On the Fence

medium oak.
oh what skill.

Current State Of Mind; To 4 years later 28/08/10

I really should be doing this in another 2 years time, but my 16 year old self didn't get the proportions right when figuring out the amount the self changes per year.

As for your aspirations...
-Aspiring musician. Well that changed a bit.

And future education?
-BIMM attendee this fall.

And musical interests?
-Oh 2010 has been rather impressive for musical releases.
-Personally, I've found an interest in eccentric drum beats. Making a cymbal go through a distortion filter, loaded on Atari game blitzes.
-I am in love with atonality. I love when a musician moves from love to hate just through the changing of a chord. Life to death. Kick the guitar strings, kick 'em!
-I don't think I've found a sound, but maybe that's a good thing. When people border themselves around something, breaking it makes them feel more fulfilled than what is necessary. I like a foot in folk, a foot in rock, another foot (my feet are unlimited) in classical even.

Interests on the scale of normality?
-I've been fence painting! But that's not an interest, though therapeutic. It gives me the time to go through a whole album on my iPod. I don't particularly enjoy shuffling as much. Oh, shuffling feet are a drag as well.
-I've been cooking! I cook every friday. I also baked cookies; first two batches went awry. I burned them to a crisp, and am now forced to eat them. A taste of my own...actions [medicine is too brilliant a word].
-Musical making, but my boxes have yet to arrive from Singapore which means...I'm limited in my scope. That has given me the chance to do different things though. I'm currently working on a song that touches on the subject of memory loss; spooky, ennui.

Stop there please...
-Yup, still trying to limit the lyrical cheese. Sometimes lyrical cheesiness can actually be limited through the write kind of singing. It's amazing but true.

On to literature
-I'm reading The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen. This is where memory loss inspired me lyrically. There's a certain part of the first chapter which is so flawlessly written, it makes me question my ellipsis glitches, and blank stares. If you're talking to me and I don't answer, it probably isn't on purpose.

Highlights of the summer?
-Going to Thailand and living in an oven for 2 weeks. Realizing the potential for self-sufficiency and sustainability of the whole world, if just all of the equatorial countries went for solar power.


And on to future prospects.
-Hilarious, my answer to this question two years ago was marry Superman/Someone who thinks big. I think I'd stay with that prospect.
-Save the world. Break the sound of silence.


And as for now?
-I've got my IB results! We all dropped down 2-3 points. Teachers and their grade inflation; it's not the same as money!!
-I'm thinking up a band name for myself.

Any last words?
-I didn't dress up as the Joker for Halloween 2008! What a swiz!

End this please.
Bye.

Updates & Beyond 1

We could say it’s about a month since graduation, since the end of high school life. Updates?

• I’m in the UK. I’m understanding trousers.

• I have begun painting the fence. The fence for the backyard and the drive way. It is going to be a long painful process which I may not be able to finish in time before my start to…

• BIMM. Is starting some time late September. Basically done with my accommodation. Staying with 5 people, who seem very friendly, easy going, and down to earth. Finalizing tomorrow.

• I’ve realized that a car is still the only means of proper transport around here. Bus rides and train rides to cities are not routed well. Who wants to go from Southampton - London - Brighton in 6 hours by bus, when you can go from Southampton - Brighton in 70 minutes by car.

• I’ve being challenged to learn a metal song. My shredding skills are a hilarity. My facial expression is the same as when I eat food. Chatsworth lunchtime buddies would know the face.

• My dog snores.

• Spring onions are far spicier here. The same pain as wasabi.

• I can add cannelloni to my list of “things I can cook”.

• I misseth my fwenz. X

The Literal Doctor

I love the Literal Doctor from Arrested Development.

Lindsay Bluth Fünke: [Tobias was run over by a car] How is he?
The Literal Doctor: It looks like he's dead.
[everyone gasps in shock]
Michael Bluth: Wait, is he really dead or does it look like he's dead?
The Literal Doctor: It looks like he's dead. He's covered in blue paint or something.
[everyone starts shouting and throwing things at him]


The Literal Doctor: I'm sorry, but I'm afraid there's nothing more that I can do.
[everyone gasps]
Michael: Let him keep talking.
The Literal Doctor: Because Dr. Stein has been assigned to your case.


Lucille: [the family is waiting for news on Buster from a very literal doctor] How's my son?
The Literal Doctor: He's going to be all right.
Lindsay Funke: Finally some good news from this guy.
George Michael Bluth: There's no other way to take that.
The Literal Doctor: That's a great attitude. I got to tell you, if I was getting this news, I don't know that I'd take it this well.
Lucille: But you said he was all right.
The Literal Doctor: Yes, he's lost his left hand. So he's going to be "all right."
Lucille: [Jumping on the doctor] You son of a bitch! I hate this doctor!
Lindsay Funke: How do we keep getting this guy?
Michael: Mom, he's a very literal man.
The Literal Doctor: Yes, that's more the way I would take the news.

Aftergrad, Aftermath

It’s July 21st! I think I can say I am slowly settling into England, though I actually haven’t left the house to meet ANYONE - not that I know anyone. My boxes haven’t arrived so I sometimes feel like I’m just on a holiday and will be back to school soon. But no! I’ve graduated! Class 2010! [Not 2009-2010 Chatsworth….we only need a day to graduate, what in the world].

Graduation was July 2, it was nice. It screamed Chatsworth, whether that’s a good or bad thing - I have no idea. The student roasting speech failed, it was some teacher rebellion for that I’m sure. The power failed. The surprise special guest speaker wasn’t a surprise. But Priya’s teacher roast was amazing and so well executed. For that we will be remembered because I doubt anyone could top that.
I did my speech which went well besides the fact that I could have burst into tears any second. I had to think happy thoughts. If I could see the audience, I would have done the underwear thing.
Got a yearbook signed, Tanya complained about her missing page; our homeroom didn’t even have a page, but the TARDIS was there so I’m not complaining.
I felt sick after graduation, too much crying, possible non-fresh dory fish from the fancy dancy French restaurant the night before.
Aisha and I hung around school because of the rain [and maybe because we realized it really was the last day]. We went home. Or I went to a hotel which would be the perfect spaceship hotel design that Richard Branson would think of. 2001 Space Odyssey.
Had a nap. Went to Applebees for a grad/aisha birthday celebration. I felt extra sick which was terrible because I knew I wouldn’t see some of these people again.

Early morning next day was a flight to Thailand! Aisha, Jessa, Priya and Hayato were generous enough to say farewell at the airport which was really sweet. I’m sorry Aisha I had to leave on your birthday!!
I thought it would be the end of Chatsworth mishaps, but it turned out they cancelled my student card on the 30th of June, still days before I were to graduate. Nice Chatsworth, nice. I was already upset that I was leaving friends, so it was difficult to keep myself calm in front of strict, insincere immigration officers. They wanted a cancellation letter. And the old man was trying to have a go at me. It wasn’t until they saw my dad that they decided to back down. Numptys.

Thailand was an oven. A big hot massive oven. It was a lose-lose situation. The less clothes I wore, the more I’d get bitten by mosquitoes. The more clothes I wore, the more likely I’d suffer from a heatstroke. The only place I could think straight was in the rental car where there was an aircon. Equatorial countries could save the world, if they had solar panels. The amount of energy they could produce would probably be able to power the whole world. At the moment, so much energy is wasted. We power our homes through the inefficiency of oil, and we produce more heat. Aircon just makes it worse.
I also had my first “almost-faint” I lost power to all my limbs, my heart rate quickened and I lost visual focus. It was fascinating, and note this was at NIGHT.
I made a new puppy friend. She’s a white mixed terrier sort of dog named Bo Bo.
Ba Ba Bo Bo means insane in Thai, so the dog managed to acquire semi-insanity.
I couldn’t live in Thailand, it’s so hot, and the infrastructure sucks. Sustainability is a foreign word. There is no governmental recycling programme, people throw trash onto the streets thinking it will decompose as quickly as food. The only thing that would keep me there would be the food, the simplicity of finding a toilet and the hilarious adverts.

Plus, with the current political growing animosity I’d give the place some space until the people can sort out the problems. There is SO much disinformation out there between the red shirts and yellow shirts. I still can barely grasp what the difference is and what each party is fighting for. There is propaganda on TV, assassinations of party leaders, a Bangkok elite and poor farmers who’s only saviour was that of Thaksin and his corruption. But truly, every side is corrupt; it’s this politician need of power, but at times that’s not democratic power, it’s almost fascist power.

I did get my IB results. I’m glad that wait is over. I was pretty pleased with the results but I think everyone got a bit lower than expected which would have been a bummer for many people.

I cut my thumb today, I was trying to shred ginger. Been watching recorded Jools Holland shows, so great. Getting back to the guitar but waiting on some equipment currently being shipped. Brownie has lost a bit of weight and continues to enjoy sunbathing. In fact the weather has been quite pleasant, actually not cold! I sweated the other day, this is good news. I watched Where The Wild Things Are last night, that’s a nice film, it screams Dave Eggers dialogue!

Over & Out!

Graduating

Graduating in less than 2 weeks.

I’m going to miss my IB2 buddies.

Words of Wisdom Doctor; Words of Wisdom.

"The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things....hey....the good things don't always soften the bad things; but vice-versa the bad things don't necessarily spoil the good things and make them unimportant." - [5.10]