Someday, I’ll return

Amber Rose, the next Grace Jones
Photo from Kanye West’s blog

This week’s the first week of the 2nd term of school. Gosh, I feel really accustomed to JC life… NOT. I’m still making adjustments here and there, still trying to get a footing as to where I fit in my class, still trying to get to the right classrooms on time (do I sound like and idiot here). Oh and now there’s the busy-ness of Council Commendation rehearsals.

I am absolutely tired by everything.

Oh and what made the week worse was that I found out that L'Oreal face scrub I bought… Well, its a little too harsh for my skin. I now have what that is known as ‘Contact Allergy’. Oh gosh, it is terrible, my whole face is peeling, and it itches. Totally gross. And I have to avoid scratching… really tough here. Thankfully I saw a doctor, who gave some cream and pills (sounds delicious eh?) and I must say, it’s starting to get a lot better. Thank you doctor, and thanks to God for giving me that wisdom to see a doctor too.

I am still tired.

Oh I’m leading cell lesson this Sunday.

²⁸"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Matthew 11:28-30

Farewell old Sunday.
Tomorrow is a new day.
Time for a fresh start.

But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.

Jeremiah 17:7-8

No worries. The Lord my God is my strength.

A boy can dream, can’t he?

Clear, light, ethereal. – Designed by Tokujin Yoshioka for Kartell

Mars is French for March (continuing with my infatuation with the French language). Anyway, the March break has been quite a busy period for me. That being said, I am thoroughly happy that my block tests were over before the start of the holidays, so I do not have the pressure of studying intensely hard during this period. (My sympathies to those who have tests after this period). Various things happened throughout the course of this holidays (which at this point in time, isn’t exactly over):

01. COUNCIL Leadership Training Camp. I’ll be honest here, I only went for two days of this camp (it was a four day affair). Why you might ask, well I blame it on my emotional state prior to the camp, along with the fact that I was going to miss the school’s academic programme had I stayed on for the last two days (well actually the emotional thingy is interlinked with this). Just 2 days before the camp, I was about to break down because I felt the inability to study – every day was filled with tests, and yet I was reading my notes just the day before, albeit unsuccessfully. Back to the part about the camp. I do not deny my apprehension before attending the camp, in fact I contemplated/debated with myself on whether I should attend the camp. I compromised. Two days. Oh I lost my shoe bag. This camp was one of pushing limits, all of us were tired prior to it, given the week of tests we had. None of us wanted to be made to do push-ups every hour. None of us wanted to be made to sweep beans (14 1.5l worth) off the floor of a lecture theatre with our bare hands. Twice. Then mop up the whole place. A lot of the camp was physically, mentally and emotionally stressful. But I do not regret attending the two days. In that span of time, I got to know some of my fellow councilors better – we are after all, in one Council, the 33rd SAJC Student Council! This was something that I wouldn’t have been able to achieve had I skipped the camp in its entirety. And yes, this is a little bullshitting here, but there are lessons to be learnt from the activities. I disagree that EVERY activity was meaningful, in fact, some of it felt just downright pointless and humiliating (I believe I left before the worst), but I acknowledge that at least, there was a certain intention to every activity, each one was planned with a lesson to be learnt. I’ll leave my LTC experiences at this.

02. ACADEMIC Programmes – What’s a holiday in JC without lessons eh? Well I’m just thankful (as mentioned in the 1st paragraph) that this did not occupy the whole of my holidays, unlike an unfortunate church friend of mine. It was really useful though, I’m somewhat glad I missed the physical, mental and emotional burdens of the camp for these two days of lectures. I doubt I would have been able to catch up on the barrage of information dished out during these lectures. Just about everything was a new topic being taught. I hope my fellow councilors would be able to catch up too.

03. LEARNING about the various divisions in 10A04, and SAJC (Okay, I’m slow), was quite disheartening. Its so early on in the year, and already, people are holding on to their preconceived notions of others, how some may seem bratty or bitchy to others. That being said, I do not deny that I have been guilty of doing the same, but I’m trying to let it go. So should everyone else. She may have grapes and tails, but she can be nice. I think.

04. ICE skating with the church people (Kenneth, Elliot, Joel, Phyllis, Iman, Agnes, Nicole, Anthea), you guys (and girls) are simply awesome. And to Joel, if you’re reading this, congrats on learning how to ice skate! Oh and there was this sorta cute (emphasis on the ‘sorta’) German child who tagged along with us, hope you had fun on your holiday. And stop kicking people with your skates, they can injure others.

05. NOSTALGIC moments with my past. That came out weird. Thursday night was simply great. I got to meet up with one of my closest friends in Secondary School (hey Shashank), my favourite English teacher Mdm Norhani, and two other awesome people (Benedict and Farina). It was great to see everyone (figurative usage here) and to know that they are doing fine. Gossiped a little, had a simple but sincere meal, ate great ice-cream, and window-shopped! Okay the last part was kinda wasted, I would have preferred to actually get something, but well, nothing really tickled my fancy. Except this:

Sand Suede Shoes – Zara

I’m simply infatuated with them now. Perhaps I should get them, just that they are a little pricey at SGD 169. Or maybe the variation in a dark leather (that’ll be easier to keep clean).

Anyway, the holidays has been really kind to me, this one at least, and I am truly thankful for the rest time that I managed to get. I do however hope that I’ll cope better with the upcoming new term.

  
Warm wood floors, check. Period hardware, check. Sleek modern furniture for contrast, check. Though maybe minus that baby blue cushion on the couch.

In case you do not know, I am obsessed with architecture and interior design.

The second month of 2010 has been to say the least, tiring. It was a time of great change (for me especially), a time of stagnancy. A time of new friendships forged, a time of crumbling relationships. A time of fun, a time of stress and anxiety. Thank you, February.

01. ORIENTATION 2010, Mosaic. February marks the middle, and the end of Orientation at SAJC. It was truly a wonderful time, all thanks to the simply awesome people of OG8. From Weiren’s crazy enthusiasm for everything, to the seemingly berserk mass dance routines that had everyone’s feet on hot rocks. Thank you everyone, who made my start at SAJC undeniably absurd and fun.

02. NEW class. New people (duh). 10A04 wasn’t quite what I expected it to be, but its nonetheless a bunch of friendly people. Enough said.

03. THE start of lectures. Once again, this is a virgin experience. (Gosh, it seems that JC life is a complete culture shock) I was introduced to what seemed a relatively relaxed time-table of lectures (with the exception of the long days, though they are chock full of breaks), or so I thought, until we met the lecturers. Seeing them signaled one thing – it was now time to start being serious in my studies (or so the theory goes). I’ll try.

04. COUNCIL everything. Council Nominations, Council Interviews, Council Camp, and now, Council Campaigning (just a week before my MSAs, shit). Basically, apart from the Council Camp, everything went (and is going) smoothly here. Council Camp was a torture camp, and more. I’ll just leave it at that, lest I be barred from joining it.

05. REAL shit starts – Lectures + Tutorials. Not to mention a time-table that’s pretty messed up in just about every way (lack of breaks, ridiculously long breaks, two Literature tutorials in the same day etc.) Its time to work hard, MSAs are next week. Odd that tutorials only come a week before our tests. God help me, God help us.


Goodbye February, Hello March.

I find myself slipping away from God. Its difficult, each moment of life, and I know that I should trust in God. I do. But yet I find myself doubting (at times) the very existence of my faith – that perhaps my faith was all a fib. Its been something I’ve battled with for a couple of years. In the end, I always acknowledged and accepted God, but I hate this constant battle with the forces of evil.

Please pray for me. [Christ] help me. He can, and will. Amen.

It is in Him that I find strength to face the world.

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever”

Psalm 73:25-26