#547: AFK, BRB, TTYL FRND

As my youth pastor challenged the worship team and his youth leaders, I will be going on a media fast from 5 November - 5 December, which essentially means me staving off the internet, tv, movies, radio, secular music...well, mass media. The idea is to get us to set aside time for God for a change instead of saturating ourselves with whatever we usually do online & etc (work-related media access still permissable).

Well, this is a great opportunity for me, seeing how I shouldn't be online so much, and how I should be sleeping alot more. Plus right after A's I should be getting my Common App essays done instead of rotting online/in movie theatres (expensive!) and etc.

Honestly I think it will be worth it. Like I was doing some calculations that day and I realised I spend about 10+hours a week in church or something related, and I was so worried last year that it would compromise my Prelims/A-levels mugging for this year. But mindblowingly, despite the time that could have been used to study, I did surprisingly well for Prelims. Like the best I've ever scored, and I don't think it was because I did it all on my own. So indeed it is so true that when you put God and His work first, He will honour your efforts.

I admit it, media fast will be tough. Like when the class, on post-prelims high, stampedes into the cinemas; it isn't wise to follow them and cover my ears & eyes because not only is that a waste of money, that is just retarded. And of course I will be itching to know what has transpired on twitter, Facebook and etc in my absence (btw: THIS IS NOT LICENSE FOR YOU TO SPAM ME). But I am stuff that's tuff enuff and I WILL SURVIVE.

Of course this means I will be abandoning my blog for a ZOMG! month, which means I WILL LOSE READERSHIP TRAGEDY. But anyway I have compiled a list of decent reads to keep you guys occupied in the lack of abihoposts. So do follow a link every time you would read an abihopost that won't be here for a month.

I send you guys truckloads of well-wishes, blessings, and total lubbubxness.

***

♥ The Longest Day by washingtonpost
- thought this was really cute, and I feel so much better that I don't have to give up my phone

♥ Sand Art Performance by Kseniya Simonova, winner of Ukrainian version of "American's Got Talent"
- just UBERCOOL. and the best part is the crying audience.

♥ Another Sand Art Performance by Kseniya Simonova
- UKRAINE'S GOT TALENT ALRIGHT. and an emotional populace.

♥ Burger King Gives Japan a Seven-Patty Challenge by TIME
- I've said it before and I'll say it again: THE JAPANESE ARE CRAZY.

♥ Cardboard Love in a Digital World
- for fuzzy feelings, eye-rolls & the memories of cardboard days

♥ Sea of Shoes
- this girl, Jane, is almost as amazing as her shoe collection & dress sense.

♥ Legos NYC by Joanna Goddard
- I remember those days when I tried (& failed) to build my lego castle.

♥ Helvetica vs. Arial
- think I've posted this before, but you deserve a good font-bashing after a hard day's work!

♥ the scribble project
- just look & like.

♥ World University Rankings- note that NUS makes 30, above Ivy League Dartmouth. stunning.

♥ The Secret Society of List Addicts
- I like making lists a lot.

♥ Legos NYC by Joanna Goddard
- I remember those days when I tried (& failed) to build my lego castle.

♥ Edge Conference 2009: Believe
- I be there 3rd to 5th Dec.

♥ Abigail Ho (thirtyquid) on Twitter
- I still can tweet via handphone.

"In short, it has all the characteristics of a new gadget that can be copied and mass-produced in some Chinese factory."

- TIME article Dyson's Bladeless Fan: Worth the Hefty Cost?

#546: newly november

This be the first day of November, and usually by this time of year people start getting Really Excited: end of the academic year not too far off, the long holidays just round the corner, town decked out with tinsel fairy lights all happy shiny things, the festive mood making its annual debut...

The first day of each November brings a whole new dimension of excitement in the form of Pure Panic to a select group of people. Like, as of now, it's a one-digit-day-countdown away from the culmination of 18 years' worth of anticipation.

On hindsight, the last sentence was somewhat an exaggeration. Honestly, I only started worrying about it for real somewhere midway last year, when I suddenly realised that I actually had to sit for it.

To spare you lot (those who have probably angsted more than enough about it already, and those who don't give a whack) I shan't ramble on about it much longer.

***

Quote of the Week:
"I AM NASAKOM"
- Sukarno, 1960
(Translation: I am a self-absorbed money-snitching egomaniac.)

Track of the Week:
Riot On An Empty Street
by Kings of Convenience

Online Distraction of the Week:
Twitter
a duh.

Setting of the Week:
Windy Benches from 7plus onwards,
where there's good wind & good company.

Person People of the Week:
J1 Council
with their awesome food delivery services that are so impressively administered (no queues no fuss!)

Meal of the Week:
The day after I resolved that "DIET START TMR", Mum got me this for lunch. Somehow the rocket & spinach leaves and tomatoes don't really compensate the golden brown calories.

Pic of the Week:
Guess who was trying to win my heart again.

Resolution of the Week:
Must sleep earlier.
Must sleep earlier.
Must sleep earlier.
That means in -30mins time.

Last week. Coming up.

#545: well...

got this from zhu off facebook.

Could have not started on SEA Hist at all / Could have gotten straight U's for Prelims / Could still not understand Pythagoras' Theorem / Could have gotten 1232 white slips / Could be 80kg / Could have my hair fall out / Could have gotten my right hand severed / Could have no direction in life / Could have blinded myself / Could be lonely and forgotten / Could owe 100 people money / Could be crosseyed / Could have gotten my GC stolen / Could have spontaneously combusted / Could be stranded in the Arctic without a coat / Could have accidentally eaten rodent for dinner / Could forget how to spell my name / Could have had my ipod run over by a truck / Could get kidnapped / Could be violently ill & bedridden with cowpox / Could be 1 day to A-levels

#544: teknorlorji terrorises

i always have a dis-affinity (i don't care anymore if there's such a word) with all these online widgets thingummybobs. first msn messenger, before i cast it out, kept signing me in and out at uberhigh frequency, then recently blogger mocked me for a month by mucking up my userinterface. now, twitter won't let me tweet via internet. how ridiculous is that.

i give up rererererererere-refreshing and clickering my mouse like a maniac buggrit it all.

i need to sleep.

my bum will be on a third floor library chair from 8 tomorrow morning onwards. there is much to look forward to.

twitter wont let me tweet. life ends here.

#543: paper

Studying progress is not good. A measure of how driven/focused I am can be taken from how often I can be found online. Unfortunately, I am still a daily patron of the internet. Ironically, whilst people apparently visit my blog to check the A-levelcountdowner, its existence slipped my mind for the whole of this week.

It now says 15 days.

Practically speaking, I might as well not eat, sleep or bathe. Gosh, why am I even online?

#1: I tell myself if my notes are sufficiently pretty, so will my grades be.

#2: The coolest new foolscap pad on the block is mine.

#3: They are supposed to inspire me to excel in Chemistry.

#4: Rafflesian colours - collect them all!

And such is this week's measly Weekly Captures. But just as well, because I SHOULD BE STUDYING AND NOT TAKING PICTURES.

#542: to do

1. mug till late
2. concentrate
3. lose weight (ahah they rhyme!!!)
4. save moolah
5. be strong
6. consistent devotions consistently
7. ace A's
8. make good decisions
9. live love laugh
10. get owned