077

I'm really excited about my trip.

I've dubbed it my getaway from Singapore and I'm grateful, because my soul has been torn down and hidden under covers here. I really hope I'll forget about this place, just for a few days, soul search a bit and rediscover myself. All while appreciating the beauty and culture of another country. I look forward to days of not waking up next to mountains of skyscrapers, thousands of people and the crazy humidity. It's also time to put my camera into good use. (Although if I said there'd be nothing to shoot in Singapore it'd just be an excuse not to look hard enough).

But before I leave you all for the next 5 days, one of my favourite tracks from Brooke Fraser's album, Flags:

Coachella - Brooke Fraser

"We are daughters sons brothers and sisters tonight//

And I love you though I've never met you before"

Her music really has been getting better.

Thank God for the holidays. (:

Cheers!

076

The holidays are here!

Bring on good company, good music and lots of sun (:

By the way, Hillsong United's Aftermath and Brooke Fraser's Flags are really awesome albums. In fact, Flags is one of the best albums I've heard in a while.

So anyway, holidays kicked off with a dress down day and then a hilarious night with lovely (and extremely entertaining) company. I do have work to do (and a lot of catching up), but the holidays really feel like the holidays. Well, to the non local school students they don't feel it, but we do. :) So it's pretty packed, but I'm feeling good about it. If anyone's free in week 2 and wants to hit me up for lunch please do!

Let's all try to go beyond the hour from now on!

Otherwise, time to get back to my essays. :(

Cheers!

075

Today has taught me this: never underestimate God's grace.

(One day to the holidays!)

So the holidays is going to be far from rest. It'll probably be a mixture of fun, work (catch-up), and going insane, and just sorting out the billion things I need to sort out. It's been a mad rush, this 2011. Coming out from such a slow rhythm of things to having to continually jump into new environments and make friends and catch up has tired me more than I'd have liked too. All in all though, I'd say it has been a good start to a good year, and I'm sure that God has many more amazing things in store for me this year.

Of course, I'll definitely need my rest. So we'll see how the cards are dealt.

Cheers!

074

So as you all can see from the sporadic and arbitrary posts recently I've been on a bit of a dry. Nothing like a couple of questions to get me started!

1) What book are you reading at the moment?

I'm toggling between One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (for school), The Perks of Being a Wallflower and The Girl Who Played with Fire (book II of the Millenium Triology)

2) What was the last film you saw at the Cinema?

(Thanks Cheryl!) It probably was Hello Stranger with Toybox. Much much fun. (: Anyhow, I plan to catch Adjustment Bureau within the next two weeks or so (:

3) What was the last CD/Vinyl you bought?

I haven't bought anything in a while! Perhaps it was Lady Gaga. Again, I'm planning to buy Brooke Fraser's Flags sometime soon.

4) What's the best thing on TV right now?

I'd have to go with either Castle or Private Practice. (:

5) What's your favourite gadget?

At this moment, it's probably my iPhone. (: (Everyone has been going on about how functional the iPad is though. Unfortunately I haven't gotten to experience that. It's still primarily a toy to me.)

6) How has culture changed over the past 10 years?

Seeing how I've only been alive for 16 years, I guess the world has been digitally revolutionised a lot more, and it's also got a lot more globalised and competitive. Everything is getting a little bit more impersonal now.

7) Where will culture be in the next 10 years?

I honestly have no idea. I believe the trends will probably continue, although most people will start realising we've got to keep a balance. Perhaps some cultures will start to be more distinct in this homogenous society, but if anything I believe it will be even more globalised, especially as I join the corporate world.

Cheers!

(Still uninspired.)

073

Today's econs test was disappointing, to say the least, but I'm not letting it get to my head, and I'm continuing to trust in God's goodness.

I am tired and uninspired.

45 all the way!

072

God has been good.

The IB workload + lifestyle is really getting to me. It's kinda like a mix of B@S and 'O' levels, and this is just month 2 (for me). I guess your stress level really depends on the amount of effort you choose to put in. For me, I try to put in as much as I can (or see fit, read: Chinese B), but it's becoming tougher and tougher.

I'm barely finding time for myself and I've had the busiest and craziest week last week. Ultimately it was real fun but now I'm suffering my "hangover". I'm so tired and I really have to tone down this week or I'd slip into deep coma faster than you can say "International Baccalaureate". The only hope I'm hanging on to is the fact that my holidays are approaching and there's only 4 days to a good 14 days of break! (and lots of catching up, read: HL Math).

But here's to everyone who's just started term 2. May y'all have a good term of hopefully coming closer to comprehending what the lecturers/tutors say.

Cheers!

071

This is where it gets confusing.

I'm glad to be out of the local system, I really am. I think comparatively, I'm lucky. Yet sometimes I miss the essence of the local system. Being able to genuinely complain, feeling that sense of spirit with your friends suffering through the same thing. The only complaint I have now is the workload. I can't complain about rote learning, about not understanding why 2+2=4, and this has always been a part of me. I miss my friends in the local system because everyone outside it is a lot different. It's a good difference, definitely, but I've been adapting too much at one go, and it tires me. It's a different kind of exhaustion.

I think ultimately I'll be glad I crawled out of the local system. But as for now, I'm really confused.

On the other hand, everyone's on holiday now! (Except us!). I'd like to meet up with y'all as much as possible so we'll see how that goes. I'm starting to really miss everyone in SC. Really, really, really.

070

A post I wrote earlier today:

I paid $2.30 for a seat at the local MacDonald's because I'm waiting for my piano class to start. I also decided to pull out Chinese (of all subjects HAHAHA) homework, I suppose of sheer convenience.

--

The influx of recent news has made me more upset than usual. But the world is so beautiful I can't stop feeling so happy; I can't stop smiling to myself about the little things that happen. My friend said to me today, "Cheer for the little things!! HOORAY!". I mean, she was probably on a little too much caffeine and a little too little sleep, but that statement was exceptionally wise. Maybe we all need a regular does of insanity to redefine our perspectives.

So anyway, there's been a couple of things the past few days that's made me appreciate life extravagantly. Walking to MacDonald's (accidentally ignoring the Sogurt waitress), I saw this elderly couple. The woman had her left hand in a cast, and her other hand held on to her husband's. It was right about the sweetest scene I've seen in a while.

We shouldn't underestimate the little things, really.

I realise my best posts are written spontaneously, when I actually have something I want to say, not when I'm blogging for the sake of routine. Too bad blogger doesn't have a free iPhone app.

Wow, this took a good 10 minutes. Time to finish up my milo and head for piano. Chinese homework can definitely wait.

Cheers!

069

Made in Heights - All the Places

Don't mind me while I finish up the crazy amount of reading I have to do this weekend. I don't even know why I have so much. Strange place.

Anyway, it's nice to know my teachers (of all people HAHAHA) have given the group of friends I hang out with a vote of confidence. I guess it's especially important since IB is such a cooperative programme (as I've learnt).

Another week of school tomorrow. Let's hope it's a good one. :)

068

I haven't been here in the longest time.

Nothing of interest has been going on in my life, and I barely have time to sleep, let alone explore something else. I've been doing so much math I'm going googely eyed. I don't know what brilliant brainwave I had when I decided to do HL math. Whatever it is, I'm going to have to push through it no matter what. :(

I really can't wait for the holidays, but at least my desperation for a vacation has decreased since SJII. That's good stuff. :) Can't wait to jam with my friends + get to the 28th of March. I know everyone's holidays are coming up. :( Really can't wait to meet up with toycakes again, but I've got to plan all the stuff in the world and where on earth can 10 people have dinner together.

I think my workload has been particularly heavy this weekend, cuz most of the work didn't even seem to register in my brain. Oh well. By the way, All My Sons is a really substantial play. It's a good read, it really is - a lot of human nature to explore, and there's no definite right and wrong. I love discussing these things.

Cheers!