Family Traditions

I like to describe my family as an eclectic bunch. I come from a Chinese background, though our traditions have significantly diluted over the course of my childhood. I think that mainly has to do with the fact that I was born and raised in the Philippines for the first 9 years of my life, and that meant me and my immediate family lived quite a distance away from my extended and inherently more Chinese family.

The majority of Filipinos who inhabit the Philippines aren't Chinese, which means that Chinese related holidays weren't nationally celebrated. I do remember however, as a child, how I would sometimes miss a day or two of school to fly back to Indonesia with my family to visit our relatives. We visited their houses and had dinner together and received the somewhat obligatory ang pao. And, being a typical little kid, I cared little for the red packets and the money inside them.

Over the years these annual visits to my elder relatives ceased, mostly due to time and costs restraints of travelling back and forth so often. Though we moved away from those Chinese traditions, and adopted a more liberal way of thinking, my parents have always gone out of their way to remind us of a few important lessons, or rather shared beliefs that I still continue to carry with me.

Growing up, my parents pretty much left me and my siblings to our devices. We moved back to Indonesia from the Philippines, when I was just 9 years old, and I didn't speak a lick of Bahasa Indonesia. That made adjusting to this brand new life, in this strange and foreign land, all the more difficult and terrifying. My parents basically just threw me into this new life and told me to figure things out as best I could.

This kinda makes them sound like horrible parents, but no, they were far from it. My parents were always open to listen to our concerns, and even though they let me and my siblings be independent, they were always ready to help and support us in anyway that they can. They're parenting style is something I started referring to as granting us "responsible freedom".

They encouraged me to make my own decisions and to go for anything that I wanted to do or felt like I needed to pursue, as long as I use the freedom they give me responsibly and not do anything immoral or betray their trust in any way.

And that's pretty awesome (though also terrifying because half the time I feel like I don't know what I'm doing with my life and I'm 100% accountable for everything I do).

My parents spent a lot of time telling me and my siblings stories about their own childhood and how "back in the day" life was significantly different from how it is today, but the lessons they taught me were also universal.

My mother lost her father at the tender age of 18, and whenever she tells me this or whenever she talks about her father, I get a sense of how strong of a woman she really is. She is a very religious person, being a Christian, and has always tried to nurture that same kind of faith in me and my siblings. From her and her equally religious family, I have learned that sometimes terrible things happen in your life, most of which you have no control over. What you do have control over, is how you choose to react to it, and with some faith and hope, you can overcome anything.

For reasons I would rather not elaborate here on this blog, I am somewhat estranged with my father's side of the family. Some actions were done which caused some tension and it's tough, trying to cut off someone who is both a beloved yet somewhat toxic influence to your life. But my father takes this all in his stride, and don't worry, steps are being taken to mend things, but my father has ultimately taught me that sometimes people will be mean to you, but that doesn't mean you should treat their meanness with the same kind of volatile hatred.

In the end, my parents are the two most trustworthy people I know, and I come to them time and time again when I need advice on making important decisions like whether or not I should take this scholarship to study in Singapore, or should I take A-Levels or the IBDP. As much as I value their opinions and listen intently to their advice, they never push their ideals onto me. The decision is mine and mine alone to make. My parents are just along for the ride to provide care and support.

Do I wish I more in touch with my Chinese roots? Yes. Having lived in so many different places (Philippines to Indonesia and now Singapore) I guess I've always felt like I had no place I felt rooted to. But in a way, this has given me the chance to be more open-minded to the world around me, and I definitely have my parents to thank for allowing the freedom to explore and see the world the way I came to learn to see it.

I guess that's all for this post then.

--Karin Novelia, Using Her Freedom Responsibly

And It All Comes Down To This

It's been 3 months now into the year 2012. Maybe it's a bit too early, but seriously, things have been pretty hectic around here. The 9th grade really kicked itself up a notch by throwing an array of tests, quizzes, Tryouts, Practical Exams and drama, and I must say I'm a bit overwhelmed.

Most overwhelming thing of all? Well, I'm not sure if I've written anything about here before, but I signed myself up for a scholarship application in Singapore. And guess what? I got it.

Now, before you throw congratulations around, I'm still not sure how I feel about this scholarship thing, about a month later since signing a damn contract.

First of all, the test was a bit... easy. Mathematics weren't always my forte, but the limited time also was a main factor in me not finishing the 2 hour test of 30 something questions. The English one was also surprisingly easy. The other applicants in my school took a special preparation course called Ignatius, and the kind of question they gave them were far more advanced then what was being tested.

I honestly did not expect me to get a chance at that scholarship. I mean, I was in the mindset that the standards would be very high. And passing, well... makes you wonder doesn't it?

After the written tests, I was asked to come to Hotel Atalia for an interview. I skip school the next day, but it turns out I have no ride. Rotten luck, you'd probably think, right? Wrong. I was thinking it was the world conspiring, strengthening the idea that this scholarship thing wasn't meant to be.

And then my Mom goes into super mode and orders us a cab. Interviews weren't that nerve-wracking, though the wait was boring and prolonged. Speaking in English was definitely an advantage, and a few hours later the results were posted and ta-daa! My name was on it.

Of course there was some sense of mirth. I practically tried bailing on interviews, I get the scholarship anyway. Twisted kind of punishment, I suppose. Then there was a tad sense of accomplishment. I did it. I actually got it. Then of course, the whole ease of it all nagged a the back of my mind, and I was starting to wonder if it was going to be worth it in the end.

So why did I end up signing my name? Not for personal reasons, obviously.

When I first considered applying, I asked my parents, of course. But as usual, they provided adequate freedom and close to no input. So I figured I'd apply. I didn't expect to get it, anyway. If I did, did that mean I have to take it? I later found out that I sort of had to. Something to do with courtesy and social niceties and avoid being blacklisted, which I still cannot manage to fully comprehend (inner sociopath talking, guys).

I also pondered on the slim chance that I did get accepted. A few factors did jump at me. First, the financial burden would be almost non-existent. On a full scholarship. That meant my parents wouldn't have to spent so much money on my education. Speaking form the heart, my family's not exactly poor, but their not like most kids whose parents make so much more.

I'm taking this scholarship more for them than me. I can still remember the look on my Mom's face when I told her. She looked so happy, so relieved. She also looked at me so... proud.

Sure, the prospect of living on my own, more independantly, appealed to me, as I continued to talk myself into this. But it also seemed a bit lonely. A proper school, with proper facilities and a better curriculum, would help bring out the best in me. Wasn't I always feeling so unchallenged here? But it also seems like a lot of pressure.

When ever I feel like bailing, giving up, not set myself up for a life of stress and expectations of perfection, and opt for settling for a live a little more ordinary. A little more safe.

Hell. What was I thinking? I'm through with being ordinary. I want to be extraordinary. I want to go far.

But as much as I want to be the best I can be, something keeps on asking me to stay. My family. I practically act as the glue for the disfunctionality. If I left, how long would they last before they unravel?

Would it be worth it to go abroad, study, become highly-educated and successful and perhaps rich and famous, but leaving my family behind albeit for just a few years? Or would it be better to stay and just look after them, settle for being an auto-dictact and learn about the world from the confines of home, as long as I stayed with family?

I'm getting a little emo here, I know. In hindsight, it might be better to vent here than to start talking to a skull.

Laterz.

-- Planning Out The Future, Karin Novelia

So Much To Look Forward To

New Year's Eve has always been celebratory. You go out, have a nice time, milking the last few hours in the year for what it's worth. You can't help but be a little nostalgic and reflect back on the year. Can you believe it? Another year has just gone by, poof, just like that.

And honestly, my year has definitely been one hell of a ride.

Keeping a blog was one thing I always was determined to keep. It's like this diary of mine, a record of what's happened, something I'll want to read back on in the future, something that will show me, and others, what has happened in my life, what I've gone through and what progress I've made.

I spent the last few days re-reading my old blog posts, and honestly I'm just about close to tears. So in this 2011 recap post, I'll be attaching links of related posts throughout. I'm not sure how to recap this year, since I've really already written most of what happened into those individual posts.

When I first wrote this blog, I was in 7th grade. I had just begun to adjust my self from Elementary School life to Junior High, and it was a bigger leap than I thought.

The thing is about 6th grade, it's that I finally found my niche. Having moved here to Indonesia, from the Phillipines during 3rd Grade, it was like starting all over again. New school, new friends, new country, new life...

Back in the Philippines, I had what you called a sheltered life. I didn't get out of the house that often, my parents have always been protective of me. That perhaps affected my socializing abilities. I wasn't exactly shy, but I wasn't really inclined to put myself out there either. Since I went to a sort of 'International school' the foreigners were put together in the same classes, so my social cirlce only circulated between those 2 foreigner classes. I already had made a best friend, one that goes back to my very first day of school, and I grew attached to her, and our small group of friends. We weren't outcasts, but we weren't 'popular' either. We were just us, original and special in our own way, and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

So the move to Indonesia was sudden, and slightly painful for me. People thought I was quiet simply because of a languange barrier. I had yet to be fluent in Bahasa Indonesia. By 6th Grade, that did change. I was comfortable now speaking Bahasa Indonesia, and it seemed that I had slipped into a leadership role in the class of 6B, even though I wasn't class president or something like that. I felt my efforts were appreciated, and that I was given the chance to be my best.

7th Grade shifted the game completely. Things just change. People become slightly more superficial, social status comes into play as we enter teen-hood. The people I once hung out with in 6th grade, started to become people who were out to take me down. I just didn't like it. The whole popular groups beginning to surface, I was prepared to be an individual. I didn't have a problem spending time on my own, I've always been like that. I was a self-proclaimed nerd, and looking at my blog posts a bit 'alay' with all the laughter, LOLs and slight craziness. Hahaha.

But I was hopeful, naive, innocent and still giving my best in the things I did, even things that many didn't believe in or thought was 'uncool'. My naivety seems to have faded over all the crap happened, but my child-like hopefullness is sometimes what keeps me going.

8th Grade, things started to become better. AYC has helped me find myself in such profound ways, it was the experience that made me a better person. I didn't feel restrained, I was given the chance to try my best, though it wasn't easy thing to do with my confidence level so low after 7th Grade.

Making friends was starting to become a challenge, with people starting to conform  to what's 'socially accepted' and pretend and divert from keeping it real. I had a slight betrayal pop up in the 7th Grade, but it taught me to forgive and forget, learn from the past and all that. This was just a crazy year for me. I found myself in my first relationship, making a new group of friends, and experiencing what was arguably one of the best classes I've been in, perhaps even better than my days in 6B. Of course, drama had to pop up too, once the 2nd semester started in 2011. The whole 'Whispers of the Crowd' twitter fiasco thing just... ugh. I'm still cringing when I remember it.

It's kinda tough rereading through my 2010 New Year's Resolutions, and seeing not many of them accomplished or improve by much. Meh.

My family problems are not things I display publicly, but let's just say, 2011 has been challenging in that prospect. The restraints seem to have gotten tighter, and though I love my parents to death, there starting to misunderstand me and my intentions even more. But I have had one of the most memorable family vacations, that made me realize that no matter what, I wouldn't stop loving my family.

Friends? Like I said, friendships have become hard to maintain. I don't like it when a friendship ends, but if it isn't really working out, or stays the same as before does anything really need to be forced? Of course, though some things have fallen out, it's nice to know who my real friends are. SHOUTOUT TO MY ONE AND ONLY SMOOCHIE: CINDY WIJAYA! :D You're awesome, girl, and have always been there for me, even if it's been like forever since we hungout. You're the one who knows all my secrets, the one person I can vent to without being judged. Love you for life :*

School: Well, entering the ninth grade, I didn't expect things to be easy, but I didn't expect them to be so hard either. I was being super optimistic, like this post points out. I was looking forward to a busy year, helping the new generation of AYC, and keeping the action plan going. I had very well 'taken the pledge'.

Turns out, 9B is an eclectic mix, just a little bit of everything and of course things are kept interesting with the friction that's bound to spark from such big, conflicting personalities. Sir Darma has been an awesome teacher. I know not many students like him, due to his tendency to be a perfectionist, but I can see past that and admire him as teacher who's just trying to do his job. He constantly reminds me that he's looking for a 'leader' in the class, but I don't know why that person has to be me. I'm not in the mood for it, especially in those dark days at the beginning of 9th Grade (partly to due to the breakup). I guess this year, I just wanted to shove everyone's expectations down the drain, stop being so hard on myself, stop trying to impress other so much and do thing's for me. I've paid attention to other people's needs for so long, maybe I just wanted to be a bit selfish this year. Though I guess that didn't last long. Haha. Like I've said, I'm too nice for my own good.

The highlights though were of course, LUMOS MAXIMA and then Teacher's Day.

Oh, and we can't forget the Love Story now, can we? 2011 was the first year I entered being in a (at the time) very hopeful and established relationship. Of course, drama followed in the last days of 8th Grade and over summer break, I had well... broken up. First heartaches, first break-ups are inevitably messy, and though I handled things well, I just kinda wished I handled things better. Like I said before, I'm an individual. I'm not a stranger to time spent alone. But suddenly losing (in a really jerk-ish way, I might add) a boyfriend -- a friend -- and all the feelings of consistency, and having someone to rely on, that of course wasn't easy.

And then entering 9th Grade, with work that I welcomed as a distraction, I was just feeling a little lost. There was the whole retreat thing, and me almost catching a 'rebound' guy but realizing that was simply horrible, and wrong. Last night, I also realized these deep feelings, for a friend that was a strong and close friend at first, but is now coming close to an ex-friend. I've written a letter to 'him' which was a good way to vent, but I'm still not sure where we stand.

Culturally and knowledge-wise, I've learned alot in 2011. I've been caught in some awesome range of TV shows from the dramatic-thiller Pretty Little Liars to the kiss-ass Sherlock on BBC. I've gone beyond just watching things to analyzing them, getting more and more curious about the behind-the-scenes process not just in TV shows but in block-buster movies as well. I'm an official movie-junkie now, just beginning to scratch the surface of cinematography.

My taste in music has also quickly expanded. I've been downloading tracks like crazy, clogging my hard-drive so fast it's basically killing the processing speed of my laptop. Noel Gallagher, The Wanted and Coldplay are a few of my most-played. I've also taken an interest into classical music, tried a bit of Tchaikovsky pieces, being drawn to the ballet-performance aspect of their uses combining the ear-pleasing compositions with visual impact. I'm thinking of trying some Chopin next, since it reminds of that PS3/Xbox360 game 'Eternal Sonata' which revolves around a fantasy world loosely based on 'Frederic Chopin'. I'm strongly attracted to playing the violin now, though it's a bit of a long shot to start taking up lessons.

Reading has sort taken a backseat to all my busy-bee days, but I'm starting to make sure that will change. I've been spending most of my holidays reading novels, the most recently finished was 'The Power of Six' the sequel to 'I Am Number Four' and next on my list is the "Peter Pan and the Starcatchers" series :) I'm also planning to spend more time reading and analyzing classics, starting of course, with the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I love how the Sherlock Holmes series is so quotable.

Besides the fictional fluff, I've been hitting a few informational books as well. Forensics science has always been an interest of mine (blame all those CSI shows, detective games and most recently Sherlock) and I'm simply sifting through articles, building up on the terminology which is of course advancely complicated. I've also started studying up on horticulture and classification of plant-life (my homeroom teacher does major in Biology).

And then there's writing, this old passion of mine. I have been keeping the pen sharp, joining my school's Skill Development Class for English Creative writing and picking up on a few of my short stories. I've also been studying the art of script-writing for well, let's just say slightly confidential purposes. For now ;)

2011, has been a tough, yet fun year. Lots of mall escapades, and 'productive hangouts' (as a friend put it) to remember on with a laugh. A lot of time spent driving away cases of boredom, having a lot of emotional feelings, and quiet nights on holidays. All of which is fine, since I'm discovering more about myself everyday.

Many people think of 2011 as one of the worst years. Maybe it's because 2012, 'the end of the world' is coming, and expectations are being set too high. The optimist inside me wants to disagree and say '2011 has been a wonderful year!' but the realist inside me solemnly agrees. Yes, 2011 has definitely been a crappy year, all in all.

There were many days spent with me keeping my head down, not feeling myself. But that gave way to feeling of optimism and days where I started looking up.

But when you've hit rock bottom, where is there to go but up?

In a nutshell, that's been my 2011. I've gone through a lot, emerging through the end of the year a much more stronger person than before.

It's okay to look back, have flashbacks and remember all the memories you've had. But don't you ever, ever let that stop you. As the inspirational Chris Colfer said, "Despite such a current challenging time, there is so much to look forward to."

"I promise, it gets so much better."

--Karin Novelia, Looking Forward To A Better Year :)

On Holiday, On Hiatus

Hiatus is a word that basically means 'pause' or 'break'. Taking a hiatus on something means that you are giving up on something for awhile. Maybe, temporarily. Maybe, for good.

So this holiday, which is pretty much over in a couple of days, I've decided to take a 'hiatus'. A hiatus on everything that seemingly held me back. I'm gonna retrace my steps a bit, and just see the good in my life.

That started with a nice trip to a place I feel comfortable calling home: Jogja. I go to that place often, and I still remember the round trips we made every other year from the Philippines when I was still living there. Usually, we would sleep over at my Grandparent's house in Muntilan, but it was still going through some renovations after the Merapi volcano eruption.

So instead we slept over at my Mom's chilhood home in Jogja. This is the house where I spent my Indonesian childhood. And after not seeing it in so long, it was pretty nostalgic.

I just loved the homely hospitable atmosphere I got in that house and from the relatives on my Mom's side. And also the fact that I can't help but try to speak a little Javanese when I'm around them (I'm no good at it though, haha). My Mom's one out of 7 siblings, and my Dad's the eldest of 3. So the big family meetings, with my Aunts and Uncles, are well, bigger, when we visit my Mom's brothers and sisters, who have spouses and kids.

First day there, we went to Kuwaru beach, about an hour's drive from the house. It was so refreshing and relaxing. Digging my feet into the wet, cool sand, and let the waves hit my feet. I got really wet, but I didn't really care. The last time I went to the beach was, when I was four, in the Philippines. It brought back a treasured memory where I remember there was this sort of levitating rectangular rock in the water that would slowly moved back and forth across the water. I don't remember if it was like a tourist site addition or some kind of natural phenomenon that pulled the rock, but I do remember my Dad taking me by the hand to step on it, and we just rode it for a while, feeling the water, feeling the breeze...

We ended the day with a nice late lunch at a fish joint. Food was great, atmosphere was great, host was gracious and my family was really getting along. My love of seafood, especially fish was also rekindled. The first dish my Mom cooked up when we got home was grilled "Gurame". Yum! :D

Second day, we went to Ambarukkmo Plaza, a mall pretty close to our house there. We went to Timezone, and we played there for like everyday for four straight days, wasting a lot of money. I mean it's not everyday my Dad's gives us that much money to spend in and arcade. Good news is, I got surprisingly good at claw machine games and brought home four little plushies :D

Then we drove a little farther out, to this seafood joint. One made of bamboos and floated on water, one where you could even go fishing at the space provided to catch fish for you to eat. Fish was basically the only thing we ate there. Hahaha.

The next day, my Dad wanted to head out to Muntilan for his Junior High reunion. Everyone in my family five were supposed to come, meet the Grandparents and all that, but I started barfing in the wee early hours of the morning and so I had to stay behind. And just lay in bed. Drink some funky warm honey drink my uncle gave me to get better. Cautiously, and painfully slowly get food into my stomach and fight the urge to barf.

It was a lazy, unproductive sick afternoon, but it was sort of relaxing and calming, having the house sort of to myself. They have Nickelodeon, probably the only channel I don't have back at home, and time just flew by as I watched "Fairly Odd Parents" a show I missed so much. Who ever pitched the idea to crossover the Timmy Turner's and Jimmy Neutron's world, I. Love. You. Totally made my sick day a whole lot better.

My fam came back later that afternoon, with my Grandparents surprisingly, and we had a nice time together at AmPlaz. My Grandad, little sis, big bro and Dad headed off to Timezone (again) but I already had my fill the first time, so I walked around with my Mom and Granny, window-shopping and a bit of actual shopping, since there was a small bazaar going on the Ground Floor. Batik clothing was everywhere.

The next day was a bit, boring. I was stuck at home, waiting for my Mom and my Jogja relatives to come home from somewhere. Spent most of the afternoon with my Dad, my brother and sister, playing around in the bedroom. My little cousin, Alvin, upgraded to PS3 so that was fun to play. Haha.

Fast forward to tommorrow, we were planning to go fishing. The fishing spot that was near my Aunt's house only opened at around 3, so we just hopped in a car, taking our time to get ready and just drove around, taking in the sights. We passed a few colleges and more historically my Dad's 'kos' he used in high school. 'Kos' is an Indonesian term, which I can't really find the right English translation. It's like this small house that a 'landlady' owns and rents out rooms in the house to anyone who wants use them, but it's not like a fancy apartment. You usually share a kos with friends, or other people.

We also stopped by "UGD" (Unit Gawat Dagadu), which was carrying a "Rumah Moedik" theme this year. "Dagadu" is a Jogja clothing brand. They have the cutest print tees, which hilarious comedic prints, which I guess you have to Indonesian to fully understand :) hahaha.

My Mom bought a few souvenirs for her friends, but as much as I like shopping, I wasn't in the happiest mood and that killed any shopping urges, so I just window-shopped, one of my many simple pleasures.

Afterwards we went to my Aunt Teresa's how in the Mirota housing complex where she lives with my Uncle Aggie. She works at Mirota Batik, a renowed Batik store there, so maybe it's like a work deal (?)

We then took a quick drive to the fishing spot and just sat down, tried our hand at fishing. We caught a few fish, and I'm surpising good at it, catching 5 in just a few hours. ;)

It was really cool outside that day, and windy around the fishing pond, since behind us were cropfields and trees. And when things get all quiet and calm, I have this dangerous tendency to just reflect on my life.

I love my family.

Despite their flaws. Despite the dyfunctionality of them all.

My Mom's siblings are pretty diverse. I have one who's into plants, herbal stuff, one who's a pro at fishing, one who's into massaging techniques, one who is a more corporate marketing guy like my dad. My Dad's brother, I'm closest too, but I haven't seen him lately after his first kid came along, same case with my Dad's little sister. I like seeing my Grandparents, since they're really the only one I have. My Mom's parents died when 18 years ago, when she was still growing up, and it kinda got to me how I'll never get a chance to know them.

But away from this heavenly trip, I did realize how... disconnected I still am from my family. I guess from this little family community in Jogja there's only one thing I envy from my little cousins, Alvin and Fiona. They grow up around all that love and family care. This one house they live in with their parents, a few other of my Mom's siblings that haven't moved out a a litter of kitten that set up home in the backyard (okay, that kinda doesn't have any connection, but I adore cats!).

My family's really the only one who moved out, and yes, the first nine years of my life in the Philippines will always be the best nine years of my life, but I realized then and there, as I stared into the clear water of the fishing spot, looking at my own reflection, waiting for my fishing pole to bend, that I was missing a lot of stuff back here, back at... home?

My parents married fairly young, and me and my brother are the only kids in the 'second generation' that are goig through high school. I have an older cousin, who's in university now but she can get along well with all of the adults. My little sister, has it best. She's the same age as Alvin, so they get along great, goofing around like kids should, and Fiona sees her like her own big sister.

I guess, simply, what I'm saying is that although I've never felt more comfortable with anyone else other than my family, I realize that there will always be a feeling of never... truly belonging.

I grew up away from all of this Jogja, traditional charm. Me, my brother and sister, will always be the 'odd ones out', I guess, because we were raised in such a different culture.

But you know what? That's okay. It only adds to the diversity in this group of people I call family.

And honestly?

I wouldn't wish for anyone better.

--Karin Novelia, Family Girl :)

Short Post

Hey, Readers!

I know it's kind of late. But I'll just keep this short.

Tomorrow, I'm heading over to Singapore with my fam. It's gonna be so much fun going to Universal Studios, and maybe the Flyer. I may not post and be reachable while I'm there, so I'm telling you, just as a heads-up.

Guess that's all for now.

Signed,
Sir Writes-A-Lot

Weekend with a Birthday Boy

Hey, readers. I guess you're probably wondering who the birthday boy in the title is. So let me start off this post with a very special greeting:

"Happy 16^th Birthday, Bill! You've been a very annoying special bro to me all these years!"

So yeah, this weekend started off with the fact that my brother's birthday was looming ever so near. On Saturday we hit Pondok Indah Mall. It was fun. We had a late lunch and watched this cool Russian Trapeze act they have going on there. It was short but still awesome to see all those leotard wearing performers soar through the air. I actually had an amateur video made on my brother's cell, which I might post some other time. (I think it turned out pretty awesome.)

Anywaaaayyy, the day after, was a Sunday. More specifically, June 20^th 2010. The day of my big bro's birth. We all woke up pretty late (I dunno, it's like a family tradition) and shouted "Happy Birthday!" greetings to a sleepy-faced Bill. Ha, ha. Around 2, we hit another mall, one of our favorites, Taman Anggrek Mall.

We had a feast and Pancious, eating pancakes and waffles, decked out with maple syrup, fudge and ice cream. Then we went sock shopping (say what?).

Hahahaha. We ended up the night with a family film at Blitzmegaplex after switching malls to Central Park (you know, like the one in NYC?). We watched Toy Story 3 and it was just FANTASTIC! I want a Woody doll of my own now! (Any idea where I can get one?)

Well, here's some more good news. I planning to add some new stuff to the blog real soon, so look forward to that.

Thanks for reading. And keep on smilin' guys :D

Signed,

Sir Writes-A-Lot

Ups and Downs

What a weird day today was. I woke up late (as usual), and found out very exciting news. Just when I was going to tell my Mom, something came up. And then this led to that and the atmosphere in the house suddenly became awkward and tense that I completely forgot the news that was supposedly going to 'change my life'.

But strangely though a rough patch was hit, it gradual turned out to become a really nice day. I went shopping for like the first time with my brother, sister and mom, and it was actually really fun. We both a bunch of new clothes, and I got a new pair of shoes. I also learned that apparently, I had really good taste.

I'm feeling fine now, but the 'rough patch' at the start of the day is kind of starting to bug me. It's nice to feel happy, but am I getting over it too soon? Is it weird that I'd remember today like it was one of the best without remembering the bad parts?

I guess life has its ups and downs. No matter how many times it brings us down or how many bad things turn up, it's the little things, the small smiles, the laughs, the good parts that helps us to move on.

Oh, yeah, before I forget, I bet you're dying to know the great news, so here it is:

"I Am Now An Officially Selected AYC Delegate Leader"

'Huge smiles all around :)

Signed,

Sir Writes-A-Lot

Long Time, No Write :P

Hey, faithful readers. You've probably noticed it's been like 2 ½ weeks since my last post (It's not like anyone's updating their blogs either :P). Sorry for neglecting my awesome (?) blog, but I guess I've been busy. Okay, let's start off with a quick recap.

The next week after my last post, I had to face the final exams. In the past few years, when the finals loomed very, very near, I found myself turning into some kind of freakin' study-bot. The minute I get home, after a shower and snacks, I'd lock myself into my room and study, usually late into the night or, when there's something good on, I rest up by watching TV.

So yeah, I found myself doing just that this year too, but not as intense as in 5^th/6^th Grade, cuz I get off school a bit later than I'm used to and can't take a long nap. Heck, I even snuck in an hour of two playing Trauma Team on the Wii.

(Game Cover right there. For all you Trauma Center Fans, a MUST-PLAY!)

After tests were over, I felt confident that the results would turn out well. But school wasn't over just yet. We had a few days left to see each other, namely through class-meetings and farewell parties. I missed the first day, Friday, cuz I was supposed to go to the doctor to see if this continuous illness could get cured before it relapsed again. It got cancelled in the end, but I was feeling better so no harm done at spending a whole day at home :P.

The following Monday was a bit of a drag. 7F wasn't much for competing but oh well, we tried. So, I practically spent the whole day just wandering around with my BFF, Cindy (Love ya! :D). Then we hit the highlight and climax of the whole year: The Last Day of School.

Normally, the last day of school would be thrilling yet at the same time depressing. Sure, it's bye-bye to homework, tests, lectures and projects, but it also meant bye-bye friends :(

It was entertaining though, seeing the performances of Grade 9 (particularly the role of a certain tukang bakso in 9D's Romli and Juminten.) Ha, ha, ha.

But strangely enough, I felt simply adamant this year. I wasn't really all that saddened to see 7F go, even though I tried to hype myself up and get nostalgic, I just couldn't. Guess, I'm just fed up seeing you guys :P. Kidding aside, I look back on the days in 7F and cringe and smile and laugh and roll my eyes, and though I won't be tearing up over it, I will kind of miss it all.

The start of the year was rocky, but we pulled through in the end. Guess there's one left thing to say: GOOD RIDDANCE! (Alright, I'm joking again, and yeah I'm not that funny.) Seriously though:

"Thanks for a crazy year, guys. This year was a total learning process, and we've helped each other improve a lot. I know, we weren't the perfect class, but hey, not much in life is. I wish you all lots of luck in life."

:') I'm getting a bit teary-eyed for some reason now. It's probably the chili I just ate, but something tells me it's not.

Anywaaaaaay…. Yeah. It's over, my days as a 7^th Grader. But my days as an 8^th Grader is just around the corner, and I for one, will face it head on. Friday was Report Card day, and it was a bit… meh. Don't get me wrong, my grades were fine, I just don't like having to sit through a conversation between my (talkative) teacher and (even more talkative) mom (haha, peace. Still love you, guys! :D). The best thing though, was after that me and my mom celebrated at Harvest (yum!).

My past Weekend was fantastic, if not a bit awkward. Leaving the latter bit out, I had a blast with my family and realized how much these guys mean to me even though they're a bit dysfunctional. Ha, ha. We watched this:

Karate Kid @ Central Park Blitz. It was a cool movie (Jacket On, Jacket Off ahahaha), hilarious and touching, if not a little sadistic (seriously, Cheng is a machine *shudder*). It was a great way to kick off my holidays.

A Little Word of Congrats:

1. To all 7^th and 8^th Graders at St. Laurensia JHS Congrats for passing this year. Wish u all the best in the next.
   
2. To all 9^th Graders, especially my brother Billy: Congrats on your Graduation. Keep Moving On, Best of Luck :)
   

That's it for now. Just got exciting (and TERRIFYING!) news. Must get to sleep now. OMG! See ya!

Signed,

Sir Writes-A-Lot

A Quiet Saturday

*Yaaawwwwnnn*

Hey, it's me again, typing to you somewhat late.

I had planned to make this Saturday completely filled with work, but that hadn't turned out well. First, I overslept this morning like I did every Saturday but this time it was completely by accident. Well, maybe it was partly my fault. Mostly cause, last night my Dad came home with something new. And like always I questioned how much his salary was if he could keep buying things like that. But also "like always" what he brought home was absolutely sweet, and I couldn't help but bulge my eyes out.

It was the latest Apple iPad. That's right iPad, 64 GB of pure awesome technological sweetness. He tricked out already with a few games and asked me to give it a try. Granted, it was just a wider, more upgraded version of my out iPod Touch, but when I tried out its E-book program, I was sold.

As you probably already know, I like reading. And although I could read on my iPod Touch, the screen was too small for my already glasses-wearing eyes. It felt like holding a really slim, cool silver book. The font was adjustable, and easy on the eyes. Having an e-book reader would help satisfy my hobby of reading and save paper too, the bane of every avid reader's existence.

But then again, I sort of prefer reading a good ol' printed paperback too. Something about the way the front cover illustrations and back cover summaries of a novel appeal to me. The way that the second you open the cover, you're introduced into a completely different world. The way the black ink of the printed letters pop out at you and fly off the pages as you read, the crisp sweet-smelling paper crackling with every turn of the page. Holding an actual book in your hands makes you feel like your jumping into the very pages itself.

Then again, there's the e-book and its apparent benefits.

And yeah, I'm just full of contradictions.

Anyways… back to my day. So when my father seductively passed the iPad pass my face, he asked me to give it a test drive, since I was the most objective and eloquent person in the house. And I spent about 2 hours after my DVD night playing "Plants versus Zombies". (Go ahead and judge, but I haven't played anything in a while, I love mini-games like that, the artwork was cute and it was 100% addictive)

So I woke up at 10 AM. I actually woke up early and saw that it was fifteen minutes to 8 AM and for some reason I dozed off. I would usually panic, jump out of my bed and rush on my breakfast. But when I realized what time it was I just did a double blink.

No need to get stressed out over nothing right?

So after breakfast, I sealed myself in my room to finally arranged all my scattered school papers, test and notes. It took a few hours, but I was glad when I got it done. Around 1 PM my family wanted to head out. I for once declined, completely set on getting myself busy.

And for the whole afternoon-ish evening I had the house all to myself. I work best alone, in complete silence, peace and calm. But today, for some reason I couldn't dig deep and find my steeled determination. Maybe because it was Saturday, maybe it was because I was just so extremely tired after this week. Or maybe it was because of last night's gaming hangover or the fact that my fatigue just decided to step in.

I lay down on my parent's bed staring sleepily at the TV. I suddenly realized how… overwhelming it was to share a house with 4 other people. I mean, I loved my family, but like in every family there are some conflicts from time to time. I guess after all this time, all the work was taking its toll.

So for until 3 PM I watched Starworld. On weekends they showed mostly put on re-runs of the shows they air weekly, sort of like a recap on everything. A few moments and a chunk of Cream Cheese Brownies later, I regained my strength and groggily walked over to my family computer. Turning back on from its temporary sleep, I opened Google Chrome and Microsoft Word.

I quickly checked my Facebook account. I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as I saw the 8^th Grader's comments on Yudhi's "You're Going To Singapore" message. Let's just say they were…. Entertaining. Haha.

Switching back to Microsoft Word, I typed out my "Schoolwork Table" and "Ulangan Umum Semester 2 Materials". I used to have a hand-written one (some of you at school, might've seen me carrying a colorful table on a piece of A4) but I sort of lost it.

I spent the rest of my time typing that out and doing quick reviews on all the subjects until my fam came home at around 7. Just when I was getting into a good working groove, they kicked me out of the room, so I lost all hope and rocked out with my plants while fighting zombies back on my (er, family's) iPad.

Work-wise, this day sucked. I only did half the things I wanted to do excluding, additional ASEAN research prep, and starting Yudhi's warm-up exercise. Fun-wise, I liked it. At least I got some work done, and I actually enjoyed working at a leisured yet steady pace. After a tiring week, maybe a slow day was all I needed. Gonna head to sleep now.

Let me end this post by saying, thanks for reading.

Signed,

Sir Writes-A-Lot

A Wacky Weekend, Part 2: The Four Ss

What are the four Ss? Well, it's a pretty good way to sum up the rest of my weekend. It stands for: Saturday, Sunday, Smiles and Shopping. Simple, right?

Well, on the Saturday of the 24^th of April, I got up kind of early. Okay, it was 9 AM when I woke up, but hey, that's early for me :P. I had a decent night of sleep. I had a small breakfast, and barged into my parent's room. My Mom was out shopping for food at the market, with my sister and my brother was still asleep. The night before, on Friday when I went to SMS with my friends, they went to Lippo Karawaci and bought DVDs.

Lucky for me, they got the newest episodes of Flash Forward, one of my favorite shows J.

When it was turning around noon, my Mom had come home and we had plaaned to go out. After baths, we all got into our new Honda Freed :) . My dad drove us to Plaza Senayan, where he said lunch was going to be a surprise. We went up to whatever floor, and when I was riding on the escalator I saw this humongous sign stare back at me.

(Like how Michael Bublé is pronounced Bublay, it's Marchay)

Okay, so maybe I'm the only person in my class who hasn't even heard of Marché, but living quite a while away from Jakarta from Alam Sutera doesn't give me many chances to go there. Basically, it shop and dine-in restaurant. You walk around food stalls like you're in a market, order your food on the spot and they will cook it on the spot, hot and fresh and oh so delicious. It has a farm-country, Switzerland theme. Yup, Swiss. Famous for cheese, dairy products, apples and potatoes. The place was decorated to look like a wooden cottage up in the Alps, with a few ski cable car private booths, and a rocky landscape deco. Even the bathroom looks like ones in a small shack, with dim lighting and a nice, cozy home-feel.

We ordered a banquet of food, and it was all, I'm satisfied to say delicious:

1. Rosti (fried potatoes, and I had grilled salmon on top of mine J)
2. BBQ Ribs (My brother Bill's order, but he was happy to share ;). Delicious sauce and cuts like butter! Mash potatoes aren't the gagging tasteless kind. And the gravy is the best!)
3. Fish and Baked potato (Dad's order. I forgot what the name of the fish was but it tasted salty, which I like. Baked potato was warm and soft accompanied with a meat and veggie filling)
4. Assorted Salad (Another thing about this place is its obsession with Apples. So they had apple salad too. Add a nice mix of lettuce, tomatoes, croutons and another slice of rye bread, with a topping of Thousand Island dressing and you're good to go!)
5. Pepperoni Pizza (My baby sister Tan's order and as usual she hogged most of the slices. It the nice kind of pizza with soft bread and crispy crusts. You could really taste the pepperoni and the cheese was a nicely spread thick layer and way stretchy)
   

Needless, to say we were stuffed, and I was officially sick of potatoes. I just had too much! Anyway, while we were done, we headed off to Sogo, where Mom was buying cosmetic, and the rest of us headed to the upper floor (5^th I think?) towards Kinokuniya.

Like I've said, I haven't been at PS for awhile, so I'm not sure, but I think they moved? Well, even if they didn't the changed to layout a bit, and I had to wander around to find the Fiction section.

Seeing it was like a dream. It was packed with tons of novels, most I've never heard of and after reading the back covers, just enchanted me. They all seemed like finely crafted works of literature, and I was as always faced with the daunting challenge of choosing between this enormous list.

First, I set a limit. 3 books at best and began choosing carefully. I started with the basics— buying the next volumes in an on-going series I was in the progress of reading. Luckily, I found the 39 Clues volume 8 and Maximum Ride volume 3. Then I picked out a new series, The Magic Keepers volume 1 out of three. It wasn't that thick of a book, and it was a magical fantasy, one of my favorite genres.

I spend around 300Gs total for my own books. Satisfied, we went home with a cup of Cold Stone ice cream.

~~~~~~~***********~~~~~~~

Sunday, was a bit slow. I had stayed up all night reading the 39 clues and woke up just as the clock struck 12. There wasn't any food prepared for me, and when I argued about it my parents said, "It would be a waste to prepare food for you now, when you'd only wake up and eat it cold by tomorrow. At least." I had nothing to say to that. That was almost true.

So I opened up a jar of Ceres choco jam and spread a nice thick layer on a single slice of bread. The family was already beginning to bathe and get dressed for another day out. I didn't have much homework and so I tagged along. My brother wasn't there, seeing as he went out alone with his friends to Lippo Karawaci.

We headed to Taman Anggrek. Mainly out of curiosity to see how the roof collapsed on Starbucks. At first, I didn't believe it, but seeing photos one of my Mom's friends took, you could clearly see the damage. Sadly, they had closed it off for repairs already, so we couldn't see the gaping hole that used to be the Mall's roof. Oh well.

We ate lunch at Pasta De Waraku, ordering Eel and Egg Pizza as always. We headed to Gramedia, bought a few books and comic, and then when my Dad finally gave in to my little sister's pleas, we entered Duca Suara Music Store. We bought a few CDs, okay, more than a few, but blame that on my shopaholic sister.

We went home my about 6 and lounged about lazily for the rest of the day, preparing for another busy work week.

Signed,

Sir Writes-A-Lot