Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Before I forget, thanks to XW and Emily for the emails containing "Happy Birthday", to my Sunday School people, Delia, Louis etc for wishing me Happy Birthday in church, and to JiaYun, KX and Mel for the smses, Jessica for the late wishes over msn, and this unknown number whom I'm too lazy to ask who it is. Labels: choir
Anyway, I was thinking about how it's going to be elections very soon. And it seems only yesterday we were sitting in LT5 listening to the speeches of the then J1s, when Cheryl Sim was running for P with that poster thing, Prashanth was running for Treasurer, etc.
And then the year after that when Deborah, CL and I think Tammy were running for P; I remember XY being the only guy running for VP; CW promising not to use choir funds for food if she was Treasurer, and it was held in LT2/LT3. Also the year when I became SL. I remember how my legs shook after our names appeared on the powerpoint slide.
Last year it was held in the AVA, and of course I know everyone who ran for the posts. It kind of makes you feel old to know you'll be sitting through your fourth election in a few days.
I just finished my GP comprehensions, all 4 of them. Wow, I feel SO ACCOMPLISHED. Do you hear the underlying sarcasm? Because if I hadn't been slacking, I could've finished them in a day. But I've been taking 3 hour breaks between each paper. 2 papers a day. Breaks between the paper sections, even. LOL.
As for something funny, I was watching a cartoon this morning out of boredom (House of Mouse on Disney), and in the cartoon there was a power failure because the main battery had been ripped out by the villain and left on the floor. Then Mickey Mouse exclaimed "Oh no! Someone assaulted our battery!"
I found it funny, because I think people usually sue for "assault AND battery". Maybe I'm wrong.
Another cartoon (Powerpuff Girls) I saw when I was bored was a story about this psychic who was a conwoman. She was flying on her evil bird sidekick when she got shot out of the sky and fell into someone's barbecue pit. And the narrator said, "It's rare to see a medium so well done."
It helped that we were eating steak when I retold this on Sunday.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
I turned 18 today.
It's usually seen as a big age to reach - where you can legally purchase cigarettes, alcohol, watch M-18 movies and learn to drive, at least in Singapore. Somehow I don't really feel older, but I suppose aging is a day by day process.
My sisters gave me presents! Yan gave me a cushion with a COW on it, and Yue gave me a handphone accessory which I've attached to my pencil box. Aunty Jee Nee gave me and Aveil a present each - a hexagonal box with lots of chocolate!
I got Happy Birthday smses from PC, Sarah, Sheena, Amanda, WY, YT, TM, and a call to my home from Shernise!
My family went to Sizzler in Toa Payoh to eat for dinner, and I was utterly stuffed when I came back. Then me and FS had to eat two packs of durian by ourselves while watching Happy Feet!
I don't actually want to grow up - a bit like Peter Pan - because I don't like being responsible and stuff, but I guess it's inevitable. Some time before my birthday I actually felt like I didn't care much for celebrating it, which is strange, considering I normally place a lot of importance on birthdays.
Everytime I grow older I feel not that I'm older but that others are younger. For example, when I was in Primary School, I thought the Secondary School students were really old. When I was in IP1, I thought the J2s were really old. And now that I'm 18, someone being 18 doesn't feel so old.
I think each birthday gives me a chance to be thankful for God giving me one more year of life. Life is precious, and should not be taken for granted, especially at a time when many have lost their lives in Myanmar due to Cyclone Nargis and in China due to the earthquake.
18 years is quite a long time, and I am definitely grateful for them.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Well, school is over, at least this term. At least 2 teachers told us to take a rest before studying, which my parents obviously think is unnecessary for me. About 2 teachers told us to retry the common test questions. All gave us holiday homework.
Anyway, today we had even more interviews - so many that I can't remember what anyone said already. I still feel that there's no "qi fen" or "atmosphere" as there has been previously. I suspect this is because interviews were held in the late afternoon or evening for me last time, so it was more interesting.
I remember how in 2006 when we ran, the exco candidates had their interviews in the morning, and after that we went to Sheena's house to paint a seniors' farewell banner. In 2007 the candidates didn't do anything, but the newly elected exco, me and Sheena also did the banner.
Today I planned simply to go out for lunch and venture to HMV to use my voucher for some DBSK vcd or something, and as we were at the bus stop they unexpectedly asked me where I wanted to go for lunch. I was really confused, and it took some time before I realised they sort of wanted to celebrate my birthday!
I didn't expect them to, so I was surprised, and I think it's partially because it's usually me pushing to buy presents for the comm members on their birthdays this year, so when (obviously) I didn't get their emails, it didn't occur to me at all. We went to Fish & Co beside Park Mall, and they paid for me!!! Though in the end I lent Sheena $10 because she didn't bring enough money.
The present Sheena got me was - A STUFF TOY COW! I've been wanting one since we went to Italy in 2006, when CK bought his cow. Thanks so much, Sheena! XW also gave me a present yesterday - this Chinese book with LAME JOKES. Extremely lame!
I'm not used to receiving presents nor giving presents, so I'm really happy. Also because this year, my birthday's on a Sunday, and in the holidays, so no one would be celebrating except my family. I'm still getting my durian and Sakae Sushi, I hope.
I didn't find any jokes, but here's a quote I found by an author I like:
The great thing about getting older is that you don't lose all the other ages you've been. - Madeleine L'engle.
And I hope that'll be mostly true, because turning eighteen doesn't mean I want to forget important things that happened when I was nine, twelve or fifteen. Not that my memory's very good, but you get the idea.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Finally after two weeks, our Common Tests are over! Hooray! I felt our case was very sad, as BCML people. The PCME people like Boss ended on Tuesday morning. The BCME people like YT ended on Tuesday afternoon, not counting the SPA this afternoon. The whole hall on Tuesday practically shook with the unreleased pent-up relief that comes with finishing the Common tests.
Meanwhile we Lit students still had our Paper 3 this morning. The teacher asked just before the paper, "Aren't you happy? Is this your last paper?" And the whole bunch of science students yelled a firm NO. Sigh. During lunch Elaine said she sat for 19 hours worth of exams this round. Excluding her German. This obviously caused me to count mine.
According to the CT timetable:
3.5 (GP) + 2 (H3) + 3 (Math) + 3 (Chem) + 3 (Lit 1) + 3.5 (Bio) + 3 (Lit 3) + 1 (SPA) = 22 Hours.
Technically, with no meals, sleeping, and minimal time spent collecting papers, I could finish it all in a day. Haha. My hand hurts from the writing today. Imagine consecutive writing. Huh.
Well, most people probably went off to gallivant after their papers, but we had to go discuss interview questions. Goodness. And we still have school tomorrow! To quote a teacher, "Apparently, tomorrow I'm seeing you for our lecture. What shall we do?" Seriously. Gerard suggested watching the Man U match penalty shootout.
Personally I'd like to watch a lot of EHB at one shot. So predictable, right?
Just being random here, but I feel like posting jokes. Unfortunately, not having been endowed with a particularly hilarious sense of humour, I gravitate towards jokes that begin with "A physicist, an engineer and a mathematician were...", or those titled such as "100 Guidelines to Becoming an Evil Villain". Perhaps from the next post on I will have a go at posting jokes, or maybe quotes or poems.
Oh yes. Request for TAGS. My tagboard is sad and hungry. Please nourish her!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
I feel strangely jubilant today. Okay, not really strange, considering that today was my H3 final exam and I never have to go for another H3 lesson, unless perhaps I decide to do math in university.
It feels like it's been a long journey. I'm even having flashbacks now like a movie
-the first lesson where I didn't know we had to print our notes
-the first time it started at 4.30 and I thought it was at 5.30, sneaking in during the break
-the first time I saw the tutorial teacher and thought he looked like a hippie (sorry, Sir!)
-the first time we had the lessons at HCI and I almost got lost
-eating the HCI burger with Ernest and Isabel
-rushing there after GP enhancement
-going early one day and learning that our teacher is Swedish, as is IKEA
-going during consultation periods and discussing answers with people from other schools
-until today.
I think the past 2 lessons discussing revision stuff was quite fun. I copied stuff from an RJ guy, from a Dunman girl, asked a JJ guy for the answer, asked a HC girl for the solution, etc. I also managed to make some friends from NJ - even though I confess I don't know some of their names. But I suppose friendships are formed in times of trial. We were all fighting the evil H3 monster.
And after today, I never have to hear about modulo 26, Fermat, Chinese remainder theorem, Hill Cipher, invertible matrices, Gauss-Jordan, surjective / injective / orthogonal, eigenvector/eigenvalues, vector space, closed under scalar multiplication, spanS, linearly independent, basis, diagonalization, or any of that jazz ever again!
But now I have to study H2 math. Clarissa asked me today about H3, because I think she thought it was related somehow to H2. I just want to say that it's COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. So much that it really sucks. At best, there are matrices and vectors. Yuck.
And thanks to Sarah for the sms! I didn't even remind her that it was my H3 exam today :D
Oh yeah, XW told me that she watched a few episodes of EHB with Super Junior, including the episodes on taste, balance, tears, and part of the DBSK one! Haha, that show's hilarious and utterly addictive! Watch more!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
CTs start next Wedneseday. Pity it's also the day of my H3 exam.
Before I forget, I'm considering changing the blogskin. I couldn't find any nice Christian ones, but I did chance upon a quite nice DBSK one. Not sure whether to use it!
Today I fully expected to sleep during lectures, because I was really sleepy, but I miraculously managed to stay awake mostly. I had fun describing the EHB episodes to XW, because that show is really funny. Super Junior is rather endearing, though not as cool as DBSK!
Probably the most interesting thing that happened today was that I saw Weixin on the overhead bridge on the way home. Actually as I was about to go up the bridge I saw this large group of girls on the other side of the road walking in the direction of the bridge from the bus stop. I thought they'd just continue in that direction and walk past, but then they started to go up the bridge too.
Funnily, I think she saw me first, because by the time I noticed that it was her, she was already kind of smiling in the 'you recognize this person' kind of look, and then I was a bit stunned. The rest of the girls behind here were all wearing Ngee Ann Poly floorball t-shirts, I think.
I'm more surprised by the fact that she recognized me. She was the new squad leader when I was Sec 2, after the Sec 4s had to leave. So most likely the last time I saw her was what, 3 1/2 years ago? Plus, usually I'm the one recognizing people who probably don't remember me.
Other than that, I felt rather stoned after lunch today. Falling asleep during Bio, stoning after PE attendance, absorbing stuff during H3, and even deciding to go home by myself, instead of waiting for my father. Too stoned to even bother listening to DBSK / Suju. Perhaps I'm getting mood swings.
Scary...
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Today is College Day! The actual College Day ought to be about 10 days later, but then we're having our CTs, so that's out of the question.
Yesterday was Wanyun's birthday - hope she liked the comm present! Supposedly all lessons ended at 2pm yesterday for College Day preparations, but I still had Bio Trial SPA from 2.20 - 3.20, and we had to meet our GP teacher at 3.30 regarding our presentation.
After that I went to the library to join YJ and Ann, and Gnia joined us later. But before she came, YJ had to go collect the new scores from the photocopy shop, and I had to lend him money! The choir fund better pay me back soon. Unfortunately, they all had to leave earlier than normal, so I went to the AVA because I thought Sheena would be done and we could go home.
Weirdly, even though the practice was over, most of them were still there sitting in two groups discussing goodness-knows-what. So I plugged in to DBSK and finished my math question! After they were done, I asked them why they were planning for Seniors' Farewell, but they said it wasn't? Something about the Jonathan Velasco workshop.
Only afterwards I realised that was quite a silly assumption. Obviously they wouldn't be discussing Seniors' Farewell because that's up to the next Committee 08-09 to plan for. And since the Elections are only at the end of May, no one will be planning the Farewell until then. YT actually said during the briefing that since Seniors' Farewell is the first project of the new Comm, she even planned the date for Seniors' Farewell to give them enough time to prepare, so that our farewell will be great! LOL.
I guess I was thinking of last year, when only the Exco had been voted for, and the Music Comm hadn't been chosen. So the 4 SC candidates picked songs to learn, and people just came up with section items together. Reminds me of XM's cool rap thing that we did! Sigh, I miss our seniors.
Afterwards Sheena had to run off for dinner, so I had ice-cream with XM in the canteen! We saw many people putting up their booths, and House banners. I wonder why Aqua didn't seem to have any big banners up, as opposed to the other houses. Actually I feel that school students really waste a lot of resources on things like banners. Think of how much cloth, paint, money and time is spent on unnecessary banners.
Oh well. I'll be running off to school later.
Thanks to all the blogs i referred to (countless) for html code help :) (esp. cyn' and sixseven)
Adobe Photoshop Elements for supernatural abilities
