The Grand Decision

Well, the decision has been made, and will be completely and utterly finalised by next week.
I'm currently kicking myself mentally for making this decision...by those words alone those who've followed me on my university agonisings will know where I've chosen to go.

Yup, I'm sticking with the University of Western Australia.

So I got the offer, and I'm off to do a double degree at UWA, BArts[Communication Studies]/BCommerce.
I'm still kicking myself, wondering what life I've just missed out on, by deciding to stay with UWA.
It just means I need to earn more money and get myself outta here as soon as I can.

Orientation Week starts on the 16th of February and ends on the 20th of February. University then starts on the 23rd of February. Which I'm not really looking forward to, due to the hour long bus ride that I will eventually have to take.
I really should move closer to university. Eventually.

My fingers are severly crossed for *Monzi to come down soon, cuz I need my African influence back. =) You know I miss all you lovely Saints ladies, but after the drought one of you coming to see me suddenly seems like a flood, if you know what I mean.
I have also unexpectedly found a new recruit to UWA from Malaysia...one whom I believed would end up going to Melbourne, but in an unexpected turn of events decided to stay here.

Nice to see I've got some friends coming along for the game. =) After heading for the pre-enrolment sessions, I was greeted with the sudden realisation that all my Perth friends had ended up in ECU, or were going to take a gap year. There were a few [okay, understatement - a LOT of] Asians at the sessions, but I didn't know or didn't quite mix with any of them. And then I met *Leow at the campus during the BCommerce pre-enrolment session and got the shock of my life. So yes, nice to see that I will have some kind of company at uni.

To anyone starting uni this year, good luck...I have a feeling it's going to be one hell of a ride.
Mishy <3>

* nicknames used to allow for anonimity.

The Beginning of the End...

It's hard to believe.

It's hard to believe that this is where 12 years of studying leads up to.
It's the first of October today. This...this is practically the last month that I will ever be a student in an actual school. [save my flunking out of Year 12 completely and ending up having to repeat it] Sure, there's November still, but I'll be exams, not studying.

My Graduation Night is on the 27th of October, and I'm finding it surreal. I'm still in denial over it, somehow. As if after these exams, I'll go back to school again. This is just another year, and we're drawing towards the end of it. These exams haven't marked the end of anything. And in a few years time, I'll move to a different country again. Maybe Antarctica. XD But still, Graduation Night...it IS coming. My parents seem keen on attending and everything. I on the other hand haven't really given it any thought.

These exams mean everything it seems. It'll be the deciding factor in where I go for the next three years. Absolutely mental, when I think about it.
I've also decided that the rental fees for apartments in Melbourne is absolutely mental, I mean sheesh, how much more expensive could a one room condo get?

St. Stithian's College graduate in approximately a week, if my calculations are correct. I know exactly how they're feeling...I just regret that I'm not there with them to celebrate this graduation. I should be there, invading the Boys' College common room. I should be there, rallying the girls for the last warcry. I should be having that farewell chapel. I should be there, driving off with the girls who CAN drive. XD
I guess every school's different. But I looked forward to this particular one too much. Now having a different one feels like it's still not the end. But maybe things will change as time moves on.

I wonder what I'll miss about school, if I do, indeed, even miss anything at all. There'll be no more bells. No more permanant classes. No more rigid timetables. No more headmistress/headmaster or teacher to report to. No more worrying about who got the top mark in class. No more range of subjects to take.
Hmmm...in essence...no more school.
I'm moving again. But not physically. [or well, the physical part of moving might be a part of it] Rather mentally. Maybe even emotionally. It shouldn't be too different from what I've experienced already...in fact it should be exactly the same.
Just...on my own.

I'm seeing this as a whole new adventure already...=)

Mishy <3

Two More Weeks...

Two more weeks.
Exams will be here soon. Not exactly the finals, but mocks are just about as scary as the real thing.
What MY question is, is... How did it get here so fast??

Massive shock and wake-up call. I have two weeks till exams. TWO WEEKS!
No one told me about this. Sheesh, where'd time go?
You know what's scary...I don't think I even know half the stuff I learnt last semester. And I'm freaking out already.

Having to work on homework AND revision isn't fun...it isn't easy, and I'm beginning to hate school for it. The pressure on us now is absolutely mental! I wish they'd learn to make things more even.
So bring on the late nights, and endless days. I think I'm headed back to my old dog days routine.

On a more cheerful note, I saw the Matric Dance photos of the Saints girls, and they all look stunning. =) I'm only upset that I'm not standing there with all of them in the photos, when I should've been.

Mishy <3

Beijing Olympics '08

This one is being held in China this year. And I must say, I think the Olympic committee made a brilliant decision, deciding to host it in China this year. That, or they were bribed rather well by the Chinese.

08/08/08. Beginning at 08:08pm.
It's really interesting how they've managed to get it on what would seem to be China's luckiest day of all.

Watching the Olympics, I incredibly impressed with the idea of the scroll, and the meaning behind it. The body calligraphy amazed me [because I had no idea how the guy knew where to put down the brush] and the lighting of the cauldron [after all the useless running around] was definitely a highlight. I was also rather impressed with the drums at the beginning, although I didn't actually like the way they gradually started looking more and more like a kaleidoscope than a drumming performance. I looked forward to a dragon/lion dance and, okay, I was pretty disappointed that none came. I can honestly say that it is the highlight of my Chinese New Year, and not having it at the Olympics made me sulk a bit.
People say that China is all for precision. Nothing must be out of place. Everything must be perfect.
But in a sense, I'd say that this is what makes China, China. The precision is a sight to behold, especially in a country like Australia where no one likes to listen to authority. [the year 8s and 9s at every school are proof]

When the athletes came out, this had to be my highlight of the entire ceremony, possibly excepting the lighting of the cauldron.
And many people found it boring because, let's be serious, they only had one country to support, and most probably didn't know the flags of all the countries, much less the names.

I, on the other hand, found it extremely difficult to figure out whom I should be cheering for. After living in these places, who do you say deserves to get your support the most? South Africa, or Australia? Indonesia, or Malaysia? The Philippines, or Singapore? [not that I have lived in Singapore, but I believe they're worth supporting] And of course, should I be supporting China- the place where my roots come from, or Hong Kong- where my grand-uncle currently resides? England- to where at least a quarter of my mates have moved, or Canada- where at least a tenth have moved?
Of course, I didn't actually think about it too much, and cheered for all of them all the same.

My brother and I also stayed up the entire night, comparing team sizes [we have decided that China's is by far the biggest and the best, after having to re-evaluate our opinion of the size of the American team- both in numbers and in height] and trying to figure out where each flag came from. We didn't exactly know every country, nor did we know where they all came from either, but we figured all of them out based on the flag and the costumes they wore.

My mother, after all these years of travelling, still didn't know how to figure out if a country was from the Bahamas or Africa just based on the flag and the costumes alone. Her education has been wasted.

And according to a lot of my South African friends, plenty of people were thinking about me during the Olympic ceremony.
I had only one thought when I was told this: WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT???
In St. Stithians Girls' College, I was the only Chinese girl in my grade. There were more chinese girls in the grades below. But the Boys' College had even more chinese in one grade than the girls college had put together in the whole school.
So really, why am I the one who's being thought of during the Olympic Opening Ceremony??
I know I have [or, well, HAD] a Chinese counterpart in my grade back at Saints, and my counterpart is also an actual Chinese from China. Unlike me, since I am from Malaysia. It made no sense whatsoever. He is more Chinese than I am, he's in Jo'burg at Saints where he can remind them of his presence daily, and I am the one who gets thought of? A friend from the boys college even sent me a message congratulating me on the performance in China. I was incredibly shocked.
I suppose it was a stereotype thing. I'm not concentrating on it too much and I really can't do much except to shake my head in wonder.

Although I can't help but wonder if I perhaps left my mark on Saints a little too clearly.

Mishy <3

I Has A Diary! *hugs*

I has a diary!
With lots and lots of pages, and a funky ass cover!
I CAN DIARISE PROPERLY AND NOT WRITE EVERYTHING ON LITTLE BITS OF PAPER AND LOSE IT ALL NOW!!!

*swoons*

Oh man, my life is complete for this month...*sigh*
Actually, it's kind of a waste of money, considering the school gives us a diary anyway. XD But it doesn't matter, cuz I'm the sort of person who needs lots and lots of space to write everything down in. Seriously. The school diary has like half an A5 page per day. I usually take up an entire A5 page to write down all my homework and whatever else is going on in my life to get me sorted. My diary from Saints is proof enough. And besides which, if you saw the amount of detail I wrote my homework down with, even in Morley, you would be surprised. Considering.
But then again, this is the perfectionist in me, who needs to have every little thing in set order in order to even comprehend it's completion.

I go back to school in another week! I am actually excited, surprisingly enough. I know I keep moaning about this 2 month holiday of mine. Which is weird when you think about it, considering in KL I got the same thing as well! In Jo'burg, I lost my two month holiday. XD But then again, in KL, the holiday came during the MEGA-SALE [salivates- how I miss you], whereas here, I am stuck with nothing to do but melt in the sweltering 40 degree celcius weather and pray that it rains soon. *grumps*

Girls at Saints have started school, and it's so fun hearing about all the new teachers and classes and whatnot. To any Saints Girl reading this, I look forward to more detail. Especially that new science teacher that Lavani keeps telling me about, so that I can determine whether or not I should have stayed in South Africa and hopefully passed science. XD I've seen the photos of the jumpsuit. Looks good, and sometimes I really wish I HAD stayed when I see them. XD But I'm sure that I'll have fun with my own Year 12 Top when it arrives. =)

Year 12 guys, it's such a huge step. Also the final step in high school. =P Man, I'm so nervous. Especially when I think about it, all my friends at any school I entered into before South Africa will still be in school, finishing off their IBs or A Levels while I will be starting first year uni next January. It is an awkward thought indeed, and should not actually happen, but there it is. I'm also amazed at the number of people who want to come to Australia. Especially from GIS. People, you were all GROOMED for the UK, why are you coming here? But either way, I guess I shouldn't be questioning it. I'm glad to have more friends coming in to keep me company. =) You know I've missed you guys. And you know who you are too.

=)

Mishy <3