Never Between You and Them Anyway

I've wanted to share this for a long time,
to have a post solely dedicated to this beautiful quote by Mother Teresa.

This is my ultimate favourite quote, one that I discovered years ago and one that still affects me every time I read it. In just a few sentences, Mother Teresa had spoken such true and beautiful words that clearly explained the nature of humans - and how we must all be selfless and one with God. It demonstrates something that we are all accountable for: our tendency to resort to our anger or selfishness. All in all this quote gave so much insight since the very first time I read it. And it still continues to help remind me to become a better person.

"People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway. If you are successful you will win some false friends and true enemies; Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway. The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway." - Mother Teresa

"oh all the things i'd do for you"

It was an unexpected discovery.
I feel that finding an old poem you wrote a few years back is quite phenomenal. Especially when you least expect it, or don't remember the poem at all. But there I was, just clearing out my old e-mail address account and found this poem that I sent to myself as a back-up draft in eighth-grade english class. I must admit, this is one poem i'm quite proud of - and to think, i wrote this about four years ago! [Eeghad - what happened to me now?!] Perhaps I shall start writing poetry again..

Note: Mr. Raisdana, (one of my favourite teachers of all time) was the eighth grade english teacher; he taught us well! One thing he taught us was that with poetry, you can play around with grammar and punctuation. He shared with us one class time that he liked having to not capitalise any letters - and that everything in lower case looked pretty great actually. I agree.

Here's the discovery:

oh all the things i'd do for you

i’ll create a life devoted to our time

in a succumb of velvet roses

expanding yet another story

to add to our collection

and I’ll spread the death of rose petals in the aisle

for you to step on in ever such a hurry

as the dawn slips away from yesterday

for better or for worse

and I’ll capture the clouds with my bare hands

for you to hold on to forever

when you feel like you could crumble

just stop as they sail by

and I’ll stand on a building and drop a thousand chocolate kisses

just to shower you with just a little bit of what you’re worth

waiting to create that pure fluxinhearted smile

which I could never let go

and I’ll spin my heart to reveal a portrait of you

because I’ve been saving its space for none other

whilst you hold my breath in a disguise

it will always be you

Message

"..What I really need, what I'm really looking for, is not something I can articulate. It's nonverbal: I need love. I need the thing that happens when your brain turns off and your heart turns on.”
- Elizabeth Wurtzel.

I think this quote sums up exactly what I want from you.
I wish you would stop over-thinking. I wish you would turn your stupid brain off and your stupid worries and complaints, and memories from our bad past.

I wish you would open your heart, and open yourself to the very sweet possibilities of the future. I wish you wouldn't taint them with your negativity and doubts, and I wish you wouldn't give up on us.

Because you should never, ever give up on love.

Club Med Phuket

I'm going to open the post with a very hilarious thing that my friend Onnella said in a three-way msn conversation between her, Liyana, and me.

onnella, ♥N forever. says:
iris isn't going to thai land.
where did you get that from
she's going to phuket
aha
tomorrow and coming saturday

Oh - my - goodness - dear child.
Onnella, sweety, I really wish you hadn't said this. Because now everyone can see just how adorable you are.. (or perhaps, how little informed you are of basic geography haha!). I'm doing this because I care for you, and not just to embarass you in the world wide web. I think you should learn more about countries or basic info on which places are where hehe - and you're in higher level IB geography! And you think Thailand is two words, and you thougt that Phuket was in Vietnam.. AND you thought Perth was part of GERMANY! Oh goodness, you make me laugh. (:
I'm almost too scared to find out what else you 'know' about our world.. But that's enough burning for now. (I lurve you Nella.) The point is, YES I AM GOING TO PHUKET, THAILAND. CLUB MED BABY!

Club Med Phuket

All I can simply offer is the generic and 'tourismatic' website video, for I have not yet experienced the wonder of Club Med in Phuket, Thailand.. But in my own words, I do know this. Every Club Med i've been to has been kickass and incredible. No, honestly! Whichever one you go to, you won't need to worry at all about having a good time. The room will be comfortable, the views 'incroyable!' The food will be delicious, the gentil organisers [or G.O.'s as they're more commonly known] are so good looking it's painful. Really.

So i'm faithful i'm going to have a great time, [as long as i'm with my family and we're happy, then of course it'll be woderful] and I can't wait to share it with you all when I get back. I'll be taking so many pictures that it will take 13049409384 hours for them to load and then put them on the posts. I'm just so terribly lucky to have this opportunity - to experience such a great vacation like this. Thank you Momee and Papee (;

Here's the video featuring Club Med Phuket - it's so cheesy but it definitely makes you want to be there!


What shocked me was that there was this other video on YouTube depicting how Club Med Phuket really was - dirty, old, and loud. It was appalling. It basically showed pictures of how dirty or bad-conditioned everything was in. A nasty encounter to reality compared to that of the sugar-coated touristic attraction on the website, as some people who commented had said. But, whatever it really is, Club Med is still awesome and i'm so excited to go. I won't let some video ruin my trip. I'm sure that it really isn't as bad as how they perceived it to be.*
I'll have to see for myself, right? You all [should] know me though, I try to look for the beauty in things - the good in the bad. So i'm definitely going to be focusing on all the good in the next four days, documenting and writing about them. You'll see. (:
*Alright so there is the chance that this will crash and burn and the whole trip will turn into a disaster. Or that I will find myself miserable, surrounded by such a dirty, loud, and bad-conditioned place. But I'm still going to stick to my positive attitude! Club Med Phuket here I come, whoo hoo!

OKAY. SHOUT OUTS. Here goes...
I hope everyone's been having a great summer! (And when I say everyone, I mean everyone.)

Liyana, i'm glad you had a great time in Alor Star and has come back safe n' sound. Can't wait to spend time with you when I get back! Until then, have a wonderful summer. You're one of the best people I know and I just want you to be happy okay? (:
Denise, i'm not sure when you'll be going to Philippines but good luck sorting all the Ateneo stuff out, and enjoy all the food! You don't get that here in KL! Have lots of fun my filipina/pinoy buddy. I'll see you soon.
Kristi, you're having the best time in Japan with Mao and i'm soo happy for you. Eat lots of real japanese food for me and shop a lot! Take pictures too, and see if you can find hot Turkish-Japanese drummer guys again haha! I miss you, take care of yourself okay?
Onnella, sweety, brush up on your geography! Haha but no really, I can't wait until I come back to celebrate your birthday with you. It's going to be so much fun, your plan seems great and I really hope that everyone can make it. Eh, they will. And we'll have a blast nonetheless. (: Just be happy okay? Don't die just cause Kristi and I aren't here bahahaha :P <3
Jan Nee, where have you been?! It's okay, we'll hang out soon. I hope you've been spending time with Carl, because it's our turn now. (: We'll take care of you sweety, your girlfriends. We're here for you no matter what.
Rick, ahh you're in South Africa now, and I just know you're having a blast. Hope your hairyness has provided good protection from bugs hehehe.
Nikesh, can't wait until you get back here to KL. Luckily i'll be back before you and Kristi so I won't miss anything.
Mark, darling, please get your cute egg-y head in school work! And try not to fall for any girls while i'm gone, okay? Haha. And I know you'll be fine. I'll miss you terribly, and I hope you know that I'll always be thinking of you. You're in my heart always, never forget that.
KY, you're on your way/in NY already, right? I'm going to read your blog in detail soon, but I do know that you're lucky you have free internet access haha. I hope you're having a fab time, take lots of pictures. I'll see you in a few weeks!
Amani, Shereen, May Zhee, Fiona, Khaili, and anyone else I might have missed.. I'm really sorry but I haven't been in touch with you lately. But I know you're all having a blast. What with Fiona and her theatre school in Canada, and May Zhee with her blog - we know what she's up to! But I really do hope that you're all having a great summer, and I miss you all so much. Hope you guys haven't been growing too much!
PHEW. Shout-outs done. (:

Until next time, everyone! I love you all.

Oren Lavie

I just discovered a very under-discovered artist.

No, really. This man, OREN LAVIE, needs to be more popular! I haven't heard all his songs nor do I even have his CD... (Titled, The Opposite Side of the Sea) but thank goodness for YouTube. I've been watching his videos, his music videos are incredible. You HAVE to see, 'Her Morning Elegance'. With more than 6 million views to date, it's a stop motion animation with beautiful photography and a very creative concept. It also has a massive amount of subtle symbology that goes with his lyrics. It's a must watch video for anyone whose artsy and likes soft, emo-ish, smooth and mellow music.

It started when my sister came through my room, asking me if I had heard of Oren Lavie. The name never struck me before - I've heard of Lisa Lavie, another artist on YouTube, but I doubt they're related. So my sister showed me the music video for 'Her Morning Elegance' and I just found it to be so... cool! For lack of a better word, it really is cool. I mean, stop motion animation is incredibly time consuming. And the way the video is done, so subtle with creativity and with the right colour template.. it's so nice. It turned out beautifully.

Oren Lavie's voice is deep, soothing, and captivating. He's an artist that should definitely get more attention.

Alright so fine, my kind of music may not suit all your tastes, and you may not like Mr. Lavie as much as I do. But this is my blog and I can share whatever kind of things I like. (:

But check it out for yourself!

Blackouts

Question:
If the world had a blackout, what would you do?

I ask this question because a blackout (or brownout, as the Filipino culture would call it) just occured in my apartment and in other surrounding condominiums as well. Not that I don't like blackouts per se, but I actually quite like them. Yes it certainly is hot and stuffy, not to mention a MAJOR ANNOYANCE if you were working on a computer-based assignment and did not save any of it just before the electricity went off... (Has that happened to countless of people or what?! Always save your work, everyone - I once wrote a couple hundred words of something and WHOOPS 'An unexpected error has occured' and so the document was lost or the page could not be reloaded. Bugger!) But in all fairness, one has to think of blackouts in another point of view; in a positive outlook, and not just an inconvenient happening. Let me demonstrate:

1. The first positive effect of blackouts is that IT SAVES ENERGY AND MONEY AS A WHOLE! Think about it - all that energy that our condos/houses could've been using right now, all the air conditioners, telephone lines, internet connections, fans, lights, televisions, radios... anything that could have been consuming energy and money is now saved for the power-outtage victims AND the world as a whole. Blackouts, to me, are blessings in disguise. It's a sure way to keep the energy consumation level low, as well as reminding us about just how important energy is to us, and how we shouldn't take it for granted. This leads me to my next point..

2. BLACKOUTS REMIND US OF JUST HOW IMPORTANT ENERGY IS. Okay, so it's not like we'll be worshipping Benjamin Franklin for discovering electricity, but it doesn't hurt to be a little more thankful and appreciative, no? Basically, I wish people would stop taking electricity for granted, and keep having this insane idea that it is an UNLIMITED SOURCE and that the world is FOREVER OKAY. Because newsflash - it is not. The world is precious, resources are limited, and even if the world can someday create some everlasting energy source with endless supply to provide the world with energy for centuries, a resource is nonetheless a resource and we really should take better care. We really should appreciate how the world runs and take more precaution in taking care of our world. We really should learn to preserve our resources, especially when our lives - everyone's lives - are truly dependent on them. Energy, although taken from numerous sources such as light, water, fuel, etc. is incredibly important and I wish people could just fathom the idea that the world is ...

3. Enough with the nagging about appreciating the world... and on to my next point. BLACKOUTS ENFORCE THE USE OF CANDLES AND GLOWY LIGHTS! And we all know how beautiful candles are, and how they can turn the ambiance of any place into a dim, well-lighted, and soothing place. Or gl0wy lights (as in, glow sticks etc.) are just plain cool. Also, having dinner lighted with nice candles, or the warm glow of a fire place.. that's beauty and romance right there.

4. Lastly, BLACKOUTS MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE IN MEDIEVAL TIMES. I mean come on, writing by candle light, or reading something with candles surrounding you.. it's perfect for acting like you're a damsel, some knight, or a monk writing in a secret dungeon.

Answer:
I would be thankful, and appreciate all that energy and money that has been saved. Honestly, think about it. If the entire world actually had a blackout for say, five minutes, imagine just how much energy and money would have been saved. Or perhaps money loss, since i'm certain that energy affects many businesses and corporations etc. But i'm going to be an environmentalist and see the positive effects that blackouts bring.. (;

So hopefully next time, if or when you ever experience a blackout in the future, smile and think of just how much it's helping the environment.. and maybe, just maybe, share this small but positive outlook and attitude of yours - and make the world a happier place.

Nouveau

I've gotten a few new things lately!

Okay okay, so this blog is turning out to be some egotistical, self-absorbed, all-about-me, writing-about-useless-information-regarding-my-unimportant-life kind of blog, but I guess i'm really getting into this blogging thing where I can write simply about anything. But I shall be getting straight to the EAT, PRAY, LOVE mantra soon. But anyway, my list of new changes:

* Hairstyle. - I am now hidden behind a fringe and extra layers. (: I got it done in The Curve, across this place called Bluunis where my mom had an appointment for her eyebrows. =/ The place wasn't that bad, except the woman who did my hair seemed a bit PMS-y. But in the end she was all nice after I paid hahaha oh businesses...

Here we are at Tony Roma's (YUMM look out for a new post about this restaurant!) I'm also wearing my new dress but you can't see it properly heh oh well. (:

* Bikini. - My mom spoiled me with this one, it's for my trip to CLUBMED PHUKET. YES YES YES i'm finally going on a trip! And I thought that this whole summer vacation i'd be stuck here in good ol' KL... except i'm actually going to Thailand so i'm pretty excited. So what if it's only four days-three nights. It's clubmed! It's a different country! It's better than nothing.

* Dress. - Forever 21! Need I say more? I fell in love with it when I went shopping with my girlfriends. (: It's white, brown, and black. Basically, it's perfect because you can dress it down or up. Style it with awesome jewellery, heels, and a cute clutch bag for a night in town or make it casual by putting it over a bikini with flip flops, sunglasses, and a day sack. It's perfect.

* Fascination for Angels & Demons. - It started when I saw the trailer for its release. I haven't watched the movie, but i'm currently halfway through the book. I read it a few years back, along with The Da Vinci Code and Digital Fortress. You can really tell through his books that Brown is a highly intellect person, and his books aren't that bad actually. Though my english teacher Mr. Craig thinks differently. :P

* Stupid interest in this series called TrueBlood. - Yeah, it's all about vampires and such. Go figure. I'm not usually into shows and series-es, [And no, I don't watch gossip girl or 90210 etc.] but this one, I must admit, has caught my attention. It's based on the books by Charlaine Harris. I haven't read them yet, but the episodes aren't toooo bad. Here's the link to watching the episodes for free online. (Uh oh is this some copyright infringement? Will I be held before the law? Oh well.) http://www.watchtrueblood.net/ Be sure to use Flash instead of the other options, since they don't seem to work. =/

* I finally started reading 'Eat, Pray, Love' by Elizabeth Gilbert. I'm waiting for my sister to bring it from Perth (YES SHE'S COMING BACK FROM PERTH FOR A MONTH. I'm so excited since I get to have a sister again.) and then when i've finally finished reading the book I can really be inspired and get this blog started! My sister's mantra is also 'eat, pray, love'. She's a wonderful person and I can't wait to blog about her in our family trips and for her birthday coming up...

* A new favourite fruit added - lychees. So now that's mangoes, mangosteens, and lychees. (: HAHAHA I just want to share that Kristi thought mangosteens were a smaller version of mangoes, and that when I finally let her see and try what mangosteens are like, she was surely surprised and kept asking why they don't look or taste like mangoes. I replied by saying, just because the names are a bit similar, it doesn't mean they're the same. Kind of like if Kristi was simply a smaller version of a girl named Kristine. It doesn't work that way my dear. [KJ you're way too cute and funny for this world.]

* Pressure from my parents and friends on a certain subject matter - M and my relationship with him. Sigh. Will this never end? What happened was that well, we became a couple again, but on Friday I had to break it off... I thought I was strong but, we honestly do love each other. Yes we're young but we love each other the best we can. And I had to end it because, I don't usually do this sort of thing but I had to because of PRESSURE FROM MY PARENTS. They've been talking to me and pushing me to break it up, and so have my friends. I guess I just finally listened. I know I deserve better, and I know he deserves someone who won't make him upset and all that too. But I wish they would just know how much we really cared about each other, and that it's impossible for us to not be in each other's lives.

* Helping my mom with Facebook. - Hahaha yes! My parents have facebook! And they tried to add me but I ignored. Sorry. It's just too strange, wouldn't you agree, if your parents could see all your wall posts or photos, or even see your friends' profiles, too? So to compensate for my guilty ignorance, i've just helped me momee with some facebook tips and what to do, what this button does, etc. She's so cute cause it takes her 5 minutes to write a wall post consisting of two sentences. She really takes her time with typing and what to say hehe I love you momee. <3

Well I think that's enough vanity and self-obsession. (:

Just thought i'd share the latest with you all, who are somehow interested in my life. Haha. (: I'll be posting more soon. Until then, enjoy your summer!

Nose Bleeds (Epistaxis)

Question:
Have you ever wondered why you get nosebleeds?
As in, how do they come about or why they happen at different times?

Well, sad little me decided to find out one day and I researched about it. I've been getting them pretty recently, every few days or so, and although I had already found out why exactly noses bleed, I forgot the proper answer. But hey, I actually think i'm not THAT sad, right? It's little curiosities like these that make you learn... When you're curious, ask questions, or make mistakes - you learn. And plus, whenever someone asks me about just why nose bleeds occur, (which has happened to me before, I promise!) I can dish out my nifty answer lodged in my brain and give them the answer. Satisfaction with answering the question or what!

Answer:
(Taken from http://www.medicinenet.com/nosebleed/article.htm by John P. Cunha, DO)

Why do people get nosebleeds?

The nose is a part of the body rich in blood vessels (vascular) and is situated in a vulnerable position as it protrudes on the face. As a result, trauma to the face can cause nasal injury and bleeding. The bleeding may be profuse, or simply a minor complication. Nosebleeds can occur spontaneously when the nasal membranes dry out and crack. This is common in dry climates, or during the winter months when the air is dry and warm from household heaters. People are more susceptible to bleeding if they are taking medications which prevent normal blood clotting [warfarin (Coumadin), aspirin, or any anti-inflammatory medication]. In this situation, even a minor trauma could result in significant bleeding.

The incidence of nosebleeds is higher during the colder winter months when upper respiratory infections are more frequent, and the temperature and humidity fluctuate more dramatically. In addition, changes from a bitter cold outside environment to a warm, dry, heated home results in drying and changes in the nose which will make it more susceptible to bleeding. Nosebleeds also occur in hot dry climates with low humidity, or when there is a change in the seasons.

The following factors predispose people to nosebleeds:

•Infection
•Trauma, including self-induced by nose picking
•Allergic and non-allergic rhinitis
•Hypertension (high blood pressure)
•Use of blood thinning medications
•Alcohol abuse
•Less common causes include tumors and inherited bleeding problems

But of course I won't just leave you as to why this happens, but also the how to stop the nose bleed part. (: Because the world would be a much better place if there were less nose bleeds!

1. Pinch all the soft parts of the nose together between your thumb and index finger.

2. Press firmly toward the face - compressing the pinched parts of the nose against the bones of the face.

3. Lean forward slightly with the head tilted forward. Leaning back or tilting the head back allows the blood to run back into your sinuses and throat and can cause gagging or inhaling the blood. Eeegh that's pretty scary!

4. Hold the nose for at least five minutes. Repeat as necessary until the nose has stopped bleeding.

5. Sit quietly, keeping the head higher than the level of the heart. Do not lay flat or put your head between your legs. Why would one put their head between their legs anyway? =/

6. Apply ice (wrapped in a towel) to nose and cheeks. And get a nice, soothing, skin-tightening as well!

Dang - all that to stop your nose from oozing red snot. I hope this helps though! It's summer time and because we're also in the tropics it's hot hot hot. So try not to break your nasal membranes too much, okay? (;

Mango Days, Hectic Sleepovers, and Quixotic Nights

So, quite a lot has happened since I last posted!*

And so, as a part of my goal for this summer [and hopefully the rest of my life, but that's just wishful thinking] of being more organised. (They say organisation is the key to success and so I may as well try and follow that right? No harm in trying, right?) I shall make a list of preeeety important events that have highlighted the start of my wonderful 09 summer.

Summer Experiences to Date

1. A whole day consisting of mangoes in each and every meal.

2. Playing Badminton & Pool - and getting my butt kicked. Not that I was really trying, anyway... Oh and Mark wanted me to say that he holds his poo in for me as a declaration of love. (:

3. Crashing a drunken sophomore-junior party with my junior-senior friends. It wasn't my idea though but it was pretty fun! Fortunately for me, I don't drink so I get to experience all of these poor out-of-control people's types of drunkness and crazy under-the-influence acts. This led me to be...

4. Taking care of these drunk souls (especially KJ's hahaha!) and documenting it for future references. :P

5. Falling asleep at unexpected places with unexpected friends. Sounds a bit dodgy yes but not to worry. (:

6. Being [uncomfortably] chatted-up by a 30+ year old man who asked for my e-mail address (which of course I didn't give) and a 'nice chat downstairs over coffee'. I don't need to go further about how... wrong that was. =/

To Explain?

1. It just happened to be that M and I went to Mango Mania, this cute little yellow restaurant near Bangsar Village. Basically, everything on the menu had to do with mangoes. We ate this mango chicken thing =/ and then this really cute frozen yogurt. Not too bad actually, was quite good and sweet. But the strange thing was that later for dinner my mom served this really delicious salad that had mango pieces in them too. And then I realised that earlier during the day, I had a mango for part of my breakfast... It certainly was a mango day. (:

2. I played Badminton! Finally, some sports for the summer - and at least some sort of training for when I join the badminton team next school year. I lost though, all three sets that we played HAHAHA except I wasn't trying that hard okay?! And i upped his points, I gave a lot of points to him during the third set. So the games were corrupted and improper. Hmph. I also played pool, with my girlfriends (mainly Jan and Nella cause Rick and Kristi aren't that great at pool :P) at Breakers and with M at the One Utama pool/foosball/bowling/arcade/movie area. I played well with the girls but lost against M. Not my fault though! He's had a pool table at his house for three years!

3. During the sleepover, they had this idea to crash Phoebe's birthday party at Tropicana. Alright so it wasn't really crashing since Novia invited Rick and us, but I still felt pretty bad. Ah well, they were all so nice, and we still ended up having a great time. The unfortunate thing was that most people drank wayyy too much, and well some people are depressed drunks so that brought the mood down. ): But for the most part it was good and we were all safe. The sober ones took care of them. (:

4. OH MY GOODNESS KRISTI YOU BETTER NOT DRINK NEXT TIME. Because you really are so annoying when you've drunk too much haha i'm saying this because I care for you sweety. Okay? It wasn't just you though, other people (eh hem rick with his bottle haha and jan+carl being so sweet together) got a bit tipsy too but they're not as dependent as you. Sorry to say. :P

5. Haha I won't delve into that. But it sure was quite quixotic. <-- Search it up if you don't know what it means.

6. Ah yes, sigh. What happened was that I went to Gloria Jean's Coffees (right near my house - and ooh, where i'll be working this summer so be sure to drop by!) Open Mic Nights every Wednesday Night (Yes drop by! It's a night where people perform whatever they want - music, poetry, anything - in an open microphone. Anyone can sign up and some of the singers are really talented!) Anyway, back to the point... so quite a lot of people come to these open mic nights, and the night that I come, it so happens that this man (who, unfortunately, is a friend of one of the owners of that branch of Gloria Jean's Coffees and knows that I want to work there) was sitting near me and talked to me quite a bit. (No no i'm not one of those people who talk to strangers! It's just I couldn't avoid him since the place was packed and he actually is associated with one of the bosses of the place so he's not that much of a stranger. Sigh. And it wasn't me who was talking I was just answering the questions - believe me I didn't wanna talk to him but agh he kept talking to me.) And well, before he had to go he was talking about how next wednesday we should have a chat over coffee downstairs (Gloria Jean's Coffees has two floors) and he gave me his calling card and all, with the excuse of contacting him for a discount at the EDEN restaurants (bad excuse if you ask me) and then he asked for my email and all that. Of course, I didn't give it to him. The sad thing is that i'm going to work at Gloria Jean's, and probably go to the open mic nights again, and so I may actually see him again. Wish me luck on avoiding this weirdo. =/

So as you can see some of these experiences have been well, pretty good but quite disturbing too. But ah well, this summer has been soo great so far. I've been fulfilling what I mainly set out to do: hang out with friends + family and have a great time.

And tomorrow i've got plans to watch 17 again with my girlfriends and mabye Carl and M as well. Then I shall go bowling with them (hopefully!) and if not, just M, and hopefully kick his tush in it. Payback for him beating me in pool and badminton. (:

*pictures will be up whenever. (:

A Tribute to Friends

SUMMER 2009
...finally. (:
The time is here for sunshine, late nights out, waking up in the afternoon, and doing just about anything you want.
It's quite unreal actually - this is probably the last official summer vacation for my high school. And the majority of it will be spent working or finishing up extended essays, world literature essays, CAS logging and reflections, and internal assessments. But let's scratch all that for now. (: For now, it's all about summer vacation. Relaxation, spending time with friends and family, travelling, experiencing new things... I mean, exams just ended for goodness sake!
Well, for some of us anyway. (Hahaha HISTORY DORKS. I pity you...)
):

But not to worry. Tomorrow's the last day. And then it'll be SUMMER SUMMER SUMMER. FREEDOM, BABEEEHHH!!!!
It's time for beaches, tans, adventures at 2 in the morning...
that high feeling of adrenaline, that taste for freedom...
That feeling of not having to worry about homework or exams (at least not that short-term worrying)
and just that absolute feeling of happiness.

Let's make this summer one of our best, guys. Regardless of the work we have to do - We know we'll have plenty of time to enjoy ourselves.

Kristi - i'm sorry you couldn't go to Japan. (Well now recently you just told me you might be going but agghhh confusing much ahaha.) But if you don't go I promise you that you'll have a lot of fun here in good ol' Malaysia, okay? Your best friends are here for you. (: We're going to have a blast - and yes, we'll take care of you when you *get drunk* get too high hehehe. Besides, a special indian will be here too eh? (: Much love sweety.

Onnella - YOUR BIRTHDAY THIS MONTH YO! We're going to have soo much fun. Ah - we better enjoy this one. 17 years old! Our little girl is growing up so fast... :O At least you're not going to sri lanka right..? Well that's good cause we don't have much time. We better hang out lots okay? Condo neighbours (:

Jan Jan! - (I made your colour black 'cause you're so emo hahaha) ahh don't worry about a certain someone leaving ): your friends are here for you. We love you, and just know we're here for you okay? This summer will still be awesome. <3>

Liyana, Denise, and any other awesome girlfriends of mine.. - you may be staying here or going pretty far away.. But I hope that we DO get to spend some time over the summer before our final senior year :O. Wherever you guys may go, however, please please be happy and have a blast. I want you to be happy!

Mark - Firstly, sorry for the bad picture; I just find it so funny (: And.. it's a pity that you're going to be so far away for most of the summer. But we did promise each other - sunshine, windy drives, beaches, resorts, and [hopefully!] just the time of our lives. This'll be a great one for us. Until then, enjoy germany and langkawi you lucky fool. Don't forget about me (;

Keshy - I absolutely can't wait for you to get back here. It's gonna be soo much fun agghhh we'll hang out okay? I still have to visit your [huggee and luxurious] house. (: We'll hang out and be all awesome and iris + nikesh again. And make fun of kristi :P

Rick - (hey i just realised it's your birthday this month too! must celebrate!) ahh, Rick, you'll be off scaling the mountains or something with the family (haha so adventurous) but be sure to spend some time with your girlyfriends okay! Not just noviiaa! We all promised, a great night of getting 'high' for us. [We gotta take care of kristijones especially eh heh heh.)

Here's to the start of an incredible summer.
I love you all. We'll make this one to remember.

Exams, Ex-Lovers, and All That Jazz...

Happy 1st of the Month!
A pinch and a punch for the first of the month...

So the day started out with a frenzy of last-minute exam preparation, breakfast, and a kind old chinese taxi driver.
And the way it's heading now, I must say it's getting better and better. (:

Apart from the obvious, 3 down 2 more to go exam sort-of mantra... (Unfortunately I still have two exams left - which I should really be studying for now, but have decided to get this out of the way and then I will begin. Promise.) today's been pretty great.

Forgive me, my friends, who are against me having a relationship with that special someone again. But today, we talked about it even more...
WE HAD LUNCH TOGETHER TODAY.
(I'm sorry KRISTI AND ONNELLA)

Dear KJ and OH,
(and to other best friends who this may apply to JNL, DA, LI, MZL, RH, NM, SC, KYS, AZ, FW... anyone else who I might've missed - sorry)
I know it must be hard for you - I know you both just care about me sooo much, and you know that i've gotten hurt numerous times because of him, yes i've cried over him a lot, yes we argue plenty of times... But no, we never not cared about each other. No, he didn't really mean to end the relationship with me. And no, it's not that easy to forget about each other.

):

With that said, I really hope you don't get too mad at me when I reveal that M and I spent some of the day together, eating lunch and just talking... and that we still treat each other like we're together.
Basically, we're not JUST friends. I mean, technically we are since we're not in an official relationship, but I have to tell you guys that we have something more than that. And we may become a couple again.....?

.......DON'T HIT ME!!

I can just imagine your faces or emotions right now as you read this. And the above is basically what I'll be saying if I were next to you. Because I'll know you want to punch me.
But luckily, i'm far away.
And i'll take your evil glares tomorrow.
But for now, 'read' me out. (:
Hahaha get it?

So, my darling chicas, I just really want you to know this. I know you'll still be my friends no matter what, and you'll be there for me. No questions asked.
Wait, no, I have a question. Will you forgive me though?

Sigh. Don't worry sweeties. In time you'll learn to like him again (if he and I decide to be together again) and it'll be all aalllllrrrrrriight..
If not, I give you guys (Jan Nee, Kristi, Onnella) exclusive permission to beat him up.
And I shall help you. (;

I love you girls, with all my heart.
I know you'll be happy for me, if i'm happy, no matter what.

Love, Iris.