MTV Generation?

So, I found this absolute beauty on Cracked.com, you can read the whole article there if you really want to, but I just wanted to paste this first image because it is kick-ass and super true. So yeah.

Our generation will be remembered for our video games. Every generation is remembered by its popular art; when you think of the 60s you think of Woodstock and hippie music. When you think of the 80s, you think of Miami Vice and the birth of music video. So when your grandchildren think of the 2010s, what will they picture in their minds? Let's put it this way:

DAVID WONG YOU ARE MY HERO! The rest of the article goes on to talk about why and how the video-game industry is basically going downhill from here. It's really interesting and worth a read, even if you're not a gamer. Also, I love the writing style, but that much is obvious anyway :D

As I explained to one of my friends who was being a bit anti-gaming, here's the deal: I personally can't stand the stereotypical gamers who don't get outside enough and live in their parents' basements and stuff. And don't argue, there are people like that out there! Yes, it is more an more an unjust stereotype these days, but still I find that people have this negative attitude to games themselves and not the mindsets of the people playing them.

So why do I play them at all? I don't know about anyone else, but I play Age for the strategy and because the Middle Ages are cool. I play stuff like Call of Duty because I consider the plot line worth something and I personally enjoy 5-hour action movies where you are the protagonist, even if it is in a narrow systematic CoD style. So yeah, the same way that you watch stupid violent action movies, I play not half as stupid but maybe equally violent computer games. And I have more fun doing it than I do watching movies, and I'm also less desensitized to violence because the vidoe games are severely less realistic.

In my opinion, there isn't much wrong with video games, violent and bloody or not. Provided you get your required dose of social interaction and outside environment exercise, feel free to

Okay, what is this obsession with Nazi Zombies!?
...because I know of movies and certainly books which are worse. I mean, the Bible itself is probably more scarring than Black Ops, and we haven't even gotten to this century's crap yet.

I firmly believe whoever created this should have their own anus stitched to their mouth. Human Doughnut: The Rolling. Or something.

So why the problem? Well, the thing is, despite all these well-meaning video game creators just wanting to let us have our spot of fun in a different way, people take the whole thing way too far. How? Well, let's take the example of the Call of Duty series, because that's what everyone knows about, for some odd reason. Now, when before did anyone use the phrase "Black Ops"? These days, our interjections and exclamations are interspersed with words like headshot, buzzkill, tomahawk, prestiging and unlocking trophies, and various allusions to seizing objectives and claymores/C4. Anyone watching any movie can immediately recognize the guns they're using, and are suddenly insiders on the SAS/USMC. "Hardcore Search and Destroy" has become a mark of elite status.

And we haven't even gotten around to the cold, calculating, duty-to-humanity Captain John Price and his classic cigar,

If you do not know this man, you have been literally living in a cave. Or are over the age of 25.
who has got to be the most ass-kicking character creation since like freaking Darth Vader. He's been teaching us about honour and duty and camaraderie and also raw unadulterated I-own-the-world badassness since 2003. Come on! He's the guy replacing all the Harrison Ford characters for our new generation here!

But now because of all the above, us (we?) the gaming community end up getting hated on, because kids these days can think of nothing else! And that's the whole problem, because if everyone listened to my earlier stipulation of getting the required dose of outdoors + social interaction! For shame!

But yeah, until we re-think our strategy (as Ghost would put it), we're gonna be stuck with the negative stereotypes which also happen to be true. Look at that first image again; the problem's not what's there, it's why?

Christmas Eve

And of course I'm not feeling Christmasey, but that's just me. Because I don't really understand the point of all this anyway. And I hate the spending. And I hate the fact that you "have to do things". Because you really don't. I mean, if you actually do want to spend time with your family and chill at home and make music and stuff, like I do, then cool beans. If not, I don't understand why people get hated on! like duuude...

I've been working like an absolute slave the past few days, and if you may start forming negative opinions about my mum, I actually escaped the house so that I could do what I wanted, which was climb. Well, not quite...

Okay, maybe I didn't quite need a hazmat suit. But it sure felt like it, because I got the fun task of cleaning out a dual-function Room, which did two things really well:
1) "Oh I have ^insert random crap here^, what do I do with it? I know, let me just dump it in this Room and forget about it!"
2) It's a climbing gym, so there's chalk dust. Lots of chalk dust, which rises to the top of the building and finds any and every un-sweepable corner. Which the Room happens to have 9 of. Don't even ask about the physics.
And the real problem was that the Room had served those functions since like the 'nam War. If not earlier.

It's all worth it though, because I'm getting money which can be converted to cool things like

Because I don't already play 5 instruments

200 twin-linked mega ass-kicking cannons or something. Seems legit.

But, more importantly, I'm learning valuable life lessons. Such as what it means to have JOB SATISFACTION, which doesn't seem to be valued enough these days, for some strange reason. How do I know this? Okay, maybe it's just South Africa where it's really bad, but the successful life path seems to be medicine or law. Okay, I lie, that's all over the world. Not only that, but it seems to involve material goods, clubbing, material goods, doing "things that one has to do", relationships for the sake of relationships, a bit more material goods darling have you seen the latest dress I'm wearing which cost me like half the country's income?, divorce, 2.4 children... where did I get that from?

Conclusion yet? Yes, because to be successful, you have to be normal. o.O

And it's not just you. It's not just your friends or your parents or anything. It's all of those put together, everything from the fancy shoes to attractive white females advertising completely unrelated products. It's like your culture is playing the part of

Wait, I have a strong feeling I'm not being clear about what I'm saying.

So, back to job satisfaction. People don't get satisfaction from being normal. You may pretend to enjoy your chartered accountancy and stuff, but we all know the truth. :D so nyaaaah

Aaand I'm not really sure where this is heading, so rant over. Either way, what I meant was that I don't care what my pay is like and stuff. I'm working with awesome people doing something I love, and that's actually what counts. The bass will come sooooooooon :)

And Merry Christmas everyone!

things I want for christmas

So, I really don't want to have a tree or decorations or anything this year, because I think they're just like, meh. I get to spend time with my family and friends and that's what counts. So yeah, it's good enough for me, I don't need pagans forcing me to spend money on a plastic tree. My mum's probably going to get one anyway, but that's beyond my control. I mean, it's not like I'm going to succumb to it.

Also on my list of overrated things are material goods, because they are reasonably lame and they don't last. Just like food, girlfriends, promises, bad bands, Aun'va in a competitive Tau list, and intact hearts. Ah well.

So my Christmas wishlist which has nothing to do with Christmas and will probably never be complete goes as follows:

World peace and global socialism, as usual
A band
More time at work (and yes, I know that when I'm 30 I'll be wishing for less)
Temperament on the piano
More chill time with people who care about me
Less bloody conflict and misery in my life :P

beach, bru

For some silly reason, my mother decided that we should go hang out at the beach today. Keeping in mind that I'm the guy who usually cycles up to the beach, or does some bouldering around the place and am most definitely not content with just chilling by my sweet lonesome (because Paskal is a bit of a tool who gives up playing ball after like 20 seconds :p), it's not the greatest idea. Because I am going to get extremely frustrated. That's a given. It wouldn't be a problem if I had friends around. Or a friend. Or a romantic partner or something. Because the sea, the sea, the sea... I have issues with it. Like, I get a bad feeling deep down inside whenever I look out and think of the freedom it affords. Maybe I'm just jealous of people who aren't scared of it, because I know quite a few.

So alone...

But then Joe pitched up, which was sick, so we hung out and talked and chilled and watched one of his other friends doom himself with a girl much like I have the habit of doing, and in general I kinda wanted to go surf by the end of it. Maybe next week, and, who knows, we might catch some

siiiiiiick waves brah!!!

When bored on the internet...

...do as the Romans do

So, thanks Chloe :) I managed to find out the following interesting things that happened on my birthday:

Bob Marley was born
Bob Marley died (!)
Douglas Adams died
The Beagle was launched
Richard Feynman was born
Salvador Dali was born
It is NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY DAY. In India. :D

And apparently nothing wiki-worthy happened on my exact birth day. Ah well.

Aaaaaand we also found out that Chloe's birthday is the most popular day for joining the United Nations! Altogether, the Gambia, Maldives, Singapore, Bahrain, Bhutan, Qatar, Seychelles, and Brunei all joined the UN over different years on the same date. Woohoo? I guess. But it may have something to do with it being International Peace Day. I'm jealous :D I won't lie...

We also won a round of The Wiki Game, but we gave up 1 round in after realizing the internet was a bit slow and that for some strange reason, despite being on the "Senate of Canada" page, we hadn't in fact won the Speed Race to the "Senate of Canada" page. Damn you, Wiki Game!

So concludes a day of fun. Which is typical of the internet.

Hey guise

Finally, after that three-month-long I-guess-you-could-call-it-a-holiday, I'm back in the Mother City for some serious vaabing. I mean, I was going to stay longer in Canada, but then

Okay, this stops now.

No doubt I've been in touch with the internet meme culture for too long. Thanks FunnyJunk. Well, it could be worse, I could be on another website, also studying memes and thus the development of popular human (with internet access) society, culture, and migration patterns. Enough about me now.

So, I'm back in the daily routine of doing lots of things whenever time allows, such as making music on my multiple instruments, climbing, and playing Warhammer. For those of you musicians out there reading this before Andy gets back (god knows when, he seemed to be enjoying himself last time I checked)

Courtizone should consider himself lucky I didn't put up the one with his arms around like 20 chicks. Fear the potential :D

...anyways, where were we? Oh yes, if you read this before Mr Shnizznozzle Guitar gets back, I'm looking for band members. If he has the kindness to read this while back, the get your butt over to my house for a jam sesh coz my music is lonely and Guy is refusing to sing. Please! And I'm also offering a $20 000 reward for someone who can figure out a way to allow me to play bass and drums simultaneously. Because I'm just that badass.

So, to all you crazy Canadians, I have arrived back home safely, I didn't die of Lassa Fever overexposure, and no it is not snowing in Cape Town. It is raining though, and it's pretty miserable weather all round.

I've also found employment, which is pretty sick.

And this means my parents will no longer have to subsidize my life beyond the necessities. Damn.

I went to the last day of school. First question everyone asks,
"Why are you even here?"
But I decided to lay off 'em a bit. They don't understand what it's like to not see your friends for three months straight :)

AWWWWW YEAAAAAAA

Because after battling to find free internetz here last time (i.e. here being Heathrow), I finally figured out I should just go to the iStore and hack on a store-new MacBook Pro 15". I can even tell you the specs, they're sitting right beside me, including the price (£1330-£1568 depending on the processor)

All I can say is lolz, epic jew tactics eh Joseph? :D

I'm very sad to be leaving Canada. I love all of you to bits... :( Maybe I'll come visit next year....

Nips, I'm leaving

Damn. It's almost the end of my stay here, and it's all gone by so fast! Like, I mean, people say that but it's actually true...

There's been so much happening every day, stuff going backwards and forwards and full timetables and homework and the immense pressure to do stuff with Canadians that I wouldn't be able to do anywhere else!!! Well, I managed to get most of it done. I hope. I lie, I managed to get pretty much everything done. Except that the weather looks like Cape Town winter, so I might not get snow on the ground after all... It did snow like last week but that was kinda Canadian rain. So yeah.

Anyways, I spent Sunday hanging oot at Colin's farm (for those not in the loop, he went on exchange to Bishops 2 years ago) which was really fun, we went biking to the British colony and chilled there. Pizza and stories galore, it felt like such a bicycle gang moment :D We tried in absolute desperation to get some of our friends to come chill with us (dammit Maddie!) but to no avail, even one of Colin's hectic gamer zombie friends was (apparently very surprisingly) out the house! Damn... hey, whatever, it's our pizza!

And then we went ice-skating, which was another item of my to-do list. So yeah, the only things that are left on that are "give out all the trinkets", "finish the radio show" (because I still have to finish editing the one episode) and then pack and leave... it's really bleak.

So I had half of my final classes today, said goodbye to the teachers and stuff, and got everyone to sign my FLAG (this will be epic!) so now all I've got left is tomorrow, and then I'll be off. I'm sourcing computer games for mac as well, because obviously no-one has any in SA and the internet is crap. I'm also doing my best to stay lively and stuff, but it's really sad actually. :( whatever, I'm still enjoying myself!

Also, everyone loves my video!! Woohooo, thanks Anoj for the inspiration :D

See you South Africans soon!

Like a boss

1.5 lbs of rubber: $10.00
Total time expended: ~7 hours

Priceless things:
Lying back down in bed at 6.15am, a job well done.
Hearing the shouts of "Dude duuuuuude duuuuude come check this out!!!"
Jacob's face when he ran into my room wearing a towel, screamed "DAMMIT SAM!" in my ear and ran off to 2nd flat to shower
Mr Park's face when he walked past while I was popping them into a trash can. I said, "sorry sir, no time to chat now, I'm on a tight schedule if I want to clean up before class!" He was like, "okaaaay" and walked off again.
Popping the last one, grabbing my books and walking sauntering into class just as the bell goes off.

And the best of all:
Ticking off "be raucus" on my to-do list :D

And then came the paparazzi

So, this evening (after I chucked rage because I had only gotten 3 kills in half an hour of MW3 gameplay), Kalei stole the TV to watch a show. Not just any over-commercialized gossip garbage, but something which is decidedly close to Jersey Shore in terms of depravity: something with the Kardashian sisters. My god.

Yes, you do like kittens. And in fact, I highly doubt that there's much more going through your head at any time... I'll be honest, the only things I know and ever needed to know about her is the "things longer than..." meme. And I firmly believe my knowledge was unnecessarily extended.

So, what did I see while firing up my Death Machine of complaints and criticisms (and pretzel bits with high velocity)? Basically, lots of not-quite-sex, consumerist lifestyle choices, and just general blondeness. I still rate that whole marriage was a celebrity stunt. They always are... Kalei was like, "Beyoncé [who had incidentally come on during a capitalist commercial break] is like my role model. She's not just a stuck-up bitch, she actually goes and donates money and helps children in Africa". Oh yeah, pull the Brangelina/Bangladesh baby card, because the only reasons they do it is to: a) ease off the guilt of last night's party, b) get more money because now they're even more popular, and c) because their managers say it will look good for their image.

Eventually, after rat-tat-tatting abuse blindly at the monitor, Kalei kicked me out of the room so she could continue invading Kim's privacy in peace. God, how I would hate to have cameramen in my life! I was asked what was actually wrong with it. To be perfectly honest, I'm not too sure at the moment, it just feels wrong. "Go-od, they're making out with the camera in their face! And it's not even like a movie or anything!"... Well, I know for a fact what I'd be doing ifwhen I'm rich and famous and the paparazzi somehow manage to get past my electric fence moat pit thing, and that's sitting at my window with a Barrett .50 (thanks CoD for extending my weapons knowledge!), and proud of it! Especially if they wanted to turn me into a reality-show bimbo.

That boom mike ain't getting near my house!

I think I've already had a huge rant about capitalism and celebrityism... but god, does the invasion of privacy really get to me! As a left-winger, I do kinda believe in a less strict attitude, but only if you're the government. And as far as I am aware, Kimmy, you are not the president of anything. No matter how hardcore you think you are.

She's not even that attractive. Guys claim "nice ass" but what's the point of even wishing? I mean, can we not put "tangibility" as a criterion these days? Well, I don't think she's worth all the fuzz either way. Can I have my ex back instead, please? But because it's just silly putting a picture of her in under these circumstances, here's a true sex bob-omb for y'all to gape at. ^kraaaw!^ Canadian lumberjack, hells yeah.

As you can tell, I'm making the most of these final days in the Great White North. Such as hurling abuse at stupid (consumerist) TV shows...

yay sports rant

I watched a highschool girls' basketball game today, Ridley vs some random other Ontario team in the provincial semis. Actually, I watched two already, because I was "hosting" (ie sitting on the bench and being the team's bitch) a team over the provs, which was.... okay-ish I guess. Okay, either way, the basketball was fun, so yeah.

What really got me thinking though, was the fact that everyone unquestioningly accepts certain things in sports, and you'd guess that that's mostly because of the fact that these sports, having been developed over hundreds if not thousands of years already, you'd think that humanity has pretty much mastered the optimal basic strategy. But what I don't understand is why for example when the one team is running back after they just lost the ball at one end of the court, they won't/can't make an attempt at the opponents just the second before theuy get secure and are most vulnerable. I saw one girl literally almost drop it as she was passing it to her teammate standing right next to her, and one of the Ridley girls had just ran right past. I mean, I know I'm probably wrong, but in that case I'd really appreciate someone explaining the whole concept to me.

Then I got a little sidetracked because I realized there was an insane smell of weed coming of the girl standing in front of me, who also happened to be an HP rower and actually as I found out an all-round jock person. the hell!? Don't these guys realize that if they ever want to get anywhere in sports, they shouldn't actually be doing drugs? Seriously though, if you get caught... I'm seriously considering tripping her up. Just out of principle and because I'm up to my neck in freaking drugs in this place! heh, that's for another time...

Aaaand the final thing, and this is what actually bugs me the most because it's a really serious problem. In most sports, not just basketball. And it's the massive problem of the audience cheering and clapping when someone from the other team does something wrong, or commits a foul or whatever. Every single damn time the other team committed a foul or missed the hoop and the ball went out, the Ridley crowd would stand up and cheer. It happened the other way around too, in actually every game I watched. And the thing is, people who are doing it probably don't even realize what they're doing or what the implications are, or why and whether it's wrong. And it absolutely kills me! I absolutely point-blank refuse to clap or cheer just because we got the ball due to a foul. No.

Also, there's this whole strategy of intentional fouls for various reasons, and also the fact that the coaches tell their players to do unethical things that are within the rules! Perfect example: field hockey, which many of my SA friends play. When you're in the opponent's D and you can't get clear, you are told to go for the foot so you can get a short corner. My coach actually said "I don't care if it's unethical, you do it!". And the crowd claps and cheers along. Whoopee for upholding the values and morality of sports, because you're just helping them degenerate into something based purely on WAAC and getting huge.

Most other sports suffer victim to this, and it's honestly just atrocious. I'll tell you one sport that definitely doesn't, and that's fencing. Who knows why? Because you are physically carded for unsportsmanlike behavior, whether you're competing or spectating or whatever. And it's a black card too, which, for you non-fencers out there, means you have to leave the venue and forfeit the competition. Even if you have just won the world final.

And that actually happened the one time. Two Germans were facing each other in the Men's Foil World Final, 14-14. A knew B didn't have a plastron (a half-jacket worn for extra protection, mandatory in international events) on, so he asked the referee to check for it (which is within the rules). Obviously, he didn't have it, so the ref gave B a red card (meaning A won), but then turned right around and gave A a black card for unsportsmanlike behavior. Bam! I repeat, WORLD. FINAL. Come on!

Why don't people play like gentlemen anymore? Check this out. It's a video our Health for Life teacher showed us about "ethical coaching". I'm not even gonna explain it; watch it. And it's the coach yelling "go!" from the sidelines, obviously his plan all along. I have to agree with Mr Whitty's statement: "If I was the coach of the other team, I'd just leave the game right there and then". It's middle school and you're already teaching these kids how to be gamesmen. Good luck burning in hell, buddy.

That's the worst thing. I mean, if you're Emil Zatopeck (who incidentally broke the previous world marathon record by 12 minutes at the Olympics one time, even after "slowing down" so he could tune the other runners) then whatever, your problem. But if it's generally accepted by society then it's a freaking GIANT ISSUE! Hello, president of ethics, we have a case for you!

That's why there's nothing more satisfying for the competitive spirit than a good game of Warhammer. Yep, you heard right! Because this game is based more on chance than conventional sports, plus the fact that it's based around the idea of badass plastic soldiers blowing ^kraaaw!^ up, it gets intense. If your opponent forgets a rule, you point it out. If your opponent forgets to fire his squad, you point it out. If your opponent is stuck for strategy (and it's not a tourney game. or even if it is, but only if you're blatantly kicking plastic butt), then give him an honest suggestion of what you would do in that situation. And when it all comes down to the final dice roll, both (or all) players are there waiting and watching with the same engagement. I do it all the time, because I've done the preparation and my army lists are superior (ie I've trained my team harder/better/faster/stronger), my tactics during the game are unquestionable (ie I lead my team well during the game) and I don't really care that much about winning, more about having a good game. If you go have a bad Warhammer match, winning isn't enough of a consolation. I wish people would just apply that to real life sports more. Let's be honest, plastic spacemen can't really express that same level of emotion and intensity that just makes a game.

And have the players internalized it? Same as the audience: of course they have.

So what if I had the same fun in the same sportsmanly manner? Someone should honestly tell these coaches, players, and spectators why sportsmanship is important, why gamesmanship is bad, and why it involves more than shaking hands afterwards to have a good game. Once that's done, I might consider moving into mainstream sports again.

rant over............... announcements for today: Duncan is a tank. As usual. And I challenge him to a 40k battle as soon as I get back.

Yet another jam-packed weeeeeeekend woooooo

Because life is simply not intense enough during the week.

.....aaaaaaand because I don't have any philosophical shturf to talk about, I'll just have to give you one of my drop-dead interesting-as-usual life updates. Yay!

Sooooo, day-by-day blow-by-blow weekend account. Because the week was actually pretty boring by my standards (where n is the number of new, exciting, and/or surprising things that caused me to drastically whack out my schedule and/or go out of my way to make people happy; n is less than 10). yaaaahhh

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Friday first. This was intense. The d of music asked me last week whether or not I could play the EPIC RACHMANINOFF in chapel. I was like, "yeah, sure, when?" and he's like, "well, we're going to have some pretty full services and a field trip from here on, so how about next week?"

lol

Well, long story short, I toiled and tear'd and sweated over the piece and I finished it well in time. Rollin' with my ski gloves in the morning even though it was sunny outside, and then bam! here we go. Chapel in the afternoon, me with the choir walking slowly down the aisle, and then Hutton bs'ing about my awesomeness (what can I say? ;) ) and then I was once again seated in front of the same piano. Only this time, I had one chance. In front of the whole of Ridley...

You know those performances that turn into a blur and you don't remember any of it? Well, this wasn't one. I ended up living every moment in HD technicolour widescreen detail, leg shakings included. But everyone loved it. And it was by far my best rendition.... next up (Joe is a hater now) the Revolutionary Étude by Chopin :D

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Saturday we went debating in a random school in Toronto. The debating itself was fun but kinda average. Partly because I didn't like the style (cross-ex) and turns out I was reasonably lank avs at it, but also.... nevermind, actually, it was a pretty legit tournament.

A far more interesting thing was we were graced with the companionship of Yuri (not the Call of Duty character!), a legit product of Ukrainian immigration, and he told us a whole lot about Slavic heritage then we knew before... even me. I'm actually a terrible Slav :D

So, we found out interesting things. Did you know that whether a Slavic language uses the Cyrillic or the Latin alphabet is determined by what church "invaded" them first, between the (Greek) Orthodox and Roman Catholic? Also, Hungarian is the world's most isolated language. It is most similar to Sanskrit due to the cadences, and less similar than average to English, Russian, and German. Also, Hungarians hate Russians, as well as anyone who they suspect is speaking Russian, for example Belarusians, Ukrainians, and other Iron-curtainians.

Fun facts for the day :D

oh yeah, and there was also a dance. Which was pretty legit, because it wasn't as lewd as the last one :D and I wasn't threatened with rape or alcohol :D

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And finally, today/yesterday. Sunday! wooo! Cadet Band in the Toronto Santa Claus Parade (beats me why, it's the 21st of Novemeber!) with out tiny band, tiny (^kraaaw!^) drum corps, and dented mace.... I didn't get any pictures of us like marching and stuff because I was too busy playing, but I did get some beforehand...

I think I have found my long-lost clone brother...

The tiiiiiiirred bus on the way home... wooooo!

Damn, one thing I'm definitely gonna miss is the wings and pizza. But mostly wings, because I'm pretty sure you don't get sawcy-ass buffalo wings quite like that in such abundance in SA... ah well.

My back and shoulders were absolutely killing me by the end of it... I think we marched for like 4 hours straight, which was pretty intense. We even managed to get on national television, and I was in the front row of the drum corps!

I hope you're proud of me, momma! :D

EDIT: found a video, thanks Jess! We're at round about 1:40

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15 days left!!!!! ZOMG!!!!! Must. do. Canadian. Stuff!

It Can Only Get Better

[All you player-haters who thought the post title implied that I'm hating on life, you've never been more wrong! In fact, that's just the title of my latest short story, which I'm going to hand in on Wednesday. The problem is, that's an ass title. So I need a better title. Comment with a title suggestion (or just to tell me how ass my story is), and you could wing away with something sexy, courtesy of me! I'm smart! Title contest begins neyow, so submit, you crazy haters!]

[Okay, seriously now, it's supposed to be a moderately serious piece of writing, using previously-successful cocky love madstyle paragraph dialogues. For inspiration, I'd like to thank every girl I've ever liked... If you're good, you'll recognize yourself! Or maybe my writing's just insane! Either way, shut up and read!]

I remember when she came back, and in an instant, I was transported into a past with the same surroundings and the same snow on the ground and me and her. Those days that had already passed a long time ago seemed so real again, and not just a fuzzy memory anymore. She was coming up the drive with the same hurried gait she’d always had, and I was standing there waiting for her with that same lopsided gaze I’d always had. We weren’t young and foolish anymore, but by God did it seem like it again.

She snatched off her hat, swung her long hair back, looked me straight in the eye with infinite confidence, and greeted me with an offhand, “hey”. I think there was a long pause then. I couldn’t quite place my finger on why she was actually here, and what she expected of me, but I was sure that would be explained eventually. But for now, I didn’t really know what to say. I opened my mouth and then, thinking better of it, closed it again, and then the strangest thing happened: her unyielding resolve and confidence ebbed away, the smile vanished from her face, and it dawned on her what this must have looked like from my perspective.

Her face and hands moved very agitatedly, and she rushed to explain herself as though her life depended on it.
“Look, I know this is going to be totally random and you’re probably wanting to know why exactly I’m here, and actually I was just passing through and I remembered that you still lived here and I actually just wanted to stop by and see if you… I mean, that is, if you still even want to talk to me at all… I mean, I know what I did was…”
“Relax.” I paused, and (thankfully) she took a deep breath and steadied herself. “That’s nice of you, actually. We haven’t seen each other in a long time. It’s okay, come on in!” I opened the door and beckoned inside. She hovered for a second, and then strode in, half-trying to regain her usually-arrogant posture.

I offered her a seat next to the fireplace.
“Do you want anything to drink? I’ve got tea, coffee, hot chocolate…”
She stared into the wall, still probably embarrassed by her sudden appearance. “Anything’s good. Whatever you’re having.”
“Okay, tea it is.” I headed off to the kitchen, acting completely polite and indifferent. Deep down inside, of course, I knew there was a more intricate plot afoot. Why else would she have been so emotional in her initial reaction, and so cold now that she was in the house? Well, not unless she… no. There was no way, not after that fateful day. But I dearly wished it were so…what if it was?

So began the idle chatter. God, I could never stand it, I needed to get to the root of the problem!
“I was actually on my way back from my mother’s new house. I don’t think you ever visited it, it’s out by the East Ridge.” Her hands were clasped tightly together on her lap, the tea on the table in between us.
“Oh, okay. Nice place?”
“Yes, it’s very… cozy. Small but, you know, home’s where the heart is!” she laughed nervously. I smiled in return. I hadn’t seen her this tense, ever, since…

We were sitting in the car, looking out over the lake at the boats. She wasn’t her usual self, sick and tired. Any comfort I tried to give her got thrown off every time. It seemed like not only did she not want to talk to the world, but these days more and more I wasn’t separated from everyone else in her life. I knew there was a spark of the old somewhere inside her, but no matter how much I wanted to get it out, she stopped me every time. The day was cold and gloomy even though it was sunny outside. I wanted the real her back so badly that my heart would burst.

“I’m doing pretty well, thanks. Yeah, still in dramatic arts, but it’s my last year.”
“Well, good luck! Any plans for later?” I felt the tension in the room easing off slowly, thank God. She became more and more like the girl I’d known.
“Not really, you know… I’ll take it as it comes” she smiled a bit there, probably wondering about all the surprises that awaited her.
“Yeah, that’s a good way of thinking about it, I guess.” I could never do that; be all spontaneous. Which is why I still lived in the same house, with the same life plan, and even in relationships I kept sure and steady for longer than average. She was always the exact opposite, the spark of life…

We’d only known each other for a year, and already we were best friends. She was going through a period of “wanting to be a boy”, hanging out with the skaters and rockers. And instead of trying to chat them up as most girls would, she became like them and learned their ways. She could pull moves on a board that the rest of us twelve-year-olds held in godly reverence. I wasn’t a skater, or a rocker, but she grabbed me by the ear and pulled me into this wild world, slamming me onto a board no matter how many times I fell off, and patiently teaching me the guitar with slightly more success. I don’t know whether she realized I was eternally grateful to her for my transformation from the social outcast I used to be. I wanted to that again, even if there was no way I could possibly tell her in this awkward setting.

“Funny thing, you know, I’ve still got my old guitar. Remember, the one you bought for me?”
The one you bought for me the day after I asked you out?
“Yeah, I visit once or twice. A lot of memories.”
I went behind the youth center where we decided together we were never going to smoke again.
“Yeah, the beach? Mother likes to go there sometimes…”
Every week I go to the rocks where it was just us in the middle of the night.
“It’s been ages since I last saw you…”
I last saw you over that sink with a knife, tears streaming down your red face. I took you in my arms and kissed you gently, and then after I walked you home, you broke my heart. And I’ve always wanted to know why.

“But I mean, you’re doing… okay, right? I mean, you’re not still…” I looked down, afraid to say it.
To my surprise, she laughed quietly. “I’m fine these days, I guess. I mean, I’ve got a life again… the job helps, it means I can be independent. And it’s working out well.”
Thank God. What if I tried, now? She always told me that the only things I would ever regret are the ones I didn’t do. All of a sudden, I knew what I wanted, and I knew that I wasn’t going to let fear stand in my way…
I breathed deeply, opened my mouth, ready to speak the words that would change my life forever. Only I didn’t manage to, because as usual, she got there first.
“Hey, Pizza Pizza? Now? On me?” And out the door she went!

She looked back at me, the eternal smile plastered on her face. I looked into her deep blue eyes, and we walked out laughing. We were young and in love all over again, and it was only going to get better.

The Canadian National Railway Corp

"Because half-hearted things that aren't the tallest are just out!" let's be perfectly honest, they might as well make that their official motto. It gets more and more imposing the closer you get, even at ground level, there's only one word to describe it. And no, Duncan's favourite "obligatory" doesn't actually apply, but good guess. Try obscene.

Indeed, it is one of the architectural wonders of the world. Why on earth would anyone ever even consider building something like this!?. I mean, it sits there, it looks insane, it attracts tourists... and it speaks "I'm so frigging rich that I can build this and not care!". I mean, it's the Canadian National Railways. I'd think they'd have built a massive train or something. Well, whatever, they let you go up to near the top, so might as well...

That was quite possibly the most expensive breeze I have ever felt... it cost me $175* (plus tax) (sorry mum) but BY GOD IT WAS WORTH IT! Honestly, that was quite possibly the most insane breathtaking experience of my insignificant life... Never again am I going to complain at waking up at 6.30am to beat the rush: we got the first walk of the day, and the attraction closes tomorrow. Until May 1st. So lucky us!

Jonny, being the dare I say cop out "I'm so scared of heights (but not actually)" decided to not go (which he severely regretted later), so I ended up going with two other guys, one average oke from Montréal and another crazy guy (like dad) who thought he was twenty. Because he'd already done it not once, but twice before. Goddammit, it only opened in freaking August! The second we went out the door, he was already showing off the moves and everything...

So we walked around 150 metres of 1.5 metre-wide service gantry 356 metres up. Which was ridiculously obligatory obscene, and we got to see the whoooooooooooole of Toronto. Except Scott Pilgrim's house. Because I don't know where that is :D And we did lean-outs frontwards and backwards and one-foot balances and the guy said we handled it really well. People cry and not quite die there, apparently. Only one person's chundered so far, but they swallowed it again. (MY GOD THAT'S DISGUSTING!!!!!)

Hey, I won't spoil any more surprises for those of you who want to do it!

And then I went up the normal way to meet Jonny and Bill, and everything was reasonably boring after the experience, but hey... I was actually more scared of standing on the glass floor than on The Edge(tm). Me weird like that.

I'M A BIRDPLANE!!!

Back on ground level, we had a lovely walk around, I found out all about the history of the CN company, and also found out that I'm equally as bad at spending money even when on exchange. I bought a pair of reindeer socks :D

*subject to Terms & Conditions. The EdgeWalk(tm) fee is non-transferable and non-refundable under any circumstances. In the event of attraction closure due to bad weather, you will receive a voucher valid for 12 months but NOT a refund. EdgeWalk(tm) accepts no responsibility from any injuries or deaths or damage to property arising from inconsiderate people spitting off the top of the tower.

Competitivnessity

I have a lot of it. A whole lot, under the right circumstances. Because most of the time, and most things I do, it's super-duper chilled. Everything's fine and dandy no matter what... if you lose say nothing, if you win say less :D I don't ever even have to worry about "gracious acceptance" of defeat, because I don't really care about the win or the loss.

Everything except bloody fencing! Because I've found something which I can really be good at and I can really put effort into, as well as there being a really awesome friendly competitive atmosphere and opportunity and stuff like that, because no-one dislikes having all the infrastructure handed to them on a silver platter. I just have to put in the life, the soul, and the heart, and then I get back exactly what I give. Sam's First Law on the Conservation of Passion/Effort! Even then, I mean now, I've learned to not get bleak often, not bitch about plain old losing because, hell, it's about the fun, experience, and obviously the medals. Not only that, but learning as a fencer, and getting better from your mistakes for the next competition.

And obviously this applies to everything, even competitive farming (moar on that later!) and StarCraft (very popular in Korea as I'm led to understand), because once you get past the sort of "faffing around amateur" stage, sh*t gets serious, and okes knuckle down for crunch time. Train in three aspects, balanced depending on your sport, from rowing (all physical), to chess (all mental), to curling (all technical), and even rock climbing and fencing (a perfect blend). Prepare. Read a bit. Get shouted at by your coach. Go to big competition. Nerves and chundering. Stuff up. Surprise everyone. Do better than your coach and (although they will never admit this to you) worse than your parents expected, go home satisfied and feeling mighty pleased. Next day, shouting and humiliation sesh because you once again managed to find an nth creative way of stuffing up x. That's competition, tried and tested, and it's worked for every remotely successful athlete so far!

And there's nothing wrong with that, because that process leaves so much to be abused/pulled to your own cause, such as taking 2 years to do what everyone else did in 5. Or something like that. Anyways, what really bugs me isn't even when I lose, although, let's be perfectly honest, I always think, "damn, I should have gotten that parry there...". What really bugs me is not when I use to people younger/older and more frail than me, or people who are (very slightly :P) less experienced or more experienced than me. What bothers me is when I lose to people who are just so over it, they cannot even bother to fence properly, who don't put the time and the effort and the dedication in. Nowhere near as much as we do. Or even try learn something new over multiple competitions. And it's easy for Rob and Landon to say something, and it's different for me to do it. In fact, near-impossible if we're talking about certain individuals...

Over-competitiveness is always always bad, and I'd never do anything super-rash or WAAC in even my foulest of sabre moods. But I know there are lots of people (not even fencers this time) who do. Such as people who's income relies on it! And you can't say that you can understand them... professionalism is not an excuse for gamesmanship! It's one of the most irritating things for me out there: people who don't appreciate competition.

Whatever. Hopefully by next year I shall make the SA team!

So why did I even choose to talk about this? I don't honestly remember, but today we went to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. I took one look at the setup, and matrix analysis kicked into gear. Here were people battling, stressing, putting on finishing touches, first-timers, veterans, old, young, different levels of passion and commitment and dedication all etched on different faces.

See, all this philosophical shpeel even applies to farming, for gods' sake! It's honestly a really crazy, unexplored world out there... I find that it's really scary actually. I mean, I've always had respect for diversity, but to be perfectly honest I've never really internalized the fact that something like show farming can be as intense or as nerve-wracking and requiring such skill and experience as our own ballet and fencing. I always kinda thought it was all fought out far before, when you bought and raised your animals, but there is simply so much that goes into the grooming process the day before the show that it's honestly just ridiculous. I saw farmers blow-drying cows, UV-checking for tick and fleas, combing over and over and over again, wiping derrieres, feeding them just the right amount of exactly the right thing... and they must also feel the joy and the sadness and the atmosphere...

Damn, I want to go fencing again. #EpicSabreMoves

Derpasaurus

So this is what we really do in Chem class... it's a herp-a-derp-a-saurus! I was like, "stuff this, I'm not making boring three-atom molecules, I'm making ^kraaw!^ happen!"

(with apologies to Calen Healey, who might not have gotten "100% just because he was partnering up with me" after all...)

No thanks to FunnyJunk, which I may have spent a bit too much time on today.... It's all chilled, I've done all my homework and paid attention in class (kinda), but it's super super dangerous to browse that during class. I almost got busted for randomly laughing at very serious topics like short story drafts, absolute function plots, music rhythms, and plywood constructions. Yep, the fun life of unstreamed classes...

MY GOD SKYPE WITH SOUTH AFRICA IS SUCH A FAT MISSION!!!!! At least I haven't left my volume on in class yet forgetting to switch it to "Do Not Disturb", the one time someone, I think Guy or Ismail, actually calls me during class and I'm like "nonononononoooooo".... Socially awkward penguin times ensue.

A Facebook quiz asked me what my day was like, multiple choice from a list of emoticons. I said :D, and commented, ":D. All day. Every day." Life is fun. Who knows, I might even pull a crazy and pull a 24h gamesesh with Jonny when MW3 comes out!








(Just joking, Mum)

TRICK OR TREAT!

Where the hell does that phrase come from!? Seriously! Because we were walking around for just over an hour and no-one "tricked" us. And as of yet I have not been "tricked" yet! Well, I'm not complaining, I got a big-ass load of sweets! :D

Midnight (alright, 8pm) Halloween expedition to Jonny's old neighbourhood... it was such a vibe, my first proper go-around-to-complete-strangers'-houses Halloween, and we had a fat jam, ripping into everyone and everything, and also lamenting the chips:chocolate ratio, and having a really good time meeting random people, some of which allegedly knew Jonny back when he lived there.... Laughing at stupid things and thinking up weird and wonderful ways of greeting people at the door :D

I got so much ^kraaaw!^ candysweets it's not even funny! And apparently that was an average haul! (hand is included for size comparison)

That wasn't actually all tick-or-treating, I lie, it was topped off by the fat partay jam vibes we had during café, avec pumpkin-carving contest, which I gladly took no part in due to my spasticness with blunt knives. I did manage to dig into a portion of (what Maddie told me) was $200 worth of shweeties, and as I was walking back to my room my pants were literally falling down due to the weight of choccy in my pockets!

And then it slowly dawned on me that these large amounts of chocolate combined with DoubleXP Weekend on Black Ops could spell disaster in all aspects, but thankfully I'm still alive, not sick, not watching the sun come up (yet), and my candy bag is most certainly lacking 4-5 pieces. ONLY! Achievement Unlocked, I guess.... ;)

Flatlining

Because I can't do anything else backstage. Everyone else is excited and jolly and running around and stuff, but I'm just sitting, flatlining. Doing a really good Keanu Reeves impression, but without the shades.

Anyways, all the excitement's kinda back as soon as I get on stage... Our audience the first night was amazing, they were absolutely canning themselves at everything, it was really great to be up there, trying to keep a straight face. Desperately. God! It's really cool to be acting again, I can't wait 'til Bishops finally realizes I actually have talent...

Opening night, our picture falls off the chair, and so I'm walking around, acting subconsciously, and my entire attention was focused on choosing the right moment to pick it up. Apparently I did it beautifully :) Epic win! And I could tell you all what the play is about and what my scene is about and everything, but I'll leave it as a surprise because we're going to get it filmed on the last night and then I'll post links. And besides, it'll spoil the surprise!

For now, here are some photos.

Halloween Fun!

As a celebration of Halloween 4 days early (?), everyone got to wear their costumes to school yesterday! Some trendy, some revealing, most very very uncomfortable... a day full of laughs all the way! :D

Those aren't the real ninjas. You cannot see the real ninjas.

Control your world! Live your dream in virtual reality!

Classic Ayoub

Now that's a smart costume. Coz it's stupid. But it's smart.

Ooh I got me a big one! It's the son of a multimillion CEO!! :D

This was kind of expected... pink and fluffy yayz!!!

Well, back in my day...



And I dunno, I guess I do look sexy in glasses...

BackFeed

Because I've gotten a lot of constructive comments (ie the most ever), I thought I'd respond to them quickly. And also this might, hopefully, maybe, encourage all you Anonymouses out there to, you know, maybe get a bit more vocal. Or maybe I should write more controversial and interesting stuff. Might help, you think?

Okay, waaay back someone asked why the doggie was sideways. I don't know, I uploaded it straight up, and Blogger does weird things sometimes. It's a cool doggie though. And I only have one cool doggie left at home. :(

"Forceful parents syndrome". Well, I didn't actually suffer from that. I lie, I suffered from forceful self syndrome. But I got over that, thanks in part to Joe and Guy, and, as said, I actually enjoy the discipline required to be good. Remember, I get bored too sometimes.

Books Top 10.... I don't know, soon, wait and see. I think it'll be even more skewed then the movies, because I can tell you that Yann Martel and JD Salinger are most definitely not going on that list. See how you like that :D Still want my Top 10?

I'm wallowing in the positive response and agreements on the Lybia/UBL post, great to see that my writing, if not thrilling and "ooh/aah" vibes, is at the very least agreeable with. Or disagreeable with. Whatever, I LIKE HAVING READERS! I'M NOT COMPLAINING! I mean, wait, what? Indeed, it was a gold Desert Eagle, thank you Ismail. I think I did say that. Well, I definitely did on my Twitter feed. I'm disappointed that my keyphrase #GoldDesertEagle wasn't immediately in the trends list, but there is a giant difference between creating popular memes on memegenerator.com and creating globally popular Twitter phrases. Not that I can do either at the moment, but that's a story for another time.

Wait, I have a great idea! Maybe if I start a worldwide communist insurgency that might get me hits on Twitter! Hey, popularity isn't so hard after all... or is it notoriety? Aw man, I thought I was onto something!

Re: movies, note how I did say that it was partly based on "what I wanted to watch right now" so it's a bit of a personal choice. I lie, it's all personal choice. Besides, I guess you're right about movies like Unknown coming and going, but some are noticeably better than others. Also, I have not seen LotR, or any Tarantino movies, but I will soon. Very soon. Then we'll update the list again, and see what happens... And Crystal Skull I thought was very fun if you were taking a trip down memory lane. As a stand-alone, you're probably right, it's not as amazing as everyone makes it out to be, but it has a catch: Indiana Jones. And it's not just squeezing money out of a franchise like Shrek or, hell, even Temple of Doom, because the idea was actually coined for the Young Indy TV series, but they decided it was too good to waste on a 1-hour episode. So they filed it away, and someone at LucasArts found it in a cabinet somewhere and decided to make an epic last final super uber nostalgic Indy movie. And I think they did it so well. I think I nearly cried during the final scene, I was so overcome with pure classic nostalgia and raw unadulterated epicness. For gods' sakes, man, if you're not a diehard Indy fan, then yes, it's a lank average movie.

And it's not up to me as to whether you need a Google account or not to follow my blog, but I think that you can follow it by email, all the way at the bottom. I'm not too sure how this funky stuff works, honestly, I'll ask Guy who knows a bit more about html scripting.

And it's almost (hahaaa!) time to perform! Opening night is on Friday, and we are super-super-ready! It will be intense to say the least. Well, my scene will be at any rate...

Movies: Top 10 and Watchlist

These are kind of based on movie quality, kind of based on awesomeness, and kind of based on what I want to watch like right now...

10. Avatar
Okes were complaining that it's weird, but it's actually a freaking epic movie if you let the surrealism take you away. Flawlessly made, reasonably deep storyline, lots of action, aliens, and big guns. Really, what are you complaining about?
Watch for: Amazing visual effects, the final epic battle
[80]

9. Star Wars Episode III: The Revenge of The Sith
They saved the best for last, and you really don't have to be a fanboy to enjoy this movie. By far the most visually spectacular title in the Star Wars series, and also the biggest plot lynchpin (closely followed by the "I am your father" line). If you don't really like Star Wars, this will convert you. It has lightsabres and insane lava battles, I mean come on!
Watch for: Bombshells within the big story, the epic final battle, momentous "Darth Vader" moments
[84]

8. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Because you can't keep a classic storyline down, this is the movie that defined science-fiction and spawned generation after generation of followers. If you're looking for a deep storyline, great drama, well-shaped characters, and a distinct lack of video quality (unless of course you have the remake or something) set in an alternate universe, this one is for you.
Watch for: The aerial combat above the Death Star
[85]

7. Black Hawk Down
I don't know why, but I have a fondness for war movies that aren't too brutal. Okay fine, maybe BHD is pretty brutal. But there's something appealing about guns and heroism and camaraderie, and this one's got a lot of it. It's a pretty mature movie, and it's got a lot of the "reality of war" situations.
Watch for: That moment when everything goes wrong
[86]

6. Enemy at the Gates
This one's probably not as brutal as BHD, but it's still a pretty violent war movie, but this time, it's about snipers. In Soviet Russia! I wasn't really paying attention to the acting and storyline and stuff, but the environment the movie creates is freaking good, and obviously what distracts from everything else is the epic sniping sequences.
Watch for: The warehouse standoff, all the other sniping scenes actually
[90]

5. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
I think you'd have to be a bit of a fanboy to watch this one... the nostalgia is just sickening, when watching, prepare to die of "oh my god it's Indiana freaking Jones!" and all that other stuff. Some okes say the aliens made it surreal and really bring it down, but, hey, Indy's been dealing with supernatural stuff in every movie.
Watch for: The jungle chase
[94]

4. The Matrix
You cannot be told what the matrix is; you have to see it for yourself.
Watch for: Neo's run from the agents
[96]

3. Unknown
Jeez, I thought I'd never get to like these kinds of movies, but I'm really starting to get addicted to Liam Neeson now, although I do feel Taken was a little unnecessary at times. Anyways, I love how this movie actually kept me excited and engaged the entire time, and it's freaking cool actually.
Watch for: Not knowing what is cracking at the beginning
[97]

2. Sherlock Holmes
Gods, this is literally one of the greatest movies ever made. Ritchie does a crazy job, especially with the classic fight scenes, and the plotline is actually really thick and fun to discover the first time. I re-watched it on a long flight for the first time, and in fact I loved it so much I re-watched it like 3 times that same flight, just to make sure I had all the mystery details ironed out. I can't wait 'til part 2 comes out!
Watch for: The back and forths between Holmes and Watson. They just make the movie.
"Get that out of my face"
"It's not in your face, it's in my hand"
"Get what's in your hand out of my face"
[98]

1. Scott Pilgrim vs The World
And it's just absolute coincidence that I'm pretty much in Toronto, Canada, right now. Literally the best movie. Ever. Because it's just that epic, well written, well filmed, and of course the fact that it deals with tough love doesn't abet it.
Watch for: The absolute randomness. The quotable quotes
"YOU COCKY COCK!"
"Bread makes you fat?"
"So, can this like not be a one-night stand? For one thing, I didn't even get any. That was a joke."
[99]


WATCHLIST!!!!

Sherlock Holmes 2 (Just because.)
Moneyball (Sounds like an interesting storyline, like 21 or something)
In Time (Because I think I'd like this as an action flick)
The Adventures of Tintin (For classics' sake)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (I confess ulterior motives on this one)

Just watched The Three Musketeers today. Pretty cool, exciting, a bit fast, but well made. I dunno, I liked it. Also, it was in 3D :D

Breaking News

==WARNING: This post contains strong political opinions and some hectic philosophy==

Sometimes I find that the world is just full of bullroar… #GoldDesertEagle

So, Gaddafi's dead, after an age of oppression, "terrorism", exile, hiding, and the Easiest-To-Draw-Flag-Of-All-Time title. After numerous confusing reports, he was eventually confirmed dead after a saga of rebel capture and torture, being shot in the abdomen and dragged through the streets behind a car, having his Desert Eagle confiscated, etc.

And earlier this year, the world was rejoicing at the death of another of the world's horrors, none other than UBL himself after a tactical strike operation by US Marines in a Pakistani compound. And for some strange reason, I feel like it's all wrong.

And in no way am I talking about the legitimacy of punishment, or the death of these mad extremists. And I don't even have a problem with them doing it the badayss Americayn way like in Call o' Doodey (gawd bless!), because in my opinion, that was by far the best way of doing it, and a very effective step to ending the "War on Terror" which may or may not exist depending on how Mexican you are. No retaliation as of yet (unless of course you believe epic conspiracies about Occupy), and there's not much left of A-Q, especially considering their old habit of world-headline-topping.

No, what I have a problem with is the way in which everyone (barring of course Julius, who didn't comment) had positive things to say about UBL's death. And of course it was positive, but it certainly wasn't a great step for humanity! In fact, this i starting to sound like we'll end up in an Asimov-esque world because we see morality degrading and the devaluation of human life. I mean, we see it every day anyway, but when something big like that happens, it's totally inappropriate to take to the streets in revelry!

For those of you cheering citizens, if you'd actually done your research, you'd realize that despite UBL being a massive figurehead, his FBI Most Wanted poster is nowhere near as impressive as everyone hypes it up to be. Because for some strange reason, everyone thinks that when he's gone, it's an excuse for a big party. Check the comments on that video is all I'm saying. It shames me to think that people can do that.

It's not like a repeat of WW2. That was a far more drastic and immediately threatening situation. Besides, the Holocaust was only discovered long after the war was over.

And there's no reason for the Libyans to not celebrate. Because they've been released from a reign of oppression and fear that I cannot even comment on because there's no way I've experienced anything close to it. But what gets under my skin is when they celebrate the wrong things, because you should never be happy at the death of another human. And this is coming from someone who's very cold and calculating about life and society, those who know me well will know that I have some strong opinions on improving society. Some things just have to be done. These deaths were things that needed to be done.

Freedom is the reason to celebrate. Freedom to live, freedom to buy and sell, freedom to blog, freedom to do what one wants to do. Within the confines of a socialist framework, of course ;)


100 POSTS w00t!

Eat Ayout

Kalei asked for a mention. Here it is. Happy 18th!

So, yesterday evening I went fine dining for the first time since Mauritius, which was aaaaaaages ago. So it was obviously the aforementioned event, and to celebrate, we decided (well, not me, but you know what I mean. Us as a family...) to go over the border into New York state where there is an exit mall owned by one guy. Epic restaurant called Salvatore's resides there, and that's where we went.

But before that, US cold shoulder at the border. Canadian niceties go out the window as the United States of America (gawd bless!) set up a giant vacuum-lock-passport-transporting border post with real men armed with real guns prancing around taking fingerprints. Hell, if you're not from Canada, you're from Mexico. So don't give me that Mexicanese nonsense 'round here, son, this is the United States! Once again I was prejudiced for being Mexican, and we had to wait in line for about half an hour before they got to my passport. Then they charged us six bucks for processing.

The irony is sickening, especially as on the way back, the Canadian border control were like old friends to us. I love Canada! Like, urban legend has it that Canadians are the nicest people in the world, and so far, it's certainly true!

Anyway, border hiccups aside, I remembered my drum teachers words when he said, "R3000 isn't that much for a drum kit. I mean, people spend that kind of money out at dinner on one night!". I mean, we didn't spend that much, but that's not the point. It's back to the McDonalds cost/sale argument. The food itself probably costs about 10% of what you're paying for it (less in a fast food outlet) but you're paying for availability and service. And you know what, if one has money to spare, it's not that big a deal to be treated like a king once in a while. Hell, the waiter forgot to bring a shrimp cocktail, so he got us one on the house, that's how fancy-shmancy it was! (I still can't believe a Big Mac costs two cents...) Where is that New Era Socialist Manifesto which solves all these dilemmas!?

The food was absolutely epic, the dècor insane, the waiters super-professional, and it was generally an excellent dining experience. I should know, eating is one of my prime hobbies :D as most of you know! I could totally work as a waiter in one a restaurant like that, except I'm not sure if I'd survive carrying all those expensive plates. Oh yeah, I actually had my first smashing in the dining hall today! I was getting ready to akimbo whip out some glasses off the holder, and one of them slips, spins, bounces once, and goes SMASH! on the floor... everyone started clapping, and I turned around and bowed. Good show, what! Well, at least I hadn't managed to fill it up with sticky liquid yet, or else it would have been a mess!

Anyways, I always contemplate capitalism and economic theories after seeing something that a lot of money gets sloshed around in. I mean, I used to have a very antagonistic view of fine dining/cars/Swiss watches etc. but I've slowly been convinced that sometimes it's actually worth it once in a while. I mean, obviously within limits as determined by one's income, which reminds me, I still need to get a pair of two-buck fake Aviators! Yep, that's my splashout... although let's be perfectly honest, I play Warhammer. 'nuff said.

My dog Butch died today, of cancer, aged 8. He is succeeded by his twin sister Sunny. I don't know what she's gonna do without him, they haven't been separated since birth. I've had a lot of good times with that dog... almost choking on a 2kg slab of meat once, eating squirrels multiple times,running on the beach with him, barking at seagulls and suspicious-looking sticks in the water, stopping him from eating Rory and Owen and Guy and Chloe... he was a good dog. I think I'll cry proper when I get back home and only one comes running out to meet me. I'll miss you, buddy.

Back to the rythm of life

I went erging this morning, it was super-legit because everyone else was sleeping seeing as it was 6am and class didn't start until 9.30. And then I went and had a solid hours or so practice on the Baldwin until some hater told me to shut up because they were trying to study for a test. Well, excuse me, missy, if you had done your studying during the TWO HOUR LONG STUDY PERIOD then you wouldn't have a problem now, would you? Jeez.

Before I forget, happy 1 year birthday to EPICMEALTIME!

Haterz 'round these parts stay up late, doing homework past lights-out. Not that I mind in any way, but I don't understand why one would do such a thing. I mean, excepting grade 12s who are also prefects or team captains or something like that who honestly just have too much... Well, maybe it's just me, I'm an early morning person and not really a late-night person. Although I've handled Call of Duty so late at night it's actually considered early in the morning, that's just how badass I am actually :D Besides, I love starting every new day off with something fun and constructive, sometimes two fun and constructive things in one morning. I'm not saying how everyone else does it is bad, it's just that I get more sleep.

Hate the player, why don't you?

Also, for the first time ever, I am in the annual White Notice, and all I have to go off is what other people tell me because none of the haters have actually bothered sending me a link along with their spam hate mail. Please, please do, I want to see it!!!! I think it's really funny actually, kudos to whatever sensible person put it there. So, seriously, someone please leave a comment with the online link, because I know no-one's going to be man enough to pull a TvZ and group mail the entire school with a rash message, but hey, that's a story for another time. But it's a very exciting one nonetheless.

Anyway, I wanted to say something deep and meaningful about the rowing. Oh yeah, I'd really want to be a pro rower, people say they can't handle it because the erging is boring, and the schedule sucks up your life. I have to agree with the latter, but I'm sorry, the former just works for some people and doesn't for others. Besides, I have waaaaaay too much going on in my life that I happen to be pretty good at, so yeah.

There's a certain beauty about the rhythm you get into, especially if you're alone and there's no other sound save the steady zip of the chain, the swish of the seat, and the occasional gasps of air and creaks of your joints as you realize you're slowly approaching the age of sixty-nine. After the first five minutes, everything loses focus. Strokes blend together. The numbers on the readout seem to go slower and slower, and then suddenly jerk when you mis-stroke. You can feel every bead of sweat on your face and your arms... Rocking, backwards, forwards, pull, push. The pain in your gluteus maximus becomes more and more prominent, and then dies down, like you're trying to hold in a major dump. Hiss... hiss... hiss. You're completely alone, and there's no one around but your own thoughts. The room is deadly still...

The worst is getting that feeling of futility, when it creeps over you like the gloom of night, because you want to stop, you want to let your tired body rest (is it really tired? It doesn't feel like it, but every new stroke is a nightmare!) but you somehow have to man up, and reach inside your deep dark well of determination for enough resolve to go on. Somehow. Because it's not easy, especially when your 500 average doesn't move for minutes on end. You want to go faster, but you have to stop yourself. You want to go slower, but you don't want your average to drop... bleh. But it's really really satisfying to say, even to yourself, that you just rowed for x minutes straight.

In terms of fitness and stuff, I much prefer it to cycling. Cycling is far cooler to do, like as a social activity with friends, and push yourself a little even then, but I can't stay undistracted of my environment for long enough to keep going at the same pace and adjust it accordingly.

This is the real me, trying new things whenever the opportunity pops up :D

Tonight I'm going to have dinner over the border because it's my sister's birthday, and we're going to celebrate. Woo! Although it means I'm missing the play cast dinner :(, but you can't eat all the cakes in life. Ah well.

And then this weekend we lock ourselves in the theatre and fast until we have an epiphany about our scenes. It'll be sick. Except that we're not Mormons, so I doubt it'll help.

Sam out.

I Come From The Other Land Down Under

[This is the other article I wrote for the Hank Magazine, just a little bit about Ridley and South Africa I think. Well, that's kinda what Maddie wanted me to write anyway. I'm not truly satisfied with it, and this is actually the second attempt and not true raw, but deadlines are deadlines are deadlines, also word counts. I don't know, I just like this guy's style! On the life front, it's basically reruns of new experiences, new friends, music, and burning rings of fire...]

(No, not Australia, dammit! The other one!) And something immediately struck me as odd… Canadians don’t say “aboot”, or “oot”, or anything like that, it’s just sort of like a States accent but not quite. And I haven’t yet but really want to see a Mountie and a moose, so if anyone has one in his or her garage, let me know. Or a grizzly bear, in fact. Anything. A wild Nova Scotian in a kilt, whatever…

The school I come from is called Bishops, in Cape Town. It’s also a “posh” affluent private school, and so I completely understand the apparent disdain St Caths (what a beautiful town! I love it!) has towards us… Apparently I shouldn’t walk around with my favourite Ridley baseball cap. Aww man! I’ll say, I think the Ridley merch store is very creative, what with all their creative merch and stuff; I will literally buy it out before I leave… Anyways, Bishops is big on rugby, tradition, and men being men, because it’s not a boys’ school but a man’s school. So I’m told… And we have 6 periods a day and sports aren’t every day of the week. And chapel every morning except Tuesdays. But that’s all minor details.

Ridley doesn’t have that sort of one-mindedness, and it’s a very good thing because it means it can sustain a plethora of differing personalities, and here I can actually be accepted, whether I’m perceived “cool” or “smart” or even “over-freaking-confident”. It’s a lot harder to break into friend circles where I come from, but I guess that’s just due to the international-ness and variety that Ridley has. Also, the fact that 40% of the school is new this year. I’m getting a lot of culture shock, but more than that, I’m liking the mindset people have. I mean, at Bishops, our equivalents of prefects are all 1st team rugby jocks. Here, there are like five in the play! Unheard of, I tell you… People still have a “meh” attitude to homework, class, and generally also feel contained by the confines of school, but it’s done in a fun way here in Canada.

Ridley is often the exact opposite in many aspects, because here, me living at school is not unusual, whereas at Bishops, camping in the music department until 9.30pm is considered weird. Here it’s just asocial, thank god! Mixing dayboys and boarders within the same house is a novel approach as far as I’m concerned, and along with the fact that we have our own rooms and desk area. This means even dayboys can enjoy the pleasures of throwing clothes everywhere and blasting bass from speaker systems taking up more shelf space than all the books combined, because ordinarily we don’t really have personal space like that at school. Or speakers that big, for that matter.

I love how easily I’ve integrated into Ridley society, and it’s really not difficult. Hell, on orientation week, I ended up telling 20+ new people where their classrooms were! I’ve also joined lots of activities ranging from Ridley Radio to the Cadet Band Drum Corps, as well as somehow finding myself, thanks to Mr Sweeney, in the most raunchy piece of acting I have done in a while (stay tuned!)… I think the music department has taken a very stimulating approach in terms of letting people sign out instruments and forcing them to practice at least an hour a week, but for some reason it’s still super-underground.

I love the dining hall, because I’ve never had something like that before. I enjoy eating lunch with my friends, throwing virtual tomahawks, cursing the chicken, clapping during drops, and just generally having a good time trying to figure out how best to fill up three cups at once. Oh, the social drama of figuring out who to sit next to so as not to cause conversational awkwardness or hint at wheeling or anything like that… ah, the perks of going to school with girls!

Hell, I’m going to miss Ridley…

PIck up a new one!

[I've forgotten how good it feels to write again. Because writing is one of the things I'm best at, and I feel like the words let so much flow. So much better than a picture thing like flickr or tumblr, but hey, haters gonna hate. I'm just not a picture person! Anyway, this is an article I wrote for the school's alternative student magazine, Hank. This is only the raw draft, so the editors might still cut it and stuff, but this is my blog, so stuff that. Here, we get raw, unrefined language, savants! It's basically for the music section, about picking up a new instrument. It's short, I know, our deadlines are tight. Hope you like it!]

Do you find yourself bored with life? The epitome of a roid-pumped super-jock stereotype? Lamentingly lacking in lovely ladies? Too much time spent playing Call of Duty? Then I have the perfect solution for you… pick up a new musical instrument, and that goes for both the already-talented and the musically-illiterate out there.

I did it while I’m here, and music was already my first language. At Ridley, we have most amazing of underground music departments (yes, it indeed exists beneath the floors of 2CB) which lets you simply sign out instruments to take home with you, be it a trumpet or a clarinet or French horn or whatever. And you don’t need to learn a classical instrument either, you can pick up, as I did, a guitar or a bass or even stuff around on the drum kit!

The problem with music these days is that people think the only way to do it is the classical way with private lessons and an hour’s practice a day. That’s the way I do it in part, and it certainly helps if you’re looking at a career or by-career or potential university major in music as I am. You get a solid foundation in theory, discipline, technical drilling and stuff like that. And I’ve gotta tell you, that’s a good way of doing it, but it’s hard, and you don’t need all of those things when you’re just looking for something new.

So, don’t suffer from forceful parents syndrome like I did, instead, play for fun, like I did and do now. Because that’s what music should be about, actually, fun, and all the structure and rigour and classical-ness take away from that sometimes. Look at me, I’m an epically solid pianist, but I play bass and guitar for pure fun, and a little bit of cross-training too actually.

You don’t need private lessons, you don’t even need to be taught by anyone, you can do it yourself. Even if you are super-tone-deaf, believe you me! And if you’re having trouble with something, ask a friend, because I guarantee you that us music students are very amiable and more than willing to help. Oh yeah, there are also lots of technical benefits to music and stuff like psychological effects, but that’s not important here…

What you actually want to do is jam all those popular songs at awesome times around campfires and when chilling with friends. It’s all you need to do just that, so go out there, and pick up a new instrument. Who knows, it might be something you learn to love more than you originally thought!