So much things have happened over these past few days. On Monday, my mom and that hypocritical "bossy" friend have annoyed me to a point of no return, and my mood was extremely foul for that entire day. It was one of the worst days of my life.

Anyway, on a happier note, the CAS element of IB has given me a wonderful insight into children. Although I would have been exhausted after a really long day of school, I enjoyed playing with them! Seriously, they are so awesome. I'm quite proud of myself for being involved in their lives and enriching their childhood, especially the autistic kid I'm taking care of. Let's call him Dane. Last Friday, when Dane was going home, her mother confided with me about Dane's sad situation in his school.

As Dane's friend, I noticed that unlike other kids, he is extremely smart and he sees the world in an entirely different perspective compared to other kids. He is naturally inquisitive, and very chatty! =D It wasn't until my crush asked me whether he was a prodigy when his mother told me about Dane's high intelligence. I reflected on her words and realised that he could be one. However, his enthusiasm for knowledge scares off other kids his age, and his mom told me he was always bullied in school.

I flashed back and remembered the time when Dane told me he was bullied in his school. I didn't think too much about it (stupid me!) because I thought maybe his friends were just having a day of fun. I was a bit concerned, but I didn't raise that concern to his mom. Oh man, I am mad with myself for keeping quiet! >.<

Anyway, his mom on Friday confirmed that it is a recurring problem. Dane has no real friends in school at all, and I thought, how can children be so cruel to someone who is different? =( He did have a friend once, but he has since moved to our school. So his mom began to thank me for taking good care of Dane, because I was not only helping him to overcome his autism, I was also his only friend. I was in shock, because I thought Dane has a few friends in school.

She then told me that Dane was struggling in school. I looked at her with wide eyes and questioned that possibility. I mean, he was a very bright and chatty fellow when we were playing together in my school playground. From the way he spoke, he obviously was very intelligent. And I came to learn a shocking truth.

When Dane is "overwhelmed" (I forgot her exact words), his brain begins to shut down, and he is unable to complete his schoolwork for the whole day. And he will begin to act strangely and misbehave. And his teachers did not know how to deal with him. My interpretation is he was even ignored by his teachers, because they didn't know how to deal with him. I was steaming! How can they NOT KNOW how to handle him? They can't just ignore him, because his problems won't go away. She told me that out of 5 school days, he can only concentrate in school for 2 days. The rest... well, wasn't really productive.

I can't imagine the situation, because so far, Dane is just like any other nice kid, if you discount his peculiarities (which I really don't find peculiar at all). Off the top of my head, I can list some. As the playground is fenced, whenever the bouncy ball goes outside the playground, he begins to get uncomfortable and he requested me to bring the ball back in. And then, whenever he plays with the ball, he talks to the ball, asking it to come back. Despite my encouragement, he doesn't want to try the monkey bars. And of course, he doesn't make eye contact whenever he talks. His eyes wander everywhere but my eyes.

And I'm not really bothered by those, actually. If I didn't know he is autistic, I could have mistaken him as an ordinary, bright kid.

Anyway, I probably couldn't understand the difficulties the teachers faced as well when dealing with Dane as he wasn't in his best, and I haven't seen him at his worse time too. So erm, yeah...

You know, when Dane's mother mentioned that I'm his only true friend, I cannot help but feel really happy and important too. I have never felt important before, and I was really touched by her words and Dane's sincerity whenever we meet and have fun. I mean, I never imagined myself to be important in anyone's life at all! I'm like, wow! =O =D It makes me really happy, because I have at least a real purpose to exist. To make someone's life better. =)

Making a difference. I like it... Wow!

Man, I so love Dane! =D


On another matter, I feel as days pass by, I am getting closer and closer to this wonderful girl who is my close friend in school. Let's call her Miss Klutzy! ;) Yeap, I really like Miss Klutzy. Like on Monday when I got angry with my mom, she calmed me down by saying that my mom was looking out for me, and she was just doing her job. And I'm like, why am I so blinded by anger as to not see more than just the nagging? She's sincere, she's nice, she's pretty, she's awkward and she is so far from the woman of my dreams. But her personality, oh my, I fell in love with it! So full of love and happiness. And for a few days when we chatted online, we found out that we have a lot of common in our teenage angsts. The thing being she experienced it first because she is about 2 years my senior.

At first, her age kind of bothered me. I always thought a couple is an older man with a younger woman (to compensate men's late maturity =P). As time passes, it didn't bother me anymore because love knows no boundaries. LOL! I just hope that somehow, we will be more than just friends. But I'm keeping things slow for now. I don't want to set myself up for another disappointment, yet!

I have to stop here. It's getting late, and I have not finished my Theory of Knowledge assignment on writing a Maths poetry. Maths isn't my strong calibre, and I have zero interest in Maths. Not to mention our current Maths substitute teacher is bad beyond bad. I start to despise Maths now. I want our Maths teacher back. Never mind that she have just given birth! =P Hahaha!


Anyway, Model United Nations conference is coming up this weekend. I am extremely excited! =D I have prepared everything except tackling the flaws in my resolution, writing a speech supporting my resolution and printing out my online resources. I can't wait! However, I have difficulty countering points of information people shoot me. And I fear them because I always give illogical answers. I always answer in broken English because of my nervousness. *embarrassed* And thanks to nervousness, my brain conveniently decides to shut down, and I start to lose control. =( And the last time I participated in this, participants have been extremely mean and hypercritical. It was so depressing, because they don't even give a newcomer a chance to recuperate. =S

[+] There's more!

He swung by after school when she was taking care of toddlers, and he asked my friend out. Just like that, her dreams came true. I am extremely disappointed because it so happened I could not be there today because I had to attend a scholarship briefing (which was really boring by the way. I do not intend to apply for it because I am content with where I am now.). Arghhh! I am extremely frustrated that I missed the only opportunity to see love blossoming between two teenagers.

I am so happy for her because all this was, she had difficulty overcoming her shyness to talk to him, and she was hating herself for that. And then, he came and asked her out! Oh my gosh! It is like a fairytale! I simply couldn't believe what she typed in Windows Live Messenger. I'm like, no way! =D

As much as I am happy for her, I am a little bit jealous also. Hey, why isn't this happening to me? I like this girl and yet, I keep telling myself I need to take things slowly. Plus, she is erm... 2 years my senior. It's kind of weird, but all the same, it feels so right. I've been hanging out with her most of the time, and I have this hunch (no, I eavesdropped) that people in my year are gossiping that we are going out together, when we are not.

It's so confusing, and I really want to tell this to someone. But I still trust no one in my new school, except for her. I wish someone could understand the situation I am in. I busted Valentine's Day big time by not sending her candies. Oh, guess what? I didn't receive any gifts from anyone during Valentine's Day. Something went wrong with the delivery, lol! My friend also confessed she exaggerated the "secret admirer" part. I was quite let down that day.

Sometimes, I just want to sit down at the bench in a quiet park, and just hold her hands.

As she frequently speaks Mandarin, and her English needs a lot of polishing, I challenged her to speak only English throughout the whole day (except during her Mandarin lessons). I really hope she won't slip. If she is successful, I'll buy her lunch. =) If she is successful, I will give her a friendly hug and whisper into her ears, "I like you. You did it. Congratulations. I'm so proud of you." I want to make it a triumphant moment for her, so that she can always remember the day. =)

Okay, I seriously need to stop daydreaming. And I realised my writing generally has became more and more disjointed and incoherent. =(

Well, it's late. I need to sleep so that my brain is able to process thoughts during the early morning TOK lessons.

[+] There's more!

During lunchbreak, out of the blue, a friend told me that a secret admirer has sent me US$0.50 worth of chocolates which will be delivered to me early morning on Valentine's Day. I was shocked, and extremely ecstatic! Someone in my new school actually like me? =O

That is the best thing to have ever happened to me! My crazy dream actually came true! =D

Oh gosh. I cannot wait for Valentine's Day! Fine, I know how overrated that day is, and February 14 should never be celebrated. And how lovers are making too much of a fuss on this day. After knowing this, I've changed my belief. =P

I hope she sent me them. I really hope it will be her. But I don't think it is her since she didn't know how much they cost. Maybe it's her.

I feel bad to be a Don Juan and fancying two girls at the same time. =(

Ahhh! Two more days!

I just hope that friend isn't making a mountain out of a molehill. I really hope it isn't just a friendly gesture from a friend.

[+] There's more!

This week has been pretty eventful. It is going to be filled with CAS activities. I feel happy because it gives me a sense of purpose, besides pursuing the academia. Here's what has happened, and will happen:

• Joined the running club.


• MUN is in 5 weeks. Meeting was held yesterday. I found out the country I'm representing, and although I'm not too happy about the allocation, I can live with it. =)


• The first episode of Heroes, Season 2 premiered yesterday on Star World. It was really great! Time passed by really fast. I can't wait for next week's episode! =D
  
• Today, I took care of toddlers in my school.


• A walk around the local park for an upcoming trip overseas.


• Working with autistic children.


• Joining the Film Making club next week.

Highlights of the week? Taking care of children.

Seriously, never in my life have I considered taking care of children! =O Yeah, I do dream of being a father and having a nice family, but I've never considered the aspect of taking good care of children. I don't know why, but I tend to shy away from them. I'm so scared that they don't like me and find me an evil monster.

But then, there were a couple of times when I am stuck in a room with a child or two, and after overcoming my hesitation, I find that I really do enjoy playing with them. Their sheer innocence and their innate ability to find anything fun is amazing. It was just exactly what happened just now. A friend invited me to join the Toddler Group, which basically is about playing with toddlers and taking care of them. Previously, I was appalled by the idea because I am afraid of doing a bad job. Today, I took the plunge. Besides, I needed some hours for CAS. It couldn't hurt, right? If I didn't like it, I can at least say I have tried it.

Guess what? I had no regrets at all!

I spent time playing with this cute little guy. He is so charismatic and full of life. Today, he and I are playing airports, cars, cities, animals... All kinds of funky things. Suddenly, I was rediscovering childhood, and I let my imagination overtake me. End result? The kid enjoyed himself, and my friends were really surprised at my sudden childish behaviour. Whoops, my deep dark secret is out! Lol! =P Honestly, it was really fun to play with him, talk to him and entertain him. I think his parents are worried that I enjoyed myself more than he enjoyed himself. Lol! It was so hilarious, and I was kind of embarrassed after that. So I toned down a bit and let him be the, well, "master".

All in all, it was really fun. I can't believe I actually had fun playing with him. A child! And I discovered one thing. I can be my true self, let myself go and indulge in childish pastimes. Forget about the pressures of IB and just connect with young people. No more facades.

In short, no regrets. And I am looking forward to playing with autistic children too. I think it will be a fresh, new experience because I'm lacking in the child care department. ;) So I think it is going to be really fun! Plus, there will be someone there who will guide us in dealing with autistic kids. So it should be really cool and exciting. I really can't wait.

I have a feeling that these experiences with children will lead me to something bigger. Could it be my passion? A newfound hobby? Who knows? I think I shall let time tell. In the meantime, I will hopefully enjoy myself among children. Thanks to the IB programme for opening up new perspectives in life!

[+] There's more!

I am so overjoyed to see everyone downstairs ushering the new year in just now! In the final countdown, everyone was holding their breaths as the last remnants of 2007 ticked away. When 2008 arrived, there was a joyous rupture! Everyone celebrated the new year. Hugs, kisses, elation... Wow, it's really amazing.

You know what? This really compels me to throw a new year party this year! I think it will be really cool to have so many people, especially friends, counting down together. It is surreal, man!

Hmm... 1 January 2008...

Well, have a great year everyone! And for those in other time zones, hope to see you join us soon in 2008!

[+] There's more!

I was looking forward to a nice Pokemon battle online using my Nintendo DS. Yes, Pokemon Diamond has a Wi-fi feature which enables you to communicate with other international users to trade and battle Pokemon. So here is what happened. This battler, I believe, has cheated by using hacked Pokemon. This PM I sent to the moderator explains my situation.

Hey. I thought it best to let you know about this privately before making a big fuss out of it. I'm so afraid I'm blowing things out of proportion, and that I am a sore, sore loser.

The thing is I'm not. I enjoy battles, I really do! I know a good battle from a very very bad one, and this particular user made me feel inferior. I should have requested him to not use legendaries because I have an issue against them. I didn't, taking for granted that he wouldn't use any.

Well, guess what? He used Ho-Oh, Lugia, Groudon and that blasted Arceus. I don't mind a legendary or two, but I think they are too much. Arceus's not even in my Pokedex Prima Guide for Pete's sake. So I questioned his motives. And he gets defensive, cussing me. I kept quiet and proceeded the battle, even though I had wanted to run.

Suddenly, my router went bonkers. Communication error resulted. And guess what that loser said? I'm a sore loser! I can't believe he jumped to conclusions just like that. He bragged finishing the game in two days. He told me he got the legendaries in a trade. He did say during the chat that he rather use them than his normals because they are weak. I made no comment on that. He then became a sexist by questioning my sex, just because I do not turn on voice chat.

My god, I feel like screwing him. I bet he thinks I'm a wuss, gay etc.

I left the chat. I couldn't take it anymore. My rage boiled inside me, but I just... can't lash out. I feel sooo bad. And this experience has taken the fun out of future battles.

I don't know what to do. I just felt like talking to someone about this. Anyone. My friends won't understand my predicament because they don't play Pokemon.

I blocked the dodo too, in case you're wondering.

I do know it is just a game, and I am getting uptight over it. I think I'm overreacting. But I am seeking for a judgement here. Cheaters really do not deserve to win. They are selfish and mean people and make the lives of the people involved extremely miserable.

I don't like being taken advantage of. It happened while I was in Australia too. I can't believe I have stupidly fell for it. It marred my perfect vacation. =( I guess I will elaborate on that later. I'm too bitter to do anything right now.

2008 is coming up in a few hours time. I am flashbacking to the time when my best friend accidentally stumbled onto this secret blog. I cannot believe time has flew so fast. Where has it all gone? I feel sad because I personally feel I haven't achieved much in 2007. I just hope that next year will be a better year. It's a shame 2007 had to end terribly.

Wait. It didn't quite. I went out on an outing with two of my close friends this afternoon. We had a movie marathon. I think I Am Legend and Alvin and the Chipmunks is a good movie. Seriously, take my word for it! =) However, typical of many apocalypse stories, don't expect their endings to be happy. They aren't. However, for I Am Legend, I think the ending is pretty good for that genre. Alvin and the Chipmunks is really cute! Must watch. I love their songs! And it is so much better than the annoying High School Musical movies. Terrible! =O

Erm, all the best to everyone for 2008. May you all have a good health, good prosperity and good prospects. Take care! See you next year, in 2008.

[+] There's more!

It's over! =D

I am still in shock. I have been looking forward to this day for a long time, and now that it is here, I am stunned to face reality. O Levels are over and I am hereby released as a free man. I am no longer imprisoned by dark, bleary days of poring over my notes. I am set free and there is no stopping me! =D

I'm so happy and relieved, I don't think anything can ruin my mood! =D I'm super duper happy! Yes! Yes! *jumps in joy* Horray!

I HAVE GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL! =D

Rejoices! Liberation never felt so good, freedom never smelled sweeter; it is too good to be true. But it is, and I am loving every minute of it. Time, currently, is an illusion. ;)

SCREAMS!

Now, run along people. I need hedonism at the moment. Don't disturb me. =P Have a great weekend. Cheerios!

[+] There's more!

I was on the way to dinner with my siblings when the radio aired the song Seasons in the Sun. I stared out wistfully into the town buildings. As the song played and the first verse was sung, I thought of my best friend.

I cried. I weeped silently...

All those happy memories came flooding back. The good times we had in lower secondary years, the outing we had just now just filled my senses. I closed my eyes. My parents came into my vision. The sight of my mom laughing and hearing her signature laughter just soothes me. And I thought of my dad. My brothers. And my close friends. The good times we all had, the joys we shared, and the friendships we have.

I cherished those moments. I was shedding tears of joy that just streamed down my face. On the other hand, I feel sad and melancholy about it. I missed those moments, but I know there will be many more to come in the future.

I cried throughout the entire song. The memories were vivid and clear. I could feel as if I'm reliving those moments once again.

That is the first song which moved me. No song has ever aroused so much emotion from me before. However, it wasn't the first time I heard it, but at that time, it just moved me by bringing back memories from the past. The good ones which make my life so much more bearable.

And I really value the friendships I have with them. That's because they are real and tangible. I thank God for having these people in my life. Thank you... =)

[+] There's more!

After some encouragement from my best friend, I plucked out my courage and decided to approach her directly asking her whether she was mad at me or not. I hesitantly pressed enter. She said she wasn't mad at me and she actually forgot the chat that took place last night. Apparently, it was all in my imagination. Darn it for going overboard! =) It always happens. I so hate paranoia. =P

When I told her the reason why I thought she was angry, she laughed her head off! =D I was so relieved but slightly perturbed that she was laughing at my suffering. =P It does not matter. I'm really glad she treats me a very close friend. And that she wouldn't dream of disliking me just because of that.

For that, I'm really grateful to have a really good friend like her. Oh, this blog post may sound strange. Well, to keep a long story short, I misunderstood her words, something that happens to me when I talk to people online. Maybe that explains why I don't really like chatting with people via IM even though it is a good vehicle of communication.

Yes, this explains why the blog post below was short and abrupt. I deleted the meat of it because it was not relevant anymore. And I certainly did not want to remember it! =) Cheers, people. Have a great weekend!

[+] There's more!

Sorry if I have neglected this blog for quite some time, especially without saying what I was up to. In fact, I have pretty much neglected my own life and I had dedicated my time during the past 5 days to playing this superbly entertaining and exciting game called The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. And I'm proud to say that I finished the game! =D



I did that without any external help from either a strategy guide book or online. I'm so happy of my accomplishment! =D Okay, I admit, Midna (an ingame main character) helped me a lot by telling me vague clues, but that's in the game itself! =P It feels so immensely satisfying to complete the puzzles ingame by yourself. I cannot believe I did it all on my own accord, so much so I've overtaken my brother's progress in a matter of a few days. (And being brothers, I took every opportunity to rub it in his face and go "Nyah nyah nyah! I'm better than you". =P) Hahaha! I can remember the last time when I played the previous The Legend of Zelda series, I had to frequently ask my brother how to progress from the difficulties I am stuck with. This time, I make sure that I exercised and made full use of my grey matter and scrutinized every nook and cranny in the game that, no matter how minor, is essential to progress the adventure further.

This game is seriously the bomb and it is incredibly addictive. I remember vividly that I was glued to the sofa in the living room for almost the whole day and with sweaty hands, I invested every ounce of energy manoeuvring my character. Wielding the sword and shield, with dexterity I try to kill, stab and slice gruesome monsters. I too use other weapons I acquire along the way to aid in my quest of killing bosses and overcoming obstructions that come along my way. Transforming into a wolf and back into a human is fun too and of course, not forgetting the few moments of getting stuck at a particular place for a good hour or two before I loudly utter an "Oh!" for not thinking or looking at the obvious and laugh at myself.

Those were the good old times (although they're just days ago). Time, at that time, played little significance in my life. The difference between day and night was blurred. Yes, the game was that engrossing! =O The only thought that was in my mind is the (mis)adventures of that game. I eat, drink and sleep Twilight Princess! =P

I am so glad I thought of picking up this game immediately when the school holidays begin! Otherwise, I would not be able to concentrate on the holiday homework and projects I need to complete. =( Maybe I should not be thinking of it, but starting tomorrow, I have to spend time with my work (or even showing at the very least some dedication to it). After all, it wouldn't be that fair if I concentrate more on my game than my work. Now, if only I could work as hard as I play! ;)

The Twilight Princess game has many qualities that has made it such a successful game in my eyes. One of the main reasons is that it teases your brain, a lot (there are basic physics involved =) ), but one's observation skill plays a major role in completing this game. You really have to open your eyes wide and take a good look around your character's surroundings. There are many little things out there which are hiding along somewhere, and they are crucial to your progress. And of course, you have to remember things.

I must say the storyline of that game is pretty good. It made a lot of sense and is completely relevant to the game. I have read better stories and watched better movies than that, but for a game, it's awesome! And it actually moved me; I can actually feel myself tearing up at the melancholy parts of the game. And oh how my heart beat in joy when the credits began rolling! =D The ending was what should be expected - a happy one, except for a sudden twist that happened right before the words "The End" flashed in the screen.

SPOILERS AHEAD! Do not read if you are thinking of playing this game, or you are currently playing it! Scroll down to END SPOILER a few paragraphs later.

I cannot believe Midna, revealed as the Princess of Twilight, actually looks ravishing and attractive when the curse was lifted from her. Compared to her previous impish looks, she definitely looks more beautiful and more womanly (I actually preferred her impish cute looks despite her beauty as a true Twili woman). I love her reply when Link was speechless as he feasted his eyes on her for the first time. It went "What? Am I so beautiful you have no words left?". *chuckle*

It was pretty disheartening when she decided to destroy the only link between Hyrule and the Twilight Realm. The tear she shed which I presumed was for Link (the character the player controls) headed for the Mirror of Twilight instead and it shattered for good. Being the true leader of her realm, only she had the power to do that. And she did.

And I thought she would be back. =( She was a really great character. She will truly be missed by me...

END SPOILER

I love how the game designers who created the wonderful world of Hyrule, especially the dungeons. It can be summed up in two words: "Pretty clever!". I admired the way how certain small things altogether can form the big picture. The fact that certain items can combine together to proceed into the game is just marvelous! However, my eyes had to endure agony to carefully look around the game environment to look for the missing piece of the puzzle.

My favourite dungeon is definitely Snowpeak Ruins, a rather dilapidated mansion where a Yeti couple resides, Yeta and Yeto (how cute!). Even before entering the mansion, I was so taken aback by the looks of Yeto when I first encountered him. He wasn't the big, scary yeti I have come to anticipate. He looks pretty harmless and his face exuberates joy and kindness. Whoah! I thought the mansion at first was going to be easy (hey, how hard can a house be) but boy, was I so wrong! It was terribly tough!

The adventures I had in their mansion is humorous! I was supposed to find a key but after Yeta, the sick yeti, gave me the wrong directions (to find ingredients for a soup her husband was boiling indeed! =P). The ending was pretty shocking. Yeta was possessed by a shard of the Mirror of Twilight and she became one gigantic scary monster. Totally unexpected! I mean, she looked harmless and cute initially! The end of the battle was sweet and romantic, with the couple hugging and Yeto declaring his love to his wife, affirming her that he'd rather love her than some stupid mirror. So I got the mirror (yay for me) and as the couple hug, many hearts floated out from them which I gladly collected to fill up my life. =) Very, very cute! Probably the most unique dungeon in the game! It's a big humorous relief from the seriousness of the dungeons I have been.

Following Snowpeak Ruins is Lakebed Temple. I love the architecture of that dungeon which relies on water and canals to complete the adventure. I wish I lived there! =) Another one is Temple of Time. Controlling statues is loads of fun! Another favourite of mine is Arbiter's Ground, for its weapon, the Spinner, and Hyrule Castle, also for its architecture and clever design in hiding the treasures!

I don't really play the mini-games that are seen as optional breaks away from the main adventure. Perhaps the one I like best is the Boat Rental Cabin where one rafts along the fast-flowing Zora River which cuts through a deep gorge. It was loads of fun and it brought back fond memories of me rafting with fellow friends on a trip last year. =)

Although it was difficult to get used to the graphics of the game (I was used to The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker game environment which uses cel-shaded animation, a lot cleaner and crisper), it looked more and more beautiful as I gained control over my character and my sense of direction. In fact, it looked very artistic!

In short, what am I trying to say here?

I highly recommend you guys to try out The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess! It's one of the best games out there (I don't play much games too) and it promises you countless hours of entertainment. Play it! But be forewarned that you might get really hooked on the game and forget about everything else. Don't play it when you have a lot of work to do. Play it if you have a few days of vacation. It's worth it! =)

[+] There's more!

I guess there really is the occasional silver lining behind those dark clouds. I came back from school a couple of hours ago after tackling two of the most mentally stimulating challenging mind-numbing exam papers - and it is not the big one yet.

I'm glad and relieved that I managed to write a pretty good Malay essay - I think it's the best one I have written this year despite the limited vocabulary (but still much larger than most of my peers') I've demonstrated in the paper. (Read this blog post to understand why I say that.)

On the other hand, Paper 2 Maths was a total horror! =O I think I've lost at least 10 marks as there wasn't ample time to think through all. Yes, the few questions which befuddled me totally distracted me and as a result, I lost precious time. *shudder* The paper was insanely difficult albeit most are doable. I think this paper was specially tailored for Saddam Hussein's execution - it was a real murder! =O

Normally, I will get distressed over how badly I've done but not today. I was so relieved that I have managed to sit on my rear and sweated out to finish the paper. Difficult or not, I'm glad that one of the toughest papers I sit for is over for the time being. =) So I went out of the exam hall not knowing why I was there or what my name is momentously before I snapped back from a numerical world of Mathematics to reality! Yep, it's that tough!

Since my exams finished before school lets out, I had to wait for my brother so I stayed back for a while, talking to friends and catching up with acquaintances. I originally intended to do Chemistry past papers but I was so tired and exhausted I decided to do it later at home (yes, I'm going to do it later! =P). Quite a number of happy things happened which made me relaxed, like:

• The wave of relief hitting me after writing the essay rather "coherently". Nothing pleases me more than writing passionately. =)


• I finished sitting for the most mind-numbing Maths paper ever! =P


• Catching up with Mona Lisa about the speech competition she had had yesterday. Turns out she nearly turned out a loser because the inadequate judges made silly calculation errors which is totally unforgivable. I'm so glad that my English teacher who was there got pissed off and demanded to see the marks - she is an eloquent speaker! In the end, she was told rather reluctantly that she was a winner and was qualified for the finale! =D
  
  I'm so going to show her moral support this time by coming as a supporter on the real day. I couldn't go support her yesterday because I had to stay home and study for my upcoming exams. To tell you the truth, I wasted more than half of my day and I was upset with myself. =( I could have gone there and supported her. I couldn't forgive myself. And I was afraid that she would be disappointed with my absence. Thankfully, she's not. =) (Yes, I was somewhat avoiding her just now, until I assured myself that nothing can go wrong.) My mutual friend was right the first time that she would be understanding about it! =D


• Talking with Mona Lisa again and hanging out with a few of my girl friends and acquaintances. She cracked a silly stereotypical joke though. And it resonated with so much truth. =D


• The fact that everyone thought the Maths paper was a killer.


• And I accidentally *touched* a close girl friend (no, not romantically associated). You see, I was in the midst of telling Mona Lisa about her speech competition until suddenly, someone covered my eyes with their hands. I thought it was one of my guy friends at first, so instinctively, I tried to reach out my hand and try to touch him and guess his identity. That was intentional but what was unintentional is that I touched her sides of her hips. It was so scary!
  
  It...felt...so...smooth... The skirt material I mean. No, the skirt wasn't thin enough to actually feel the "contours". But, well... Just use your imagination! The doubts I felt at that time! =O
  
  She suddenly reacted with a "What?"-like grunt/groan and I was so shocked to see that it was a close girl buddy, not what I initially thought. I apologised profusely to her and she forgave me. But what was embarrassing was that it happened in front of a lot of people! =O Sheeesh! =O Everyone around me laughed... And I laughed too. =)


• My brother's sketch of a teacher in my school. Man, he really has refined so much of his artistic skills! It was incredibly life-like! =O He also drew a portrait of himself and I chuckled. Not because it looked funny or his portrait looked grotesque, but it doesn't look like him one bit! =P But it certainly does give me a probable peek of his future appearance. =) I'm so proud of my brother. =D


• Annelisa's virtual Walk in the forest. She did a really good job of videoing her daily morning walk and giving us the views of a British forest. It was a beautiful walk! =)


• Today's a Saturday. A weekend. Yahoo! =D

Who would've known destressing agents are all around us?! The most wonderful thing is that, they mostly come in the form of humans. I guess laughter and joy shared is really laughter and joy doubled! =D Have a great weekend!

P.S. Hey, I just realised that happy blog posts are dotted with emoticons while I use them sparingly in more serious/pensive/sad blog posts. It's so weird, huh? ;)

P.P.S. Great, my neighbour called me to play basketball again. =( I made up my mind. No. Thank goodness I can use exams as an excuse to not play for a fortnight. No questions asked. =)

[+] There's more!

Lugging myself into the computer room, with half-eyes closed I checked my email inbox, expecting it to be empty. My eyes fluttered open when I saw Bobby's name there and I was like, "Erm, does he want to ask me something?" And...*drum roll*

OH MY GOSH! IS THIS FOR REAL?! THIS MUST BE A DREAM!



YAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!! =D =D

And I went to http://bestestblogofalltime.blogspot.com...

I cannot believe it! I. Have. Been. Chosen. As. A. Winner! This is so incredibly exciting! This date - 6th of February 2007 - will never be the same again. I shall remember it as one of the most important dates in history! =D

First of all, I want to shout out a big thank you to Mimi for writing a great review about me and this blog of mine. Thank you so much! =D I really appreciate it! =D

I would like to blog more, but unfortunately, I got to go now. =( I need to get some shut eye as I'm exhausted. And I have got to deal with some other important stuffs as well. See you guys later, and thanks for the award Bobby and Mimi! =D

By the way, for those of you who stumbled into here from Bestest Blog of All Time...

WELCOME! =)

[+] There's more!

A few things happened over the weekend that has made smile and I went over the moon! Hahaha...

I still remember reading one of my friend's blog posts, and she recalled the times when our "family" (a make-believe one), a group comprising of 4 girls and I *wink* *wink* just had fun on the first outing we had. It certainly was a blast, of course. We bonded together a lot through that outing alone, we were just being ourselves and having fun teasing and talking to one another!

She (my "daughter") then recalled back the happy times we had when we just joked to each other and talked, and also the pretty miserable times when "family ties" were strained/severed. Nevertheless, through thick and thin, we stuck together and since this is going to be our last year together, we have to make full use of it to bond even closer and go out on more outings.

I am not the kind of person who likes to go out on outings but I think for the first time in my life, I actually enjoyed hanging out with them outside! As for the outings I had with the guys, let's just say it wasn't really that fun and exciting. In fact, I don't quite like it and I find it really dull (or maybe we don't share the same interests)...Sorry to say this!

I also love talking to her! I can tell you, our chats can last for two hours rambling about incessant nothings. We laughed a lot! It was really fun, and no, we are just good friends and I won't go beyond that! ;)

It rained on Sunday! I cannot tell you how overjoyed I was to miss my swimming class! =D I am so sick of doing front crawl drills! Last week, I had to do 5x100m and 3x150m and it was pretty tiring. I so do not look forward to another lesson again. Thank goodness the sky heard my wishes and ever since then, the sky was overcast and it was drizzling lightly most of the time. And that means no basketball game(s) with my neighbour too!

I used to loathe rains on Sundays as they prevent me from going to swimming classes, but now they are a blessing in disguise!

As I was about to leave for German class this afternoon, I met my brother's art teacher (who was also my PE teacher in school) downstairs. So he asked the inevitable question, "Where are you going?" My fear came true, he asked me that question! To tell you the truth, I don't like people to know that I take German classes.

I remember vividly that on a family (maternal side) reunion dinner we had last time, my mom told them, just like that, that I take German class. Of course, I was confronted by shocked expressions. My granduncle asked me, "Why don't you want to take a more useful language, like Spanish or French?" I sunk low into my embarrassment and my face drained out of its blood. I have my own reasons to study a "useless language" such as that, okay? I was lazy to elaborate on that.

There is another case when an arrogant businessman came into my house and have discussion with my parents. When my mom saw me coming down, she passed to me the Spanish book I bought online at Amazon.com. Do you know what the stupid businessman said?

"Why study a stupid language like Spanish? Learn Japanese instead!"

If I couldn't control my anger and embarrassment, I could have given this man a tight slap! I'm serious! What an ignorant fool!

That is why I never told anyone that I take up German class. So when his teacher asked me that, I thought to myself, "Oh no! What will his reaction be?"

"German class."

He echoed back. "German class? Oh..." I bet he was very surprised!

Later, when I came back, he was still there! LOL! I was like, now what is he going to say to me again! I received a really sweet and pleasant surprise from him when he greeted me, "Guten Tag!" I was laughing a little as his pronunciation was a bit wrong, but nevertheless I greeted him back! =D He then asked me what it meant, so I told him it actually means good day. =)

He's such a nice, cool guy. He actually took interest in my German pursuits. I was more than elated. I was on cloud 9! =D

I am also quite pleased that school is starting soon. I know it's ironic for me to suddenly say this after ranting how much I hated going back there, but honestly, I think I had had enough of staying idle and not doing much useful things during the holidays. So it's a welcome change to me!

Actually, my intention is more to seeing my friends again, not pursuing my education! Hahahahaha! But I enjoy most of my classes, though.

Hey, look, the sun's shining now after a few days of drizzle and overcast. Hmmm... this is going to be a good day after all! =D

Oh, before I end this blog post, please take some time and head over to Maryam's blog, My Marrakesh. It's really nice, and I especially love how her house looks and of course, her descriptions of Morroco. It's another eye-opener into this part of the world!

I let you in to something: That blog is actually a nominee for the most prestigious blog award, The 2007 Bloggies! That is so awesome and it's great to know that she got into the voting phase! So please vote for her! I'm going to, but I have other blogs to nominate as well and I have no idea how am I suppose to vote for them! =P

[+] There's more!

I really cannot believe it. 2007 really is so full of surprises, like what madd had commented here:

Thanks madd. =)

I finally understood (or got the basic fundamental gists) of noun declensions in German! I am so happy of my accomplishment. What once used to be a very big "Huh?" for me has became something that I'll go "Oh, I see!".


[you can skip this if you want]

There are four cases in German, i.e. nominative, accusative, genitive and dative, and it all depends on the sentence itself. So I can say:

The dog bites the man.
Der Hund beißt den Mann.

Here, the man is the direct object/receiver which receives the action of the verb, so he is classified under accusative. The dog, on the other hand, is the subject/nominative.

He is the dog's master.
Er ist der Herr des Hundes.

In this case, dog's master is the subject. But because the dog is the possession of the master, it is thus a genitive case.

The taxi driver drives the lady to the hospital.
Der Taxifahrer fährt dem Krankenhause die Fräu.

You know the taxi driver is the subject. The hospital is the place where they are going to, or the indirect object, so it is a dative case. The lady will be the direct object as she is driven to the hospital, thus it is an accusative case.

What changes in the case is the article and sometimes, the noun itself. I don't know why it happens to the latter as I wasn't provided a good explanation. It just happens! Too bad there are a lot more for this: tenses, plural forms etc. Oh my, the sheer number of words I have to learn!

Disclaimer: My explanation is not 100% accurate or correct. It's pretty basic. =)

[/skip]


My German vocabulary is horrendously small. I have to constantly check up on my vocabulary lists for some of the words that I had used up there. I kept thinking, "Now, how do you say this English word in German again?" Happens all the time even when I am studying Malay and the last time, Chinese.

I guess English is becoming my first language!

But German class yesterday was fun! I learned a lot from that lesson. I look forward to tomorrow's class but first, I need to review what I have learned to avoid giving blank stares to my teacher! =)

Later in the afternoon, as I was cycling around my house compound, out of the blue, my neighbours called after my brother. My brother ignored them (!) and when he called again the second time, I braked by the fence and asked what's up.

Guess what? They wanted us to play basketball with them!

I, of course, was shocked and pleasantly surprised at the same time at their request. You see, I'm not a very good neighbour myself. I rarely talk to the kids next door, or to the other neighbours around my house. In fact, it was mostly "Mind Your Own Business" scenario, to put it rather crudely, although my mother does talk to our neighbours next door sometimes.

So at first, I hesitated because I wanted to get back to my computer. But I thought "Hey! Why lead such a sedentary and lonely life when you can get a chance to play with your neighbours a game of basketball? Besides, you made a resolution to keep yourself fit."

And I told my conscience to keep his mouth shut. I naturally went, of course.

AND IT WAS FUN! I'm not a good basketball player myself, heck I don't really like basketball. But hey, there's no competition going on. It's just about having fun! For the first time in a very very long time, I spent an hour outside doing sports. I think my mom was very happy to learn that! *cheeky grin*

We played a few games and my partner (the elder of my two neighbour siblings)and I kept winning, hahahaha! I think it's due to my height and my neighbour's height (I'm 1.75 m tall when I checked a long time ago, while they are still about average pre-teens' height). And no, I don't get so tall because I play basketball every time. That's what everyone said when they haven't seen me in a very long time/never. And it's a really annoying notion.

But boy, it was fun! I even sweated out a lot too! In fact, our neighbour even invited us to have another game with their friends later today at half past four! Wow, I didn't know our neighbourly relationships can rekindle and restore in such a short time. I think this is a really neat opportunity to know them better. I can't wait! =D

By the way, regarding the blog post below, I guess I will stick to my initial decision. Boy, I really need to begin studying as soon as possible for all my subjects. This is one exam I definitely do not want to screw up! Anyway, thanks a lot guys for commenting and inputting your opinions. I really appreciate them! Thanks guys! *hugs all*

[+] There's more!

Just this morning, when I woke up and checked up the comments in the blog post below, I got the biggest shock in my life: My best friend has found out my secret blog. It was of course my mistake, I accidentally posted 2 comments with this username I'm having now at my other blog which I share with him. I was really scared and I didn't know what to do. I panicked (naturally, for me) and quickly removed those comments which could cost me my privacy and secrecy.

Now I'm paranoid that in that span of roughly 12 hours, how many friends of mine have actually clicked on that comment, saw mine there, and curiously checked out my blog site? I shudder to think about it. Fortunately, my fears were suppressed greatly by the fact that only my best friend has only stumbled upon this blog so far, and I really hope that no one else has. If they really do, expect to see a relocation of this site if I feel my privacy and security has been jeopardized.

I then signed in to MSN, hoping that he's online and sooner or later, he came on! I immediately asked him about so many things relating to his discovery. I guess that it was only fated for him to find out about this website, and for me to accidentally commented with my username. Soon, the topic went on to our friendship, and we both learned a lot from each other, repaired and strengthened the fragility of our relationships and in the end, we welcomed each other back into each of our lives. It has been indeed, a very trying year for us last year and we had some communication barriers which unfortunately, has lead to the downfall of our relationships.

I'm really glad that his discovery had taken place, as without it, we would still be "far" from each other. Talk about a blessing in disguise. It was definitely the sweetest start to a new year. I shall never, ever forget it and I thank him that he will always be there for me and for taking the time to chat with me. It definitely cleared up the fog between us.

Once again, I thank you so, so much, my dear best friend =). And you are always welcome here anytime!


There is so much to comprehend, but I'm glad everything is clear now. A fresh start to a new year, and that is great! Of course, a new year comes with another New Year's Resolutions which I hope I will not break this year. I must, must, must be fully committed to it! Even though it's easier said than done.

Genies dish out three free wishes, and because of that, I should write out three resolutions. There isn't much point trying to be "greedy" and writing out 10 pages long of resolutions when I can break each and every one of them. Talk about a world record! =P

1. Send my devil of procrastination to hell, permanently. I have this tendency to procrastinate things, postponing and delaying doing them up until the very last minute. I don't know why I do that. I guess it's better to be late than never. What an excuse! Well, procrastination has brought me so many difficulties and scoldings and bombings from people. And it actually made my effort seem so in vain. Like studying last minute, and I got results lower than expected (even though it is way better than so many students in my class!). Doing projects last minute, which ensures me of a bad hair day tomorrow and of course, getting cranky when bombarded by the relevant people. Even to telling my mother last minute that I have to go somewhere in the next hour, which resulted in me getting scolded by her. Whoops!

See how many problems my inner devil had landed me into? There are many, many more examples, but I cannot remember them all. But I know that it always ended up with me being sorry with myself, which is often too late. So I'm determined to send that blasted devil to hell, and sending me to many successes, including getting good grades in my O Levels. Wish me lots of luck in tackling this; the most difficult feat of all time.

2. Be patient. I am not always a very patient person. Even though I may appear patient, but deep inside, oh how I wish knives will be sent flying towards that poor guy! I have to be patient with my dad who is known to take up lots of preparation time prior to going out. I have to be patient with myself who keeps getting into tantrum when things don't go their way. I have to be patient with everyone; family, friends and teachers included. And to be patient, one must learn to understand those around him, and put himself into other people's shoes. So that's what I'm going to do. Tough, but if I can master it, my life will be so much easier to live. =P

3. Keep fit and do more sports! I've just discovered recently how reasonably unfit I was. I lost my flexibility due to laziness, or procrastination, and my stamina went from good to not so good. Which is bad, as exercising is vital to keeping a good health. Without it, I will feel lethargic, easily tired, and very quickly getting very frustrated and sulky. And of course, no energy to even fulfill my resolutions. I have to try and take up taekwondo in my own free time, run whenever possible (so that I can join in my country's marathon later in December, hahaha!), stretch more, and improve my swimming. So many things, so little time.

Yep, I think that is it. Three. They aren't a lot, but boy, are they tough to stick to and fulfill. Nevertheless, I've got to try my best and make good use of 2007. I want this year to be as productive as, or even better than, last year.

I don't know why, but I'm pretty optimistic about this year. I think I can do it. I hope that I wouldn't say the opposite in a few days' time!

I guess everyone has crossed into the New Year already. Congratulations to everyone for making it to 2007! Once again, a very Happy New Year to everyone!

[+] There's more!

Hey guys! I'm finally back at my place now, listening to the pitter-patter of the raindrops. It's that time of the year again when there is heavy rainfall and floods are all too common in my country. Rain can be fun, of course, but having too much is a major bummer!

I'm actually am back home on Christmas Day! Can you believe it? I have to fly so early in the morning at 4 a.m. for goodness sake! I seriously wonder who flies at such an odd hour. Well, my wonder ceased to amazement when I saw the 200 passengers congregating at the airport in the wee hours of the morning, on Christmas Day! Wow. I had tried begging my mom to postpone our trip back home but unfortunately, it wasn't possible as all flights from post-Christmas to the first two weeks of January are fully booked. Not even a seat! That was how terrible the scenario was. Hordes of Australians (or the English) are using our national carrier to go to London from Perth and vice versa, transitting in my country. Apparently it's cheaper by 200 dollars (not so sure about the currency, but it's definitely not in Sterling Pounds!) compared to Qantas or British Airways (if that carrier does fly to Perth), plus with that amount of money, one can stay at my country's most prestigious 5 star hotel for a day. I don't know how true it is, that's what my mom told me. Anyway, on that flight that morning, about 3/4 of the passengers were transiting. I think we were the only local passport holders even!

Now on to the important question. Did I celebrate Christmas?

YES OF COURSE! HORRAY! Technically, that is.

At the stroke of midnight, right before we leave to the airport, my family and I (including my elder brother's girlfriend who I call my sister - she's the bomb!) exchanged gifts! Oh my gosh, I cannot believe I got a Nintendo Wii (How I wish! Hahaha) they like the presents I gave them! Each and every one! I was so happy, I almost wanted to shed a happy tear or two.

Christmas always gets me. It moves me when I show my love through gifts. Okay, that sounds very materialistic, but hey! It's the thought behind that counts! I hugged each and every one of my family member, and deep inside me, I thank them for giving me such a good life and showering me with lots of love, even though I can be a real mischievous and misbehaved son at times =).

It's really cool. The crinkling of present wrappers, the shout of joy when they saw their gifts beyond the wrapping paper. Let's just say the Christmas humbug bit all of us. In short, it was an amazing short time when the family bonded even closer. But then, everything has to end when we have to get to the airport. Everyone stuffed their gifts inside fat and oversized baggages (it was so full, we were worried that it was overweight). Thank goodness our luggage did not exceed the maximum weight imposed by the airport, the weighing scale was being kind to us!

So yeah, my Christmas this year to me seemed so short. We didn't do anything special when we got back home. Everyone was too exhausted from the whole return trip although my brother and I tried on the new video games that we bought back from Australia. (The games they sell in my country are mostly pirated anyway and are not so reliable.) Hehehe...

I'm happy that at least we got to exchange gifts and had an early Christmas dinner at a French restaurant. Damn, I didn't know French can hit the spot in my stomach; yum, yum! No turkey though, haha! We had a jolly good two and a half hours dinner.

I've said it already, and I will say it again. Christmas is AWESOME!


So what have I been up to nowadays? Well, nothing much. Except trying out Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight. I actually wanted to buy its newer version, Flight Simulator X but unfortunately, this game was released too early and only about 5% of the gamers can run it properly. It is too demanding and quite unplayable for modern day computers. According to people's reviews I've read online, they stated that this simulatorwas meant to be played on Windows Vista, with DirectX 10 and well, this system is yet to be released. So staying on the safe side, I purchased the older game which was cheaper and was sold for AUD$10 less. So what the heck! *big toothy grin*

I have this weird fascination for aeroplanes (here we go again!). When I was young, I used to grab a small model of an airline, pretended my bedroom was one big airport and fly the plane, always either taking off or landing. Flying mid-air was too boring for me! Hahahaha! You can imagine me making the sounds of the aeroplane engines and make the aeroplane land or takeoff, and the aeroplane goes zooming by the long runway. Oh yeah, I love it!

The game is fun, but is currently a major bore to me as I need to learn how to fly properly first before landing (Boo!). Hopefully, after I have mastered the controls, I'll fly all over the world and make stops at the world's most busiest airports and admire it's monstrosity and beauty (Changi Airport!). There's something about airports which excites me...

Oh yeah, I've signed up for eBay.com under my "mother's name" since I am underaged. Thought it was high time I got rid of a couple of things around the house and make money out of them instead of feeding them to the dumpster. And that's what I have mainly busied myself these past few days. That explains my inactivity, I guess. It is loads of fun selling! Now I know how it feels like to be a e-seller! If you would like to check out what I am selling, you can ask for my username at eBay by e-mailing me at frolicsomekid at gmail dot com. Reason being my username is easily recognizable by my friends should they stumble into here and find out that I have a secret blog. And my privacy will be shattered... *shudder*

It took me a long time to figure out the mechanics for selling, and I've managed to understand the basics. The hardest part is the shipping, since not many locals will browse at eBay, and international shipping prices don't come in cheap. I was overjoyed when I discovered that a bidder has bid on one of my items! I intend to make the sales to go as smoothly as possible! =)

It's just great that Taiwan had to suffer an earthquake. The Internet connection isn't stable and very slow nowadays, and it will last for a long time until some undersea cable is repaired. What a bummer! At least I still can get online, I heard that our neighbouring countries isn't faring so well. But it's weird that it happened on December 26, eh? Coincidence?

......

Well, I guess that's that for this blog post. I'll blog more when some random blog-worthy thoughts hit my brain. Heehee. Until then, I wish you guys a very belated Merry Christmas, happy shopping at the after-Christmas sales (and cry when you learn that item you bought for $100 is given a big 50% discount!) and of course...

A very happy, prosperous and healthy New Year! (in advance, in the event that I cannot blog on December 31 - January 1)

And brace yourself for the flurry of SMS-es wishing you a Happy New Year!

Joy to the world! =D

[+] There's more!