Winter's coming!

おはいよう！（or こんにちわ or こんばんわ）

ケスビックです。よろしくおねがいします！

5S5はおげんきですか？　＝）

ひらがなとカタカナをかきます（かんじはかきません）。すみません、みんな。

Translation:

Good morning! (or "good afternoon", or "good evening")

Kesvick here. Nice to meet you!

How is 5S5 doing? =)

I'm writing in hiragana and katakana (no kanji). Sorry, everyone.

Well, that was the best of my translating from taking classes in my university's Japanese program. I'm kinda liking it though, it's fun to learn new languages.

Sorry again, I haven't been able to contribute as much as I have been able to, partly because I'm still rather shy around this (admittably), partly because I was afraid that if I started posting here I would somehow make this my personal blog. Hopefully, that won't happen, and I'll try and post some relevant content for the class blog.

Well, I attached a picture of how I look in the USA right now. I could post it on Facebook, except for 2 very important (some would say critical) points: 1. I don't have Facebook 2. I don't think I am going to be getting an account without incentive. I was gonna ask how do I look, but that would make it seem rather egocentric and sad.

Oh well...it's me trying out some tricks picked up from my kitty. Meh...

Anyways, over here, 'tis the season of fall. Frost has started settling over the leaves and grass. If you squint hard you can see frost on the leaves. Still, I was walking around with my camera and I came across a rose bush that still had not wilted from the cold, so I took a picture. Winter will come soon...probably about 2-3 weeks away.

*contemplates what to write*

It's amazing how short a time has passed. I remember thinking that this was going to be a LONG year. Then, before I know it, 8 weeks have passed, and it seems as if all the settling-in, the getting-reacquainted-with-classes phases were only last week.

Ah well, I am talking in circles here. It's probably best to just stop here and save myself further embarassment.

ありがとうございます！さよんあら！

P.S. Where is Ter-Yi? It'd be nice to see him back on. As well as...you know, the others.

bckground source:http://www.oyonale.com/images/3D/classe.jpg

In other words, hope life is treating you well!


ps: Follow up on the Bright Side of Life, it really cheered me up =)

The Bright Side of Life

We humans are so blind, most of the time. It takes a disaster to make us realise the power of nature. It takes a loss to make us realise what it meant to have. It takes a death to make us realise what it is that matters most in life.

Things happen without warning. Without premonition. Without any sense of omnious foreboding. Things happen before we have the chance to apologise, to embrace, to speak our heart out, to finish writing letters of farewell and gratitude to all our friends and family.

People, you've known me for almost 5 years and counting. You know me enough to recognise this as another piece of my unreasonably exaggerated melodramatic crap. You've already seen me at my worst, my weakest, my most irrationally emotional many times over. I know it's annoying. Forgive me for ranting once again (you: not again!).

S5, I take it for granted that you already know this, but - I can't be any blunter than this - I just wanted to say it out loud that you have been an important part of my life, and I appreciate the opportunity to have known you all more than I can put in words. Thank you for being there, for being amazing, for being you. For caring, for sharing, for bringing so much cheer by cracking super-lame jokes you'll never hear anywhere else/ singing the birthday song or the national anthem/ insulting each other in friendly banter all the time/ endless things to laugh about even though we haven't met in a long while.

Who would've thought that a bunch of people who started off as strangers would eventually become the same friends who organised various "last gatherings" after graduation, then finally dropped the "last" knowing it will never be? It's a known fact that acquaintances inevitably drift apart with time and distance but you proved otherwise. And I salute you.

I don't expect many to see this, really, or even any at all. Not that it matters. Like my boss said about blogs, "Never mind if anyone reads it. If you write it down, at least it's documented." Thought I'd just want to put down on record that I cherish every class gathering we had in the past, and every one that we are bound to have in future.

On another note, Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life! :D

(Lovely song! Go search for it on youtube. Works for me all the time.)

MAlaysia Public Policy Competition

Beach trip

Picture taken at Batemans Bay, New South Wales.

Another beach trip in Aussie, which is so reminiscent of our Pangkor trip.

In other words, miss S5 a lot. How's everyone doing? Shout out at our Cbox =) Take care!

Happily ever after

Prince William and Kate Middleton are getting married on the 29th, and the hype is all around the country. The ordinary citizen feels connected to the royal family at such a personal level to be fervently interested in, deeply concerned about, and genuinely happy for the couple. It's amazing to see how the people here derive so much excitement from this royal wedding, and it's difficult not to be infected by their enthusiasm.

Admit it - which girl has never dreamed of riding into the sunset with a prince, upon hearing those fairytales as a child? This really, really old song is for all the single ladies in the class - cheers!

Saje