Head vs Heart

A brilliant idea popped into my head last week - not an idea, per se, but a realisation, maybe even a resurfacing of a yearning from the subconscious that had been suppressed for the past several years: it just occurred to me that I missed the atmosphere of live football games. As of that moment, I have made a vow to start watching games live again.

Now that that's sorted, I need a team to support. Sure, the team I used to support is still around (back in the days when I lived in Perth - it was no coincidence that that team was the local one), but I could do with one that is a little more local, more accessible (also, Perth Glory isn't going so well, although I will keep my soft spot for them). Melbourne has two teams: Victory and Heart. Now, if you're not a sports fan, how it is that I choose between these two as to who I'd support would seem like an utter act of lunacy. However, all sports fans are mad, so if you happen to know one, try to understand.

One would think that part of this process would involve the form of the teams - whether or not they are playing well. WRONG. It's all about your opinions on the clubs. This means analysing the following: what you think of the players you recognise; your first impressions on the players you don't; and the potential achievements the club can accomplish within the foreseeable future (say, 2-3 years) with the current playing group and coach based on your opinions of said playing group and coach. It's all very instinctive; or, to put it more crudely, very blind.

So let's compare the teams: I know several players from each team, so I can actually do the first step. Heart's captain is a man named Simon Colosimo, a centre back who I've seen play for Perth and Australia as a holding midfielder. While my memories of him are not distinct, I remember being fond of him. Victory's captain, Kevin Muscat, is also a centre back who also used to play for Australia, only he's much older than Colosimo. I have yet to see him play, but he has recently been involved in a spat with a referee due to his excessive complaining about a specific decision, which caused him to be banned for three matches. As far as captains are concerned, Heart has this in the bag quite easily.

There are more parallels in the other players I know from the clubs - both of them are strikers. Victory's is Archie Thompson, a very fast, if injury prone forward who has represented Australia - I had never been a big fan. On the other hand, Heart has John Aloisi: the very person who kicked Australia into the 2006 FIFA World Cup in the penalty shootout against Uruguay, something I respect him immensely for. In addition, I am familiar with the goalkeeper and another defender from Heart, both of whom I like. This also produces a clear result.

Onto the players I don't know. One player from Victory that has been prominent in recent weeks is Robbie Kruse, Thompson's partner up front. He looks like a jerk and he acts like one too - he's the guy who celebrates his away goals obnoxiously in front of the home fans (granted, he was only shown like that on the news once - the A-League doesn't actually get coverage on regular TV), but he looks the type to do that consistently. I haven't actually seen what the other Heart players are like, but judging by the team members that I know, they should be awesome too.

Heart, being a relatively new team (they only started competing this season), has no history, while Victory has been around since 2005, which was when the league was established. During this time, they are the only team to have ever won the league aside from Sydney FC. However, Heart is not playing too badly and, in fact, are only two points behind Victory on the ladder, which indicates that they could play finals this year and in the years to come. So there you have it: I am now a Melbourne Heart supporter.

When it comes down to it, picking a team to support is really just going with your guts. Which is weird, because this is what lifelong loyalties are made of. If anyone's wondering, no, I will not show up at my first game with a jersey and a scarf and a flag and all that. No, I will have to earn my stripes and each piece of memorabilia will come when the time is right (and the wallet had been replenished). There will be a home game as soon as the 2nd of January and I know I will be there.

Is There A Name for A Question You End Up Answering Yourself?

So, the holidays are here and, as usual, I'm not entirely sure what to do with myself. For this first week, I have been reduced to a breathing blob. Not that I mind too much, of course. It's just not really how I'd like to spend the next eight weeks.

Currently, I'm aiming to have written an LP's worth of songs over the holiday period, which, although plausible, would require bouts of dedication - something that does not particularly go hand-in-hand with relaxation. Not to mention the fact that I have schoolwork to do (and more than the prescribed amount if I want any sort of edge for the coming year). If this were to flop, I wouldn't be entirely surprised.

As far as a job is concerned, I've been advised to get in touch with an agent for Indonesian international students looking for employment. Conveniently, the local one's a family friend. More to follow.

As I type, the answer to my original query ('what will I do over the holidays?') flies and hits me in the face: I realise that I have not been the most diligent in updating this. This could very well change, so look forward to a hell of a lot more posts over the next two months.

(I need a sign-off line pretty badly)

Resolutions

You know how people don't like birthdays because it reminds them that it's a year closer to their deaths? Yeah, I don't think that makes sense. Every single second of your life brings you a second to your deaths, so why aren't you scared all the time?

In all seriousness, though, the birthday, in my opinion, does have some significance. Sure, it's essentially like any other, but I think it's one day where you are obliged to look back at your life and evaluate yourself. Of course, you are welcome to do this whenever, but on your birthday, you have to do it. If anything, it's just to let yourself know where you are and where you want to be in the foreseeable future. So here goes:

Where I am: As of tomorrow, I will be a Year 12 (even the school says so), so it's rather appropriate, what with the new beginnings and all. At home, things aren't too bad - of course, there are the expected rough patches, but who doesn't have those? Academically, I do quite well, but I do know that I can be a whole lot better. I have a great group of friends here and while I have not gotten into an official romantic entanglement, it's not too big of a deal at the moment. While it is by no means perfect, I'm reasonably happy with where I am.

Where I want to be: Seeing that it's the foreseeable future, I shall set it to this time next year. By then, I will have finished Year 12, hopefully with an excellent final mark (after all, I do want that ridiculous scholarship for university). I think I have a good dynamic with my mother at the moment, we spend time together without really intruding on each other and we generally solve disputes quite maturely, so that doesn't need to change. Socially, I want to be a little more confident around other people than I currently am - not to be insanely popular, but I'm a little worried that being shy can hinder me from opportunities, so that is something that needs to be worked on. As for the romantic entanglement, it's definitely not a must, but I'd like to think that I'm currently interested in an amazing girl and it would be brilliant if I could get to know her better. It would be a hell of a bonus. Speaking of bonuses, another: a job. It's a bit of a grey area as far as discussions are concerned, but it will be solved diplomatically.

How to get there:

•  raise my academic standards - 70's will become unacceptable, 80's questionable, but anything 90+ will still be celebrated.
• somehow stop procrastinating - sounds like an insurmountable task, but I have motivation to do so: 25-30 grand off a year in university tuition. I NEED to do it.
• pay more attention in group conversations and pitch in when I have something relevant (and, better yet, amusing) to offer more often.
• I don't really know what to do here, to be perfectly honest. Stay a good guy and hang around her lots without being creepy and/or clingy, I guess?
• find a job during the holidays (I have two extra weeks, being a now-Year 12), keep it and stick it out for the first month of school and see what happens.

Obviously, the uppermost two is the one to be worried about the most. And I'll have to somehow keep it from consuming my life. It's going to be incredibly hard, but if they all work out, I know it'll be worth it.

A Day Where the Sun Was More Figurative Than Literal

Not even Melbourne's horrid weather could dampen my mood today. In fact, it was one of the things that led to one of the awesome things that occurred :D

It has, quite literally, not stopped raining since I woke up. Because of this, I was forced to take a form of public transport to school, as opposed to my preferred method of walking. Across the road from my house is a bus stop (which caters to two buses, one that stops right next to the school and one that stops about 300 metres [328 yards] away) and a tram stop, which is for a tram that stops at virtually the same spot as the latter bus. Wanting to take the route that would get me rained on least, I chose the bus that stops right next to the school building. So I waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And it didn't come. However, the tram (as well as the latter bus), did. Figuring that I would have about half a minute less in the rain, I took the tram and thought to myself, "Wouldn't it be cool if [Library Girl] (from this post) were on this tram too?" An attractive possibility, actually plausible, but dismissed nonetheless.

As a matter of fact, she was.

Although I didn't know until everyone got off. In spite of that, we did manage to strike up a conversation about the weather, how we both (normally) reach school and our respective first classes (though, I had to go to the music department before first period to discuss the possibility of me taking Music in Year 12 and that, surely, is MUCH more interesting than Chemistry - I may have also taken that opportunity to slip through the fact that I played guitar). So things are definitely looking up :D

A few days prior to this, I went up to a music teacher and expressed my interest in taking Music next year. He didn't recommend me to do so, as I didn't take it in Year 11, but after he quizzed me on the very basics of musical theory and I had answered him with relative ease, he told me to come back on Friday for the guitar teacher (not the guy I asked) to see how I played. This morning, I met the guitar teacher ever so briefly. He asked me things like whether or not I owned a guitar (I do) and if I knew how to play barre chords (I most definitely do). These seemed easy enough, so I figured I had a good shot of being let in.

We ended up making a time at lunch. Mark (the guitar teacher) just told me to do some relatively simple things like play certain chords in barre form and play some scales (he got me at the minors, though - I don't know how to play melodic or harmonic scales). Despite that, he said that I'd be welcome to join the class next year, provided that I read up on some things that he will give me before the holidays and join the informal lessons he holds for some Year 11s on Friday afternoons (I didn't join today because I had to finish some work).

But still, that's pretty awesome.

Doomsday Contingency Plan

With all the things that are going wrong with this world these days, it seems almost inevitable that a group of humans is going to be sent into outer space to start over. However, this solution brings forth one major argument: who do we send? Call me crazy, but I think I have a solution.

Us.

That's right. If anyone should be in charge of rebuilding an entire society, it should be this group of Sparklers. While this may be somewhat biased, I am not without arguments:

• Our age. Ranging from 13 to 21, we have the potential to be alive for quite a lengthy period of our re-development process. This gives us time to fully mature (if we have not already) and be ready to, uh, repopulate.
• Intelligence is another pro in having us start another colony. In all modesty, we do have higher than average brainpower, which is essential in coming up with effective and efficient methods of survival on this new location. This is also important to avoid the mistakes of Animal Farm - with all citizens placed on a relatively equal intellectual playing field, corruption of the governing party (should there be a specific one) can be more easily stopped.
• Diversity is the next reason behind this. In order to successfully procreate, we need a variety of traits in the available gene pool. We have all the races covered and the fact that our skills and interests vary gives us a chance to produce a next generation that can continue what we have been working on effectively.
• Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, we have proved that we can function as somewhat of a community effectively. Even when presented with issues, we act diplomatically and try to solve issues as effectively as possible. This is crucial, as any bit of friction that may turn into violence can threaten to destroy the delicate infrastructure of the new society.

Of course, this plan has its pitfalls - or, rather, one major one: a lack of males. However, this can be solved over a discussion on a more relevant date. Until then, we have a very strong case as to why we should be given this role.

That said, in case the world doesn't agree, I suggest that everyone pitch in USD 10 a week to raise funds for the construction of the aircraft that will get us out of here.

Self-established Rules

Recently, I've been a little paranoid that my writing has been taking a dip in quality, which is why I have now decided to establish some rules for my posts (you commentators don't have to follow these, but please call me out if I break them). They are:

• First things first, use correct grammar and spelling.
• No sentence should start with the words 'I', 'my', or 'the'. Dialogue and quotes are excepted.
• 'Very' and 'really' should not be used more than once in a paragraph respectively.

If you have any suggestions on these rules, please post them in the comments. Also, should I come up with some new ones of my own, I shall update these rules in a future post.

Thank you very much.

The Library

The library at my school is probably my favourite section of the building. It has bore witness to me cracking open a Harry Potter book for the first time in about a decade, been the host of many a game of Destiny (a card game that one of my friends claims to have invented, which we are continually revising), been the source of a Maths textbook (I don't own one myself), sheltered me and my fellow fasting friends (alliteration, yes!) from the tempting scents of food matter, a place where I complete my homework, where I sometimes go online for comic reliefs (also where I introduced my friend to the greatness that is Blogging Eclipse) and, well, there's this girl. And I mainly talk to her there. Anyway.

It's a pretty awesome place.

However, this past week, it has been closed, as it is home to the Year 12 trial exams. Needless to say, I'm feeling a bit lost without it. Sure, there's the common room (perk of being a year 11/12), but it just doesn't have the same feel. And it's not just me! There are many people who are left reeling for a place to sit and hang out (and maybe study a little).

Library, we miss you so. Can't wait to see you again next term!

Vlogging... In the Dark

Need I say more?

A Heartfelt Letter

Note: I don't expect any of you to understand a word I'm saying here.

Proud. Loyal. Passionate.

These are the three words that the Fremantle Football Club uses to describe its fans and that is exactly what we are. It's not easy being a Freo fan - apart from the odd glimmer of hope here and there, our results in the AFL have been mediocre at best. In 15 years of existence, we have only managed a total of six games in September, never having won consecutively. If we supporters can look past that and stay true, you know we're the real deal.

My first visit to the MCG did not turn out quite as expected, with Geelong having smashed the Dockers by 69 points in the semi-final match. In spite of the rather lacklustre display, I was reminded of the season that had been. Compared to their 15th placing in 2009, managing a home final by finishing 6th after 22 rounds is admirable. This is largely due to a group of first and second year players who, while they still seek consistency, provide flair and speed to the Dockers' game. Things are definitely looking up.

We Freo fans know what it's like to be disappointed.

We know what it's like to have our hearts broken.

But someday, hopefully soon, we will know what it's like to be victorious.

Go the Dockers!

A Follow-up

I was in an exceptionally cynical mood yesterday when I posted the weather post, even going as far as predicting a Spring day would reach a whopping 40 degrees. I was not serious when I said that (if a Spring day did, in fact, reach 40 degrees, I would pretty much pack my bags and get to the rocket to the moon which I apparently have, as it would signal the end of the world). So sorry about that.

On a related topic, apparently Melbourne's weather reads my blog! Today was absolutely beautiful, if only a little chilly. Keep it up, weather!

Don't You Dare Mention the 'S' Word

So it's apparently Spring now. So that must explain the constant rainfall, the unrelenting winds and the chills cold enough to shiver the bones of the most resilient locals. Yes, is that spring?

I do understand that this is still the first week and that there should be some transition period, but it's not really much of a transformation if it's still all wintery all the bloody time.

Then again, this is Melbourne. It's probably gonna be 40 degrees (104 to you Americans) tomorrow.

That is all.

Progress

Hey, guess what?

I've been in Melbourne for two months. TWO MONTHS!

You may also have, by now, discovered my liking of the 'enter' button.

I can't help it.

Aaaanywho, I find it a little strange (and somewhat comforting) that this city sort of feels like home now. I can find my way around my general vicinity without thinking too much, I have things to look forward to - and dread - at school (example 1: robot Physics teacher who is of very little help to his students) and I've now been invited to mundane things! Like playing football at lunch (I had to decline due to my fasting) and being taught a secret card game (though it's not so secret anymore, I was among the first to know)! Also, I am now able to immerse myself in the world of Harry Potter (I'm up to Chapter 3 of Chamber of Secrets) courtesy of the school library (you might also have discovered my liking of parentheses). If it weren't for the bucketload of homework that I shall be working on next week, my life would be perfect.

Until next time.

In Which You are Allowed to Laugh All You Want

While I continue to procrastinate on what I was really working on, here's a little something you can laugh at for a bit.

Apologies for the lag and the occasional looking like a walrus in pain.

Toy Story 3: the Equation

Spoiler alert: if you have not seen Toy Story 3 and do not enjoy spoilers (unlike me), please do not read this post.

So I watched Toy Story 3 again (this time in Melbourne with my mother). And I cried. Again. Granted, I wasn't bawling like the first time, but a few of those sneaky little guys made their way out of their ducts. Anywho, this is what I think about it in a nutshell:

Toy Story 3 = good old Toy Story humour and values + Prisonbreak + Animal Farm + a tiny little bit of 2012.

Yes, really.

Now, to crack the nutshell. No one, especially not a long time fan, could have asked for a better introduction to the movie: a swashbuckling scene in which Mr and Mrs Potatohead, with the help of their adopted alien children, were robbing an orphan-filled train, only to be stopped by Woody and his round-up (where The Prospector has been fortunately substituted by Buzz Lightyear). All the main toys ended up being involved and the whole 'Death by Monkeys' idea was just ingenious.

I will now describe how the movie relates to each variable in the equation above (aside from the first, as that is present all throughout).

Animal Farm: Sunnyside Daycare is portrayed as a utopia in the beginning, only it's anything but, as it's ruled under an authoritarian government, spearheaded by Lotso Huggin' Bear. Even brainwashing is used (although, this is a little more 1984) on Buzz to enforce the will of the governing.

Prisonbreak: Needless to say, the toys' had to follow some very elaborate measures to escape from Sunnyside. My favourite, I must say, was Mr Potatohead's crucial role in proceedings (although El Buzzo came a very, very close second). The scene in which his body parts come crawling together seemed fit to be in any horror movie. And only robots wouldn't laugh at the sight of Mr Tortillahead sidestepping. Seriously.

2012: I'm referring to the scene in which the toys just accept their end. The melting chamber looked a little like lava, which I'm sure was in 2012 at one stage or another (I have seen it, I just couldn't remember specifically when lava played a part).

But really, without the doubt the best part of the movie was the ending, with Andy handing over the toys to Bonnie. The way the 'one last playtime' was introduced was very subtle and, more importantly, very realistic. It's easy to just lose yourself in your childhood when the circumstances are right. In the end, everybody was happy, and yet it was not cheesy in the least. How the writers managed to do that, we shall never know.

(special thanks to Feathers for giving me the extra incentive to finish this after two long weeks of procrastination!)

The Monthiversarry

Time is a funny thing (yes, I know that Sky wrote an entire essay on this matter a while ago, but this is my bit). One minute, I was saying, "I've been here for a week and a half" and the next, it turned into, "I came here a month ago".

Dude.

What?

That's right, this marks the first full month I have been in Melbourne. Time certainly flies, whether you're having fun or not. Not that I haven't been enjoying this, of course.

School's starting to seem like normal school (as opposed to the maze I found myself in for the first while I was there), and I'm even starting to hang out with people! Yes, this is a surprise, because I've been really really quiet so far. Good news is, the people my (sorta) friends hang out with are totally random and hyper and very very funny, so I feel right at home.

Until next time.

The Week That Has Been

In my previous post, I was expressing my nerves over being the guy who sits by himself at lunchtimes. Fortunately, that has never been the case. On the first four days, I have sat with two different Year 7 kids (one is a new Chinese kid, the other's been the for a while but is slightly antisocial) and on the fifth, I actually sat with a Year 11! Things are looking up.

It's kinda hard to make friends to hang out with when you don't share very many classes with very many people. There's this one guy who I think I'd get along with in English, but that's the only class we have together, so we've never really hung out. The Year 11 I had lunch with is in my Chemistry (and presumably Physics) class, so I'm guessing I'll be hanging out with him and his friends.

Class-wise, I don't think it's been too bad. I have, however, had to pick my Year 12 subjects this week, which is quite scary. It's been a mass of university and courses information and I am now inclined to change some classes if possible (I'm hoping the fact that I'm still very new can give me some tolerance).

Overall, it's been pretty decent. My classes are rather enjoyable (barring M***, of course) and the people I have talked to thus far have been quite friendly. I'm hoping I can get further into it in the weeks ahead.

PS I will be going away on an International Students Orientation 'camp' (it's not really camp) on Tuesday and will be returning on Thursday. Expect a disappearance withing that time frame.

Thou art my life noweth.

First Day of School? Not Scary at All

So the first one bites the dust: I will be the first in this community to return to school. I know this sounds bad at first, but I know almost no one in Melbourne and there is only so much daytime TV and internet that can entertain me on a daily basis, which means school isn't such a terrible prospect.

I am quite nervous, though. This is very unfamiliar territory and I wanna be able to adapt as well as possible. Hopefully, I won't be too weird for everyone and be able to find a bench of people to sit with at lunch. But then again, being the weird kid who sits by himself at lunch might open up new opportunities. Who knows.

Wish me luck!

"Melbourne's Mocking Me" - Explained

Warning: this post may contain a little too much information.

So this is what a 20 degree (Celsius) swing feels like. Heck, I was even in 0 degrees after a mere two days from transferring from the more than balmy Jakarta climate. More on that later.

My four days thus far have been eventful to say the least - it's gone from me saying that I quite liked the cold (don't blame me, I was delirious when I said that, as I had just stepped out of the airport) to my inability to sleep (with the exception of two separate occasions) for longer than 90 minutes to me throwing up just about everything that has gone down the gullet. Now, the only reasons for my having left the bedroom is to go to the toilet and to pay a very early visit to the doctor's.

It probably doesn't help that I was taken to Mount Buller on Saturday, which only meant one thing: snow. OK, one isn't quite enough. The second thing: literally freezing temperatures. In spite of my couple of pukes on the bus, I can take consolation in the fact that I at least had a good time while I was there.

I sure hope this blows over quickly - school starts next week! And I would very much appreciate it that I didn't spend my first day vomiting left, right and centre.

The Quest for an Aussie Accent, Week Zero

Could It Be True?

Just a quick share of a random thought here.

After observing the titles of Grudz's and Molly's blogs, I have realised that both of their blog titles contain the word title. Now, I may be getting over myself, but could it be possible that I have started that trend?

Thoughts please.

You Want the Truth? You Can't Handle the Truth!

Or maybe you can.

*ahem*

Lame reference aside, I shall shed some light on the seven ludicrous statements I made in my previous post.

• Statement 1: I taught myself guitar by reading a 'Teach Yourself Guitar' book.

I'm sorry, Feathers, but this one's a lie. I tried to do it, but I gave up for a while before I took lessons. On the other hand, this is now pretty much what I do with other instruments (I've taught myself some piano, among others), which is quite a lot easier now that I have some form of musical knowledge. I'm sure you can do it :D.

• Statement 2: In Year 8, I got 2 and a half weeks of lunchtime detention for not being able to draw a human face.

Contrary to Bruce's guess, this is completely true. My Year 8 Art teacher was evil - at least, to the people of lesser aesthetic ability (and more so if the student possesses a Y chromosome). Don't get me wrong, I swear I tried my best; apparently that's just not good enough for her. I didn't have it the worst, though: two poor kids got FOUR WEEKS of lunchtime detention for the same reason. O_O

• Statement 3: My reason behind making a Sparklife account was so I could take the Sparktests.

Absolutely true (The Personality Test and The Death Test in particular).

• Statement 4: 1984 by George Orwell was what led me to Sparknotes in the first place.

No, Bruce, this one's a lie. It was, in fact, Animal Farm that led me to the site where notes sparkle.

• Statement 5: I was actually born in the US of A, making me a legal American.

Another incorrect guess from Bruce. On the 21st of November, 1994, on a cold winter afternoon (apparently) in Columbus, Ohio, a little baby who would turn out to be yours truly was born. Apparently, that was enough to grant me an American citizenship.

• Statement 6: I have, on a couple of occasions, sleepwalked to my TV and switched it on. On all said occasions, my parents believed I was doing that consciously and minded their own businesses.

Total lie; I just wrote this because I couldn't think of anything else.

• Statement 7: I own a pink flying elephant in my basement.

This one was a suggestion for a dear friend of mine, who I turned to for help when I ran out of things to say. Therefore, no, Feathers and Grudz, it has no grain of truth in it.

And there we go. The truth is out.

Thou art my life noweth.

This Post Doesn't Exist (Featuring Up to Six More Lies)

(instruction three complete)

Sky (instruction two complete) has used the power of technicalities to force me to make one of these posts. Thanks, Sky, really (instruction one complete). I would dearly love to accomplish instruction four in sentence form, but I don't think I have that cranial capacity. Nevertheless, here come the lies (and possibly truths):

1. I taught myself guitar by reading a 'Teach Yourself Guitar' book.
2. In Year 8, I got 2 and a half weeks of lunchtime detention for not being able to draw a human face.
   
3. My reason behind making a Sparklife account was so I could take the Sparktests.
4. 1984 by George Orwell was what led me to Sparknotes in the first place.
5. I was actually born in the US of A, making me a legal American.
6. I have, on a couple of occasions, sleepwalked to my TV and switched it on. On all said occasions, my parents believed I was doing that consciously and minded their own businesses.
   
7. I own a pink flying elephant in my basement.

Like Grudz, I shall disregard instructions five to seven, as most the people I know have done this anyway. However, if you read this and you have not done it, make one. There can never be enough liars in the world.

Note: Funsize has definitely not done this, so she's tagged.

The Jabulani

There has been a lot of controversy about the use of the Jabulani ball in the 2010 FIFA World Cup - how it's too light, how it moves too much in the air, etc. This is my opinion about it: a couple of Jabulanis were used in the school football tournament I had taken part in (see previous post). Playing as goalkeeper, I had no such problems - in fact, I managed to concede a mere 1.33 goals per match over 3 matches, one of which was a penalty. Admittedly, the attacks of international (not to mention professional) football teams are slightly more menacing than the ones I have faced, but surely, if a goalkeeper of my stature can keep that low a rate, international, professional goalkeepers should have no trouble bettering me. Therefore, you men need to step your games up.

Sincerely,

Adhit Sutresna

Note: I hope you have noticed that this is very much a joke. A rate of 1.33 goals per game is absolutely shameful, especially against 12-16 year olds of relatively mediocre talent, thus rendering my opinion completely and utterly invalid.

Caution: Long Post Ahead

This is probably one of the longer posts on the blog, simply because a LOT happened on Friday. So brace yourselves.

Today might well be my last day of school at the school I had been enrolled to the past four years and I must say it was about as good as a last day can be. I was supposed to perform some songs with a couple of guys, but it was scheduled during a break in the sports competition (we'll get to that later), which, my school being itself, ran inexplicably late, leaving us with no official break, therefore depriving me (us) of said performance. That said, the events of the sports competition more than made up for it.

At the end of every semester, our school stages football (that would be what you Americans refer to as 'soccer') and basketball tournaments (they are played simultaneously). The formats vary, but this year, it was teams of year levels competing. With the Year 12s away, there were only 5 competitors.

We Year 10s played football first and we drew up against the Year 8s, who are known for several rather skilled players (well, a hell of a lot more skilled than us, anyway). Me? I was the goalie. It's sad, really, when someone as uncoordinated as myself is the best option for possibly the most important position in the team (I say this, because my year level, barring one person, is effectively inept at this sport, thus making us vulnerable to constant attacks). So, our mindset at the start was "we're bloody screwed".

We started off better than we thought we would have, having more shots than them. Then things started to get a little more predictable when they scored the first goal. Needless to say, we reverted back to the mindset.

About two minutes later, we got just the kick-start we needed: during a scramble up front (our front), an opposition defender, in desperation to clear the ball, stuck his leg out. The most incredible thing then happened: the ball floated into their open goal. One-all at the stroke of half time. It was AMAZING.

It was pretty much ping-pong-esque for the second half, so we had to go into golden goal. But before the account of that ever-so-crucial period, a shred of controversy. One of the 'star' players from the Year 8s was running down the flank when a teammate of mine, who was chasing him down from behind, slide-tackled him. In my opinion, it was totally legal (he absolutely made contact with the ball first, the 'star' just wasn't quick enough to jump and avoid the tackler). They got a free kick and got pretty ticked off, but nothing happened from it.

Back to the golden goal. About two minutes in, we had another scramble up front. However, the ball was somehow crossed into the face of the goal, which was dutifully met by the boot of our striker. Two one at full time! Suffice to say, we were pretty wild after that.

We played basketball next, again against the Year 8s. We lost. By two points. And got knocked out. Moving on.

We then played against the Year 11s in football, who also had some 'star' players. This time round, we were a little more gung-ho, seeing that we've already won one game with our 'losers' tag (some would have used the term 'underdogs', but seriously, we're that crap). Funny thing happened at the beginning: the 11s took a shot which I saved, but it rebounded off me and bounced pretty high. My teammate, more accustomed to basketball, proceeded to catch the ball in his mitts. Had he been playing basketball, I would have applauded him. That not being the case, I had a penalty to save (I didn't, but I'd like to think I was only centimetres away).

Anyway, we managed to get to 3-3 late into the game (we were surprisingly efficient with our opportunities), when the ball somehow landed at the feet of a girl on my team, who duly dispatched the ball into its rightful place (the opposition goal). We won. Again. And this time we're playing in the final!

Our opponents in the final were the Year 7s. In spite of their (lack of) size (barring this one HUGE player [I'm not exaggerating, he was taller than all of us 10s]), they managed to clobber the Year 9s NINE FREAKING ONE. So yeah, we weren't about to take them easy (especially with our 'underdog' status [come on, two wins should promote us a little bit]).

Our plan was straightforward: our one good player (he's on the school team) says that they depend a lot on one player who wasn't very fast. Therefore, we had a defender sticking to him like a bad smell. The plan worked - we ended up winning 4-0 and we ended up as the champs *cue confetti*! After four long years, our year level has won something in this department. It was a very, very proud moment.

How did I do, personally? Well, over the duration of 3 games, I managed to only concede 4 goals (one was a penalty described earlier) and the number of fatal errors were kept to a minimum (that said, I almost made a total fool of myself by leaving a ball I had expected to miss the goals, only to hear a loud clang from the goalpost). I can safely conclude that, while I suck fundamentally (I can't dive to save my life), I did make some pretty good saves and took (some) appropriate risks. I also got injured! Not really, as the worst thing that happened was that some skin on my toe got peeled off and I scraped my knees, but I am left hobbling two days later. I'm very proud of myself.

This being my last day, I also had to say my goodbyes, in particularly to some notable teachers. Some threatened to burst into tears on me, but I'm thankful they didn't (else I would have too). One teacher in particular I've known since Year 1, so it was pretty emotional for the both of us. We also had an assembly of sorts, where awards were given out. To my delight, I got one for the highest score in the Personal Project, as said teacher used the opportunity to broadcast my leaving in front of all the students from Years 7 to 10. It wasn't awkward at all.

Towards the end of the assembly, one of my classmates comes barging in with a cake. It turns out to be a surprise birthday party for that teacher! It turned out to be extra appropriate, as there is now cake on her birthday as well as three of our last days (two other people are leaving). As a result, amongst the hugs and handshakes, cake was also smeared on our faces.

It was only after school when it all really sunk in. I had to go back to school to return my locker key and grab some paperwork when I just took some time to really take the building in. I gotta admit, I almost teared up then.

It was also then I learned that destiny works in funny ways. There were some people who I hadn't said goodbye to (like a janitor whom I have also known since Year 1) who I did end up saying goodbye to after I had to go back (again) after I thought I was missing some documents. It's nice when things play out like that.

So I went home that night very, very happy. A little sad? Of course. Proud too. But mostly very satisfied with the day that had been.

That's it for now,

Thou art my life noweth.

*is back*

So I realise I haven't blogged in over a week (not that anyone would notice). This could be due to my star attraction, the Sparkvention posts, has not been updated in AGES. No, I am not discontinuing it. In fact, I need your opinions: In the comments section, please suggest possible villains for the Sparkvention (I'll try to make it work) and I'll pick the most suitable ones. Thanks.

Thou art my life noweth.

Celebrating...

NOW!

That's right. I'm home now and I partied-hardied (i.e. ate a bunch of junk food as a means of festivity). After about ten months of assignments, tests, homework, assessments, essays, posters, worksheets and all other miscellaneously related crap the teachers dish out, we have finally been given a reprieve (granted, we did have holidays slipped here and there, but nothing compares to the big one). Out of the aforementioned ten months, I believe I've suffered from senioritis for at least six. Presuming, of course, that senioritis means getting up tired every day and have little motivation to do whatever it is you're supposed to do at school. And to think, I'm still in year 10. God help me.

Having said that, I'm gonna enjoy this month's break (before you say anything, a month is about the right time for me to adjust to holidays and then readjust for school, so I don't mind it). I'll enjoy it even more so if I end up moving to Melbourne, as I have a long, long list of things I wanna do there (being the capital of sport, 90% of that list is sport-related). I should be getting a confirmation some time in late June.

Speaking of which, I have to ask for opinions: should I be saying my goodbyes on the last day of school? The chances of getting a visa are pretty strong, but still, it's not certainty. Opinions are greatly appreciated.

Thou art my life noweth.

A Delay in Celebration

It's finally here. I'm finally devoid of schoolwork. You'd think I'd be happy by now, and I guess I am. But what's free time good for when you can't actually enjoy it? Stupid me forgot to employ my 'ways' to get on Sparklife at school, so I can't get on the OT and do all that fun stuff. "What about your real life friends?", you may ask. Well, the classes are still supervised, so no all out anarchy as yet (that would be reserved for next week [and by all out anarchy, I mean non-stop ping pong]). So until I get home, I should refrain from being celebratory. I should be in for the longest 6 hours of my life.

Thou art my life noweth.

The Engine Driver

Yet another cover, this one is of The Engine Driver by The Decemberists. Hope you guys like it!

Please leave your opinions/critiques in the comments section and please bleep any expletives you may have used. Thanks.

Random Epiphany of the Day

I had a weird realisation today.

First, some background: I was in M*** class when my teacher started writing questions for a survey and the very first one was 'What do you think about M***?' with the options a) dislike (I picked that without too much hesitation), b) like, or c) neutral.

In that moment of hesitation, I was thinking of why I liked the sciences (I quite like Chemistry and Physics isn't so bad) without liking M***. Then it occurred to me that this entire thing was a bit like being married (or a relationship of any sort, really): you don't have to love everything about it, you just have to tolerate and, more importantly, somehow understand the things you don't particularly like about it. When you love something/one, the pros will always outweigh the cons.

I will not blame you if you think I'm weird (well, weirder than I already am) now. I think so too - M*** actually helped me learn something! That's not really to do with M***! OK, I'll stop swearing now.

Thou art my life noweth.

Lyric of the Day (19th May, 2010)

The first Indonesian LotD!

"Bukankah kau pernah melihat bintang
Yang menghiasi sang malam
Yang berkilau
Bagai permata
Menghibur yang lelah jiwanya
Yang sedih hatinya"

- from Sang Penghibur (The Entertainer) by Padi

Translation:

"Have you not seen the stars
That decorate the night sky
That sparkle
Like gemstones
To console those whose souls are tired
And whose hearts are in misery"

A New Type of Post

I was looking back through this blog (not really) and found out I never just blog about my day. So here's my first one (note: this was supposed to be published yesterday, but writer's block got me. Therefore, I'll be blogging about some of yesterday and today).

Wednesday was quite great - the highlight of that day, I must say (hey, that rhymed!) was the construction of a (literally) huge Chemistry project I have with two group mates (pictures coming soon). It's about 1 and a half metres long and we had to carry it all the way across the school parking lot and then my group mate's apartment complex. We received many stares, so I felt kind of famous :D.

School today was slightly less fun and interesting (although, I did spend 3 solid hours chatting on SparkLife :D) while listening to Jason Mraz's Live at the Highline Ballroom DVD (it's incredible, by the way). My view on animals was further reinforced in Physics when I handled a hamster (it's basically free time, these days): animals are cute/cool until they have to crap. 'Nuff said.

On a much more pleasant topic, Quack, Nosh, Hannah, Sev and I are making an e-band! Apparently, we were supposed to suggest two songs to vote on, so mine will by Geek in the Pink by Jason Mraz and Mr Brightside by the Killers (note: Feeling Good was replaced because Muse's version wasn't really made to fit a lot of instruments). So, if you guys can get in touch with Quack, tell him that my blog is here and my suggestions are too.

For the last period, we had a surprise English test (reading comprehension and that), which I'd like to think I smashed out of the park. Let's just hope my teacher agrees.

That's about it for now.

Thou art my life now...eth.

Lyric of the Day (18th May, 2010)

That's right, the LotD's are back! But they will be sporadic in nature. Today's one is for Sky:

"Squirrel in the tree looking right at me
Does he give a damn?
Does he know who I am?"

- Only Human by Jason Mraz

Yet Another Useless Contribution to the Blogosphere

Here it is (finally)! After 15 takes, I have finally made one half-decent enough to be posted. Note: you might need to turn your speakers up a teensie bit to catch what's going on (note: I just watched the video back and I barely understood a word I said). Or, alternatively, you can just read the transcript below. Whichever you like. Here we go:

Transcript:

So you know what they say: 15th time's the charm. I'm not sure if I'm speaking loud enough, but I'll be putting a transcript underneath just in case you don't understand a word I say, or if you're Hannah and can't watch it in the first place. Thank you to everyone who suggested vlogging topics; some of you guys mentioned shoutouts, so I will be giving a shoutout to those who suggested, which will be Funsize, Rebel, Feathers, Amarantha, Bruce, Hannah and Sky. So, I don't think I missed anyone, but if I did, please don't hurt me.

*awkward silence*

Bruce suggested that I should do dramatic readings of Dan's Twilight blogs. I think that's a fantastic idea, seriously, but I don't have any of them at hand right now, so it should be something to look forward to. Hannah's suggestion, which was attempting to speak Oirish, well, let's not go there. Rebel's suggestion, well one of them, was Vlogging Glee. I don't think I'll be continuing with that stuff, well one, because I've pretty much lost interest in the series (it's getting a little, blah) and two, Emily's already doing that on SparkLife and, well, she pwns me, so I think you'd much rather read hers than mine. Anyway.

*another awkward silence*

I'm having a pretty bad writer's block right now. Some of you may know that I'm trying to write a series of articles for Sparklife on the upcoming World Cup. I'm trying to start off with a preview and I've gotten two paragraphs down, but I couldn't go any further... as yet, so hopefully I will be able to write again very soon.

To all those who can actually listen to this, what accent am I speaking in? It's something that I'm interested to find out (Funsize also asked about it too). So, yeah, please tell me.

*yet another awkward silence*

OK, I've got this one mini-rant type thing: I'm about four weeks away from my end of school year holidays, which sounds pretty good, except it's really, really frustrating, 'cause, well, I can feel the freedom; I can taste it; and I can picture myself getting up late every single day and doing whatever I want. But then I remember the four weeks of homework and assignments and exams just standing in the way. It frustrates the 'beep' out of me (note: I actually said 'beep').

Well, I guess that's it for now; hopefully you understood some parts of what I said, and thou art my life noweth.

Note: After watching and listening to the video back, I have discovered that I am quite possibly the least articulate people I've ever heard. And that my constant movements are potentially annoying. Bear with me, kay?

Thou art my life noweth.

The Perils of Vlogging

So, I tried to make a vlog today. It took nine takes for me to realise that I can't talk to my laptop and keep a straight face. Yes, it's that hard (for me, anyway). I ended up getting myself into a bunch of awkward silences, which I tried to remedy with various awkward turtles, but I can't do those either (not on camera, anyway, as my hands got too close). Anyway, I guess it would've helped if I had something to talk about, which I didn't have today. So, any suggestions? Please post them in the comments.

Thou art my life now... wait for it, wait for it... eth.

Lyric of the Day (13th May, 2010)

"'Cause love's such an old fashioned word
And love dares you to care for
The people on the edge of the night
And love dares you to change our way of
Caring about ourselves
This is our last dance
This is ourselves
Under pressure"

- Under Pressure by Queen/David Bowie (I've been listening to Keane's version, though)

Lyrics of the Days (11th and 12th May, 2010)

Gasp! I forgot to put one up for the 11th!

Well here it is:

"You're a spineless, pale, pathetic lot
And you haven't got a clue
Mister I'll
Make a man
Out of you!"

- from Make A Man Out of You from Mulan. Very, very fun to sing.

And for the 12th:

"Lonely people
Tumble downwards
My heart opens up to you
When she says
She has no time"

- from She has No Time by Keane

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm sorry, was that annoying you? Yeah, I should probably stop now. I couldn't help it though - a series of wonderful, wonderful events hit me today, which in chronological order would be:

1. The article that Hanini and I wrote together got published (click here if you haven't read it)!
2. I got a mention on Cute Thing of the Week!
3. EMILY SENT ME AN E-MAIL SAYING THAT SHE LIKED THE ARTICLE I SENT OVER (ON MY OWN) AND THAT IT WILL BE PUBLISHED ON THE 9TH OF JUNE!

Ahem.

Again, I apologise, but I believe these three things in the same day is more than reason enough to be hyper.

THOU ART MY LIFE NOWETH!!!

Lyric if the Day (10th May, 2010)

"I'll be the fire escape
That's bolted to the ancient brick
Where you will sit
And contemplate your day"

- Brand New Colony by The Postal Service

For Coral

Lyric if the Day (9th May, 2010)

"Sorrow drips into your heart through a pinhole
Just like a faucet that leaks and there is comfort in the sound
But while you debate half empty or half full
It slowly rises, your love is gonna drown"

- Marching Bands of Manhattan by Death Cab for Cutie

Mother's Day Special

To honour this special occasion, I’m here to write something for my dear mother (can I get some ‘aww’s?’). Though she may be 5000 kilometers away, which adds to the fact that I haven’t seen her in little over four months, her lessons still ring clear in my ears (that’s a good thing). I guess that’s just a testament to how well she’s taught me. So, Bu, here’s to you.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Note: 'Bu' is a shortened form of 'ibu', which is mum or mother in Indonesian.

Lyric if the Day (8th May, 2010)

"I'll wear my badge
A vinyl sticker with big block letters
Adherent to my chest that
Tells your friends
I'm just a visitor here;
I am not permanent"

- another one from The District Sleeps Alone Tonight by The Postal Service.

Lyric of the Day (7th May, 2010)

"With the sun in your eyes
And on your own
Bedshaped
And legs of stone
You'll knock on my door
And up we'll go
In white light
I don't think so
But what do I know?"

- Bedshaped by Keane

Lyric of the Day (6th May, 2010)

"Your light's still on,
I can see it from the inside
Let's go over things again,
Is there anything left to figure out?"

- After Sunset by Styrofoam

Lyric of the Day (5th May, 2010)

Yes, it's technically the 5th where I am. So I'm gonna post this now.

"The only thing
Keeping me dry is that
You seem so out of context
In this gaudy apartment complex
A stranger with your door key
Explaining why I'm just visiting
And now I'm finally seeing
Why I was the one worth leaving"

- The District Sleeps Alone Tonight by The Postal Service.

The Sparkvention, Part 2: The Gathering

The conversation I had with Hanini on the shuttle was an enlightening one ("Why is New York City called the Big Apple?" "Maybe because there's this sportswriter who refers to the prize money of horse races as apples, which led him to call New York's the 'big apple', as theirs was the most sought out of them all?" "Don't be ridiculous, that's just silly!") and before long, we reached the place of the convention (which looks a little something like this [thank you to Newt for that picture]). At the reception, we see Emily and Emma, who seem to have the ability to turn Hanini into a screaming fangirl.

"Hey, guys! Welcome to the Sparkvention!" Emily says, as if she's not noticing the cacophony unfolding before her. "Can I get your usernames?"

Being the cooler and calmer of the e-twins, I causally replied, "Hey, Emily and Emma! I'm aditrs and the ruckus there is Hanini_Panini. It's great to be here!"

Emma chimes in. "So you're the ones who wrote that awesome article? After reading that, I couldn't stop saying 'thoughts of enlightened ones are always synchronised' for weeks (you guys will know why later)! Nice to finally meet you guys!"

"Here are your shirts," Emily says, as she emerges from under the table. "Just things to make people easier to find here."

The shirt I got was blue with a huge white snowflake on it. It had the word 'aditrs' in big letters in the middle and had the 'about me' section of my profile under it. It was so awesome, I simply donned it above the shirt I was already wearing. Hanini, on the other hand, quickly bolted towards the ladies' room while muttering something resembling, "Meet you here in 2 minutes."

Hey, is that Sky? And Kevin? And Neil? And Gummy? And Funsize? And Rebel???!!! And... and... and... My God! It's a freaking Open Thread here!

Abandoning Hanini, I sprinted towards the little group of people that normally live in my computer. They were all wearing similar shirts, although some had white shirts with blue snowflakes on it.

Mustering up the courage to talk to them, I meekly said, "Hey guys, what's up?"

And then, the most amazing thing happened. Like in the Open Thread, they all replied to me in a different manner, but at the same time. 'Twas awesome.

It seems that Hanini's tracked me down (note to self: shut down e-twin-ESP at times like these) and she doesn't look too happy. Seeing my concern for my safety, Kevin, Gummy, Funsize and Rebel jumped across the room to tackle-hug her. That was close.

*
That day was one of the best of my life. I mean, we got to meet DANIEL ADAM BERGSTEIN! Your worst day with him will more often than not better your best day without. We also had a session with Auntie (who also gave us drawing lessons [they were easily the best drawing lessons I've ever had]).

It's the end of the day now, and we've been instructed to pick roommates. Thankfully, Sky and Neil were cool about letting me bunk with them. Sky told in great detail of his plans regarding ordering room service, as Neil and I listened intently. They sure were epic.

Lyric of the Day (4th May, 2010)

Because I'm in such a rebellious mood today (these lyrics must be screamed for maximum effect):

"No one's going to take me alive
The time has come to make things right
You and I must fight for our rights
You and I must strive to survive"

- Knights of Cydonia by Muse

Lyric of the Day (3rd May, 2010)

"I am a writer, writer of fictions
I am the heart that you called home
And I've written pages, upon pages
Trying to rid you from
My bones"

- The Engine Driver by The Decemberists

To Fremantle With Love

Quick update: Part 2 of the Sparkvention is halfway done. Should be up by next Friday.

Today, I felt more Australian than I have been in a long, LONG time. Why? I watched the full western derby LIVE. And my beloved Dockers won! By 33 freaking points! I can't be prouder of you all. This post is for you guys.

Where do I begin? Firstly, many hats off to Rhys Palmer, who was welcomed back to the league with not one, not two, but THREE blows to the head. And you still managed 18 possessions and a goal. Onya, mate! Next, Pav! The skipper! Congrats on your 5 goals! You are now tied leading goalkicker with Jonathan Brown, who's ass you will totally kick next week. To all you defenders (I'm talking about Duffield, Roberton [awesome first game, by the way!] McPharlin, Hayden, Silvagni and those who I may have unfortunately missed), I would like to laud you on your stellar performance against the Eagles' forward line. It was your pressure that helped your forwards score 11 straight goals. Last but not least, the Glendinning Medallist, Michael Barlow. What can I say? Sixth game and racking up these numbers? You're a legend.

Anyway, I hope your good form can last the entire season (it's not like I've imagined you guys lifting the flag, or anything [wink]). All the best!

I know you Sparklers most probably won't understand that, but please comment as if you do. I look forward to reading what you'll say.

Thou art my life noweth!

Lyric of the Day

Since you all love things of the day, I will start my own: Lyric of the Day. Self-explanatory, I will be posting my favourite lyrics of the day. Some days, they might be the same. But nyeh, it's my blog. So today's is:

"You've crossed the finish line,
Won the race, but lost your mind.
Was it worth it, after all?"

- Superman by Lazlo Bane (otherwise known as the theme song of Scrubs)

'Til the next one (speaking of which, I need a better send off. Offer suggestions in the comments).

Uninspired

With the exception of that Blogging Glee post, I have been unable to write this weekend (so far). Then again, I've been planning the Blogging Glee post for a couple of days now, so that doesn't count. I believe this is called writer's block? If so, I hate it. Like, listening-to-Baby-by-Justin-Beiber-on-a-loop-for-24-hours hate it.

Feel free to post any ideas/suggestions in the comments.

'Til the next one.

Blogging Glee, Part 2

In this episode, Rachel raps. Badly. Like, worse-than-Taylor-Swift's-rapping bad. 'Nuff said.












What? Why are you still here? I thought you would've left after reading that first bit. No? Fine, I'll blog the rest of the episode.

The episode actually starts pretty well - 'Freak Out' aside. I agree with the kids when they said that it's not quite the best song to appeal to a large group of average teenagers. That said, neither is 'Gold Digger' (that was soooooo 5 years ago). But still, Will showed that he could dance and rap (better than Taylor Swift, anyway), which was pretty entertaining. Awesome points for him.

Speaking of Awesome points, I am deciding to make a table. Here is the default table:

Arty: 50 (it's a default setting, can't change it)
Will: 0
Finn: 0
Tina: 0
Mercedes: 0
Kurt: 0
Sue: 0
Quinn: 0
Emma: 0
Ken: 0
Rachel: -167 (another default setting, sorry)

OK, back to the episode. After the singing of 'Gold Digger', things start to go downhill. Rachel and Finn's ploy to advertise the club without singing 'Freak Out' wasn't bad, but their solution was (IMO) stupid. But before that, the celibacy club. I may be slightly in the dark here, but I'm not sure how grinding with a balloon as a 'barrier' will help to abstain. Feel free to enlighten me in the comments.

The rehearsal session wasn't so great either. Finn's F (the musical note) was pretty cool (I'm not quite there yet), but aside from that, it was terrible. The lead up to the Finn/Rachel kiss was horrible. 'You can kiss me if you want'. What? And Finn, you have a girlfriend! No matter how much she's leading you on, you have no right to kiss her. And then, you made it worse by... uh... being early (let's just keep it at that). 50 awesome points off right there.

Now to the performance. 'Push It'? Really? I mean, I can understand that those kids want something sex-related, but can't you be at least a bit more tasteful? Plus, Rachel (and Finn) can't rap. Even Arty was only marginally better than Taylor Swift (sorry mate). And don't get me started on the choreography! I actually agreed with Sue when she said that it was disgraceful, 'cause it was.

Another thing I didn't like about the episode was Terri's lying about her pregnancy. I mean, she and Will have been married for 5 years, right? Surely she can tell him that. I look forward to what happens, as Terri now has 100 awesome points stripped from her despite the fact that she wasn't in the original table.

Lastly, the ending. I understand how 'Take A Bow' is appropriate, but it's a little melodramatic (even for a musical-ish show like Glee) for my taste. And why is Tina and Mercedes there in the background? They don't have much to do with Rachel and Finn's 'relationship', and they didn't sing much anyway. Makes them look useless (you guys totally aren't).

Updated Awesomeness table:

Arty: 49 (one point off for substandard rapping)
Tina: 5 (for being good sport to Rachel about being back-up singers)
Mercedes: 5 (read Tina's)
Will: 0
Kurt: 0
Emma: 0
Ken: 0
Sue: -5 (50 for pointing out the fact that the performance was horrible, -55 for employing spies)
Quinn: -25 (for agreeing to spy on the Glee club)
Finn: -50 (reason explained above)
Terri: -100
Rachel: -334 (terrible rapping and kissing a taken man)

On a side note, not all episodes of Part 1 will be aired again, which means I will have to start blogging from memory again. Hope it won't be too bad.

'Til the next one.

*For those who aren't sure why I referenced Taylor Swift so many times, watch this. You'll understand.

The Sparkvention, Part 2: The Gathering

Just a quick side note: I now have a second page! My blog feels so old! Also, I have posted two thirds of what I posted in April in just 2 days of May.

The conversation I had with Hanini on the shuttle was an enlightening one ("Why is New York City called the Big Apple?" "Maybe because there's this sportswriter who refers to the prize money of horse races as apples, which led him to call New York's the 'big apple', as theirs was the most sought out of them all?" "Don't be ridiculous, that's just silly!") and before long, we reach the place of the convention (which looks a little something like this [thank you to Newt for that picture]). At the reception, we see Emily and Emma, who seem to have the ability to turn Hanini into a screaming fangirl.

"Hey, guys! Welcome to the Sparkvention!" Emily says, as if she's not noticing the cacophony unfolding before her. "Can I get your usernames?"

Being the cooler and calmer of the e-twins, I causally replied, "Hey, Emily and Emma! I'm aditrs and the ruckus there is Hanini_Panini. It's great to be here!"

Emma chimes in. "So you're the ones who wrote that awesome article? After reading that, I couldn't stop saying 'thoughts of enlightened ones are always synchronised' for weeks (you guys will know why later)! Nice to finally meet you guys!"

"Here are your shirts," Emily says, as she emerges from under the table. "Just things to make people easier to find here."

The shirt I got was blue with a huge white snowflake on it. It had the word 'aditrs' in big letters in the middle and had the 'about me' section of my profile under it. It was so awesome, I simply donned it above the shirt I was already wearing. Hanini, on the other hand, quickly bolted towards the ladies' room while muttering something resembling, "Meet you hear in 2 minutes."

Hey, is that Sky? And Kevin? And Neil? And Gummy? And Funsize? And Rebel???!!! And... and... and... My God! It's a freaking Open Thread here!

Abandoning Hanini, I sprinted towards the little group of people that normally live in my computer. They were all wearing similar shirts, although some had white shirts with blue snowflakes on it.

Mustering up the courage to talk to them, I meekly said, "Hey guys, what's up?"

And then, the most amazing thing happened. Like in the Open Thread, they all replied to me in a different manner, but at the same time. 'Twas awesome.

It seems that Hanini's tracked me down (note to self: shut down e-twin-ESP at times like these) and she doesn't look too happy. Seeing my concern for my safety, Kevin, Gummy, Funsize and Rebel jumped across the room to tackle-hug her. That was close.

*

That day was one of the best of my life. I mean, we got to meet DANIEL ADAM BERGSTEIN! Your worst day with him will more often than not better your best day without. We also had a session with Auntie (who also gave us drawing lessons [they were easily the best drawing lessons I've ever had]).

It's the end of the day now, and we've been instructed to pick roommates. Thankfully, Sky and Neil were cool about letting me bunk with them. Sky told in great detail of his plans regarding ordering room service, as Neil and I listened intently. They sure were epic.

Tagged?

Apparently I've been tagged. I know I'd be ripping someone off here (please don't sue me, just let me know who you are in the comments), but I'm really tempted to compare this to playing real life tag in a playground. At the risk of getting sued, I will now go straight to my lists.

7 Things I Love About Myself

1. (Most of) my jokes
   
2. The conversations I have inside my head (I may be just a teensie bit bipolar)
   
3. My choice in favourite music
   
4. My choice in favourite songs
   
5. (Most of) my songs. One in particular is positively crap.
   
6. (Most of) my lyrics.
   
7. My wisdom in creating a Sparklife account and staying there

That was an uninspiring list. Moving on.

7 Places I'd like to Visit

1. The bushes next to Hannah's house ('cause she was totally in mine. How was the rat crap, by the way? Oh, and I will be hiding behind the bushes, not in them, thereby avoiding any animal faeces).
2. Sparknotes HQ.
3. A real life Sparkvention.
4. Dan's brain.
5. Auntie's brain.
6. The Melbourne Cricket Ground on AFL Grand Final day.
7. 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney.

People to tag (make two lists):

• Neil
• Grudzy
• Gummy
• Bruce

Make a list of 7 things you would do if you met Dan and things you would do without Sparknotes/life. Not the most creative topics in the world, but they should be interesting.

'Til the next one.

The Sparkvention, Part 1: The Arrival

It's a really refreshing sound to hear the airplane stop. I'm almost literally foaming-at-the-mouth excited to be here in (insert location). Why? Because I'm going to the Sparkvention!

One whole year I saved up for this thing - I took jobs at a time, sold multiple things varying in value and practically didn't eat lunch at school for that whole year (note to self: make up for it at the Sparkvention). But you know what? It's worth it - I can finally meet the people who inspire me, listen to me about my day and continually crack me up with their amazing personalities (sure, my real life friends are funny, but the Sparklers are just something else). As I stepped off that plane, I could only think of one thing: where's the freaking toilet?

Fortunately, Sparknotes and its sponsors have agreed to pay for accommodation and transportation (aside from the plane tickets for international or inter-regional visitors) and it appears that there is a shuttle waiting for me. I immediately recognise a face: it's Hanini! Apparently the shuttle was about to take off as I walked towards the seat next to hers, forcing me to stumble and fall flat on my face. With as red a face a dark-skinned person can have, I pick up my feet and take that seat. Despite my extremely recent humiliation, the sight of multiple bruises on Hanini's arms (suggesting that she had fallen several times before I did) offered some consolation. MLIA.

Blogging Glee, Part 1

Yes, I'm starting all over again, but only because it's being aired again where I am. Here we go.

Considering that this was the pilot, it's really not that bad. Some main characters were introduced (I already have a favourite and an unfavourite) and reasonably strong foundations were laid for the rest of the show. This episode tells a story of how Will Schuester, a visionary Spanish teacher,begins to try to revive the school's Glee club after its head had just been fired for "harassing" a student (I'm looking at you, Rachel). Another important theme in this episode (and I'm sure that it'll be discussed time and time again later on) is 'having the chance to shine', which brings us to our main (student) characters:

• Mercedes Jones, who sang Respect at her audition and appears to be somewhat of a diva. It's a pity we didn't get any background on her.
• Arty Abrams (I think?) didn't get an audition, but already, he's my Emmett (I'm sure you Sparklers know what I'm talking about). He just has that awesome vibe. It's even more awesome that he didn't have to say (or sing) that many lines to emanate it. He's just cool like that.
• Tina C (I hope the C isn't something stereotypical, like Chan or Chow) who sang I Kissed a Girl. No background either.
• Kurt Hummel also didn't get a background, but his audition was insane!
  
• Rachel Berry was the only one who got TWO SCENES for her audition AND a background. Sure, she can sing, but so can the others! And I'm sure that the others are more interesting (not to mention less deranged) than she is. I think you know who my least favourite character is now.
• Finn (no last name to speak of yet) seems pretty cool (Arty's still ahead, though). He brings a degree of realism to the status of football players, but the only thing remotely crazy about him is his girlfriend. Needs development, but that should come in future episodes.

There are a couple of antagonists so far, namely Sue the cheerleading coach and a football player by the name of Puck. I'm expecting Sue's "You think that's hard? Try..." to become a catchphrase. That would be brilliant. Sandy Ryerson, the former head of Glee, may be creepy, but I don't think he qualifies for villain status (aside from the fact that he deals drugs - that's evil).

I'd like to finish off with a nitpick: Emma, the guidance counselor, is shown to draw a love heart around a yearbook photo of Will. Hang on! Isn't that yearbook property of the school? Emma's a vandal! *chants* Emma's a vandal! Emma's a vandal!

That's all for now. 'Til next week.

Attention Stalkers!

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. From that, I will conclude that a video is worth a thousand pictures. Therefore, this blog will be at least a million words long.

Also, this is the first opportunity for stalkers (Hannah) to see my face. Hope it doesn't turn you into stone.

This video is of me covering (This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan by Dntel pre-Taylor Lautner haircut. I apologise for the terrible quality and the fact that the video is faster than the audio.

Lyrics can be found here.

Thoughts?

Pictures of Skies

To make up for my rather pathetic first post, I have at least two things to blog about today, which will all come in different posts. This one will be about my latest interest: taking pictures of the sky. It may not sound very interesting, but it is to me. And this is my blog. So ha.






This picture was taken yesterday at 4:23 p.m. Obviously, it's very dark and cloudy.










This, however, was taken 30 seconds later at another angle. Clouds are visible, but it's mostly clear (that's the top of my school building, by the way).






A fluke, perhaps? Here are some pictures I took today:






Even darker than yesterday;













while at another angle, it's just as bright.






Interesting, huh? Maybe not. Up to you. Tell me in the comments.

Hello Stalkers!

Hannah, I hope you're happy. I now have TWO blogs to keep up with and it's all because of you. Thank you. But I still would like to be your 22nd follower. So non-sarcastic thank you.

I will not be posting any pictures of myself anytime soon, so until then, my face will remain unknown (except for maybe Lady_Sunshine, who knows my YouTube channel). But you guys don't. So ha.

Until I have something better to write,

Adhit (that's the shortened form of my real first name)