Saturday, June 30, 2007

平淡

//平淡//

BT 完了

Literally and figuratively.

这三个星期来,我的生活只可以用平淡来形容。

但其实平淡也没什么不好啦。平淡中的精彩反而更精彩。


Watched a movie called "Zodiac" during the holidays. Although I wasn't exactly thrilled or super excited about it, I wasn't hating it like my friends were. In fact, I was actually quite pleasantly surprised by it.

It's based on a true story, about a series of murders conducted by a guy who called himself "Zodiac" in US in the 1960s and 70s.

Reading the synopsis, I was expecting a thriller, with a clever plot that is full of twists and turns (like The Prestige). And it turned out quite the oppsite.

The narration was quite "one note", or like what our Chinese teacher used to say, 流水帐. There wasn't much twists and turns to the story like I thought there would be. And most importantly, there was no resolution in the end. The murderer was not found.

And usually I would feel very let down by a movie like that, but surprisely, I didn't felt that way. I actually felt that the simple narration, and lack of contrived twists and turns helped to make the story much more believable and real. Instead of feeling like I'm watching a movie, I actually felt like I was a bystander, witnessing the whole event unfold in front of me.

The narration may not be very exciting, but I think the story itself, for me, is intriguing enough. He allowed the story to be told in the most direct and honest manner, and I appreciate that because it prevented the movie from becoming one of the many Hollywood thrillers.

I may not be kept at the edge of my seat throughout the movie, but like I mentioned, I actually felt like I was living in that time, watching this drama unfold (that spanned over 4 decades) in just 2+ hours, and the movie showed a lot of real aspects of real life investigaton, like how inefficient the US police can be, especially since this case span over a few states.

The lack of a definite resolution in the end was kind of disappointing at first, but since the fact is the real murderer was never really truly found, I can understand why the director end the movie on that note. However, watching the process of how the police and that cartoonist try to crack the case is interesting enough for me already, as cheesy and cliche as it sounds, it's not always the end that counts, it's the process.

So the movie is just like what I said, 平淡也可以很精彩

最近迷上了陈绮贞和Jack Johnson 的歌

他们的歌曲都有一个共同点,就是都很简单,很舒服。

特别喜欢陈绮贞声音。虽然她没有很华丽的外表或是很绚丽的歌声,但她就是简单,很诚恳地把每一首歌唱好,听起来有一种 "我只唱给你听" 的感觉,就是会让人感动。她也不用复杂的编曲,不卖弄技巧,就是一把吉他,一份诚恳,让我们陶醉在她的歌曲中。

这里的景色像你变幻莫测
这样的午后我坐在九份的马路边
这里的空气很新鲜
这里的感觉很特别
- 陈绮贞 (九份的咖啡店)

其中,我对这首“九份的咖啡店”特别有感觉,可能是它让我想起去年去台湾的点点滴滴吧,特别是让我回味起在九份那短短的半天。

望着朦胧的海岸线
是否还能回到从前
- 陈绮贞 (九份的咖啡店)




It's kind of sad listening to those 2 lines, and looking at this picture at the same time, it's taken in 九份 by the way.

我的心是一杯调和过的咖啡
怀念着往日淡薄的青草味
- 陈绮贞 (九份的咖啡店)

最喜欢歌曲里这两句歌词,也没什么特别的原因,可能就让我感同身受吧,用两句简单的歌词,就能把我心中的感受很直接易懂地表达出来。

Jack Jackson is similar in the sense that his lyrics are simple, yet it's so true, and sometimes it really reflects what I feel perfectly...it's not really fanciful, and it may even appear blatently obvious and retarded to some...but its simpleness just hits me...

And there has always been laughing, crying, birth, and dying
Boys and girls with hearts that take and give and break
And heal and grow and recreate and raise and nurture
But then hurt from time to time like these
And times like those
And what will be will be
And so it goes
And it always goes on and on...
On and on it goes
- Jack Johnson (Times Like These)

What will be will be, and so it goes...my facourite lines...I know it sounds a bit like fatalism that we studied last time, fate decides our life, etc...but you know there are always moments and times in life that we would feel like everything is beyond our control...what will be will just be...

I think that's largely how I see life in general...not that I feel like I have no control over my life or whatsoever, but just that I just like to take it easy...I don't like to live in the present frantically trying to plan for my future...like what I wanna be in the future...I know it's bad but that's just me...when the time comes...i will just deal with it...

And there's a part of me that really craves this certain "平淡"ness in my life...i don't need like exciting stuff to happen, just a good book or a good movie, or even chatting with friends, having a good lunch will make my day, just find me something simple to pass time, and I'll be happy...

Like today...spent an hour plus at this CD shop at Taka B2...listening to lots of different songs...I really love that feeling..putting on those headphones, and immersing myself in the music, it's almost like I don't really notice what's going on around me anymore....

A good lucnch with classmates followed by spending some time at Kino looking at random books, was a nice feeling too...it's like we don't need to always go out to watch movie and stuff...I enjoy this kind of moments as much as anything else too...

Milkrun...well..it's just running...but still I enjoyed it...these times spent with classmates...especially when I know there's not much time left for us as a class...

Ok...离题了...I think this entry is rather fragmented...and incoherent...but oh well..that's me...full of incoherent and random thoughts in my mind...shall end here...

I hope this old train breaks down
Then I could take a walk around
And, see what there is to see
And time is just a melody
-Jack Johnson (Breakdown)

Monday, June 25, 2007

The Effects Of Block Test

//The Effects Of Block Test//



If this is what block test can do, imagine what my high score will be during A lvl period.

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Maths

//Maths//

I need help!

Ken had $20 more than Mingli at first. After Ken had given 1/5 of his money to Mingli, Mingli had $64. How much did Mingli have at first?

Three girls shared a sum of money. Cathy received $180 more than Betty. The total amount Betty and Cathy received was 3 times the amount Alice received. The amount Alice and Cathy received was 5 times the amount Betty received. What was the sum of money shared by the 3 girls?

Someone help me! I am able to solve both questions, but in both, I used simultaneous equation! Anyone who knows how to solve these 2 questions in such a way that a P5 students can understand, tell me!

Saturday, June 09, 2007

十八岁的第二天

//十八岁的第二天//

Remember I mentioned that my buddy said that he will be sending a gift over from Taiwan?? He even mentioned in the message on the jigsaw puzzle that "我要送给你你最爱的生日礼物"...and I received it yesterday!


My brother got the package while I was bathing...look at the stamps!


Filled with anticipation...I brought the package to my room, it's not very heavy by the way...0.9kg....


And I ripped open the packaging and saw this box!! I ripped the box open too... and when I open the box...I saw....


MY FAVOURITE TIDBITS FROM TAIWAN!

I took out those first 2 packets and saw 2 other types...

And I saw 3 more packets!!! Haha...I was so so so so excited! Cause I actually bought 1 packet from Taiwan myself when I went in Dec last year, but I still haven't eaten it yet cause I can't bear to open it...now I got like 5 packets!

So I lined them up with my bear (which is still yet to be named! BB? Last time my blue BB is baby bear..maybe this BB is BIG bear! ahahha) and took a photograph! The bear looks so 幸福 right??

Another birthday gift that I got...from mann ying...

AND THIS! I can't believe terence, meng and cheng (well, technically meng and terence chose it) bought me this! UNBELIEVABLE! And it doesn't even have a compactment for me to put coins!

What were they thinking! I can't say I love it...but I shall use it since it's from them...fortunately..they bought me a shirt too...haha..may be to offset my disappointment???

Not a very productive week for me in terms of mugging...too lazy and unmotivated...Shall TRY to work harder!

Thursday, June 07, 2007

十八岁的第一天

//十八岁的第一天//

I was just thinking about what the title of this entry should be when my sister said this.

First day of being 18. Actually it feels the same.

17. 18. 17 sounds young, 18 sounds old. Therein lies the difference I guess. I wonder how ancient I will feel by the time I hit 20 or 21.

I am legally 18, legally able to do a lot more things, but at the same time, I feel like being 18 means that I am no longer entitled to a lot of things to some extent.

It's a weird feeling, to know that I not realy a teenager anymore, not a kid, yet I'm not really adult too. Haha, I feel like this entry is going no where.

It's been a really really nice birthday this year. Not as in just today itself, but over the last couple of days as well.

It's really a nice feeling when people just do something out of a sudden, something that you weren't expecting at all, something really sweet and nice, or to sum it up, a pleasant surprise.

I got a pleasant surprise when I went out with TIP-pers on Monday when they suddenly sang me a birthday song, or rather they dian-ed this ultra long birthday song in KBox. Haha, it really made my day, cause I was totally not expecting it. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside..haha..I guess it's simple yet sweet gestures like this that really made me feel blessed.

Got another pleasant surprise that night when jer wished me happy birthday in advance. Maybe cause I wasn't really expecting birthday greetings this early. It really put a smile on my face, espeically at that time when I'm having a really bad night trying to do Series and Sequence.

Got yet another surprise on Tue when I received the jigsaw puzzle from my buddy from Taiwan. He bought this small jigsaw puzzle thing which he wrote on, and sent it all the way from Taiwan to me, and I have to fix the jigsaw puzzle to write his birthday greeting, and supposedly he will be sending a gift over soon...haha. It's really sweeeeet...

Got the big big teddy bear (yet to be named) from the class and a small little bear hp holder from mann ying on Wed. It's kind of funny to be receiving the first teddy bear of my life for my 18th birthday when I am supposed to grow out of the "cuddle-teddy-bear" phase of my life. It looks really very cuddly though...oooh..and I got this ultra lame CD..haha..I shan't mention much about it here..haha...but it's really funny...really sweet...thanks to all those who "participated" in the production of this CD, especially the act cute "te bie lai bin" and everlyn who compiled it...

It was H4 outing today, nice company for a day like this...watched Zodiac (which I am so going to write a review for)...it's just a simple nice happy day for me...

When I got home, the first thing I checked was the fridge, and lo and behold, the cake was there! Haha...every year I would tell my mum to stop buying cake for next year but every year she will still go ahead and buy it...but it's much better this year, at least no more birthday songs or birthday wishes...but still I really appreciate it, like I mentioned the umpteen times, it's really sweet...

Thanks to everyone who sent me greetings, be it on msn, through sms, friendster or in person.

And just as I post this, my birthday is over.

it's a sweet sweet birthday, happy and contented i am.