Morning Musume and Hello Project

モーニング娘。 * ハロー!プロジェクト





The origins of my fandom in Hello! Project are fairly tame. Mid 2001 I started watching subtitled Anime (particularly Sailor Moon) and loved it, part of the whole experience was listening to the many songs that were included in the opening titles, ending credits, and image songs for all the different characters. I listened to the soundtracks many a time, and even more when I found Sera Myu, which was like the holy grail for Sailor Moon fans.


This is the typical story for most J-pop fans, finding it through Anime, then getting obsessed and not watching Anime or reading Manga for a long time afterwards, as you are too busy trying to listen to every J-pop artist around at the time. I first found Ayumi Hamasaki, another very common artist for people to start with. This was 2003, and I absolutely loved her. I looked up similar artists and found Kumi Koda and BoA this way.


Late 2003, I started completely by accident, upon some pictures of a girl band that I thought were very pretty. I was always a fan of female vocalists and girl bands, and looked them up by saying something like '12 member Japanese Girl Band' - Of course, at the time, the only girl band with that many members was Morning Musume.


I looked them up online and found a few music videos, also found out a song called 'Roman ~ My dear Boy' was their most current release. I promptly bought a few DVD's of theirs that chronicled their music videos up to the time, and a concert, which I remember vividly was '2002 Love is Alive! - Maki Goto's graduation. I watched that first before any of the music video DVD's, and was promptly BLOWN AWAY.


This concert blew my mind. I remember being absolutely fixated on all the members and speechless at the enormity and extravagance of it all. The 5th generation members were my favourite at the time, and Risa Niigaki especially struck me. Being quite close to all of them in age I was just amazed that girls the same age as me could perform as good as that. I rewatched that concert so many times before I realized I could buy loads more concerts, but still to this day, that is the best Morning Musume concert I have ever watched.


Shortly afterwards, my PV DVD's arrived and I invited a few friends over to watch them with me. Again, immediately, Yuko Nakazawa stood out as being particularly beautiful and talented. We were head over heels with her, and intoxicated with the cute and funky poppy songs, and with the consistently changing member lineup. We learned all of their names especially quickly, as they all have such individual looks, it wasn't hard. We were only mixed up between KagoTsuji for a very short period of time. As they actually look nothing alike. But when someone dresses them indentical with mirrored hair, it can get a bit difficult.


As the time went past, we got into all the different Hello! Project groups. At that time, Berryz Koubou were in their infant stages, but I still found them incredibly talented and liked them from the get go. C-ute didn't exsist until 2005, but I liked them too (not as much as Berryz though.) Also Otomegumi/Sakuragumi, Shuffle Units, Country Musume, Coconuts Musume (who already by then was just Ayaka and Mika, very soon only to be Ayaka) and the soloists, Maki Goto and Aya Matsuura being the two biggest at the time. All this bubblegum pop was swirling around in my head and to be honest, I got a little obsessed.


I bought Shirts, CD's, DVD's, Musicals, funny little accessories, rare items, got a fringe cut that made my face look silly but I wanted it anyway because everyone in Morning Musume had a fringe (even Risa by then.) My favourites at the 2004 period were: Risa Niigaki, Hitomi Yoshizawa, Miki Fujimoto and Kaori Iida. Brilliant girls, and I really envied Miki's brilliant voice.


What I always thought was ridiculous, is that they are not allowed to have boyfriends, or even friends who are boys at any time, because they have to be perceived as 'available' (this is the same of many idols, even to this day, AKB48, Idoling!!!, etc)


This, unfortunately encourages what is known as the 'wota' - extreme fans who collect everything about their favourite girl and have a delusional vision that she could one day be his girlfriend. If you have ever seen any videos of these people, they are quite..sad, and will probably never get a real girlfriend because of their lonely habits. They hang around with packs of other wota, worshipping their idols like they were 15th century monarchs.


It's unhealthy and it's weird, it's bad enough if the wota were of similar ages to the girls, or even in their mid to late twenties. But they aren't, they are older, 30s, 40s, 50s, now, it's fine to be a fan at any age of course, but to think that your favourite Girl Band member will drop everything to elope with you one day is very, very sad, and should not be encouraged.


I was shocked at the low sound of the cheering from my first Morning Musume concert, and we didn't understand that the male fanbase often scare a lot of the female fanbase out of the concerts from their annoying and pathetic habits. I say the girl fans need to take back the concert majority! Take on the wota!


As the years went by, my fandom of Morning Musume seemed to go down, and peaked at Kanashimi Twilight, I have not been such a big fan since that time. Hitomi leaving and Koharu becoming a front girl was a big drop for me, and my focus seemed to shift to Berryz Koubou, who have not had a member change since Maiha Ishimura left. These girls are extremely talented and all have pretty good voices, Miyabi Natsuyaki and Yurina Kumai, in my opinion, being the strongest vocally.


Their songs have been consistently good since their debut in 2004, and their dancing and concerts have only gotten better. Since they have been such a strong unit for such a long time, I feel that if one left, which may happen pretty soon as they are all adults now. It may break the strength, although C-ute seemed to be fine after 3 members leaving, and they are probably better without Kanna Arihara, Erika Umeda and Megumi Murakami, although they all contributed at the time, it is no point staying if your heart isn't in it, as it will show right through your performance.


As of 2011, we now have 4 new 9th generation members in Morning Musume, the first upbeat and happy single since 'Ambitious! Yashinteki de ii jan' (which wasn't very well put together anyway, this feels like a better production), Berryz Koubou have just had their strongest and maybe even their best album ever (7 Berryz Times) and are about to perform in the USA. C-ute have had an incredible single (Kiss Me! Aishiteru) and what I am anticipating to be a fantastic album, full of their electro-infused dance tracks that they have become so good at. Smileage, even though I am not too fond of them, are gaining sales and popularity with each single, and hopefully one day, when they stop sounding like 8 year olds (>.>) will become strong in their own right.


As for soloists, since Tsunku took the rash (but probably correct, looking back) decision to graduate the entire elder club (any graduated MM members plus Aya Matsuura) from Hello! Project and move them to their own fan club called M-Line. There seemed to be a gap in the Hello! Project for great solo vocalists. Erina Mano took the stage in 2008 and debuted under a major label in 2009. While she is not terrible to listen to, I can see big potential in H!P's newest soloist. Yuu Kikkawa.


She was in the finalists for 8th generation, which Aika Mitsui passed, and was instead put into H!P Eggs, getting experience from performing in the Milky Way unit with Koharu Kusumi and in exclusive H!P egg concerts, everyone was surprised when it was announced she would be debuting under a major label with the song 'Kikkake wa YOU!' a play on her name.


Watching the video, it is clear a lot of work has gone into it, and while I am kind of a little sick of the 'child woman' angle (she is almost 20) - I can see why she is going to be very popular. She's cute and has a very sweet voice.


Now that Eri Kamei (one of my favourites) JunJun and LinLin have graduated from Morning Musume, and Ai Takahashi is going to graduate in September. A lot hinges on the new generation of Morning Musume, will a 10th gen audition be rushed through? 4th, 5th and 6th gen were all added in quick succession. Does that mean over the next few years we will see an onslaught of new faces and Morning Musume will become fun again? As Ai Takahashi's graduation will leave a big hole, a BIG hole in Morning Musume, maybe the biggest since Natsumi Abe graduated. The difference is that Natsumi had a solo career to fall back on. Ai doesn't. Will they finally give her the solo career she so deserves? Or will she fade into obscurity like so many others before her?


I hope to see Hello! Project gaining sales and popularity faced with J-idol giant and superseller AKB48.


The future of Hello! Project is bright!

The Brilliance of Kate.

Ever since about 7 years ago, when I heard 'Babooshka' on the radio, and made a passing comment that I thought that song was good, I have had a deep, passionate love for everything that is Kate Bush.


My father took that comment, and bought me a Kate Bush Greatest Hits album the next time he was at the shops. I listened to it, and immediately fell head-over-heels in love with every single track. I have so many favourites of hers, you could say her entire discography is my favourite. (If you pushed me, 'Cloudbusting' would probably be my number 1...but that may change tomorrow..)


Every song she releases, or puts on an album, is so marvellously thought out, so liquid in flow and motion, it puts my mind into a state of ecstasy listening to her. Her lyrics are so different then just silly love songs you hear so frequently. They have meaning, sometimes on many different levels. She injects humour, tenderness, and the deepest feelings that I can experience listening to music.


The instrumentals that her incredible lyrics are backed up with is eclectic, different, full of unique instruments that aren't always used in popular music. When she uses generic instruments, she plays then with such magnificence that it strikes the heart, overwhelming the senses.


Kate Bush's high octave range and effortless flow from high notes into low sends a shiver up the spine. She has shaped my life by putting me into moods I never thought possible. My dream, one day, would be to see her live. It is a long-shot, but I hope that one day it will come true.

The Problem with Clubbing.

Clubbing is fun. Even if you don't drink. Getting drunk off the music is enough for me. But there are several very annoying parts of this culture that are incredibly obvious and needs to be rectified.

Getting Drunk: While fun, getting so drunk off your face that you have no idea where you are anymore is not good. Best to be done maybe at a house party. As, on the dancefloor, the biggest drunkards will always make fools of themselves, and need to be carried off to a quieter place. Don't get so drunk that you are out of control of your own decisions, that's irresponsible and can lead to dangerous encounters. Or even just embarassing photos uploaded to facebook the next day.

Dancing: I LOVE to dance. I would dance all night if there wasn't a very big problem. Guys gyrating up against you. Guys. STOP THAT RIGHT NOW. Learn to read body signals before you think you can just hook up with every girl at the club. Because very recently I realized, a very small amount of guys actually like clubbing. They go to hook up. That's it. There really needs to be a badge you can wear if you are taken or not interested. As it's just becomes a disgusting orgy on the dancefloor after a while.

Which leads me to my next problem,

Hook-ups: Okay, so we understand that drunk people are also overtly friendly. Sometimes to the point where they can't help hugging, kissing or fondling each other on the floor. That is appalling and unacceptable. If you want to hook up, go find a corner or go upstairs away from the throb of the crowd. Although, I must say, the crowd encourage it. The mentality that you are safe around a big group of people is probably the reason a lot of people do not go elsewhere.

Friends-hooking-up-with-friends is also quite..I'm not sure what to say...pathetic?

You want to kiss your friend, so you get all the attention of the boys on the dancefloor, then when one of them wants some, you wonder why? Isn't that called a cocktease? While I understand the freedom of every person is important, and people should be able to do what they want without being harassed. That is bound to attract unwanted attention.

I used to never understand why so many straight girls go to gay clubs, but now it is perfectly clear. Men are a big problem at these clubs, there needs to be a women-only-but-not-necessarily-lesbian club. As the amount of guys acting like complete idiots was staggering. It was not simply a few of a large crowd. It was the majority of the crowd. Can't I just enjoy the music and dance?

Now, it's not like I am particularly attractive either. I'm just your average girl. It's just like my friend Nicola said 'It's because I have a pulse, and I am standing here' - is exactly right. These guys are trawling the clubs, asking any girl who looks half-decent, if they want to hook up. It's not even a 'hi how are you, my names joe' introduction-style. Which I would appreciate and be very polite to. It's 'HEYY LAYDEEEES'. It absolutely ruins a good night of dancing have that happening.

Transport: Getting to a club seems to be easy enough, but just you try to get home if you don't have a lift arranged. Public transport is horrendously under-represented, even in big cities like London. I remember sitting outside the Fortitude Valley train station in Brisbane, waiting for it to open, and never thought the same kind of thing could happen in London. Turns out it does, and it's much worse. The train from the major station, Victoria, starts at a reasonable time, but it is bloody hard to get to the actual station if you are nowhere near it. Best bet is to save some extra money just for the cab to the train station.

These tiny occurances make it harder to have a good time and just let go. London is a major international city, it needs to start thinking how many people travel from quite far to be there on a night out. They would not lose money opening the tube/train station earlier so people don't freeze walking around in the cold.

Also, men need to learn that NO means NO. It seems to be a hard concept to grasp. It's really quite easy. Don't hit on girls who are dancing tight, dancing together, having a good time. Don't ruin their night. If you are desperate to hook up, go for those skanky girls gyrating in the middle of the throb.

I like clubbing, but it'd be better if these problems were fixed, and not just 'part of the night' - I have a feeling nothings ever going to change though.

Toku - Restaurant Review

On January 30th, 2011, the fateful night of my 24th Birthday, my boyfriend, my best friend and I all went to London to try out the Japanese restaurant Toku.
As we entered, and commented that we had made a reservation, we were curteously brought to our table and handed the very fine-crafted wooden menus. Left to think for a while, the first thing we were struck by was the immense amount of choice.


Pages and pages of the finest sushi, sashimi, curries, noodles and tempura dishes, along with other Japanese delicacies. We found it quite difficult settling on just one dish, so we each ordered two. One hot meal and one cold one. We also ordered two starters to share between the three of us.


Between the three of us, we ordered:


- Chicken Katsu Curry
- Salmon Sashimi
- Avocado Roll
- King Prawn Tempura
- Beef Gyu Don (with raw egg)
- Beef Udon with Broth
- Salmon and Eel Nigiri
- Assorted Nigiri Plate


I need to talk about these exquisite dishes before I move onto the desserts. My dish was the Beef Udon with broth, which was a fantastically large bowl for the price it was. The noodles were delicious and soft, the beef was tender and had a really good texture, the thin slices drew in the flavour from the broth. I also tried the Beef Gyu Don, which was lovely with the raw egg, a combination that you don't expect to work, but surprisingly does.
The Chicken Katsu Curry had a real bite that only lasted a few seconds, so you got a smooth and luxurious curry and chicken mouthful, plus a hit of spice at the end. Absolutely fantastic.


Then we get onto the sushi and nigiri platters. I really cannot express in words how perfect these were. The avocado was perfectly ripe and soft, just the freshest ingredients were used, and it really shows. The salmon, THE SALMON. I could write a whole post dedicated to the soft, buttery, velvety taste that was the salmon. It tasted like it had literally just jumped out of the sea onto your plate. It melted in your mouth and the flavour lingered there long enough to make you want to pop another one in. Really, really unexpected.
The Eel was another very, very good choice. Eel, when I have eaten it in the past, never having a bad flavour, but often being too dry or too slimy. This eel was brilliant, it, like the salmon, melted when it hit your tongue and was not chewy or unsatisfying in any way. It was perfect. All of the food we ate, even though we were so full, we finished because it was just so delicious. The quality was outstanding.


Then we had a break and chatted for a bit, before ordering dessert. I ordered Green Tea Ice Cream, which was very refreshing and was not overpowering in the least.
This food, this excellent food, really made my birthday something to remember, and we will definitely be all heading back there again.
~
5 stars for quality.

Environmental Music Choices

Sweet beats, guitar riffs and smooth drum snares. We hear them from a very young age, we absorb them. We might make fun of our parents for listening to such out of date music, but soon, we learn that the music of their generation gives us ultimately, so much more pleasure than listening to music of our own.


The 90's pop revival and forging of r'n'b as a genre is something that my generation remembers vividly. Girl bands such as Spice Girls and Destinys Child, boy bands such as Boyzone, Take That and many more, became popular in the 90's with the re-imagination of what being a young person is. Making money from youth had always been in society's head, but never so much as the music marketing of the 1990's.


When I was a child, growing up and listening to a lot of these pop bands, I made
fun of my father for listening to the music of the 1980's, and my mother for being
a 1970's fan. As I got older, I slowly realized that I would much rather listen to
the amazing glam-rock of the 70's, and the pumping electro-pop of the 80's, then
the childish music of my younger years. Which is what makes the music of our
parents, and sometimes even our grandparents, so much more timeless.


The fact that they bring back so many more memories also influences us in future
choices. Electronic music is often a high choice of mine, as I listened to so much
of it when I was a child. The newer generation, and by this, I mean, perhaps people born after 1995, if their parents are younger, they are not going to get this exposure to fantastic older music. Does this mean in 10 years time, 90's is going to be counted as a great time for music?


Personally I don't know how it could be, there was so much generic, manufactured
and tightly controlled pop/r'n'b, and the development of rap and hip hop (Which
started in the late 80's but didn't really become popular until the 90's) that the
singer/songwriter and bands that had worked incredibly hard to get where they
were, started to die off. Not that I am saying all 90's music is bad, it definitely is not, but as a decade, it had less to offer than it's predecessors.


In the 2000's, we had more R'n'B, and much less pop. Endless girl bands trying to show us how badass they were, and boy bands that would never actually refer to
themselves as a 'boy band' - less they sound 'gay'. Now, in the 10's, we are
starting to bring back some of that fantastic versatility from the 70's and 80's,
with a bit of candy-pop from the 90's thrown in for good measure. We have
fantastic rock bands, pop bands and soloists that cover all different sub-genre's
of pop, hardcore/metal bands with actual meaningful lyrics, and alternative
artists that don't really fit into any one category, we are spoilt for choice.


The fact that these younger artists are taking influence from all over the world,
and indeed, all through the history of music, is such a fantastic thing. All of us
have different tastes, and when we find that band or soloist that really hits our
heart, we are made the better for it.

Album Review: Record Collection

Mark Ronson and the Business Intl - Record Collection





This album, advertised all over London during September, did not initially pike my interest, until I saw Mark Ronson on the Rob Brydon show. He was so charismatic and entertaining that I decided to give it a go. I watched a few videos on youtube firstly, and 'The Bike Song' and 'Circuit Breaker' were so different to the majority of music these days that I went out and bought the album.

Now, I have had good and bad experiences buying albums after only hearing one or perhaps two songs. Sam Sparro's debut album impressed me greatly after only hearing 'Black and Gold' a few years ago. Empire of the Sun is another good example.

Record Collection's catalogue of songs takes influence from 80's synthpop with a touch of 70's disco thrown in. Using talented vocalists as his leads, such as the amazing Rose Elinor Dougall and Amanda Warner from MNDR (featured on the first track, 'Bang Bang Bang')

The main influences I can hear in Mark Ronson's work is Eurythmics, Roxette, Depeche Mode, with an infusion of new millenium hard dance. This album is pure ecstasy for the ears, with no tracks that you would want to skip. A breakdown of the album is like so:


1. Bang Bang Bang - Featuring Q-Tip and MNDR - This track is brilliant, the epitome of new synth, with an infectious rhythm and funky French lyrics in the chorus that are delivered with a cool and effortless attitude. The video clip is also fantastic. Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzE5dS6fnFk


2. Lose It (In the End)- (featuring Ghostface Killah and Alex Greenwald) - The R'n'B and rap fusion in this track really works, with a lacing of trance in the middle, an eclectic and toe-tapping mix. Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ooz6nj_G6U"


3. The Bike Song - (featuring Kyle Falconer and Spank Rock)- This is a funky track, a bit more pop than the others, with a laid-back and casual feel, Kyle Falconer's voice suits this track, the rap in the middle is lighthearted and fun. Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt_aKauLrjA


4. Somebody to Love Me - (featuring Boy George and Andrew Wyatt) - A fantastic mix of ballad and pop, the lyrics indicate sadness and a kind of regret for what one's future has become. 'See the boy I once was in my eyes' especially shows this. Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoVj3O15ZQQ


5. You Gave Me Nothing - (featuring Rose Elinor Dougall and Andrew Wyatt) - This would be a fantastic break-up song, it empowers the individual I absolutely adore Dougall's voice, it's smooth as honey and has a slight Brit twang to it. A song that should be pumped loud, as should all of them, really. Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOKvw-KrX3k


6. The Colour of Crumar - A little instrumental ditty, that is still quite catchy all on its own, but would be great as a lead-in to a longer song as well. Or even used on a movie score, it would work quite well. Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blZ4VJZkDL0"


7. Glass Mountain Trust - (featuring D'Angelo) - Another song with a bit of R'n'B fusion. D'Angelo's voice really adds a depth to this song that perhaps wouldn't be there without him. The 'I'm Free Now' lyric really resonates. Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTxRnAQlp78


8. Circuit Breaker - Another instrumental, but this time it is absolutely addictive to listen to, could be formatted to fit a jazz or hip-hop dance group, or be remixed to play in clubs, the stop-start type format of the song leaves you wanting more when it ends. This song could be doubled in time and it would be just as awesome. Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t75Kc_H59EA


9. Introducing the Business - (featuring Pill and London Gay Men's Chorus)- 'This is the business, prepare to take witness' - Another synth/rap fusion, Ronson's way of mixing these genres assures that it is always something that works. Although I thought this track perhaps should be track 1. Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSapJUCXPJQ


10. Record Collection - (featuring Simon Le Bon and Wiley) - The lyrics to this track is better than the music itself. Which is a bit repetitive, but that is not to say it is a bad track, but the music isn't as addictive as some of the other songs. Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjoEA1vaKkM


11. Selector - A slow, easy listening track that is a good transition between the two sandwiching songs. Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7w58gM0ZlI


12. Hey Boy -(featuring Rose Elinor Dougall and Theophilus London) - Another gorgeous song with the velvety voice of Dougall, this is a very 'in love' song. The lyric 'that boy, he's so beautiful, sleeping in the chair' - what a stunning line. This song reminds me of love. The rap, is perhaps a bit misplaced in this song, it's funky, but not really needed. Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtJKUiSaIYs


13. Missing Words - Another instrumental, a thing I love about this album is that they showcase their musical talent as well as lyrical. This has a slight harmonical feel about it. Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx-FWAKWDPM


14. The Night Last Night - (featuring Rose Elinor Dougall and Alex Greenwald)
This is a very funky, and different song, they have broken the music mould with this, adding upbeat drum beats, and Dougall's voice, again, slows it right down and changes the pace at all the right moments. A brilliant track. Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_koM7WtiLfk


All in all, this album is very worth buying, and I am hoping that sometime in the future, they release a special edition with a DVD, or extra tracks and such. Mark Ronson has exploded onto the music scene and I hope this is not the last we hear of him, or his record collection.

Retail Hijinx

Working in the retail industry since I was 16, I have noticed a burgeoning trend for rudeness. Which happens less in big department stores (although it still happens, less at the tills because most of the time people are buying a lot of items and small talk is needed to fill the silence), and much more in smaller stores. The 'impulse' item industry has gone through the roof over the past 10 years, and the problem is, entire stores are now becoming 'impulse' stores.

There is still no need for the lack of manners, the blatant ignorance for curtesy, and the attitude that people, of any age and gender, give to shop workers. Really, people should not need to be told what to do and what not to do, but they do. They need it a ton. Thus, I present to you, a short list of DO's and DO NOT DO's of being a customer.

DO!
1. Smile at the cashier. I cannot tell you how a sulky face puts me in a sulky mood myself, 10 sulky faces in a row is just bloody unnessecary.

2. Say 'Hello!' or 'Hi!' back when they greet you. Don't ignore us and just walk away. 'What a bitch' we'll think about you.

3. Try and take the time to give correct change. I know that this isn't always possible, but it is definitely appreciated. Don't use us as a bank and just change large notes for a bottle of water. You may think this isn't a big deal, but when 10 people do it in a row, it becomes a very big deal. The change runs out, and then you bitch that you can't have a 5 pound note when you give us a tenner for something that costs 50p. DON'T DO IT.

4. Say 'thankyou' when they give you the change. This isn't hard. Just be a nice person. Simply. This shouldn't even have to be written. But I guarantee you every.single. worker in the country, and even all over the world, has a rude customer story. Don't be one of those rude customers.

DO NOT DO!
1. Don't talk on your phone at the counter! This is one of the rudest things you can do and it pisses everyone off! Just put it down for one second! Because if there is one thing we can't stand, it's people who ignore us!

2. Don't leave your ipod earphones in your ears, then ask what the price is again when you weren't listening to us the first time.

3. Have a LOOK for what you want first, instead of making us find something for you as soon as you walk through the door. Use those things called eyes first!

4. Do I have my bag on? Jumper on? Looking relaxed? I'm probably finished for the day, haven't started yet or I am on break. LEAVE ME ALONE AT ALL COSTS.

5. Don't get angry at us if we don't have exactly what you need. It is probably not our fault. It is mostly a supplier problem.

6. Check that is EXACTLY what you want before you pay for it! AND CHECK the return policy if you plan on returning anything. Even if you don't, check it just in case. Don't bring back the item after the return period then have a whinge when we can't do anything about it.

7. Don't put the money on the counter when the cashier is holding their hand out for it. This is extremely rude and we will respond by putting YOUR change on the counter, no matter how much of it there is. See how inconvenient that is?

We will always remember the bad customers. So try not to be one of them. Just people the way you want to be treated, basically. Customer service is a repetitive, boring, brain-numbingly annoying job, and we can ALWAYS tell when someone has never worked a day in their life. The naivety isn't charming, it's grating. When you are serving the same type of person all day long, try and stand out as one of the good ones. The good customers brighten a day. You don't realize how much good you are doing by being a good customer.

London

Since moving to London. I have become...less patient, less caring, less fun, and in general a grumpier, angrier, more annoyed person. I know what you're thinking, how on earth could YOU get any MORE of any of those things. Very easily.

You do not think of London as a carefree type place, it is a strained, stressed, pumping city that throbs and beats, like a big heart. It sleeps, but very lightly. It is dirty, it stinks and it's expensive. Why would I love living here so much then?

I have such a love/hate relationship with this city. It comes from the fact that I live in such a dank area of the East, which, I persuade anyone moving to London not to move to East London. It's racist, sexist, confronting and forces you to change the way you feel about certain things. Which, I suppose, all in all, may not be such a bad thing.

A faith school in East London had children pouring out of it last night and I felt immense pity for them, until I realized they were still at an age where it wasn't affecting them yet, they were running, screaming, playing, just normal kids. Yet I know that as they get older, the religion that is forced on them will squeeze out all their creativity, and capability for open minded thinking. But, even just for this brief moment in time, they are happy, laughing children. Just like anyone else.

Piccadilly at night is a wonder to behold. The giant Sanyo neon sign pumping and the endless tourists posing in silhouettes against it. I take a breath every time I walk out of the tube station and see it. It seems like I am in a sort of eternity, but, things will change, people will change.

Will they?

Londons people are of a few stark different kinds. The posh middle and upper class. The average working class, the tourists, and the scum. The scum, I do not think I am acting too rashly when I say it is anyone who spits, leaves litter, pees in a public place, yells catcalls at women, screams at someone on the tube hoping to provoke a fight, and bible bashers. Stop ruining London.

The freedom of this city is overrun by the idiots, and while I do not mean to sound snobby, as I am far from an upperclass man myself, I just wish people were a little more polite. When I first got here I took every pamphlet, listened to every crier, stared at every homeless person, said sorry to everyone I bumped into. Now, I could care less about every one of them. I am encased in my own little world. Headphones in and not ready to smile at any of them. As many of the others are.

I hope this does not affect my friendliness in the long run, as I know I am quite a stressed and highly strung person. I don't want to become worse, and completely closed off from meeting excellent new people. London is a great city, and if you pick your places, it can make a good home, but I wouldn't recommend it to live for anyone who has high stress levels.

Oikos (ii-kos)

This show was unlike anything I have seen before. Heavily steeped in Hindi Biblical mythology, 'Oikos' opens on a man, Salil, overworked and frustrated, coming home from work. He is stressed, talking on two phones at once, and clearly exhausted. He remembers the simpler times, back in his home in India. When he and his sister used to play a game that involved a rock, a skip, and good balance.

"Boys don't have good balance!!"

What follows is a tumble through the interesting, but surprisingly normal, lives of 3 family members. Salil, and his wife and daughter. Who are both feeling disconnected from him, as he spends so much time at work. His wife, emotional but unyielding, volunteers for the poorer Chinese people in the area, as she likes their 'family ethics', she is also desperate to reconnect with Salil. His daughter, Lily, is a teenage dirtbag, who frequents parties, and is going through what you would call her 'rebellious' phase. However, Salil is having re-occuring dreams and visions about his life in India, and his family.

We find out later that his family were drowned. Salil blames Gungah, the water god, for taking them away from him, and as we see, his past may come back to haunt him in more ways than one.

The acting is suberb, the setting is intimate, and the storyline is sublime. So different from anything I have ever seen before, and I can only say positive things about it. The way the actors interact with other 'people' (as in, acting with no one there) is incredible. The Oikos Project is indeed a fantastic one, and I believe everyone should go see this show!

Hollywood

The obvious differences between the Hollywood of today and 50 years ago is more apparent now than it has ever been. I am not simply talking about the changes in dress and style. I am talking about acting talent.

Today, it seems, anyone who is hot enough can be an actor, and I am talking about women. Men, can be as ugly as the back of a bus but still get acting jobs (although I must say that has been declining in recent years too, and the current male actors are ridiculously polished.)

Acting talent has decreased substantially, wooden, expressionless faces are seemingly the norm, and god help you if you are a woman older than 50 in Hollywood. Not just in Hollywood, but even in our own local news stations. How often is it you see an older male of around 60, but a younger woman as his co-anchor? I don't even think i've ever seen older women REPORTERS on the news. Let alone as the main face!

Now, I do consider myself a feminist, but only in the old sense of the word. In movies lately, the female roles are still substantially less than the male roles. Women have very stereotypical roles, 'ditzy', 'ingenue', 'she liked the bad boy but now she likes the good boy', 'bad ass for difference' and 'shes the sensible one.'

It's just pathetic. Also, body image is heavily, heavily influenced by models. Models, who frequently become actors themselves, are usually not trained in acting, but agencies don't mind, if they look good on the camera, then they are usually given precedence. Which is disgusting. Normal sized women are already hard to come by in the skinny-obsessed industry, it doesn't help when models are making their way in as well.

I don't have a problem with models wanting to be actors, but they need to be able to ACT. This seems to be a hard thing for people to understand. Normal sized women should not be 'refreshing' in Hollywood. It should be NORMAL. We should be putting more pressure on studios to do this more often.

The female role in fame has strengthened greatly in the last ten years, with excellent role models such as Tina Fey for the comedy stage (which we are very under-represented), and Christina Hendricks for television. Where she has not yielded to pressure to fit in, as her body is very feminine, putting aside that she works on 'Mad Men' - she would have fit into 50's Hollywood perfectly.

Women need to make sure that this kind of difference, this individuality, is expressed. All types, but especially types that do not fit the norm. Boyish types, Overtly feminine types, sporty types. Women need to have as much variety as men do in Hollywood, and I am sure, over the next 50 years, we can put acting talent back as something that is genuinly admired, rather than just looks alone.