Because there really isn't anything to do at home other than my half completed SMP report, decided to spam nail polish before going out for today (:



I think I can make a good manicurist! Okay considering I painted them myself (albeit the awkward combination which left me having popcorn coloured nails) I think its not too bad. Potential job opportunity or something. But yes, so after that decided to head down to town.



Its great that the queue's pretty short (well at least compared to the 3 hour wait I went through the last time) and they started producing donuts at a faster rate or something, so that I don't feel obliged to buy 12 donuts xP But anyhow, the double chocolate is the love :D

Met up with Celest and went K-boxing! :D Once again with Jay Chou and JJ Lin songs and skipping all the stupid English song videos which had like sexy back playing and having pictures of houses in England flashing across the screen. Seriously. But anyway! Super fun and psyched out and walked around Suntec for a while more before going home. Another random photo before this meaningless post ends off:



Personalized bears! They're sold for $26 (if I'm not wrong) at this shop on the 2nd floor of Suntec City. More tomorrow or something (:

Labels: Day Out, J.A.D.

Was at Borders from 1-5pm (-cough- with Qihan one floor above me for 2 hours) and chanced by this book which I felt was really meaningful. Don't know how many of y'all have heard of it before but its an ongoing art project called Postsecret. Thinking of which, you've probably seen the video of Dirty Little Secret by the All American Rejects but never really knew about the project behind it (or that all the secrets there are actual submissions), so here goes.

"Like fingerprints, no two secrets are identical, but every secret has a story behind it"

Giving some background, Postsecret began as an art installation for Artomatic 2004 in Washington, D.C. Basically, Frank Warren started the project by printing 3,000 postcards inviting people to share a secret. After recieving 100 secrets mailed back, the project spread and soon 150,000 secrets were being sent just under three years. From then on, people would mail their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard and send it in to an address in USA. Because there're no restrictions whatsoever, its pretty must just a form of expression to release something never said before. The Postsecret website was then created on January 1 2005 to showcase the various postcards sent it.

There's no way to access the archives, so if you want to read old entries you have to buy the book. Ayhow, after reading the published book with some of the artworks sent in, its just interesting how art can be used to somehow free the emotions felt. From criminal assaults to confessions and even hopes that never came true, I think the book just made me think alot. Just thinking, by writing all the secrets you never dared tell anyone, it inspires people to open up and face their fears and yeah. Really amazing how this project can bring about so much impact in the world.

Help, I have done it again
I have been here many times before
Hurt myself again today
And, the worst part is there's no-one else to blame

Be my friend
Hold me, wrap me up
Unfold me
I am small
and needy
Warm me up
And breathe me

The promotional video's here if you wish to find out more:


Even though the book I found was only in hardcover and kindof spent my entire weeks pocket money (it's $49.90, if I'm not wrong) on it, just felt that it was really worth the price. For those who just want to take a look at some of the postcards sent in, they also have a Postsecret Blog online where they publish recent postcards sent in. Also, there's the Postsecret Community which has the audio and video submissions from all over the world, and this album which I found on the net which has quite alot of the older postcards.

Taking a quote from an interview by Frank Warren, the purpose of the book was to give people "A place where the secrets they could not tell their friends and family would be treated with dignity in a non-judgmental way." Looking at the phenomenon that Postsecret has caused, it just brought across how virtual communities can be used for a different kind of conversation that can't be carried out in real life. And I think its just the courage that each person takes into writing about their past experience which they've furiously tried to bury in the past and just release it out. Each postcard somehow seems to gives the personw writing it a form of inner healing and its just amazing how through such a simple postcard that people learn to forgive themselves, move on and work their way to becoming better people.

There're alot of youtube videos posted about this project (if you'd just search Postsecret on it) and yep just thought it would be worth the visit especially during the holidays. Hopefully you'd find it as meaningful as I have found it to be. And just another postcard I thought was really meaningful before I end off this post.



"There are two kinds of secrets: those we keep from others and those we hide from ourselves"

Labels: Books

Because this is going to be a somewhat condensed version after spamming alot of photos on photobucket, some pictures from the Beijing trip! 14th-23rd November, at Tsinghua High School (okay so being the top few schools in Beijing is seriously no joke). CULTURE SHOCK: They run 1.6km every school day (that's not including PE where they run about another 6-8 rounds round the track) in preparation for their PE test. All of them are psycho fit, seriously. But yes.



Streets of Beijing, funkaye malls and all!



Joce Stella and I <3 Roomies and pretty much the only 3 girls that went to Tsinghua (:



On the immersion trip, so a random picture of Jiangshan (my buddy) and I in the classroom. w00t.



The high school where we stayed (in the amazingly clean hotel like rooms). We didn't have to go to the hostels but instead stayed in the foreign exchange place (yes, they even have a building for that) which was kindof like a hotel with the aircons, nice beds, carpetted floors and people making our rooms xP



FACEBOOK. :D



The crazy amount of fruits we brought back from the homestay because our buddies' parents insist that fruits are the way to go in the dry weather. So we pretty much ended up with enough fruits to start a stall or something. Had massive giveaways because we attempted stuffing ourselves and it didn't really work. Heh.



AND THE AMAZING ICE CREAM. Moving on to the other amazing food at Beijing...



(If I'm not wrong) Woodlice and Beetles



Seahorses and Scorpions! Stella and I had these and truthfully the scorpions tasted really good (: Crunchy and soft in the middle. The seahorse was (I quote Stella) "rather dry". So now you know. :D



And of course the other pretty places we visited. This's like part of Beijing University. Its so huge and the atmosphere there's pretty much amazing. Quote Joce/ Stella the 1.6km daily runs are preparing for their future in the University without bikes. Campus is crazy huge but yeah pretty much worth it for the scenery if you'd ask me.



Great Wall Of China (: Climbing it was killer with the wind and all, but again, the experience! Felt pretty good up there. Ah well.



So yes because I should not spam any more photos, Beijing Trip '07 was pretty memorable, the price slashing at shopping malls, playing cards till 10 and all, thank you Stella Joce Matthew Hong En (who wonderfully taught me the 4x4x4 cube) Sean David Joel for making the trip such an enjoyable one. And so its on with enjoying the holidays (:

Labels: Holidays, Trips

Guess through the trip, kindof missed Informal Farewell but yeah.



Stole the photo from Sarah (: Buddies'07: Rach Kris and Sarah! And of course just a random message to Kristin my wonderful wonderful buddy, enjoy yourself at HCJC and continue to excel in everything you do (:

Labels: Events

FAM'07, Dazzle. More random shots because in 7 hours time I'll be off on a flight to China for 10 days. But for now, more pictures of the event.



Random programme booklet I took because the cover looked all pretty and glossed.



Thash Rach and Chris (: Random photowhoring (through the rest of the night, actually) at the buffet we had before the event.



THE CAKES (pastries, whatever). Had to try every single one of them cos they were so pretty and tasted absolutely fantastic esp the choc ones which ran out in the first 5 minutes :D



Rach Nora and Lainey, AV Comm! Shall post more pics with all the prettypretty seniors I spammed photos with ytd, but all the same, at a later date. Anyhow, hope the sec 4s had an amazing time ytd and yeah FAMily, even though I couldn't attend the set up and all. Hope the memories stay for long.

EDIT - Back from Beijing (and more photos!)


Jiawen Chris me and Glen (: FAM comm!



And TAMMYYY :D

Labels: Events

And yet another long period of time not posting. Anyhow, some pictures from PIT Camp'07. Its pretty amazing how time flies and a step into being the oldest in the board, having our own little twos.



Filatheia; Love and Trust. Random photo from the room induction goodies Fila prepared that spells the words The Fusion Of Love and Trust.



MASQUERADE. See Zan and Weite the Japanese fans and Joce the nerd :D



So we act cool (: <3 Claire and I the emo/ hip-hop kiddo with our uniforms all messed up. And because this is all my time allows me to post (having to do SMP reports and all, so much for the holidays), the photos don't exactly do justice to the event but hope everyone had fun through the 2 days, especially the little twos.

One down, and the next stop. FAM.

Labels: Events

Mini-hiatus, and on and off again to PIT Camp. Lead Camp has been a pretty fruitful experience.



One of those photowhore moments with min (:



And of course to the wonderful RAMBUSTARS Aida Sheila Nits Ramyia Xinwei Lisa Jo Muqiong Min and our faciltators Kris and Hongchuan, we totally show that clubs and societies can be way cool (: Thank you for the little fragments of laughter and joy that piece together the fabric of leadership camp'07 in my memory.

Labels: Events

Well, finally the end of the secondary 3 term. Feels kindof dead now, but its amazing how time passes. Just reconsidering every aspect of secondary 3 life and realised it didn't end up with as much things as I had initially thought. The year with the most rides on the emotional wave but yet again, perhaps thats just due to the developing mind. Definitely a year where I gave up alot of things through contemplation and decisions, at which sometimes I wonder what it would have turned out if I didn't decide. Oddly, I don't seem to feel any form of catharsis from the moment Mr Yeoh waved his hands off in a flurry to dismiss us all. A holiday we don't get to live much of? But its the most of a break we can seep out of our student organizers jampacked with discussions.

Was dicussing one day one day on how perhaps RGS girls are too mugger. Perhaps I should testify to this, to which once the holiday comes everything just feels so relaxed that my conscious mind seems to be mentally berating me for committing a heinous crime. Of course, perhaps its just how I'm wired but not doing anything's just pretty much out of the dictionary :/ So for now its just sleep and escaping my clockwork cycle before I miss my chance.