Anyone who has ever met me knows I am the biggest Harry Potter nerd in the entire world. I have read all the books a minimum of ten times each, own a wand, regularly wear my Slytherin scarf in public, and, uh, may or may not have a playlist on my iPod entitled ‘Wrock’ (Wizard Rock, or songs written about Harry Potter for the uninitiated among us). I’m heartbroken that the final movie is coming out next month (midnight screening with a giant box of tissues? I think so) but I was so excited when I discovered my local cinema is playing each of the movies one last time in the lead-up to the final release. I own all the movies on DVD (and may or may not own numerous copies of a few of them), but there’s something so magical about reliving them in the cinema, especially as I was quite young when the first two were released.
The movies will never, ever live up to the books (the list of issues I have with the movies would take me hours to go through), but they’re brilliant in their own way (the fact that they contain Tom Felton, who is coming to Australia again this week but who my mother is not letting me see because she doesn’t understand our true love, has nothing to do with it at all), so for the next month, you’ll know where to find me on a Saturday afternoon.
While I have never been able to catch a ball – the only subject I have ever failed is P.E. – I have always been brilliant at talking (and talking, and talking), so while in primary school, a teacher decided to throw me behind a lectern and I’ve never looked back. This year marks my sixth year of Public Speaking and my fifth of debating.
This month has been Public Speaking Season for me, with competitions or debates every week. Due to HSC commitments next year, and also being slightly over it, this is my last year competitively speaking. I’m quite happy with how I’ve gone, reaching the State Semi Finals in The Sydney Morning Herald Plain English Speaking Competition, and also reaching the State Semi Finals in the NSW CHS Premier's Debating Challenge with my team this year. Both finals are in the next few days, and the nerves have begun to kick in already.
No matter how many years of practice you get, being faced with private school kids proudly announcing their spots as state debating captain, and then having three minutes to write an impromptu speech and perform it in front of hundreds of people, will never be a relaxing experience. All I can do is my best, though, and to make it to this level, and to be able to listen to the absolutely brilliant other speakers is an amazing experience that I am thankful for.
Another experience I’m thankful for is an opportunity I was given by DOLLY magazine earlier in the month. After my work experience there in April, lovely features writer Jess asked me to help out on a reader story they were doing. The only catch was that it included a photoshoot. I am probably one of the least photogenic people in the world and always prefer to be behind the camera, so to be in front of it for a national magazine was rather daunting, to say the least.As nervous as I was, it ended up being a great morning, getting to wear clothes from the fashion cupboard and having my hair and makeup done. I was only slightly awkward when actually having my photo taken, and I was more than pleasantly surprised with the final result. I never thought I’d say it, but I actually hope my future has a few more photoshoots in store for me. As for just what the feature was and what the photos looked like, well, you’ll just have to wait until the August issue goes on sale early next month!
Catch up with Georgie's blog at FrangipaniPrincess.blogspot.com.
Georgie @ Girl With a Satchel
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