If only my knowledge of post-war Europe was like Jemain's lyrics

Good to see Alex Song, ostensibly a holding midfielder, scoring goals aplenty recently. Although I would like to see him defend better. Maybe he's trying to become the next Vieira. He's not French enough though. Also, I've always been a big fan of his name. Coolest last name ever (apart from Keys).

Anyway, it's that time of the year/semester again.

That's right! The night before my first exam!

I'm trying desperately to get into battle mode, but that may just involve actually writing something with pen/pencil and paper. Haven't tried doing that for any extensive period of time for a while. I've got European Studies tomorrow, and I've been revising by typing up the lecture slides.

This study is also slow going/I started a bit late (like, this morning). However, the upside is that this stuff just seems to sink in on first reading, unlike some other subjects I could name.

Speaking of cool names (refer back to the first paragraph (wow, this sounds like a report)), I've always wanted a cool rapping name, but ever since Hiphopopotamus and Rhymenoceros had been taken, I've been unable to think of any.

My lyrics are bottomless...

...

...

I think this will be it until after exams i.e. I probably won't blog again until after exams. Good luck for exams, if you have them. For those of you that don't, please wipe that smirk off your face. Kthxbye.

Word of the Day: Extensive

Tell him he's dreaming

I had one of the weirdest dreams last night. And the weird thing was, it seemed like a recurrence of one that I had the previous night, but I'm not sure if I did. Weird.

Okay. Here goes.

For some reason, two friends and I (I've forgotten which two now. I think it was Victor and Banh.) were inside a top-secret-compound thing. Yeah. Crazy. And we're in an armoured car type thing.

Somehow, we find out that people are coming to get us. We hear them coming, so I get somebody (I think it was Banh) to shoot him through the windscreen. He duly obliges, and we hightail out of there.

However, like all good action movies, they're still after us.

Solution? We somehow end up outside of the car, and start running. We run into Rui (not literally. He just happened to be there), who was going to a movie with a girl. We tag along and pretend to be innocent citizens (what was our crime? What were we doing there in the first place? Don't ask stupid questions). We snuck into the cinemas, and successfully avoided them.

Whoever 'them' might be.

Mission accomplished. Immense feeling of satisfaction.

I think the dream I had the previous night (or it might even have been the same night) involved Banh shooting the guy, but that was that. We just moseyed out of there.

I think I have a great idea for a new blog that I'm going to start in the summer. Stories based on my dreams. The major problem with that, however, is that I don't have, or technically remember, many dreams at all. Like, optimistically (or pessimistically, depending on who you are), you're looking at about a dream a month. But I would like to do something with stories. Any ideas?

Word of the Day: Accomplished

Cry Now

So last night I was listening to Taylor Swift's new album, Speak Now. Looks something like this:

Except I 'got' the deluxe version. So it looks something like this:

Anyway. I was listening to it at half-past-twelve this morning, and almost cried myself to sleep. No joke.

A thoroughly depressing album. Beautiful, but very, very sad. Her voice naturally sounds yearningful (like Oasis songs), and then you couple that with songs in minor keys, and love-lorn lyrics, and it's a killer.

Where shall we start? From the start of course! (This is just a summary of the most notable songs).

'Mine' is laden with yearning. A very nice song, and instead of filling me with hope, it makes me wish what she describes could happen to me.

'Back to December' is about screwing up. Something that I can totally relate to, except not about losing a guy.

'Speak Now' is probably the most upbeat, catchy song on the entire record. Catchy, catchy. Did I mention catchy? I've played it about ten times already.

'Never Grow Up' is probably the saddest. I think that was the tear-jerker for me. It's beautifully crafted, and she's sort of singing about her experiences, but through the role of talking to a little girl, and saying how she's going to protect her from all the bad things that she had to go through. Reminds me of that time I suddenly got all wistful about my high school days, playing football with the lads at lunchtime, massed singing, and catching the train home. Makes me wistful all over again.

'Last Kiss' has good lyrics.

Wearing your clothes,

All that I know is,

I don't know how to be something you miss.

'Back to December' live:

'Never Grow Up' (don't be ashamed if you cry):

I just realised everything that I had is someday gonna be gone,

So here I am in my new apartment

In a big city, they just dropped me off

It's so much colder than I thought it would be

So I tuck myself in and turn my nightlight on.

Yeah. Pretty much 90% of the album is along those lines. Get it anyway. Solid album. Just keep a box of tissues handy, that's all. Don't say that I didn't warn you.

Word of the Day: Wistful

Guys 3:0 Man City

There is something incredibly beautiful about girls wearing football (soccer) jerseys.

I can't place what it is. I mean, if you go by fashion conventions, it's a big no-no. They have no shape. Also, it's menswear.

And yet, it looks incredibly good on most girls.

I mention this because the Arsenal jerseys were out in force today. And I saw a girl wearing one in the Matheson Library. Apart from Arsenal recording a thumping victory this morning, this also made me wish that I had worn my Arsenal top.

It was a good win. To get a win at Man City, with all the money they've poured in, minus our two first-choice centre-backs, and best striker, is no mean feat. Haven't been this happy about the team in a while. Also, Fabregas is back (!). But w

hat was most pleasing was the performance of Fabianski. No screw-ups, and some decent saves. Hopefully he continues like this.

It's a shame I couldn't replicate this form in my French oral, despite having a cram session with Zara in the morning.

For some peculiar reason, I speak better when I don't read. So when I was reading, my pronunciation was way off. But here's the paradox. When I was answering questions, and not reading off the sheet of p

aper, I kept getting things wrong. But my pronunciation was spot on. Might have to look into that.

I winded down with Zara walking back to the Matheson. She stuck around til I finished my oral, which was very nice of her.

So after walking back to where we began, we said our goodbyes, and I faced up to reality. I plugged in Bumblebee (my laptop, duh), and set to work smashing out the rest of my essay.

This was high-pressure stuff, because (a) I w

as indecisive about whether to add more stuff in, and (b) I wanted to get it done before lunchtime.

Turns out that I co

uldn't be stuffed adding in more stuff, so it ended up about 300 words under, and I used one less source than the minimum. In hindsight, I should've put more effort into a 60% essay. I just realised it was that much. But it should be a pass anyway. Hopefully I'll get a Credit or higher overall. It was a dodgy essay task anyway.

I also finished way past lunchtime. 2 o' clock, to be precise. Which just proves the theory that when you're working hard, especially on adrenaline, hunger subsides. So I popped into Maccas afterwards, sped home, and just lay on my bed for an hour.

That's right. Lay. I wasn't sleeping. I wasn't even napping. I was just laying. Cool is me.

I think the double-adrenaline-rush-peaks drained me quite a bit.

I was originally thinking of leaving you with a picture of pretty girl in a pretty Arsenal top, but probably not appropriate. So instead, you can have this.

Word of the Day: Paradox

J'ai besoin de headphones de Roc Nation

The night before my French oral, and I'm trying to get into battle mode.

It's not really working. I've got that unwarranted confidence in my own abilities coming back now.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I speak French. How hard can it be?"

It'll be hard. As soon as I start thinking that, I know I'm in strife.

Anyway, next object of desire:

Basically, headphones endorsed by Jay-Z. More info here.

Roc Nation Aviators by Skullcandy. And aren't they just gorgeous. They look like the pair of aviators that I want next (gold frame, brown lense), and the touch of leather just makes it. Volume control, and in-built mic. The only foreseeable barrier is cost, which I am having trouble obtaining. But just wow.

Update: Apparently not leather, and $150 USD. Hmm. Not bad. Especially with the dollar as strong as it is now. Problem is, can I get them imported for that price?

Questions unanswered. Until next time.

Word of the Day: Desire

Superstar

Last day of the semester, and it's kind of bittersweet, for some bizarre reason. Fantastic weather though.

Last night, a strange thought took me.

I came to the realisation that I really, really missed that star of jars that I gave to that crazy Linda girl.

No joke. I'm actually really, really (time to go to the adjectives shop and make a few purchases) cut about it. I don't know what would be worse. The fact that it's in the bin, or the fact that she's still got it.

It probably seems a bit irrational to the neutral observer, but there are reasons.

Firstly, when I was making that thing, I made it with a view to giving it to a girl I truly liked.

I guess what I should have saved it for was love.

Secondly, that jar took ages to make. Not only that, it was an ingenious creation, even if I do say so myself. A thing of real beauty. I don't know whether I'll be able to recreate it, or whether I would want to. Time will tell.

Lastly...well, there is no lastly. It was just beautiful, that's all. At least I've still got photos. Maybe I should be a jerk and ask for it back. Somehow. I don't even know if I have her number anymore.

Yeah, I don't know what made me randomly think of that again. But I really do miss it. I have this weird tendency to get attached to random inanimate objects. Argh.

Actually, I think I only have photos of it in it's half-completed state. Which it was in for years, because I didn't know who I was going to give it to.

Sigh.

I can't find it on my hard-drive, but here is the post that it was originally in. Note the date. End of 2007. Almost three years. So, in effect, it was sitting around, half-completed, for almost two years before I completed it and gifted it. I feel stupid sometimes.

Let that be a lesson to you, young ones. Don't go thinking that somebody likes you, and giving them stuff that you'll miss deeply.

I'll leave you with a song that's semi-relevant.

Give me your autograph, sign it right here on my heart.

Word of the Day: Stars

Nine out of ten

Wow. I just had a pretty good day today. Amazing, right?

It is when you're me.

Anyway. I scored a job at a family friend's accounting practice. Although she'll be paying me practically peanuts, I don't really care. I could pay her to give me the job and I'd still take it.

That happened at the start of the day.

In the afternoon, I found out that I got into the Leader's Program. Although I'm still not too sure what that entails, the fact that it was (apparently) hard to get into makes me somewhat happy.

Also this morning, Arsenal thrashed whoever they were playing in the Champions League AND Eduardo scored against his old club. Can't ask for much more of a perfect game than that.

Here's to more good happenings tomorrow.

Word of the Day: Peanuts

Clump

Something is unsettling me right now. I can't really place what it is, but it's really distracting.

Actually, I think I do know what it is. Or what they are. I think it's a combination of things, which by themselves, in isolation, wouldn't be much of a problem. But group them all together, and you just feel uneasy all the time. Or I feel uneasy all the time.

In other news, I got tickets to Usher. I'm so excited for it, it's not even funny. Like, I get to see this legend move and sing IN REAL LIFE.

Funnily enough, I'm not going to be leaving you with a song from Usher. I will instead leave you with a song that resonates with me and my current mood. It is a very good song, in fact, I would say the best song, from one of the best albums ever. It's absolutely gorgeous and beautiful.

I promise you this, I'll always look out for you

Actually, screw that. You can have a song from Usher.

U got it bad, when you're on the phone, hang up, and you call right back.

Classic right there. Catch y'all later.

Word of the Day: Isolation

I can't lie

Despite my gloating, I am still a massive social failure.

End of French tute, Zara was there, probably should've spoken to her for a bit. Because, you know, that's what decent people do. Instead, I walk off after saying hi. I have no idea why. Maybe because, deep down (or not so deep down, as the case may be), I am still a shy person. Practice makes perfect, and all that. I will atone for this foolishness.

Moving on. What's really irking me right now is people that aren't paying me money that they owe me. It's not that it's a truly massive sum, but it is rightfully mine, and I feel as though those people are being rude, more than anything. I don't think I'm stingy with money by any stretch of the imagination. But normal human behaviour would dictate that, after someone's already bought the 21st present, and you voluntarily said that you would chip in money, without the prompting of said person, that you would pay up rather soonish, because this person has already forked out money and has gone to the trouble of physically looking for a present and buying it.

That'd be normal, right (well, for me anyway)?

Apparently not. Two of the people that have yet to pay me haven't responded to three of my Facebook messages. I know they go on there, through various channels.

What's more, one of them told the birthday boy, Kanji, what we (and I use that term in the loosest sense possible) were getting him for his birthday, before he'd actually opened it. How someone can be so presumptuous is beyond me.

These two are Meng's friends. So lesson learnt. If I haven't spoken to them personally, or Meng gives me the money beforehand, I'm not doing anything in the future. Meng has already paid for one of them, because apparently they have financial difficulties. I have a few issue with believing that:

1. They go to other parties, where they actually turn up. Well-dressed, too, I might add. Now, if that's poverty, I wouldn't mind being in poverty myself.

2. I never asked them to chip in. Ever. Even if I did, they didn't have to say yes. But that's a null point. I didn't ask them, and one of them I didn't know wanted to chip in until Meng told me when I got to the party.

Which brings me to another point. A lot of this mess is actually Meng's fault. If he were better organised, and actually thought about these things beforehand, none of this would've happened.

But as I said, lesson learnt. Apparently he's going to ask one of them for the money, presumably soonish, so that I don't have to. Nobody wants me to do that, because it'll just end up being me verbally bashing him, and perhaps even physically.

He better not reply with "It's just $25." And nobody else better say that to me. Because they will cop it big time.

I got asked by Meng whether a friendship was worth $25. I told him that I no longer consider such a person my friend, because friends don't do this, and that he should also ask him the same question. I'm sick of people making it out like I'm in the wrong for asking people for money when they owe me.

To summarise, there's not many things I dislike more than borrowing money off people, but having to ask people to pay me back is worse.

On a happier note, it is almost the end of Monday. Well, that's not really happy. But I'm trying to end these things on a positive note. So I'll leave you with this video, which reminds me of summer.

I can't lie, you're on my mind, stuck inside my head.

Sigh.

Word of the Day: Jerks

The Irene-y of the situation did not escape me

Irene's 20th last Friday, just for a change of scenery after this massive spate of Twenty-Firsts.

It was quite amusing. She told me to sit next to her, presumably because I didn't know many people there. Then she ended up walking for 99% of the night anyway. It was actually pretty ironically funny. Ironic in a good way.

But it worked out well. Like, not that it was good that she wasn't there most of the time, but I got to talk to people sitting opposite me. Not that I wouldn't have if she'd been there.

The words "digging," "myself" and "hole" come to mind here. For some inexplicable reason.

But yeah, I got to talk to the guy opposite me, and his girlfriend, and we got along fairly well. Jake, his name was. As in, Animorphs. I didn't get his girlfriend's name, but one can't have everything in life. It's a shame I didn't get seated next to that Judy girl. She was quite a looker. But, being the non-shallow person that I am, I do not regret this, because I do not know what she is like as a person. Although it would've been nice to have had the opportunity to find out.

Anyway, I love these situations. It's like a challenge, that I fully intend to meet head-on. See, even when I did get to talk to them, it was always a bit weird, because there were times when they were talking to each other and...let's just say I don't think they wanted to be interrupted. So MTV on the screen behind their heads came to my rescue many times. And my phone. Man, I love my phone. It actually gives me a valid reason for looking at it now.

This situation wasn't my own doing. All the people that I actually knew AND talked to didn't turn up on the night, leaving me isolated and bereft of meaningful and intelligent company.

Just kidding. I just felt like writing a hardcore sentence with big words. But you guys did ditch me a little bit.

But yes, I think I actually excelled at said challenge. And now, like some kind of thrill-seeking addict, I want more. More parties with strangers that I've never talked to before in my life. More MTV. More Glen Waverley food.

I think I'll stop now. Not because I want to, but because I think I'm going to fall asleep at my keyboard in about 5 seconds if I don't. And then, next morning, my parents will be all like "What the hell are you doing there [on your very messy workstation]?" Except in Cantonese. To which I will have no reply. Because I don't know the Cantonese word for blogging, but also because even if I did, it's still not a very good excuse.

So I'm going to go now.

Word of the Day: MTV

Reminiscing about the good days

For some reason, the following post never got published. It happened approximately half a year ago, and I found it quite amusing the time. And I still do. So just pretend you're reading this sometime in April, and laugh.

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

Something awkward, but quite funny happened last Thursday.

Firstly, it should be noted that I love being mistaken for an international student. It's absolutely hilarious. I don't even dress like one, but for some reason, some people seem to think that because I look Asian it means I can't speak English.

Anyway, these two girls sitting in front of me in the tute were talking in really loud whispers. And I don't know whether they meant for me to hear it, or they didn't think I could understand (I don't talk in that tute), or whether they were referring to some other guy in the room with a yellow laptop, but I heard what they were saying. And I'm 99% sure it was about me. It went something like this:

"Wow, the guy has a really nice laptop. It's all, like, yellow."

"Yeah! He has really nice eyes as well!"

I was wearing contacts. Because it was sunny, and I was wearing my aviators. And I guess people notice my eyes more like that.

Incidentally, they are quite nice eyes. Or at least, I think so. I think they're my only redeeming feature, actually.

But yeah, I don't understand why people would assume I don't speak English. Like, surely even international students would mostly understand English enough to understand what they were saying?

***********

Actually, I think there was a reason why this never was posted. Stupid reason, if I remember correctly. Completely in the realm of nonsense. Just like this whole post.

I think I remember those eyes, eyes, eyes, eyeseyeseyeseyes.

Word of the Day: Eyes

Belle, je t'aime ton wave

Something that I forgot to mention, for some bizarre reason.

On Friday, the attractive girl in my French workshop (hereon after known as HFG, for obvious/practical reasons. Even though she's not French. But she is a girl. And hot. So shut up.) waved goodbye to me. Or, at least, I think it was me. It was a hot wave. Like, seriously. I don't know why, but it was just ridiculously...something. Like something out of a movie. Made my heart melt. Now I feel like I should study harder for French. I would also like to learn how to say 'wave' in French. As in, verb form. Not noun. Yes, I could search for it, but that would involve a modicum of effort, which I do not possess currently. For some reason, this song comes to mind right now.

A mad song from a mad album. Get on it

Currently, I have a splitting headache. Watching Bear Grylls struggling in the Foreign French Legion hasn't helped. French overload. Maybe that's it. Might sleep soon. Hopefully have some sweet dreams *cough* French girl *cough*.

Word of the Day: Wave

Doo bee doo doo, doo bee doo bee doo doo

That's the introduction to 'Singing in the Rain'. Duh.

I don't know why I decided to virtually sing that. It just sort of popped into my head.

Moving on. A whole manner of things are annoying me massively at the moment, but I'm not going to write about them, because (a) there's not a whole lot I can do about most of them, and (b) I have firm hope that things will probably change for the better sometime soon, because these things are cyclical in nature.

I should probably write something about Nigel's 21st at Loop last night, but there isn't all that much to say, apart from the fact that I had a bourbon and coke. Or something. And it was fairly disgusting. I didn't think it could get any worse, but one sip of Banh's scotch and coke reminded me of how wrong I can be about things sometimes. We (being Pramuk, Rudra, Banh and I) had massive amounts of bread, due to the fact that a massive platter of it was placed in front of us.

The massive mountain of bread that us fellas powered through.

Good party as well. I wish they had a mic for my use during the speech-making though. Would've been easier on my voice, which is feeling a bit tender after a night and full day of intensive speaking. If you're good friends, you'll remind me not to attempt to shout louder than the thumping music with my tiny voice next time. Highlight of the night: random old dude who came in and started munching our food. I also think he started making inappropriate comments to the ladies after I left, at which stage Nigel got him kicked out. I'm also not sure that I wished Nigel happy birthday last night, so here it is, just in case. Happy Birthday Nigel!

Ok, so I did have a lot to say about it. But I didn't before.

Currently, I am getting quite the lonely pangs again. It's that time again where I wish I had someone to just randomly talk to at anytime about any number of random things, but that person doesn't exist for me, and I just end up blogging instead to siphon some of it off, Pensieve-style. Don't pretend you don't get the reference. I know you're all Harry Potter nerds.

I leave you with this song. And a great song it is. Listen to it when you're feeling a bit down. It'll make you feel better. Like eating chocolate after being swarmed by Dementors. Harry Potter movie reference this time. I think I have just out-lamed myself yet again.

Actually, any song from them is a pretty good pick-me-up. Anyway, I'll really leave this time. Nothing worse than drawn-out goodbyes.

Word of the Day: Pensieve

Malaise

First day of uni after the 'mid-sem' break, and, even though it was slightly productive, I also feel like I've wasted a fair bit of time as well.

I've developed this theory. The theory is succinct, and goes something like this: having an Android phone slowly turns you into a jerk. In some cases, quicker than others. But it will happen eventually. The only person remaining who can prove me wrong is Victor. It hasn't happened. Yet. But it still could.

Anyway, I'm loving this weather. Yesterday was awesome. Today, not so awesome. I wore shorts to uni, but, as is typical, it rained when I was outside, but it was sunny when I was inside.

That's all for now, and possibly the next good while. Now, I'm going to go back to my lonely, lonely existence.

Word of the Day: Android