Location: Somewhere over the Timor Sea.

Time: Depends which timezone you use.

Speed: 813km/h.

Height: 40000 feet.

Progress: 7 hours into my 10 hours flight.

As the plane flies over the Timor Sea, the sea that separates Australia from Indonesia, there isn’t much to do but think and reminisce. It’s no different from the usual really. However it does provide me ample time to jot these thoughts on my laptop.

The same planes normally fly the same routes. It’s not the first time I’ve been on MH130 (and MH131 which covers the same route), and I’m sure it won’t be the last. However these Malaysian 747’s have been refitted within the last year. Planes now offer Movies, TV and Video on demand! So that means instead of catching the usual 2.5 movies (since we have to wait for scheduled screening times, and normally I never get to finish the last movie). WHOOPEE~! There’s a choice of about 40 movies to choose from instead of the usual 5, and the library contains old movies too, ahh the joys of technology and digital streaming.

I’ve already watched a Japanese movie (called Simsons, it’s about the sport of ice curling), a romantic comedy that didn’t have a happy ending (The Break Up, Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Anniston), and a broadway musical (Westside Story).

Westside story tells of a rivalry between two gangs, the Jets, an all American bunch of hoodlums) and the Sharks (a group of Puerto Rican immigrants trying to make a living in America). I’ve always wanted to watch it since our school did Westside Story for our production in 7^th form. I was privileged enough to be given the role of Tony (although there were two sets of casts), the lead male and Anashuya Richards co-starred with me as Maria. It’s basically Romeo and Juliet in a contemporary context and in a musical format.

I’ve been involved with performances in church since I was 5, but Westside Story was an amazing experience that I’ll never forget, we had about 100 people involved with the production, not to mention I had the Auckland Youth Symphony Orchestra backing for me! It was so much hard work, but we had so much fun in rehearsals and I made a lot of friends. Watching the movie just rekindled lots of memories for me, and reminded me how much I love acting/dancing/singing. God has blessed me with a talent to perform and I do like being on stage, I do it all for His glory. I still remember lots of those lines, and most of the lyrics to the songs. I do have one bad memory from performing in West Side Story though, I bought a ticket for my dad to come watch the results but he never showed on the night.

I stopped participating in performing arts when I entered uni, I’m not exactly sure why. I think one of the reasons was that I had a bad experience auditioning for the Auckland Theatre Company a few years ago. A friend I’d known through productions asked me to come audition with him. I thought I had aced the audition and my friend had made a few mistakes. However, it was to my dismay a couple weeks after that I got some mail saying that they would not accept me, however my friend was accepted. I never knew the reason for that choice, however it might’ve been because I don’t have the height, the looks that my friend has, or just the fact that I wasn’t white. Perhaps I’ll never know.

However, it’s something that I enjoy, and something that I think could reach people for Jesus. It’s something I might want to pursue when I get back to NZ next year.

Anyways, we’re almost going to start descent now, gotta go.

Dance like no one’s watching,

Sing like no one’s listening,

Life like there’s no tomorrow.

Love as though your heart has never been broken.