I must say I've just completed the most enjoyable semester so far. We actually had the chance to make and design stuff, instead of following pre-written recipes! It's also hard to complain when your first programming project is to write a game (albeit a very simplistic one). *grin*
Yes, I'm a kid who's been given heaps of toys. Unfortunately, I seem to have developed the urge to constantly write programs now. Hmm.
One of my plans was to smuggle the following software into our Digital Systems lab; that way, I can make our automated car play music while it does its laps around the track. I didn't manage to finish the program in time though, so that plan got scrapped.
Rightyo, I have officially used up all slivers of credible excuses for not blogging, now that I've completed 1st year of uni. ^^;; This also means that I need to get used to the free time I have on my hands again, hmm...
Has anybody ever had severe, chronic writers' block before? My holidays began last week, but until now I haven't been able to write all the emails, messages, testimonials, comments, cards, letters et cetera (or blog) because each time I sit down and try writing, I end up in agony. I find it strange, and possibly abnormal...
This is despite the fact that I have gotten over my need to produce The Perfect Essay In fact, I managed to churn out 3 essays -- with ~5 major topics each -- in 2 hours, for my IPE* exam. (This is a major accomplishment; I failed to complete any of my high school English papers on time!) The same doesn't seem to apply to my personal communiques though.
Help.
*IPE - Introduction to Professional Engineering - The most despised unit for UWA engineers
You know you're a teenager when you greet your high school teacher with... "Wassup?"
Well, I really wasn't expecting Mr Strack to ring me on my mobile while I was on the bus to uni, so I was caught completely off-guard and the greeting unwittingly tumbled out of my mouth. Maybe he didn't find it as hilariously ridiculous as I did, since he simply went on to ask me what he wanted to ask about the Titration Stakes.
Good ol' Mr Strack... ^_^ I liked his chemistry classes. He wasn't one of the popular "cool" teachers who knew how to engage with even the toughest of rebels, but rather he was the more soft-spoken and serious type who always seems to know what he was teaching. He was also willing to take extra time to come in early in the mornings to train students in the art of titration. (That used to be the role of Mr Hammond -- the other great chem teacher of mine -- but Mr Strack took over one year and decided not to give the job back)
Anyway, Carine SHS is sending 2 teams to the nationals this time. Good work, guys! =)
Alas, not all titrations go well. This morning's lab was the most horrendous one in my entire life. Somehow, I wasn't upset though. I remember feeling highly restless last semester when I my demonstrator snatched my lab notebook out of my slow hands. Have I learnt to stop caring...?
Drugs help you by doing funny things inside your body, which is why I'm generally wary of them. Especially antibiotics. And yet, I've decided to major in Pharmacology (ah, the irony). I'd rather let my body fight the bugs without sending in chemical reinforcements, unless I become immobilized and feel utterly crap lah, in which case I'd guai guai visit our medicine box.
One thing we need to consider though, is that being a stubborn git and shunning the doctor results in longer periods of contagiousness. Infecting others is NOT a cool thing to do, so that means... we have the obligation to pump our bodies with medicinal concoctions to protect those around us. It's off to the doc for me, I guess! *cough cough cough*
A few weeks ago, I delved into my ancient Pentium II and fished out some old songs which had entered my life many years ago. Among the beneficiaries of this rescue mission are songs from the Pokémon world.
The Pokémon tunes happened to be among the first which I started really learning by myself. (Except for the occasional other TV theme I found catchy, like Speed Racer and the Gummi Bears.) Just imagine a primary school-aged Sze Howe in front of his computer, belting out tunes at the top of his lungs to out-sing the voices from the speakers. Using one of the songs in my Primary 6 music class assessment got me decent marks too!
Somewhere along the way, Pokémon gradually faded from my playlists, and the songs were never transferred into my new laptop. Hearing them again brings back fun memories of the cartoon, Game Boy and trading card craze!
At this point, I'd like to say that I could listen to the orchestral soundtracks of the movies forever. They were just that brilliant in evoking different atmospheres -- dark, bright, enigmatic, fun... It's been incredibly hard to find out who the composer for each track is, but I think most of them are the works of John Loeffler, who also wrote many of the songs for the albums below. The man's a musical genius. The rest of my post will focus on the vocalized songs, though.
My Pokésong collection slowly grew over the next few years, but it was mostly limited to the above two albums: 2.B.A. Master and Totally Pokémon. Not that it was a real limitation, as there was a remarkable level of variety in style and content within each album alone.
The fun songs Being Pokémon, the repertoire unsurprisingly contains good ol' sing-alongs which don't have much meaning, but are just for laughs. The Song of Jigglypuff is an energetic example, and is cute too! ^_^ Go on, have a listen. It won't send you to sleep, don't worry.
For the benefit of those unfamiliar to the Pokémon world (gasp!), Mt. Moon is the home of Jigglypuff, and the song's bridge is a list of the attacks the little fella is capable of using.
I was even vigilant enough to memorize some of the Japanese lyrics, without the slightest clue to what the words meant. One of them was Meowth's Song, a ballad with a melody and accompaniment that was greatly likable, despite Meowth's scratchy I-have-a-cold-and-laryngitis-at-the-same-time voice. Can't expect a virtuoso from a cat, I suppose.
I eventually looked up a translation of the song and burst out laughing. Mixed in with the humour though, is a dose of loneliness which does plague people in real life.
The above picture and below translation belongs to tsrockin.com
Meowth's Song (Nyasu No Uta) In a blue, blue, quiet night All alone, I philosophize
The crickets are in the bushes Time and time again But tonight I won't be eating them
The moon is like an authority With its circular pattern How round, so round....
No matter what happens in the world, the night goes on No matter what happens in the world, the night goes on
Somewhere in the wide, wide universe There exists another me
Do I also sit by the grass village Raggedy-raggedy Strumming a guitar, I wonder? Am I also singing Meowth's Song, I wonder?
That I'm this lonely This lonely Lonely...
I wonder what everyone is doing right now I wonder what everyone is doing right now
I feel like calling up someone
Whilst unrelated to my problem, I remember using Meowth's song to make myself feel better after getting backstabbed by a friend. It's interesting, really. I'm an advocate for lyrics in the Importance Of Lyrics vs. Importance Of Music debate, but in this case, I looked for comfort in the calming guitar part.
More about the debate in a future post.
The romantic songs You'd be surprised/alarmed at the sheer number of fiction matchmakers out there ("Ash and Misty belong together!" "No way, it's Ash and May!!!"). Well guess what, I was in the bandwagon too! ^_^ There are 3 Ash-Misty songs that I know of. They aren't in this post, but all 3 songs can be found in in a story I wrote, which is very creatively titled The Songfic Trilogy. (Click on the name if you wish to read it -- You can navigate the chapters using a drop-down menu on the top-right and bottom-right of the page)
Etymology:
"Fan fiction": Produced when a fan of a TV series/novel/etc. writes their own story based on the original characters/settings
"Songfic": A piece of fan fiction which incorporates songs
Yes, I wrote a romance story back when I was 14. So sue me.
Alright kids, I want you to form two groups. Group One, you should all roll on the floor and laugh as loud as you can. Group Two, cup your face in your hands and repeat after me: "Awww..."
The third romance song comes from the Christmas album which unsurprisingly does not contain the core of Christmas as we know it. Well, the commercialized and fun-centric version of the Christmas holidays is here to stay.
The music does not live up to the earlier albums either. I didn't listen to most of the songs, but the ones I did hear had a very poor sense of rhythm in relation to the lyrics. Not something you want stuck in your head! It's still upbeat nonetheless, and the accompaniment rescued the songs somewhat.
The friend songs I really wonder, why are there so many songs about physical intimacy on today's popular radio, but next to none about friendship? Why is it that the topic of friendship comes across as corny?
Pokémon has plenty of dedications to this bond that most of us cherish though, due to the young age of the target audience. Perhaps the kids have the right idea.
Together Forever (chorus) Together forever, no matter how long From now until the end of time We'll be together and you can be sure That forever and a day That's how long we'll stay Together and forever more
Never Too Far From Home (chorus) Whatever you want, whatever you need You know you can always count on me There'll always be someone waiting 'Cause you're never too far from home
Wherever you go, whatever you do You know we'll be there to pull you through You know there'll be someone waiting 'Cause you're never too far from home
"Together Forever" is an upbeat one, while "Never Too Far" is more contemplative. Nonetheless, both contain the same optimism. It's sadly come to light that the optimism is for the minority... Humans aren't too efficient at maintaining friendships over the gap of space and time, huh?
The last song of the day has been with me for a long while. I've sung it for entertainment, I've cried to it when I had to leave the friend I was in love with as I left Kuching. Presenting, "The Time Has Come" from Episode 39.
The Time Has Come (Pikachu's Goodbye) I close my eyes And I can see The day we met Just one moment and I knew You're my best friend Do anything for you
We've gone so far And done so much And I feel Like we've always been together Right by my side Through thick and thin You're the part of my life I'll always remember
The time has come It's for the best I know it Who could've guessed that you and I Somehow, someday We'd have to say goodbye
You've helped me find The strength inside And the courage To make all my dreams come true How will I find Another friend like you?
Two of a kind That's what we are And it seemed Like we were always winning But as our team Is torn apart I wish we could go back To the beginning
The time has come It's for the best I know it Who could've guessed that you and I Somehow, someday We'd have to say goodbye
Somehow today, we have to say goodbye...
I can think of many people who can relate to this song at this moment. I don't think the words describe any of the situations accurately though... More often than not, songs at most only represent something QUITE similar. But the point is, we find ourselves here more often than we like. I seem to be here again, too... but it's my own fault.
I miss you so much, my friend... but I'll remember you always...... >_<
I got tagged. By the Rhizobium. A long time ago, hehe.
I am now an onion, being peeled apart layer by layer...
LAYER 1: ON THE OUTSIDE. (Thanks goes to Ek Guan for the calligraphy) Name:[Original] Koh Sze Howe, Xu Shi Hao [Others, in chronological order - List updated 27/5/2007] Number Four. Why must Chinese have so many words with the same pronounciation...? Jeremy. It was a birthday present, I suppose. Tan Sze Howe. I was adopted! Henry Baltimore. I gave written instructions to my American friend to pronounce my name: Hiss and Buzz at the same time. It obviously didn't work. Ijem. I had a sex change for a while. Potassium Hydroxide. Kalium hidroksida -- KOH Pea. Thanks to the Rhizobium. Sze Howe Koh. I have to go by "first" and "last" names now... Sze Koh. With so many immigrants in Australia, you'd think that they'd at LEAST recognize that we can have 2 words as a "first" name. But noooooo... Sze-Dawg. Woof? But I'm a cat person! Zee Howe/Sue Howe. I did not bother giving Aussies a pronounciation guide like I did with my American friend. HB. Unrelated to Henry. I am NOT telling anyone what this stands for. =P
Birth Date: 9 Feb 1988. Present...? *looks hopeful* Current Status: Single. For how long? Eye Colour: Brown iris. Black pupil. White sclera. Red capillaries. Hair Colour: Black now. Light gray in the distant future. Righty or Lefty: Righty. I'm part of the majority, it seems.
LAYER 2: ON THE INSIDE. My Heritage:Gua si Hokkien lang! But I have been accused of being aGEY chiobefore. My Fears: Fear itself. I'm not talking about Boggarts here. I fear being held hostage by fear, yet I let it happen. Ironic, no? My Perfect Pizza:I could say Marco's, but it's not. =) Well... One that's professionally made. Cuz mine taste horrible.
Home-made pizza. Tastes a bit bland. Looks awesome though. *hidung kembang*
LAYER 3: YESTERDAY, TODAY, TOMORROW. My Thoughts First Waking Up: Good morning, Lord! My Bedtime:What does this mean? My Most Missed Memory: The memories which I have forgotten...
LAYER 4: MY PICK. Pepsi or Coke: Pepsi. *glares in defiance* McDonald's or Burger King:I got lots of Pokémon toys from Burger King... =) Single or Group Dates: Single dates sounds more managable, haha Adidas or Nike: Fila. Only THEY produce shoes of un-strange shapes Tea or Nestea: Tea. Has real fragrance. Chocolate or Vanilla:*bursts out laughing* What kind of a question is that?! ...oh, you're being seious... Fine. Chocolate. Duh. Cappuccino or Coffee:Teh C Peng!
Liquid chocolate. Yumm...
LAYER 5: DO YOU... Smoke:70% of my body is water and I stay away from intense heat, so hopefully I'll never combust Curse:Avada Kedavra! ...nah. Take a Shower:To avoid stinking, yes. Have a Crush:DID I have a crush? Yes. DO I have a crush? I would like to know too, please. Think You've Been In Love: Lol, I did. Now I feel silly. Go To School:Does uni count? Want To Get Married: Yes, no, maybe. Can't decide yet. Believe In Yourself: If I don't, would I cease to exist? Think You're A Health Freak: I eat chocolate. I eat fruits and veg. What do you reckon? ^_^
LAYER 6: IN THE PAST... Drank Alcohol: Shandy when little. Cup of unknown alcoholic beverage at age 14. The end. Some people have a problem with that. Gone To The Mall:Dragged into them kicking and screaming. But yes. Been On Stage:"Abang!" :-D Eaten Sushi:Did you know that the rice-in-seaweed-rolls is actually called MAKIzushi? Sushi is the rice. The answer's yes, by the way. Dyed Your Hair: Nope. It's currently dyed with melanin. Thus the black colour.
I've looked prettier at times...
LAYER 7: HAVE YOU EVER... Played A Stripping Game: Yep. I won, too! We stripped oranges in a circular fashion and I obtained the longest length of peel, yeah! Changed Who You Were To Fit In: I changed myself, thus ended up not fitting in. How senseless.
LAYER 8: AGE YOU'RE HOPING... To Be Married:*scratches head* I really have no idea. Late 20's, perhaps.
LAYER 9: IN A GIRL... Eye Colour: Anything not white. Never did like those horror flicks. Hair Colour: Not bright green, blue, pink, etc. please. Short Hair or Long Hair: Short hair's no fun... you can't annoy her by messing it up!
LAYER 10: WHAT WERE YOU DOING... A Minute Ago:9.04pm - Walking about the house after getting sick of typing. An Hour Ago:8.05pm - Watching a dude crack flaming whips on TV. 4.5 Hours Ago:4.36pm - Talking about last year's graduation speech. 1 Month Ago:8 March 2007 - Experiencing my first day where 6 out of 24 hours were spent in laboratories. The lab coat was cool. 1 Year Ago:8 April 2006 - NOT realizing that I should have jotted down my activities in order for me to recall them today.
LAYER 11: FINISH THE SENTENCES... I love: ...loving and being loved. I hate: ...the presence of hatred. Paradox again. I hide: ...my thoughts too often. I miss: ...my ignorance. Sometimes only. I need: ...to finish my letters.
The onion has been peeled. Should it be deep fried? Pan friend? How does it taste? =)
I'll let the tagging die here. Note that I won't be so kind next time. *smile*
My uni path is sealed. After talking to Prof. Sandford yesterday, the remnants of reservations I had about doing biomedical engineering are gone. Onward with the program! ^_^ (probably should've researched more thoroughly before enrolling, hehehe -- but everything's fine and dandy)
Now, if only the online handbooks were more user-friendly. Pages like this one and everything it's linked to make it a tad tedious to figure out required units across 5.5 years.
Around Chinese New Year is the time of the largest human migration,[1] but a certain little family (as well as many other smaller and bigger ones) stayed put here in Perth.
This family had a large dinner at their home on the Chúxì (Chinese New Year's eve), and all family members in Perth were invited: The father, the mother, and the two sons. Unfortunately, the eldest son (a.k.a. Sze Howe) could not partake in the entire meal because he is allergic to prawns.
Following the meal, the family performed a small ritualistic replacement of certain old items in the home with new ones. The eldest son is now rid of his Power Rangers bedsheets. In their place are newer sheets of a lower smoothness rating, a higher itchiness rating, and which bears the slogan "Chic Au Masculin". The eldest son would appreciate any help in translating this foreign phrase which he now sleeps on, although he has a gut feeling that he will burst out laughing when he is enlightened.
On Chinese New Year Day itself, the two sons received their ang paus (red packets which were traditionally given as a blessing, but are nowadays regarded by many youngsters as merely a good source of income) before heading off to church. This was followed by a big group lunch with other Asians and appreciators of Asian culture. It was noticed that the Japanese food stall was run by a Chinese lady, and that a family from Penang operated a store with the name "Singapore Tucker". This was possibly a cross-culture effort.
That evening, the family went on their first Chinese New Year visit in Perth. The destination was the home of family friends, where the eldest son got his gluteus maximus (more commonly referred to as the "butt") kicked in two rounds of Warcraft III. He also learnt of the tradition of orange-giving via SMS.
On the second day of the Chinese New Year, the eldest son put his newfound tradition into practice as he gave away his first orange. He hopes that he does not get into trouble with animal rights activists for chasing seagulls and recruiting minions to follow in his footsteps. The Boys' Brigade parade went on as usual that night, and the eldest son learnt that one needs to notice every tiny detail of the surroundings when leading a blind man in a jog, lest he trips and falls. The day closed in the (very cold) swimming pool after the parade, where the eldest son learnt that swimming blindly without goggles and without experience can lead to 90-degree deviations from the intended path.
Actually, the day ended with the typing of the above blog entry.
No, the day ended with the typing of the above statement about the above blog entry.
Well actually, the day ended...
Forget it.
Footnotes 1. "Chinese New Year". Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved on 19 February 2007
Now that I've been labled a mungkirer of janjis (which I guess is true... *hides from Sam*), I bring you this Update* (judging by the way I'm being hounded for them, I'm sure "update" will make it as a certain somebody's Word of the Year):
I am no longer a high school student.
Slightly stale news actually, as we got ceremoniously kicked out of school on the First of November via an elaborate procedure code-named the "Year 12 Presentation Night", which is often mistakenly dubbed the "Graduation Ceremony". What I still don't fully understand is why we leave school before taking our Tertiary Entrance Exams (TEE)**, which for unfortunate blokes like me, just ended last week when others have already embarked on their Leavers*** trip. Perhaps I never will understand it... I don't quite feel like expending brainpower to ponder its significance at the moment (this feeling might be due to my brain's shutdown after a few consecutive late nights though).
Presentation Night went smoothly, although I found out first hand that sprinting around the hall in formal attire knocks the breath out of you. The Year 12 group had an abundance of money left in their school account, so we donated almost $3000 to the school to get 2 new jarrah table-benches. Also, according to Sze En and Jiye, I am now a Duck****.
Wooden.
Now that the dreaded TEEs** have passed, many are wondering what to do with the 2-month holidays which are now at hand. Some have already spent a small portion of this time at Leavers***... I headed off to Rottnest Island for a day trip and got attacked by cute little quokkas, but that is another story. Other personal plans of mine include getting a job, learning to drive (Yes, I'm almost 19 and without a licence. So sue me.), and learning to cook my mother's famous fried rice. Yum. ^_^
Vicious quokka. Approach at your own risk.
I suppose, however, one of the most significant aspects of completing TEE** is the fact that I'll never again have to write an essay, talking about how and why I respond to texts the way I do. Is celebration premature though? I've performed quite crappily in English this semester, and I felt far from satisfied with my TEE** essays. If I fail again, I'm gonna be in Deep Poo*****. =/
Thing is, I've always been the type to shun debates and argument presentation. I happen to have have this overly-complexified way of thinking that makes me want to consider every possible aspect of a topic, even if it means thinking until the cows come home but still not reaching any conclusion. I hate it when I'm forced to take sides in presenting an argument. Hate it hate it hate it. It feels worse than a kid who's being forced to eat his broccoli. All the arguments I had to present in English, then, felt like lies to me. I'm also driven to fine-tune everything to death (possibly a case of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder), which is very deadly for exams. Take this entry for example... It commenced on 1 Dec 2006, was finished on 5 Dec 2006. At least I took breaks in between. =P
Nonetheless, English class seems to have done something to me. My opinions have been changing over the past year or so... Debating/arguing skills are survival skills. People make judgements about you based on your ability to express yourself, whether you like it or not (I still don't). I also seem to have become more annoyingly opinionated, hmm... Congratulations, Curriculum Council, you have successfully created a monster.
Moving on. With all this talk about language, here's a quote regarding my blog, copied verbatim:
"why/ does every single BLOG IN EXISTENCE/ have a title/ that was derived from long names/ most likely from a thesaurus" ~ MRod to the ARod, 9 July 2006
Intelligent conversation.
I also have a vague memory of someone else being plagued by perplexity over the title, but I can't seem to find the quote. Never mind.
Yes, I did look up the thesaurus while thinking of a title a title, but there's more to it than an attempt to sound impressive. Let's see who can work out the meaning behind my title, shall we? Hints:
Read this blog entry again.
Read the top and top-right sections of my blog's front page.
Read the dictionary. (The relevent entries, I mean... not the whole book =P)
Disregard all stereotypes and generalizations about my linguistic abilities.
P.S. First person to give me the correct answer gets a postcard from me. ^_^
*Updaten, v - The (act of) detailing of events which have occured in one's life, for the consumption of Samanthas and Debbies in the blogosphere. **TEEn - A high school competition, employed to determine which students can proceed as planned to university, and which students will need to find alternative pathways. ***Leaversn - A rite of passage for many Australian students who have completed high school. It is characterised by a mass exodus to popular holiday locations, alcohol consumption, energetic dancing, loss of virginity (if it still existed at the commencement of Leavers), and increased levels of worry among parents as they watch troublemakers get led away by the police in the news. (Note that this definition is true but constructed to position readers to respond negatively.) ****Duckn - An almost-common misinterpretation of the word Dux. Also a common name for a variety of aquatic birds which have wide flat beaks and webbed feet, and emit characteristic calls which are represented in English as "quack"s. *****Deep Poon - A term borrowed from Mr Epanomitis' vocabulary, referring to a very very bad situation which is comparable to being submerged in a filled septic tank.
...deleted forever. Why? Cuz I forgot to log into my old Hotmail account for 1 month.
That sucks.
The moral of this story is... always build your own archives of emails that are precious to you. That, and/or stay safer with Yahoo! Mail which provides a 4-month inactivity allowance. It looks more awesome than Hotmail, anyway.
How to break and enter in 7 easy steps: 1. Place self on roof of target house. This can be accomplished via a ladder or helicopter.
2. Dismantle roof. You may choose to remove the entire roof or only a few tiles. Note: Beware of dangerous creatures called Neighbours' Dogs. The emit high amplitude accoustic waves (commonly called "barks") that may irritate your auditory system.
3. Lower self into dark, scary region. Cobwebs and high concentrations of dust are reliable indicators that you have entered this region.
4. Locate and open manhole. Often, the presence of a manhole is indicated by the presence of objects which are foreign to roofs, e.g. suitcases, broken fans, boxes.
5. Secure one end of rope to wooden beam directly above manhole. An acceptable method is to tie a bowline knot.
An old-fashioned way to tie a bowline
6. If you remember your knots well, you may skip this step. Pray very very hard that knot is securely tied. You may use the following example or create your own: "O Lord, please let me remember how to tie this knot correctly, and safeguard me against a broken neck. Amen!"
7. Slide down rope into room below. Note: Descending with excessive speed may cause the epidermis of your palms to be dislodged.
Yep, I am now a qualified burglar. The reason for my training was that I got us locked out of the house two Fridays ago.
Kudos to Mr Ager for teaching me the first 3 steps through the phone, and to our neighbours for helping us to actually occomplish Step 2. (Those things are ^%$*!@#& heavy!) Mr Royd also provided the torch and rope, and taught me a faster way to tie the bowline.
How happy I am for BB camping classes. Entrusting my life to a bundle of twisted fibres was VERY scary! I wasn't willing to test the strength of my knot, so I slid down as fast as I could. (Hence the dislodged epidermis)
Kudos to Dad too for storing strange things above our ceiling. If it weren't for the suitcases which pointed me in the right direction, I would've had to spend hours trying to lift every panel before finding the entrance.
All I can say is... Let's do it again! ^_^
P.S. Mom isn't very keen to let me take charge of house keys anymore...
Alrighty, Magickfreak... here is the ceremony you so passionately insisted upon. Let me summon my limited salesperson persona. *ahem*
"Come one, come all to our grand opening! Step into a world where emotions are surmounted beyond the verbal realm. Open your heart and let your expressions fly free..."
Yea, the 'grand opening' comes after my 1st post. I guess time CAN go backwards... ;-)
It's taken a fair bit of thinking, but I have reached the decision to move on from my Hi5, deviantART and MSN Space. They're simply not versatile enough, not to mention that Hi5 is too inaccessible and that MSN's layout limitations are plain appalling. Yes, I can be picky. Get over it.
Thus here I am, fiddling with the Blogger account that I actually set up in May 2005. Will this help me transcend language itself? Only time will tell...
Time is a fickle thing. The changes it brings can be utterly unexpected and unpredictable... within as little as a year, I've seen both dramatic and subtle changes in people and relationships. I'm know that this phenomenon isn't all that uncommon, but it's still interesting (and sometimes disturbing) to watch. Don't you just wish you knew what makes people tick? I sure do.
Anyway, it's that time of the half-year again when people breathe a sigh of relief to mark the end of exams. Well, that was last week. This week, some are breathing sighs of relief knowing that their academic lives are not doomed, while some others are less... delighted. I'm just grateful to be able to place myself in the former category.
Strangely enough, my physics paper fared better than either of my maths papers (gasp! =P) English on the other hand, is a totally different story. To think that I had made a firm resolution to NOT take up the subject upon coming to Australia... Thank you, Mr Young, for sending me into Panic Mode during our interview. If you hadn't suggested that I do History, I would never had abandoned my well-constructed plan and taken your next offer (which was Physics). Hmm, I'm even considering the possibility of doing something engineering-related in university. Yet another example of changes in time... (Too bad I had to abandon my childhood plans of becoming a private eye too! ;-D)
Speaking of which, I have only 3 months left before having to fill out a uni application form. And I still have no idea on what specific course to do. Help! ...I suppose we can always resort to good old coin-flipping... =P
Gee, university. That's a scary thought: I'll be ejected from high school for good in less than half a year. I sure will miss these days...
...but the fourth dimension only flows in one direction. Or does it...?
Words can be my friends. Words can be my enemies. Whichever the case is, I tread carefully. Sometimes though, I'd like to think that I have transcended the boundaries of my lexicon...
My Pokésong collection slowly grew over the next few years, but it was mostly limited to the above two albums: 2.B.A. Master and Totally Pokémon. Not that it was a real limitation, as there was a remarkable level of 
Yes, I wrote a romance story back when I was 14. So sue me.
The music does not live up to the earlier albums either. I didn't listen to most of the songs, but the ones I did hear had a very poor sense of rhythm in relation to the lyrics. Not something you want stuck in your head! It's still upbeat nonetheless, and the accompaniment rescued the songs somewhat.
