Thursday, 12 January 2012

#375 - Graduation

I have deleted the contents of this post and retyped them numerous times. Simply because, I am unable to condense my 9 years of being in Cempaka into one idiotically simple blog post.

I woke up that morning, reluctant to get out of bed, more so than usual. The prospect of graduating from high school hadn't quite hit me, but it wasn't something I was looking forward to. Even after I had got to class and settled in my seat, everything felt normal. It was another typical school day. The teachers let us go about our own things, so I was just alternating between Science 1 and Science 2, snapping photos. No one talked about being sad, no one talked about crying.

We went up to the hall for the ceremony. No tears. The valedictorian's gave their speeches. No sad faces. The rest of the ceremony went by in a sort of humdrum, what with so many names being called out and the continuous, incessant clapping. Didn't expect there to be a presentation on Cempaka Connect as well... Kinda wished that they didn't take up our testimonial day time to announce that piece of information but... Whatever.

The highlight of the entire ceremony was the screening of the iMovies! Especially the stop motion one! I was really looking forward to watching it, simply because it was a last minute effort and despite that, it turned out pretty good. Well, according to Ainura at least. That and I have an obsession with stop motion clips. So yea, the video was played, and it was pretty damn good for a movie that was recorded and edited in the span of a day. Heck, it was friggin awesome. Not gonna be uploading it though. :P It is WAY too big. Anyway, the clip wasn't that sad [the stop-motion one] because we were all doing stupid things in the movie. Swapping uniforms was the best part of the day, hands down! All the prefects became normal people and all the normal people became prefects! Ah, high school traditions...

I'll miss high school. I'll miss the people there, the classes, not so much... There's something just so odd about not seeing the same faces everyday, about not going through the daily motions in a fixed routine. I'm not sure how to end this post. To stop here would feel abrupt. Then again... endings always are.

To new beginnings.


Ciao4Now

Saturday, 10 September 2011

#374 - No More Regrets

So my trial exam is this Monday. This exam is undoubtedly the most important exam I will take in my high school life as these results are what I will be using to apply for college. I had resolved after my atrocious Mid-Year Exam marks, that I would study harder and do better. Yet throughout this blog, posts are filled with me complaining about how useless I felt and how I basically, wasn't doing anything BUT complain. Right now, I feel kinda numb. Initially, I studied consistently, and now, the closer the exams are, the less I'm studying. I don't even know why. I still haven't covered my form 5 syllabus for chem and physics (although I am slightly better off, THANK YOU MR. TAN!) and my form 4 is only 70% these as I haven't even gotten to doing exercises and such. And BLOODY HELL, my add maths. I am scared shitless for addmaths. My teacher isn't doing a 'standard SPM paper'. He says it's "Like a more difficult version of SPM" =.= Bloody. Frikkin. Hell. I just. I can't even. Frickin hell.

 I'll admit, today and yesterday night was COMPLETELY unproductive. My attention span grows shorter by the minute, and so does my urge to study. It's bloody ridiculous, but I don't see any point in ranting about it anymore, simply because, what good would it do? I have less than 48 hours before my first day of exams. There is no more time.

I will just do what I can, with what I have. Push on, and I won't look back. If the fruits of my labour bear results that aren't good enough to get me into Trinity, fine. Another year in Malaysia.

Speaking of which, my parents have told me that it's "Trinity or nothing." =.= Probably for my own good though. They fear that I'm comforting myself with thoughts like, "Taylors only needs minimum 5/6 C's!" and such and such. They just don't want me to be deterred, they want me to keep my eyes on the prize.

I'm just numb. There's no other way to say it. You're all probably like, "If these exams are so important, WHY the hell are you blogging?!"

Obviously, I'm blogging because it makes me feel better. =.= It's my outlet to express myself and vent.

Doi.

I'm debating with myself on whether or not I should pull an all nighter. I wouldn't really mind, with the aid of my good friend, caffeine that is. Only problem : I have tuition at 8am tomorrow =.=

SIGH.

Ciao4Now

Wednesday, 10 August 2011

#373 - What Makes You Beautiful

So...

ONE DIRECTION'S SINGLE CAME OUT TODAY.





It's been on replay non-stop. <3
So I've had a relatively good day today. Not looking forward to tomorrow though. Double chem, tons of sejarah homework to hand up [which I am currently putting off. lol] and Addmath extra class after school. DREAD.



Enough about that though. Here's One D's new song titled 'What Makes You Beautiful'



Trials are in 32 days. FRAKKIN ELL'. Sigh. Went for Melbourne U's info day last Sunday with Ally and Brandon. And I really really want to go now :(
I CAN DO THIS.



Ciao4Now

Saturday, 16 July 2011

#372 - Magic Never Ends

Watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 at 12.15am on Thursday, 14/7/11 with Andrea, Amanda Khoo, Amanda Koh, Aminah, Ally, Sabrina, Aishah, Diyana and Marlena. It was heart-breaking knowing that it would be the last ever movie in the series, and that we'd all have to come to terms with the end of an era.
image

It took me ages to finally get down to writing this post because frankly, I can't seem to come to terms with the end of this magical adventure Jo Rowling has brought us on. So here it is, my thank you letter.

Dear J. K Rowling,

First and foremost, thank you. You have done something so amazing, so wonderful, it is worthy of even the greatest of literary figures. You have brought out the simple pleasures in reading a good book and exemplified them by the thousands. You are brilliant. Your uncanny knack for planning everything in the books with such scrutiny was simply mind-blowing. Every loose end was tied, everything had served it's purpose, everything ended as how it should have.

The books first came out when I was 7, and at that age, I was naive. Reading was but something I scorned at and eventhough my mother bought me the very first book in the series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, I did not read it. I instead, gave it away to my best friend as a birthday present. From that book onwards, she became a fan of Harry Potter. When I was 9, the movies had started production and I watched them with wonder. I too, wanted to go to Hogwarts. To receive the acceptance letter by the owl post, to meet Harry at Hogwarts and go on epic adventures with him and his friends. In 2007, when the final book was released I had contemplated purchasing it, despite the fact that I had not read the previous 6 books. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was also due to come out that same year. As an unexpected gesture of kindness, my mother bought me the last book without me knowing and I digested the book in a span of 24 hours, possibly less. It was then that I had realised how much of an idiot I had been. How stupid of a kid I was and how much I've been missing. And so from then on, I bought all the books, and read them.

Every word stayed with me, every character left their handprints on my heart. Through your books, I've travelled to the Forbidden Forest, lived at The Burrow, learnt at Hogwarts and found life-long lessons that I still hold close to my heart. I wanted to be a part of Dumbledore's Army, I wanted to be in the quidditch stands singing 'Weasley is Our King', I wanted to defend Hogwarts from the battle with Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. A pet owl had been something I had considered, the cravings for butterbeer remain unsatiated, the desire to board the Hogwarts express and ride a broomstick were overwhelming.

There have been few books that have turned me into such a loyal follower. In fact, it is safe to say that I am obsessed. Whenever someone disses Harry Potter, I passionately argue with them about what an amazing, phenomenal series it is and when they say "Twilight is better" I die a little inside and have to hold myself back from throttling them. My friends and I have bonded and grown closer over our love for Harry Potter, and I've been a little more than frivolous when it comes to purchasing Harry Potter merchandise, but I regret nothing.

So again, I thank you, J. K Rowling, for bringing to life one of the greatest stories ever told. I will be sure to pass these books down to my children, and ensure they pass it to their children and then their children's children. And should Hollywood decide maybe 30 years from now that they would like to remake the Harry Potter series, I will laugh. I will scoff and smirk, and tell my children how utterly ridiculous it is. And we will proceed to watch the original [and only] 8 movies. I am sure that I will not be the only one to do so, and rest assured J. K Rowling, the adventures of the Golden Trio shall not go untold. The people who died in the war, along with their good deeds shall not go unsung. As a Potterhead, I will assure you that this legacy will never die out. People will continue to read Harry Potter, people will continue to love it, and people will continue to cherish the wonderful words printed on the pages, and the lessons they teach.

Harry Potter will always be the chosen one, Ronald Weasley will always be my King and Hermione Granger will always be the brightest witch of her age.

When I am old with grandchildren, I will be rocking back and forth in my rocking chair. My shriveled fingers clutching my aged volumes of Harry Potter, reading glasses perched dangerously on the edge of my nose. And when people ask me, "After all this time?" and like the brave Severus Snape, I shall tell them, "Always."

Love,
Ashleigh

Sunday, 10 July 2011

#371 - Things I love

In no particular order...
getting lost in a good book
warm fresh smelling clothes from the dryer
finding a quote or song that describes your current situation
falling asleep under the fluffy covers
waking up realising it's not time to get up
finding someone who gives you butterflies
warm cups of coffee
fresh cold fruits
having your ipod shuffle to a song you've forgotten about
sleeping in
sunsets
sunrises
feeling inspired to write
family
friends
long hugs
finishing your work with time to spare
the colour blue
the song Superman by Joe Brooks
acoustic guitars
canvas bags with quirky captions
tiramisu [and cakes in general]
the Harry Potter series
Logan Lerman
One Direction
talking on the phone at night until I fall asleep
going down a hill on my bike so fast it feels like I'm flying
singing in the shower
singing aloud to myself all the time
tumblr
good ol' Disney and Nickelodeon shows (That's So Raven, Lizzie McGuire, As Told By Ginger, Rocket Power, Hey Arnold and the list goes on)
fruity froyo flavours
beaches
cloudy days
that feeling after you solve a tough math question
watching videos on youtube
GIFS
F.R.I.E.N.D.S
How I Met Your Mother
Fall Out Boy
Panic! At The Disco
Boys Like Girls
Bruno Mars
Big Time Rush
KevJumba
NigaHiga
charlieissocoollike
vlogbrothers
that feeling after you've finished a good book
shopping for stationary
buying new clothes
ice cream in a cone
apple products
guys who know how to treat a girl
running around in the rain like a mad woman
swinging so high you feel like you're going to touch the clouds
that rush of adrenaline when you ride a roller coaster

To Be Continued
:)
Ciao4Now

Sunday, 19 June 2011

#370 - Happy Dad's Day!

Happy Dad's Day to all the dad's out there, including my own!

Sis and I printed out a poem that we framed up and decorated. Why? Because handmade gifts are awesome. Word.

So despite the happy tone that this post brings, I'd just like to say one thing.

Trials are most probably on September 5th.

Which means there are exactly 11 weeks left.

Which means there are 77 days left to cover everything and master everything.

Which means there are 1848 more hours of living before judgement day.

I say judgement day because trials [as some of you may know] is when us Form 5's get the results that we will use to apply for college. So basically, if I don't get a MINIMUM of 6 B's for Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Addmaths, Maths and English, I'll just have to shred my hopes of going to Melbourne for college. Ha. Ha No big deal right?



WRONG.

Well, it's half-half actually. I want to go overseas soon, but even if I don't get to go there for college, I can still go there for university. But still...





So I suppose I'll be blogging even less now. Ha. Ha.

See you on the other side! You know, provided I make it to the other side. Unscathed, unharmed...

Also for some reason, some of my One Direction GIFS have sped up :( Don't know why or how. Sigh sigh :(



Nevertheless, I AM looking forward to college, despite what some people say about college being worse, I still think college is something to look forward to. I'll miss high school though. Best memories of my life. :(

Everyone will probably feel that rush of nostalgia during the Big Splash. I know I will.

Whatever it is, my main focus now is trials. Trials, trials, trials, trials, trials. Maybe if I say the word enough, it'll lose it's meaning. Ha. Ha.

I also suppose I won't be writing anytime soon. :(

Yes, I REVEL in creating something new. Feeling that rush of satisfaction when one has completed something one is proud of. Weaving together words to form a work of art. Or in my case, a poorly painted rip-off of one of Van Gogh's works. Hah. No, not Van Gogh. Maybe a lesser known artist.

Ok then. HOMEWORK TIME. YAY.

image



Ciao4Now

Tuesday, 14 June 2011

#369 - Wake up call

This week is a depressing one for many reasons.

1. The first week back to school after mid-year break.

2. It is the week we get our exam marks back

3. We are one week closer to trials/SPM

I wish I would blog instead about X-Men and Thor, both awesome movies which I went to watch during the holidays. Or even blog about how I did next to nothing during the holidays. [which is actually a really bad thing] But no I won't, because I am guilt-ridden, disappointed, disheartened, tired and my grades have killed my mood for anything and everything.

I wish I could lie in bed all day.

But I can't because I'm supposed to be doing more productive things.

I wish it didn't feel like I have to drag myself through everyday. Wallowing in my own self-pity and ignorance.

But I do it anyway because I'm not bothered to do something about my current state. Other than complain ofcourse, which we all know, I'm exceptional at.

Infact, I've been seeking comfort in music more often these days. I wish self-control was mass produced and was something you could buy off the shelf.

"A can of self-control! Use in small doses! Too much at one go may cause harm to the individual!"

Har. har...

I'm tired now.
Goodnight.

Ciao4now

Tuesday, 7 June 2011

#368 - Intensive research on several individuals.

Which is exactly what I have been doing. These GIFs are the fruits of my labour.

WARNING: Close this window if you would not like to scroll through another long post filled with fan girl-ing Ashleigh and GIFs of One Direction.

You have been warned.





That's it! The end! FOR GOOD! For good mainly because I think I've saved all the GIFs of them that I want, you know, until something new comes out. SECONDLY because I really need to stop fangirl-ing so much. I've been just stalking doing intensive research on these few individuals... AND FOR A GOOD REASON. I needed to pick my favourite see. And I have. FINALLY. I thought I'd never be able to pick one but I HAVE.

So here it goes...

My number one/ favourite One Direction member is... [this does not mean I love the other boys any less. I love them all equally... I just love this one a little more]

is Liam James Payne.

<3 <3 <3 <3

His voice is amazing! He sounds like Michael Buble! Seriously!
--> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExVOmaIuS3A&feature=related

And he's always so determined and adorably shy. AND HE'S SO FIT.

That is all for now. I promise, from the very bottom of my heart, to update this blog next round with something substantial. :)

Ciao4Now