A Very Sharkie Journal

Dear Jou,

I “hate” her for her delightful vanity, for her cherry obstinate forbearance, for her allure of sweet stratagems, for her excessive cupidity of love, and for her vexing ability to capture ….. my heart. I hate her so much, and yet I love her dearly. This odious feeling insidiously impairs my perspicacity. When she’s with him, she drapes herself in those ineffable joyful smiles….. I know I’ve lost my chance.

I love him, but we can’t be the one. God, why did you make us the same kind? I curse him for rendering me helpless and ungovernable. …. My heart can’t help making those thunderous sounds when the wind caresses his undulating hair, when his angelic eyes intently bore into my soul, and when he whispers softly and wistfully in my ear: “I love you”. …I love him too much, but we can’t be the one.

Jou, my dear! Why does love have to be so complicated? Why do we love somebody? Are there any reasons ….or explanations?
Today group 6 (6-up) left me wondering endlessly, though the play simply described a love incident and some social conflicts. You know, Korean stuff. The guy loved the girl, but her mom vehemently opposed the relationship. Then, the guy had to join the military school, leaving the girl waiting for many years. She met another guy, but unfortunately he just tricked her. She was sold to some rich dude. There was a fight between her true lover, her mom and those bad guys. Eventually, she safely returned to her normal life full of love and care. Happy ending! They used a lot of expressions (all talking).This somehow made the performance a bit boring, not to mention the fact that some members were kind of being impassive. I felt like they were just repeating something that they had learned by heart, but Jou,acting is not an easy job. I believe they tried really hard, and the content sincerely reflected our daily lives. Anyhow,Jou, love was all that concerned me when the show ended. Why was her mom so narrow-minded and obdurate? Why couldn’t she wait for him? (Did she truly love him?) …. As for those “gay” men, some people may feel nothing but antipathy towards them, but I will surely support them if they, you know, really have that strong connection. It’s LOVE, Jou. There are no reasons or explanations. The joy and the comfort that person give you are invaluable, incomprehensive and inexpressible. In the end, Dung ( the “gay” guy) and Hung ( also another “gay” guy) broke up. ( Dung got married and had children whereas Hung was waiting in despair). It was so sad. I mean, Jou. The proposal scene was fantastic; I could see that they really really loved each other, but..... in a twist of fate, everything could change.

The final group succeeded in delivering a beautiful story- “the emperor’s new suit”. Actually, Jou, I expected some, you know, changing-clothes scenes or something like that. (They would be hot!!!!) Oh, come on. I’m just kidding. I’m gonna be a teacher. Anyway, I supposed Tam saved that part for his girlfriend. Jou, I wish I could show you some photos of him. He did an excellent job. His funny facial expressions, his flirtatious gestures, his spuriously girl-like voice could have brought tears to my eyes because I was laughing so hard. Anyway, their modern version was meaningful. The emperor realized that he should stop being solipsistic and care for other people. The whole group really tried their best to make the audiences feel connected to the play, but I think it was rather short. I really enjoyed their show, so I wished it had lasted longer.

Mid-term test has ended.


Jou, I won’t say anything more. You know that this is really goodbye.
“ I love you” and “Goodbye”.

Nguyet Nu

PS: I don't think I lost you.

That is so surprising. I have to say that because it is a truth. Everyone was great, all the five groups played so well. Although these actors and actresses are amateur but they brought happy moment to people. I think everyone was well-prepared for the occasion.

I discovered one thing funny, that is all groups kneeled and almost cried. It was quite sad!
Group 1 with the play The Beauty and the Beast new version made me fell happy because its ending was so happy and it was like fairytale. You know I like fairytale because the ending always the prince and the girl< a princess/ a beauty> live happy together. Ân in the Beauty was so cute and beautiful. Her voice and her appearance were suitable for the beauty in this play. Moreover, I like Tín in The Beast. Actually, in the preparing process of this group, someone said that he was so weak, which made him didn't look like the Beast much. However, when he acted before whole class that was so surprising, you know, most of us students were amazed. Besides, I highly appreciated Yến& Phong abilities in playing drama, and this continued in this play. I have just found that Trang not only has a good voice but also well at playing drama too.

Now about the 2nd group, you can see their topic was quite familiar. It was about family and conflicts often occur in it. In their play, the conflict occurred between Thanh- the young son with his mother. Then he left his house with plenty of money he took from his mother. A bad person appeared, and then tempted Thành. Not only did he lose all money but also he had to go to hospital because the bad person hit Thanh by a knife. In general, do not you think it is good, too?

Now I want to talk about our group, the 3rd group. Hihi. Actually, when we practiced before acting on Wed 14th we didn’t predict how much time we would spend on that is the reason why our play quite short, just 25mins, but it was impressive, right?

Now group 4, what happened? The image of Michael Jackson is so vigorous, like a hero in a legend, but he appeared in this play like a bad person. He treated his employees like with animals, which was so terrible. I like the 4 girls too. They were so energetic and followed the rule, so call “iron mental”, but that was so funny when money can defeated such an iron mental. Maybe money has great powerful. One thing I want to say is Hưng was so gay, sorry Hung for me to say that, but it's just in drama, nothing more.

The last group on that day-group 5 with Snow Black story was so wonderful and quite long. As you know, Snow Black in this play was much more intelligent than Snow White we often heard when we was young. She not only poisoned the hunter wolf when he intended to kill her by a gun. Poor the hunter! In general, every one played well in both acting ability and their pronunciation.

Trang Đài

Dear Jou,
Here is our script. I promised to give you more details of our work, so here it is. Hope you enjoy it. Khanh gave me some photos of our group. Well,.... Jou, don't laugh, okay?

Find the spring
Characters: Wanderer (Wanda), Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring.


This story is about a little girl who wanders everywhere to find the spring …


Scene 1 (Summer) She looked around in wide-eyed amazement. Broken cars, used bottles, worn tires, stained cloths, food scraps, plastic bags, waste paper, paperboard and many other things seemed to be having a good time together. “ What on earth…”_ Wanda thought. Then suddenly she spotted a disgusting figure moving slowly, heavily in the dump.
¬_W: Excuse me.
_S: Never gone, never gone, never gone, never…(mumbling to herself)

¬_W: Excuse me!!! I know you are busy, but could I speak with you for just a moment?
_S: (looking surprised). Oh. My apologies. I didn’t notice you coming. You see, I have been trying to tidy things up: used bottles, worn tires, stained cloths, food scraps, plastic bags, waste paper, and so on. Oh, my god. They are never gone. It’s like banging my head against a brick wall. (sigh). Never mind. Well, I don’t usually have many guests here. May I have the pleasure to know your name, young lady?
_ W: Yes, my name is Wanderer. But, please, call me Wanda.
_S: Wanda. What a lovely name you have.
_W: Thanks! It’s very kind of you.
_ S: So what brings you here, Wanda? As you can see, I’m fighting a losing battle trying to get rid of all these smelly junky messy sickly leaky sloppy filthy (hold her breath while saying this) things. Jesus, I’m gonna be crazy, too. Anyway,let’s get back to the story, how come you end up wandering here? Are you lost or something?
_W: Actually, I am looking for Summer. People say she lives here, so I wonder if it could be at all possible for you to show me, you know, where she is.
_S:Funny you should mention Summer, because she is standing right here.
_W: (looking around). Sorry,I’m still a little fuzzy about what you said. I really …can’t see her anywhere.
_S: (giggling amusingly) Okay. Let me put it a different way. You… are …talking.. to.. her right now. I am Summer. Ms.Summer Sunset Suffer Some Sore Seasons.
_W: woa.. That’s really…a …sensational name.
_S: Thank you. I like it too, but you can call me Sunny.
_W: As you wish, Ms. Summer. I mean Sunny. And well,I have to apologize for not recognizing you at the first place. I really really feel bad about it.
_S: No, no, no.You really don’t have anything to apologize for, because you know what, Summer will soon disappear. Gone. Foverer.
_W: I don’t understand. There is always summer. Every year. It’s time of relaxation and vacations.
_S:I couldn’t agree more, Wanda. Summer is the time of holidays and vacations,but don’t you see what is happening. Nature is dying. There are so many tourist attractions that these areas have become a victim of their own success. Businessmen come and build resorts, hotels. They take animals’ land, cut down the trees, pollute the rivers and seas. It’s only a matter of time before we all become living rubbish.
_W: I see. That’s terrible. What can I do to save you, Summer?
_S:. Wherever you go, tell people there what you see, what you know, Wanderer. We can only hope for miracles.
_W: You can count on me, Sunny.
_S: I trust you completely, my friend. Okay.I’d better let you go now. It’s time for me to get back to work, too. It was nice to see you, Wanda.
_W: Sunny, umh, I almost forgot. The reason why I find you is to ask you where I can find Autumn. And if I find Autumn, I can ask her where I can find Winter. And if I find Winter, I can ask her where I can find Spring. And if I find Spring, I can ask her..
_S: Okay, okay. To cut a long story short, all I have to do is to show you Autumn’s house, right? A piece of cake. You just have to keep going straight ahead. Yeah, this way. You will meet a crossroad. Then turn left to the Love Lap Low La Lu Li Street. You will see a very very big and colourful house. She lives right there. You can’t miss it.
_W: Thank you so much.
_S: My pleasure. Goodbye, Wanda. Take care.
_W: Goodbye.


Scene 2: (Autumn) Wanda was on the way to Autumn’s house. She was strolling along the country lane and inhaling the cool, sweet air when a beautiful young woman called out to her.
_A: Hi there!
_W: oh, hi.

_A: Please excuse me for my boldness, but are you going the same way to the Love Lap Low La Lu Li Street ?
_W: Yes, I am.
_A: Thank goodness!!! Well, I hate to trouble you, but could I ask you a small favour?
_W: No problem. How can I be any help?
_A: I’d really appreciate it if you could carry a few bags for me. You see, I have just got my nails done. I don’t wanna break them. (showing her nails and pointing the bags on the ground) Wo..wo. Be careful. They are really heavy.
_W: Woa. They sure are heavy. I wonder what’s in there.
_A: Nothing much, my dear. Just 3 000 000 condoms.
_W: 3 000 000….what ???
_A: Condoms. That ‘s C-O-N-D-O-M. You know, a thing you use when you are having sex. A thin rubber bag or a loose rubber tube with one end closed.
_W: I knew what a condom is. I just…just… I mean. ..a,umh, … You use that much?
_A: No, no. Who do you think I am?
_W: I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.
_A: okay. It’s not your fault. This is a sensitive matter. I don’t use them. I am going to give them for free to everybody: my friends, my relatives, my neighbors, people on the streets. Speaking of which, do you want some. And if you don’t know how to use it, I’ll be happy to show you.
_W: No, thanks. I think I’ll pass.
_A: Come on. Don’t be shy. Everyone has needs. I’m afraid you are no exception, girl.The point is you have to be bold, straight, open, honest when it comes to the birds and the bees.
_ W: the birds and the bees? You mean the trees and the flowers. No, no, I am not a gardener. I don’t have green fingers.
_A: No, I mean the facts about sex. You are not even familiar with such a simple expression. That’s why I have this job. I have to teach people like you about safe sex and give these things for free. Do you have sex education at school ? Do you know anything about sex life?
_W: No. You see. I am looking for….
_A: Hey, listen. I am having a class tonight. You know, people come together to discuss their sex troubles. We talk and ask questions and share experiences. It’s really really useful. Would you like to join us? It’s gonna be so much fun.
_W: Well, I’d love to, but unfortunately I’m busy then. I’ve got to find this woman. I have something to ask her. It’s really important.
_A: I see. That’s too bad. Well, I guess I’d better not take anymore of your time. My house is just right there. Thank you so much for helping me out. Are you sure you don’t want a cup of coffee or something?
_W: No, thanks. I think I should keep go…ing…woa….your house is so big and …colorful. Big and colorful…. Do you happen to know Autumn?
¬_A: Let’s me get this straight. You mean Autumn, the season of love, right?
_W: yes. Exactly. You know her? Please tell me. I really want to talk to her.
_A: I am her, sweetie. And why do you want to meet me so badly? Oh, no. Don’t tell me you contracted HIV. I have no cure for this disease. No one in the whole wide world has, I’m afraid.
_W: No, that’s not it. I just wonder if you could tell me how to find Winter. That’s all.
_A: Sorry, Wanda. Your guess is as good as mine. I haven’t heard from her for ages. I don’t really know where she is now. I’m so sorry.
_W: It’s ok. Thanks, anyway. …( disappointed)Well, goodbye.
_A: Goodbye….( calling out behind Wanda) Are you sure you don’t want some condoms? … well, she’s gone. Why does she have to be in such a hurry? She can’t make this place a better world anyway.


Scene 3 ( Winter)Wanda didn’t know where to find Winter. She just wandered here and there, keeping asking people around, hoping for some good news. Then she got into an unknown desert and couldn’t find the way out. After 2 miles walking without a drop of water, she fell on the sand and….
_Win: Excuse me!!! You can’t sleep here. Do you hear me? Hey, wake up. Jesus, …( giving her some water). Are you okay? Can you stand up?
_W: …Thanks… I’m okay now.
_Win: Don’t you know that you are in Deadly Desert? It hasn’t rained for over 10 years. Not a single drop. And there is a sandstorm every 2 hours. No one survives here. Lucky you, I happen to pass by. Anyway, I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Winter. What’s your name? Where are you from?
_W: My name is Wanderer, but everybody calls me Wandaa..a…Wait a minute. What did you just say?
_Win: I asked: “Where are you from?”
_W: No, no, before that.
_Win: I asked: “ What is your name?”
_W: No, no, no. Before that.
_Win: Before that? Well, I said ….“I am Winter”.
_W: You I am who say what???
_Win: I’m Winter. You know, Spring,Summer, Autumn, Winter. Do you know what I'm saying? Winter. That’s W-I-N-T-E-R. Have I made myself clear enough?
_W: Not really. You are Winter. No way. It’s so hot hot hot hot here..e.e. Where are the snow, the cold, the ice, the Christmas trees and Santa Claus. Where are they?
_ Win: hey, stop shouting. I heard you cloud and clear. Let me see. Santa Claus? That name rings a bell… Now that you mention it, I remember my mother used to tell a story about a fat old man with red clothes and long white beard who, children believe, brings them presents at Christmas.
_W: Yeah, that’s it. Christmas, snow and stuff. Where are they?
_Win: That’s a very interesting question. If you ask me,….well, I’ve no idea, I’m afraid. They are just gone. Disappeared. Vanished into thin air. About 10 years ago, I guess. Exactly the same time as my mother’s death.
_W: I’m so sorry. Was your mother…
_Win: My mother was the real Winter. I just took her name to remind me of those happy time we had together. Actually, my real name is Sunburn, but please, call me Winter. I know that’s ridiculous in this situation, but…I really don’t want anybody to forget Winter, to forget my mom.
_W: I give you my word that I won’t forget. Never ever ever.
_Win: I really appreciate it, Wanda, but to tell you the truth, it’s me. I’m scared. What if one day I can not for the life of me remember her name, her voice, her face? My mom would never rest in peace if I forgot her.(looking up) Oh, mom, please forgive me, forgive me. I never mean to hurt you. (Wanda is looking up at the same the direction, too)
_W: Take it easy. I don’t see how that can happen. You won’t forget her. She is your mother.
_Win: No, don’t you get it? She is not here anymore. To make things worse, it’s getting hotter and hotter everyday, no, every second. I won’t forget her? Time alone will tell.

_W: Sorry, but I’d like to know some more about this getting- hot thing?
_Win: Well, sure. Let me explain. It all comes down to Global Warming. You know, greenhouse effect. Do you see want I mean?
_W: Yes. It’s all because of mankind again. Well, you reap what you sow, but why don’t we do something? Why don’t you stop people burning fuel or destroying the forests?
_Win: That’s easier said than done. I don’t have the power to control mankind’s development, Wanda. Of course, we have been trying to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases. But what we have done so far is just a drop in the ocean. Global warming is still happening.
_W: I understand, but we have to keep trying, right? When there’s life, there’s hope.
_Win: Yes, we are still trying, Wanda. We still. Okay, I’d rather not talk about this matter anymore, if you don’t mind. So tell me, how did you get here? And what do you intend to do next?
_W: Actually, I got lost when looking for your mom. I hoped she could tell me where Spring lives, but …I guess luck is not on my side.
_Win: I know where she is. I can show you, but I told you. You don’t want to meet her.
_W: Why? Is there something wrong with her?
_Win: Well, it’s difficult to say. Anyway, seeing is believing. You can find out yourself. She lives in the Death city. It’s only 2 miles from here. So, I guess this is goodbye. All I want to say is good luck, my friend.
_W: Thank you and goodbye, Winter.


Final scene: (Spring) There were a lot of beggars on the streets in this city, and Wanda could see people lying here and there. Were they still alive? She didn’t know. She only knew one thing. This place smelled like nothing on earth…. She finally came to …Death City.
_Sp: (dragging herself around, carrying something looking like a bowl, moaning, begging people)Please, please.


_People: Back off, will you? Get out of the way. ( hitting Sp hard).
_Sp: ( bringing out a sword).
_ People: What? A beggar with a sword?
_Sp: You know, sometimes begging is useless. This is the only way to get want you want.
_ People: Oh, yeah. Come here, come here, sweetie. I'll show you something.( suddenly, another sword appears)
_ Sp: Aha, bring it on.

(..fighting scene...)
Spring fell.
_W: (shocking, staring, confused).
_Sp: And you? What the hell are you staring at? Get the hell out of here,or I'll kick your ass.
_W: I’m sorry. I just want to help you. You are hungry, right?
_Sp: Help me? I wasn’t born yesterday, you idiot. You can’t trick me. No one helps anyone in this freaking world. Now, get lost, you jerk.
_W: I’m not going anywhere. I know who you are. I know what you can do.
_Sp: Who cares? Do I look like I care? Well, I don’t care. Mind your own business, girl. And leave me alone if you know what’s good for you.
_W: Wait a minute. (grabbing Sp’s arms).Spring, I know you are Spring. I have been looking for you all my life. I just can’t give up now.
_Sp: Don’t touch me, bitch! Yeah, I’m Spring. So what? What’s more do you want from me? ……….. I’m a useless person now. Who cares about Spring anyway? They only think about money, sex, drugs, wars, weapons and power. People are living in poverty. Children are dying from hunger and sickness. Natural disasters happen everywhere. This freaking world is going down, down, down. And you know what. I don’t care. And maybe you want to know that I don’t give a shit what you think, too. That’s it.
_W: No, don’t say that. I know, deep down inside, you are a good person. You are Spring. You bring happiness and hope to everybody. I know you do.
_Sp: Oh, my god. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. Please accept my sincere apologies. I promise I’ll be a better person. I’ll try to save the world.(smiling)…..(not smiling anymore) No freaking way.Do you really expect me to say something like that? Like I can wave a magic wand and change the world, making it a better place, for you and for me and the entire human race. (singing). (stop) No wayyy.
_W: Yes, there are ways. I trust you. That’s why I came here. I believe you can help us. You can show us how to find happiness. You are Spring, the best season of the year.
_Sp: Wait, wait, wait. Let’s me get this straight. You came all the way down here to ask me where you can find your happiness, right?
_W: Yes.
_Sp: Because you think I am the best season of the year?
_W: Yes.
_Sp: You believe I have magical power?
_W: Yes. I mean. No. I just thought you can….
_Sp: I knew it. You, I can’t stand people like you. You wanna know why? Because you don’t really do anything, you just expect somebody to come and tell you what you want to hear. Like it’s not the end of the world, everything will be okay; god will save us. Let’s me tell you one thing, you dumbhead. No god can save you. Only you can save yourself. Only you can find your own happiness. Don’t wait for someone to tell you how to find it.
_W: I…didn’t mean …. I just..
_Sp: Enough is enough. Go home. To your family. Stop wandering around. And if you have too much time on your hands, why don’t you do something useful. Like give everybody condoms for free on the streets or stop people using their cars to reduce the greenhouse effect. Hey, do you think it might be an idea not to eat anything to reduce the amount of garbage, too? That’s a good one.
_W: you can’t be serious, right? I think….
_Sp: nah, I couldn’t care less what you think. Keep it to yourself, girl. And now, if you excuse me, I have to get back to work. I don’t wanna die yet. Oh,by the way, do you happen to have anything to eat? I’m starving.
_W: um,oh, here.(still confused).
_Sp: you jerk. Why didn’t you tell me you have food? (grabbing Wanda’s food). Anyway, thank you. Bye bye. (running away).
_.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-..---------------------------------------------..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-._
Wanda: “ I understand now. Spring is right. I waste my time trying to find a better place to live, to find my own happiness, but the truth is there’s no place like home. There’s no place like our planet, and we have to protect it.”

“Save our planet”.



Jou, you know that we have no boy in the group, so I created something that doesn't need any boys. What do you think, Jou? Is it good?
" Save our planet" is the main point here. It's no laughing matter. We didn't do it just for fun. If anyone happen to read this, please side with us to protect our planet.
Thank you.

Nguyet Nu

Today we enjoyed five out of the seven long-waited performances.

The first group – Beauties and the Beast – did not fall short of our expectation. Although it took quite a lot of time for the adjustment of devices, the play was satisfactory. Every people had great pronunciation and they used a wide variety of expressions. I would also like to compliment them on their great acting skill. There were many heart-breaking scenes as well as hilarious ones. I believe Nữ took some once-in-a-life-time photos in this performance.

To live to share came next with a play about the family. The content was simple and easy to guess, but the acting of this group was very enjoyable. The Mom (Thùy) was particularly good and made me feel that she was mourning over her real son. However there were some mistakes due to the translation from Vietnamese to English, I suppose, because I caught some lines such as “Good morning, two girls”, which is not very natural.

Next – our group. I must say that the crazy dressing up acted very well as a means to attract people attention. Because of the emotion in Winter part, they could not raised their voice during the scene and the teacher had to put in a few words. But overall we received many words of encouraging from our friends and the feedback from the Belgian friends was very positive.

The performance of Pro-nouns was also very good. The bodyguards made impressive entrance. Everyone laughed their heads off when Mr. Jackson was kidnapped and was “nearly abused” by the crazy fan. The pronunciation was also very good, especially that of Thắng and Linh. Thắng acted very naturally, as though it were real life, not acting.

The fifth group had a creative way to give their performance. The story was truly a fairy tale with a twist. Their play was occasionally dotted with some punch lines and that was interesting. The puppet part was fun to watch, however, because I didn’t see the performers, I could not read their lips and it was incredibly difficult for me to fully understand what was being discussed.

So, five groups have done their part. But I don’t know whether this is the right time to breathe out. Anyway, I enjoyed every minutes of this morning. Good luck to the last two groups.

Vân An

Dear Jou,

Thanks to the lack of electricity, we had a spare room to practise our play again. This time, Jou, we did a lot better, but still.... There were some boring parts because of all talking and no action( That's my fault, as you know who wrote that prosaic plot at the first place). We have already changed many scenes a bit due to the unexpected participation of our Belgium friends . (Actually, I have no ideas whether they will come or not, but changes are inevitable, just to be on the safe side. ). Well, synchronizing the music with themes seems okay, but we had trouble delivering the context of the scrip , so we all decided to rehearse once again next week, of course, before Wednesday .The most annoying thing is that I can't bring myself to speak naturally, although I have used a lot of expressions and idioms. ( my accent,Jou, that's why). It's so hot today, that's why I called it "Hot mid-term preparation". ( not that we really did something hot )

By the way, Jou, I think you should know that today is An's birthday. Huh?...What did you just say, Jou? UmHum? Is that so? Okay.

........An.....An, our beloved An, if you should read this, please accept our sincere love. We all wish you a very happy birthday. (Thanks for the light snack). OOPs, Jou says he love you,too. He also wishes you every happiness in the world.





An, do you happen to like Edward?


Umh, his face seems serious. Like "I want to drink your blood" or something. But this is so cool. Hope you like it.hehe

Nguyet Nu