30 day challenge

Okay I'm just looking for ways to colour up my holiday life, and to basically add more spice to my blog! So I've just remembered these blog challenges thingy haha. I was researching on some just now and came up with a few. Anyway I don't plan to just do one. There is some music challenges thing which is really fun also. I think I should mix and match both! :)

But I don't know how to choose the questions. I want to do all of them! Heh. Hmm... Okay I'll start with listing them first! I took some from this wordpress http://pebblesy.wordpress.com/2010/09/07/30-days-of-me-challenge/ And also from http://missycreative.wordpress.com/2011/09/21/30-day-blog-challenge-plus-all-30-questions/ which I'm just going to select from a few!

And for the music challenge I'm going to slot in a few randomly inside the 30 days hehe. It's taken from an FB page! :D

So... Here goes my finalised list:

Day 01 - The meaning behind your Blog name

Day 02 - a song that reminds you of a certain event

Day 03 - Something that you miss

Day 04 - a song that you wish you could play

Day 05 - a song from your childhood

Day 06 - One of your favourite TV shows

Day 07- A picture of you and your friends

Day 08- Plans/dreams/goals you have

Day 09- A picture of something that makes you happy

Day 10 - a song that reminds you of somewhere

Day 11 - Your favourite comfort food and why

Day 12 - a song that is a guilty pleasure

Day 13 - If you had $1 000 000 to spend how would you spend it?

Day 14 - How have you changed for the past 2 years

Day 15- What makes you different from everyone else

Day 16 - a song that no one would expect you to love

Day 17 - Somewhere you'd like to move or visit

Day 18 - Your highs and lows this past year

Day 19 - a song that you can play on an instrument

Day 20 - a song during this time of the year

Day 21 - a song you want to play in your funeral

Day 22 - Songs you listen to when you are Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, Mad 

Day 23- How you found out about Blogger and why you made one

Day 24 - Your zodiac sign and if you think it fits your personality

Day 25- Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play

Day 26 - Your earliest memory

Day 27 - Your favourite movie and what is it about

Day 28 - a song from your favorite band

Day 29 - a song that you want to play at your wedding

Day 30 - A picture of somewhere you’ve been to

Very long right! Haha. But with the fact that one, I won't be blogging everyday, two I'm in a long holiday and three, this is a very long list but here we go! Hehe. Anyway... So let's start from day one. A perfect way to start this challenge!

Day 01 -  The meaning behind your blog name

Hmm alright if you look on your right --> under the description box, you'll see my writing of : Life is a symphony we all compose. Of a thousand different movements, a line of a beautiful prose. It's actually an excerpt of a poem that I wrote and yeah. That's why I decided to use this name for my blog!

Well many people put life as different things. Some say is a flowing river, is a journey, is a race, is an adventure, is a bitch (haha) and more. But well I put it that life is a symphony! Like a symphony that's playing and playing till it reaches the end, or as we musicians call it, the double line. 

And like a symphony with different movements, so do our lives too right? Our lives consist of chapters. We start a new one, then close another, and it continues and so on and so forth. Like a movement of a song, we play a movement and then moves on to the next and so on as well. So life can be equated as a symphony right? There's logic in it eh hehe.

This blog had went through a movement of my life - my secondary school chapter. And it's now currently going through another movement that's ending soon - my polytechnic chapter. And then after my polytechnic movement, what else is coming in, I don't know. But as for sure - the symphony is still playing till I heaved my last breath on my death bed mwahaha.

And who wants an unfinished symphony right? So I know this sounds crazy and seemingly impossible but... My aim in life is to continue blogging till I die. I can't blog daily, make it at least once every three days or even once a week. I just want to continue and continue till this symphony ends. And of course, it'll be a passage where I can turn back and so on.

Right! That's my first day challenge. I hope it answers the question. Really excited about this blog challenge! Can't wait to answer and do all the 30 challenges hehe. Alright see ya then! Ciao! :)

Happiness

 To think that Mt Kinabalu is twice the size of the volcano in my hometown

Makes me feel amazed, happy and weird at the same time

I can't say today was a good day. But I can say tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow's tomorrow will be a better day. And so on. Well... Yeah. Something happened today and well. That's why it wasn't a good day. But it's 15 minutes to the end of today and so, time flew and well. Goodbye bad day I guess. And hello to good day.

Whatever it is, today was awesome in the evening! Went to my dad's garden again and OMG can't believe it but I witness in my eyes that we were being surrounded by clouds! Or mists, or whatever you call it. But yeah it's just cool. And we were shrouded for like a few long minutes! And then in the blink of an eye, the mists were gone wow. Yes, they're gone!

And well near the garden, we have this roadside stall selling "ketan". Which in my lingo means glutinous rice. And it's served with this stir fried coconut with spices sugar salt and everything nice. The rice is grilled nicely and then we eat it with the coconut. With a banana leaf! Here' a photo :D

Looks yummy right! And it's served with banana leaf. Sometimes they're true when simple is delicious. Simple is nice. Yummy right?

Alright I have nothing much to say for today. Looking forward to better days, and I know they will! And here's to my holiday write-up #2

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Holiday write-up #2 - Today I Say Goodbye To Happiness

Today I say goodbye to happiness

As I hope it'll find me tomorrow

Although my heart is filled with sorrow

It's also filled with hope that happiness will find me.

The next day happiness came to me

For a short while, and leave me again

My mind is filled with curiosity, my heart in pain

I don't understand why, it leaves me alone to be

The day after tomorrow, I sat alone

Looked up and see the eternal blue sky

Letting my mind wander to the unknown

But I never fail to wonder why

Why does happiness leave me again?

As I was alone, with only the wind with me

Happiness came and sit beside me, smiling

I looked at him, thinking how cunning he can be

Then he put his hand over my shoulder whispering

"You can't find me, and I won't come to you"

"But you create me, out of you"

And he left me once more, joining the wind

Perhaps someone else, has created him somewhere

Then I stood up and gave a big smile

One smile I've never made in a long while

The sun was shining, and the wind was blowing

The grass was dancing, and insects singing

And I walked home feeling happy

For I realised a great lesson sadness has taught me

And a great gift happiness has given me

For we don't find happiness, nor they find us

For we create happiness, for ourselves and others

Inception

 Sunset at West Coast Park. Gotta love the colour

Hello! Sorry for not blogging the past two days. Anyway here I am back in my hometown for my holiday :D Currently writing this inside my room, on my bed again. I lied. It's not 1145 PM now but 1:12 AM. But nevertheless I wanna write this post as of Sunday so... Too bad! :P

Anyway today was alright I guess. Went to my dad's garden in the afternoon. It was damn misty! Like seriously, you can see the mists moving in, and then disappearing. And then moving in again. It was slightly drizzling and it was quite cold I suppose. But bearable. Somehow seeing and witnessing all these reminds me of my Kinabalu days... When mists would just come and shroud us, and then clearing, and then coming.

Those were the good old days we had! :)

I guess memories are well, just another place for us to escape from this reality. At least I have the memories with me. And whenever I need to go, I'll just visit them again.

What am I talking about?

Nevertheless... I think I should start on my holiday write-ups once again. I think it's a great way to fill my holiday up. I'm not sure what else to write. Maybe random short stories, or things about me, or my thoughts on things. I don't know. But well here goes my first write up!

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Holiday write-up #1 - 10 things you may not know about me

#1 I collect post cards
Yes I collect post cards - from other countries and also from locals such as those you get in Frolick shops (Zo cards) and magazines, and airplanes, and art exhibitions and museums. But I'm a collector of postcards from overseas. That's -the- thing right haha.

#2 I listen to "weird" songs
As much as I love classical music, I'm an avid fan of post-rock songs too. And chilout songs. I listen to artists you've never heard before. And I'm really proud of that.

#3 I keep a diary
As much as I love blogging, I do keep a diary too. It's a platform where I have a conversation with only myself. Which is good. And I start writing one from 2010!

#4 I don't like to watch soccer
I love to play soccer, I enjoy watching people playing soccer, but I know nuts about the soccer from TV. So.. Please don't ask me that haha. I watch world cup though, somehow.

#5 I collect notebooks
I love notebooks. Really love them. I have this fetish for them which I'm trying to control. Like really not sure why but take me to a notebook shop and I might end up buying one. Just cause I love it. I love simple notebooks. The simpler the better!

#6 I have fetishes for weird things like:
I have fetishes for: Notebooks, paper bags, cups, mugs, kitchen accessories, photo prints, typographs, music CDs. When it comes to photography, I love taking photos of: Road signs, random markings on walls, basically, RANDOM things.

#7 I prefer tea than coffee
I don't mind yin-yang iced. But if you gave me teh-o and kopi-o I'll go for teh. And I don't mind Starbucks. Yes yes I'm so choosy :P

#8 I love to write and to cook
Yup, I fell in love with writing from English. And I like to cook. And warning: I cook weird stuff too. But edible trust me.

#9 I dream of going to countries you'll go "what?!"
I want to go to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Iceland, Morocco, Mongolia and many more.

#10 Trust me, my thoughts and views can be really weird
But that's who I am :)

Yup! There are more things but well let's just keep it to 10 I guess. More write ups coming! See ya :D May my days here be better and better!

Hello holiday

Hi everyone! Currently at gate A17 once more, waiting for my flight to take off. Apparently there's a delay so well nevermind! Got chance to blog then I suppose~ Anyway yup I'm going back tonight, for a very long time! About 1.5 months, it's the semestral holiday after all. Hopefully throughout these 1.5 months I'll get the chance to rejuvenate and enjoy myself. This year 2 has been one hell of a ride! Haha.

But anyway today was ooh quite a tiring day. I travelled a lot from here and there. And well to put it in one way is... I feel very psychologically tired, if there's such a term. Not really physically tired. But nevertheless well it's over! And I'm on my way home so no harm :)

Anyway just to put a list of things I hope to do this holiday:

- Decorate my room (all photos printed etc!)
- Take more photos (praying for good weather)
- Do a timelapse (tripod checked!)
- EXERCISE (I've always failed in this one but lets see...)
- Eat and enjoy! (Miss my hometown food :/)
- Do my "projects" which consist of both videos and photography
- Write more poems (target: 2 per week?)
- Write more
- Compose more songs
- Play a new piece perhaps
- Relax and rejuvenate myself
- HAVE FUN! :)

Yup I guess this is the rough list of the things I want to do. Hopefully can do everything, or even more :D

But anyway. This is the last holiday of my year 2. I'll be starting year 3 really soon. And year 3 - ITP for 7 months. Hmm interesting. Time really flies huh. Somehow I sort of remember the past holidays I've been going to. Not vividly but patches of its memories are there with me. Then when I tracked back the time of that holiday, I realised it's been a very long time! Like in year 1 or so.

Just take my Inner Mongolia OCIP as an example. It's been about 5 months since the trip. And yet I feel like it's just... 3 months ago? I realised that poly50 took place in October and somehow I feel it happened in December or something like that :O My KK trip is too recent, so I can still "keep track" of the time heh.

But well yeah, these journeys have been really awesome. As I said in my last 2 posts, year 2 was tough in terms of academic journeys. But at the same time it's the year I learnt the most. And well year 2 was also the "best" aesthetically. I did lots of things, I ventured to many different journeys which I truly loved. And I realise it's really the right move for me to do all these (KK, Inner Mongolia, Korea etc) because honestly speaking now, it's kinda too late.

Imagine if I were not to have gone for this trip. I'll start my 7 months ITP in April which will end in November. And it'll just be too late for me to accomplish these trips in year 3 alone! Well hopefully I can go for one or two more last trips before I graduate. I'm eyeing on KK Advance trip to Nepal. And perhaps just one more OCIP trip. Because I really enjoyed my previous one (Green Desert 2011 September).

But well, the journey will only be as fun with the people I went with right :P But anyway new people, new friends, new exposure, new friendships! :)

All in all, year 3 is our last year in poly. So to those year 3s out there, now it's the only chance for us to do the things "we could have done in the last 2 years". It will be harder to accomplish with FYP, exams, ITPs and etc. But if you got the chance, do seize it. Don't graduate and regret for not doing the things you could have done. We only have one life! :)

As for me... Well those are my plans for my 3rd year. Others include having an awesome ITP, maybe taking up a class or something like that, and there are more which well I shall not list here cause it's quite long.

It's my decision to enter the polytechnic route, so I'll make sure it ends well! :)

Alright I guess that's all for now. My flight should be flying off real soon so yup, see ya back in my hometown! Really hope I can have an awesome and rejuvenating holiday back in my hometown. Praying for fine weather so that I can take awesome photos (sunsets!!!) and take a timelapse hopefully. Alright see ya! And Have an awesome holiday too :)

Six years

Six years is the length of our friendship. Of the length of how Jeslyn, Ade, Neal and I met back in secondary one. Yup, it's 2006 when I first entered Tanglin. And for 6 years, they're the closest friends I still hang out with. We would meet for at least in once every three or at least 6 months. Well I still do meet up with others but well, they're the real close friends I still keep in touch in the past 6 years even though we've graduated.

Then Weiqi and Meng Fung joined along. And we're good friends since.

Six years ago, we're still in short pants. We're still kids who just left our primary schools. We were still deemed as strangers. We don't know each other well etc. That was six years ago.

Six years ago, we're still in short pants. And six years later, today, we sent Neal off to serve his National Service. We've all grown up and we're no longer the kids we used to be six years back. It's quite scary and amazing at the same time how fast time flew by right in front of our eyes. But well, if 6 years went by quickly, I'm sure two years will too. So hang in there my friend.

I wish you all the very best for your NS life. I'm sure you will tremendously gain something from it.

Memories are always funny. I could still vividly remember the first day of my sec one life. How I entered Tanglin, the first few people I talked to - LTY, Joel, Kris (who got transferred to 1E3 then haha) and Neal. The random days that would pop out by itself in my head. The first day of my 3E1 life. Where Ade, Jes, Neal and I sat at the same table and Mrs Lee found out we're from the same class.

Six years it has been since I entered Tanglin, and 2 years since I've graduated from that school. Many memories made, stories written, chapters sealed and journeys ventured. Amazingly in one way or another, I sometimes couldn't believe how fast these 6 years just flew by right in front of my eyes, beneath my breath. The real good friend I made since sec one is now serving his national service.

Today was well quite an emo day for me. I know this goodbye is just a temporary one. But just remembering the days we once had back in Tanglin, when I still remember we always talk about going NS. And now, he's really going there. It made me think again that well, life is indeed one beautiful journey. A wonderful one. You meet people along the way, and a bond is created. Some bonds last while others dissipates. But well, a bond is still made.

Today it made me think.

It dawned upon me when....

Innocence

 And the sun sets over West Coast

Today was another great day I suppose! :) Well it's a normal day that ended nicely I suppose. Supposed to "wake up early" and catch the sunset but apparently it's not working, AGAIN, so I slept till (supposedly 9) 1045 and woke up! Need to head to school to pass Charmaine her nail clipper which I STUPIDLY FORGOT TO BRING!!! Damn pissed with myself. I'm so dumb urggghh.

Anyway I'll be meeting her again on Friday to pass it :)

So met Candy in Clementi first before we headed to WCP to print our photos! Actually I hadn't chosen my photos yet. But since I arrived in Clementi one hour earlier, I sat down in Starbucks and chose my photos ^^ so we headed to WCP and well... Waited for a really long time before we got the chance to tell the printing lady what we wanted. And she's... Really... In a bad mood.

Not sure if it's the Wednesday blues, the that-time-of-the-month, the busy hours, the fatigue perhaps. But well she was just... I don't know. Grumpy and seems like in a bad mood. But anyway, thanks the the patient us, we were just laughing it off. So Candy decided to be nice to her, we smiled, we laughed and when we came to the shop to find out that our prints were not done we just smile and say "no problem we'll walk around first".

So we went to: Gong Cha, Nike outlet, Cold Storage, Fish mart, walk the whole WCP and when we came back, she was still left with my print (which ended up failing so I cancelled) and we just joked around with her telling her that we walked finish the whole WCP and we have nowhere to go! With a smile and laughter of course. And well believe it or not, the grumpy and bad mood lady SMILED!

Well I guess yeah. People, start smiling and make this world a better place. As Buddha said, happiness never decreases by being shared, like how a candle could light up thousands of other candles without getting its life shortened. I guess by sharing our happiness to other people, and well just smile and yeah be happy. Others will be happy in one way or another too.

But I'm sure it'll all be a different story when we're pressed for time. Today we're really free so we didn't mind waiting. But well... Yeah. Anyway we got all the photos and we left WCP happy :)

I decided to go to West Coast Park to catch the sunset. Candy followed me to take her bus home from there but we ended up playing the flying fox! Hahaha. It was so funny we're all screaming here and there like little kids once more. We climbed the spider web, went down the slide. Play this turn turn thing which Candy fell down on her butt and we both got so dizzy. We're just like kids again!

Then we went to the beach to catch the sunset.... Which failed cause just as we reached there the sun was hiding behind this thick cloud -.- but nevertheless I got some awesome shots! thankfully I brought my ND filter. Somehow my photos look nicer there :P Well not like those super awesome ND where the sea looks like a mist, in fact mine failed (is it fake? :/) but well still nice.

And we headed for Mac for dinner. It was really fun spending the evening out at WCP, and we talked lots of crap haha. But well at the end of the day, it's just a reminder for me that no matter how much we've grown up, how much time had went by, how old we are, there's still a part of us that remains as a child. Be it our cheekiness. Or our jokes. Or well, this interesting thing about playgrounds that make us excited.

And we headed home, and that's all for today :)

Well... Tomorrow, a really good friend of mine for the past 6 years will be serving his country. 6 years ago we're still in short pants and well soon, he'll be in his army uniform. Time flies huh.

When loneliness, gives me happiness

Whew today... Was kind of a failed day. But at the same time it's a really... Happy day for me! Anyway why failed - I'm supposed to go to Punggol Beach for a sunrise shot. Well I DID WAKE UP but... I looked at the window and it was damn cloudy. So I was thinking nahh not a nice day to take sunrise shot. So I went back to sleep! (Y). But anyway yeah I slept again and woke up at 12. Oh what a wonderful day.

Anyway I was really lazing around from 12 to 3. Then somehow somewhat... I have this weird, unexplainable and cool urge of going somewhere. Just go somewhere, anywhere. Just get out of my house. So with a steady gut and this unexplainable urge, I took my bag, took my water bottle, a notebook, a pen and my camera. And I headed to... Labrador Park!

Why Labrador Park? Cause I want to explore something new, somewhere I've never been before.

And here it is. I will explain to you my little adventure today. All of these words were written as accordingly during my small adventure. Lets go!

  4:00 PM - Urge to go somewhere

Currently at bus 7 on my way to Holland Village. I've decided to go to Labrador Park. Not sure why but I just have the urge to go somewhere than rotting at home. For a little taste of adventure, I've decided to go somewhere new, somewhere unexplored by me.

4:16 PM - Buona Vista Interchange

Will take me around 13 minutes to reach Labrador Park. I really don't know what to expect there but hopefully will take some nice shots. And hopefully my time will be enough. 1.5 hours should be ample huh?

4:23 PM - Haw Par Villa

I guess life can be depicted as a train ride. People come, people go. But the train journey still goes on. Some go to the same destination while others different. And at one point of you future train journeys, they will come into the same train you take again.

4:56 PM - Labrador Park

After walking for about 16 minutes from the MRT, I've finally reached the beack (or the park). They need more directions. I'm sorry. Was feeling quite lost but nevertheless I found it! So yup. It's a nice place for a walk and dating cause it's very tranquil. But less for group outings. Exploring new places is always fun. I better get going so see you!

 

5:31 PM - The end of an adventure

Currently sitting on this walkway facing the beach. In front of me lies Sentosa and the slow, moving, crashing waves. The wind is blowing, cooling off my body. I guess this is the end of my little adventure at Labrador Park. a new place explored, a new bliss discovered and felt. I'm still not sure what made me go here, when it's just this urge that pushed me to do all of these. Walking and exploring this new place alone was really fin. I guess it's true that loneliness, gives me happiness.

Yup so I guess that's all for my "little adventure" at Labrador Park! I know it's quite weird and sudden. It's quite... "unusual" for someone to explore new places alone. It's weird for someone to have the urge to go somewhere. Just go somewhere. Well now I do have that urge, and it's really one of the best feelings ever! I'm serious. It feels weird and unexplainable but honestly speaking, it's an awesome feeling.

And the times I had exploring Labrador Park alone, walking along the beach, shooting the photos, enjoying the sea breeze. Everything. Was really awesome. It feels pretty surreal and just great to spend some times alone. It feels like you're coming back to yourself, it feels like the whole world belongs to you. There's an unexplainable sense of freedom you get. And most importantly, a sense of joy. Just pure joy.

Genuine happiness at its best.

We all tend to enjoy others' company with us. But most of the time we forget that we, too, need time to ourselves. Just spending time alone. I don't mean to things like eating dinner alone, or going to school alone. What I mean is - you, choosing yourself to be alone. Sometimes we have "no choice" to be alone. But sometimes when YOU choose to be alone. There's this joy that no one else but you can feel. Pretty lovely.

Not saying we should be alone all the time. Just saying it's important for us to spend some times alone. Not being "forced" to be alone. But your will.

But as the song goes, anyway, we're all alone in this world haha.