Message from the Feilds of Battle..

*****encrypted******

!taK
,tenL siht uoy thiw eb ecroF eht yaM

!kcul em hsiW .niaga gnitirw trats ot ma I fi desucof niamer ot evah I dna noziroh eht dnoyeb tsuj yrotciv esnes nac I .thgim lluf thiw kcab gnithgif er'yeht tub degamad ylsuoires neeb evah sreidlos nwo yM .edutissaL fo ymrA eht yb egeis redun llits m'I sa og nac I sa raf sa si siht ,won roF .noos fles lluf ym niager ll'I yllufepoh dna suriv siht thgif ot tseb ym gniyrt m'I .taht rof esigolopa ylerecnis I .reggolB no ereh dah evah thgim I sthguoht yna tuo gnipyt fo elbapacni em tfel taht ssenizal fo tuob a yb tih neeb ev'I .skeew wef tsap siht uoy gnitcelgen rof yrros m'I

,dlroWgolB raeD

*****decrypted******

Dear BlogWorld,

   I'm sorry for neglecting you this past few weeks. I've been hit by a bout of laziness that left me incapable of typing out any thoughts I might have had here on Blogger. I sincerely apologise for that. I'm trying my best to fight this virus and hopefully I'll regain my full self soon. For now, this is as far as I can go as I'm still under siege by the Army of Lassitude. My own soldiers have been seriously damaged but they're fighting back with full might. I can sense victory just beyond the horizon and I have to remain focused if I am to start writing again. Wish me luck!

May the Force be with you this Lent,
Kat!

Valentine!

My birthday was awesome! I had lots of fun in school and at home. It was a very relaxed day. I was still exhausted from Sabah and we didn't do much. I did get a new phone though! Nokia C3! I went out for ice cream at the park with Adeline and Kavi too. The next day was a public holiday so I went to Friday's with the LSPJ gang. I arrived early (as usual) and decided to hang out with Boss and Sonny for a while. They were telling me about the night before. Apparently, Valentines day this year was awesome! Every table had table cloths, flower petals and a bottle of wine. DubDubs wore black and white and SPG's we're in white while bartenders were in black. Most importantly, Boss actually wore a red shirt! I have got to find a photo of that. He never wears anything with colour. Mostly just black or brown or other dark colours. I kinda wish I was part of V'day in Friday's this year. Anyway, during lunch, Dinesh had us all laughing so much that the people from the other table were throwing us looks! Haha! I got the whole Friday's birthday thing (I actually sang-Just The Way You Are) and got creamed by Melman (they ruined my eyeliner!). A great birthday this year. Visha gave me a box of memories - I LOVE IT!

Anyway, Saturday was Agape. It was awesome! The tables looked great, the balloons and the lighting created a really appropriate ambiance. Everyone had lots of fun. The best part was of course the 'Marry You' dance. When Timmy started, people were wondering what was happening. Then when Cheryl came out, they started cheering. Eric and Helena got people screaming and so did Brenda and Noel. When it came to Anna, Justin and I, people started laughing! One person even yelled, "Wah, he get two girls ah!". Haha! I had so much fun! It was perfect.

Then we had the Come Back Kings. They did a little skit on the history of dance. They had me laughing throughout the whole thing. Hilarious!!!

When it came time to clean up, the altar servers helped us out a lot. Without them, we wouldn't have made it out by 12am. They were a huge help. They systematically took out the chair covers, table cloths and dismantled the tables. They even found us brooms and rubbish bags. They were awesome!

Anyway, Agape was the bomb. It went well, with a lot of bumps along the way (which we will sort out), and everyone bonded which is great.

Sabah!!!!

So, I finally found the time and energy to write about Sabah!

Let's start with the plane ride to BKI. We took off at around 9.45am, with a Captain Christopher in the cockpit. We told us that we were flying at a speed of 800km/hour, approximately 37000 feet in the air. It was heavenly! Literally, I mean. I got the seat next to the window so my focus was there for the whole 2.5 hours. It felt very surreal. You know how you sometimes wonder what it'll be like to look through someone else's eyes? Well, I actually felt like I was doing just that! But lo, it was me! All me! Captain Christopher said that we would make a right turn at the South China Sea before landing in Sabah. (I just had to write that down. So amazing, right?)

Anyway, we were racing through the clouds. I could just visualise Olympus, home of the Greek Gods, with Zues on the throne surrounded by all the others. The clouds looked like cotton candy or snow below us (we were higher than the clouds!). Even at that height, the Earth looked flat. It just goes to show how big the Earth really is.

Anyway, once I met with everyone else, it was already about 6.15pm. So, we headed straight to Donggongon for dinner. Before I go any further, I have to mention that the timing there is a little different than in Semenanjung. At 6.45pm, the sun was completely set, the moon was out and the stars were shining! It looked like it was already 8pm. Anyway, I ordered the Nasi Goreng Kampung (not the same), June and Kak Ira ordered Kuew Teow (pretty similar) and Julio had the Tom Yam Sup (nothing like it at all!). After that, we went 'home'.

'Home' was a pretty comfortable apartment with two balconies (front and back) and it was fully furnished. The best part of it though, was that view from the back balcony. Mount Kinabalu, clear as anything, towering over the smaller, so-called mountains around it. It was beautiful!

Mostly, we spent our time visiting people. Since June and her family hadn't been back in 2 years, everyone wanted to see them. I had lots of fun learning about June's family and meeting everyone. We met uncle's father, the village chief, who had an adorable puppy! Then we also me aunty's father, the very 'gaya' man even at his age.

We went to the Philippines Market near Wisma Merdeka. It was one long building of wet market stalls and another, equally long building of handicraft stalls. There were so many thing I wanted to buy but I didn't. Most of it I didn't need but the one's that made sense to buy, I didn't because I was being to indecisive! I did manage to get an I ♥ Sabah t-shirt though. Most of what I wanted to buy for people back home was there but I didn't get anything because I was thinking too much! Silly me!

The next day, we went around a bit in the morning and by night time, we were at the Ballroom, preparing for the wedding reception. Aunty Rossane looked gorgeous. She wore an off white, strapless wedding gown as she entered and after the third course (it was a Chinese sit down dinner) she changed in to a maroon dress. Both made her look like a princess! The dinner was not too bad, and the hall was pretty nice. As was the custom in Sabah, some cousins went on stage for a little karaoke session after dinner and even aunty joined in at the end. Everyone was scrambling to take a picture with the happy couple. June and family managed to steal them away for a few seconds to take a family shot.

When we arrived home that night, everyone was so exhausted. We slept and didn't wake up till late the next day.

I arrived home on Sunday night. I was spent! I had school the next day so once I got home, I had dinner and landed on my bed.

End of Sabah Trip!

Leavin' On A Jet Plane

T minus 10 hours to take off!

I won't have access to a computer or Internet while I'm in Sabah so I'm taking the old fashioned road and bringing along a journal. I'll try and capture as many moments as I can in writing. I'm so excited! Four days in Sabah (which is about as far away from KL as India). My bags are packed (it's quite light) and I've laid out my clothes for tomorrow. My alarm is set and I've gone over my checklist.

I'm feeling the same way I usually do before going on a camping trip. The excitement about going away for a few days, the anxiety that I might forget to bring something and the anticipation of awesome adventures! This is going to be great. I just know it.

Anyway, I'm too excited to write much now so,

Sabah, here I come!!

Just Keep Spinning, Spinning, Spinning..

I posted this of FB: "The world doesn't stop spinning for anyone". That's was my point of view at the time I posted it. Here's what someone commented: "But the world is spinning for everyone". Talk about different points of view. It's so true. No matter what happens, the world will not stop spinning on its axis or rotating around the sun. However, it's spinning for us. The world goes on for us. It lives on so that we can live on. (That's Kat's Philosophy 2011 for you!)

Now here are a few lines that I feel are relevant this week (relevant to me la!):





Only 2 day's till Sabah! I have to start packing now or I might just leave stuff behind:) My day back at school was a little sleep inducing. Lazing around the past week probably wasn't the best idea. Oh well, what's done is done. I just have to keep myself awake tomorrow! I'm sure it won't be a problem.

Anyways, I know I haven't been saying much here lately and I apologise. I've just been in my head for so long that I'm having trouble transferring thoughts to words. Plus, I've yet to find a topic to really write about. I'm looking and I think I'm getting close so stay tuned!

Willy Wonka Appeared (or Rather Is Going To Appear) In My Dreams!

So, let me say this; this is the first ever holiday in my entire Form 6 life that I've spent actually worrying about school. I'm not completely stressed out about homework (because I have none) nor am I stressed out about studying (because I did a little and I'm still on track). I am, however, a little worried about my R&D project as well as the Ribbon Awareness Project, the two proposals I have to write for CSS and the Magazine. I'm not feeling overwhelmed or anything like that (because it really isn't that much work), I'm just worried that my habit of procrastinating will come back and bite me while I'm sleeping peacefully, dreaming of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory on a breezy, mid-April night.

I've managed to kick start my R&D project but the worst is yet to come. Believe me, handing out survey forms to over a hundred students (the majority of which are boys) is one thing, and getting them to fill it up is another all together. Here's the best past, after that's done, I need to manually analyse all the data. Meaning, I have to check every answer and record everything down by hand. No problem right? Well, after that, I have to come up with graphs & charts,explanations & hypotheses and not to mention conclusions. All that, I have to then pile together into a folio which has to be submitted before sometime in June. Awesome! I love school:)

Also, I've just realised that my room is a mess! I've to make sure I clean it up before leaving for Sabah. Knowing myself, I'll come home from my trip feeling lazy and I'll dump everything in my room and clean it up about a month later. Adding mess into an already messy room doesn't seem like the smart thing to do. I've been told before that I'm a smart girl and so, I shall act like it. My room will be sorted before I leave on that plane! :)

Trailing from that, I am super stoked that I'm going to Sabah!!!

A Blogspot Tumblr Moment

.this goes out to all guys.
We girls like to have guy friends who are sweet and caring and are friendly. But you have to know that there is an obvious line between brotherly love and love love. Trust me, we try our best to not send you mixed signals too. If we do, that means we're already confused.




Some people, some really special ones, have made a huge impact on my life.
I love you for who you are and who I've become because of you.
I am me because of the people I've met and
though I may change (for change is inevitable),
I shall never forget you (for memories are meant to last forever).

.magic.
it's everywhere, just like the stars



.one voice is better than silence.
.passion and truth trumps violence and ignorance.
.anytime, anywhere.



Peace, No War.
When will everyone get that? 



.I do feel like this sometimes.
Everyone is so happy and here I am, upset at something, wondering what is everyone smiling about. But you know, I mentioned before that I live for moments, so when everyone is trying to cheer me up, I tend to smile and feel better. At least for a while. After that I go back to frowning. However, what I remember the most are the moments, smiling moments. Bad moments are ever present too but like in the picture, no matter how outstanding the frown is, it's always outnumbered by the smiles. How can you compete with that, right?

need I say more?

 

Forgive because it helps you.
Forgive because it's right.
But most of all, forgive because you can.





"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD,
"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

   



.Life's Code.
At least it is for me. I just need to be reminded constantly..
:):)

 



How can I not be?
There may be hate everywhere I go BUT there's much more love and beauty surrounding it.
This is the world I was born into, this is the world that I will leave behind.
And this is the world that I belong in. At least that's something I know for sure!
:)

BELIEVE and UNDERSTAND

Finally! I've confirmed it. I'm going to Sabah in about 2 weeks! June is taking me with her to Sabah (her aunt is getting married). It'll be my first official step in my adventure around the world. Lo! The world has been made available to me and I shall conquer it (figuratively, not literally).

There's something I remember from a course I went to in church: For I do not seek to understand in order to believe, but I believe in order to understand. For I believe this: unless I believe, I will not understand - St. Anslem of Canterbury

That makes a lot of sense to me in a way I can't explain (or maybe I can if I think it through enough?)

Anyway, school hasn't been good. There were some issues with the Editorial Board and Carom teachers. I got a firm talking to by my Carom teacher for missing sports 3 weeks in a row. In my defense, I only missed 2 weeks; the first week I was only 5 minutes late! Last week, our dear EdBoard teacher decided to have a general meeting with the entire B.O.D and the headmistress. The sports teachers let us go because the headmistress wanted everyone who was involved to attend. Settled (with much noise form the other teachers). This week, Mrs.EdBoard called for another meeting that ate into our sports period. On top of that, I had a CSS meeting to attend to as well. I told the teacher I didn't want to go for the EdBoard meeting because they could have done without me (They did; I was completely ignored when it came to choosing the T-Shirt and name tag designs) but she insisted so I went. Once that was settled, I went to the CSS meeting (for which I was late). That's when my carom teacher called me and gave me an ultimatum about missing sports. I'm sorry but I'm not 12 anymore and I won't sit idly by while I get a firm talking to by someone who knows only half the story and refuses to accept the other half. I just told my teacher that she could mark me as absent and I will bear any consequences that may ensue.  After all, I'm not a robot. I can't be at three places at once. I have a feeling that I've been marked as a minor discipline case. They probably have an eye on me now (which is cool in a way!)

Oh well, school is school and in school I shall remain if I ever want to make a difference!