March 2012

My little angels So after a two week school closure due to an outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease (which neither of the boys got, but they’ve both had it and it’s a little bit of hell), which overlapped into two weeks of school holidays, all mixed in with Steve and I trying to earn a crust working from home, I have to say that we are all ready for the boys to go back to school because bloody hell, my boys can be annoying. Thankfully Vick has been a legend, taking our loves out on adventures so we can focus, but guilt doesn’t allow this to happen every day, and even though we have reliable and loving back-up, they have an amazing talent for annoying the hell out of me. Some of the “pleasures” of having children include: I’m always tripping over the little buggers as they wander aimlessly around – rarely aware of anyone else in their world. They just haven’t developed awareness of others’ needs yet – it will come When a door opens inwards – as our current front door does – it’s impossible to get out with two boys lined up eagerly on their scooters to make a dash for freedom – will you just bloody MOVE so we can get out!! Fighting over which seat they get in the car, usually ends in fist-i-cuffs – for god’s sake, it doesn’t matter which bloody seat you sit in, just get in the bloody car and while you’re at it, put your own bloody scooters in the boot!! Oh the tears and gnashing of teeth. The thing is, when I was a kid we used to fight over the front seat, but that’s because the rest of us had to sit on a corrugated metal slab (aka a ute) in the back of the family Datsun and that was definitely a fight worth winning DVD negotiations. I went DVD shopping with my great friend Carina and her little love Adam recently. He chose his DVD and was happy – the blessings of a single child. My boys had to negotiate and cajole and argue and fight and cry and Lex still won, as Tom & Jerry has been the most desired entertainment of late. A five minute job DVD shopping is not… They hurt you all the time – not intentionally, but getting smacked in the face with a car, or elbows in your back, or a groin injury somehow (as Steve experienced), or kicked, or punched, or a finger in your eye, or something in your ear, or a scooter in your achilles tendons, or stepping on a piece of toy with a sharp pointy bit…. ahhhhhh leave me a-bloody-lone for a minute and stop bloody hurting me Every day the boys go out on adventures all over Singapore as we want them to be active and not get bored. It’s hot and hard work BUT my least favourite bit is public toilets. Jax loves to take his time, so sitting in a hot and sweaty toilet, with NO air circulating, while he enjoys his 30 minute ablutions is not my idea of pleasure. They also both want to explore everything they see, and all I can say is this need to explore in a public toilet revolts me. The other challenge is they’re still of an age where many of their body parts actually connect with toilets, so I am always desperate to get them clean and out… many a person has heard me pleading, cajoling and rushing my kids when visiting public toilets around Singapore As with toilets, the need to touch is applied everywhere – it seems they are unable to experience something without touching it – they can’t just look, oh no no no, and if I’ve said “look with your eyes not with your hands” once, I’ve said it a thousand times, no probably a million times…. this too shall pass… They’re getting really good at “I want” these days and the wanting never stops. I admit that my boys are spoilt (in a lot of ways, including spoilt with our time) but they also do very well on the new toy front, especially as there are no grandparents around to do this job. However, when they are putting forward “wants” before they even open or play with the last thing they wanted, all I can say is grrrrrrrr All parents suffer sleep deprivation, it comes with the job. Some kids sleep more than others and Jax would definitely sleep a whole lot more if his big brother let him. The problem is when they don’t sleep enough, they are miserable by the end of the day and I just want to scream at them to bloody-well sleep more and you won’t be such an emotional mess by the end of the day!!! One day I won’t be able to get them out of bed Who knew that four and five year olds knew so much, I mean they are right about every bloody thing and will argue ‘til the cows come home? So that is something else that annoys the hell out of me – dealing with argumentative little tots every single day With all that said, my boys are exciting and electrifying and excited by life, and I wouldn’t be without them because I adore them, but bloody hell, kids can be really really annoying, and those 10 annoying habits are only the tip of the iceberg. Soon I’ll be annoying the hell out of them I expect, so perhaps I’ll get a bit of my own back? Anyone else like to share the annoying habits of their children? Yours, without the bollocks Andrea

One thing I know above all else is that my life has been one long roller coaster ride. That is definitely not always a bad thing, but sometimes it wears you out. I’ve moved more times than I can count, and that includes moving countries seven times – exciting if you’ve never done it – but it can be very very exhausting too, on many levels. The great part about this moving lifestyle is that I’ve met wonderful people all over the world, many who remain fantastic friends. That is the greatest joy I’ve known in my life – people from all walks of life. However, in the last three and a half years, my roller coaster has been Queensland’s Towerof Terror II – originally the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world when it was launched – I think the Yanks superseded it. Most people have a plan, a place where they belong, a place they want to end up, and I think that’s absolutely wonderful. But I don’t, and neither does Steve. We’re not anchored anywhere, so when the GFC hit us in 2009 and Steve’s job went with it, we said where the hell do we go now? We went to Phuket – it didn’t work. We went to Australia – it didn’t work either. After a lot of hullabaloo, we knew we had to come back and make Singapore work. We love it here, we have amazing friends, it’s exciting in Singapore, and we want to make it our long term home. It’s a perfect place for a family and for business. A significant change of focus in recent months is Steve’s decision to find a job because a secure income means more ease in our life – ease is a priority for us right now. Also as Steve’s industry pays double my industry, it made sense it was him. The problem is, Singapore is not a good place for his sector anymore, as many of the companies relevant to him put headquarters in other parts of Asia. But he hasn’t just been looking in his industry, because while his experience is unique, his skills are relevant across a lot of industries, many with headquarters in Singapore. So a call comes in last week – a great job, one that got Steve very excited, but we’d have to move to Bangkok. No babe, I say, we need to stay here and we need Lex to do his term at the new specialist school we’ve got him enrolled in so we have no more issues there. It’s a speech, OT, behavioural therapy school and within a short period of time, Lex will come out the other end, ready for mainstream education, no more problems. It’s really important for all of us and it’s something I need to happen. Lex has to be our priority right now. Steve does some research, finds an equivalent school in Bangkok, so that’s covered. I start changing my mind. We’ve also got some great friends in Bangkok, we love the city and the country, the boys are old enough to live in a place like that, and as I write for a living, I can be anywhere and Bangkok in particular is good for me…. OK let’s stay open. I can do that. I’ve done it so many times, I know that whatever we decide, we’ll be OK – eventually. The problem is, once you start considering an international move, your whole mind goes through a massive process about what’s good about where you’re planning to go, what’s bad, how you can make it work, etc… I mean Bangkok would have language challenges and simple stuff like calling a cab or sorting a phone line would be a nightmare. You can’t drink water out of a tap. The air isn’t clean like in Singapore. You need to protect yourself from things like malaria and that means DEET on my boy’s bodies every day. But it’s also a really exciting city – one of the most exciting cities in the world – and it’s always happening. What an opportunity for all of us? What a childhood experience to offer my boys? BUT there’s another aspect to my head this last week – as part of the thought process, you also have to think about why it’s OK to leave where you are. It really does put your mind in a mess, because you’re constantly switching back and forth between the pros and cons for both places….   The job ended up being filled internally, but Steve is still talking to this company and thankfully the HQ is in Singapore. He’s excited about the potential, because it’s a really interesting field for him – something completely different and potentially a great career move. So if the call comes in and we have to make a move, we’ll probably go – hell I’d go just to see Steve with a skip in his step again and as my work is completely flexible, I am in a unique position to support my husband while chasing my own dreams. BUT my darling, not India, not yet. The boys are just too young for me to do India right now. In the meantime, if anyone knows of anyone looking for a senior and very experienced sales/marketing/bizdev person, with excellent sales and presentation training skills, based in Singapore, let us know. We really do want to stay! I just want to metaphorically get off the Tower of Terror II and drink cocktails by a pool for a while… Yours, without the bollocks Andrea

Continuing with my motherhood lessons – and this one applies to any parent with crazy, active, non-stop, turn-your-hair-grey-kind-of-kids – is to have faith that one day it will just stop. My kids certainly aren’t miraculously docile all of a sudden, oh no no no, so maybe I’m more relaxed because I’ve stopped caring so much and can let them be? Or maybe, just maybe, I know I can trust them more because they’re growing up and have shown me they have earned that trust – including more awareness of personal safety? I definitely think it’s the latter, and while I’m never blasé about my kids safety, it’s certainly nice to be a bit more chilled when I’m out with them- even if I run things like a military campaign sometimes…. This epiphany occurred on the weekend when I was at a kid’s birthday party. All of the kids were going nuts, while the parents got to enjoy a glass of champagne and the opportunity to chat. Naturally it helped that the party was in a big function room, so kids were within view – although it certainly got hairy on the bouncy castle a couple of times, with my boys center of the action. The parents I’m meeting through the boy’s school are lovely, so birthday parties have actually become a real pleasure to go to, and I’m getting to know a whole new and diverse bunch of people. It’s great. However, there was one Mum I didn’t speak to. When I saw her at school after the party I said we didn’t get to speak, but then you’re still at the phase of constant vigilance right? Right indeed. Her little lad is just over one and he’s all movement and curiosity. He’s the sort you can never EVER take your eyes off, because you just don’t know where he’s going to turn up – probably at the champagne bucket if he’s like my lads. It’s intense stuff when your kids go through this phase, because they couldn’t give a crap about anyone else – it’s just them and the world at this age. This Mum had the typical harried look I know so well, but for the first time in five years, I realised I’m not doing that anymore. I’m not frantic all the time, wondering if one of mine is going to fall off a roof, or bounce out of the castle, or drink champagne, or whatever it is they bloody used to get up to. They want to hang out with the other kids and play. It’s AWESOME! And so my lesson learnt is this – whatever it is your kids are doing that is driving you nuts right now – it will stop. Of course they’ll probably start doing something else that will annoy the hell out of you, but for me it sure is nice being able to have adult conversations again. I really missed that. For those parents who continue enjoying adult conversations without interruption when kids came along, you are very very lucky bastards. I know you exist, because you are the parents who used to try and talk to me during the last five years when I was constantly running off to sort something out, coming back to say “so where were we?” Not that any of us ever remembered…. Mothering certainly destroys the brain! Phases in childhood are never ending, but I do take a lot of solace from the fact that they stop, you get a few minutes, weeks or months of peace, and then you’re back in the trenches again, tearing your hair out. Remind me why we actually choose to have kids again? Yours, without the bollocks Andrea

Steve was out the other night and I decided a chick flick was in order, so bring on “ShirleyValentine.” I saw this movie when it first came out back in 1989 and I will always remember it because it made me cry – A LOT! It also made me vow to never EVER be a housewife, nor would I live with regrets, and I was going to live life hard. The weird thing about watching it this time is I am now 42, which is the age of Shirley in the film. Crikey when did that happen? And in the film she reckons that’s middle aged – I don’t feel middle aged – am I middle aged? In one scene Shirley asks: “Why do we get all this life if we don’t live it? She then goes on to say: “I’ve allowed myself to live this little life, and now it’s all un-used and never will be. Why do we get all these feelings and dreams and hopes if we don’t ever use them? Shirley Valentine, she got lost in all this unused life…” I reckon I’ve “used” my life well to date (with only a very tiny chapter as a house wife, which I hated), and while it hasn’t always been an easy journey, I can say it’s been well lived and I plan to keep on living it until the end. I always find this movie a great reminder on living and loving life, in whatever way makes you happy. It was also a really good reminder for me as life has been a bit grim on a couple of fronts of late. But I know that it’s about how I get up and make life happen for me and my family every day, because no matter what, this too shall pass right? That’s a phrase I’ve used a lot in recent years (thanks to my great friends Reema and Gautam) but it is so true. Whatever situation I am in, or you are in, if it’s shit, it’ll pass and then you’ll be onto the next phase or opportunity or challenge. I just work hard to make sure that my attitude is as positive as it can be, because it makes everything better. I can’t be positive all the time though, and when that happens, I just hope it passes quickly, because being a miserable cow is not my style at all. On a final note, Costas, the Greek dude she shags (“he kissed my stretch marks!”) probably has one of the best lines in the film. After moving Shirley’s table and chair to the beach to make one of her dreams come true, and she realises it’s not as good as she hoped it would be, he says “dreams are never in the place you expect them to be.” So true, so so true. Anyways, a great story, a great film, an inspiring message, and a story about it never being too late to get unstuck from a life that makes you unhappy. Feelings and dreams and hopes should definitely be pursued with vigour, even when success feels impossible – I reckon anyway. What do you think? Have you seen it? Or any other movies you can recommend that rocked your world? Yours, without the bollocks Andrea

Jax wearing the shirt he selected at his birthday party last weekend The other day Steve was out with the boys and Jax (our four year old) saw some “blue fire Crocs” and said “Dad, I want them, Sparsh has them.” Steve said no mate, you don’t NEED any more Crocs and I’m not going to get them just because your friend Sparsh has them. Oh the hullabaloo – he carried on for a good 15 minutes before he passed out in the car – asleep I may add. Then the other day he saw something his mate Vinayak had (can’t remember what it was, but think it was shoes again) and demanded that he must have them because Vinayak does. So I said “darling just because your friends have things doesn’t mean you have to have the same things. Be an individual babe, that’s the best way to be.” But no, Vinayak has them and he wants them too. He hasn’t got them yet. He’s four and I have to say I am absolutely shocked that we are facing peer group pressure already. Maybe other parents’ face this much younger, especially those with girls, but I asked Steve last night – when exactly did this start? We agreed it’s a new thing and it’s really blown us away. We just weren’t expecting it, and I suppose it’s only a matter of time until iPads, iPhones and other expensive items feature on the “want” list because their friends have them… The thing is: we’ve never experienced this with Lex. He doesn’t seem to care too much about what other’s have. Don’t get me wrong – he knows exactly what HE wants – but he’s never expressed a desire after seeing another friend with it. Perhaps we just got lucky there? Both boys are incredibly strong-willed when it comes to knowing what they want and how they want to dress. As a recent example, I took Jax shopping for a party shirt the other day, as I like them to have new clothes for special occasions. I’m a mum, so naturally I had some ideas about what I wanted to get him, but Jax is his own man. He’s actually a pain in the arse to shop with, because he takes SO long to choose, and shopping for clothes is the most tedious thing I can do with him. Anyway, he picked out a blue and black check shirt. I hate blue and black checks. I said no mate, how about this red check? Or this green check – it’s very cool? NO I want this one mum. PLEASE look at this one – oooh it’s a blue and red check? Nope this one. In the end, I had to say OK mate, it’s your body, your choice. I am one of those parents’ determined to give my children their choice whenever possible and realistic, especially when it comes to clothing because I want them to care. However, I have to say it was definitely testing buying him something I hated. He looked good though and is very proud of himself every time he wears his new shirt, so c’est la vie I guess. One thing I know for sure, this mothering malarkey is never dull – I get new surprises every day. Anyone else have these experiences with their kids? Yours, without the bollocks Andrea

And I reckon we’ve got some honouring to do. I was reading Mamamia’s post and they recognised a lot of the women who should be honoured, except the great Egyptian women are Hatshepsut and Nefertiti – then again, Nefertiti was a bit weird. She was, however, a key part in the early global movement towards a single God – whether that’s a good or a bad thing is another discussion – it’s a significant contribution none-the-less. Hatshepsut was amazing and the only Egyptian Queen (or Pharaoh) in her own right, she is also the only female with a tomb near (not in) the Valley of the Kings. Quite an achievement back in those days. Cleopatra should be third in my view… Somaly Mam is also honoured because she is amazing, but so should all of the amazing men and women who are working to stop the scourge of sexual slavery in our world. Please read Somaly’s book if you haven’t yet. It’s one of the most brutal but important biographies ever written. There are many great leaders, politicians, activists, actors, writers, poets, intellectuals, inventors, fashion designers, rock stars and more on the list, all of which I agree with (except Lisa Simpson?), but there are many missing (forgive any duplication)… Emmeline Pankhurst (an early Suffragette) and her girls, Catherine of Sienna, Eva Peron, Catherine the Great, Isabelle I of Spain, Mary Queen of Scotts, Elizabeth the First, Golda Meir, Mary Magdalene, Eleanor Roosevelt, Marie Curie, Maude Gonne McBride, Billie Holiday, Anais Nin, Diana Ross for breaking the rules, Suzie Q for rocking it, Joan Jett, Blondie, Gloria Steinman, Nina Simone, The GREAT Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Yoko Ono, and the warrior Queen – Boadicea – although she’s only one of many Warrior Queens in history. We’ve got Tina Turner to honour, Madeline Albright and Condoleezza Rice. Helen Mirren, Fatimah bint Muhammad, Queen Vishpala, Queen Zenobia, Hua Mulan and Tomoe Gozen. If you think Asia women have been held back – here’s a sampling of leaders and deputies in this region: Bangladesh – Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia, Philippines – Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Corazon Aquino, Pakistan – Benazir Bhutto,  South Korea – Han Myeong-sook, Sri Lanka – Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike, and Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike (the first woman in the world to hold the office of Prime Minister), Indonesia – Megawati Sukarnoputri, India – Pratibha Patil and Indira Ghandi, Mongolia – Suhbaataryn Yanjmaa, and Tuvinian People’s Republic – Khertek Amyrbitovna Anchimaa-Toka. I could go on and on and on all day adding amazing women throughout history to my list, but why is it important to honour these women? Because they give us dreams. They show us anything is possible. It doesn’t even matter if you like them or agree with their politics, or views or opinions or even what they did or do – they are inspiring because they changed something. I’ve been inspired by many women, but I’ve also never believed that being female made me any less – why would I? I was lucky where I was born. I had opportunities many women in this world can never dream of. In my home country of Australia and in many modern nations around the world, this day is about the continuing fight for equality – pay, justice, rights. In most other parts of the world, it’s about their very survival and as a result, the future of our world. I wrote a blog about a book called “Half the Sky – How to Change the World,” by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn. This book sums up for me what it’s all about. If we make sure women have rights all over the world and access to what they need to flourish, then the world changes for the better for ALL of us. It’s that important, and that’s why I wanted to honour International Women’s Day – not for me, but for every single man, woman and child on this planet. It’s time for us all to come together in harmony at long last. That’s what I reckon anyway. Yours, without the bollocks Andrea

I’ve just finished reading “The Story of Beautiful Girl” by Rachel Simon, and wow, what an amazing book – I’m thrilled it’s achieved the New York Times Bestseller list, because these stories should be told. It’s about two characters locked up in asylums in the 60s, as well as a couple of characters also in their lives (one directly, one indirectly) and the story spans four decades. In fact, I don’t need to summarise it, because here’s the back cover pre-amble… “It is 1968. Lynnie, a young white woman with a developmental disability, and Homan, an African American deaf man, are locked away in an institution, the School for the Incurable and Feebleminded, and have been left to languish in the institution, forgotten. Deeply in love, they escape, and find refuge in the farmhouse of Martha, a retired schoolteacher and widow. But the couple is not alone-Lynnie has just given birth to a baby girl. When the authorities catch up to them that same night, Homan escapes into the darkness, and Lynnie is caught. Before she is forced back into the institution, she whispers two words to Martha: “Hide her.” And so begins the 40-year epic journey of Lynnie, Homan, Martha, and baby Julia-lives divided by seemingly insurmountable obstacles, yet drawn together by a secret pact and extraordinary love.” It really hit a nerve with me, because as a very young girl, I was lucky to be exposed to this community, as my brass and concert bands regularly played at homes for the intellectually and physically disabled, as well as at retirement homes. I remember doing a tour of May Day Hills (a paranormal tourist attraction now?) in Beechworthwhen it was still in operation, getting a firsthand view into how people had to live, and it was frightening and an eye opener for a youngster to see. I’ll never forget it. Now the institutions are closed down, and they manage this situation very differently, but there was a time disabled people were treated little better than animals – which is also discussed in the book. In some ways, it’s a reflection of how humanity has evolved, because we now care for the “imperfect” amongst us. My exposure to this community got much more intense in my early teens, as my Dad decided to take on a job as an instructor at the Murray Valley Centre in Wodonga. This is also where he met his wife Janet. Both of them did a fantastic job with their students, contributing so much to making their lives better. Dad often tells me how proud he is of me with what I’ve done in my life, but whenever I saw him or Janet working with their students, I would often feel ashamed of what I was doing. Spending most of my life in PR and marketing felt very soulless and insignificant next to the contributions they were making in their student’s lives. I eventually found my peace, as I contribute in other ways right? Regardless, I am in awe of people who work in this field. A strong memory for me, as a young teenager (and my best mate Dunny should remember this as I used to drag her along) is attending the monthly Murray Valley Centre fundraising discos. I remember being terrified of the HUGE men chasing me around, begging my Dad for permission to marry me – and of course, Dad always said yes. There was this one guy Phil, at well over six foot tall and with bi-focal glasses, who scared the shit out of me. I’d run so fast, and he always ran after me with a big smile on his face. One day Dad said turn around and run after him! So I did and he ran away from me – hooray. Phil also used to get a bit of attention around town, wolf whistling at school girls from the bus Dad drove. One day, Dad pulled the bus over and asked the girls to go and speak to Phil. When they came up to the window, Phil was nowhere to be soon. He was just a big pussy cat, who happened to like girls. Once I understood I could control the situations, I was able to see that the attention was always from a good place, and any time I visited Dad at the school, I was surrounded by beautiful people who just wanted to hold my hand, ask me to marry them or tell me how pretty I was. It was very sweet, and I always believe I got a great gift having this community in my life. They are the only people I’ve ever met who are completely in-synch with their hearts and emotions. They don’t have the ability to hide their feelings or to lie, and for me that makes them remarkable. We could all learn a lot from them. So this book was powerful for me, because I had the opportunity to know these people. The writer, Rachel Simon, lived it on a much deeper level, as she grew up with an intellectually disabled sister. However, while she wasn’t exposed to the asylums – because her parents wanted to keep her sister at home – she has the experience to talk about this time in such a sensitive way, but with a depth of understanding that really shows what this time was like. I am just thankful it is no more. An amazing book and a brave story, which I believe is written for everyone, but especially if you’d like to understand a little more about a group of people in our society who didn’t have a voice for so long. It’s a really beautiful story and I promise you’ll get choked up just a little bit… or maybe a lot. It’s not brutal or sadistic though, so it’s not hard to read – I promise. While the lives of the disabled are not perfect by any stretch of the immagination, it’s a hell of

I obviously cropped this from the American Idol Website – sites really need to host free photo downloads for bloggers Put your hand up if you’re watching it? If you know me, you won’t be surprised that I am over-the-moon to have the distraction of American Idol back in my life, and I must say, this year is looking sensational – especially the boys. I can only presume the credibility of the show has increased significantly over its 11 year history, because it’s now attracting really cracking talent consistently. Or maybe people like the fact the judges are nicer? Either way, it’s great for us viewers. American Idol is a show that’s full of heart and about people chasing their dreams. Watching anyone chase a dream makes me happy. Every year I’ve done predictions for American Idol… well alright, I’ve done these predictions in the privacy of my own home until last year, as this blog hasn’t been around forever – but I am pleased to jam my flag in the ground with my second year of predictions J. With that said, my predictions are like a curse on contestants, as they never ever come true, which usually causes a lot of heart ache at home. Then again, I put my lack of success down to a simple fact – I am not in tune with the Tween demographic. Hey, what can I say? I’m an old bag now.   Today, a lot of contestants get cut and I won’t see the show until 8pm tonight Singapore time, so please don’t tell me the results!! I know it’s already happened, but not for me yet. Without further ado, here are my predictions – starting with the boys. I have to say, they are phenomenal this year. There is so much talent, but the absolute stand outs for me are Joshua Ledet (a singing sensation), Aaron Marcellus (very cool), Colton Dixon (he’s the rocker this year, but there’s more to him), Creighton Fraker (although might be a bit too weird for America?) and Reed Grimm – how quirky, and lovely, and talented is he? But Philip Phillips is one of my absolute favourites – check out his leg and facial expressions when he sings! I also love Hee Jun Han and while he didn’t do an amazing job this week, what a bloody funny man! If you haven’t noticed how amusing he is, just watch him, he’s a hoot. Jeremy Rosado is all heart and he has a beautiful voice, but will he make it? I hope so. Not enough room for all of my favourites though… Jermaine Jones, the big baritone voiced mamma’s boy, was brought back onto the show this week, and while I was really happy for him, he’s just not in my top choices. Adam Brock is a definite sweetheart and he did a terrific ‘white chocolate’ version of the Great Aretha, but I just don’t think he’s as good as the other guys – not this year. However, there’s a good chance he will go far by winning the white American professional vote – you just never know? Chase Likens, what can I say? I’m just not a huge country fan and he wasn’t amazing for me this week. The Tween votes will definitely be with Deandre Brackensick and Eben Franckewitz. Eben shouldn’t make it, but his Bieber look is certainly going to make young hearts flutter, and Deandre is a very interesting little dude indeed – like a male Sade. I think I want him to stay, and I do agree with the judges he’s incredibly unique, although just not my style. Steve thinks he’s a Terence Trent D’arby try-hard… With that said, I think he will definitely stay in the competition. Order of preference Joshua Ledet, Philip Phillips and Reed Grimm Aaron Marcellus, Colton Dixon, Creighton Fraker and Deandre Brackensic  Jeremy Rosado Hee Jun Han and Adam Brock Chase Likens, Jermaine Jones and Eben Franckewitz The girls weren’t looking as promising as the boys early ion n the competition, but there were some amazing performances last night, as well as some pretty shabby ones. My top girls are sexy voiced Elsie Testone (I hope she does some Bonnie Tyler this year), Erika Van Pelt (awesome rock chick voice), Hollie Cavanagh (did you hear her this week – crikey!), Jessica Sanchez (the tiniest performer of them all but what a voice), and my absolute favourite girl – Jen Hirsh, a beautiful, sexy, bluesy voice. However, a HUGE standout for me with the girls is Skylar Laine. Now as I said, I’m not a huge country music fan, but Skylar was an absolute sensation this week. She’s also a great kid, adoringly naive, and obviously as sweet as hell, so I definitely think she deserves a place in the top 10. She’s an exciting performer and I am excited to see her again. Shanon Magrane will probably make it and she has an AMAZING voice for a 16 year old, but she’s just not in my favourites section and I think she’ll get boring. Brielle Von Hugel is an interesting bird, and I wonder if her perkiness will go against her more than anything else? She has a good chance of making it, but she is annoying – as is her Mother! Hallie Day is also a great talent, but she’ll be voted out because she doesn’t smile enough (no matter what Simon used to say, it IS a popularity contest too) and I have to say, there’s definitely something deep and mysterious about this girl. My bottom girls are Bailey Brown (a very beautiful girl, but she just didn’t cut it), another country-girl Chelsea Sea Sorrell (I just found her performance incredibly boring), and unfortunately Haley Johnsen, who I think is awesome but she didn’t succeed with Annie Lennox’s “Sweet Dreams.” Order of preference Jen Hirsh, Skylar Laine and Elsie Testone Erika Van Pelt and Hollie Cavanagh Jessica Sanchez Shanon Magrane, Brielle Von Hugel