Tuesday 24 January 2012

My Drama Filled Day!

What a great day. Today we travelled all the way to Mullingar, County Westmeath (not Meath, you have to get it right!). The bus journey went by very quickly as we had a great time playing "eye spy" and listening to music. After an hour we arrived in the vibrant and bustling Mullingar (slight exaggeration). My class were not competing in the competition but the other 4 groups that were looked so nervous as we got off the bus. They were constantly glancing at the script and reciting lines to themselves.






When we went into the large auditorium they seemed intimidated as it was much larger than practising in a classroom which they were used to. Soon the competition got underway, as Midterm Break by Seamus Heaney went first. I thought they carried the emotions very effectively as yet it seemed more quiet and unspoken than the others it still had a sad and poignant message behind it.




Next was a play about girls and relationships and how they can have sad and brutal endings. This play was very realistic and blunt due to the great acting skills. And the issues dealt with are realistic. Next was Concrete Angel, a play based on a song. This I thought was a great idea and it made me very sad to see what some children have to deal with. The acting skills in this play were great too, with effective pauses and great projection of voice. The final play was Tich Miller, also based on a poem. The tragic ending was not quite as dramatic or load as the other plays but more effective in my opinion as the emotions you feel are up to the viewer.



Altogether I was very impressed with all the plays and I thought they were up to a very high standard. The only negative comment would be that at times it was difficult to understand what was being said but that is only minor. I am very proud to say that these plays are from my school and really enjoyed watching them. However emotional and sad they are.





After watching our schools plays we went to Mac. Donald's for a cheese burger and chips. By then I was starving so this really hit the spot! However calorie packed it was. After this we went back to the theatre just in time to see a scene from Playboy of the Western World. I thought this was brilliant. Although some actors did stand out to be more impressive than others compared to in our school the talent was more rounded (not being biased or anything!).



After this we went back on the bus to go home.We were definitely less energetic on the way back as all the watching had us tired out! By the time we got home there was a bit of a shock. Did we have to go back to class? No! The thought of going in to french seemed unbearable (that's what Transition Year does to you!). Luckily it wasn't so, we waited for the final bell to go and went home. Now that I look back on the day I see how fun it was. Thanks to our great actresses and English teachers! :)

Monday 23 January 2012

Eye Candy!

My Mini Company group is, Lisa, Kate, Emma, Eimear, Emma and I. Our product is called Eye Candy and is a disposable eye shadow. Simple peel off the protective film, place it on your eye and rub in (gently for a more soft colour and stronger for a bold colour). Repeat this for the other eye. Eye Candy is brilliant for those in a hurry as it takes less than 1 minute to apply or people who want absolutely perfect eyes. It is also great for people with visual impairments so that they find it easier too. 
   We have already sold 22  of our stock so far and are ordering more. We are selling them for €4.50 and we think that this is great value because you can use each pair three times. We really hope to do well in the competition next months. Here is a picture of  what an eye look like... 





Monday 16 January 2012

BT Young Scientist Competition :)

So tired but proud of myself and my group for competing in the Young Scientist competition.






Our project was the "Surfboard Solver App" which is an App. for the iPhone focusing on surfers and especially beginner surfers needs. One main feature of the App. is that it helps beginner surfers to find which type, size, brand of surfboard suits them. We got this information from a surf expert in Bundoran, Donegal. Other features are a Tips Page, Swell Reports, Best Beaches map, Surf School Page, Gallery and Events Page. We didn't win anything but we did get great feedback from visitors and made loads of new friends altogether we really enjoyed the 4 days! Now all we have to do is develop the App. and hopefully it will go on the market before the Summer.