email number 4 from oz

Email number 4 in a series of messages while in Australia. This one was directed at my acting students in Vancouver and sounds very dated- it was 2003, after all.

In my job to spread goodwill (or at least my favorite expression through out OZ) here is what I've been up to.

As the Aussie teach me their ways, I'm sharing these expressions with the students here and they LOVE it. And by the way, I've told them that EVERYONE at home speaks like this all of the time.

"that's wack"

"stop frontin'"

"booyah" (this gets a great reaction whenever I use it)

"gettin' my snack on" (or drink, or anything else for that matter)

going "all up in there"

threatening someone that you'll "go upside their head"

and of course my all time favorites "I'm all over that", "that's what I'm all about", "that's what I'm talking about"

I've also introduced some good new ones that I've been working into my routine "stop tryin' to be like me", "you only wish you were that cool" (both said whenever someone says ANYTHING to you - especially good when it makes none or little sense)

for example, someone could say to you "Hey, did you watch that cool show on TV last night?" and then you look at them like you can't believe they just said that and say "Stop tryin' to be like me." AND THEN YOU WALK AWAY (that is key - and part of the whole funniness of it).

other good ones that fit the above usage (ie funnier when it makes very little sense, or when the other person is least expecting it)

"that's your answer for everything"

"in your dream psycho/grandma/grandpa (whichever fits your mood at the moment - they all work"

"get over yourself"

"nice try loser"

"you say that so much, it's lost all meaning"

and finally I've starting teaching them how to randomly pluralize words to sound "oldschool"

like

"I've gots to marks your tests"

or

"Youse bests be milking the cows, right about now"

Anyway, I'm carrying out our plan for world vocabulary domination one step at a time as we discussed. We did discuss that, right?

I haven't started on the nicknames (ex. S-A-Rah, Lurns, Denisex Wonx, T. Piddy, Wooj (that is Joe Wood - I never called him that to his face, or to any other part of his body for that matter), Sha-lo (the first two or three letters of your first name, paired up with the first two or three letters of your last name to make a 5 letter name - can everyone figure out whose example I've used)). I'll move on to these in the second half of the year.

later

Tommy

PS I laughed so loud when a student fell over a chair the other day - and I had to explain about Kyle. That was a funny scene - those who saw Kyle break the desk at the elementary school know what I'm sayin'

PPS It is great to hear that this year's plays went well, but I'm wondering - why so little rehearsing? And what is up with the theatre company not being offered? Why? Don't make me come over there!

PPPS After years of talking, I'm actually starting writing my first play (not counting The Greatest Person In The History Of The Universe - where gitu came from). I have numerous ideas and plan to start simple by writing some scenes, down the road if any one is interested I will be looking for some objective people to read them for me for some input.