MOVED.

as janice mentioned, VDay is overated.

i think JC changes people. okay maybe not ‘JC life’ itself. its interesting to note how people change after they start interacting with people of the opp. gender. considering how RJ is probably made up of 95% of people who were from all-girls/all-guys sec school, JC is probably some sort of a major social change to undertake. Im grateful for all my normal, sane friends who still remain the person i know them to be and for not changing just to impress others.

In JC, i hear God’s prompting in many different subtle ways & I thank Him for those times. There have been many times where peer pressure (not from my dearest friends, but from the general student population) starts building up, but then i remember God’s word and His commandments and I draw away from doing silly things. I stand back and realise how the secular world that im part of will always be dragging me in to do the things displeases God. Maybe its just a personal effort to separate what i think is morally right from wrong.

i feel doomed. like this sms suddenly comes and says “ms tan wants us to do chem tutorial from qn 11-23” and chem tutorial is tomorrow! my little dreamy lazing-around bubble has been burst ): this reminds me, i better do my tutorials way in advanced.

and i feel the need to sign up for some enrichment thing in RJ, everyone else around me is going for some research programme or community leaders forum of some sort. i feel like trying out for RCLF though.

Politics and scandals are such dangerous things, you know. In JC, there is no such thing as not being mindful of your actions, esp towards the opp. gender bcos there are silly people out there who misinterprete every little action people do. which is quite strange,bcos they really read too much into things. (by the way, im not involved in any of such above-mentioned things. just a general comment, thats all)

but im happy, because im going Vday shopping with yue tomorrow and i have OG dinner on tues and a lonely-hearts-day stayover @ lor’s house and theres no CCA until after CNY (: whoots.

life currently seems a bit unreal. little tutorials, free evenings, 7hrs of sleep..this shouldnt be happening?im in JC, hello? i thought that meant, 5hrs of sleep, a packed schedule and coffee as a necessary part of my daily diet. this is certainly strange. ok, the only thing i want to complain about is this chemistry project that im dreading to do. my fellow RI partner is going away during the CNY for 10 whole days, so you tell me whose the one who will be doing the final editing of the proposal and ppt slides 😦

 on a happy note, i predict that tomorrow will be a relatively good day, where i’ll be coming home early. i’ll browse through my orientation photos for the 1st time tomorrow-how exciting! and plus, we (SCSBACD) got into talentime semis (: whoots! theres this column where we’re supposed to describe our costume for the item and jiayun suggested writing this: ‘short skirts that fly up all the time’, which led to me and yueyun bursting into laughter for a long long time. no, its just some retro-themed item which is why we’re wearing large-printed dresses/skirts and gym shorts underneath. only that on wed when the semis are held [in the canteen, out of all places!], practically the entire school population will be there, considering how assembly period is just before that. maria or someone else suggested we buy insurance, since the possibility of us slipping and falling on some random split drink or strand of noodle is relatively high 😀

i tried finding out the meaning of ‘terrestrial ball’, i mean i know what terrestrial means, but when these 2 words come together, i cant seem to find a meaning that fits into the context of the hymn “Crown Him Lord of All”.

i need to buy a CD. or maybe CDs. the only problem is that i need a sponser of some sort (:

something new to spazz about (:

THSK’s purple line single, that of which was released eons ago but i didnt have time to watch any of the performances or download the song. the dancing cheoregraphy is really good this time, so here’s a video of them doing a rehearsal, which is so hilarious bcos before they start the actual rehearsal, i see them doing that signature wonder girl’s tell me step and then later, SNSD’s dance move.

too tired to do anything, let alone blog 😦 chinese dance practices are killing my back and im aching all over..

at least theres something interesting this week @ school to look forward to! maria, dawn, jiayun, yueyun, janice and I are joining RJ’s talentine. our group name is seriously unpronuncable- we’re called scsbacd. theres only 1 vowel in the entire word. sc stands for scgs, sba for singapore ballet academy and cd for chinese dance..auditions are being held this week. i hope we get into the finals and have enough appeal. we’re dancing to Grease ‘we go together’, we already had so much fun rehearsing and coming up with steps and costumes & stuff..i hope we get to peform @ finals at pasir ris for the CNY celebration thing

AHH. weekend’s here. or rather the weekend that is soon to be over.whatever the case, there will be no more returning-home-@ 11pm nights (at least i hope) this coming week.

im glad that i signed up for NISS. it was just the thing i needed to keep me on my toes all the time.

FRIENDS- they’re drifting away too quickly for you to be able to catch them back. this calls for drastic measures

RJC Orientation Batch Dance 2008 (:

I cant believed I actually danced this

My brain is a little un-organized now; i cant seem to tell which section of the youth worship ministry im supposed to ‘attack’ first. like i need to finish my ministry plans but havent worked much out with the team yet. ack.

plus i got the shock of my life when my OGLs called me up and then 3 of them started taking turns to talk to me about orientation, OG dinners, outings to sentosa.. thats one moment when i really felt overwhelmed. school starts in 2 days

Finally changed my header (: This one is so much better; just look at the beautiful sunrise

I really love Christmas this year; everything was just nice, the atmosphere, the friends & family, fun, laughter, praise, worship and reflection.

The thing about working together and striving for the same end result really makes one feel that whatever we’re are doing is purposeful. Having been unable to attend service choir practices ever since they were held on fridays, being part of the music ministry once again reminded me how enjoyable it is to use music and our voices to praise Him. The use of different instruments brought our Christmas Eve service to another level altogether; making it more uplifting and refreshing. On Saturday night, it seemed as if the programme wouldnt run through smoothly. We were trying to make things work, rushing things through. Although the situation become stressful & a little tense, I was so encouraged by everyone’s dedication despite their fatigue. God is good (:

What counts most in the exchange of Christmas cards and gifts is sincerity. I always enjoy reading those cards filled with encouragement. I guess those are a good reminder of what we can do for our brothers and sisters, to constantly support and encourage one another. Not only during this festive period but throughout the years to come.

Plus, Leaders’ Retreat: 26-28 Dec (: .Oh and i guess, not to mention, my SM winter album will be arriving soon-It got shipped out 2 days ago.

Nevermind the fact that mum & dad recieved more presents than I did; i think i might be the new Nike walking advertisment or something.

I hope everyone else had a Blessed Christmas too!

im feeling random again; i think people should be allowed to live their own lives and not be constantly hounded by other people. that way, that constricted and suffocated feeling wont be there. maybe thats how depression occurs? everyone needs “ME” time everyone now and then (according to rachel)

i like Christmas this year- in its nice, subtle, quiet manner. theres no need for the big hoo-ha all the time. a little peace and reflection is always good.

Theres this really fine, thin line that lies between people; kinda like the line you have between you and your desk partners in primary school where one party wasnt allowed to cross into the other person’s desk space. Once you cross this line; the other person isnt going to like it. this line is otherwise known as ‘personal space’. people feel threatened of their privacy and freedom when other people throw themselves into others’ personal space- and its rude anyway. just to put it right, i feel like whining to somebody about someone. and its strange, because im not a whiner by nature. never mind, i have Cherie to always whine to 😀

managed to catch up with celia, ju, michelle, rebekah this morning (: i love how we can talk about so many things under the sky and not feel embarassed; rebekah baked muffins for everyone and they really look too pretty to eat; they have apple bits and a bit of brandy- NICE!

decided not to give out Christmas cards but perhaps do New Year cards instead

just look at the awesome scenery in switzerland

 

Cherie was the person who introduced this song to me; the chorus is extremely CATCHY and I like the fact that Big Bang always performs it LIVE. I was never really a big fan of songs with alot of rap verses but somehow i managed to alter my taste a little. So give the song a try and watch the live performance- the layout & theme is a bit strange though.  The lyrics are so-so but they wrote the lyrics and music themselves; i was pretty impressed

Title Track: Lies            

Artiste: Big Bang

Lyrics Translation:

(Jiyong)
yeah (love is pain) to all my brokenhearted-people (come again) one’s old a flame,, scream my name
and i’m so sick of love songs, yeah i hate damn love song,, memento of ours,,

(Lies) It’s raining late at night it brings you here I run at the end of memories
I could live fine without you, even if you beg it will come to no use
I drank the alcohol I couldn’t drink, I even drank up the night that burned my heart [?]
I hate it, a day without you is too long, I beg to finally forget about you (It’s all lies)

(Seungri)
Without you, I have no smiles/No tears well up
I don’t want to live anymore

(Jiyong)
You’re like a pest It makes me mad I think I’m going insane at the thought of you
I want to see you, but they say I can’t, it’s all over, I’ll be right there

(chorus)
i’m so sorry but i love you it’s all lies/I didn’t know, but now I do, I need you
i’m so sorry but i love you sharp words on a whim I didn’t even know, I sent you off
i’m so sorry but i love you it’s all lies i’m so sorry(*2) but i love you(*2)
i’m so sorry but i love you leave me and could you forget me slowly so I can hurt

(T.O.P)
That song I sang you that I put everything into (Daesung: People probably don’t know)
By myself, so that nobody else knows (Yeah, the words that I said were all lies)
Now I’m being left alone, the sight of me not knowing what to do

The crinkled note in my pocket, that told of seperation, that I have folded (hey, hey)
(Daesung: Where are you, that habit of mine of calling you)
I want to change, I want to laugh it all off now

(Seungri)
oh oh oh oh oh for everything to be a dream oh oh oh oh oh because I’m nothing more than this

(Daesung)
I still can’t forget you. Even if it takes forever, even until I die.
(Taeyang)
I wonder if that hurt I gave you has healed, I’m sorry because I didn’t do anything for you

Theres always a first to everything; and I remember that the first song I sang with the Youth Choir was back in 2003. 4 years have past by rather quickly. That was when Lorraine, Kenneth & Sabrina Tan were still singing as “Youths” hahaha We sang ” We were the Reason”- A beautiful song with meaningful lyrics, one that I dont think I will forget anytime soon

1. We were the Reason- Christian Avalon [4.6 MB]

Click here to download

2. O Holy Night- Clay Aiken [3.4 MB]

Click here to download

Finished setting up the Christmas tree today; its always not an easy feat, i wonder how many other families have 6-ft tall trees in their homes. Nevertheless, we always have great fun, listening to carols and hymns as we string up the ornaments- Dad always get to put the large bells at the very top (:

Usually i get quite excited over the festivities and the gifts and the lights and the shopping but i feel different this year. I cant wait for the Christmas Sunday Service and Christmas Eve Service; or maybe i just want to hope that my singing goes through smoothly as soon as possible. Need to practice more with the tons of midis Joseph sent

My transfer from ACS (I) was complete today, and i still cant decide if im actually feeding myself to the lions or not. Mum personally prefers ACS (I) and dad HCJC and so im kinda stuck in between. But im trying not to let peoples’ opinions influence too much (key word being: ‘too much’), i’ll keep them in mind but i still need to find out for myself.

Maybe its quarter-life-crisis? But i have a strong urge to make some drastic change in my life; theres isnt much time left to think about it anyway but that ballet-whether to quit or not-dilemna is constantly floating around. I still love dancing, but maybe my passion for ballet has dropped significantly. Which is why im willing to commit myself to Dance as a CCA but not ballet as a personal pursuit. Hmmn.

No more time to waste; still have so much more to plan for LR, try to settle as much of my schedule for 2008, practice more for small group choir 

I got posted to where I expected myself to be posted to (: So im not surprised nor disappointed nor extremely overjoyed.

Met Uncle Alfred and Aunty Gillian yesterday while we were jogging around the linden estate. They’re really nice people and kept encouraging mum & dad to send us for BSF as it would be extremely beneficial for the family as a whole. Thats something to think about since dad,mum and charlotte are already in the midst of their BSF course.

Heres another picture of the trip; im posting a few at a time because im not patient enough for the pictures to load on; Patience is a virtue and unfortunately I dont possess that 😀 Click on them to see the full size

Cherie,Charlotte & I @ one of the many castle walls in Italy

I like this one: Ashley & Cherie eating bread @ an Italian Restaurant

You know how almost everyone vows to start  a new year AFRESH, and more exciting, fruitful than before? With about 2 weeks left and counting, Im in a bit of a spot as to what to do with my life. Literally i mean.

 Im not sure if its now time to start over with a clean slate. Was and am seriously contemplating whether I should still continue doing ballet; there are so many pros and cons and yet many other new activities seem more appealing. Im currently in a bit of dilemna, because im reluctant to drop something that i’ve be doing for so long and im afraid i might regret my decision afterwards.

Holidays seem a little draggy nowadays; its the real first time I get to slack off 100% but theres really too much time la. Im getting down to doing preparations for LR today and that should keep me real busy for a while. Posting results will be out tomorrow, we’ll just wait and see what happens.

Heres one family picture from our trip:

 

2 more days before Rhea feels all lonely in sunny, humid singapore.

Rachel: already touring the mediterranean area

Yueyun: In washington for 18 days

Grace: Currently having the view of nigara falls outside her hotel room

Clarissa: Already BACK from new york & Boston

Rhea: Has yet to go to the US for vacation

Me: Leaving in 2 days time to Switzerland & Italy

Seems like USA is the IT place to go with the value of USD dropping- but since 4 years of commitment to SC and SC Dance has left me stranded here, not even being able to go to M’sia for church camp, im happy just to get out of the country (:

To a place where i get to see mountains (well, and spring water?) and chocolates and nice shoes/bags; im excited!

Just take a look at this;found it when i was researching for language courses. makes me feel like a genius, knowing that Mandarin seems to be one of the world’s most difficult languages in the world

(Taken off Cambridge Languages Website):

 Comparison with other Languages – Chinese shares very little vocabulary with European languages, so speakers of these languages have to work harder than if they were learning another European language. And even though Chinese shares vocabulary with several Asian languages (especially Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese), this shared vocabulary is often difficult to recognize.

The Writing System – It is definitely hard to learn, though there is nothing conceptually difficult about it; there is just a lot to memorize.

Inflection – Chinese is a tone language-that is, different pitch patterns do not just add emotional color, as in English; they actually distinguish one word from another. How much of a problem this is depends a lot on the individual student: students with a good ear do not necessarily find this a difficulty.

Grammar – Unlike many European languages, Chinese has no irregular verbs or noun plurals to learn, because words have only a single form, with no suffixes for tense, number, case, etc. (There are some particles which work somewhat like tense endings, but they always take the same form, no matter what they are added to.)

Acceptance – Chinese speakers are usually tolerant of a foreigner’s mistakes–perhaps because so many Chinese themselves speak standard Mandarin Chinese as a second language

 look at the ‘acceptance’ portion; how true can that get? the thought of me not going to be in any contact with Mandarin in school for the next 2 years suddenly saddens me- i think i might totally lose the language proficiency altogether