Rants

Finally met up with Miss Navinder last Tuesday and Thursday. Been meaning to catch up with her for ages since i came back to jb but something always came up. Went with Atem on Tues and Xj on the next meeting. I think Miss Nav was one of the few teachers that really played a part in my 5 years in school. She was involved with us during debates, ISM and our Maxis Cyberlink competition and eventhough she worked us to the bone and tortured us to always do something better, she was also the one we used to bitch about all our problems at school to, whether it concerned our other teachers, our homework or just random issues.

School was still the same when we went back yet it felt different in the sense that we were the observers. I miss school sometimes but after going back i think i'm glad that it's over.

Also caught up with XJ. We get to meet each other like every 6 months or so(?) , so we spend a whole day updating each other about our lives and reminiscing about the past. It's a good way to keep track of each other.haha. Basically that's how it's been with most of my sec school friends. Don't have the luxury in seeing them everyday anymore.

I finished RANT by Chuck Palahniuk. It was a crazy ride reading it. I've read only one other book of his (SURVIVOR) so i kind of know that he writes about transgressional characters but i still feel awed with his book. At times i'm like wtf? like where is he going with the idea but the end result is fresh and what's more it's actually funny at times.

I'm reading NEXT now, a Michael Chrichton book. It's been a while since i last read anything by him so it makes for better reading. Once you start reading one book after another by the same author, you recognize their pattern and it becomes a bad book to you, when it reality it's fine. I made that same mistake when i went on a Sidney Sheldon reading spree when i was in Form 2-3 and a Jodi Picoult one later on. So that's why i decided to refrain myself from doing that with Michael Chricton after i read State of Fear and knew how it was going to end. But anyways, back to NEXT. It's about genetics, which i find to be such an attractive topic simply because it's something that is so revolutionary,controversial and ever-changing. And i want to know what he has to say about it. I'll talk more when i finish it.

Daring to Fail.

I was reading Yana's blog and she was talking about how everyone's obsessed with getting on the dean's list and scoring straight A's. I guess that's just how everything is now. People talk a lot about how we're moving away from just looking at achievements from the academic point of view but if you look at the reality it's not really happening is it. Students (and parents too) are still clamoring for good grades.

I can't honestly say that i'm not part of this paper chase. I've grown up on good grades and doing well. In fact, i've never failed at anything before and that really freaks me out. Especially cause i'm worried if i fail in something later on in something much harder i wouldn't be able to cope with it. I'm not trying to sound like an arrogant brat or something but sometimes doing well most of the time stresses you out. People have such high expectations on you and sometimes they react to your downfalls more dramatically then you do. In my whole life, i've only not scored an A for English once, during Std 5, in a test where i used past tense instead of present tense in an essay. Well, obviously i was upset at that time but i got over it. What made that moment worst were the fact that some of my friends were making it out to be like some huge news.As if it could never happen.

Even now sometimes i dread getting my results back. I usually am the last one to go to the board to check my results even if i know i did well on it. I hate that feeling of insecurity. Really irritates me. haix. That's definitely one thing i want to get rid of.

Memory

Our memory is what we retain and it's from there that we retrieve information. It's amazing the number of things we can remember or what kind of things we store into memories. Like the fact that i can remember clearly the day one of my aunties gave birth when i was about 6 yrs old and how the strawberry jelly on her dinner tray looked incredibly delicious. Or the vague memory of me and my sister silently fighting behind the sofa using badminton rackets and hitting each other.

I've just started playing piano for 2 weeks or so. And my coordination is way out of touch and i still struggle with trying to get my left hand to work in relation to my right hand. But it's amazing how i can flawlessly play certain pieces from like ages ago. There's this one piece 'greensleeves' which i loved to play when i was in primary school. And i was looking for the music sheet that day but i guessed i must have lost it so i thought i'd just try play it by ear. And surprisingly i could play it...i mean at first i was at times clanking the wrong notes but like as i went on i just seemed to remember where my hands should go. haha.

" Don't look into mirrors. They only show what you believe are your flaws"

Randam Thoughts II

Yesterday went to Jusco to watch Kung Fu Panda with my sibs and Ravin. I loved the movie. It's so cute. The panda is so cuddly and it's like another version of Totoro! And watching it's antics and comelness was hilarious. I wouldn't mind watching again.

I finished reading this book On Chesil Beach by Ian Mcewan. Basically, it's about a couple in the 1960's who just got married and how they're both thinking of the impending first night. And i love how throughout this whole book the writer seams through the couple's history, how they met each other and all that. It's one of his more minor novels but i still love his writing. And i love how it's a love story but it's not just about that.

I was chatting with one of my friends from college yesterday and reminiscing and all that. hmm..i really miss being there and going through all the hecticness and craziness. I think my time in CUCMS were one of the happiest times i've ever experienced partly because i really liked what i was doing there, i loved the lecturers and the people around me- everyone was just like one big family.

Random Thoughts

It's weird how we can get so attached to characters from tv shows or books. Sometimes, if you get caught up into the whole web the line between reality and illusion gets blurred. I think i used to get quite into it last time. Especially when i watched marathon of certain shows. Breathing the idiot box 24/7 can make you feel more connected to what you're watching than you're actually supposed to be. But i think some people take it a bit too far. Some people even get overly offended when i disagree with their choice of character or if i happened to side with another one. You would think it was as if i was insulting them personally or their family.

I hate shows where spouses commit infedelity or when a couple breaks up when one of their long lost love/ex-bf/childhood sweetheart comes back. I mean, it looks as if they just settles for second best when they ended up with whoever they were with at that time and they would just discard them away if the person they were waiting for came back. Which is why i hate Lucas's character from One Tree Hill. I've never seen anyone yo-yo so much from one person to another, and every single time claiming he is truly in love. And also another reason why i so like the movie Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.

Sacrificing for Love

Found another inspiring story in Paulo Coelho's book. This one is dedicated to atem...

It's quite long so im going to just write the gist of it.

A young cloud, a rebel instead of following his other cloud friends decided to hover over the golden sands and while he was there noticed one of the dunes smiling at him. He saw that the dune was also young,newly formed by the wind that had passed over. He fell in love with her golden hair right there and then.

'Good morning' he said. 'What's life like down there?'

'For me,' said the dune, life is short.When the wind returns from the forests, i will disappear.

'And does that make you sad?'

' It makes me feel like i have no purpose in life'. The dune hesitated for a moment ,then said:
'Did you know that here in the dessert,we call the rain paradise?'

' I had no idea i was so important,' the cloud said proudly.

'But i'll never experience that as it rains so rarely in the desser'

It was the cloud's turn to hesitate now. Then he smiled broadly and said:
' If you like i can rain on you now. I may have just got here but i love you.

' When i first saw you in the sky, i loved you too, ' said the dune.'But if you transferred your lovely white hair into rain,you will die.'

' Love never dies,' said the dune. ' it is transformed, and besides, i want to show you what paradise is like.'

And he began to caress the dune with little droplets of rain, so that they could stay together longer.

The following day, the little dune was covered in flowers. Other clouds that passed over, thought it was part of the forest they were looking for and scattered more rain. 20 years later, the dune had been transformed into and oasis.

And all because, one day, a cloud fell in love,and was not afraid to give his life for that love.

Congrats!!

First of all, i want to give a big shout out of congratulation to atem for getting into medicine!! yeay!! freaking happy for you girl. and you totally deserve it. can't wait to see you as a doctor. and it's so cool that she'll get to study in the same place as Yana and Kauthar. So fun!!

Had more piano classes today. i'm really liking it so far. and my instructor is so sweet. she's young, and she's patient - seeing as more often than not my fingers are clanking the wrong notes.haha. still, it's fun playing the piano again.

Driving Fever

Been having my driving lessons for the past week. it's been damn tiring weyh. Have to say i still am not so into it. I think im doing ok considering the fact that the last time i practiced it was a year ago. learned how to park today. wasn't as bad as i thought it would be. But it wasn't so fun doing just that for two hours.haix....and it's not as if those tiangs will be there in real life driving. but overall, im just hopes i can get over it soon. i'm in no hurry to start driving my own car or anything though. im happy letting people drive me around....hehe. thanks nebbe! haha

Also, yesterday went out for my auntie's bday party. Having a family which is quite rojak with chinese, indian and malay makes us, the members of the family look not so alike with each other. So its not a rarity to find some people looking at us with this like ' how did this bunch of people end up together' look when we go out together. Which i find ridiculous. i mean, hello? We living in Malaysia people. I remember once when we going through customs in London, this officer would not let my mum through cause he was convinced she was of Chinese nationality. We had to convince him that i was the daughter( seeing i looked most like her in the family), it was quite a funny moment for a while.

My sister is coming back today. Yeay! i miss her so much. It was fun having the house to myself for a month and a half, but now i'm ready to share.hehe. I was cleaning up the room so it would look presentable yesterday and i found some photographs from a few years back,during form 5. Felt so nostalgic for a moment. Especially, when i realise that i've only kept in touch with a few and even then i don't get to see them that much. hwa3. And this is only college life!!!(like u said yana)....and i just know that its going to be even hectic down the road. Looking at my sister is like seeing what my life will prob be like in first year.

But hey ! that's life right? i should cherish the fact that at least i have not lost touch with my closest friends.

Top 5 Memories in Form 5
1. Winning ISM (especially w hen i won it with my closest friends)
2. 17th bday party. ( i loved that awesome photo frame with the cute now and then photos)
3. Add math tuition. ( im being a nerd here.if u knew who my teacher was, u'd love it too)
4. All those times spent in Kerrys between and after tuition.
5. Our post-SPM outing

Makes you wanna scream.

Whenever i watch anything, if there are english subtitles, i put them on, even if it's an English show. I'm not sure why. Maybe caue it helps clarifies things. But i hate hate hate when the subtitles are so tak sama. like when you know the dude just freakin typed what he thinks is being said. I've had my share of bad subtitles, and sometimes they provide good comedy. I remember the utterly despicable subtitles of my Harry Potter 2 dvd. i think Dumbledore was saying something like ' it will be reborned from the ashes'. the subtitles states 'rebombed' instead of reborned. gosh, it really ruined the whole moment cause i just burst out laughing.

Worse is terrible subtitles for foreign movies. That is totally nerve wrecking. I hate it when the screen shows the same subtitles for what seems like ages, and you know the character is saying more than that. Im having to go through that now, watching the Blood + anime. The subtitles are just a whole case of bad grammer. And as i go further on, i start to realize that it's been misleading me when it comes to some things.haha. like all this time i thought they were saying 'diver' but actually they're saying 'diva'....damn you subtitles!! And i remember when i was watching 1 litre of tears and the dude is telling the girl he likes her. But when i checked the Malay subtitles, he was saying he loved her. Love and like is totally different things okay!!! okay...maybe here i'm being a little dramatic.

Hmm... best solution for all this would be to go learn the language. Which i really hope i can do one day, especially want to learn Mandarin and Japanese. Hmm...maybe i'll make that my next holiday project after first year medic. InsyaAllah.

Top 5 Favourite Japanese Drama
1. Long Vacation
2. GTO
3. Beautiful Life
4. One Litre of Tears
5. Hero

p.s I finally watched this Gatsby commercial with Takuya Kimura in it as my cousin was saying how weird and gay it was. And she was right. it was totally gay. he's just like spinning around spraying himself all the time and it's hilarious in a way. I was a bit like wth when i watched it. haha

Deficiency in Romanticsm

I have to say i'm not much of a romantic. Maybe when i was younger, yeah but then growing older i think i became more cynical and too much of romantic thingys was not something i could stomach. ( Still, i do shed a tear or two watching Japanese drama/anime - it doesnt help that almost all of them have freaking sad OST).

Still, sometimes i come across a story or two that does tug at my heart strings. Especially one particular one from Paulo Coelho's book ' Like A Flowing River'. It's a true story..here's how it goes..

I( the author) was flying from New York to Chicago to attend the book fair held by ABA. Suddenly, a young man stood up in the aisle of the plane and announced: ' I need twelve volunteers each willing to carry a single rose when we get off the plane'.
Several people raised their hands. I did too, but wasn't chosen. Even so, i decided to follow the group. We landed and the young man indicated a young woman in the arrivals hall.
One by one, the passengers presented their roses to her. At last, in front of everyone, the young man asked her to marry him, and she accepted.
An air steward said to me :
i've been working here for years and that's the most romantic thing that has ever happened in this airport."


So sweet kan??? especially since it actually happened..major aww moment.

Top 5 Love Stories
1. Love Story - Erich Segal
2. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
3. The Pact- Jodi Picoult
4. By the River Piedra i sat Down and Wept- Paulo Coelho
5.The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffeneggar

Making you laugh out loud.

I forgot to explain why i chose to name my blog " Wishing you were somewhere else". I love to read, as most people who know me are aware of. Anyway i remembered there was this quote from Mark Twain (im not sure, have to check on it) about how reading was like wishing you were somewhere else or something like that, which is how i always feel while i'm reading.

Anyway, i just finished re-reading Nick Hornby's High Fidelity. High Fidelity was the first Nick Hornby book i read, i think i was in form 3/4 that time. Reading it again, i found it even more hilarious then before. One thing i love about British comedic writers like Nick Hornby
their writing style, it somehow always makes you laugh out loud- like haha laugh out loud.

Generally, i've always liked reading works by British authors. They always had this subtle subtext thing going on. For melah, that is.

TOP 5 BOOKS I'VE JUST READ
1. Picadally Jim - P.G Wodehouse
2. The Princess Bride - William Goldman
3. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hoseini
4. Slam - Nick Hornby
5. Love in The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

“It's no good pretending that any relationship has a future if your record collections disagree violently or if your favorite films wouldn't even speak to each other if they met at a party.” - High Fidelity

Here's to you, Yana!

This happens to be my third in a series of failed blogs. I've never been able to keep going with one. I'd have crazy bouts where i'd write post after post and then the next thing i know, i'm just malas. Hmm... does that say something about me? It probably does but let's not dwell on that. haha.

Anyway, i got a sms this morning from Yana telling me i should start a blog cause she's starting one and seeing as we never get to meet up and we catch each other online once in a blue moon, it seemed like the logical way of being able to be in the know about each other's doings. So... this first post is for you Yana Nut and i hope there will be many more after this.

I always lose track of what i want to write about on my blog. I'm not quite open to detailing my personal experinces so much...only to a certain extent so i find myself blogging on random subjects most of the time. We'll just see how it goes from here. I'm having my holidays now so i have loads of free time.

Going on... well, im starting my piano lessons tomorrow. I'm damn excited about it. I've always been into the piano. I love seeing people play them and i can get lost listening to them on my ipod. It's astounding to me how people create all these magical crazy blow your mind sounds just from the tips of their fingers. I guess that goes for any cool music i hear. Especially classical work. I mean, there's no lyrics and what not to go with it so everything lies on the notes. Ok yeah, im babbling here. Anyway, back to my story....i've somewhat always regretted stopping my piano learning somewhat halfway and it's been about 6 years when i last played a new song. But the thing is i've never been so into going for the exams and learning all that seeing as those certificates don't really mean anything to me( to offense to all you pianists out there). i've always just wanted to play.

So, my aim is to use this lessons to get back on track and to just learn to play some songs i like. I've printed sheet music for some tunes that i reli like. i've been trying out one. Aerith's theme frome final fantasy. i've never played that game but i love the composer's work. At first, looking at the notes and trying it out on the piano was a bit daunting. i've forgotten that i had to stretch my fingers a lot( especially since i don't have long ones), but i have to give myself a pat on the back for being able to get throught it.

hmm...also i've decided that at the end of each post i'll write a list based on my post. we'll seelah how far i can go with this.

So.... TOP 5 CLASSICAL COMPOSITIONS I LOVE

1. Mozart - symphony No.25
2. Vivaldi - Four Seasons
3. Schubert - Serenade
4. Pachelbel- Canon in D Major
5. anything by Chopin

OK, signing off. Hopefully, i'll be coming back.