Exams, Books and Trips

I look over at the pile of books sitting right next to my school bag and I cringe. They keep reminding me that mu exams are officially starting in 4 days and I feel has I haven't prepared for it. Which is completely untrue, but I can't help myself as I keep repeating it in my head. I hate exams, maybe not hate, but I try to avoid it. When I think about it three things comes in my mind. Pressure. Work. Cringe. Other things spring but these things are underlined in bold in my head. So since I was so pressurized I thought of taking a day off to let my brain rest.

And it feels liberating. To be free again, or has far away I can actually get to avoid my exams. The pile is still there though.Unfortunately. Sigh. So far this week I've read two books I borrowed from the library. I only got two as I found out that if I borrow more, I won't finish and return them in time.

Zero Moment, The Joshua Files - M.G. Harris

One boy. One deadly prophecy. One heart-stopping adventure.
Josh thinks he has solved the puzzle of time travel - but now he faces an even bigger dilemma.


His mother and his best friends have been abducted in Brazil, and the kidnappers are demanding something Josh has. But what?


He must try to work it out... fast. 


So this book is the 3rd book in the Joshua Files series, which my friend introduced me to.... 3 years back. I know big mistake. It hardly made sense for me to read it now, I should have read the 1st book (Invisible City) again but I couldn't help myself as I was too curious as what would happen next. But all in all a good series to read, though I highly recommend starting on the first book. A 3.5/5

Just as Long as We're Together - Judy Blume 


How can you be best friends with someone who keeps secrets form you?


Stephanie's best friend is Rachel. Until she meets Alison, that is. And it looks as if no one can have two best friends - especially when Rachel starts keeping secrets from her.


But Stephanie already has a secret of her own. It's worse than anything Rachel's hiding, and she just can't find the words to share it with anyone.   


 I really like this book, it might be short but it's a compelling book telling real life friendship and family problems. Which I think not only interesting but helpful as I had my share of problems with friends. A really good read and I recommend it. (It seems like I recommend everything so I'm just gonna rate these books...) A 4/5

Moving on, my school has organized a trip to Delhi (which by the way is India's Capital, just in case you don''t know). It's a really, really big deal cause we don't get field trips here unlike in Singapore. The same way as you don't do any science experiments, the extra pressure and yeah, the stinking hut which sells baked "good" and acts as a cafeteria. Which really isn't a cafeteria but literally a small, thatched roofed hut that sells baked goods....

Anyways we're going after our exams and we're staying over night in a nice hotel. And that I've never done before. My old school went camping once for 2 nights, but that was in Singapore which is a small island, but Chandigarh - Delhi probably covers more distance then the whole of Singapore itself.  So this kinda thing is new to me, yeah I'm partially nervous about leaving my family this far away... Chandigarh  - Delhi is approximately 6 hours away by car. But also I'm excited. One whole night with my friends together, no adult  supervision... Though doesn't mean for one night I'll go wild or something (yes, I'm talking to you dad. To be clear I'm. not. going. wild.)

The note said that we're going on luxury buses, but I might think twice about that since the last time we went on a end of year trip we used these cramped, dinky school buses... Shudders...

Well, ta ta!
Ni sa

I'm not Photogenic

So earlier on this week I had my photo shoot for the school yearbook. I hate photo shoots because of last year's traumatic experience. Last time, they had this "community brush", as I like to call it, which everyone uses to fix their hair. When I saw that brush all I can think of was how many people actually used it and what was on their heads.... dandruff (eww), lice (sick), dirt.... Who knows? Then when it was my turn the photographer had many problems with me. Sure I know I'm not photogenic but is it really necessary for him to fix my hair and my shirt? I don't like him touching my hair. No touchy-touchy, is my motto. My friend was there and she started bursting out in giggles and since it was so contagious, I laughed my head off as well. That photo shoot was a long and funny experience. But I hated it because of that guy. :(

This year we had a different photographer (maybe the last one went as he disliked me as much I disliked him) and I thought This is Year it's going to be different to fret! Boy oh boy how wrong was I?! It was pretty much worse. Now this guy did the exact same thing, so I told him, out loud, not to touch me. So he bugged off, he looked clearly annoyed (apparently I have this special quality towards photographers, don't I?) with me. And yes my friend was there too and so was another girl who called another and all three laughed there heads off with me. My stomach hurts just looking at their faces. Then he told me to show my smile since I was "hiding" it and to put my chin down and to the right. I got annoyed. Very annoyed. Irritated. So after a year of bottling up my resentment towards a similar guy and staying quiet the last time I met a photographer I shouted (in the most polite way a shout could be) I can't help if my lips are thin! Which is very true because, yes, I do have thin lips. I can't help it. I'm not inserting botox or something because I've got such thin lips... Eventually I was done with the shoot and from then onwards.... I hate photographers that my school picks. That fiasco made me make my decision...

Now ending this post on a more happier tone, the Taylor Swift Safe and Sound came out this Monday! Here it is:

I know it's not official but you can't see the official one outside the US. Sucks I know. One thing that's sad about the video is that Taylor looks like an older version of Prim, if she had survived. Also I'm guessing that house she visited is Katniss's house. If I'm right, I can't wait to tell you guys I Told You So! 

So have you ever had a bad photo day? Tell me about it in the comments section below.

Until next time,

Ni sa

Original Songs Not By Me

So I was just going around YouTube when I luckily stumbled upon RaeofRandomness' music. She does Hunger Games based piano songs (as far as I know), which I think captures the song titles. By far my favourites are:

You should subscribe to her channel, if you can. They are all great pieces and even if you don't know the Hunger Games, it's still great piano music. Her music are some of the few instrumental pieces that I can relate to. On that note here's another one of my favourite instrumental music, this time by a great modern composer called Yann Tiersen:

It's a song which calms me down and makes me think. This song and other Yann Tiersen songs are played in the French movie, Ameile. I'v never seen the movie (cause it's in French), but I've heard it's really good.

I know this like my fourth THG related post so on my next post I'll try to do something else. I'll promise not to turn this site to a shrine devoted to THG. My sis says that I'm obsessed with it...well I can't help myself since it's such an awesome book. :) 

Well gotta go!

Bye!

Ni sa

Negative Vibes...

I saw this video by Bubzbeauty and thought it was really inspiring.

Enjoy

Ni sa

Hungry for The Games

I know I've been talking about this for awhile, call me an absolutely obsessive-compulsive Hunger Games fan but I don't care!  So I've found this website, http://hungergamesmovie.org/, after doing my research on the web (which literally took me 7 seconds). I went on the book's website, but it didn't offer much and the movie is the one that I'm really waiting for anyways. And on the website they've got ads from the Capitol and they really look real! I'll try to embed it to the blog soon but for now check it out here. I also found out there's a soundtrack for the movie, I know what you might be thinking- how can I not guess there's a soundtrack?- well let's just say it's been a long time since I've so engrossed to a particular movie. So here are some songs from the movie:

I think this song has the promise for Katniss that days will be better, it's a hopeful song. I really like it.

Sad yet beautiful...

The eerie trailer music that gives you goosebumps...

Now on another note let's talk about the Mockingjay pin, which has alot of significance throughout the series. Since the trailer was out, the Mockingjay pin was available on eBay. At the start it costed USD$45 and it went up to.... guess what? A bloomin' USD$100! And it's actually quite a popular product, ahh the lengths people would go to, and the pin isn't really that big or plated in real gold....

But you can make a pin out of fondant (it's icing), if you have the talent and patience....

If I did have the talent and patience, you know what I'll do? I'd paint it gold, put it in an air tight container, build a shelf for it and admire it all day long....

With all this Hunger Games talk I should just join the website.....

And on other stuff I've got my Parent Teacher Meeting tomorrow and I know I'll get good remarks 'cause I'm the good girl of my class, one's who's quite and polite with a hint of sillyness.....

Bye!

Ni sa

Tuesdays....

Today's a holiday for... I don't know what, so I thought of doing a post.

Terry Fox

Last Sunday (5th Feb) my family and I did the Terry Fox Run. Terry Fox was a Canadian who was diagnosed with cancer and he ran across 6 Canadian provinces. His run started the Terry Fox Run, a marathon held every year to spread awareness about cancer and the Terry Fox Foundation was also created, an organization supporting cancer research. He died at a young age. We went on this run a year ago too and I say its a a good thing to do. What really was amazing though this year was that a group called The Challengers joined in the run as well. The Challengers are a group of disabled people, and the most amazing thing was they did the whole marathon. A little boy, also a Challenger, made through the whole run, he has an artificial leg. Amazing right? The things human beings can do.... You can find out more about the Terry Fox Foundation here.

Mockingjay, last book of the
Hunger Games

Anyways I finished the Hunger Games series. I think, no It is Awesome. Honestly I wonder why I didn't pick up this book earlier! I finished it last night and it kept me awake thinking about the whole thing. It's so intriguing and emotional. It's a really, really good read. At the end of the book I felt really bad for Katniss since her sister died. And putting aside the story, the author wrote something about human civilization in the third book, a small paragraph but it's eerily true. About how humans destroy one another through war and why exactly do we have war.... Ahhh that's something to think about.

While I was trying to finish the book, my neighbours had a wedding. Though it wasn't the actual wedding but the prayer ceremony, the wedding is happening later this week. What really disturbed me was the fact how incredibly LOUD the prayer was. I really wanted to open the window and shout "Shut UP!", but that would've been to rude and they wouldn't hear me anyway.... '-_-  I even tried asking for some food through the window, but they just ignored me. Hey! I was hungry! Luckily they stopped at 10 (they have to by law) so I can read in peace....

That's all for now!

Bye
Ni sa