Just another reason...

Another awards night coming around.

Another reason for girls to go crazy and apply make up and feel extra beautiful. Another reason for girls to spend lotsa money on dresses and shoes and hair cuts or hair do's and jewelry. Another reason for a big gaggle of girls to ogle at the mirror, priming themselves and giggle self-consciously when the guys walk by. Just another reason...

Sighs. 

When will I ever be able to look at something like that with the enthusiasm and excitement rightly justified by the millions of girls across the globe?

Mad hunt for heels

I went to buy my first pair of heels yesterday. 

That was an incredibly enriching experience...

It took more than two hours to finally buy a pair of heels, AND I eventually bought it at the very first shoe shop I entered (something my dad did not hesitate to remark upon). But anyway, in those two hours, I learned a couple of very important lessons. 

Number 1 - I have really ugly feet

Number 2 - I have really ugly AND really fat feet

Number 3 - Not ONLY do I have really ugly and fat feet, they have to be odd shaped and look incredibly foreign and out of place in those nice, strappy, elegant heels. They look sort of like, you know when people play hide and seek and they attempt to hide behind skinny poles or the lamp stand? Yeah. They just look plain stupid. 

So knowing that elegant strappy heels would look off, we - mum and I - settled for getting wedges. 

Lesson number 4 - Luck is not my friend.

We must have tried HUNDREDS and the only ones that I liked or looked semi ok on me ALL had to be either out of stock or not my size!!! 

It was. Depressing. 

And I must have inconvenienced so many shop keepers. They had to help me get out shoes, help me strap them on, watch as I attempt to strut around looking cool in them, only to find fault with it and ask for another, which they will then bring out and the whole thing continues again until finally,there's no more. 

In the end, I did manage to buy something. In the very first shop we entered. And I left happy. =] But the last thing I learned throughout this traumatic ordeal;

Lesson number 5 - I do not like shopping with anyone male. Be it dad or friends. 

Not ONLY do you feel guilty for dragging them shop to shop throughout the entire mall on your mad hunt for the perfect "shoe/gift/earrings/necklace/nail polish color/t-shirt/etc," you have to also explain to them nicely why NONE of the fifty pairs of shoes you just tried on were good enough. As well as put up and comfort them when THEIR feet hurt, or if they're tired, or hungry, or bored (usually all three).  

And at the very end of the shopping expenditure with guys, you end up not buying anything as a result of being guilt-stricken, harassed and rushed. Or you DO end up buying something, which you will regret later on because you didn't think it through enough.

I'm not saying that all guys are like this. It's just that most, ok well, ALL of the guys that I've gone shopping with have been like this. And when I don't buy anything because I'm too afraid to make everybody wait for me, everybody ends up scolding me for making them wait for me AND not even buying anything to make up for their wasted time. 

Urgh. 

No more. 

Ok. This little rant post shall end. 

As did my mad hunt for heels. 

Now I have my own! Ok well, they're wedges. But STILL =]

And I think they're beautiful. 

hmmm...

I have this thing where I browse through a lot of different blogs online. In particular, there is this huge community of "quote" blogs on Xanga that I read time to time, and sure, maybe a lot of the blogs are just full of teenagers blogging "crap" to find a release from their onslaught of emotions - heck, isn't that what we do? - but sometimes, you find a couple of quotes here and there that makes you sit there, in your chair, staring at the computer screen and just. Think. Perspective. Realization. Epiphany. Or maybe you're just stoning. Whatever.

Here are just three simple "quotes" that I've come across that made me think. So I thought I'll just share them. 

"What a terrible thing to let go of something wonderful for something real," -unknown. 

"I myself am made entirely of flaws.
Stitched together with good intentions." - unknown

"People of character do the right thing, not because they think it will change the world.
But because they refuse to be changed by the world." - unknown

which reminded me of:

"Don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God." - Romans 12:2

My side of the story

I suspected absolutely nothing. 

Nothing. 

Darn it!!! 

How could I not????

Being sung to in church was the first most embarrassing thing to happen. Everyone came, everyone congregated until don't know how long, and, I still suspected nothing!! When it was time to go, I waved sadly at everyone, thinking they were all going to Mid Valley and have fun. 

I went home and went online. Moping. Heh. 

"Dinner is at 6 ok?" Dad reminded me as I watched Leverage. 

"Uh-huh." I mumbled. 

6 came. I was ready. Not thinking we were gunna be going anywhere, I didn't bother to actually dress up. Got to the front door. 

"Wear the blindfold!!" Mum said. 

"Huh?"

"The blindfold! It'll be fun."

I sighed. "OK. Whatever." And I was blindfolded. 

Silence. 

Where's everyone? They can't have left me here right?

"HELLO? I can't see you know!!!" I yelled out. 

"Oh. Right. Comiiing! " my sister ran back to guide me to the car.

And I sat in the car. The whole time. Blindfolded. 

Lol. Yeah. I heard you guys all had to duck as to not be seen by me. I was blindfolded. Heh.

I feel asleep because it was so dark. =.=

I suddenly woke up when my phone started vibrating in my pocket, so asking if could take it off - "aiyah. As if she would know where we are anyway." dad said - I checked my phone.

Blitz: OI! Ditcher! Where you going for your stupid dinner? I bet you are bored. 

Me: I have no idea where the heck I am going. I am like, super lost. All I can see are trees and like, jungle. Ohmigosh. Where the heck am I?

And I really had no idea. I was disorientated, and everywhere I looked was just trees. 

Lol. I got bored of trees. So I took my own pic. Heh. 

Sighs. Failed tree shots. But yeah. Look there! Trees. All around!!

...

Then I got another message. 

Blitz: AHAHAH! Why you take off the blindfold? Then your parent's can't surprise you lor (ok. So now I get the meaning. It means it makes ALL you guys jobs harder to have to hide from me) Anyway. I hope you have a bad dinner! Ditcher! Hope you get lost!

I didn't bother to reply him. Because at that point. We had arrived!! And I even took a picture. And this is the most grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr picture of all because...

Look at it!!

Do you see what I see?!!!

...

....

..

It's the entrance of lookout point. And I took a picture. 

I TOOK A PICTURE OF ALL YOU SNEAKY PEOPLE AND I STILL DIDN'T REALISE ANYTHING!!! MYGOSH!!!!!!!!! 

Go and look at the picture again. See the MyVi. And the car Andy was driving. They're BOTH THERE! ARRRRGH!

Finally getting to the right place, I noticed we were sitting at the big table so I said to my parents, "Erm, shouldn't we sit at the smaller table? What if a big group comes?"

Dad replied, "nevermind la. They'll ask us to move if anyone comes."

"Okkkkkk?" I said sitting down. 

Suddenly this dude in a green shirt with a camera jumped in front of me, and following him was this sudden noise exploding directly behind me (lol, I realised later they were singing Happy Birthday. Actually, I just NOW realised this because I asked my sister. =.=)

I had no idea what the heck was going on. I was like, "why does this dude taking pictures of me look so familiar?" 

"Why are there so many people's voices directly behind me?" I didn't even turn around. I just sat there for a bit. Thinking.

"How can it be that these people's voices sound so familiar?"

"What the heck is going on?"

"IF it is what I think it is, how can this be? How could they have planned this without me even knowing?"

"It cannot be. I think I'm hallucinating."

"No I can't be. Ju in front of me is too annoying and real to be a hallucination."

"But NO WAY could this all have been planned and me not even knowing one bit. I'm dreaming. Rapture."

"NO LA. Not rapture. Why does Brand's and is that Jaryl's, I'm sure that's Jaryl, why does their voices sound so annoyingly familiar behind me? That must be real."

"OHMIGOSH! THEY SURPRISED ME!! OH SHITTTTTTTTTT!!!"

and that's when I turned red. And that was my second embarrassment for the day. 

Third embarrassment was coming right up. 

So anyway, as I was talking with everyone and trying to find the masterminds of all this (Brand and Bel) when the boys decided to go toilet. Together. For a really long time

And I didn't think anything of it. I just talked and Bel showed me the videos. HAHAHAH! Thank you guys for the video!

Then they came back. And food arrived. 

That's when Brand handed me a couple of scraps of paper and asked me to solve the insane riddles he wrote. I shall spare you what this aspiring poet attempted to write. Anyway, his last clue was:

Wait til 9, then use your eyes. You'll be in for a big surprise.

It was 7:30 then.

"I have to wait one and a half hours?!?!?!?!?!" I shrieked. 

"Actually, it can come sooner. Maybe 8:30" Brand replied.

"So I dunno how long I have to wait!!??"

"yeah."

Greaaaaaaaat. 

After half an hour of trying to solve it myself - and eating my really really good Carbonara - I decided to ask for help.

"Well you see, at exactly nine o'clock, the earth is in a certain position that can only be seen at Lookout Point where this natural occurrence...will occur, and .... you'll be surprised." Josh smiled.

"Brand said it may come at 8:30." 

"OH. Hehe."

I turned to another person.

"Jaryl! Help me!"

"Wait til nine, then use your eyes, you'll be in for a surprise." he read. 

"Yeah. That's like an hour away! I have to wait til then," I moaned. 

"It's one hour to nine? What time is it now?" Jaryl asked.

...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHAAAA!! 

...

I gave up asking people. 

Around 8:30. Nothing happened. So I was just like, waiting. Then, Brand said he had to use toilet < THAT EXCUSE AGAIN!! I MUST BE BLIND. AND STUPID. 

He came back super fast. 

"You used the toilet already??" I asked. 

"yeah. See for guys. It's like, touch and go." Josh said. 

=.=

I stopped asking. 

Shortly afterwards, the lights went off.

And this random disco ball in the middle of the room started spinning. 

And EVEN more random Happy Birthday song started playing in the background (to the tune of those Chinese songs you hear during Chinese New Year).

Ohmigosh. Please nooooo. I banged my head against the table. 

Embarrassment no 3.

....

 

Stole this from Ju's facebook. Heh. Probably one of the only semi ok (means non-ugly) pic of me. =.= why can't I get older gracefully?

....

Anyway, I blew my twelve candles - with one candle crooked. And the other candle not lit. Because Josh lifted the plastic thing off and the wind blew it. So yes. Twelve. I am twelve. I'm getting younger people! yeah. Then later we went to seaview. 

SEE VIEW. 

Darn Del. That was really bad. 

=]

I had a really nice time. This is one of the most memorable birthdays ever (next to the one on my 9th Birthday when my sis and I got in trouble and we had to stand - yes seriously. no sitting allowed - downstairs in the cold for two hours as punishment. yeah. Child abuse I tell you.)

Though it was embarrassing, and Ju, you are mean. =.= But altogether, I loved the surprise! I honestly never suspected anything and well, it made me feel special. Heh. =] So yeah. Thank you.

Oh and BIG thank you especially to Sam, Bel and Brand whom I believe were the main organisers behind this. I heard of the credit you guys blew up to organise it all, I heard of the pain it was to decide on the cake, and, Bel and Andy having to drive everyone everywhere and, actually, I can't remember what else was complained to me about, but yeah, I know it was a lot, and thank you for making it all happen. Hehe. Seriously, one of the best birthdays ever. =]

And yeah well, thank you to everyone who came. 

*sob sob*

This sounds like some grammy award thing! Ok I'll stop. 

Anyway. Onto the pictures I stole off Ju of all the insane people called my friends:

...

Watermelon. Haha. Jaryl loved the game. 

...

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In case you didn't get it, they're suppose to spell my name. Heh. 

...

...

AHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHA

Yeah. We pretty much ruined everyone else's view, peace and pleasure. 

...

....

Bel insisted on this emo shot.

...

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I love you guys =]

...

And really, see. Simple Seventeen. It's gunna be an awesome year. It already had a brilliant kick start to it. =]

Edited: Crap. The pics are too big and some people are cut off. Its the smallest I could upload straight from facebook. Sorry. You could go check them out there. =]

Simple Seventeen

How can I not pass by this yet another monumental stage of my life without at least one post reflecting?

I can't. So here goes. 

Hopefully today, I performed my last act of stupidity as a 16 year old (heh). The sun was out, the heat was searing and the shades were in hiding, so thinking it was smart, I put my shoes out in the sun to dry. I came in. Painted my nails. Went on the computer. Started to rain. So I went to sleep in happiness. Woke up. Dinner so I went to eat. 

Wait. Ohmigosh>>>STARTED TO RAIN!!??? 

Yup. My shoes were still out there where I left them, soaking, when I finally remembered them. Greaaaaaaat. 

But anyway, truthfully, turning one year older really makes no difference. Just another day. What's with all the fuss you ask?

No fuss really. But its just one day that I can officially stand and reflect back on. Wipe my state clean maybe. Clear up my regrets. Relive my happy days.

Like a fond book based upon my life. Look back at the old pages. And then on the blank pages in the back, I start to write upon it memories spun of purple thread (just 'cos I like the color) of those of a sixteen year old me. Remember that time at camp...remember those words that were whispered...remember that time you couldn't stop laughing...remember that time you couldn't stop crying... Or that time when you felt everyone was leaving you... Or the very first time you got it right...oh or do you remember that day when everything was a joke, or the other when you finally realized the meaning of love and faith. I fill up the book with the words that sprawl out my failures, and my successes. My sadness, and my happiness. My tears, anger, humiliation, pity and self-destructiveness. And also of my triumphs, my hurts, my smiles and my laughter. Then when I'm done writing, I let myself linger back on the words of the past year, and also on all the years of before. And only when I am filled to the brim within me of a satisfaction that I myself cannot place a name on, I close the book gently, wipe off any remaining dust and dirt of my history, and place the book back safely on my shelf waiting to re-read it again next year, on this very date. 

I wonder what words I will have to write down then. I wonder what heroic tales of adventure, or sad pitiful sob stories, or horrible fearsome monsters I would have encountered. I wonder how many times I would laugh, or cry, or hugged and hurt. 

All these I know confidently would come to past. But one thing I know for sure that will not happen to me next year, my shoes will not be left out in the rain no more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And you know what, I can feel it. The next chapter of my story would be a simple one. A good one. I just, know it. So let's name my new chapter Simple Seventeen. And hope it lives up to its name.