Blogging on Foreign Land

Today is a momentous occasion. It's December 14th, 2012, and the one-month milestone of my time here in Singapore. It's been a blast here so far. I'm currently going through an English Bridging Course right now, and with 10-hour sessions from Monday-Saturday, let's just say it's been challenging. 

I've really begun to rediscover myself here. I'm not as quiet as I used to be since I'm constantly in the company of other people. Being forced into close proximity with about 18 other crazy gals does keep one up all night, but I'm strangely also sleeping better. I guess the only thing I'll miss is the peace and quiet of my own room (even though it doesn't stay that way once my sister comes around). Finding time to just recuperate alone and gather one's thoughts isn't as easy, but it's not exactly a bad thing either. 

I'm loving have my own room. It's spacey, and actually stays tidy after I clean it up. The soft board that covers the wall on my side of the room is still bare, but I'm hoping to 'nerdify' it as soon as possible and making it feel like home. Meals here are wonderful, though do little to reduce the waistline. Housework, laundry especially, is a bit tedious, but it feels nice to be doing things on my own. I need to get into athletics, and although volleyball might seem like an implausible option, I feel an intense urge to play, somehow. Been hitting the gym in CJC, the Junior College right next to my hostel, CJCH, for the past few weeks every Tuesday, but since Christmas holidays are looming near, the supervisor (the hostel mistress' husband) won't start taking us again until next year.

I've also learned to put things into perspective -- just because I was seen a certain way back in Indonesia, doesn't mean I'll be perceived the same way here. Same goes for studies. I need to remind myself that although things might not seem as hard here, it's still a different system that I need to get used too and whatever I've faced in the Bridging Course so far will be probably be the easiest, 'honeymoon' phase. 

Good news though is that the Course really encourages reading and I've gone through 6 books (5 really, cuz one was just... crap). Best reads: Life of Pi and Cloud Atlas. Genius. Also relived a childhood favorite, Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. Am currently reveling in Tolkien's The Hobbit.

Speaking of The Hobbit, I'm likely definitely going to see it this weekend. I'm so excited, I-I just can't... What I love about Singapore is it's convenient transportation. Back in Indonesia, I always had to worry about getting around, especially on weekends when I wanted to hang out with my friends in Jakarta, which was a bit far. Here on the other hand, I can easily find my way to any place I want. That makes it especially easy to watch movies. The first movie I've watched was Breaking Dawn Part 2 (don't ask) but that was quickly redeemed by a double feature of Life of Pi (the aesthetics were amazing!) and Rise of the Guardians (JACK FROST FTW).

... Am I spending too much on movies? Nah. Even if I am, then blame Hollywood for producing such wonderful cinematic gems. 

A roller coaster ain't a roller coaster without some downs too. Worst thing that happened here so far? Being disappointed with my class allocation. I was put in a class with a Full Literature class (which I'm not really sure how I'll manage, since I've never taken such a Lit class before) but also was told to make a choice between Physics or Biology. There's another class with the exact same subject list, only they take both Physics and Biology. Although I'm not pursuing a career that would require either one, I got used to taking both in my old school, and ambitious as it may seem, I see those subjects as something that needs to be learnt, at least in its most rudimentary form, and have actually grown to like them. Both. 

It's pretty late now. I'm not sure if my body is recoiling against the one-hour loss of sleep, but I should turn in so I can at least survive tomorrow. Don't worry, with my oral presentation done by then, I'll be back soon to tell about all of my city adventures.

Until the next post then.

--Karin Novelia, Recently Moved (Again)

The Essence of Dreams (A Book Review of The Night Circus)

*May contain slight spoilers

What are dreams but mere ideas? Ideas that take up a life of their own, growing in proportions, intensity, detail. The are the fruit of imagination, the culmination of what our subconscious mind ponders on. But the experience of a dream -- in our heads, or even in our sleep -- can't stand true in reality. Like two sides of the same coin, they are distinctively different, yet sometimes impossible to discern.

The Night Circus, a novel written by Erin Morgernstern brilliantly blurs the line between dreams and reality. It is a story about magic, a game and the attraction between two magicians caught in the middle of it all: Celia Bowen and Marco Alisdair, two proteges of two very different magicians.

Celia is the daughter of Hector Bowen, who passes his powers off as simple illusions, perfoming magic tricks in stages across a number of countries as Prospero the Enchanter. Celia comes to him unexpectedly, dropped off to him after her mother had committed suicide. He sees potential in her abilities straight away. He believe magic is something you are born with, a natural talent for those who are lucky enough to possess it. His methods are unorthodox, sometimes cruel in training her. He comes across as a very uncompassionate father.

Marco is taken under the wing of a Mr. Alexander, the enigmatic type of character, whose past and last name remains quite undisclosed to the reader. He believes magic is something that can be taught, and pushes Marco to read and practice in solitude albeit in very luxurious conditions.

The two master magicians, being 'close friends', make a bet; a dangerous one they have made before and are willing to make again. They will pit their pupils against one another, in a clash of magic, to see who is better.

And so Le Cirque de Revěs is born. Being translated as The Circus of Dreams it "opens at nightfall" and "closes at dawn". Here, Celia and Marco use their magic to build the most impossible attractions. From a circus tent that holds a maze of clouds you can climb and jump on, a carousel of creatures that fly through the stars, what they create elicits awe and disbelieve from the circus-goers -- all of which are oblivious to the existence of magic.

What I love most about the book is Erin Morgenstern's very descriptive style of writing. All the magical details that come to make her creations of the impossible are fully conveyed to the reader. The book is beautifully written and jumps at the senses, from sights to smells, even tastes. It's the little things, the tiniest of details that really sticks into your mind, enhances the experience of immersing yourself in the prose that you feel like you're going through it all yourself.

Closing the book, feels like waking up from a dream. You know that it could never happen, but your heart aches and wishes that it could be somehow true.

Plot-wise, I think it was just perfect. I've heard some people complain about that the pacing is too slow, the story isn't that clever or well thought-out. But that's what makes The Night Circus so different from other books. People like a cinematic, action-packed, high-paced stories that tackles you. But The Night Circus creeps up on you, it's a story that is expansive and spans through many lives and many years that it cannot be told in a matter of days, and the sense of mystery and surprising revelations add to the tale's depth.

Some people have also been disappointed or felt misled at the term 'duel'. They thought of Harry-Potter-likes duels where spells fly and things erupt into chaos. What they got though, was more of an duel of the mind. They're creativity and innovation skills are being tested not their strength. The rules of the duel are arbitrary and has one twist -- it doesn't end until one of them dies.

Then here are sub-plots, which introduce characters as enchanting and wondrous as The Circus itself, gives them a decent story, a sense of involvement and influence in the main plot that no character Erin has created can really be called 'minor'. There's the creative director of the Circus' design, the fashionista that coordinates the acts costumes, a clockmaker who makes the centerpiece item and even a child that sneaks into the circus grounds. The magic of the Circus touches them, drives some insane. All these characters are affected by Celia's and Marco's actions and are simply a delight to read about.

I rate the book at 4.5/5 stars. There were some parts of the story that did seem tedious, but I was already caught in its spell to think much about it. In a nutshell, The Night Circus is a gem of a novel. It's style is descriptive and magical. It may be slow, but that doesn't mean its a bad book. If you have the patience to unravel the story and undergo the experience, reading The Night Circus will possibly be the best thing you've ever done.

Magic is something we can all relate to. It's something that we want to see in our lives, some even crave a semblance of its power. We may not have magic wands or spellbooks filled with curses to cast, but we each have a little bit of magic in us. We have the power to magically imagine, to create things with our minds.

So don't ever stop dreaming. As harsh as reality might seem, there are some dreams that really do come true.

And if reality does get a bit too hard to handle, know that the gates of Le Cirque de Revěs are always open for you to explore.

'Till the next post!

-- Karin Novelia, Restless Rěveur

My Life Right Now...

Mood I'm Currently Feeling: Pretty much in a constant swing. Mostly really melancholic feelings triggered by Graduation and an unhealthy dose of energy that is pushing me to be really productive.

Projects I'm Currently Working On: Cleaning the house. Feels like early packing for Singapore, but not exactly what I want to focus on right now.

Stories I'm Currently Writing: Really gaining momentum for my novel (will hopefully have something decent by the end of the summer).

Book I'm Currently Reading: Charmed Life; Book 1 in the Chronicles of Chrestomanci series by Diana Wynne Jones. (A nice change of pace after my mystery-thriller Agatha Christie stint).

Series I'm Currently Obssessing Over: Smash (or so Darren Criss called it Glee 2.0) Only it's not Glee. It's basically about sex, Broadway, dreams and it's so, so much better and brings out so many dreamer feels.

Music I'm Currently Listening To: A cool artist called Parov Stelar which has this eclectic blend of electronic beats and Parisian 20s jazzy swing. Like one of the best inner dance-freak inducing songs I've heard.

Movie I'm Currently Loving: Midnight in Paris by the ever-so-charming Woody Allen. I swear I could watch it again and again and never be bored. Gil Pender is so GPOY, he's like the male-version of me in an alternate universe.

Famous Person I'm Currently Inspired By: Tom Hiddleston. You know, the guy who plays Loki in Avengers. Basically the most talented breakout star I've seen this year, who is a brilliant actor, has the most adorkable smile and laugh (EHEHEHE LOKI'D!), and whose natural charm and intelligence make him a quality human being. I know he has this look that is unconventional but I guess that's sort of my type, and I'd choose skill and talent over physical appearance any day.

A Hunger for Entertainment

Dystopia. It is a word that I have learnt its meaning only recently in my researches regarding literary works. I often turn on my laptop and surf the net finding titles of books that pique my interest and the Hunger Games was definitely one of them.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins falls into the dystopian category for its setting in a rather bleak and fallen civilization. I watched it on the big screen yesterday evening, and note that while I will attempt to review the movie, in the loosest sense of the term since most of my attempts at objectivity to turn out to have a slight hint of emotional attachment, I have yet to read the Hunger Games trilogy and so cannot give a comparison between the written works and movies.

The story begins rather ominously with a simple, blankly black screen with fading words that foretell the history behind the fantasized nation's current state and the creation of the spectacle that is the hunger Games. Suddenly we are thrust into a district that is nestled away in some niche among the forests, reminiscent of times of war and hardship where people work hard to meet there needs, being thrown into a state of depravity that it's obvious everyone is struggling to keep themselves clean or fed.

The cinematography in this movie is spectacular. Though some might find some scenes to be too drawn out, that's the way things are more likely to play out in real life. In silence, as the character is in deep thought. It's not like real life has its own background music now does it? The hallucination scene was a real treat. The stop and start choppiness of the transitions, the breaks in sound (which I initially thought was a malfunction in the theater's sound system) gives a very good interpretation of what dwindling mental state is like. The scene where the coal-mine blew up, presumably with Katniss' father in it and the drowned out screams of Katniss at her catatonic mother had a powerful effect that made my eyes water. It was moving, and gave insight the reason why Katniss is as hardened and stoic as she is. The riveting soundtrack and use of effects also added depth to the experience.

Speaking of the protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, what I like about the characters is that they're well thought out, complex but not dynamically so, consistent in their demeanor and way of doing things. She's lean, strikingly beautiful (though oblivious to that fact) and in hard times knows how to handle things, such as hunt with a bow. She remains pretty cold and guarded for the first half of the movie, embracing her 'I don't make friends easily' self and coming off as slightly bad-ass.

Then there's Peeta Mellark, the second half of District 12's star-crossed lovers, was a bit of a cliche though to be honest, the distant lover who has crushed on the main character for so long, it seems to have turned into an undying and unconditional love. He is rather the underdog, being the weaker of the pair, but he does have hidden skills like massive upper body strength and camoflage.

I'd prefer to see more of Gale though, his almost brotherly relationship with Katniss is something I'd like to see. The love triangle between them and Peeta will surely spark some drama in the coming sequels. Building up to the premiere, I've seen that many of the original books fans weren't that happy with casting. Again, I have not read the books so I cannot compare the movie versions to the ones described in the books, but I think Jennifer Lawrence looks stunning. The dark hair suits her, and her features to give a sort of deadly beauty look. Though I'm not sure about Josh Hutcherson. He did some decent acting, but I just don't like his hair blond. I swear, in some scenes I kept on wondering where HIS EYEBROWS went.

On that note of outward appearances, the opening parade that introduced the Tributes to the Capitol, was a spectacular show. The make-up and costume department certainly had a lot to work with, if they build off what Suzanne Collins had written in her books. The exaggeration of pop culture in the Capitol residents' hair and make-up gave the whole world a comical and other-worldly feel. The costumes during the parade were just as exagerrated, but admitedly so to give District 12 a chance to shine. It is a good stroke of luck though that Peeta and Katniss managed to end up with nice team of the well-tasted Cinna and the experienced though eccentric and drunk Haymitch as mentor. The use of fire, earning her the title of "The Girl on Fire", as their main selling-point was really inspired.

Fire is hot and eerily beautiful in a way. It can be made, but then go beyond your control. You can use it to your advantages, or it can be used to hurt you. It symbolizes blazing spirits, fiery tempers and power. It's a force of nature and has the BBC's Sherlock once said, "exposes our priorities".

Plot-wise, the climax of a fight to death lets us question that side of our humanity: what lengths will we go to for some 'entertainment'? Like the citizens of Panem's Capitol, do we hunger for entertainment like they do?

It's true that while in real-life we do not pit ourselves against the other to kill each other off, we still do some pretty inhumane things because we find them funny. Take bullying for example. We ridicule someone, bring them down, in more extreme cases, use physical violence, make a spectacle out of a another person's weakness and laugh at such a thing. Then of course there's the obvious pro-wrestling, which thankfully I haven't seen much on air these past few years. And we do all these things for what? Entertainment? A quick buck?

If our current paradigms do not shift, who's not to say that our civilization won't end up as barbaric as the one in the Hunger Games?

Just some food for thought. Another thing plot-wise, I couldn't help but find Katniss and Peeta's love to be very cheesy and well, fake. Again, haven't read the books for reference, but I theorize that it was all just a ploy to get out of the Games alive. Haymitch did say that he could sell the whole 'star-crossed' lover bit, and maybe they used it in their favor. Though in a way, that is a double-edged sword, seeing how Katniss is sort of obligated to keep her charade, assuming Peeta is oblivious to her acting and his feelings are actually real. Then there's the whole Gale thing.

Overall I'd give the movie a good 4 stars out of 5, my only complaint is that the main theme and plot is a bit cliched, but it does appeal to a broader, younger demographic.

Well, I guess that my first review. Though I doubt I've written anything assembling to one, since I am, gently-put, opinionated and tend to drone on and on than anyone would care to read. Maybe I should think of a proper template to review upon, the clear aspects I want to talk about such as Cinematography, Set and Costume Design, Soundtrack, Characters, Plot, etc. (Well, lookie, I guess I just did).

That's all for now. Hope you have a good life and are at least a little bit entertained by my writings here on this blog. Thanks for taking the time to read. 'Till the next post then.

And may the odds be ever in your favor. ;)

--Karin Novelia, Happy-Go-Lucky Cinema-Goer

Spreading the Christmas Cheer

It's the 25th of December, or a day most people tend to celebrate as Christmas Day. I've had a wonderful Christmas holiday so far, though I must admit, the atmosphere is a bit... lacking.

I sent a few greetings to some friends across the water, specifically, from the Philippines. That made me think on the Christmases I spent back there. Decorating my classroom and the school with my mates. C.S.A. always was festive this time of year. Which made me start to see a huge difference between then and now. Perhaps it's the fact that Filipinos are mostly Roman Catholic so Christmas is a big deal for them. On the other hand, Indonesians are mostly Islamic.

Yes, this year, in my house there is no Christmas tree put up. No lights are hung, no tinsel and holly decking the halls. There is a paper mache snowman sitting in my room, but it's "melting" and falling apart. No carolers are trotting down the streets, and blasting Christmas CDs in my room can't go on all day.

But the thing, all those material things, though support and uplift the atmosphere, isn't what Christmas is all about. Christmas is a state of mind. It's one time of the year, where the world unites in a mood of feeling jubilant, cheerful and spend the day with family in friends, excecuting a ritual that fosters friendship, love and togetherness.

To have a holiday that conspires the universe to feel thankful and giving, isn't it just wonderful?

This year, I spent my Christmas at home. Nothing fancy. I woke up to find my Dad's home-cooking waiting on the table, the delectable scent simply mouth-watering. My Dad enjoys cooking, but it's a rare occasion, and to see him not working in Christmas day is also a blessing for me, this year. We dressed up, went out and tried some Italian cuisine at a local mall. We went shopping, Christmas shopping, together as a family. Nothing fancy. But memorable, none the less.

Christmas is also a reminder that there's only a week left in the year. And looking back, it's been one hell of a ride. But I guess I'm getting ahead of myself. I should save the nostalgia for New Year's Eve.

So, in the words of my favorite Christmas jingle, "FELIZ NAVIDAD, PROSPERO ANO Y FELICIDAD!". Merry Christmas, have a prosperous and happy year ahead! From the bottom of my heart, have a happy holidays! :D

A Little Appreciation to Get By

Hey!

It's been awhile since my last post. I actually have had a lot of urges to write, but school and all, no time, you know how it gets. I'm actually having finals tomorrow (Biology and Physics first for a change, whee...). I got bored and sick of studying so, here I am. Actually, I'm multi-tasking. I'm writing this while watching Sherlock (A FANTASTIC SHOW by the way. You reader, must watch) on my laptop and glancing at the latest season of Dancing with the Stars, while quizzing my friends tomorrow through chat.

Well, anyway I wanna talk about a very special day. It was the 25th of November otherwise known here as Teachers' Day. This 9th Grade year has been very interesting so far. A bit more complicated than I would've liked, but hey, I'm far from bored.

One pretty interesting aspect was of course the teachers. Having a few classes that were taught by teachers that were different to other classes sort made things a difficultly new experience, but I'm glad to learn how to adapt. My homeroom teacher, Sir Darma wasn't exactly someone who I haven't met. He taught biology for me back in 7th Grade, and my class 7F was the only one he taught. He's a bit... motivated and high-spirited, but his exuberance was something I hadn't seen in a while, so I welcomed his unique style of teaching. But his perfectionist attitude also made me glad that I wouldn't have to see him more than twice a week.

And when 9th Grade came around I was sort of beggin, Please, don't let Sir Darma be my homeroom teacher.

... Yeah, I barely get what I want. Haha.

So yeah, 9B, headed by Sir Darma. His ideas were always welcomed, at least by me, but the execution was a bit far out of reach. This led to the class slightly disliking his way of pushing us, demanding the best, demanding action even when we didn't completely agree with his plans or ideas. Even though I knew where my classmates were coming from, I sometimes just didn't like the way they commented Sir Darma.

It's nice to know, at least, that you have a teacher that cares.

Maybe my attachment to Sir Darma is a bit personal. I must admit, he did help me earlier this year. When I was lost, he was someone who offered a listening ear. And even though his advice wasn't completely helpful, I still appreciate his intentions.

And Teachers' Day really is all about that: appreciation.

My class starting to come together, pitching in ideas and making plans that even though were a bit last-minute was something that we wanted to accomplish together. We made what I liked to call: "The Wall of Superheroes" on our class softboard. We found images of renowned heroes like Superman, Mr Incredible, Catwoman, Batman, etc., and replaced their heads with the faces of our 9th Grade teachers. A bit comical, I suppose, but the whole 'teachers are Superheroes' analogy is something I find touching. We made a background of a city, and huge clouds in the sky with really inspirational quotes on teaching.

"A good teacher is like a candle. It consumes itself to light the way for others." -- Mustafa Kemal

Or

"A teacher affects eternity. He can never tell when his influence stops." -- Henry Brooks Adams

Sir Darma was in a bit of a mood lately. It seemed like he was fed up with our class. And it put us in a stalemate. We knew he was pissed -- he'd stop lecturing us in the morning like he usual does -- and was just so quiet, but we didn't know how to meet his expectations either.

So today, things would be different. They would be changed for the better :)

It was just after lunch break. We would have a period of Biology class, of course taught by our Sir Darma. So before he came out of the class opposite ours, 9D, we all held a red rose, some held candles and we form a walkway between 9D and 9B. As Sir Darma stepped out of 9D and saw us all lined up, I smiled when I saw his look of surprise.

When he came up to take the rose from each of us, we all recited a line from a personal letter I wrote specifically for that day. We told him how we realized his frustation of late, and how in reality, we do appreciate what he's done, all the time and resources he's given to our class. And how we want to start over, start anew and move forward together, better than before. The fact he said he was close to tears made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

 "Teaching us maybe like a rollercoaster -- lots of ups and downs. But we'll make sure it's a ride you'll enjoy! :)" -- 9B to Sir Darma

 A day of roses, candles, letters and songs, it's been one of the most personal touching Teachers' Day I've been through.

And since I aspire, to be an educator one day, seeing that little treats like this might be in store for me... all the pain and trouble of teaching, is starting to seem worth while.

Thanks for reading!

--Karin Novelia, Appreciative Student :)

The Benefits of Lying

I'm taking a writing skills development class (or what my school calls KIR), and our assignment this week was to write about a weird/unrealistic scenario. It was a struggle to find the right topic. When I found a nice one, "What if people never aged over seventeen?" it turned into this complex story line about forbidden love, a bit West Side Story-esque, and Romeo and Juliet inspired, but then I realized that I couldn't get it done in time and decided to shelve the story for better circumstances for now.

So that meant I had to come up with a back-up plan. I chose a topic that was my original first idea, which I'm sure if it were ever to come true would just set hell loose. "What if everyone never lied?" The story I ended typing out last-minute was a bit rushed, but the idea of course was solid. And when I was writing down the closing conversation, things really hit home. I won't post the whole story, but I'll quote the end bit.

“Why? Did anyone bully you? Say something mean?”

            “Yes… and no. I don’t know. When people speak their mind, bad things can come out of it. Just because you don’t like what they say, it doesn’t mean they’re wrong, does it?”

            “Even if they are right, you can’t let what anybody says bring you down, hun. What they say doesn’t matter.”

            “No, Mom, what they say does matter. And that’s kind of what sucks. You can have such a good attitude at whatever they throw at you, but that doesn’t change the way they treat you. And they tell people what they think and some people buy it. And they start treating you differently, too.”

            Her mother squeezed her as she said this, understanding her pain and not quite sure on how to respond. “But, I learned something from today. The truth can hurt. More often than not. And I took the truth today with a spoonful of sugar and am now stronger because of it. And it’ll be more than satisfying when I prove those people wrong.”

            Amelia lifted her head and looked at her mother’s face. “I also learned that when some people don’t tell the truth, it’s because they’re just looking out for you. They just care. It’s one of the benefits of lying, I guess. You can spare a person’s feeling, but still push them to be the best. You don’t say the complete truth, because you know it would destroy them. And that’s the last thing you want to do.”

MAXIMUM EXCITEMENT = LUMOS MAXIMA!

It's amazing, really, what a group of kids can do when they come together. Even more so, when the results exceed all expectations. This year in 2011, Santa Laurensia came out again to host it's bi-annual event, the LAURENSIA CUP!

I feel slightly well, really guilty cuz I feel like I didn't contribute much to this cup, even though I had so much free time and wanted to help out, I just couldn't figure out how. I signed to be part of the public relations (Humas) division. My job is to announce the details of Laurensia Cup to other schools and hand out proposals for anyone willing to participate. It was a little touch and go at first, but we managed to at least fill up the minimum quota for the games.

What really sucked was that my tasks were focused up until Laurensia Cup started. Once it did, I became a mere spectator, even though I was given a "Crew" member shirt. It was like I was trying to find something to do, but everyone was already assigned to do this and that, and my offer fell on deaf ears. It also felt like I was imposing.

Enough of the ranting. Let's get on with the showcase!

The concept for this year's Laurensia Cup is pretty unique. We took on a outerspace galactic theme, naming it LUMOS MAXIMA! It stands for "Laurensians Unites in Diversity through Sports with Maximum Excitement". I love how every single detail is authentic and original. This really showed how damn creative Laurensia kids can be :)

The opening started on 5 Nov 2011, a Saturday. And I have to say, it was a bigger turn out than I expected. My dear mates, Kenny and Karina were MCs for the ceremony, and I'm proud to say they did a great job. There was a ceremonial cutting of a bouquet of balloons: red, yellow and blue floating up into the sky, a beautiful array of colors, all of them imprinted with the Lumos Maxima logo. We also saw the cheerleaders do their thang and even our local Tiger mascot shuffle :D

The match was a thrill to watch. Especially the girls' mini soccer! The Laurensia uniforms, I absolutely adoreee. Cute and spunky with it's combo of dark grey and pink, it stands out! They also played well, and ended up with first place! Basketball, was intense. Girls managed to get second, falling just a little by Pahoa, another school. A lot of people say that it's the girls golden age. The boy's were unable to grab victory this time around, but hey, that's okay! All in the spirit of sportmanship!

VOLLEYBALL! That was the most amazing sports to watch. So much on-the-edge-of-your-seat action. Only the high-schoolers had volleyball, and unfortunately the junior high didn't, mainly because we couldn't form a team in time. Like, I've said before, VOLLEY is something that is lighting my heart's fire, and hopefully I'll get better as I pursue this sport.

The bazaar and food available this time around, I think was more ranged. There was Chatime, Kebabs, a takoyaki stand, Hop Hop (those bubble drinks) and even Crepes. The merchandise the bazaar team came up was amazing, too. All the Lumos Maxima cups, Hand-clappers to cheer the teams, keychains and shirts were all well-designed.

The week went by in a flash. All of those preparations, and cutting classes in the afternoon to supervise the Cup and being given free time to watch the games. It was paradise, a whole week of going to school with minimum studying and maximum FUN! It was a little bittersweet to seeing it come to an end.

It's 12-11-11. A Saturday, a full week since the beginning of Lumos Maxima. There's this sense of things coming around full circle. The final rounds were played that morning, the winners made clear. And soon, 5.30 pm came, and the gym was starting to fill up with an eager audience. The decorations for the closing, were SUPERB. They gym was completely transformed into a out-of-this-world space ship. Outside of the entrace were a few food stands, and once you handed in your ticket and got a Lumos Maxima stamp on your hands, you went into this tunnel, that branched out to both sides.

If you followed the tunnel left, you would step inside the interior of a silver-lined spaceship. To you're right, you meet the brown-rocky terrain of a planet unknown. It was cool inside, the blast of the air-conditioners they put up on full-power. The walls of the gym inside were lined with dark cloth, representing the blackness of space. In the dance room over head, the windows overlooking the gym were covered with boards, lined with little lights that were shaped to form the writing 'Lumos Maxima'. Life-size models of the mascots, Terra, Myu, Kevin, etc. Screens were displayed on both sides, projections of images throughout the show to be seen by everyone.

The show started, and the curtains to the gym stage opened. A model of MAXIMUS, the Superior One, the top mascot hung from the ceiling, next to an astronaut and some twinkling stars. The back of the stage was covered in reflecting tin-foil, giving off a real futuristic vibe. The use of smoke machines, just blanketing the stage made me think we really were on another planet.

Most of the performances were from our own school. The cheerleaders were great, doing a much more daring routine than the opening (TIGERS! GO, FIGHT, WIN!), than the bands performing top hits. From "Do Re Mi", "Stereo Love", "Jetlag", "Mistletoe", "Pumped Up Kicks" to a medley of "Sunday Morning/Chasing Pavements", the musicians got the audience on their feet, grooving, jumping and singing along. The dance numbers were well-choreographed too.

My favorite performance was SPADE <3 From costumes, to the mixed-song, the choreography was on-point and just bursting with energy. Hope I'll get to see them peform again!

After the winner's announcement, then came the main event: WHITE SHOES AND THE COUPLES COMPANY! I did hear a few of their songs before I heard they were performing at Laurensia Cup, and they are amazing! Though I did notice that weren't well-known since their music sort of requires an acquired taste.

The night was drawing to a close. The MC asked the audience to step outside to the parking lot and look up. A series of crackling (slighty ear-splitting) fireworks flew up into the sky.

And just like that, a legendary night was over.

Even though Lumos Maxima is over, the excitement lives on!

Huge thanks and kudos to everyone who helped make this all come true.

--Karin Novelia, Still Excited!

Let's get you up to speed......

I. Am. A. Ninth Grader. Wow.

I can't believe how fast the final semester of 8th Grade ended. I had a nice holiday. Went out of the country and roamed all over Hongkong, with a short stint to Macau and then Singapore. And of course, all over malls with some of bestest of friends :)

It's been taking some getting used to all of the new surroundings. New class, new friends, new teachers. I had to constantly remind myself that I was not "8A/23" anymore. I am now, and proud to be "9B/16" :)

My class adviser is Sir Darma, and the decor of the class really reflects what he teaches: Biology. Complete with a small aquarium filled with goldfishes and guppies, and small potted plants airing out the classroom, I have to say, the whole atmosphere it quite COZY. :D

Sir Darma is known for being a creative yet perfectionist teacher. Though he might be easily-overworked, I know he wants the best from us 9B kids, the students put under his care, to help find our true potential. His ways may not be the most preferable, but his intentions are good.

I've been managing to handle classes so far. I've found a new sense of purpose, diligently slaying homework beasts that spill out of schoolbag with such... gusto.... that I've been getting a lot of things done in front of schedule.

One of my commitments for the upcoming year, is to become more active outside of the academic stuff. And yes, that includes: AYC :)

The Asean Youth Convention was the start of beautiful friendships and everlasting memories. It was definitely the best 10 days of my life last year. And a year has passed since then. One of the things we did when us delegates arrived home was to spread some Youth Empowering fever! Just last July, a number of students attended GYCi (Global Youth Congress International) sister event to AYC, GYF (Global Youth Forum). It was nice to see some friends depart on an inspiring experience and come back with a little more youthful panache ;)

Tomorrow even, another batch of kids will fly to Singapore to attend the 3rd AYC. Damn, I really wish I could go with. But the registration was open to 8th Graders only, and I do have a school retreat coming up that conflicts with it. I have, though, enjoyed taking a 'consultant' position, sharing personal experiences and making sure that the new advocates are ready for what's in store for them.

Don't worry. Though the newbies will fly off to find their wings, us experienced AYC-ers have bigger plans to deal it at home. That is of course preparing for AYC JAKARTA! :D

Some negativity, or rather pessimism, is thickly surrounding this matter. Does no one really believe that we can prepare a huge event like this? Not just prepare it on time, but make it special, make it unique, make it OUR OWN?

Everyone has their own vision for this AYC Jakarta plan. I can sum mine up well, in this lovely little sentence:

"Deliver not only an AYC experience, but the complete INDONESIAN experience as well."

Best of luck then, to all of this talented 'future leaders' :)

Asides from that, there are tons of extra-curricular stuff going around school that I want to take part in. Apparently, I'm taking over Yudhi's Writing Club. The thing I'm focusing on is selections and finding possible writing competitions. Then there's the school's magazine, "VieR", and I really wanna make it a swell edition. And in terms of extracurricular period ("Ekskul") I've taken... Volleyball. Yes. My new athletic goal is to become good at the sport. Maybe, go professional. (My friend even laughed at this, and I admit it might sound silly, but I'm really being serious! :D)

Besides trying to maintaining this blog, I've also joined the free period class ("KIR") of: Creative Writing. Along with some other Writing Club members. And I have been working on my first novel for a while now. About to hit 50 pages of A4 paper, small font and narrow margins, so yes, that's actually quite a lot.

And... my love story? Well. I guess that's another story for another day ;)

-Karin Novelia, Going Through A Fast-Paced Life

The Whispers of the Crowd

(This post was originally posted on my Tumblr, www.writewordstosay.tumblr.com on Monday, May 2, 2011)

High school. I guess, we’ve all been there. If there’s one things I learned from the media and TV shows is that there are things called stereotypes.

In high school there are ‘classes’, whether you choose to be the one who’d label them or accept the difference, they’re there, the ‘geeks’, the ‘populars’, the ‘quiet ones’, the ‘smart kids’ and all that. I prefer to be the latter. I don’t like to label and judge people. I prefer to just sift around this pool of diversity called the student body and not jump to conclusion about a person.

But then again, life is ironic, and sarcastic and just plain mean. Isn’t it frequently said, “Treat others the way they want to treat you?”

Well, ask anyone I know, and they probably will tell you that I don’t like to trash talk other people. But just today, I saw a bunch of girls trash talking me.

Of course, no names were mentioned. They have the nerve to talk about someone like that, but behind the person’s back. Take that either way you want.

They called me a ‘bitch’, honestly, it’s first time anyone has ever called me that. Reading their tweets, I think I’ve figured out the reason behind this sudden slandering. And if my suspicions are true, then yeah, they’ve just called me a bitch based on their own misunderstandings, their own judgments.

This kind of prejudice is what forms the stereotypes, and all the high-school drama. The way I see it, I’ve only pissed off one person by what I did. But then ‘the posse’ teamed up and started talking about me too.

Seeing all of this brought me down for a second. They tried to bring me down, and judge me, and they said things about me when they know NOTHING about me, or what I’ve gone through, or why I’ve made the decisions I’ve made. What gives them the right, really?

Keep your opinions to yourself. I don’t need you guys hating on me, especially when I did nothing wrong, or least had no intention of making anyone of you made.

Maybe when I walk by you guys tomorrow, I’ll hear you whisper something about me. Well, I won’t listen to the whispers of the crowd. I’ve got my own voice, and it’s telling crystal clear right now, that I didn’t do anything wrong.

Blogger Silence, Tumblr Uproar

Hey heeeeey! Sorry for still being a bit quiet on this blog.

I've made a Tumblr account, and have been blogging on it for a while. I made simply for it's practicality, and suitability for short post, videos and pictures, but don't worry, I'm still using this blog.

So go ahead and open writewordstosay.tumblr.com and take a read :D

--Karin Novelia, Soon-To-Be Addicted Tumblr-er

What's Up?

Heeeey, like I've said on my previous post, I'm gonna start keeping this blog of mine up and running :D

Then why have I've been gone for the past week? Well, three words: Eight Grade Edutrip.

Here in Santa Laurensia, the Eigth Graders take the week off or so for their Edutrips. There are even all sort of places offered up for the students to go. This year the choices were Jogjakarta, Singapore-Malaysia, Beijing and the newest offer NEW ZEALAND.

Honestly, I wanted to go to Beijing. But I ended up choosing... JOGJA!

I was really excited for this trip. My parents were both born in Jogja, but I never really went there for sightseeing. And after just getting back last night, it was GREAT! :D

Well, I'm gonna post all about it in a special back-to-back post feed. I'll even call it "Travel Sniffles". The term Travel Sniffles, is one I've stated on my blog before. It's that nasty little cold I always get after travelling, and I yeah I'm sneezing right now.

Guess that's the gist of it.

Valentine's Day is on HBO right now, so I gotta get going! Cheers :)

--Karin Novelia, The Sniffling Traveler

Hello.

......

Hello there. Thank you for taking another look at my blog. Though I don't think anyone gives a damn about my stupid blog. It's been nearly 2 months since my last post. And I guess for the sake of the people who might actually still check up on my blog I'll post again.

So you're probably wondering why I haven't been posting again lately. Well, let's just say not long since my last post, something happened that made me scared to start posting again. Let's just say, apparently, there's no such thing as "freedom of (written) speech".

I reread my post on my New Year's resolution and damn. It's sort of suffocating. When you get this grand picture of how you want things to be and you find building inside of you a burning fire that drives you, pushes you. A passion that essentially, gives you the will to live.

And seeing your plan's fall apart... there's no worse feeling.

So, yeah. I almost decided on giving up on this blog. Deleting it and every single written word. Because at one point, this seemed like far too much trouble in the first place.

But I realized today, that writing... it's my getaway car.

It's the only way I can truly express my emotions. Lay out my opinions. Call it pathetic, that I find myself so caught up in my own nerves that I can barely figure what to say when I talk to others, but at least I realize my own faults.

I'm trying to fix them, I assure you.

Writing is my microphone. Writing is how I speak. I believe in the power of words. I've seen time and time again what people have done with their writings. How they've changed lives with a simple pen and paper.

Though like I've stated before, to make sure what I write on this blog doesn't get me into trouble, I'm gonna be more careful with what I post. But rest assured, I'm back :)

-- Karin Novelia, Retracing Her Steps

Time For Holidays... Or Not.

Well, it's been 10 days of holidays, sleep and peace.

Except there's also been nearly 4 whole days spent drowned in homework.

I didn't go out of the country. Only out of town. And that was just one day, stuck in the back of the car squeezed in with my brother and sister.

I did get a new watch, sweatshirt, and a pair Converse sneakers.

It's not exactly the best holiday plans I've had, but they're not exactly the worst either.

Now, it's the last day of holiday. Tomorrow's a Monday, and as much as I like to sleep in, I actually want nothing more than to get back to school.

Wish me luck. :)

So... What Now?

I guess you've pretty much noticed how a bit melancholic my writing's have been getting. Don't worry though, things are finally starting to look up. Just think of all of these reflections as a platform for my self-improvement, not a sudden downfall into a spiraling pit emo-isticness (that even a word? XP) . So, the only thing on my mind is: What's next?

Quick list:

1) AYC after-plan is back on track. In fact, the few adjustments made to the plan seem more plausible and exciting than before. 28-11-10 is gonna be a blast, and I'm gonna put my English teaching skills to work :D

2) Well, last Friday was a total crazy yet super fun day. I now "hate" Yehezkiel Fulia. And I've realize how terrible gossip can spread like wildfire at my school. Oh well. Hahahaha. Oh, besides that, I've regained my confidence in my Public Speaking skills, in Listening and Speaking class. Thank you Mr Jarot for the awesome assignment. XD

3) My love-life may not be exactly going for the best, but it sure has made turn for the interesting.

4) I've been complimented and encouraged a lot lately. Just hearing 'thank you', is enough for me. That was just... Wow. :)

5) "Paranoia" is a word that now makes me laugh. XD

6) I've realized how much I've changed so recently. I've also realized that I've made so pretty good friends who will be there for me. I'm starting to open up.

7) Got a few tests but little homework for the coming week. Lebaran Holidays start THURSDAY! (y)!

8) Oh yeah, I sent the Times Bookstore Writing Competition Essay. Hope it works out!

9) Got another writing competition at Tunas Muda coming up too, though the topic doesn't really interest me, I'll try my best anyway.

10) Suddenly had a great new idea for a new story! Writing Fever looks like is gonna catch on fast! :)

Pretty much it. Hope to get a lot of things done.

Thanks for reading.

--Karin Novelia, New-Found Optimist

Through The Rain-Stained Glass

To be honest, I've changed. Quite a lot really, when you think about it.

Perhaps, this is a good thing. On the other hand, maybe it isn't either.

When I was little I used to get along with everyone, making friends were easy back when you were four. Now, honestly, friendship has become complicated.

I always, and still believe that no matter  how horrible someone seems, there is a good side to them. Now, I'm starting to think, that maybe that's not always the case.

I've always believed of giving somone second chances, giving them the benefit of the doubt. Back then, it seemingly paid off. Now, I'm not sure if it's worth the trouble.

I used to be such a tomboy. The kind of girl that would rather shoot hoops with the guys than gossip about guys with the girls. Never thought about love that much. Again, it was easier to do that when you were little. And so much easier before I met you. Hehehe. ;)

Back then, I used to think that there was always people who supported me. Now, it looks like there are a lot more people who want to bring me down.

Back then, I was still the youngest child. I still got some attention, just like a kid should. Now, I'm the middle child, always looking after my brother and sister, sometimes being side-lined for the sake of their well-being. I used to love this 'job', now I'm not sure. :/

Use to think, that no matter how bad things seemed, everything would work out if I tried my best. Now, at best, I still cling onto that belief, but time and time again, I've been proven wrong.

I used to always speak my mind. I always would say the stupidest things, and people would go "Aw, how cute" and laugh. Cuz when you're little you're still allowed to make mistakes. Now, people might take things the wrong way, and blow things out of proportion. So I guess, I've learned to think before I speak. I've learned that maybe it's best to hold your tongue sometimes. Perhaps, at times, I've witheld to much?

They say change is part of growing up. You can't grow up without it.

Maybe it seems like my changes in perspective on the things I've written above are seemingly becoming more pessimistic. Well, maybe they are. But maybe, their just showing that I'm thinking more logically. Thinking more mature. The real world -- the one I'll face once I'm all grown-up -- isn't that much welcoming for a kid, right?

There's one thing, that I've started to realize though. Back then, in my old life, I guess you could call it, I've been a bit closed. I used to think that showing emotions -- sadness, anger, depression, envy -- was lame. That it showed I was weak.

Now, I still think the same way. Noone really cared when I did, so I see it as pointless.

But recently, things have been different. I've found myself opening up to other people. I've even cried in front of my friends (during AYC), and it's something I haven't done in a long time. When it happened, I couldn't help but hit myself. I thought things would start to be awkward. That when I looked at my friends, all they would remember was me in that moment. Fragile, weak... and vulnerable.

Surprisingly, they didn't. Well, maybe they did remember that moment. But because they did, I guess, I've let them into my personal bubble, given them a chance to know me better. They gotten a better look at who I am, and what gets to me. That didn't make them any less my friends. In fact, it's made them better friends, since now they know exactly what to do and when I need a helping hand or just a hug.

I think I've realized, that showing emotions isn't such a bad thing. That sometimes, it's okay to let those tears out. Seeing the world through tear-glazed eyes is like looking through the rain-stained glass of a window after a drizzle. The moist drops of water slightly obscure your view and the world becomes a little blurry, and for a moment your troubles seem a lot less small. Then the light shines at a certain angle, and the drops of water seem to shine, giving off their small glow.

And then, in this half-melancholic, half-calm state, you realize: the world is beautiful.

--Karin Novelia, Staring Out The Rain-Stained Glass

Pressing Restart

Hey, dear readers!

Been such a random week for me back at school. Lot's of changes, a few setbacks, near full-blown emotional explosions. But, I never post any bad details here, so yeah, that's the main point of the negativity that's been floating around lately.

But as I wrote on my twitter (@kainovelia):

"Having a fun weekend is like pressing restart for a terrible week."

And this was certainly the case for this week! Quick recap of what's been going on:

1) AYC After-plan hit a snag. 9th Graders getting back to hear bad news, was like total wildfire.

2) Got two writing comps, which I don't really see turning out well.

3) Getting scolded a lot this week. Hahahaha

But all those negative thoughts and feelings, disappeared over the course of one night. I can't believe how hard I'm laughing now. It all started yesterday:

1) Though my weekend plan with friends failed, I had an awesome day with my fam.

2) We bought Guitar Hero for PS 3 :)

3) I had such a great time laughing, *ngerusuh* with Odi and Jeffry on my fb status announcing the above

4) I've been twittering some funny things. And made twitter a bit insecure to the majority of people who like to talk behind people's backs *Wink Wink*

5) And yeah, getting back on track with some AYC business.

6) OH, can't forget, hearing someone say "I kind of like you", for the first time in the 8th Grade. (Even if you ask, I'm not gonna tell ;) )

See how all the positives triumphs over the negatives? Cuz the main point is, no matter how dark things get, it only gets better from there.

Thanks for reading!

--Karin Novelia, The Girl Who Still Can't Stop Laughing

Prodigal

(Don't get confused by the title, too soon. Read 'till the end and you'll get it ;D)

Hey, I know I haven't been posting in a while.

Well, the Singapore writing is almost done, but since school has started and there's a whole other stuff, like AYC and Science Club Selections, I've been pretty busy. So I found this pretty little number on Facebook a kind of tag and answer thing, put since my Facebook has been a bit on the fritz, I'll post it here. I love MUSIC, and so this made me curious. And luckily, most of the answer fit.

1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, mp3 player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4. Tag friends
5. Everyone tagged has to do the same thing.
6. Have Fun!

( ) = my response

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going-Glee Version (i stand by my beliefs :) )

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Jump Then Fall-Taylor Swift (someone who can take a leap of faith?)

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Restless- Hollywood Indie (So true...)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Breakaway- Kelly Clarkson (spread my wings and fly :) )

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Don't Stop Believin'-Glee Version (nice!)

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
My Sanctuary-Kingdom Hearts (awww <3)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?
When I Grow Up-Pussycat Dolls (they're my role models!)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Gives You Hell-All-American Rejects (do i want revenge? Nyahahaha)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
I Promise You-Selena Gomez (BFF's 4eva!)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Don't Forget-Demi Lovato (yeah... cuz i'll never forget you :') )

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Live Like We're Dying-Kris Allen's Version (filled with struggle, but i keep on livin' :) )

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Another Cinderella Story-piano score from the movie (wow!)

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Shine-Hillary Duff (everytime you shine, i shine (Taylor Swift song?) :) )

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Grown-up Christmas List-Michael Buble (love that song! But at my wedding? Maybe i'll have it on Christmas :P)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Stay-Lee DeWyze (i wish i could friends :') )

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
1, 2 Step-Step it Up 2 (Dancing? Used to, so much! Man, i haven't done that since i moved here! Maybe i should pick it up again? Hmm....)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Closer-Ne-yo (yeah, we're getting closer with each passing day :) )

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
The Forecast-Jazon Miraz (The song goes, "Crazy is the forecast, all week...." Well, it has been feeling that way so far -__-)

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Fearless-Taylor Swift (No regrets, man :) )

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Two Worlds Collide-Demi Lovato (letting a friendship die?)

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Falling Down-Avril Lavigne (well, everyone laughs when people fall LOL!)

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Please Don't Tell Her *or HIM LOL*-Jason Miraz (love's complicated -__-)

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
The Time of My Life-David Cook (i hope it'll be :D, so yeah, maybe...)

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Masquerade-Ashley Tisdale (fakers, posers, i've been hurt more than once before :/)

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Taking Chances-Glee Version (taking chances with love?)

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Christmas Don't Be Late-Alvin and the Chipmunks (i do hate delays, and there was that one Christmas that well... sucked.)

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Whataya Want From Me-Adam Lambert (feeling the pressure >_<)

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Prodigal-Casting Crowns (Wow, that's such a compliment :P)

The First Day of School

(Hey, guys. I know I was promising the delicious piece of my vacation trip to Singapore. It's in the works, but not quite done yet. A lot of photos to go through. Haha. Truth is, I'm not really in such a good mood. I'm really sorry about that. It's something I'm trying to fix, my self-esteem. Anyways, here a quick story I wrote yesterday and the title says it all. Coincidentally, it's also my 30^th post, so let's hope this'll be a milestone of the better things to come. Enjoy.)

Well, today I woke up at 3.30 AM. No, I'm not joking. There are witnesses. I felt it was a bit early, but also lingering very closely to my set wake-up time of 5.30 AM. So I just laid down there on my bed, listening to music on my cellphone and just relaxed for a bit, soaking up the fact that it was a Tuesday. It was July 13^th. It was the first day of school.

    My sister woke up soon after I did, and went to the bathroom. As much as I encouraged her to go back to sleep, she just didn't feel sleepy anymore. She was excited to go to school too. Soon it was 5 AM and my sister went to take a bath. By 6 AM, even my brother was awake, and me and my sister who were all set decided to head out early.

    Man… I had forgotten how good waking up in the morning is. As soon as my dad pulled up by the motorcycle/bicycle parking lot and took in a breath of fresh air, I felt refreshed, rejuvenated. The air was still cold, and the ground wet with rain, probably one that showered while I was fast asleep. Passing the gates and passed the empty bicycle racks and the once peach-colored building of Elementary school, I got a bit nostalgic. I bid my sister goodbye and she went to see her class list. I couldn't help but look up to the second floor, to the corner class that once belonged to 6B.

    6B. I could still remember those days as if it were yesterday. When it was over, I was bummed, way bummed. I didn't want it to end. And though I've said this before, I try to see each year as its own without comparison to anything else, but sometimes I just hope it would be at least as good as 6B. Would this year be able to live up to that standard?

    I pushed that thought away from my mind for now. No use getting my hopes too high. I turned away from those sweet memories and walked down the red running track towards the dark green building of the Columbus Hall. I walked up the stairs to the now familiar front office (TU), a giant banner waving back at me.

    It said "Welcome", a nice greeting to the start of a new school year and this year's motto: "Becoming a Responsible Person: Care, Respect, Commit." Not exactly poetry, but a good theme none the less.

    Going up to the pink covered soft-board to look at the list of my class, I could feel the suspense within me. Some people came days before just to see their class, but I didn't see the point. Coming to school with no clue, now that was motivation. You came early just to see that list, and whether you liked it or not, you couldn't just go back home and sulk. It was just a little personal fun.

    I started to scan from the bottom of the 8F list, and worked my way to the top because I wanted to see my class last. Confused?

    I already knew I was in 8A, all because James texted to say we were in the same class. But other than that I knew little than the comments of my friends saying, "It's an interesting class." I knew next to nothing. Well, it was time to find out.

    I only came with one expectation, the only one I have each year: to be in the same class as my Best Friends. Most of those times, it wasn't granted, but it never really let me down. But for some reason, I couldn't push this expectation away. It really would be great to have the people I absolutely adore around on this year. 8^th Grade. I needed a while to really take that in. I had big plans this year.

    I scanned the list, bottom from top. I couldn't help but do a double-blink. This list… these names… they were very interesting, in a really good but unpredictable way. I also did a re-take of my class number. Something about numbers just seemed intriguing. The meaning behind them, the sort of alluring mystery. I'm not all that superstitious, but I couldn't help but attach comparison to class letters and class numbers.

    23.

    That was my number. 23. It was so familiar, I couldn't believe I was in that spot again. I guess I had a bit of a flashback moment, standing in front of the board, like an idiot, and turned back the clock by 2 years.

    The 6^th Grade. The final year at Laurensia Elementary, and it was incredible. So many things had happened. I could still remember every moment, every laugh, every frown, everyday with my beloved 6B. Would this year be just as great?

    Again, with the comparisons. It was way early. But I took the time to walk into my new class and just soak things in. Taking deep breathes. Soaking in the scenery I've come to be fond of at school. See Bob the Builder (yes, the guy in the yellow hardhat) be taped onto the class door next to writing "welcome to 8A". Stopping by ol' 7F and seeing it finally clean. Ha, ha.

    It was official. I'm an 8^th Grader now.

Random, Random, Random

Hey!


Well, I'm very sorry to the very expectant reader(s) of this blog who are jumping up and down waiting for my next blog post. If you are that reader, I'm sure you've wanted this one to be about Singapore.


I apologize very deeply, for the delay. First thing tomorrow, I will get started on that post. At least, I hope so. The reason for my laziness is simply because I have writer's block! I can't seem to focus on writing about my trip around Singapore! I did some self-diagnosis on this condition (for a writer it's very serious, you know!) (and yes, I like to play Doctor!) and have come to a conclusion. Symptoms include: sudden hyper-activeness, mood-swings, emo-ness (emo is a real word!), pessimism, sudden recall of past events, sudden diligence to organize school learning materials, obsessive (almost compulsive) need to clean the entire house, and random thoughts!


Yes, and that's why to cure this writer's block I've prescribed myself a large dose of listing said random thoughts. From the top of my head, here we go:

1. Apparently I am (one of) the best writer(s) at my school. Said a certain someone :P
2. Just realized my brother was gone to whole day, and will be gone for the next 5 days. He's going to Jogya, which no one thought to tell me about o.O
3. My Love Life Sucks. As I recall the past, I realize every experience has been a crash and burn. Cue emo-ness :/
4. Barney! (not the purple one :P)
5. Lemon Law! Suit Up! High Five! It's going to be legen--wait for it!--dary! And, Tonight's going to be de--wait for it!--lightful! :)
6. Ted Mosby :)
7. Looking at the past 3 points, I am really a fan of How I Met Your Mother :P
8. My parents are a bit bi-polar.
9. My sister is spoiled.
10. My brother is a deaf, game-addicted boy.
11. I am very pissed.
12. Looking back and doing some self-reflection, my life has sucked.
13. I feel very optimistic right now.
14. I like using sarcasm :P
15. I hate the fact, that when I get passionate about writing a story and something comes up and cuts my groove half-way, when I read it back and get psyched again sometime later, I forget the really good bits about the story line!
16. I apparently have a collection of dolls plushies. They're plushies okay?? They are soft and fuzzy!! 
17. The names of said plushies are very original. I have a Teddy Bear named Teddy, and a Rabbit named Rabbit and a Pig named Pig. HAHAHA!
18. Annoying Orange rulez!
19. Ryan Higa is the best!
20. The only thing better than the Potter Books are the Potter Puppet Pals :D
21. Me and my best friend are growing apart. :(
22. David Cook is the BEST AI Winner Ever! I said the BEST! Case closed. Cuz I'm always right!
23. At this point, you, reader, probably think I have gone insane o.O
24. Whenever I reach out and help someone who has been an outcast, I get burned.
25. Yes, I'm cynical. But I compensate with humor. HAHAHA!
26. I may very well have OCD. If so, then I am a modern-age Monk (the detective guy)!
27. I think I'm falling for this guy, who's one year older. Not saying who.
28. I have no courage to even text my ex-friend
29. This is my 29th post. And look it's the 29th Point! (Did not plan this)
30. I should really go to sleep now.
31. Should I re-paint my room or try wallpaper?
32. I really love Big Fish and Play First Games.
33. I really don't like to follow trends.
34. The guy in number 27 is still on my mind o.O
35. You have to read "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher. I did. It really hit home :'(
36. Video games make being a doctor, lawyer, detective, forensics investigator so much fun than in real life.
37. I really, really, really, really want to be a teacher. I wish I could be one now.
38. The world is seriously messed up.
39. "Don't give me that look, Global Warming is just a theory!"--Bryan Ryan, Glee. An NPH moment.
40. I really love the Toy Story franchise. Still haven't gotten that Woody doll :(
41. This list is really long lol. Power of random thought, people. They are endless.
42. I still haven't finished that BOOKLET! OH NO! (As if anyone cares -__-)
43. Redemption is redundant for people who never learn.
44. Why did the chicken cross the road? The timeless question that has yet to be answered.
45. Not only is DAVID COOK an awesome singer, he can dance, act and is a total COMEDIAN. In short, he is AWESOME!
46. Oh! His 2nd album will be coming out in Fall! That's like in a few months! *fangirl squeal*
47. Guy in number 27 is still on my mind -__-
48. Can't wait for the finale of Glee!
49. My life is miserable! Just Kidding, LOL!
50. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... just thought of something funny.
51. I am athletically challenged! LOL!
52. I am not using LOL, often enough! LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL! Soak it up people! LOL LOL LOL Laughter is healthy! LOL LOL LOL LOL. Especially in text form! LOL LOL LOL LOL
53. I'm not feeling so emo-ish anymore.
54. I'm feeling optimistic about tomorrow. (No sarcasm here.)
55. Writing this, has made me a bit sleepy.
56.  Forgot about Mr. Number 27--shoot, just put him back in LOL
57. Scrubs :) JD :) Zach Braff :) Awesome Comedic Master!
58. "I'm no Superman." 
59. "Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me." 
60. "Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend..."
61. "I think I'll try, defying gravity"
62. Above are snipped of my favorite songs. If you can guess them, I'll pay you Rp 20.000. (Yeah, right...)
63. Top Travel Wishes: New York City, Paris (France, not Ohio), London
64. I really should go to sleep. Nah.
65. My favorite number is 7.
66. I really like GREEN.
67. People are complex and over-complicated.
68. I remember playing Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh (the card games)
69. Where did my Digimon Plushies go??? o.O
70. Diner Dash!
71. I have a lot of random thoughts! Yipee!
72. I think my writer's block is disappearing.
73. If you have read until here, congrats, you are a true devoted reader of Knight of Pen and Paper. Now, go and do something more productive with your life... just kidding.
74. The 7th Artemis Fowl book (the Atlantis Complex) will be out in exactly 18 days. In North America. In Indonesia? Suffice to say, never. Or long after I'm dead. HA!
75. Borders is not a bookstore. It's a library. :)
76. My term "post-travel sniffles" (patent pending) is really catching on. So far: 2 hits. Well, including me. HA!
77. I WILL CHANGE TO WORLD! Mark my words, people.
78. I may have a God complex o.O LOL
79. Last thought: I'm sleepy. Good night, world!

That's it. Well, 'it' is a lot. But I feel much better now. Writer's block and the symptoms are gone! Final prognosis: cured! HAHAHA LOL LOL LOL :) :D

Signed,
Sir Writes-A-Lot