Expand & Stretch

Doing something new usually rewards you with pleasant surprises.

Take rock climbing. Sure, we sucked. Yes, my knees are banged up, and okay, I gave up on following the colours at the end. But it was exciting and horrendously scary at the same time, especially when you know you've no more strength and zero spidey powers to glue yourself to the wall. Not that I didn't try to all the same. Glue myself to the wall, that is. It is really a sickening lurching fear when you feel yourself slipping. Agoraphobia to the MAX.

Then it was Spicy with the neighbour. Hadn't laughed that much in ages, belly ripping laughter.
'My hair gets wavy lah, when it's long, just like my mother's.'
'I didn't know you ever had long hair.'

And Shang's mistaking the Burger King server for clicking on his expensive car remote, when he was turning on the fan.

I am also proud to have witnessed evidence of a family that dresses all in pink, owns all pink cars, and lives in a pink house. Convert to the pink religion - it is kewl.

The Fast & The Furious

The guys beat me to trying out Go Kart-ing. I was going to scout out the activity before inviting people to try it next week but somehow they sniffed out its existence by themselves.

And boy, was it fun! Everyone was hesitant to step on it for real during the first round. Livia found herself mounted on the curb. It's quite impossible to topple over as you're barely inches off the ground, but after awhile the seat starts to vibrate and your ass burns, while gravel flies into your eyes if your visor is left up.

Everyone was on such a high after Round 1 that we went for Round 2. It was meant to be a race but I failed miserably. I couldn't spot a single soul in front of me even though I got more adventurous around curves. The curves I took got faster as well as wider and nearer to the edges of the track. Daddy and Weidi were trailing behind me at a relaxed pace. The whole time I thought Dad was trying to overtake me so I was living in fear and anticipation, but he wasn't even interested. Hmph.

Fun fun funnnn.

The pro driver in safety suit, burning rubber between our rounds.

A quarter of my classmates have decided to visit Malaysia, some enthusiastically, others coerced.

Despite my bad sense of direction and not much better driving skills, I shall be a good good host. Quite an interesting holiday it will be.

Holyday, Welcome to Holyday

It's a bit difficult to relax now that the mad rush is over. I still wake up quickly and suddenly, as though I am late for something or haven't finished studying. Savour it!, everyone says, for it's the longest holiday I'll ever have and one where you can completely forget about school.

It's been more than 2 months but the house is unchanged. The airport's much improved, though. I had no idea Airasia had seat numbers, it's been 4 months since I've flown. At first, I wondered why nobody rushed to queue when it was time to board the flight. Then I wondered why people sat in such strange random order in the plane, why some people squashed together and others sat all alone. Then someone stood before me and asked if I had the wrong seat. Oops.

At home, however, it looks like we're still celebrating Chinese New Year?

I've got this list of things to accomplish these hols but my bum can't seem to get moving. I am going to learn to cook a nice meal. I am going to do 2 things I've never done before. I am going to dress up and go out to fancy places. I am going to get rid of my wrinkles and eyebags. I am going to start and finish my birthday present artworks (regardless of someone's insistence that it's not necessary).

It's so surreal to be free!

Lucid Dreams on Flickr © Fractal Artist

In the short span of time I've spent crazy mugging with some people, I've discovered lots of great qualities in those I wrongly prejudged. It's pretty fun hanging out with someone who has lots of interesting opinions, as ridiculous as some might be. It's not often you get to challenge your own thoughts and definitely rare to get a peek into an eccentric mind.

One thing he and I agree on: Studying really stimulates the brain.

I've felt so boring for such a long time. I feel sluggish, anti-social and unentertaining. I don't know what to talk about to people, I don't bring up any ideas and I can't even rack my brains for anything real to bring to a conversation. It was happening, and I just watched it get worse.

But studying. When I really started thinking and losing it, I got all hyperactive and suddenly, I felt like me again. Like I was smarter, and as he said, more lucid, and so much sharper.

Feels good. Wish I could bottle some of that so I didn't have to try so hard.

Dancing for DE for the first time has stretched me BEYOND BELIEF. It has felt amazing pulling off the kind of items we do and I can hardly believe I am a part of something so exciting. (Maybe I just live in a hole.)

If I told anyone about the kind of methods our choreographer used to get emotions out of us, they'd probably freak out. I can't even imagine what the dancers in the neighbouring dressing rooms thought of all that crying and yelling.

I can't wait to improve and do more contemp (although a part of me feels I have reached my technical limit). I just don't know if my priorities are straight. I guess we shall see when finals arrive. Ugh.

Public Displays

Telling Tall Tales on Flickr © Kenny Maths

It's such an irony how sometimes I'd rather sit next to a total stranger on a bus than someone I know just a little but haven't spoken to in a long time. Despite the invasion of personal space by a complete unknown (you get over these things when you take public transport regularly anyway), I'm more comfortable sitting in silence than working up the effort to converse. It's a gradual loss of social skill and interest in other people's lives. I can't even take the time out to make small talk and find out how things are going.
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Crying in public is strange. One moment I am shamelessly weeping away like an emotional exhibitionist, without a care that anyone's watching. The next day, you feel like an idiot that you appeared silly and weak. I don't like belittling the act of crying. I don't like giving the impression that when I cry, it doesn't mean anything.

For one thing, it sure loses its leverage in letting someone know the gravity of the situation.

The whole method dancing - being yelled at to cry so you can emote on stage - has been a wacky ride. Not always effective, but interesting all the same. I didn't detest it, but once is enough.