english, born and bred in London and even she said that tourists just wouldn't get it.



I have another friend who went to see it on the Saturday night. She too is english and she only sort of understood it - the family dynamics and what not. She even went on to say that it was 'the world's most boring play'. A little harsh perhaps, but I admit that even I got bored and fidgety with it and I'm not usually like that. If I had to relay the play back to you, give you a little run down of what it was about, I really couldn't say.

The same friend went on to say that Mr Bloom's accent kept drifting in and out. He's from London I believe, but in the play he's meant to have a northern english accent and I guess the locals could tell because both of my friends said they noticed the change. In all honesty, I couldn't tell he wasn't saying his words properly. Probably because most of the time I was trying to get my head around the fact that the whole cast was speaking funny!




Even if the play didn't appeal to me, the man of the evening certainly did. He came out to greet his waiting fans and signed autographs for them. He must've signed for about 10 minutes reaching over fans to grab playbills from the back for those that couldn't manage to make their way to the front. Even though there were people infront of me, I managed to get a good spot right near his car and the above is my favourite photo of the evening.

I'm sure you recognise the watermark by now. Yes, it's for Citizen Image.

'Hairspray' World Premiere

So, I know I'm well overdue for a movie premiere post, but here it is.

Last Thursday (July 5th) was the World Premiere for 'Hairspray'. A remake of the 1988 original, the movie sees John Travolta dressing up as a woman and unknown star Nikki Blonsky in her film debut. Here she is in London's Leicester Square signing for the fans.

Nikki was just lovely and spent time signing and posing for the fans who'd been waiting since lunchtime. I even managed to get my photo signed as well as take some pictures.

Here's Zac Ephron doing an interview with Nikki. The girls went absoloutely crazy for him. The screaming was so loud!

I missed his autograph at the premiere, but a friend managed to get it the next day. Zac's most popular role to date is that of 'Troy' in 'High School Musical'.

Elijah Kelley who came over and signed because the guy infront of me (that's his white sleeve) was chanting really loudly for him. I managed to get his autograph as well.

White sleeve guy was yelling for Amanda Bynes so she too came over and signed for the waiting fans.

She was quite lovely and came back a second time to sign again.

Here's Andy Serkis who turned up after the movie's teenage stars had walked the red... er... rainbow carpet.

You may have seen Mr Serkis in 'The Prestige' which also starred Christian Bale and my fellow aussie Hugh Jackman.

But you most likely saw him as Gollum in the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy. He was also Kong in 'King Kong'. He was very nice and spent time signing and chatting to the fans.

The surprise of the evening was when Freddie Prinze Jr turned up with his wife Sarah Michelle Gellar. I wasn't able to get a great photo of her, because my zoom on the camera's not that good. Freddie was nice enough to sign for the fans and said 'I'll sign for as many of you as I can'.

On the way in to the cinema he turned to the fans, kissed his two index fingers and gave us the peace sign.

There was no John Travolta, Michelle Pfieffer or Christopher Walken. I guess you can't win 'em all!

(All pictures are watermarked for Citizen Image)

I emailed you...

Did you get it?

It was some weeks ago. I wonder if you recieved it.

Perhaps it was lost in cyberspace. That's been happening to me for some weeks now. I changed my email format and now I find I lose an email. Not all of the time. Just now and then. I think I have a 95% success rate. Still 5% is a lot of emails to go missing. Especially when they're paragraphs long and so much thought goes into them.

I sent one to Brisbane... it never made it. I sent another to Toronto but it too got lost along the way. I sent two to Los Angeles... both never reached their destination.

And then I sent yours... to the desert city. I wonder if it made it there. And if it did and you didn't have time to reply, then that's o.k. Sometimes we get a little busy. Sometimes it's hard to keep up. Sometimes life just happens.

I hope this note finds you well. I'm sure you'll read it. I hope you're smiling and life is treating you good.

Just know that you are thought of often and much.