Not a girl, not yet a woman

I hate almost everything about Britney Spears with the exception of this one song she sung called 'Not a girl, not yet a woman.' This song is especially meaningful to me now because today I turn 18. One-Eight. In Singapore's context it means that I'm legally allowed to drive, visit pubs, drink, watch M18 rated movies and all sorts of 'grown-up stuff'. In short, I've sorta reached the end of childhood and am on the very cusp of adulthood. Wow. See what I mean when I'm say I'm not a girl, not yet a woman? This is all so new. Yet so exciting.

************************************************

Today is also Zephy's birthday. Zephy, as some of readers may now, is not my very 1st blog. She's my 6th. Yet, I feel so much closer to Zephy than I did with my previous 5 blogs. Somehow, somewhere, Zephy became a lot more than a digital domain. More like a companion I look forward to seeing everyday.

Oh. There's something about Zephy I've wanted to talk about for some time. Ever wondered about Zephy's full name, zephyr-and-the-tornado.blogspot.com? It's a name I came up with by myself. I put 'zephyr' and 'tornado' together cos I was having a thing for oxymorons (a tornado is a wild tropical storm while zephyr is a light breeze). Thought the name sounded cute hence the name of this blog:)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZEPHY:)))))

***********************************************

Thank you everyone, friends and family, for wishing me a happy birthday! And for the gifts too! Love you guys. Heh, I must be sure to remember all my friends' birthdays, since they were all so good for remembering mine. I'm very,very bad at remembering birthdays. Once again, ARIGATO GOZAIMASU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gotta run down to cut the cake in about 10mins time. Mum and Pop are gonna open a bottle of champagne (it's the only alcoholic drink out there that I actually like). Talk about coming-of-age;)

What an irony

Guess it's no secret anymore. There's nothing to be ashamed of anyway.



It's official. And it's fucking annoying.



I knew something was not quite right when in school on Tuesday. My feet hurt. As in, it felt sore in many places. When I got home and examined it, I counted 6 blisters which weren't there the day before. Mum took one look at them and declared 'HFMD'. This was confirmed by the family doctor. I look at my previous post and can't help but give an ironical laugh.



Like my brother, I was placed under a week-long quarantine. Which is, well, a curse and a blessing. It's a curse because I won't be around when new lessons are taught, can't take part in Journalism meetings and I miss my pals. Then again, I have more time to catch up on my studies:) Mightily pleased with myself for having completed the origins of the Arab-Israeli conflict this afternoon, and for making progress on this Noir wallpaper I'm creating.



Still, I hope to return to school on Monday. That'll be one of the best birthday gifts ever!



*********************

On a side-note, Uncyclopedia made my day with some really lame Lord of the Rings stuff, such as:



"The Lord of the Rings is a long ass story written about short people trying to solve a problem and taking way to long to do it when they simply could have gotten those giant eagles they had hiding the whole story, flown over the volcano and dropped the ring in and saved alot of hassle. Stupid short people... STAR WARS WAS BETTER!!! "



Uncyclopedia contains mostly lame crap but it does have some gems, such as the above, The Marxist Intepretations of Harry Potter (see right column) and this:

A close shave

I experienced a most agonizing bout of fever yesterday. Besides the discomfort, there was also the nagging fear that I might have caught Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease from my brother (see previous post). In the end the fever came and passed. I checked my hand, feet and mouth over and over again for those tell-tale red pustules but thank goodness there weren't any! So it's back to school tomorrow.

In case you were wondering how Yish is doing, the dude is coping well. Then again, I saw him flinging darts at his bedroom door this morning, so I can't say for certain.

HMFD

It started with a fever, nothing more. Mum thought my brother Yish was suffering from the common flu and took him to the clinic, where he was given a fever jab. The jab worked and Yish returned to school in 2 days. Things then took an unexpected turn. Yish developed a rash on the legs and arms as well as a sore throat. Mum's got suspicious and took him to the clinic again where her fear was confirmed: Hand, Foot and Mouth disease.

Straits Times April 16, 2008

Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease epidemic may be the worst since 2000

Over 1,000 kids fell ill last week, 13 warded; virulent EV71 virus behind 16% of cases By Salma Khalik & Sujin Thomas

SINGAPORE may be facing its most serious hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) outbreak since an epidemic killed seven children eight years ago.

More than 1,000 children fell ill last week - the highest number of weekly infections since the 2000-2001 period.

Of the 13 who needed hospitalisation, one girl was seriously ill, with inflammation of the brain......

HFMD is endemic in Singapore, with children catching the virus almost daily.

Symptoms include fever, headache, sore throat and a red rash, usually on the limbs and in the mouth, which gives the illness its name.

Everyone in my family wonders how in the world did Yish contact the disease. As the report mentioned, it usually strikes children. The most vulnerable age groups are infants and kindergardeners. Adults and teens can get it of course but because they have a stronger immune system, such cases are rare. It must have been the contagious nature of the disease. Hand, Foot and Mouth disease is spread by direct contact with the mucus, saliva and feces of an infected person. Then again, Yish rarely interacts with little kids, so we at home are all quite baffled.

So far, Yish has been doing fine. His sore throat has more or less cleared, though the rashes on his feet and hands remain ("looks like bubble wrap", Mum quipped). As for the rest of the family, we're taking precautions to make sure we don't catch the disease such as ensuring that we don't share food and drink with Yish. We aren't too worried about it actually. Yish is a strong dude and he'll recover soon enough, that we all know. Meanwhile, life goes on.

The Road to Ithaca

Poetry isn't my thing, but that doesn't stop me from being enthralled by The Road to Ithaca. I first came across this beautiful and inspiring poem from the book The Zahir by Paulo Coelho. Deeply impressed, I have decided that this poem shall be my mission statement in life. Do take a look at The Road to Ithaca below. It may be long, but I assure you it's really worth a read.

The Road to Ithaca

When you set out on your journey to Ithaca,
pray that the road is long,full of adventure,
full of knowledge.
The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,
the angry Poseidon -- do not fear them:
You will never find such as these on your path,
if your thoughts remain lofty,
if a fineemotion touches your spirit and your body.
The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,
the fierce Poseidon you will never encounter,
if you do not carry them within your soul,
if your soul does not set them up before you.

Pray that the road is long.
That the summer mornings are many,
when,with such pleasure,
with such joy you will enter ports seen for the first time;
stop at Phoenician markets,
and purchase fine merchandise,
mother-of-pearl and coral,
amber and ebony,
and sensual perfumes of all kinds,
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
visit many Egyptian cities,
to learn and learn from scholars.

Always keep Ithaca in your mind.
To arrive there is your ultimate goal.
But do not hurry the voyage at all.
It is better to let it last for many years;
and to anchor at the island when you are old,
rich with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches.


Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage.
Without her you would have never set out on the road.
She has nothing more to give you.
And if you find her poor,
Ithaca has not deceived you.
Wise as you have become,
with so much experience,
you must already have understood what Ithaca means.

Constantine P. Cavafy (1911)

Moral of the story (oh well poem in this case): It's the journey, and not the destination that really matters. To put it another way, garnering as many experiences as possible is the ultimate wealth. That, I believe, is what life should be all about. Many people around me seem to see life as a race; there's the paper chase, keeping up with the Jones, clinching the good jobs and the like. In this hectic world, 'slow' (as in taking things slow) is another four-letter word. But surely life is not defined by the grades you get or the money you make? I believe even in this fast paced world the human spirit can still find nooks and crannies in which to flower. What's crucial is that we appreciate our friends, family and what life has to offer us. And don't stop learning. There's so much out there, waiting to be discovered, if only you know where to look.

Tagged

Right. I've been tagged by ykm to do this quiz-thingy:





1] At what age do you wish to marry?
Late 20s, prefably.



2] What I want the most now?
Inspiration for my next blogskin.





3] Who is the person you trust the most?
Myself. I mean, the only foolproof way of ensuring that a secret remains a secret is to keep it to yourself. But besides myself, there's my Mum.



4] Do you think you have enough confidence?
I surprise myself every now and then;)



5] If you can have a dream to come true, what would it be?
Visit my uncle and aunt at Whitehorse Canada, whom I haven't seen for a decade.





6] Do you believe in seeing a rainbow after the rain?
Sigh. Almost every time I look out for one after the rain, I never see a rainbow.



7] What are you afraid to lose the most now?
People I love and care about.



8] Do you believe in eternity love?
YES, with all my heart.



9] If you meet someone that you love, would you confess to him/her?
Yeah. But I'd take a long while to say so. Meanwhile, I'd just drop some hints as time goes by and hope he catches the drift.



10] List out 3 good points of the person who tagged you.
YKM? Pro at tech stuff, great pal, makes me smile a lot



11] What are the requirements that you wish from your other half?
Man, I could write a whole essay on this. To keep a long story short I'd just state the 2 most important requirements: he must be FAITHFUL and LOVE ME FOR WHO I AM.



12] What feeling do you hate the most?
Being betrayed.



13] Do you cherish every single friendship of yours?
Yes. Both my friends and aquintances keep me going, and I'm glad to have known them all.



14] Do you believe in God?
No.



15] What do you think is the most important thing in your life?
Life itself. There's a saying that goes 'Always believe in miracles because you are one yourself (the very fact that you were born into this world).'



16] Do you find it a need for you to have a boyfriend/girlfriend?
Not now, later.



17] At this point of time, would you rather stay in your comfort zone or try something new?
Give me a challenge anytime!



18] What kind of friend you hope to be in your friend's eyes?
I'll be there for anyone who needs support.



19] What age do you wanna die at?
A ripe old age, prefably 100 years or more. There's so much to see and do in this world!



20] What is your current favourite song?
Starlight by Muse and Brightdown by Nami Tanaka (OP for D-Grayman). To say that these songs are chocolate to the ears is a major understatement.





INSTRUCTIONS: remove 1 question from above and type in your own question. tag 8 people to do this quiz!
Can't think of a good one so I'll ditch this.





And the lucky few are:

• Horza


• The Silicons


• Kelvin


• Piano Fanatic

Happy doing!