Study Time with Hannah and Glenda!

A week into mocks, I feel qualified to share with you the observations I have made on how to study most effectively. The undisputed powerhouse of the boy's floor of block two, room 2/307 teaches you how to prepare for (the rest of) your mocks with their tried and tested 5-point-plan.

1. Be hot. Motivational posters and roomie gym sessions are in order.

2. Drop one of your sciences to standard, for more effective cramming!

3. Stay nourished. Have a Singapore-visiting first year roomie to provide chocolate 24/7

4. We have found that by groaning about the sheer volume of work left to battle through, one absorbs all the information!

5. It's all about set-up: Study horizontally and sporadically, in a tidy and fresh working zone to maximize productivity! We have found beds to be ideal working spaces.

Happy studying!

Living the high life: Selfies in bed

I have not posted since September 4th. This does not mean that I have spent 5 months doing nothing of note, but that I have been busy crawling through the thick slime of physics, chemistry and unmentionable acronyms associated with the IB. I'm not exactly through it yet, but because I have mocks in two days and have already tidied my corner, played as much Blokia solitare as one can handle, listened to too much Missy Elliott (which for me is quite impressive, I can go for days on "Work It"), I figured that the only reasonable form of procrastination would be to slink sheepishly back here.

Also Ruth made me guilty with the return of A Healthy Kind Of Vanity and Áine and Verity will be happy.

5 months is a lot of material to prioritise.

My hair was blonde and I went to see Azealia with wondrous bagel-making Apoorva. My hair was ginger for a day and I wore Chris' hat for a day. My hair was brown and I took selfies in bed.

I developed a passion for internet petitions and have saved sharks, Ecuador and Cardiff Riding School.

I went to Taiwan with Maddie for a week, where we moaned about the single life, went for bike rides, drank so much bubble tea that I wouldn't be surprised if there was a helluva lot of bubbles still left in my system, went to the most incredible natural hot springs in the middle of a deserted gorge (save for Zi, whom we had to shake off by pretending to be on our years anniversary holiday), and made friends with the mongolian chain smokers in our strange bedsit excuse for a hostel.

I went travelling for 3 weeks by land across South East Asia from Hong Kong to Kuala Lumpur (and will probably write a whole 'nother post about that) with my fellow raggle taggle gypsies Maddie and Dorte.

I bought embarrassing amounts of hideous clothing and became a sumo wrestler for a night.

I adopted some children and made Dilene's life a living hell.

 I raised my first year to like Hui Lau Shan H1 large and she raised me to better music taste and clothing badassery. (Cue Billy Idol's Dancing With Myself).

I turned 47 18 and now listen to ridiculous amounts of BBC radio 4 and occaisionally go to the gym. This is in accordance with PROJECT HOT ROOM 2/307 and THE COLLARBONES SHOWDOWN JASON V. HANNAH. I went swimming with Bara in Starfish Bay before Trevor's morning block and the only light was from the phytoplankton which made our arms and legs fluorescent blue. That has made my "best Thursday 6am in my whole life ever" slot.

Paula valiantly tried to teach me how to move my hips, but I have found that my talent lies in dragon boating and amateur photoshopping.

James is really hot.

I am sorry for neglecting this little corner of the interwebs for so long, and during these next two weeks of moderately important exams I promise you I will update far too regularly.

h

"What's a typical weekend like?"

Hola.

Coh moh est ass.

Due to popular demand (and a Bosnian fan) I am back. 

I got back to xiang gong on the 19th of Aout. I'd like to say it was an uneventful flight but unfortunately not. After leaving mo dhaidi in the airport and saying my last goodbyes with my stinky ass Pepperami breath I hobbled to my gate aran sweater in tow. I say hobbled, because I had a liquid nitrogen induced blister the size of Jupiter's fourth biggest moon on my left big toe. This did mean that after my flight to Laandaaan I got to hobble to the Passenger Services desk and get a golf buggy with an old kiwi farmer who fit the "can totally walk but gets the buggy for the hell of it" category. I felt so wonderfully obnoxious. It goes slow enough for people to stare longingly at you as you go past which is an added bonus. On the flight I got my foot run over by the food trolley and watched the Lorax and about 10 episodes of New Girl. I were met by a wheelchair after getting off the plane and had a painstaking conversation with the poor woman pushing me because neither of us quite understood the other. 

Despite being saghas neirbhíseach about going back to school, it was crazy normal to be back. Sat eating dinner in the canteen with Jamés, avoiding packing and napping instead with Glenda, doing a tour of public hospitals on my first day back (Prince Of Wales had a 7 hour waiting time for A&E patients and a 4 hour 43 minute waiting time for those with heart attack symptoms) and having Monica and the hospital nurse pin me down and attack my toe to the sounds of an old man die in the corridor. All was as should be.

It didn't really feel like we did much in the way of class, save a physics lab and maybe a chinese e-mail or two. Did my theory of knowledge presentation on the ethical implications of Death Note. Switching down to standard chemistry has made my life full of rainbows and sunshine and love. And free blocks. So many free blocks. Afternoons were spent unpacking and getting my fix of bubble tea and Hui Lau Shan mango sago after a summer of desolation. My curtain rail broke under the weight of all my clothes and fell out of the ceiling. Maintenance have been notified. We went out for buffet Korean BBQ with tutor group one night. I have rarely eaten that much MEAT. I met up with a fellow Kilkennyian at the classiest karaoke bar in HK. Madonna's Like a Prayer was no challenge for my magnificent voice. I cut Jason's hair and gave him a bald patch. I nearly got my lip pierced to boost my street cred for when the first years came. Unforch (or perhaps luckily, it depends on your own view) the piercer was on holidays, so I went back to school, skyped daddy and said hahahahahahalippiercinghahahah to which he was like lol no and then I bitched out. Goodbye street cred but at least Wendy still loves me. I went to Mong Kok with Paloma and bought ugly clothes and sushi. I found a fedora in my room. I've started to get into the Foster the People album. A riveting two weeks I assure you.

And then the first years came.

I like to use the analogy that we are the spiders in the equation. More scared of them than they are of us. The canteen is suddenly mobbed; the cheese goes, the yoghurt goes, my will to live goes. On the Saturday I went diving with coral monitoring - which was nice to escape the madness. I couldn't dive cause of my toe but I did make the most of the nutella sangwitch opportunities. A good crowd of us went to Sai Kung for honeymoon dessert and pizza. Mouthfuls of mango red bean gunk meant that we didn't have to interect much. At about 10pm when I was about to head back, Mia asked if I wanted to do a 2km open water swim race in Repulse Bay cause Dilzy had pulled out. The next morning. At 6am. So I said yeah sure. Having still not properly met my roommates I left at 6am with Mia, got collected by a total stranger, went to Repulse Bay, ate half a packet of digestive cookies and swam 2km as Dilene Mugenzi. Longest race of my life and I nearly crashed into Ocean Park but still got a silver medal. And beat Mia. Was back in school before lunchtime, in an attempt to prove that asking "What's a typical weekend like?" is the most redundant question ever, considering I went with a hideous skirt n' sparkly boob tube-clad Jason to the airport to collect Morgan that afternoon. The people of Ma On Shan are highly judgemental. We played dodgeball on sunday night too. That was one hell of an initiation. Remembering my first week I feel terrible for them - I was the kid too scared to go brush my teeth. So far though they seem unnervingly settled. I'm looking forward to loving them.

Or at least cohabiting.

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!

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.

I went to the shop and I bought Malteasers, Diet Coke, Happy Colas, Mars bars, popcorn...

Soooo Monday morning began with morning block math - always a favourite. I had me grey tracky bumbums on, a Mamma Mia t-shirt of Apoorva's and that oversized denim jacket on when I realised it was uniform day. At brekkie then, I ran back to me room, grabbed that striking Callan uniform courtesy of MLV and spent the rest of my day getting endless compliments. What can I say? I'm a bebo stunnah through and through. Tar éis an scoile, I cursed this darn campus for stealing me mega expensive pressie which I'd bought for Nawnee bum's birthday, did very little work, ate some of one of Áine's birthday cakes in the block 3 dayroom, went to service planning, sorted out me dive gear with Yara and some tipex (or white-out as I've had to rename it - also, on that topic, IT'S PLASTER DANGNABBIT! What is this band-aid shite?!), then ate soup by the courtyard in order to free up soup cans for photography so's we could make pinhole cameras. After photography I'd intended to go to bed early, but instead decided to order a McFlurry when Maddie posted on the LPC Mickey D's page and somehow managed to forget that it takes an hour to arrive. Nevertheless I maximised this time by sitting in one of the computer slots in the block 3 computer room whilst having the bant with Livvie & Maddie. Then Tifftiff came and we continued our...philosophical chinwag on the staircase.

On Tuesday I had my day 7 so again the lie in/shower conundrum. I went for personal hygiene; I had, after all, been wearing the Callan uniform the day before. After school I did a wickle bit of moping, then moped to Apoorva about having to go tutoring, then decided to quit me moping cause twas such a mega gorgeous day that I should go to the pool. Pure bombed it up and down the pool so I did. Before tutoring. Which was purdy grand in fairness. I just chatted to Charlie for an hour and a half and played a card game. The poor dote is petrified about going to boarding school in Engerland next year (wouldn't blame her), though she perked up a little when I told her there were no mozzies. I got back at 7.16 then shprinted to room 103c for jazz band yokes (we're doing Respect by Aretha Franklin which is totes bawse). Can't think of what I did after check in on Tuesday, needless to say it was time effective and constructive.


Wednesday was MUN change of pace day. Now MUN stands for Model United Nations. It's like playing house, but you're playing UN. As my dad aptly said, "Isn't that what the UN does?". Regardless, we all took part from 9-4. Our chair is a talented pianist and our vice chair (or long fancy word beginning with r and ending in e with a few ps in it) fell asleep to wide-screen Mario Kart. All of the UNDP members who went on Wednesday seemed to be for genetically modified food and so the debate pretty much fell flat on its face until I decided to be a crazy mofo and represent Germany & South Africa. Hardcore, I know. After MUN day sadly ended, I tried to locate Áine, succeeded at 6:30 (she was doing strange things in Selwyn's bath), and then we hopped on the bus to Sai Kung, had dinner with our irish mammy, picked up some more hilarious anecdotes of the homeland and got dropped back to school for check in. After check in I sent out an e-mail about a lost pair of shoes. Somehow, despite me discovering them everytime mum threw them in the bin at home, they've finally disappeared and left the face of the earth. I also went to bed unraaaly early.

On Thursday I had a full block, after which I mooched around doing some physics labs before art for non artists when we very creatively painted some cardboard black for a seemingly unfathomable reason. I went to Olivia's food fest on the block 4 roof @ 6 and had chimychangas a la Jason, pasta, brownies, lemon tart, espresso chocolates (I bet off the edge, let the ganky liquid drip out then ate the rest of the chocolate), Liat's Israeli crackers, eggy bread etc etc to Midnight Beast. Twas mint. I lay in the hammock like a beached whale. At about 7:30 I had some block 4 dayroom shenanigans avec LivvieUh, then had a meeting with Michele at 8:30 in her flat about café leadership with Tavishi, Queeny & Áine. After check in & block meeting I witnessed Peter & Bobby's "We Never Have To Do A Chem Lab Again" fluid sculpture to Sweet Disposition. To say it was moving is a gross understatement. 


Friday, got up, chem morning block, nuff said, other classes fairly normal with the exception of English which was held in that place about a 17 day hike from any point on campus (you know, block 4) cause Linda's busted her knee. After school I had a lunchtime rant with Olivia & Nina, went to peer support training, discussed my feelings in depth, played a game called summat like SUPER AMAZING DELUXE GUITAR MEGA HERO 4 until dinner, didn't eat dinner because it was ubes uninspiring/gross, went to jazz band rehearsal II (still no sax), came back to my room and decided to do 3 things. Tidy it, buy comfort food in abundance in Wellcome, and download Bridget Jones. After returning from Wellcome I wrote a physics lab, made a cuppa tae, realised my milk was no longer milk but another mutated dairy product, popped me popcorn, cracked open the Malteasers, strawberries, dried mango, Diet Coke, Mars bar, Happy Colas and watched Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason. I swear to god that woman is after me own heart. Legend. Best Friday night in a long while.

Fruit Ninja Like a Looza

This week, something crazy will happen. Imma start with TUESDAY! Blew some minds right there, I know. Soooo tuesday began with chemistry which was the most delightful freeeeeeeeeee the world has ever known. A NO CHEMISTRY E-MAIL. Oh sweet morning delight. I then had geo, physics, yingrish and chiiiinese. I lost my legs to the hoardes of mozzies that are coming to take over then had a few LACE (Latin American Cultural Evening) rehearsals until check in, after which I grabbed Paloma's teddy bear, legged it to the block 1 day room and somehow managed to get Minh into the dayroom by pretending we were having a brit meeting. I stabbed him with the teddy bear and got his challenge. (This is for Assassin btw, check out previous blog).

Ar an ceadaoin, I had another free morning block, then classhes and that, and then I missed an Amnesty afternoon for me job interview with this insane chinese wan. Conversation follows.

Me: "Hi Cherry!"

Cherry: "THIIIIS IS MY SON HE VERY VERY VERY NAUGHTY BOY NAUGHTY BOY SO YOU TEACH YINGRISH YEEEEES SO THAT I SEND HIM FAR AWAY TO YINGRAAAAND TO EXPENSIVE BOARDING SCHOOL BUT YOU COME VERY VERY VERY EARLY ON SUNDAY AND TEAAACH HIM YEEEEEES?"

Me: "Aiiiight"

She's a very nice woman. I start with her daughter on Tuesday. Tar éis é sin I came back onta campooos, then got the bus to Sara's house for 4:30, read with Erin for a while, then was a savage for bacon and cabbage and awkwardly watched Outnumbered and Ashes to Ashes whilst my surrogate irish mammy discussed interior design with what I assume were interior designers. I got back before check in, then had LACE rehearsals - cajj dancing reggaeton with Anders (ECE represent). 

On Thursday I had English morning block - the mysteriously glorified third year Kumar gave us a presentation on media institutions. How Linda convinced him to get up for 7.30 I will never understand. Fair play to her. After school I did a whole load of sitting on my bed stalking Nicki Minaj because Ella made me listen to her in physics before art for non artists when we did tie dye (yeah buddy!). Howevs the dye was food colouring so I'm pretty wary of washing me now pink Arctic Monkeys t-shirt and vaguely blue dress. It also means that me arse was blue from walking around in the dress. Oh well. Looks cool. I went out with Apoopoo, Heather, Hailey & Rosie for a while to get a cream soda (cuz that shizzle is delish). I got back for the GIF then skidoodled back to my room before check in. On Thursday night I went up on the roof with RaRa which were nice too. Understated place 2kaiii 10+2.

Friday went splendidly, had very few classes, as ya do, hung out in the newly refurbished common room (dem sofas be cracking), played Fruit Ninja like a looza (zomgodzzz it rhymes), then went to Ma On Shan on the MTR, raided Park N Shop and had a pensive to the point of pretentious seaside walk back, cause it's really not worth the MTR fare back for those of us who STILL haven't collected their Octopus cards. I had a couple of LACE rehearsals upon my return to campus, then waited up so unreal late (okay loike 12) for Áine, who never materialised.

On Saturday I got up for lion dance, could hardly move me legs during it and took far too many water breaks. I blame the Latinas. After LD I hads me a shower, some brunch and that, then went to Mong Kok with Bearta to get us some shopping done. I popped into Me & G whereby I got this delightfully naff shirt and the sell out oversized denim jacket - for unreal cheap prices and with the added bonus of being able to smell like old chinese men. We trawled through a mobbed H & M and made the most of Cotton On too. Got back round 3, did a bit of an MUN position paper and skyped le pater before getting dressed up as a high donkey (drug mule...geddit?) avec Jason, some paper ears, and all the drugs the nurse has doled out to the two of us to cure various ailments such as cold (in my case) and I defecated on my bed (Jason's case - although this was really just an abismal lie on his behalf in order to get off class that particular day). We went to LACE dinner, and I ate a plate of dinner, a plate of dessert, another plate of dinner, and then a plate of what I liked the most. Might as well stock up on good food for the rest of the term in fairness. I rushed back to my room after brit photo, grabbed me costume for LACE loike, and positioned myself on the second floor of the a-block in order to get a good view of the show. Basic plotline? Um. I dunno but Heather was the nose of the statue of liberty. And my, what a gorgeous nose she made. I, along with Anders, played an integral role as we danced magnificently to Choque (sp?). After LACE I dilly dallied with Rahael for a while before we headed out to the stairs with erryone. I came back with Bobby & Peter for Áinee's birthday celebration in the common room. We attacked her with potato stamps. I went to the canteen party for a little while at 11ish (oh the sca had there was unrale), but then at about 12.30 went to bed.

Got up pretty early on Sunday, bout 9ish, had me a shower, got some brunch, got dressed, stole Paolina's camera (ta for that PaoPao) and headed out to Tai O on a photography excursion with John Wang, Mary, Benedict, Shani, Palomo & Tara. It took years to get there and I fell into a comatose state in the bus on the way there. Tai O were luffly, and it sure were a luffly day for it too. After taking far too many shots with my super creeper lens, and being shouted at by many an indignant camera shy laoren, we joined the 200 strong queue of people for the bus home. Tellin ya, they've nigh on monopolised that bus system. After a tiring MTR journey to Wu Kai Sha, we discovered that we only had minutes until dinner was over. Tara and I pure legged it there but we only managed to smuggle out some toast. I went to the block 4 dayroom, had the absolute bant with Livvie (Daily Mail, Nicki Minaj and squashing cats with 55 stone women), starred in a video for someone's geo project, ordered in pizza with Paloma & Tara and tried to finish this before the midnight internet ban. Clearly failed. S'now 00:18 and I still ain't got the pictures in. Oh well, I'll save it for tomorrow. Night bootiful ppl!

Having the craic, with the efficiency of a Carnot engine.

So the weekend passed, and so did the blog period, but for all of you who were absolutely distraught, fear not, for a physics test has also passed, and I now feel that I can spend my time elsewhere, such as writing this here blog.


Roisssshhh so, as I believe, I left you last Sunday night. On Monday morning I had a free morning block which were well nice then maths, chem, geo & physics which were equally as delightful. After school I went to the post office to send a couple of parcels and a letter, but unforch couldn't afford to send a parcel so one of the presents is gonna be woeful late (late pressies are always the best though in fairness). I then had service planning where we had a project week debrief and discussed the romantic entanglements of a certain danish boy with a certain swiss girl, following which I had photography. After photography I probably just wasted my 3 hours after check in as seems so often to be the case.


Tuesday I woke up with a pain like no other dans ma throat loike, which was dismal, but I tached on and sat through endless school, whereby Dilene thought I was scottish so I made a meme about her in retaliation. Did little after school save for lie in bed feeling sorry for myself whilst Apoorva, Jkwok & Dorte came in to wish me luck, feed me tea and go off to Me & G. Totes jeally so I was.

Wednesday was school uhgain, after which I went on an ubes romantic date with the gaeilgeoir eile atá agam, to go get an ice-cream in Mickey D's. She paid in 10c which may have ruined the woman behind the counter's day. On our way back to school we picked up the Hong Kong Shark Foundation woman, and brought her back to the bubble that is LPC where she explained to a cuppla people what was going on with sharks and what have ya. Basically, shark fin soup is bad. Go sign the petition. I signed up to play Assassin (will explain further down), to dance in Latin American cultural evening and went to vote for the student consultative committee rep for europe. Got to top three, and ngl was a little miffed that I don't get to sit in on bitchy teacher meetings but I guess we can't have it all. After all that kerfuffle I went to celebrate Maddie's 18th  birthday with herself and Olivia. That needs little elaboration save to say that I got 2 hours sleep.


Which was followed by 7.30am CALCULUS. I honestly should go to maths sleep-deprived more often. Differentiation is my thaaaaang. After school I hung out in Dilaynay's room attempting to do some chemistry yokes before the art for non artist's yearbook photo. Tar éis é sin I went to the GIF on kinda sustainable fishing and the whole issue of policing the high seas which was fairly interesting (despite the fact that I was abso knackered). I tried to study chem for the test the following day but failed fairly miserably and so instead phoned mammy with the last hour of the interenet before crashing.

I'd intended to wake up early on the friday to make up for missed study time but instead my 6.30 alarm was blatantly ignored and I woke up dishevelled at 8.45 in time for my first class. After my chem test I felt muchos raped in the brain but that feeling comes all too often nowadays. School was followed by peer support training which I'm sure will be beneficial and fun and all that carry on but for now was fairly airy fairy. Or praps it's just me getting increasingly sceptical. At 6 I went avec Undine, Hetzy & Apoorva to Osage, this art gallery in Kwun Tong, ate ALLL the canapés, admired some vidyo of an old man blinking a lot - it was srsly cool. We tried to be all trés sophisticated after our art gallery wanderings but ended up being the noisy kids in the posh restaurant who supposedly cheated them on the happy hour 2 for 1 (per head dontcha know) and then ran away. When I got back to the Wu Kai Sha I went down to meet erryone else on the beach. James and I examined the endless possibilities of phytoplankton on the end of the pier and I put sand in a disgruntled Darren's hair. Daniel's balls were on fire (oh chortle). Upon reaching school I wandered around the day rooms for a little while before giving myself up to bed.

On lá fhéile Pádraig, Áine agus meself went out on a boat from Sai Kung with our adopted irish mammy, Sara, and her aussie friends. Twas absolutely glorious so twas, the works like. We stuffed our faces with good cheese & crackers & smoked salmon & brown bread &....After lunch in a seafood place on some island in the middle of nowhere, we went back to Sai Kung, and then went home with Sara's kids. When I got back it was about 8.30 so I sought Jkwok, found him in the student kitchen and made culinary breakthroughs with our limited range of baking apparatus, including, but not limited to, a teapot cake. We set up camp on the rock with our foodstuffs until about 2am when I headed to bed.


I'd set aside Sunday to hardcore study for physics. Apart from 11-12.30, when I had peer support brunch on the poolside in 28 degree heat, with milkshakes and waffles and all that jazz, and 12.30-1 which was latin american cultural evening's carnival (imma shorten it to LACE, alroish?), and 1-2 which was reggaeton practice for LACE, and then I decided to feck it, and join the girl's football team who were low on numbers. My philosophy, when it comes to sports, is often to make up in aggression what I lack in skill. I guess that's why I'm a swimmer. We lost 1-0 which was quare annoying seeing as it was their penalty. Anyway, they were of the are-they-boys-or-girls variety which makes me feel a little better about myself. Besides, number 8 never stood a chance with a right back like me. I got back at 5, skyped the rentals, totes remembered mother's day, did very little study until 7, went to a Voice talk on typography (slab serif ftw), then went to the block four guest flat where Leiler's rentals are staying for shandy and bangers & mash. Oh joy of almighty joys! At 9 I figured I should probably really do some study so I went to Dilene's room (mine's an unreal state, supporting a whole eco system so I am - NOT REALLY I'M NOT THAT GROSS), made Carnot efficiency do somersaults, and dragged myself to bed.

This morning I woke up full of vigour (trolololol), hopped to my physics test, bollixed up the last question with unrivaled efficiency (1-Tl/Th), but survived the rest of the day regardless, perhaps owing to the fact that I've finally regained my mojo. I also got my first Assassin victim, Rahael, with a piece of chicken in the block 2 laundry room. She was raging. At 2.30 I had a model united nations info session for next week's MUN conference. Delegated my unmoderated caucus like a bloc vote innit. After that session I went to another LACE rehearsal and attempted to do the impossible as a representative of Ireland - attempted to be sexy whilst dancing. Oh stop, I can hear the laughter from 10,000km away. I then went to dinner, set up camp by the pool, had a grand aul chit chat avec my wonderful pengyou MeghanLegganVaughan and got this WRITTEN.