Sunday, October 9, 2005
On Didjeridu

Well, I have been swayed into the realm of noisy sticks.

Been doing a bit of reading up on the Didj' (you may also see it spelt Didgeridoo), and I think that it is probably a good thing I purchased a nice "touristy one" (at least, I think it is more touristy than the lovely plain professional ones), rather than the beautiful blood wood/red wood ("professional") ones. Apparantly in the Northern Territories of Aus',such ones are not an instrument to be played by a woman. (spirits of dead warriors apparantly reside in them...) Perhaps I need to channel Beorn... ;)

Incidentally, he endeavoured to find the fitting translation of the sound of the word, in Old Norse, and it came out as "death rider"... apparantly quite appropriate given the above information, which is odd, when the word "didjeridu" has no meaning in itself! (The Aboriginal people have their own names for this instrument).

Beorn is pleased that this one is made of ironbark.

~Trivia... it is pitched for "B". I didn'treally realise before that didj's had a set pitch, but they do. Juzzza, I expect your "Composition for Didjeridu in B" to arrive, forthwith. Just don't ask me how you score it - I think a bunch of wiggly lines, maybe? ;)

Posted by Kirstin Wright 2005-10-09 19:47:59

Sunday, October 9, 2005
Australia...

(Sorry about those earlier double posts - not sure what happened there..!)

Spent a portion of lastevening attempting to photograph bats. There are a lot of mosquitos in Australia, but I am fighting them off with my trusty tea-tree oil (melaleuca alternifolia, if you please!)

Bats are cool, and live about a ten minute walk away from my parents, inCairns, where I am currently nearingthe end of my holiday. I have also gone out and snorkelled upon the reef at Frankland Is., part of the Great Barrier chain; and that was fun. (Even though this business of breathing only through one's mouth took a bit of getting used to!)

It's too hot to read, here, so I have read nothing of late.

I liked wandering the mangrove swamps (Mum took me up to the Daintree region), and imagining all sorts of things, some of which may coalesce in the "big" in due course. Being away means I have not had much opportunity to type either, and I find myself envious of other people's digital notebooks!

Posted by Kirstin Wright 2005-10-09 19:30:39

Wednesday, September 7, 2005
Ve haff der pain of der Neck

Ow.

Now I know what a chicken poked with skewers feels like (although probably a little more lively.) Life is good, although this bit is less fun, however, it'll pass. It is birthday season, in that I know many individuals who seem to have their birthday all within blamblamblam of each other. One friend calls it "Christmas Baby Syndrome" (Christmas thereabouts + 9 months...)

How convenient that I get my tax return about the same time! (At least, I am waiting for it still...) Holiday coming up soon - down south to visit Grandma (best beloved Grandma!!), and then a brief trip to Australia to see Mum and Dad. I have flown over the place, but never been to it. I can put it off no longer...

Posted by Kirstin Wright 2005-09-07 20:57:54

Thursday, August 4, 2005
Not working!

Clearly I am not, because I am typing this. Approximatly 8 ft. away is the computer upon which I SHOULD be working.

The end of a season (TV show) usually requires a lot more in theFX department, as the theme seems to be "make everything do everything". Busy little bee.

Today I booked a ticket to visit my parents in Cairns for a week. Yes, my sacred feet may yet touch the soil of Australia - or at the very least,it's concrete. Maybe I'll get to see a little of the red sands (which looked so impressive on the fly-over when I went to the U.K. a couple of years ago), but I am aware of how enormous the place is! Haven't been there before.

Anyway, apart from the workload, I have been pretty mellow - and alsoworking ona lot more illustration, on account of being "potentially considered" to illustrate children's books!!!(Got an email recently from an editor who works for the English Heritage Org., who really liked one of the images on my website, and asked if I had a portfolio...)

I have work on my site, but nothing that I think is "practical for children's books." Fortuitously, I had been developing an illustration technique that Iwas really enjoying, which also appears to be quite practical, so have been devoting a bit of effort there, when I can manage it around the current log-jam that is work... :p

Posted by Kirstin Wright 2005-08-04 03:55:26

Sunday, June 26, 2005
Tagged - oy vey...

Okay -

1. Total number of books I own:
Not much - hazarding a guess at 150 - I tend to borrow the books of others more often than I buy.

2. The last book I bought:
Jonathan Strange& Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. It was the cover that suckered me in! The book is an interesting read, although the HUGE amount of footnoting was a bit off-putting at the start. Looking at "Mother Tongue" by Bill Bryson, and the latest one from Robin Hobb, as my favourite.

3. The last book I read:
Tigana - Guy Gavriel Kay (of his books thus far though, I prefer Sailing to Sarantium and its sequel the best.) Currently readinghis A Song for Arbonne.

4. Five books that mean a lot to me:
Impro - Improvisation and the Theatre -Keith Johnstone.He is one of my personal heros, I love this book. It gave me chills of familiarity. It is well thumbed.

Webster's Dictionary - The old Moroccan-bound edition that belongs to my Grandma. Full of the most fascinating obscure trivia and illustrations, for pretty much everything.

Dictionary of Insulting Quotations-Jonathon Green. My dad picked this one for me. I don't know that I've read it that much, but I love the art of insultingwith genuine friendliness. (Even if this book is about just plain "insult", the words are chosen with great taste.) Sentimental value.

An Introduction to Old Norse - E. V. Gordon. Well thumbed, and I am determined to get to grips with it one day.

My Asterix Omnibuses- Goscinny & Uderzo. :( - I want them back! They've been in the storage of the parents of a friend of mine, who, since I lent them, has been married, and had two children - that's how long they've been gone!!

Tag: Kater, Kahnovitch and Cladingboel. (becausethey alliterate!)

Posted by Kirstin Wright 2005-06-26 08:43:49