A little Update - Terrible Things and others

  Heyy everyone! :D I don't know when I started posting so many things in one month - I think I draw all of my inspiration from Isabel, the girl in my Secondary School who's been updating her blog so regularly that I'm starting to believe that I can do it too. This blog isn't something that can win me fame or recognition, but it's a place where I can pen down all of my thoughts, and whenever I need a reminder of my youth, I can always look back here, to the online site that I started when I was just nine.

  So the topic of today's post is a simple update on what's been happening since two posts ago. On the Christmas post, I wanted to tell you guys all about what's been happening... But I kind of restrained myself since I wanted the Christmas post to be all about Christmas.

  Weelll... I think I have good news, neutral news and bad news. Which one d'ya want to hear first? I know I can't hear you and I'm probably completely disregarding you all by deciding for myself, but I've always believed in hearing the bad news, then the good news - because then you'll at least have something good to buoy you after hearing the bad news. Also, it's kind of symbolic - after the storm comes a rainbow and all that. And when the rainbow comes, you don't even need to think about the rain. :)

  So! Bad news. Umm... I lost my Primary School Student Identification Card. Aka my EZ-Link Card. :( I was on my way to RGS yesterday, on the 26th of December, and it was pouring like crazy everywhere in Singapore. When the bus stopped outside RGS, I quickly fished out my wallet, tapped out, and jumped out of the bus. I made it safely to the other side, albeit half-drenched -- but my wallet was gone. In the jolting realisation, I jumped back out into the rain and looked at the ground where my heavy-as-my-Math-book wallet had slipped from my hand and dropped...

  It was nowhere to be found.

  And then I looked again at where it had dropped, and guess what I saw? A drain. A huge drainage hole that could fit three of my wallets inside. And the rainwater was filling it in torrents, so much so that I had no doubt that even my boulder-like wallet would choose to go with the flow and encase itself forever in the dank sewage.

  My mom quickly called me back into the shelter of the bus stop, and as we sat together in silence at one of the bus-stop seats, my mom told me that it was all alright and that I hadn't let go of it on purpose.

  In my mind, I was like, "No one ever loses things on purpose, and they still get scolded". But I was thankful that my mom wasn't that angry at me. Now I just had to face my dad.

  But even after I did, when we came home from RGS after submitting a form, my dad took it well - surprisingly well. It made me so puzzled and yet so relieved - and though my parents and I argued that day, it wasn't because of the loss of my entire wallet (containing my EZ-Link card, my library card, my Popular Membership card, $2 and 50c and RM10) and instead about my stubborn refusal to take the school bus instead of public transport.

  After experiencing my parents' patience and understanding, I felt really touched. It was so much less frustrating to a child when his parents took his mistakes in their stride and talked to him about it instead of berating him to no end, and the child would still remember his mistake with equal clarity - just that he would learn how to let go and treat others with the same patience, instead of gaining an abhorrence of his parents and a terrible memory that would haunt him for his lifetime.

  So... I realised that I should treat my little brother the same way. It was a real learning experience for me because not only did I learn that, but I also realised that, in our prayers, we never thank God for the bad things that didn't happen, and we only feel at a loss when the bad things do occur. For example, in the days leading up to the misplacement of my card, I had never thanked God for allowing me not to lose my card, or for allowing me not to lose any of my family members. If we accept that bad things will happen someday and treasure each day that passes by without the bad thing happening, then we'll be much less shocked and affected when they do.

  I don't know if I'm making any sense. Am I?  I guess I only make sense to myself. :3 But anyway, the bad news aside, let me tell you about the good news now.

  So I guess the good news isn't actually news per se, and it's just a piece of neutral information. Ah well.

  I'm going to be taking the school bus to RGS for the whole of next year. It's a really simple thought that became exciting as soon as I thought about it in more detail: The bus I'll be taking is going to ferry students only from my area to RGS, and those students comprise 9 in total. Myself included, 10 RGS Girls will be in the school bus with me every morning.

  The best thing about that is that I might see some of my Primary School seniors in the bus, and any Year 1 Girls who are in the bus with me will live relatively near to my home. That means that if I manage to warm up their hearts and make friends with them, it'll be supereasy to visit each other, and we can always go to the nearby malls to shop instead of having to figure out which malls are near to each others' houses! :D :D :D

  I'd never really entertained the thought of having friends in RGS who live in my neighbourhood. After all, in Secondary School everyone's split up, and in a school in Bishan, students could come from Pasir Ris, Lakeside or Joo Koon, or maybe Marina South Pier. I knew that everyone would probably live really far away from each other, and I'd never actually been able to hope that I'd meet a group of friends whom I could reach in less than 20 minutes, other than my two Primary School friends who are coming with me to RGS next year. It's just... Yay! :D

  So I guess that's all I have to say in this post. As you can tell, the argument (which I mentioned earlier) between my parents and I about taking the school bus was won by my parents, and I've given in. I guess their reasons were a lot more reasonable, too, and I can find a lot more pros than cons in taking the school bus. Anyway, it's only a commitment that I'll have to make for a year, and if I don't like it, I can choose not to spend the $1560 for the annual school bus fees next year. I'm grateful that my parents are willing to spend that much to make sure that when I arrive at school, I'll be fresh-minded and ready to take on a new day; they're the best.

  Well, adios for now, little misses and men. I'll see you again next time. ;)

  Yours with all the sincerity in the world,
    Kirsten. <3

Merry Christmas, and Happy Birthday, Jesus! :)

  Hiyo everyone! :D

  Today's post is just going to be a short one wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. I know that some of you may not celebrate Christmas and I really hope I'm not offending you or being rude by doing this, but I just really want today to be a happy day for everyone in Singapore, in Asia, in the world. The reason for us Christians' merriment is that today is our God, Jesus', birthday, and we're celebrating it - but if you're not Christian, you can still celebrate the 25th of December, like us, but you can choose any reason to celebrate it. Maybe it's your birthday today, or you just want to celebrate for one full day before school starts again. Whatever it is, today's a day to be happy, so just stay cheerful! :D

  I guess that's all that I have to say. Other than the fact that I finally have my school uniform and books and I think that RGS' expectations are crazy high because they're making us study Sec 4 Science when we're just thirteen. But that's information for another post - so for now, adieu, everyone - have a blessed Christmas! <3

  ~ Kirsten

A New School

  Hey ya'll! :D I'm back after a good six months, but it doesn't really worry me that I haven't been updating. I realised that since I'm writing for myself anyway, when I look back at my posts, the time gone between them won't really matter and I'll probably finish reading through all of my blog posts in less than a day. As long as I update the blog on what I've been doing these past 6 months, the time lost won't matter.

  So it's finally the 19th of December, and all of the Primary School graduating classes of 2014 will know the significance of this date. Today was the day that the results of our Secondary School posting were released - and boy, excitement spreads fast. Most of the people on my Facebook account who haven't been active for ages have finally been resurrected today - hooray for the virtual divine powers that this day has. XD

  The Secondary School that I'll be attending from next year onwards is Raffles Girls' School (Secondary). It feels kind of weird that in the end, after all of my contemplation and all of the excitement that I had for schools like the School of Science and Technology (SST), Anderson Secondary School and National Junior College, I ended up going to a school that I had initially pushed far away from my thoughts. You see, ever since I had gained sufficient understanding of the world around me, I had, to my guilt, believed the stereotype that the public had wrongly placed on RGS Girls - that they were lofty princesses who got driven to school in Rolls Royce cars and received the best of everything; that they lost their compassion as soon as they stepped into the school and were surrounded by its students; that they had no empathy for those lower than them, and that they were bullies. Of course, all of these stereotypes have peeled away from my image of an RGS Girl over time. When I received my PSLE score of 268, my first choice was NJC, the school that I'd been dreaming about for the better part of my twelfth year on Earth. But then my parents told me to reconsider, and although I tried not to take heed of their words, a part of me said, "Kirsten, you have no evidence that an RGS Girl is all of the things that the world makes her out to be. If you're going to shy away from RGS because of what you think, at least verify your thoughts. You owe it to the school, and to yourself."

  And so I went onto Facebook and searched for anyone who had placed "Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) under their name", and I clicked on the first name that came up.

  Actually, I looked at the pictures of the girls, and I had to scroll through a couple of alumni who were now adults before I came to a picture of a girl who looked to be around the age of a secondary-school-faring girl. Does that still count? But anyway --

  I clicked on the first name that came up.

  The first girl whose personality I investigated was a girl who, by word of her status updates, seemed to be around 15 years old. She hadn't posted much on her Facebook wall -- with the exception of one status update which was really long. And so, happy to have finally found some material that could offer some insight into the personality and life of an RGS Girl, I clicked "read more".

  The girl had written a short essay on an unpleasant experience that she had had in Germany, when she visited a Starbucks store in order to enjoy a little cuppa while she did some schoolwork overseas. She had written about harassment in immaculate English, advising any readers of her post to acquaint themselves with the martial arts for defence. One impressive thing about her post was that she had so nonchalantly written about knowing how to speak German, albeit it being slightly broken, and she had made her knowledge seem like a commonplace thing in RGS. Does that mean that most students in RGS have adopted a third language? I dunno. I guess I'll only know when I enter the school next year, right? But anyway, the other thing that made an impression upon me was the fact that she had thought so deeply into a matter that others' thoughts would only skim the surface of. I do admit feeling that she was being a bit dramatic, but I've always held my own thoughts back a bit for fear of appearing dramatic to other people, and having the same kind of people around me might put me at ease a bit.

  Having been convinced slightly, I proceeded to read more about RGS and its history. I discovered that RGS actually promoted the learning of a third language, and that it would shuttle students to and from MOELC Newton every Friday for classes, for an approximate fee of $55 a year. It's a bit expensive, so I might consider going there on my own if I can make it there on time for my classes, but it's nice to know that there's a possibility that a lot of my schoolmates will be my French classmates too. It'd be much easier to learn something new with like-minded friends around, right? And plus, if the above scenario does happen, then I'll have more people to practise my French with, instead of having to bother my elder brother every second of the day.

  By then, I had been convinced enough that RGS was a good school, and I've never really looked back at my decision ever since the day that I submitted my S1 Posting Options and opted for Raffles Girls' School as my first choice. For some reason, on that day, putting RGS as my first option just felt right. I had no nagging feeling in my gut, no hesitation in my mind - it was like God was telling me, "You're making the right decision. Go ahead now.".

  And... Well, the charms of RGS have finally won me fully over to its side. One of my really good friends, the top scorer in my Primary School, will be going to RGS together with me - so if we manage to get into the same class, that would be great! :D A familiar face around wouldn't hurt anybody.

  I recently got some inspiration from a young RGS schoolgirl to record my future journey in RGS here, on my blog. That young girl is someone who doesn't know me, and whom I don't know personally as well - but I've stumbled upon her blog, and she's an RGS girl who is blogging about her adventures in RGS as well. I haven't even read half of her entries, but she seems like such a pleasant and nice person already, and I encourage you to read her blog if you're in the same dilemma that I had been in and perhaps need some encouragement to apply for entry into RGS. The girl's blog URL is "foreverisabel2000.blogspot.com". Do go read her blog if you have the time! :D

  Well... I guess I've written quite a bit. So many other things have happened, like the instalment of my braces and the outings that me and my Primary School friends have gone on, but now it's around 10.30 at night and I've already spent 20 minutes writing here. It feels so nice to type here - my words can be recorded in a matter of seconds, and I'm so used to blogging that my typing speed has improved. Well, of course it's improved lah - last time, I had the typing speed of a snail, if snails can type -- no offence to you, little creatures of the ground. If it hadn't improved by now, I'd be embarrassed. Ah well - it's a good thing I'll be using a computer for all my schoolwork next year! :)

  Thankiew for taking the time to read through my blog entry, yet again - and until next time, I remain yours faithfully,

  Kirsten Clare.

Back to School!

  Hii guys! :D I know it's been another decade since I wrote here... Actually, I was thinking about stopping my blog. I followed that thought for the whole of June, but now, on the second-last day of this month, I've decided to come back. This blog holds way too many memories to let go, and I like it, anyway. It's a source of my comfort, even if that sounds weird... And I hope that, if somehow the thought of stopping the blog again comes to my mind (hopefully not) then I'll be able to read this post and remember how precious this website is to me.

  Soo... Reflections aside, I guess I should be moving on to the topic of this blog post: we're going back to school!

  My two brothers and I are going back to school tomorrow, and we all don't really like that idea. Not to be a masochist or a self-pity-er (if that's a word) but I think that my back-to-school time might be the worst among the three of us. See, I'm going to take my PSLE this year - and it's the most important exam in the history of all exams. O.O The first PSLE exam's going to take place this term... >.< Along with our Preliminary Examinations. :( :( :( I really, really, really hope that the P6 level will be able to make it through this together! 

  I underestimated the scariness of PSLE last year, when my brother, Nicoli, was taking it. He seemed so calm about it - I don't know if it's because he didn't really worry about it, or if he was hiding how scary it was. Him being... Well, himself, it's probably because he didn't really worry about it.

  But PSLE aside, school's something to worry about, too. 

  I'm currently worrying about my schoolbag... And its contents. Having not gone to school for around a month, I'm really worried about forgetting something on the first day of school - not a good thing, especially when you have Teemo-like teachers like mine. If you play League of Legends, like my brother does, then I think you might get it - Teemo's the cutest little Champion in the game, but he packs a mighty punch in his poison darts. It's the same for my teachers - they're superawesome when they're happy, but when they get mad, their rage would be well worth avoiding.

  I've gone through my homework list multiple times, and I guess I haven't forgotten anything... Hopefully I won't get an earful tomorrow. Ah, well - I guess I'll just have to check my bag one last time, and then I'll stop worrying about it. There's no use to, I think.

  Soo... Well, I'd better get to sleep now. If you've managed to get to this part of the blog post and you've read everything, I seriously congratulate you. You've just made it through the maze of my mind.

  Alrighty. Cya! :D

    Yours truly,

   Kirsten Clare.

Mugging :( :(

  Hello guys! :D

  It's my Science exam this coming Friday, and I'm trying to mug for my Science exam. :P For some reason, doing Science Practice Papers is so much more draining than doing Math Practice Papers - I suppose that I'm more inclined towards Math. There goes my chance to go to SST :3 Right now, I'm also considering the National University of Singapore High School of Math and Science, for two reasons: one, because as I mentioned earlier, I love doing Math, even though I'm not good at it (I'm weird like that because #itzliddat) and plus, the High School seems to have a really awesome band. I'm a musical instrument fanatic, BTW - hey, I ought to add that into my bio, along with the fact that I'm also bad at playing music.

  Awww :( :( :( I have to go back to mugging again. Now I have to choose between staring at Science concept maps, my Science notebook, or doing another practice paper... None of them sound very appealing. 

  Anywayz, I'd better go. See ya! :)

  ~~ Kirsten