Happy Birthday, Mei Shan! '08

Happy Birthday, Mei Shan!!

"I think childhood friends are the best.

There is so much innocence in the past still present in the future."

To have known you for as long as I have lived in my life,

words cannot express how much it means to have such

a sweet heart of gold... to brighten the darkest times of my day.

a passionate daydreamer... to cherish the memories of what was.

an ambitious soul... that soars across the oceans.

a partner in parallel worlds... where imaginations take over.

and a jumping joy of happiness... that spices up the lives of all those around you.

and that makes a difference in me.

May your dreams come true, breach the walls dividing fantasy from reality.

May your days mark happiness with every passing second.

May your luck shine with the light of every star latched upon the ebony sky.

And a toast to a friendship that is working its way to its happily-ever-after.

PS: I will always be there for you too.

On Being An Angsanian

Random flashback to two years ago: We were sorted to our Form 4 classes. Sooi Kee, Sue Hui and Melissa were eyeing for Sub Science, while Mei Yee and I, opting for Science stream, thought we were bound to be in the same class as the names for 4 Angsana ran low. Time stopped when I heard my name. My first thought? Oh no. How am I supposed to cope in 4 Angsana all the way to 5 Angsana? It's going to be a tough journey. Perhaps it would be better with someone close to me in Form 3.

Mei Yee went to 4BR. Great.

Okay. Officially stressed out, I pictured myself breaking down amidst the competition, like a clockwork that had reached its limit. Things aren't going to be easy. Quiet, Serious and Studious were my stereotypical expectations of the class. For one, there were worries about whether I can fit in, or feel like I belong.

And then, the other side begun to unfold. It occured to me that 90%, if not all, of my classmates doubted whether they were meant to be in Angsana class. The unexpected hit them straight into the face. As did mine. And just because we enter Science Stream, our dreams may not. A lot of us share the same fear of not fitting in. Insecurity blanketed their decision to not switch classes.

Being an Angsanian. One word: Wild.

You have a bunch of people with different personalities, different interests, different dreams... and yet so much the same. Things aren't so serious here. While some of us are kind of passive, inside there are wacky people who share unforgettable moments...of burning shoes and failed experiments and competitive presentations and teachers who leave hilarous footprints in our lives. Exam-wise, there is a lot of anxiety, of course, but scratching that out, it's rather a comfort to be here. Here, things seem to go alright.

Or maybe it's just me.

Bottomline: I'm glad to be an Angsanian. Even if I do feel a little tensed at times.

Tag : Player answers

Tagged by Joanne

Rules:
1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post the player then tag 5 people.

Starting time: 6.14 pm
Name: Rachael Lum
Sisters: one
Brothers: one
Shoe size: small, I don't know...5 or 6
Height: hmm...need I mention?
Where do you live: Petaling Jaya
Favourite drinks: fruit juice
Favourite breakfast: ommelette

Have you ever been on a plane: yup...yippee!
Swam in the ocean: yup
Fallen asleep in school: Not since kindergarten
Broken someone's heart: Hmm...yup
Fell off your chair: Not that I remember

Sat by the phone all night waiting for someone to call: yes
Saved e-mails: Anything memorable
What is your room like: semi messy yet comfy
What's right beside you: my literature book!

What is the last thing you ate: Sandwich
Ever had
chicken pox: Yes, had to miss exams. Sigh.
Sore throat: yes
Stitches: (Touches wood) No- don't plan to
Broken nose: (Tapping on wood) No-ditto
Do you believe in love at first sight: Sorry, no
Like picnics: Yes

Who was the last person you danced with: I dont know..
Last made you smile: A codename bunny I know.
You last yelled at: I don't remember, honestly. Wasn't recent.

Today did you
Talk to someone you like: I'm assuming it means people I don't hate, then yes.
Kissed anyone: nope
Get sick: At least an annual fever, wierdly enough.
Talked to an ex: No ex
Miss someone: Yes
Best feeling in the world: Feeling assured or reassured
Do you sleep with stuffed animals: yes!
What's under your bed: Boxes that are supposed to be unpacked by now.
Who do you really hate: The term dislike would sound better but not so far.

What time is it now: 9.30 pm

Randoms :
Q: Is there a person who is on your mind right now:* Yup
Q: Do you have any siblings:* Yes
Q: Do you want children:* Yup, eventually
Q: Do you smile often:* I try
Q: Do you like your hand-writing:* Love it
Q: Are your toenails painted:* Not since the Bali trip.
Q: Whose bed other than yours would you rather sleep in:* Hmm..sister
Q: What colour shirt are you wearing:* Class t-shirt
Q: What were you doing at 7:00pm yesterday:* Watching tv at grandma's place.
Q: I can't wait till:* the stress leaves my back.
Q: When did you cry last:* erm. three days ago, don't ask.
Q: Are you a friendly person:* to a certain extent
Q: Do you have any pets:*Yes!

Where is the person you have feelings for right now?* who?
Did the last person you held hands with mean anything to you now?* friends
Do you sleep with the TV on?* nope
What are you doing right now?* half replying an email and finishing this tag.
Have you ever crawled through a window?* nope.
Can you handle the truth?* Yes, be it as painful as it can be.
Are you closer to your mother or father?* I'm okay with both but I guess my mother.
Who was the last person you cried in front of?*my soft toys
How many people can you say you've really loved?* sigh...what's with the lovey-dovey questions?
Do you eat healthy?* kind of
Do you still have pictures of you & your ex?* sigh. no ex
Have you ever cried because of something someone said to you?* yes
How often do you go to church?* only when invited for functions, or plays!
If you're having a bad day, who are you most likely to go to?* Though I find it hard confronting people with feelings, my friends usually.
Are you loud or quiet most of the time?* quiet.
Are you confident?* shaky

5 things I was doing 10 years ago..(1998)
When I was 7 yrs old
1. Entering Std One.
2. Turning 7.
3. Starting everlasting friendships.
4. Getting lost on my first day at school.
5. Getting lost on the second day of school.

5 things on my to-do list
1. Start my Project
2. Finish Homework.
3. Work. Sigh.
4. Really set my foot down and study (which is mighty impossible)
5. Visit Campap!

5 snacks I enjoy
1. Biscuits
2. Home made Jelly
3. Ice-cream
4. Occasional chocolate.
5. Are fruits counted?

5 of my bad habits
1. Last minute person.
2. Finds it hard to open up.
3. Take things too hard.
4. Short-term memory loss.
5. Fickle

5 places I have lived
1. Petaling Jaya
2. Bayu Puteri
3. Grandma's house
4. hmm..
5. May I skip this?


5 jobs I've had
1. Student.
2. Baby sitter (to cousins)
3. Secretary(to our five-membered society)
4. Treasurer(art)
5. sigh...

5 people I tag
I choose not to tag. It is really long...



Notes:
Had really great fun yesterday with the Low family while eating dim sum. Ordered a lot...Oh boy, the next time I meet Mei Shan will be at the end of the year...sobs.

Like every tree stands on its own.

A tree stands firm with its roots penetrated into the depths of the soil. It stands tall and magnificient, outstretching its arms to the corners of the sky, basking in the glory of the sun. With every glimmer of the light the dewdrops clash upon the ground. A tree stands alone in silence.

A tree stands as if in confidence, as if life had done it well. And many assume trees are as strong as the spirit that flares in them. Many assume that trees can take the merciless challenges of nature and that of men.

As I said, many assume.

Deep down, if one could hear the voice of the tree, you would hear its heavy heart burdened with a tainted self-esteem, every scar upon its bark leaving a hurting gnash upon its soul. Perhaps you may hear the sound of its heart shattering, and in desperation, it is trying to hold it all together. Deep down, you may even hear it sobbing.

Perhaps it is not the demands of natural disasters that torment its pride, but that of men who continuously slash its trunk, and the fear of not being able to hang on.

A tree suffers in silence, its sanity hanging on a string. Alone and lonely. Yet it can never express its innermost feelings. It takes someone with a heart that cares enough yet not judge to truly understand that of a tree.

A tree stands firm upon the soil, has leaves that shed across the dusty land, and branches that touch the clouds and grasp at the stars, a signature of strength...but never never assume,

That what you see is what it really is.

Court case: XX vs XY

It sparked excitement the moment she wrote our task of the day upon the whiteboard.

"List down 10 annoyances that you find in the opposite gender."

So there we were, in four groups, armed with a piece of mahjong paper, whiteboard marker, and a mind with full of allegations we intended to use as attacks. I could vaguely imagine us as attorneys of opposing firms, tracing our tactical manoeuvres on an empty slate, and within minutes, it came out full of stereotypical ideas we agreed on.

And so the court case begun.

It was as if a courthouse had appeared right before our eyes. In an instant, the classroom burst into life with our acrimonious 'guy-girl debate'. I'm pretty sure some other classes would have heard our cheers and cries and roars of laughter as we presented the 10 annoyances, each fighting to be proven right.

You know which side I'm on. XD.

To generalise, most girls disliked boys who...are arrogant, egoistic, vain, insensitive...
While the boys had their own list, not liking girls who...are self-centered, secretive, gossip, have mood swings...

In the end, as our stomachs begun to hurt from our continuous doses of laughing gas, our teacher concluded the debate by mentioning that both lists actually the same, that you can't place categorise guys and girls(that logically, guys can get mood swings and girls can be vain) Then right before she left, she left us a little advice.

"So, all of you, now you know what the opposite gender wants, ya."

Silent happiness

You can say that today was a heart-warming day, somehow or other.

I got another belated gift. Sooi Kee gave a really beautiful sunflower-shaped photo frame, its petals adorned by ladybirds.(Ladybirds are a symbol of luck!) Thank you so much! All in the honour of being your '5th wife'!

There was no History test today. While we do have two more History tests for the month, it's always nice to have a little more time in preparing for it.

We had a Chemistry experiment. They never fail to put a smile on my face. When I say 'they', I mean both the experiments and the hilarious capers of the class. Today we were amazed by the "omniscient-high tech-fx570" calculator that made us "OOoo.."and "AAaaahh.."

Before we were let off from school, Shi Yun, Amirah and I were wondering what lies in the future, sharing our thoughts on event management and medicine and, well, English. Did you know there are supposedly NO colleges offering such courses? Mirah suggested taking two majors. Hmmm...

Though, that's not the high point of my day.

Someone said something that I will never forget, and never will. Echoing through my mind, had my heart not stayed stiff, tears of silent joy would have left its hide. Even though my confidence came paper thin, it was a moment of appreciation that I was never yet given. Little does she know how much that meant to me...."...let her know, okay?" With a slight nod, I left with a cloud of happiness hanging above my head.

Happy Birthday, Kien Hsin! '08

Happy Birthday, Kien Hsin!!

It's always fun to have someone who is the same age as me.

You're a pro in the cyber world, which kind of leaves me envious.

Wild and hyper at times, but that's to take care of a little 'Rottweiler' we know.

Ever with new tricks up your sleeves,and new ideas that capture our attentions.

Knowing that your path is swerving to that of engineering,

You can do it! Go go go!

Yes, you're ready to learn to drive,

But don't break your leg again.

I'm not good at writing get-well cards.

May your year be filled to the brim with the best of luck!!

Happy 17th Birthday!

PS: Hope you don't mind me grabbing these photos from your Friendster profile.XD

Happy Birthday, Joyce '08

Happy Birthday, Joyce!!

So now it is time to celebrate the big day of...

A chocoholic,

A "Mosely cum Archuleta cum Gong Yoo cum Da Hae etc." fan,

A heart lover,

A girl who speaks her mind,

And a sister who is officially 15 years old.

Being your sister can be stressful,

with full of sacarsm,

yet is overweighed by the many secrets and heart-warming moments we share.*

*Overweighed by just a little bit.

Hope you don't mind an 'I.O.U.' giftcard first. XD

Mission 'P': First task

The filmstrip in my mind started reeling back to a scene, flicking in black and white. Handing over the money, signing the form, getting the receipt and ticket, then walking away, realising I had just given RM150 to go to prom. For better or worse.

With the stopping of the bus that jolted me into reality, Mei Yee, Sue Hui and I hustled into Sunway Pyramid, where we met Chin Shen and Siew Li. Don't fret, we are on Mission 'P'-Prom. Their mission: Find and buy a prom dress. My mission: Scouting around for the first time. And knowing what is it to buy.

Forgive me for needing to laugh. It really is ironic. Especially when only jeans and shirts fill my wardrobe, and the fact that I don't normally even visit clothes boutiques.

Every now and then, we would stop by a shop to look at the intricate designs of the garments.

Some things I gathered.

• The flowing ones suit those with height in their side. It adds to the elegance. We checked out the ones with are about knee-length.
• Most white dresses look like wedding gowns. I say most because Sue Hui looked gorgeous in one. Hope she gets that.
• Black gowns are beautiful and slimming, but they blend too much with others. Though they can be versatile, they are rather common.
• Match shoes with the dress. Not the other way around.
• Accessories are to be kept to the minimum.
• Make up is important. And yet Mei Yee and I just don't get it.
• If you and your gown are destined to be, you'll meet again. So don't buy on impulse.
• No dress looks good without confidence.

And just to be honest, having friends who know how to break open your clam-like shell slowly and steadily does miracles. They offer sincere opinions, accept opinions, and add a twist of laughter.

I remember the time we took a similar dress each, Sue Hui and Chin Shen clad in hot pink, while Mei Yee and I took the classic black. Coming out at the same time with shop assistants staring in confusion, looking into the mirror to see the four of us staring back.

Perhaps dresses aren't that bad after all. What did I just say?? Who are you and what have you done to Rachael??

We had a really great lunch at Sakae Sushi. Slurp goes to the ramen and sushi I had! Poor Mei Yee couldn't buy a cap she wanted after that.



Off Mei Yee and I were after that to our first day of intensive Chinese class. We sort of registered and entered class just a little late. Suddenly, I thought some kind of mysterious wind tapped my shoulder. Or maybe that really random mischievous guy who turned his back on me!

Only to realise after sitting myself down that and watching closely, that O!, sorry Jen Jean, I really didn't know it was you!!

Bear with it, Grit my teeth

"...EXCUSE ME!"

Bear with it. Grit my teeth. I know, I can be rather blur at times, but there's reason for that. I was confused, slightly infuriated, frustrated, and my head was throbbing with flashes of images that was determined to wreck my nerves. So am I not free to work things out with my mind as I stare into space, oblivious to my surroundings, oblivious to any calls?

I heard them snigger behind me as my hand grabbed the paper from them. Around me, my friends ask me why I was in another world when I should be in tuition class.

To enter my mind.

"Your hair is in a mess. How funny."

Smiled at that. It was out of a rush this morning, I said, struggling to not picture myself as Meg Hunter.

"What's with the same hairstyle? You should change it, you know."

Giggled at that. That thought once asked myself that question. After SPM, my lips uttered.

"Prom is what turns a girl into a woman."

Shrugged at that. She means that I have to go against current. Flick makeup, do something my hair, buy shoes, wear a dress!! Oh boy, not that I'm the kind of girl who usually dolls up.

Kick. Great. I've sat myself in front of a chair kicker. Out of luck. Yes, just my luck. Even as I shifted my chair a little to send a message. I guessed he did get the message, but could not be bothered.

Bear with it. Grit my teeth.

"We'll buy a dress tomorrow, ya?"

Smiled at that. No, let's just scout around. Isn't it a little too early to think about that?

Tagged - "Whoever who does the tags will have blessing from all."

Tagged by Mei Shan

"Whoever who does the tags will have blessing from all"

1. At what age do you wish to married?
I don't mind waiting, but I guess I have to be at least 26 to consider.

2. Study hard or play hard?
Study smart but play hard!

3. Who is the person u trust the most?
My dear dear family members.

4. Do you think you have enough confidence?
Well, not as much as I want to. Trying hard to be.

5. If you have a dream come true, what would it be?
And she lived happily ever after.

6. Who is your favorite cartoon character?
Sam --- Totally Spies!XD

7. What is your ideal friend?
Someone I can share my joy, grief and dreams with and know that they'll be there for you to.

8. What is your goal this year?
Quite obvious. Face the battle. Ace the battle!XD

9. Do you believe in eternity love?
Yes, there is such a thing.

10. If you have all the time and money in the world, what would you do?
Shower loved ones with great gifts. Maybe bring my family around the world. Stock up on art and craft supplies and indulge myself in scrapbooks...!

11. When will you feel sad?
When things seem to go haywire.

12. Balloons or Candy?
Candy...XD...marshmallows!

13. What feelings you hate the most?
Insecurity. It makes people feel lonely.

14. What is your childhood ambition?
Haha...a hero with powers...what, I will not tell...

15. Do you believe in love at first sight?
Sorry, no. They only come in movies.

16. What do you think is the most important thing in your life?
Loved ones(family and friends)

17. Who do you hope to be always behind you, supporting you?
Loved ones.

18. People who are going to be hated by you?
I try not to.

19. Describe the person who tagged you in five words.
Sweetest, day-dreamer, nostalgic, famous-five, childhood-best-friend

20. Do you deserve to be loved?
Everyone deserves to be loved.

21. Do you wish to have more than 24 hours per day?
Yes on happy days. No on the saddest of times.

Instruction :Remove one question from the above and add in your personal question.Make it a total of 20 questions and tag 8 people.List them at the end of the post.Notify them at their cbox that they’ve been tagged.Whoever who does the tags will have blessing from all.

***********************************************************************************

Tagged by Mei Shan

8 things you are passionate about:

1. Family- thanks for being mine!
2. Friends- love you all!
3. Art and craft - my heart delights in finishing something I can be proud of.
4. English- don't give me different versions of the language.
5. Writing- pencil and paper grab my attention.
6. David Cook- go! go!go!
7. Westlife!!!
8. Keeping tradition.

8 things i say/type too often:

1. XD
2. nolah, it's just...
3. really?
4. hehe
5. oh, I see.
6. I'm merely vertically challenged.
7. i dunno
8. what about you?

8 books i have read recently:

1. Lord of the Flies.
2. Ticket to Prague.
3. Holes.
4. The Pearl Earring.
5. If I told you once.
6. The Wives of Bath.
7. Mathilda.
8. Watership Down.

8 songs i could hear over and over again:

1. Life- Desiree
2. High- Lighthouse family
3. True to your heart- 98 degrees
4. Always be my Baby- David Cook
5. World of our Own- Westlife
6. Big Yellow Taxi- Counting Crows
7. Fireflies- A Teens
8. That's the Way it is- Celine Dion

8 things i learnt for the past year:

1. To hold on before one year passes.
2. Waking my sister up can be fun.
3. How to make a blog.
4. That I can trust others.
5. Carpooling saves the Earth.
6. I miss marching.
7. That I trust myself.
8. That I seem to process things slowly in reading.

8 people i would like to tag:

1. Joyce.
2. Shi Yun.
3. Zi Qian.
4. Amirah.
5. Vincent.
6. Sooi Kee.
7. Miyumi.
8. Pa

Belated Thanks...

It's been a few days now, but I'm really thankful for everything, guys.

Thanks...

...Charmaine, for the beautiful stickers, which I find really useful for my scrapbook. And the bookmak that will adorn my books. I'm sure the frogs in the school pond will agree to that!

...Shi Yun and Shen Yen, for the card. Not forgetting, of course, Shen Yen, the 'shower of blessing' that you gave me when you got over- excited. So here we are---bunny, fish and mouse as friends.

...Miyumi. You've always been a great friend, since primary school...if I'm not mistaken, Standard 3? Okay, to date really back, maybe we've met in kindergarten but at that time we didn't really know each other.

...Zi Qian. Of course I remember...hehe...and I'll remember your birthday too. Don't worry(What am I talking about? How can you not worry?). Stay your hilarious self, okay?