Change.

Everybody faces change.

Over the past year, I realized that I've changed a lot.
Then again, I'm sure everyone has, no matter looks, attitude, whatever.
Yesterday, I went back to SKTM for their Hari Kanak-kanak celebration.
There I really saw the difference between life in primary and secondary school.

I'm not going to say that DJ is better than SKTM.
No, I'm saying that compared to Standard 6, I actually prefer Form 1.

Last year, let's just say, it was full of drama for me.
That drama added to the stress that I already had thinking about UPSR.
And honestly, that drama succeeded in making me depressed for at least a month.

This year, there was no drama.
Yeah, sure, this is our first year in secondary school, of course there won't be any drama.
But why is it so?
I think it's because all of us actually grew up.

Last year, I was actually much more hardworking than this year.
When I had homework, I would complete it as fast as I could (not all the time though).
That was to avoid rushing to do it on the day it's due.

This year, I am now more lazy. xD
Okay, it's not something good but it's a change, right?
If there was a certain task we had to do by Tuesday, I'd do it on Monday night.
And for some reason, sometimes homework will eventually lead to Facebook (honestly, how does that happen?).

I remember the last week of school in SKTM, we were all freaking out about separating and entering secondary school.
Wondering how we'll do there, who we'll meet.

And now, after one year of Form 1, we laugh thinking back.
Secondary school life wasn't so bad after all.
In fact, it was actually enjoyable (well, for me).

I've met some pretty awesome friends this year who I will not forget.
Some, not so awesome, but life's like that. :/
Of course, I will also never forget my primary school friends.
Heck, all of you guys are awesome, no matter from primary or secondary school.
And that will never change.

<3

-MichelleLim-

A Busy Weekend.

This weekend was really a busy one for me.

Friday.
Okay, this is a weekday but it was memorable one. :)

It was the last day of school.
It was a happy yet a sad day.
Happy, because who wouldn't be when there'll be no school for the next two months?
Yet sad, because there's a big possibility we will all be in separate classes next year.
And I must say, 1 Batai was really one of the best classes I've been in.

I went to school early that day.
I waited for Shi Ying to arrive as we were going to give out pizza to the teachers.
After doing so, we went back to class and were already impatient to give out pizza to our classmates.

15 minutes before recess, we were all in 1 Batai, eating pizza and screaming our lungs out marking our awesomeness. ;)
The pizza was good.
And so were the pineapples!
Yumm.. :D
So good that Wai Sam and I fought over the pineapples that were in the box. xD
Some took one slice, some took two or more and some didn't get a slice. :/
To those who did not get the pizza, we are so sorry but it was on a first come first serve basis.

After recess, nothing spectacular happened.
Most of us just played games as usual.
And PJPK was so boring.

During the last period, our final 35 minutes as a Form 1 student, we were noisy like hell.
Everyone was hugging each other, saying goodbyes.
It was really the best school day. :)

1 Batai, you are one awesome class.
How many classes have a lembu and dog in it?
Not many. xD
And not many classes get the title 'Noisiest Class in Form One'.
Next year, I am hoping to be in the same class as most of you.
But if not, at least some of you will do. xD
1 Batai 2010. <3

Upon reaching home, I had to rush to my aunty's house for a wedding eve dinner.
My cousin was getting married the next day. :D
We were there for a long time.
When we went home, it was already 12.
Despite the time, I still went online but on my mum's phone till 12.30? xD
I went to sleep knowing that it would be a long day tomorrow.

Saturday.
I woke up at 7.30 feeling very sleepy. xD
Then we headed for my aunty's house to eat breakfast.
After that, my mum went with my other aunty's to the bride's house.
You know the part where all the guys go to the bride's house to get the bride?
Where they have to get past all the obstacles to get to her room?
In one obstacle, they had to eat wasabi biscuits. xD

While they were there, my dad and I went home to get ready for the next event, which was the tea ceremony.
After getting dressed, we went back to my aunty's house and awaited the return of the couple.

Soon the couple were in the house.
The ceremony started with them serving tea to the people elder than them according to their ranks.
Then the younger ones (including me) had to serve tea to them (and get angpows in the process).
After the ceremony, we went home to rest.

I slept to recover from my lack of sleep.
After an hour of sleeping, I was woken up to go to a salon to do my hair. :D
Yes, I set my hair.
My hair had big natural curls at the bottom. :D
After that, we hurried home to get dressed for the wedding dinner.
Then we left for Shangri-La. ;)

We had to go early because well, we were family and they had the cocktail session.
After an hour of entertaining people with my mum, the doors opened and we went to our table.
The ballroom decorations were really nice.
And the temperature was just perfect. xD

They started the dinner at 8.30.
After the first dish, they had the speeches where the fathers of the couple would talk.
After some laughs, we went back to eating.

There was one waiter who was serving our table.
This guy was really funny.
He would go to you and in his very loud voice, ask you: "YOU WANT SOME MORE DRINKS??"
And he speaks fast so you can imagine it. xD
It is scary when he randomly comes behind you and speaks.
Like when I was talking to my dad, he randomly came in between us and said: "YOU WANT SOME MORE FISH??"
I jumped in shock as I did not see him there. xD
Then I said that I didn't want anymore fish and he replied: "DON'T WANT ANYMORE AH??"
I, who was still in shock said no. xD
When he went to get the next dish, my parents, Koko Alvin and I were laughing away.
I literally cried of laughter.
I won't forget that guy. xD

After the dinner we headed home.
We reached home at 12 something.
I went to sleep at 1.35.

Sunday.
Today I woke up at 11. :D
We got a call from my aunty, asking us to go over to her house to count money. $$$
Turns out that everyone in my house just got up too.
We went to her house and before we started counting duty, all of us had a bowl of maggi mee.
Soon after, we went up to her room and started counting.
Well, my parents did.
My job was to check all the angpows that they have already opened, in case they missed any.
And after I checked them, I had to rip them and throw them into the bin.
But hey, I helped, right? xD

My mum talked about the waiter to my aunty and once again, I cried of laughter.
We finished everything at around 3.

After that, we had lunch and went back home.
Then I fell asleep at 4.
And I woke up at 7.
I didn't think that I could sleep that long but oh well. :D

Well, that concludes my weekend.
So for me, the holidays have just begun.
But before that, I would just like to say congrats again to KOKO AARON and CHECHE JOWYNNE. :D

-MichelleLim-

I Love You, You Love Me, We Are A Sick Family.

Title says all.

This week, a few of my family members became, well...sick.
Must be the weather, don't you think?

Mum's sick, auntie's sick, cousin's sick, and worst of all, I am sick.

Yesterday, I had the worst fever in years.
I had a terrible headache from morning to night.
It was so bad that I had to go to a clinic.
My temperature was so high, the doctor said it might be dengue.
But she said if my temperature is okay today, then I should be alright.

And thank god, my temperature dropped today.
But I can't really say now because I have to check my temperature tomorrow too.

Okay, but the one good thing about getting a high fever is that you can doze off at any time.
On normal days, I sometimes take at least an hour before I manage to fall asleep.
But with a fever, I can sleep in less than 10 minutes time.

But of course, I'd rather not have a fever.
I managed to ease the pain by watching TARA4 yesterday night and PCK The Movie this morning. :D

Hoping to feel better tomorrow,
-MichelleLim-

Exams Are Over, Now I'm Bored.

In the limo a block away, Isabel Kabra leaned forward, intent on the headset piping an uncultured girl's words into her ears: "We've been --"

Static. Nothing but static. The audio link was gone.

So they discovered the listening device. So what? It had been overkill anyhow. Isabel had the Cahill children's lead, and she had vastly more resources than they did for figuring it out. She had vastly more of everything that mattered than they ever would.

This was just...annoying.

Isabel almost frowned--no, don't do that. Remember? Frown lines? There's only so much Botox can do. Those brats aren't worth getting wrinkles.

They really weren't worth noticing, but just in case, she mentally sorted through everything she'd heard, checking for any significance at all in those pathetic children's pathetic conversation.

"You agreed with everything the Madrigals wanted in Jamaica"..."If we can't win the Madrigal way..." This meant they'd joined forces with the Madrigals, the shadowy ne'er-do-wells who had been the bane of Isabel's family's existence for centuries. Ah, well. In Isabel's experience, loyalties were nothing more than opportunities for betrayal.

Isabel mentally fast-forwarded to something the boy had said: "Can you imagine letting Isabel Kabra take over the world?"

Isabel let herself smile, even though smiles were nearly as likely to cause wrinkles as frowns.

Yes. She could imagine that. She could imagine it perfectly: the power, the glory, the rightness of it. Isabel Kabra was superior to everyone else in the world. When she won the Clue hunt, everybody would finally see that. She would rule, and everyone on the planet would obey.

They would obey--or they would die. Exactly as they deserved.

Amy and Dan Cahill certainly deserved to die.

Isabel's smile widened. She was almost grateful to those brats for managing to stay alive so long. This way, she could think of even crueler ways to kill them.

"Mummy?" Isabel's eleven-year-old daughter, Natalie, half whined from the opposing seat in the limo. "You look a little scary right now."

Isabel realized she was still holding the disgusting monkey.

"Here," Isabel said, thrusting the nasty creature into her daughter's lap. "You and Ian take the paper out of his mouth and figure out what it means. Justify your superior abilities and education for once in your life."

Isabel had trained her children well--the girl cringed away from the monkey, instinctively knowing that monkey hair would look horrible on her haute couture black dress. And fourteen-year-old Ian looked nauseated at the thought of potentially exposing himself to monkey spittle. These instincts would serve Ian and Natalie well someday, if they ever became the heads of the Kabra empire--after long decades of Isabel's astute rule, of course. But right now, Isabel's children were mere underlings, and she couldn't have them failing to obey a direct order.

"Whatever happened to, 'Yes, Mum. Whatever you say, Mum'?" Isabel demanded. "When did you stop obeying instantly?"

Ian mumbled something Isabel couldn't quite catch.

"What's that you say?" Isabel asked. "Speak up!"

"W-we--" Was Ian stammering? Ian, whom she'd trained to be smooth and suave, who'd known how to wear a tuxedo properly since he was three? He cleared his throat and managed to get the words out: "We haven't stopped obeying. We just think first now."

Isabel slapped the boy.

-MichelleLim-

Freedom, At Last!

Exams are over!

OMG, I've waited so long for this day. xD
And now, I don't know what to blog about.

I have two things planned out to celebrate:

1. Go online for long hours.
2. Finish watching the whole season of How I Met Your Mother.

-MichelleLim-

Get Ready For A Long One.

Yes, today I will post about the oh-so-awesome 39 Clues. :D
I'm aware that many of you don't read it but I'm bored so who cares? :D

One day, my dad bought Into The Gauntlet (the tenth book of the series) from Kinokuniya.
After I read it I was like, OMG BEST 39 CLUES BOOK.

So here are some of my favourite parts of the book:

1. Ian had always been taught that truth was a very flexible thing. His mother could smile brightly at another woman and say so charmingly, "Oh, that dress is just perfect for you. Wherever did you get it?" And then behind the woman's back she'd go on for hours about how such a hideous, shapeless old hag could not possibly have picked an outfit any more repulsive than that one. Or -- Ian had heard both of his parents, at different times on the phone, talking to business associates and assuring them, "Why, yes, of course, we have your best interests at heart..." -- and then hanging up, telling a subordinate, "Close down that factory. It's worthless." Or, "Sell that stock. Every last share."

Yes, they can be ruthless with everyone else, but really, they're doing it for their family. For Natalie and me.

Was that why his mother had slapped him earlier that day? Why she'd had Natalie on the verge of tears for, oh, weeks, now? Ian had always found his little sister a bit annoying, but lately he'd actually felt sorry for her, watching her try so hard to please their mother, who'd become completely impossible to please.

2. Broderick's BlackBerry beeped, signaling an incoming text. He read it, then held out the BlackBerry for Jonah to see.

Jonah braced himself against the back of the seat. He'd stayed away from his mum for the past several days. He'd ignored her messages.

He'd worked so hard to make his mother proud of him. He was Jonah Wizard, international star. Was tomorrow the day she'd also expect him to become Jonah Wizard, murderer?

3. "Natalie?" Ian called into the darkness.

He knew she was behind him. He expected to hear her complaining: about how the crowding in the elevator was wrinkling her designer dress, about how the sea air was terrible for her hair.

Instead, his sister reached out and held his hand.

4. Chill, Jonah told himself. Be cool.

Just think of the others as an audience, he told himself.

But audiences were all about love. All he could feel in this elevator was hate.

Well, they're more but I'm lazy to type them all out. :P

-MichelleLim-

Time Passes Fast, Doesn't It?

Today is the 9th of September 2010.

Exactly a year ago, we sat for the UPSR examinations.

Wasn't that quick?
365 days just passed.

Remember the week before UPSR?
We were all freaking out, wishing each other good luck.

Remember the moment when they gave out the first paper?
We were all seated according to our class' name list.
Thinking, ohmygosh, it's here. UPSR is here once and for all.

The invigilator giving out the objective papers, each with our names and registration numbers on them.
Then they handed out the question papers.
Now thinking, no joke, this is the real deal.

Fast forward to the time when we got our results back.
That was most likely the happiest day of my life.

And now, here we are, in different secondary schools, facing new challenges.
Now that I think of it, I remember last year, when we all feared separation.
Now all of us have made it through almost a full year of secondary school life.

As much as I enjoy it, I will never forget my primary school.
The place where I got my education.
Without this primary school of mine, I wouldn't be half the person I am now.

And to my friends who were from a different primary school, no, I am not being a 'school-ist'.
I just really appreciate it.

Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Megah, thank you for everything.

-MichelleLim-