Oh Merlin.

After 5 years, Merlin concluded it's run on the 24th December 2012. I started watching Merlin because I have always been interested in the Arthurian legends. Another factor is that it involves magic. I'm a sucker for any narrative that includes magic, especially when the world it inhabits is rich with characters and conflicts that I am invested in. Which is why it pains me to know that there will never be any new Merlin episodes with the cast and characters that I have grown to love.

Throughout its run, I have occasionally been let down and was upset with the show. I ultimately forgave it and trusted that the writers knew what they were doing. However, this changed. Drastically. After watching the finale episode I'm left with a very bitter feeling. I have never been so upset with a final episode than I have "The Diamond of the Day". The episode came in two parts, and it's the second part that makes me very close to regret ever watching Merlin.

Hence, the remainder of this post will be full of rants that I need to let out.

= WARNING, SPOILERS AHEAD!! =

The battle that was constantly spoken of throughout the season finally occurred and man did I love the resolution of it. Merlin appeared (as an old man) and defeated the Saxons with lighting. That's right, lighting. He killed everyone in the vicinity of Arthur, and ordered the dragon away. It was epic, and nearly everything I imagined and wanted. If only he got Mordred... but then the prophecy wouldn't have been fulfilled.

Speaking of Mordred, he was a character who's role in Arthur's death was so hyped that when the reason behind his motivation was revealed, it felt quite weak. It was too sudden and all because of a girl? Sigh. If only Mordred witnessed Arthur's leniency and his offer to allow Kara to save herself. Arthur shouldn't be blamed for her death, she chose it after all. As for Arthur and Mordred's battle... it was such a disappointment. The only thing I can say is at least Mordred died. So much wasted potential when it came to Mordred and his character development was so so weak.

[I was also expecting Kilgharrah (Great Dragon) and Aithusa to battle it out, like the legends. But that never happened.]

Merlin: Why do  you want to do this?
Gwaine: Same reason as you. To help a friend.
Merlin: Arthur's lucky to have us.
Gwaine: Not Arthur.

A character that I quite liked died in this episode, for no apparent really except to add onto the pain. Gwaine was a great character and I loved him the minute he was introduced. He and Merlin hit it off immediately and remained quite close throughout the series.  I always felt that he was supposed to have a more important and prominent role in Merlin's life, but he was regulated to being just a Camelot knight. He was like a replacement for Lancelot, who sacrificed himself for Merlin (I cry inside because of Lancelot's death. HE DIDN'T HAVE TO DIE YOU STUPID WRITERS!!). I thought that Merlin was supposed to share with Gwaine his secret, but it never happened. Not only because they were close, but because of Gwaine's knowledge of magic. He would've been a fine confidant who would've accepted Merlin's magic quite easily. What a waste of potential...not to mention the waste of potential bromance.

Back to the  point, why on earth did Gwaine have to die? His death was due to his desire to kill Morgana, but was killed instead. As the scene unfolded before my eyes, I just couldn't stop thinking how stupid it all was. Gwaine isn't stupid. He knows that Morgana is a powerful sorceress. So what chance of survival did he have against her? I reckon that this was just the writer's way to let Morgana know where Arthur is. It's just too contrived to believe that Gwaine would be stupid enough to track down Morgana. Also, for Gwaine to die believing that he failed Merlin and Arthur? That's just horrible.

Now Morgana. How anti-climatic was her death? Killed by the sword forged from a dragon's breath. For 3 seasons, Morgana has managed to evade death. Her magic has gotten so powerful that she is acknowledged as a High Priestess and yet she was killed so simply and easily. If she was going to die by a sword, why didn't it happen earlier? Because we were expecting a full blown magical battle between her and Merlin! To finally settle who is the strongest and will be the last to survive (like Harry Potter and Voldemort!) I was also expecting a heated conversation between the two, but no. I got nothing. Like I said, very very anti-climatic.

Arthur: Why are you doing this? Why are you still behaving like a servant?
Merlin: It's my destiny. As it has been since the day we met. I do this, because of who  you are. Without you, Camelot's nothing.
Arthur: There was a time when that was true. Not now.
Merlin: There will never be another like you Arthur. I also do this, because you're my friend and I don't want to lose you.

Throughout the series, we are repeatedly reminded that Merlin's destiny is to serve and aid Arthur to unite the Five Kingdoms to become Albion. It is implied that magic will be able to roam free and be accepted once more. BUT THE SHOW F**KING KILLS ARTHUR OFF. HE DIES. SO YEAH. ALL THAT IS GONE. I feel so cheated because Arthur's death marks the end to any of the "prophecies" that's been foretold ever happening. Especially because throughout the years, I've been waiting for the day Arthur and Merlin unite the lands and for him to accept Merlin's magic. For Merlin to finally be recognised for what he is and live without fear of being persecuted. For Merlin to officially be Arthur's advisor and fulfil the other stories part of the Arthurian legends.

Consequently, I'm supposed to believe that the unification and acceptance of magic occurs off screen (through Gwen and probably Gaius). WELL SCREW YOU SHOW.  Which just reminds me, I only found out that Merlin was ending at season 5 half way through the show. After the news, I was seriously upset at the show because it had wasted episodes on stupid, meaningless stories. Who cares about Gwen turning evil for four freaking episodes when there's limited time to explore Merlin and Arthur's friendship when tested with the truth? Bromance over romance any day, especially when I dislike the romance to begin with. (It was seriously out of no where, and I thought they were like brother and sister more than lovers.)

But really, did Arthur really have to die (how the hell did a fragment of Mordred's sword manage to snap off and embed itself in Arthur's chest)? Was travelling to Avalon the only way to save him?  There have been objects introduced such as "The Cup of Life" that triumphs death. Or the healing powers of a dragon's breath, which was demonstrated in the final episode of season 4. Oh hell, couldn't Merlin use his magic? He IS the "most powerful sorcerer to ever live". How can a sword, even if forged from a dragon's breath, be a trial for Merlin? He's saved others from worse and dire fates than that! Also, if Avalon really was the only way to save Arthur's wound, couldn't Merlin have called for Kilgharrah (Great Dragon) to fly them  there and save time? He is a Dragonlord after all. Another mystery is why Kilgharrah placed Merlin and Arthur at the edge of Avalon, COULDN'T HE BLOODY PLACED THEM AT AVALON?! AND NOT TALK JUST SO MERLIN CAN DO HIS MAGIC?! ARGGGHHH. THEY NEVER WANTED ARTHUR TO LIVE!!

Anyway. the only scenes that redeems the show are those between Merlin and Arthur. They were poignant and beautiful, and I couldn't ask for more. Arthur's reaction to learning of Merlin's magic was realistic, and watching him accept and be thankful for it was wonderful. To watch him see what Merlin does for him on a daily basis was heart wrenching, especially when he realised just how important it really was. See, this is what I wanted more of. More time spent on Arthur's acceptance of Merlin's magic and one day bringing magic back to Camelot. But no, the stupid show only gave me 30 minutes worth of it.

Finally, the last few minutes of the episode really pained me to watch. To see Merlin as an old man, probably more than a thousand years old, roaming around waiting for Arthur's return was just heartbreaking. By then, he would've lost his best friend, his mentor and anyone he cared for. Since he is magic itself, it's not hard to believe that he is immortal. But with immortality comes the pain of living and losing all your dear ones. I just don't want to believe that Merlin's had to endure that by himself, waiting for someone who will probably never come. I hate you writers. (I also thought the scene was stupid and unnecessary the more I thought about it...)

Also, did Merlin ever return to Camelot? His friend is gone and there really isn't anything holding him there anymore. He might have travelled back to say farewell to Gaius and Gwen, but Camelot holds no meaning to him without Arthur. *cries* My poor heart. I can't take this anymore.

Another thing I keep wondering is just how powerful is Merlin? Touted as the most powerful sorcerer to ever live, I was never quite sure of his magical capabilities. It frustrated me to no end when he could do some healing spells in one episode but disregard them in another. It just made me believe that the writers purpose of doing that is so that any human that finds out about Merlin's magic can conveniently die. Also, can't Merlin like...apparate? Sorry, Harry Potter term. Um, can't Merlin disappear and appear in any location he desires? Seriously, what kind of powers does Merlin have?!

I chalk up all my frustration to the writers for their inconsistencies (seriously, what I've listed are but a few ways that Arthur's life could be save) and decision to ignore simple logic. Such bad, crappy writing. Another quibble I have with the writers is that they've deviated from the Arthurian legends for so long, why chose to follow it for the finale? WHY BITCHES WHY!?! Why not make another season to tie up all the loose ends and give me more Merlin and Arthur? BBC even offered you a sixth season but you declined, saying that you know how the end will unfold. BUT YOU DIDN'T, DID YOU?! Hardly any storyline was tied up and everything was rushed! I'm making sure to steer clear from this writing team from now on. I can't live through another messed up nearly perfect show like Merlin ever again. I just can't.

Good old Killester

I'm pretty sure most people have heard the story. On October the 31st Tina and I had a very long Facebook chat, it was our way of procrastinating. The conversation started out with us complaining about our brothers' schools and how unsatisfied we are with them. One thing lead to another, and I convinced Tina to write a letter to Mr Black since he did teach us in year 10, and was supposedly our other homeroom teacher. (She originally intended to send it to Ms Di Stefano)

Below is the letter that she sent.

Hello Mr Black!!

How are you?

Not sure if you remember me, but I'm Tina Te, from class of 2010.

Just dropping an email because Sophia Nguyen and I have had a moment somewhat close to an epiphany.

We have realised (two years after graduating), how lucky we are to be females, and to have attended Killester. This is in addition to how much we enjoyed our Killester experience already. But now that our younger brothers have entered high school, we've realised that there's just no male high school that is comparable to Killester. We are most grateful to have spent 6 years with great teachers, a positive environment, and low school fees.

I don't think we're alone in this mindset. There are probably many other graduates who have also reached this conclusion. However, I hope this message is passed onto all teachers, that there are students (albeit, past) that do recognise and acknowledge all the extra effort Killester staff have put into the school community, to really make it stand out amongst the rest.
Furthermore, this positive attitude from every teacher comes so naturally that we were both actually under the impression that every school was like this. Now from our brothers' experiences at school, we've found out that we are the lucky ones and that Killester really is a gem of a school.

Thank you to all teachers again, past and present. You're still being thought of by Killester alumni, as creepy as that sounds.

From ex-Killester student, class of 2010,
Tina Te

PS. Sophia wants to add that the last time she visited Killester, she couldn't find you. We may be visiting again soon :D

Amazingly enough, we've gotten replies from teachers. However, I'm still pressed that they all spelt my name wrong. They spelt it as Sofia. I wouldn't have mind if the replies were from teacher who didn't know me...but the replies were all from teachers who have previously taught me. So yeah, quite pressed (and that's not even considering the fact that Tina spelt my name right).

Last Sunday, to my surprise, my cousin informed me that the letter was published in the Killester weekly newspaper. She was in disbelief at first, but when I confirmed that I was indeed involved, she was embarrassed.Very embarrassed.

Tomorrow will be the day that I visit good old Killester with Tina, Sophie, Lisa, JP and Alyssa. I really can't wait to return. Although I visited the school not too long ago, I only managed to catch a few teachers (among them was Mr McBride). Unfortunately, I've learnt since then that Mr McBride is leaving and Mr Kupsch will also depart next year.

Just thinking about them leaving makes me sad. They were one of my favourite teachers. They were both very interesting people and had so much life and spirit. They really enjoyed teaching and I can honestly say they're one of the few teachers who I'll remember fondly for the rest of my life. Funnily enough, both teachers taught me RE.

Of course, I'm looking forward to stalking down my other teachers. It's just Mr McBride, Mr Kupsch and Mr Black (lol) are at the top of the list. Can't wait! Hehe~

I can see the future...

[originally posted on 7th November]

Definitely going to catch more sunsets~

....and it looks very productive.

Below is a list of things that I'm planning to do after the season of hell is over. It's always during this period of time that I want to give up, especially since I'm not particularly enjoying any of the subjects I'm studying. Every day is so bleak that I end up thinking of the bliss that's to follow. The list below is far from complete, so I'll probably update it periodically.

• Organise university notes into folders that I will buy from DAISO/Officeworks
• Wear my earrings more often
• Delete contacts on my phone
• Save up my money for possible trip with friends
• Prepare work for Jimmy to do during the holidays
• Make chapter tests for Jimmy 
• Prepare Jimmy for the Melbourne High test
• Time and Encode Eun Ji and Seo In Guk on GO Show
• Time and Encode Eun Ji and Seo In Guk on Mnet Mcountdown BTS
• Buy more photo albums
• Sort out family photos 
• Sort through wardrobe and donate anything I don't wear anymore
• Maybe create a second batch of letters that will go unanswered
• Finish reading Jane Eyre
• Finish reading The Time Traveller's Wife
• Visit the local library more often
• Organise external hard drives
• Sort through useless files on computer
• Format computer to Windows 7
• Catch up with Detective Conan - anime and manga
• Catch up with other neglected manga like Goong, The Bride of the Water God, Dengeki Daisy
• Catch up with Once Upon a Time, How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory, Merlin, Revenge, 2 Broke Girls, NCIS, White Collar
• Finish watching Bu Bu Jing Xin, Nice Guy, Arang and the Magistrate, To the Beautiful You, Rooftop Prince, King 2 Heart, Papadol,  Rich Man Poor Woman, A Gentleman's Dignity, Shut Up Flower Boy Band, Biscuit Teacher Star Candy, Flower Boy Ramyun Shop, Queen In-hyun’s Man
• Start watching I Miss You, Full House Take 2, Vampire Prosecuter 1 + 2
• Invest in two new external hard drive - one for me, one for the family photos and videos
• Learn how to drive
• Attempt to write in my journal everyday (again)
• Finish sorting out my junk boxes
• Continue with scrap book
• Buy more scrap book paper and stickers
• Explore a new suburb
• Go to the beach and build sandcastles
• Touch up my resume
• Try to find a job 
• Get a job
  
• Re-enrol for university
• Figure out what I want to do at university next year, career counselling?
• Prepare for the GAMSAT
• Stay out later 
• Start on project #2 
• Learn to cook a new dish at least once every two weeks
• Try to see Anna and Kim at least once every two weeks
• Catch up with someone at least once a week
• High tea or classy buffet with Yen, Karen and Sophie before she leaves
• Yumcha with Kim and Anna
• Visit Killester with Tina, Lisa, Sophie. JP and Alyssa with personally made cupcakes
• Lunch with Sandra and Cameron
• Lunch with Vania and Nicholas (getting my memo back! yay~)
• Coffee/lunch/shopping spree with Karen and Andrew
• Coffee date with Karen and Tony
• Have a belated birthday lunch/dinner with Tuyen
• LAN party with Kim, Karen and Alyssa 
• Stalk Winnie down so she can write in my memo book
• Stalk down Peter or Edward for my memo book
• Hang out with Tina, Connie and Ryan
• 1000 Steps with Tina, Julie, Amanda and Theresa  
• 1000 Steps with Karen, Ron, Yen and JP

Why I hate going to the dentist/braces

• My teeth hurts after a session and the food I can eat is very limited.
• Food gets stuck on my braces, so I spend quite some time (using my tongue or toothpick) to make sure it gets removed. No one wants to see me talking with food on my braces do they? :P
• I wake up with my teeth biting my tongue. 
• Sometimes I have to pay $300-500 for a session, which means I'm very poor for the rest of the month. Which is alright considering the limited food I can eat...
• I have developed a sensitive gag reflex. 
• When a new helper (probably on work placement) gets involved with my teeth. My gums have suffered so much at their hands.
• My mouth is repeatedly clawed by the wires as they try to re-adjust after being re-wired.
• I constantly know what blood in my mouth tastes.
• My toothbrushes die fast.
• When my dentist is sick and continuely makes mistakes. He gets agitated and my poor teeth are the victim for his anger outlet. 
• When my dentist has a hard time re-wiring my braces because my mouth is small. He constantly sighs and yanks just that little harder.
• I fear for my teeth and believe that there's a high chance of them falling out due to the strength my dentist applies why he yanks at them.

Introducing my new celebrity crush

LIN GENG XIN

DBSK - Love in the Ice

This will never not be funny to me. Here's a proper version of them singing live.

Answer Me, 1997 - an opinion piece

This will be the first time I've ever tried something like this. Bascially, I'm going to take some screencaps (probably make some GIFs) as I re-watch Answer Me, 1997. At the same time, I'll jot down some dot points that I probably want to further write upon. It's not a proper recap because I'll only be focusing on Yoon Jae and Shi Won. So, here it goes.

Note: This will be an ongoing piece. I can't be bothered writing about all the episodes in one go.

Episode titles taken from subtitles/dramabeans.
________________________________________________________________________

OLD GADGETS I FIND.



DDR, pager, CRT television, VHS tapes. ________________________________________________________________________

A Lover's Concerto

Answer Me, 1997

Finsihed watching the second last episode (ONE MORE EPISODE TO GO!!! *CRIES*) and there was a kiss in the preview. Guess who GIF-ed it :D

EDIT:
I've said it once, and I'll say it again. I'm obsessed with this drama. Here's another video I decided to sub. Sigh, if only someone could sub their variety show appearances. They're too long for me to do.


EDIT (16/09): Got some more subbed videos! This time, I used Aegisub instead of Subtitle Workshop. I never bothered with Aegisub cause it looked so bloody hard to learn. I got the basics down, just gotta get better at it now :D


EDIT (17/09):

Jay Chou - Faraway

I was organising my folders and found this.

The moment I heard this song, I knew I had fallen in love. It's a beautiful piece and it's these types of songs (Faraway, Hair Like Snow etc) that makes me love Jay Chou. I haven't been listening to him in recent years and I attribute that to his music experiments. I like the fact that he's trying to develop himself as an artist, but I firmly believe that these songs best showcase his talents.

Amazing how after all these years, I can still sing to this.

JJ Lin - Still Moving Under Gunfire

Answer Me, 1997 - Behind the Scenes

This drama owns me. I've already re-watched the aired episodes at least 5 times. That's quite significant when you factor in how easily I lose interest in K-dramas these days. Anyway, I decided to sub a video for the drama fans out there, and thought I should post it here too.

Guy Sebastian - Battle Scars (feat. Lupe Fiasco)

Mali in the City

Common pictures that have shown up on my 365 Project blog are elephant sculptures. For a while, I've wondered why elephants are starting to populate the city, and here's the answer.

A spectacular exhibition featuring fifty life-sized painted elephant sculptures inspired by Mali, the Zoo's first Asian Elephant calf, to celebrate Melbourne Zoo's 150th Anniversary in 2012.

Mali is an ambassador for many species facing extinction. She represents Zoos Victora's commitment to fighting the extinction of threatened species in Australia and overseas.

Zoos Victoria works with our community to reduce the threats that humans pose to wildlife. We have madea commitment to ensure that no more Victorian land-based species will go extinct on our watch.

Credit: Plaque

Total Mali elephants: 50 (Part I, II & III)
Amount that I've spotted: 8

42 more elephants to find? CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

Answer Me, 1997

I am currently obsessed with the adorable drama that is "Answer Me, 1997 (Reply, 1997)."

Here's a summary of the drama thanks to dramabeans. And for anyone interested, here's the link to the recaps.

The throwback drama features a group of teenagers who are all 18 years old in the year 1997, and while the story unfolds there, we get a How I Met Your Mother-esque flash-forward, where we meet them all again in 2012, as 33-year old adults. They gather for a small high school reunion dinner, and there, one couple will announce that they’re getting married. We just don’t know which pairing survives the 15-year gap. It’s a fantastic setup, especially for a drama that’s only 8 episodes long.

After the engagement announcement, it is revealed that a second couple has survived the 15-year gap. We just don't know who. But, my bets are on our main leads, Shi-won and Yoon-jae. Since I've been so obsessed with this drama, I've re-watched the episodes released at least 3 times. I've come to notice some details during the flash-forwards which just fuels my OTP love and reassures me that they will end up  together.

(The other contestant for Shi-won's love is Yoon-jae's brother, Tae-woong)

Something that I love about this drama is it's accuracy in re-creating the 90s. I love watching this and being able to point out "I REMEMBER THAT OLD THING!" Another is I am very familiar with the music by the 1997-idols. I grew up with some of them, thanks to my cousins, but they were inactive or broken up when I became their fan. (There's also the issue of just how much was accessible to international fans at that time[1]). Watching this drama allows me to live out something that I missed out on because I was too late and the opportunity just wasn't there. Essentially, it's like I'm living out an alternative version of my childhood.

Words cannot describe just how much I adore this drama. But one main reason is that I firmly believe this is a drama about best friends. The ones that have been with each other all there lives without realising just how compatible or perfect they are for one another. The ones that don't realise that they're halves of a whole. There's just something about best friends getting together that speaks to me. Maybe it's because I've always imagined my boyfriend being my best friend. Or it's because that's how my parents started out. Either way, I'm rooting for Shi-won and Yoon-jae as if my life depended on it.

I have considered what would happen if Shi-won ended up with Tae-woong. I'll probably grudgingly accept it, especially if it's narrative to that conclusion makes sense. But even so, I'll probably be off in my own happy land and pretend that my OTP ended up together and lived happily ever after. I've done it many times before, no reason why I can't do it again.

Below are the "evidence" I've found (or delusioned myself into believing) that suggests Shi-won and Yoon-jae being the end game.

The first three pictures show how Shi-won is eating and sitting next to her is Yoon-jae.
He sees that she's struggling to finish so he lifts the bowl up, making it easier for her.
This is just an example of how Yoon-jae is consistenly sitting by Shi-won's side
and always seen caring for her and watching over her.

The second part shows her friend returning an ultrasound sonogram to Shi-won's husband.
Both Yoon-jae and Tae-woong are putting something back into their pockets.
However, the 5th picture shows that Tae-woong is on the phone.
Which means, to me, he was putting his phone in his pocket.
And Yoon-jae was putting the sonogram away.
Hence, YOON-JAE IS THE HUSBAND!!
WOOT! MY OTP!!
:D

[1] Even now, there is still A LOT of information being kept away from international fans. However, speaking from experience, when something drastic occurs to a certain idol group, some information gets leaked out (i.e 2PM). In most cases, information will reach the international fans years after it was originally released (i.e. DBSK). Most of the time though, the information kept from from international fans is to protect the idol's image. When these idols do something very severe (read, piss fans off), the information may be leaked to further damage the idol. This is just one of the reasons why the relationship between fans and idols are so dysfunctional.

Family Dinner

Last Sunday, my family had an overdue family dinner. After much deliberation, we ended up eating at Gold Leaf because Hoa Tran was too full.  I used the term "overdue" because we used to eat together every Sunday, but changes in our life has made that near impossible.

My father works as a baker, so he works at night and sleeps during the day. My mother works in a bakery, so she works in the early morning till late afternoon. By the time she gets home, she's too tired to do anything. This pretty much explains why my father does all the house work. I help whenever I can.

Whilst my father works everyday, my mother gets a break on Sunday. But even then, our Sundays are usually filled with church and family gatherings at my grandma's house. Knowing this, I tend to leave my Sundays free for my family.

Anywho, during this family dinner, I asked my parents why they never call to check up on me or my sister when we go out with our friends. They reasoned that they've raised us well with a moral compass and know not to get involved with drugs, alcohol etc. When I was younger, I always told my parents the details of my outing - the who, what, where. If I was ever planning on staying later than usual, I would give them a call. Because of this, my parents trust me to be sensible and have faith that I would always do the right thing. They've also met Anna and Kim, with no objections to their characters, so they trust that I've made the "right" sort of friends.

I felt really proud to hear my parents explain all that to me. I've always had a feeling that that was the case, but to hear it out loud was... rewarding. It's not everyday that I get them to say that they're proud of me as a person and who I've become.

Later on during dinner, I asked my father how he met my mother. My mother has told me the story countless times, but I wanted him to tell it to me this time. My siblings and I laughed so badly when he just summed up their meeting, whereas my mother goes into minute details.

According to my father, he knew my mother because they lived in the same neighbourhood and were in the same parish church. Yep. Short and Simple. On the other hand...

According to my mother, my father was mesmerised by her and asked around for her name. After that, they became friends and he would follow her around. She was 13 when this happened. At that time, they both had "fanclubs" or admirers of their own. My father would have a flock of girls waiting outside his house to follow him to school. Unfortunately for them, he only had eyes for my mother hehe~ (Random fact: They had their first kiss at around 20 years old).

From this, my mother deviated and just boasted how good looking my father was back in the day. He paid her the same compliment. Eventually, this lead to her speech about how her kids are just as pretty and handsome because we had such beautiful parents. LOL. This also meant that there are no worries about any of us being switched from birth, since we resemble our parents too much (she watches A LOT of Korean dramas. HAHAHA. This was her way of poking fun at the overuse of kids being switched at birth.)

That's pretty much all I can remember right now.

Bye~

WIKI THIS - Ethnic Slurs

Ethnic Slurs

Junsu - Uncommitted

Letters to No One

The project I've been working on for the past month is writing letters. I've always wanted to start writing letters but I always hesitated. What hindered the progress was fear. Fear of not knowing what to write. Fear of someone other than the recepient reading my private and personal thoughts. And lastly, fear that my letter would go unanswered.

I've had some past experience with letter writing as a child. I wrote while I was in Western Australia to my cousins and I think to Tuyen (I asked my cousins to pass her the letter but they never found her...). Another was when I moved back to Victoria and wrote to maintain the friendships I made. I also wrote to my year 6 teacher who moved to Brisbane.

For a period of time, the letters came regularly but eventually, the waiting time became more spaced out until the inevitable came. It's a pity that I couldn't keep in contact with my friends, but that's just life. Fortunately, due to the rise of social networks, I can be a stalker and be up to date with everyone's lives! YAY! But even with such amazing tools to "quinch" my thirst for stalkerish details, I wanted more. Something that was more intimate. More personal. And well, letters was the obvious answer.

I've always lamented the disapperance of letters and letter writing (probably not as much as the Post Office). I still remember what it's like to check my mail box to find a letter by someone I know, who has taken time from their busy day to write to me. Now a days, I only recieve bills or advertisements.

After some deliberation with myself, I decided to stop lamenting and remincising about the past and plan for the future. I went on an eBay rampage (aka my arts and crafts rampage) to find cute writing paper, envelopes, stickers and most importantly, a wax seal. I would like to blame the wax seal on my recent re-visiting of Pride and Prejudice. I've always wanted one, and now I have one in my possession!

The second part to my project was Hogwarts acceptance letters. I'm a Harry Potter fan. It was part of my childhood and a series that I treasure. Growing up, I was one of those kids that constantly waited for their Hogwarts letter to come, despite being older than 11 years of age. The Hogwarts letter took some time to "make". It wasn't difficult to find a template, the problem was the address for the envelopes. I wanted my letters to be as authentic as possible, but I had trouble describing the location of everyone's bedroom. After much deliberation, I decided against the envelopes. Another factor contributing to this decision was my obstacle of finding the right coloured sized envelopes. Something else I'm unsatisfied with is that they weren't printed with green ink. I just hope that despite the weaknesses it won't ruin the overall affect of receiving a Hogwarts acceptance letter.

In total, I spent about $60 on envelopes, stickers, stamps, inks, sealing wax and the seal. Unfortunately, the stickers, stamp and inks haven't arrived and I just really wanted to finish my first batch of letters. I could always use them for any future letters, right? Still lamenting how I couldn't finish the letters before July 31st so that the Hogwarts letters would be more... fun. 

All letters were delivered by me. On Friday the 10th, I managed to deliver Tuyen's and Sophie's letters. I would've been able to deliever everyone else's if it wasn't because of the bus. I waited for an hour and none of them showed up. By the time it came, the sky was pitch black, and the chances of getting lost trying to find Alyssa's house was pretty high. So on Saturday, I spent 3 hours walking to everyone's house. Forgot my wallet so I couldn't bus it to Keysborough...

I was planning on wrapping the letters with purple tissue paper and a ribbon bow.
It didn't turn out too well so I discarded the idea.
Unfortunately, I didn't have enough of the brown envelopes
so three people got pink envelopes instead~

Letters are inside the envelopes and are sealed.
If it's broken, your letter has been tampered with!

A close up shot of the seal with the initial S.
The first couple of seals didn't come out well.
But I eventually got the hang of it!

A glimpse of the Hogwarts acceptance letters.

Everything bundled up and ready to be delivered.

Marcel Nguyen

Watching the Olympics was worth it cause I discovered...

Hehe, I even changed my favicon to him :D

LINHee's 365 DAYS

I've always wanted to do the 365 Day Project. I started it twice in high school but I never really took them seriously because a camera was never readily available. Most people I know are using the app on iPhone/iPod. Unfortunately, my iPod does not have a camera and therefore, I must settle for creating my own blog exclusively made for a picture I shall take everyday.

I contemplated between using Tumblr or Blogspot but eventually settled with Blogspot. Though Tumblr would be more ideal, I use blogger more.

Cosmetics

If there's one cosmetic that I indulge myself in, it would be nail polish. Unlike it's peers, I actually know how to use it, albiet not quite professionally. It comes in a wide range of colours and are inexpensive. They last for some time and have not damaged my nails, yet.

I think one of the reasons why I like nail polish so much is because I don't use any other cosmetic. Nail polish makes me feel a little bit prettier and girlier. I'm sure that they can be achieved through the use of eyeliner, mascara, foundation, concealer and blush, but I'm most comfortable with nail polish. Plus, I don't really think I need eyeliner and mascara since I wear glasses. Doubt you can see it with them on. Likewise, I have naturally pink cheeks so blush isn't really needed. I do get pimples from time to time, and using foundation or concealer would just make it worse. 

Sigh, I wish my collection was more extensive.

CHALLENGE: DO SOMETHING NEW EACH MONTH

The January Edition;
CHALLENGE o4: Strawberry Picking
Together with Tuyen, we went strawberry picking! We originally wanted to go cherry picking but they weren't in season.

So on one of the hottest days of summer, we travelled to the strawberry farm just to pick some strawberries. The total travel time was around 2 hours, but we were only hunchbacked for about 30 minutes. Since it was towards the end of the strawberry season and we arrived in the afternoon, there wasn't much good looking ones left. But when we did find them, boy did I treasure them.

Despite my belief that I could eat as I picked, it was kind of hard to do. Strawberries are grown on soil, duh, so it was quite dusty and quite unhygienic. I also told Tuyen to bring her straw hat cause I was bringing mine. When she saw what I had for a straw hat, she swore she'll disown me as a friend if I wore it. What's wrong with my awesome Vietnamese straw hat?

Now for the little reflective piece at the end.

I wonder how farmers are able to do this for a living. It's a lot of hard work and despite it being a good work out, my back was aching quite a bit. I know that on the day, I complained about the weather and wanted to go another day, but farmers don't have that option. Their livelihood is reliant on Mother Nature's mood, and hell does she have one heck of a mood swing.

This got me thinking about my farmer friends back in Western Australia. I hope they're doing well.

Dramaland

I try so hard to be committed to my dramas, but there comes a time when

1. Nothing makes sense anymore or the same plot points are being used again and again. It feels like the drama is making me cry/sad/angst just for the sake of it.
2. Drama extensions that aren't needed. If you don't have enough material for a 16 episode drama, what makes you think adding 2 or 4 more episodes will help?
3. I can't relate to any of the characters. If I can't root for you, then there's seriously something wrong because that means I don't even care what happens to you. I probably won't be interested or emotionally invested in any of your conflicts. You could die for some unexplainable reason and I wouldn't shed a single tear.
4. I don't understand the characters presented to me. I don't necessarily have to sympathise with you (hello anti-hero!) but I need to be able to understand the choices that you make. Your choices should be explained through the circumstances of  your life, and when it doesn't, I'm out.
5. I end up hating the heroines/hero with a passion. Heroine, STOP BEING A FREAKING DOORMAT. Hero, STOP BEING A COMPLETE JERK IN THE ARSE.
6. Everyone is crazy. 
7. A character changes completely for no apparent reason. I understand that a character can change due to whatever circumstances they're put it. But when your change is not mediated because of anything, apart from suddenly wanting to be a jerk or crazy, then you're dead to me.
8. The change in directors/producers/writers messes with everything. The vibe, the pacing, the editing, the everything.
9. A drama is a remake of a manga or anime that I love and messes with it until it's unrecognisable. Case in point, Boys Over Flowers. Whatever it was, it was NOT my awesome Hana Yori Dango. Boys Over Flowers just happened to share shallow similarities such as having four handsome rich guys being childhood friends that bully kids in their school cause they can.  

I generally try to watch a drama till the end when I start it, especially if I'm more than half way through, but life is too short. Why bother with something that I don't even care about? Dramas are supposed to be for my entertainment or for deep thinking so when it becomes a chore, I'm definitely re-thinking its priority in my life.

Anywho, the point of this post was to really start many (hopefully) drama posts to come in the near future on anything I'm watching. I'm hoping I can think and explore a drama more thoroughly if I write about it. Since I'm not obligued to write essays on themes, characters, significant symbols etc anymore, I think my analysis of such have become quite basic and it's something I want to change.

Hopefully I'll actually be able to go through with this.

In another life

Recently watching The Notebook and Pride and Prejudice made me yearn for what they had. I wish that I lived in a time where we can dance as a source of enjoyment. Where we can dress up for a night in lovely dresses with ribbons or maybe some lace. Where we savour every conversation, every touch and every whisper. Where we can dream and become that much closer to our chosen partner.

The act of dancing seems so pure yet so exhilarating as you steal some precious time and converse secretly with your partner. I wonder if females were able to decline a man's request for a dance. If so, they must have a lot of courage, or confidence, to ask a woman to dance. For some reason, this reminds me of teenage movies where a dance is segregated into female or male sections.

It saddens me to think that the modern equivalent is clubbing.

First love

I know it's very unlikely, but I wish my first love will be my last.
I want it to last forever.

Train ride home

On the 16th of May, I caught the train home with my friend Tina Luu. We decided to skip Anatomy because we had more urgent matters to attend to. Plus, it's a subject that's more beneficial when you listen to the lecture at your own leisure since you have the opportunity to go over everything! Lecturers try to cram in everything as fast as possible, and as a consequence, you're bombarded with so much information that you tend to miss out on important details since you're so busy trying to keep up.

On this very day, we met a peculiar woman. After she got onto the train, she was banging on the windows, trying to get the attention of her friend, who happened to be on the next platform. I do not know if she managed to succeed in her plan, but she surely had the attention of every passenger on the carriage. She was apologetic when she realised what she had done. From this, she stuck up a conversation with us.

For the reminder of the trip, she was constantly admiring how "gorgeous" we were. After the initial praise and compliments, she started to share some details about her life. Like how she nearly died giving birth to her youngest daughter. How her son has a girlfriend that resembles me. How her father used to call her baby cheeks, which was what she was calling us. As my friend and I stood up to leave, she told us to stay together, to look after one another and know what's truly important.

From what I can remember, she carried alcohol (probably wine) in her bag. Her hair was a mess and her skin was dry and pale. I remember thinking that she looked as if life had dealt her a bad set of cards, but she's done everything to her abilities to deal with it. She's had a harsh life but her genuine love for her children, which seems to be the only thing that's keeping her alive, was palpable.

I hope that this lady has found peace in her life and is truly happy. I would also like to thank her for sharing a bit of herself to random strangers. There are many reasons why she struck a conversation with my friend and I. She may have been lonely and needed to talk to someone or she was just very open about herself. Either way, I admire her for sharing such intimite details about her life. It takes such courage to share something about yourself without worrying about other people's opinion.

A new hobby?

After my visit to a very neat little store* in the city, I've started going on an arts and crafts rampage. I've searched eBay for anything related to cute stamps, stickers, pens and what not. In the process, I found a little blog about penpals and I'm seriously considering finding one for myself.

I'm also seriously thinking of starting an acrylic stamp collection. Acrylic stamps defer from rubber stamps because you can see where you're putting them. This is because acrylic stamps have a clear mount, where you stick the clear stamp, put on some ink and voila! After you finish using them, just clean the stamp and put it away. It seems so easy to manage because  you can just put them in a folder. I'm guessing it will also save storage space.

Apparently, the clear acrylic mount can be used with unmounted rubber stamps, but it's such a hassle to buy and prepare the cushion and vinyl cling. Guess I'll just stick with the acrylic stamps if I ever decide to start my collection.

With my recent surge of interest for arts and crafts, I thought I'll finally get started on doing some scrapbooking. I bought all (if not most) of the material I needed to get started back in year 12, but I never felt motivated enough to do it. I had so many ideas but I didn't know where to start. After much contemplation, I now know where to begin. From primary school.

I was hesitant to start with primary school because I only have one photo from that period of time. A photo at camp with Karen. However, while I was cleaning my room, I found some beads, a t-shirt and other random items that serve as a reminder of some special moments in primary school. I can't wait to get started. Just gotta go to Big W to print off some pictures.

Anywho, apart from my scrapbook project, I'm also in the initiation phase of another project. I've just bought most of the items I need on eBay and can't wait to get started. This one, however, is a secret until it's completed. I will definitely post pictures as the projects progresses.


* For anyone interested, the store was in the Flinder's Station subway. Karen wouldn't go with me cause she says it's a place where people get raped :(