Saturday 28 April 2012

The Great Khan Academy Binge of 2012

At the height of les examens I don't feel I should be indulging myself in the mysterious art of blog-writing, but I'm at that awkward "half hour before dinner" time anyway - 'snot like I'd get anything else done.


I recks I left off with me potentially watching Skins with Jason. Somehow, we did end up watching the first three episodes - all in different locations around campus. We watched the beginning of Franky's episode but she's just so infuriating that we couldn't bear to watch any more. And saw an absolutely MEGA spider.


On Sunday morning I set off with Halfdan & Maxim for some WWF volunteering mayokey in the basement of th'absolute back arse of nowhere in Whampoa. We really didn't do much at awl at awl, save occasionally dress up as pandas and sign petitions not to eat shark fin soup (don't do it y'all). We got lunch in this chinese fast food place - I don't mean no Mickey D's now. €2.50 for a mega beef stir fry yoke. After squashing into the panda suit for a couple more hours and taking photos with a billion people who think you speak cantonese we headed home at about 4 (ish) and got back onto campus around 6. No clue whatsoever what I did on Sunday evening. I like to think it involves studying. Oh! It does. I spent a while dans the bibliotheque.




On Monday I had my last day 1. Physics first block, and save from that not much to report. Actually had a mega dictation in Chinese but it went alright. At break we took photos in our WE ARE BAGHDAD t-shirts. Pretty legit really, I'm building up quite the collection of oversized pyjama shirts. On Monday afternoon I were with Paloma in the common room, skyping with le daddykins, then made a few pinhole cameras to the beautiful sound of "Hot Problems" followed by pizza with the coral monitors in the common room. Think I spent Monday night working(ish) in the block 1 computer room.
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Ar an Máirt bhí lá uimhir a dó agam. Chem first block. We did a lab. It was vile. In fact, day 2 generally always is vile. Tar éis an scoil, I went for a wonderful aul swim with Mia - despite the soopah cloudy weather it was pleasantly warm. Mebbe Mia peed.I did some mando & physics study before going to tutor Paco. That child is insane. Read some Pippi Longstocking and The Jungle Book, got paid and bought a celebratory grape soda and those weird chewy sweets that try to be Puccho, but aren't, but are, however, a lot cheaper. When I got back I shtudied a little more after a poor dinner of toast and a fake pear in the block 1 dayroom. 


Wednesday was my last morning free of the year. Twas a grand aul day, with Khan Academy and Memrise.com binges interspersed with a trip to Ma On Shan with Áine for fro-yo and summat from the bakery. We walked back cause it's almost sacrilege not to by now. Went back to me hardcore study and made my procrastination productive by spending my time on College Prowler and putting myself off unis in the US. I caught Eoin on his half day back home so we had our regular Wednesday chat and showed each other morto pictures of each other. I feel it might be pushing the line to post one here - though I'm tempted. I think I'm more worried he'll retaliate with the ones of me that don't deserve to ever see the light of day.


Fursdaaay turned into a musical after maths class, with myself and KhetKatAttack (I try saying this errytime cause it sounds cool but it never really works so I have to stick to Khetkat) skipping to chemistry singing "IT'S THE FIIIINAL CHEM CLASS doo doo doo doo do do doo doo dooooo" (repeat). After school I watched an episode of Shkins, did some more mando and then went to tutor Charlie which was great. We talked about the most ridiculous things, though a large chunk was on the anatomy of jellyfish and how likely her flat was to suffer at the hand of a natural disaster. I got back to school to find that I'd missed dessert night and so was a little emotionally unbalanced which led me to staring blankly at the art room wall mouthing songs to myself whilst Paula, Leila and Mia got concerned to the point of freaked out/annoyed. I went to bed relatively early on Thursday after ordering McDonalds, and Jkwok was sposed to come over to watch Skins. Child bitched out. 


Friday was my last day of classes for this year. Nammuch cray cray shizzle happened, save Jason letting us out of mando early after a rapage of a dictation. I watched a coupla episodes of Skins then had peer support training from 2:30 until 5:30. I left there at about 6, after leaving a meeting on how we should monitor the stalking of the 0 years. At 7 I went to lion dance with Beata and, when no one showed up, went back to my room. Did a little more mando practice then went back to Lion at 8 and beat up James. Left there, then Jason came over, we watched 2 episodes of Skins, went to Wellcome, bought grape soda, C+, crisps, mars bars, ice-cream, inshtant nudeln and then watched the other two (all the while yelling abuse at Franky for being such an annoying tool). We also agreed to go to Peru together after graduation next year. They deffs are not ready for our jelly.




This morning I got up again for Lion Dance, and left when not enough people showed up. I called Sara on the dayroom phone then at 11:30 met Áine at the gate to go to Sai Kung. We got to Sara's house, met her friend Ivan (the perhaps stretched link between me & Sara: Me -> Mum -> Ivan -> Sara) then went out for lunch at the country club place which was beaut. Got back at about 4:30, then wrote this and did a little more mando. 'Bout to go to dinner, slán leat!

Saturday 21 April 2012

The Geriatric Bassist

Chewsday morning I had my English FOA. Further Oral Activity (somehow not a euphemism). Did it on godhatesfags.com . We watched this video in chem and then I collected a food parcel from the office, containing wonderous treats from the homeland. After that I had a meeting with a few peeps which became a DMC with Khetkat and handfuls of Cadbury mini eggs. At 4 ish I had a shower and then at 5 I went to tutoring, which was pretty fun again - though Charlie's still damn scared about boarding school. We played a card game based on stockbroking. It was intense - I was rubbish. After tutoring I thinks I came back, superglued my bass-induced blisters (it legit works) and had band practish, then check in, after which I popped round to Wendy's flat for choccie, tea and a good aul chinwag, to the entertaining background noise of Brian playing Fifa on xbox live - expletives in abundance.


On Wednesday I had school and that, got a letter and a postcard or too, replied to the letter in Chinese class and then walked to Lee On to send a parcel to the siblingly unit and said letter. I also did a quick toiletries shop and managed to bag myself 4 free bottles of OJ and some sweets. Upon my return I positively did not do my physics lab, had another band practice sesho and avoided dinner. After check in I had a meeting with Peter and John Wang faoin being leader of photgraphy next year with Palomo, which developed into yet another DMC with Palomo, until she persuaded me to up and go do my physics lab. I did it in the block 1 pc room, as that is where the fun's naturally always at. No srsly. I got back to me room pretty late but it was DONE.


Ish. I kinda had to finish it during brekkie on Thursday but sure. After last block english I think I pissed around until 4:30 (I really must've done something productive, it's woeful to have to think back over all the hours I appear to have done nowt), when I again had practish, until about 6. I stayed behind for a while though to get to grips with the fact we'd just added a whole 'nother song to our repertoire. Dinner was toast again (oh joy), then more practice, and more again, then getting changed out of me day's clothes, into other clothes and repeat, until I'm back in the clothes I had been wearing anyway. It's a long established routine. At 9 I met Andres @ the gate and was met first by Tomi, then Arshia, Adam and Mr Buttril. He plays the embarrassing dad role overly well. I loved it. I think around this time we (Adam's dad) named the band "Hate Crime Fanclub". I really quite like it. We got the bus to central, went to notre venue, freaked out over a) guy playing guitar left handed and b) note the singular form of the word guitar. Soon after we were there a whole host of girls busted out of the door, and despite my lack of surprise (ta to Paolina), it was purdy nice to have them all thurr. Once we had finally managed to get hold of another guitar by means of Adam's siblingly units and replaced the generic Filipino cover band, this generic multinational cover band went up for soundcheck. Here is where I had my minor shit attack. Now I may be in standard math, but that bass had one more string than experience had led me to expect. Armed with this foreign instrument I did my best, though once or twice all of the strings seemed to become a million. It all seemed to go alroish, the best bit being Áine's appearance (and wonderbra). Snow always sounds good too. When leaving at around 12 ish, I got a few handshakes from the successful attractive types that one occasionally finds lurking in HK accompanied by "You're the bass player?". The "CHDUH I am" feelings I attempted to hide, and prolly failed miserably. We all went on to La Bodaaaaaaaygaaaaaaah and China Bar for a little while before coming back in a plethora of taxis. Once I was back I flicked through me chem notes in anticipation of Friday's test.





On Friday I had a free morning block so twas post-Lan Kwai shower time, then tok, whereby a disgruntled Kalpana read out her e-mails and shouted a bit, then another free when I crammed my chem by the syllabus-load. Then came the chem test. The lump in my throat then is too large to quantify. I think it's better summed up by my behaviour in geo. Motionless staring forward. Julie seemed to know to avoid engaging me too much. I got back to me room and skyped Daddt then at 2:30 I had peer support training until 5:30, after which I ranted with Khetkat, got worked up, and released this frustration in a way not too dissimilar to those facebook likes which go something like "sitting in the corner of your room stuffing your face and listening to Adele". Though in my case it was my bed, home-sent Lindt and the Magic Numbers. Once I'd cleaned myself up I marched to Paloma's room and demanded we go shopping. We left for Mong Kok at 6ish, and after some crazy crazy hours of trawling through the wondrous Mee & Gees off the ladies market, a gawjus and unreal cheap sushi dinner, and some new adjectives such as "zingtastic" (though that was one of the worse ones and I can't think of our others), and rakes and rakes of stripy blouses, we got back at 11:30. Aaaand signed in as 10:52 as we'd neglected to sign for extensions. It was a most pleasant evening. We had a trial of the clothes in my room, as should always be the custom after any shopping trip, and though I had to give one of me tops to Palomo cause it was too small it probs looked better on her anyway. And I was mega proud of my dodge granny dress. (MUM: Be afraid, be very afraid). I was with Paolina & Laci in the block 3 dayroom looking at the photos from Thursday, and our favourite hungarian told me of his plans to go learn irish during the summer. Legend.




Saturday I woke up at 10, and by 11 was at the gate to go on the junk boat. Despite going the shorter way to TST, myself, Christine, Michi & Halfdan ended up at the ferry terminal to China and not exactly at the Star Ferry pier. Through no fault of my own, might I add. We eventually found the right pier and set off through Victoria harbour and mega buildings to the (Brian Cox voice) vast and expansive sea. There were a bajillion jellyfish chilling around, though this didn't put us off jumping off the top of the boat numerous times and trying out various acrobatic techniques on the ringbuoys. Despite the speakers blowing at one point, the craic was had, even though they made me do some contrived stand up to make up for the lack of entertainment. The thunder and lightening of the past week faded away for us to reveal beaut skies, yet I didn't even get too burnt. Heather got married to Apoorva and Peter told ... sensitive... stories. We got back to TST at about 6ish I think, then went to Chungking for gorgeous food in the Khyber Pass place after negotiating our way through the lift system and the strange underworld that is Chungking itself. After dindins we came back to campus, I had a shower and threw on me granny dress again, wrote this and bought me some Jack White, Sallie Ford and Princess Chelsea on the iTunes. I'm planning to watch Misfits/Skins with Jason, but it's a plan of mine and Jason's so it's perhaps unlikely. Though with the promise of an irish easter egg it's only a matter of time. 

Monday 16 April 2012

Despos in Need of a Name

Sooo on Tuesday I had my morning block math which was as atrocious as always - me and calculus just don't see eye to eye at the moment - then chem and what have ya. After school (which ended at 2) I went to Ma On Shan with Wendy, Ella & Brea to get snacks for our block activity. After purchasing the whole of the crisps isle, I sent my letters and went back to campus. Once I got back, I did some work on my Math IA, just polishing it up and that. That evening was the opening of the art exhibition which was like WOAH. I was so super jeally it was unreal. Chem has sapped all my remaining energy and life - something rejuvinatable only through art! (and neologism)

On Wednesday had a free morning block, then ToK, then another free - in which I printed me maffs, then chem & geo. At 2:15 all of block 2 piled on the bus to go to Silverstrand beach out past Sai Kungers, and we shwam in the sea, and lay on this weird floating island yoke and pushed people off the weird floating island yoke ate ice-cream and laughed at Ray. We got back around 5ish, when I prolly worked or at least tried to, before going to a talk by Paloma's mammy on her animation work which was super interesting - she does the Charmin ads and that! 


Thursday was handing in IA day. Oh the abundant happiness. I went shopping for ingredients with the café team, came back and did some more café admin, then went to God (the Woody Allen play) which I daresay I completed with my two lines "I'm not fictional!" and "But I have a boyfriend at Harvard business school!", as haphazardly scrawled on my hand. Tar éis God, I went back to the art exhibition with Livvie-uh for one last longing look at what could have been my future. On Thursday night I was too afraid to go back to my room because of prank day (second years have no more classes and so have nothing else to do but turn to fear mongering), and so I worked a little on my geo IA but for the most part just stayed in the block 1 computer room, helping Antonio & John Wang make certificates for the teachers. Luckily Dilene had hidden some mini eggs around the block and I was able to survive on those along with mini naps until 3am when I reckoned it was safe to leave for bed. I climbed itno Glenda's bed (she was away) because I figured I'd be safer if my roomies saw my empty bed, but at about 4 crawled into mine, and slept until 6:15 when I ran for freedom, avoiding all main routes and sticking to the walls when I happened upon the mass of second year bodies in the courtyard, waiting outside for my morning block.


So yeah, I guess now it's Friday, so time for a new paragraph. Uhm. So aside from a few casualties, prank day didn't seem to happen, though that made me even more paranoid, along with Julie, who insisted on locking all the doors whilst we had class. They played loud music at brekkie & lunch and terrified me. At 5ish there were drinks down at the principal's house so I stole a dress from Rara, and hung around to steal some spring rolls and uglily photobomb a few photos. The second years were all about to leave for graduation dinner so Olivia and I figured we were being too awkward so we went to Maddie's room and lay on her bed before going to Wellcome and buying about roughly a gazbillion balloons. And an ice cream. We set up camp in the block 4 dayroom and hosted a MEGA AWESOME SUPER BALLOON BLOWING UP PARTY, of which I was the sole attendant, save Maddie who can't blow up balloons, and Olivia who eventually managed a packet or so. We recruited whoever happened to stray in there, including Carmen, Tara and Ottavia, before Sylla came by and helped us to write a bitchy e-mail to erryone telling them to come. Once the time the canteen party began rolling around there were more and more people to blow them up and transport them and eventually the place looked alroish. The second years' arrival interrupted my DMC with Livvie, but after a little while longer in my room with her good self and Maddie we headed to the canteen party for a lil while. I left when Arnett started to do his thang. I think my body could exert no more energy and I collapsed into bed.
Unimpressed balloon face. Y'all have one.



4 and a half hours later, I got up for coral monitoring yaaaaaaaaaay. Had a shower, packed me bag, and went to the poolside to sort out gear. We got the bus to Tai Po, got on our boat after loading all the gear, and helped ourselves to a hearty nutella sangwitch. I was on photos with Laura so we did the low down on that, basically a photo of the transect erry 50cm. There was some weird ass waste in the water, as well as a load of jellyfish, which, while being my second favourite animal (after bats dontcha know) were the small see-through boring kind and were not so nice to bump into after clearing your leaky mask for the 4th time. After our dive was over I made me some nudeln and reminisced about School Of Rock with Andres, as well as examining bellybuttons and Dawn's peeling marks. There were also some interesting ethical debates too - "if your son was gonna die, would you get an illegal organ to save him?" and "if you were driving a train and one good kid was playing on the abandoned line and 10 bad kids were playing on a line they knew was in use, which line would you take?". These are summarised loike, but same idea. We got back at 6ish and then it was  insane uber rush to get all the stuff for café together after cleaning all our dive gear. Café started at 7:30 and despite some AV balls ups and perhaps-so-controversial-I-shouldn't-call-it-controversial-on-my-blog-for-fear-that-people-remember-it-or-get-mad comedy it was great finally over. It had been a darn tough week and by the time I was all alone washing the floor of the student kitchen (after, of course the dutchies' large cleaning input) and listening to The Bluetones, the bliss was unbelievable. When finally carting my stuff back to me room, I bumped into Tifftiff and had a well nice DMC with her on the make-out bench, watching a cockroach devour a stray M&M. 
BUDDY CHECK
wo de epic roomies doing KPOP right thurr

On Sunday morning I took my time getting up, and didn't let myself do any strenuous work until 12, when I went to the library to work on my Geo IA. After 5 productive hours and a short noodle break, I went to jam and all that with le band (despos in need of a name) for a couple of hours, before grabbing dindins and heading to Bheki's Voice talk on the anthropology of LPC. This was followed by a skyping to the mammy and the sister, when we had a "hot-people-off" and she showed me all the clothes I was going to steal during the summer. I went back to work on geo after check in, until 12 when I wished the pitiful group in the block 3 computer room luck.
Johnny Depp won


Cette matin, I had a free morning block so i got up early enough, had a shower, completely finished me geo, printed it off and went to maths. I had a free chem block too - condensed divinity right there. I had a parcel from the mammy in the general office, packed full of choccie - most of which has already been devoured (or given away in return for art pieces). At 2:30 I had coral monitoring service planning, when I discovered that next Sunday Imma be dressing up as a panda for a WWF event. Seems legit sure. That were over at like 5, and at 6 I had more band practice (is there no better phrase?) until the disgruntled first aiders had had enough of RHCP's "Snow" and kicked us out of their examination room. I had a quick dinner, watched some amazing forked lightening - first I've seen in me life and wrote this yoke, not after popping in to see Wendy & Brian to ask for an extension next Thursday. You'll see why when that happens I shpose. Until then keeeeeeeeeeeep dancing!

Monday 9 April 2012

Blossoming into an Elegant Beauty

Good aul China decided to block blogger, and no amount of dodgy proxies were gonna get me past that this weekend, so soz faoi lateness and that shtuff.


So eeeehhh, last Saturday, I got up for lion dance, went to training, saw a haggard Laura, heard a haggard Laura's tales, couldn't find Maddie, went to find Maddie, found Maddie who was fast asleep, jumped on her yelling LION DANCE LION DANCE LION DANCE to no avail then went to Olivia's room to spoon with her and a haggard Laura. We played with the Daily Mail headline generator then popped some popcorn in anticipation of Rara's birthday on the block 2 roof. We had an uber roof party with shedloads of food and then I went to the pool, played some pool rugby - I had a major disadvantage in the form of a volatile bikini top - then went with Dawn & Áine to Ma On Shan where I got photos taken for my visa. Áine heartlessly left me stranded outside Wellcome so I made me own way home then decided to have a quick skype with Mavis. ...4 and a half hours later we called it a day. The amount I had to catch up on was unrale. Went to bed pretty soon after that.


The part of Sunday which I can remember begins at about 7pm. Where the rest of it went I've no idea. I think I may've coloured in a few maps for geo? And I seem to recall getting some weird bread from Hetty & Carol? Hmm. Anyway, the 7pm part starts in room 103c, skyping the ginge, followed by a café meeting in preparation for next week's café. The theme's Anything But Clothes. What a wide range of opportunities that presents. Tar éis é sin I skyped les parents and then had one of those skype calls with Clobby where I get her to show me all the clothes she's bought lately so's I can wear them when I get back for summer and she takes photos of me looking fab on the webcam.




Monday I had a free morning block, then math when we got our dreaded IA (internal assessment for those lucky bejaysuses of you reading this who are unaware of the intricacies of the IB), chemistry, free block geo and physics. On Monday afternoon I missed the college meeting and service planning to go to the visa office with Dorte for our chinese visas. Dorte had The Hunger Games but I had to make do with running to Mickey D's to buy me some chips to entertain myself, as well as painting my nails and Dorte's nails whilst we crouched on the floor, much to the disdain of many around us. We left about an hour later, and I had a short but intense period of OHMYGODI'VELOSTMYPASSPORT before realising it was in the visa office. We both got some ice cream and continued our journey home. Once I got back I had some din dins then went to photography where we talked about our Tai O trip and presented our photos, had ice cream floats and BECAME LEADER WITH PALOMO. Well happy so we were. Big ideas and dreams and what have ya.


On Tuesday I had english in the block 4 dayroom again, then chinese, ToK lecture on presentations - in the ever-witty words of Adam it was like presentationception - then more mind mushing maffs, and chem again. After school I legged it up to the office to collect my parcel from Daddy, and, upon discovering The Hunger Games amongst its contents, spent all afternoon reading it on the roof, then once it was dark grabbed some tea lights from my room and finished it. Should prolly find time to go see the movie in the cinema but the likelihood of that is nil unforchy.


Wednesday was a public holiday so I took my leisurely time getting up, did an absolutely miniscule bitta work, went to Wellcome and bought some stuff to make a cake for Rabeya's birthday, then cooked in the student kitchen with all the Asia Pacific people - inevitable K-Pop dance offs were had. We ate the cake in our room with our extended roomies and tales of Ocean Park. That night Olivia, Heather and I hung out for Livvie's birthday, and fell asleep in strange places.


On Thursday I had a physics lab, english and then two free blocks. I grabbed my lunch early, then headed off to Wanchai to pick up the visas. I negotiated the million line changes back, had a nap in the common room then headed across the road to tutor Paco, this insanely ADD kid. He's pretty sweet really, and seemed to really connect with Pippi Longstocking. After that I went to the GIF on catholicism which were one of the better ones this year as far as debate was concerned. On Thursday night I downloaded Nick & Norah's infinite playlist. It was pretty shite, but the setting was good and Michael Cera's always great. Norah was just the most annoying thing. I also made microwave cake in a bowl. 



On Friday I got up at like 7:30 ish, for no real reason seeing as we had holidays, then finished the rest of N & N's infinite playlist because of course the internet ban came with 10 minutes left of the film. I got breakfast and then locked myself in the library for 13 hours to do my math IA, coming out twice only to stock up on cream soda, mars bars, fizzy Puccho yokes, and those bbq crisps. At midnight I banted around with JKwok & Verity by the poolside, stalking photos of our younger selves.




Saturday morning I got up at 7:30, had a shower, packed for China, got breakfast at half 8, met the latinas at a latina half 8, and went to China. Via the flamingo filled Kowloon park. And a ferry. We were met by Mia and her dad at the ferry terminal, after the mexican took about a gazbillion hours to get through. Then we went out for lunch which was GAWJUS, peking duck for the winnage. We went to the underground to change some money and buy some pirated DVDs (I got One Day, Skins series 6 & Misfits series 3), then went to get our nails done. Must be the first time since Clobby pinned me to the kitchen table over crimbo. Okay, and that stint in the visa office but that hardly counts. Got a motorbike back which was legend and then we worked for a ages after a dinner of pizza and beautiful caaaakes.


On Sunday we woke up like 10ish, got brekkie and helped set up for an expat easter brunch. When I say expat, I mean TODOS DEL LATINOS. My spanish comprehension improved dramatically. We hid a load of eggs all down the street, and ate our weight in choccy cake. We then left with all the foregin kids in Zhu Hai to go to this island where we rented a tandem bike and played volleyball. We started out with trying to get volleys of A...B...C...D... but it soon transcended into yelling out spanish words when you hit the ball, for example CALIENTE...GASOLINA....GUACAMOLE...CHIMYCHANGAS...ESPERA etc etc. I had a few fun experiences on the tandem bike, and rediscovered our love of squat toilets with Maddie. That evening we had the leftover pizza, worked a little more and then watched Like Crazy and One Day. I had to make condescending witty remarks during Like Crazy because it was so woeful, but I adore One Day though only Paula and I managed to stay awake.


Got up at 9 this morning, had nutella on toast, packed my bag, did a bit of work on my chinese, went out for dinner and had such good vegetables. Like chinese-style bacon & cabbage, it's not a patch on scout camp, but they do their best. After lunch we went back, packed up the rest of our stuff and got the 4pm boat home. Except for Maddie, who couldn't get a ticket and ran away to Tibet or something instead. I had the best moment of my life so far when the woman on passport control didn't believe that the ugly passport photo girl was me. She was all "This not you. This not you. Show me your ears!!" and I was all "I know roish, it totally don't look like me now, I must've really just blossomed into such an elegantly beautiful human being". Mia & I watched Juno on the boat. Legend film. We got taxis back to campus, ate dismal dinner and then I migrated to the chinese classroom where I found Olivia and was joined by JKwok soon after. Which is where I am now. On the verge of a hell week but I'd rather not elaborate.