And I wrote to him that day...

I'm not writing about what you said while you were in front of the whole damn class. This isn't about you. This is about me. I didn't learn everything I was taught, and I wasn't taught everything that I learned.

Fr. Guy [Guibelondo, S.J.] has been bothering me recently. Other than the fact that I only learned that "Guy" wasn't his last name a few days ago, when he wasn't my [formal] teacher anymore, when I did the Creative Synthesis, I attached how to write Hamartia in Greek on it, and also, at the back, after I'd written my name (I didn't put a cover page. Hell, if you're gonna write something, a pretty design shouldn't decide its grade. Substance, not style, mi amigo.), at the bottom, of the page (he'll only notice it if God decides that he should), I wrote the above words.

It's really weird. I feel like because of my hostility and animosity throughout the quarter, I wasn't able to suck out as much experience as I could've out of his unique style. I certainly hadn't considered that I might not have him to suck experience from in the third quarter. Now we have this Hernando guy (Guy.... ugh) that I don't really know or care to know.

This is Fr. Guibelondo's (I refuse to call him Fr. Guy anymore. It's not like a student could just address Fr. Go as Fr. Johnny or whatever) introductory page on the Xavier website (who knew the damn site would have any use after all?)

http://web.xs.edu.ph/issues2/2005%20-%20September%201/Communities/Fr.Guy.php

Mr. Claro also recently (like, yesterday) asked me to submit my "Sino Ka Ba?" piece to Burn, which I really don't get. It sucked. Let me show:

Josemaria Claro: ey allen, why don't you submit your short story to burn?
Allen Yu: ? anong short story po?
Josemaria Claro: iyong ginawa natin noong unang markahan?
Allen Yu: err... wala po ata kasing kinalaman sa Xavier...
Josemaria Claro: Josemaria Claro: dapat ba may kinalaman sa xavier yung burn?
Sherwin Su: hindi [handy that he happened to ask this question, huh?]
Josemaria Claro: kung feeling naman nila hindi tatanggapin, hindi nila ilalagay e.
Allen Yu: ah
Allen Yu: o sige po...
Allen Yu: pero sa tingin niyo ba maganda siya? para sa akin medyo flimsy yung pagkasulat ko kasi ang tinangka ko lang gawi'y ilagay lahat ng mga damdamin ng ex-convict, at hindi na masyadong intindihin yung ganda ng pagkasulat
Allen Yu: what i mean by "maganda" is "mass reproduction" material
Josemaria Claro: hmm, e di gandahan mo bago mo isumite.
Allen Yu: ehehehe
Allen Yu: sige i'll see
Allen Yu: kailan po ang huling araw ng pagsubmit?
Josemaria Claro: content wise yes
Josemaria Claro: yung use of language, pagandahin mo bago mo isumite.
Allen Yu: sige po
Allen Yu: salamat sa suggestion

Other than Fr. Guibelondo, a lot of other things have been bothering me as well. Mr. Chua, for one, because he seems to be so unpredictable. I dunno. Scary.

Then I'm just hoping for Chinese class after Sem Break. I really, REALLY hope she gives back those essays we wrote. I really, REALLY want to see her comments on mine. It's the first major "composition" thing I wrote with any actual skill and effort. I want to see if I have any talent.

And then, of course, the thing with Jackie. Christian says he might be able to go, Char says she'll ask, Jackie says she'll go if there are at least four of us. Walt can't make it because he has to work at the office. Cath, Katan and Kenn are all out or will be out of the country. Argh life.

I miss her a lot, Jackie.

下雪 by 阿杜

就快要下雪　心開始凝結
該怎麼迎接　我們最後一個　聖誕夜
我害怕下雪　愛將會凍結
因為妳說過　雪讓人有等待的感覺

＃說好兩顆心要乘著雪　相約在那擁抱的季節
　冬天來得太狼狽　爽約了諾言
　白茫茫的世界碎成雪　所有快樂都已流成淚
　而我一個人面對　整夜的心碎

終於在下雪　意味著離別
我心頭的雪　不知還有多久才融解

repeat ＃

白茫茫的世界碎成雪　所有快樂都已流成淚
而我要怎麼面對　整夜的　心碎

Semestral Break - Day 2

I just talked to Walter today (Saturday, October the 28th) and I'm just...

Well, it's confusing. We talked about simple things, at first. Simple, shallow things. Then it got deeper, then sadder, then stranger.

But it was definitely good to talk to him again. Now... just Jackie.

So I got to make a whole bunch of Chinese Pictures last night (yeah, that's what I'll use to refer to those pics I attach to the end of every post). Nice.

I also started playing that "Drop A Pic" game with everyone. Playing it with Charlene is just so much fun. She unwittingly thinks of the dead-coolest themes for the pics without thinking.

This morning, I decided to download this song I'd found while browsing the Cantonese threads.

It's called 都是你 by 光良. Yes, I know what you're thinking. "光良 singing Cantonese???" Now whether or not he really does, I wouldn't know. He definitely has a very accented Mandarin pronunciation, but I haven't seen or heard any Cantonese songs from this guy---all Mandarin.

Hence. I know have an ORGASM of a Chinese song.

This song just plain rocks. His voice is calm, even, and strong without having to shout. That's what I told Katan, and she agreed. I checked out his others songs--♥♥♥♥♥♥. The video for 第一次 was just too cute. I haven't got the link on hand right now, but I'm sure there's another one on YouTube somewhere. Basta, ang gaganda pakinggan noong mga kanta niya. Kaya bilisan mo na! Makinig na! He isn't like many other mainstream artists. Very different.

As of late, Vincent and Ralph have been spreading the infomercial I created like wildfire. I honestly think Mr. Chua might like it. Well, here's hoping.

And I don't quite get how I'm feeling. It's officially semestral break, but I still feel like I have requirements to submit. Like there's going to be school tomorrow or something. It leaves me dissatisfied.

Now, lemme see if I can salvage something of my friendship with a certain someone.

光良 - 都是你

誰改變了我的世界
沒有方向 沒有日夜
我看著天這一刻在想你
是否會對我一樣思念

你曾說我們有一個夢
等到那天我們來實現
我望著天在心中默默念
下一秒你出現在眼前

想念的心裝滿的都是你
我的鋼琴彈奏的都是你
我的日記寫滿的都是你的名
才發現又另一個黎明

我的日記寫滿的都是你的名
才發現又是一個黎明

這是我對你愛的累積

QT Days

Here're the rest of the days, in chronological order.

As a SemBreak special, I'll add lots and lots of pics. ;)

The 26th of October

Filipino saw Mrs. Bague as our proctor. Soc Sci had Mr. Tabayoyong.

I got home and did nothing, while trying all the while to begin my creative synthesis.

I got exhausted, so I went outside and had a nice break with toasted skyflakes (they taste SO much better toasted... if you eat them straight from the pack, they don't have any of that yummy flavor).

I was feeling a little bummed, because mom said she'd have merienda with me but instead, she ran to the phone to talk with the secretary person at the office instead. Yeah, you see, she's been sick, so instead of going to the office, she's been at home all day and resting. Unfortunately, she can't keep away from it all so she basically just works from home.

The 27th of October

Morning began with me watching Angin and Dad walk around the house doing their normal everyday routines. I shudder to think of the day I won't be able to see this anymore.

Today's Science had someone who I believe is Ms. Lai, while CLE had Mr. Legaspi.

So I stepped into the room and just stared at everything, wondering if I'd forget this like all the other times I'd had a Quarterly Test in Xavier. I decided to try not to.

The room, 1D:

Here's my designated desk:

And the view from my desk:

Science was just a tad tricky. C.L.E. was bloody murder. Fr. Guy didn't even discuss nature and dynamics of conscience! The only notes we had on them were the WORDS "nature", "dynamics" and "conscience"! Argh. Everyone in B was basically screwed over.

Speaking of Father Guy (Actually, I found out his name was actually Gui-something, and not Guy), he's not going to be teaching us next quarter. Jacques will start singing praises here. But I don't know. Having him for a quarter feels "comfortable", as if I'd grown accustomed to it. I don't want to have this new Hernando guy. Agh. The word "guy" will never mean the same thing to me ever again. I also slipped said Father a note in my synthesis.

Yeah, see, he forgot how to write "hamartia" in Greek, so I obliged to refresh his memory.

So, I met with Edrian at the Sacred Heart Garden after the two tests (we'd both finished early) and 聊天-ed, while bashing Xavier and the tests. It was great.

Then we were all told to go back up to our (real) classrooms and our class was at it like we'd all missed each other for days. Oh, wait, we did. It was like a market.

So RobertestePohan pulls up in front and starts singing "Praise the Lord! I said, Praise thaaa Loooowd!" yells for the class to go to the outing, as it was still going to happen.

We then have a bit of camwhoring + guitar time in class, and Kenn sings Qing Tian for me to hear. He sped it up, though, I think, because he was out of time. Oh, and he's going to Singapore tomorrow for the duration of the semestral break. Bye Kenn!

I come home to a rather empty feeling house.

It all felt empty, actually.

The new table, by the way? It's a stark contrast to the old one I was used to. It doesn't feel like our dining table yet, and I voiced these concerns to mom yesterday. She said all it needs is a little glass, like the old one. And besides, she said, it's been alive longer than any of us have. (Apparently, our company's had it since my GRANDFATHER'S FATHER'S time). I dunno. It just feels different. There are no memories with the new table.

The Sembreak has officially started, ya'll. Going, going, gone.

What Must Be The Worst Song Ever

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUSS5Ckulic

This is the worst song/video ever. As in, THE WORST.

I don't know how anyone could waste their time making something as stupid at this. It's a bunch of girls in short yellow skirts toting HUGE (and plastic) PINK HAMMERS around while they scramble around the screen. Then this girl named 王心凌 starts "singing" but you HAVE to hear the chorus, yes.

"Wai wai wai wai..." AIRHEAD!!!!!!!!

This also features blatant abuse of Mandarin. As in, they couldn't have butchered it more if they tried. Excuse me while I go try to rip this song out of my head now.

Ugh.

Elsewhere, I spoke with Jackie last Monday. It was good. I felt good afterwards. I have to be more approachable. Soon!

QT's were today. I'm in 1D, my proctors were Ms. Joya for Math and Mr. Pinlac (sp?) for English.

Math was surprisingly easy. English was a tad long because of that essay. But otherwise, things went great. I taught Martin a little more Fukien (we're past colors and weather now. Yes, I know that doesn't sound like we've done a lot, but we've actually done 成語 already, so colors and weather have long been overdue.) today, and Alfonso tried to help along. At some point, I couldn't figure out what "next year" and "last year" were. I asked Audren. Nada. He asks his friends. That's when they remind us:

Next year is e ni (下年)
Last year is tieng ni (前年) but I believe it can also be "ku ni" (舊年).

Anyway.

Gosh. Filipino and Soc Sci tomorrow. I'll never survive.

EDIT: God, I just took these great pics!

Now THAT is what I call 黃昏!!!

Infomercial

We filmed this for an afternoon, then I worked on it for 6 hours last Sunday.

Haaaaaay.



Quarterly tests are upon us. Or, will be.

We went to the cemetery and talked.

CANTONESE!!! TAISHANESE!!!

Fr. Guy just about said goodbye to our class. Why do I feel almost sad about that?

Oh God.

We watched this beautiful movie in Chinese. I wanna finish it. I think it's called 我愛天上人間 (someone correct me on this?).

There's this great Cantonese song called 爛泥 by 許志安 and it's BEAUTIFUL.

你 最盛放的玫瑰
流芳百世 怎可瞬間枯萎
我願意留低 捨身去墊底
任滿天花瓣散落這污泥

我 會為你躺下去
全身貼地 方使你企得起
化做了塵土 腐化中等你
甚至輸出我養份全部直至死

#願可做你 腳下那堆爛泥
來守護你 我未理身上那污穢
別輕視我 縱是這種爛泥
能滋潤你 耗盡每分讓你艷壓一切

我 暗地裡等下去
寧可遠望 不可對你觸摸
眼淚也流幹 讓你可解渴
甚至輸出我血液 無懼被刺死

REPEAT *

願可下世 再做這花下泥
來守護你 我願意躺在最污穢
別捨下我 縱是這種爛泥
能親近你 縱被你踩在腳下也矜貴

Lookie Lookie, Who Tookie

Pictures of Xavier School?

Why, moi, of course.




I've deciphered the words on them, and here they are:

光耀千島學子滿懷正氣

光啟母校雅正

啟用技能群力拓展社稷

一九六五年中學畢業班 敬贈

Cantonese:
gwong yiu cin dou hok zi mun waai zing hei
gwong kai mou haau ngaa zing
kai yung gei nang kwan lik tok zin se zik
yat gaau lok ng nin zung hok baat yip baan ging zeng

Hokkien:
kong [something] cien to haak zi buan huai zing khi
kong khe bu hau nga zing
khai iyng (not a typo) ki neng kun diak tok tian sia [something]
yit kiu diok ngo ni tiong haak pit giap pan king zing

Mandarin:
guang yao qian dao xue zi man huai zheng qi
guang qi mu xiao ya zheng
qi yong ji neng qun li tuo zhan she ji
yi jiu liu wu nian zhong xue bi ye jing zeng

Yay.

囝 is how you write "knia" in Hokkien. As in, child. Cool, eh?

The Problem With Me

is that when I blog, I always want to blog about past events, but I don't blog regularly. So by the time I actually do get to blogging about things, they've already been forgotten.

So I'll blog about today.

Or rather, I'll begin with last night.

Kenn, Timothy Jones Quidilla and I are a group (along with Waldon, Blair and Charles Sy) in English, and we created our own song. The thing was that the vicissitude of our song's tune kept getting in the way, I did not know how the song went at all, synching with the guitar, etc...

So Kenn, TJ and I three-wayed and practiced and edited all the way til twelve in the morning, at which time I still had to study Noli until about one. Then I slept and awoke at six, scurried off to school only to realize that I wasn't going to be reporting in Soc Sci, Science, we did pretty well (I think), Math gave me several minuses, Filipino's quiz as well, Chinese finished Hua Hao Yue Yuan and English just explained some Shakesperean expressions, which were all just an elaborate ploy to say "You have to read Shakespeare's Caesar."

Just before Chinese, during Lunch, Kenn, Waldon, TJ and I went to the Chinese Advanced Classroom and sat and practiced, and we got the hang of it, but when I sang the song out and we replayed it from the recording, it was ugly!

So Kenn sang it instead and we got it over with.

P.E. had us being shown by Mr. Herrera what the "disarm" was, as well as some dancers.

The DISARM is cool!

Anyway, it's Uncle Lolo William's birthday today. Happy Birthday, Uncle Lolo!

Anyway, I asked a few things (about Fukien) and here're the replies:

彷彿 hong hut
否 hio
毋 bu
勿 but
吉 kiet
爛泥 lan ni
或者 hiak zia
指導員 sit to guan
文雅 bun nga
割 kua^
招待 ziao thai
副手 hu chiu
乾 knua (I mistook this for "song", so when my mom said "suan na knua", I was wondering exactly what she meant by a "Mango Song")

Oh, and an extra tidbit of info...

檨仔 is how the Taiwanese write "mango" suan na. You guys decide. (Mandarin: she1)

Tu quieres

"Espera, espera, lo siento, no puedo."

"¿Qué pasa tio? "

I Have Been Neglecting This Blog, Haven't I?

Well, it's not like I WANT to. When I get home, I'm usually exhausted and just want to sleep for a bit, and have a mini-headache. But unfortunately, before I can do anything about it, it's then I realize that I've still got a truckload of homework to do.

So I weigh the scales. Nice, warm, comfy bed in cold room, or the backbreaking piles of homework beefing it up for me.

And yet again, responsibility wins.

Seriously, my after-school headaches have been getting steadily heavier throughout the week and it's gotten to the point where it's pounding to break my skull at dismissal. I promise myself a nap in the car for temporary relief, then a nice long 2 hour nap at home, but--curse it all--when I wake up, I'm in no mood to sleep anymore.

So I end up doing homework.

I've been camwhoring in school again, lately, and my reputation's apparently been growing.

And here's the inevitable update on my life.

At the beginning of the second quarter, I was horrible and irresponsible, which caused me to fail Filipino and Science--two subjects I am really quite neutral in. Math has been doing considerably better, though.

In fact, I just realized how much better I was doing in Math when Mr. Sy chalked an item from our PSAT (to be discussed later) reviewer onto the board. It was algebra. It looked positively foreign to me. Geometry and Proving really is my saving grace.

So, going back to the aforementioned Fil-Sci slump, I've picked up quite well since then (Science: failed every quiz, then it became a minus-one every quiz. Filipino: zero in every quiz, then became a perfect in every quiz), it's just that I don't believe I'll be able to get my grades up high enough to achieve honors. I think I'll lose honors. Oh no.

Cantonese, Hoisaan and Hokkien are all making comebacks!

Some of Dad's relatives came back from America for Bak Gong's 10th death anniversary (I was six when he died). It's sad, really, how I didn't know he was my great grandfather until he'd passed on. The only real memory I have of him is this one afternoon at Auntie Joanna's when he was sitting outside on their porch and I was chatting with him. Of course, at the time, I didn't know he only spoke Hoisaan (heck, I didn't even KNOW what Hoisaan was), so I kept talking Hokkien with him, and we never understood each other. I assumed I couldn't understand him because he was old and couldn't enunciate words very clearly anymore.

On that same afternoon, Andrew came to pick me up (he was nine), and Bak Gong said something just as we were about to go back inside and say goodbye to Auntie Joanna. I didn't understand--it seemed a bit slurred to me--and I asked him, "What?"

Andrew then said, "I think he wants you to behave." It was fairly nonsequitur-ish--I wasn't even doing anything. I was just sort of standing there.

God, how I wish I could've just said something.

Now he's been dead for ten years and all I can do is regret. And regret.

The eulogy 余偉強 (according to dad, he's the 余風采堂 "secretary for life 恆秘書") gave him was something like his lifestory, but it had a slightly praising tinge to it. No, not that I understood it at all. It was Angin that explained it to me. I got him reading the words in Hoisaan on video. *grin*

So the PSAT. I'm not gonna go into detail about it, but let's just say that I was dizzy, light-headed and head-aching when I finished the test. Seriously--not good for the brain.

Okay, as an "aside" of sorts, I'm browsing the Yee Fung Toi Hong 余風采堂 website and... wow. My dad and grandma are even in some of the pictures. Then my dad's relatives are all over the news... wow.

I'm gonna make it there, some day!

It's Charles' birthday today.

I'm about to finish my Computer and Chinese Computer assignments.

And here's something to remind everyone of their Days commitments:

I Stand For You by Tree63

Jesus, I stand for You
No matter what You lead me through
They will chase me out and close me down
But Jesus I’ll stand for You

I’ll always stand
I’ll always stand
I’ll always stand for You

Jesus, I’ve stood my ground
When unbelief was all around
And I have felt the sting rejection brings
But Jesus I still stand for You

I’ll always stand
I’ll always stand
I’ll always stand for You

A time will come when everyone
Will turn their eyes on the Risen Son
But until that day, this world will turn away
And so I’ll take Your hand
I’ll always stand for You

Guilty of disgrace
But You took my place
So Jesus, I’ll always stand for You

I’ll always stand
I’ll always stand
I’ll always stand for You

I'm Falling Forever

http://www.geocities.jp/yoshio_osakabe/Haruki/Books/100percent-2.html

Once upon a time...

Haha. No, not really. But once upon a time, I was 14 years old and in High 1. I was really idealistic and passionate, so I ran to Stallion and tried to contribute a little of who I was into the school publication. Yeah, it was a horrible move, but there was this one thing that that happened that year. There was a seminar of some sort--a workshop for us Stallion peeps.

Our special "speaker" was this lady whose name I have forgotten, save for that both her first and last names began with Y. And she was practically a 19 year old version of Ms. (Doreen) Gutierrez.

While she was talking, she recommended this piece by a Japanese author. It was about a man who passed this woman on the street, and he thought she was perfect--the perfect girl for him. But he didn't say anything--they just passed each other by.

I didn't know what happened after that, and I did not seek it for the next two years. But now, in High 3, I decided to try looking around for it.

I believe in destiny now. First, it used to be that when I learned a new word, opportunities would open up to allow me to use it, or I'd start seeing and hearing it everywhere. Second, it was that when I did something, there was always a reason for it. When I made a mistake, there was always a reason for it. And now, this. How else could it be that I was led to the very person that would point me in the right direction?

How else? Fate.

I was simply discussing the story with Bardo a while ago, when he suddenly brightened and mentioned that it sounded a lot like this story he was told to read by a female friend of his before. It was a story in The Elephant Vanishes, which itself was a collection of short stories by a Japanese author named Haruki Murakami.

And after a bit of searching, I found it. I really found it.

And I read it. Although it wasn't as what I expected, it was definitely beautiful in its own right.

5 stars.


Quote of the Day: God is a comedian, playing to an audience too afraid to laugh.
Retort of the (other) Day: Kenn: "So that's why He's been picking on me."


While we were studying the types of Chemical Reactions a while ago, Mr. Chua got to making several interesting analogies.

There are four:

Combination: A + B = AB
Decomposition: AB = A + B
Single Replacement: AB + C = A + CB
Double Replacement: AB + CD = AD + CB

He identified it all as "Speed Dating". Double Replacement with Cations and Anions were like boys to girls. In theoretical circumstances, speed dating usually had guys on one side and girls on the other. People began to wonder about the possibilities of there being gay chemical reactions. Mr. Chua then stated that all reactions were... (he actually paused at this part) straight.

Single Replacement was apparently some one stealing someone else's significant other. That's when the riots really started, because really, with Philip's reputation as a girlfriend thief, and Mr. Chua's not-so-subtle-but-also-not-intended example, it wasn't hard to connect the metaphorical dots. People began shouting Philip's name. Mr. Chua stared, confused for a second, then at once said "Wala ako diyan."

Then in Math, Mr. Sy was asked by Stanly why he wouldn't just write the proofs on the board instead of having us do them. Mr. Sy then replied that, number one, he was a lazy fuck (no, I'm direct quoting! No kidding!), and second, that he wanted us to learn by thinking it over, then asking if we really couldn't get it.

So then he proceeds to make another analogy (which is really where it all went wrong. Teachers and analogies... don't they ever learn?). He said that he didn't like it when the students just went *pretends to stare at something* "Uh-huh... uh-huh. Ah, wala, madali lang iyan.", that he wasn't a TV or a movie. Then someone yelled "Porno!" Mr. Sy looked in incredulous for a moment, then immediately said, "God knows, I'm not a porno." Then he continued with his point. "You get what I mean, guys? I don't want you to just look at it--I want you to practice. I want you to interact with the material."

I was burying the innuendo there like a good boy, when I suddenly heard Edrian's riotous laughter behind me and knew I wasn't the only one. Then Lawrence, TJ Quidilla, Stanly and a bunch of people in front of us suddenly began smiling/laughing or repeating what he said. Mr. Sy overheard, looked at us for a moment before it registered, then squinted his eyes vindictively, slowly shaking his head and mumbled, "You guys are sick."

Then he mentioned something that caught my attention and me by surprise all at once. He said that Brother Haw (Yes, Joseph Haw, that's the one) apparently enjoyed doing this stuff when he was in High School. Now, I'd just about dropped him from memory (well actually, he was rather abruptly shoved out of it by homework, quizzes and life) and at this mention, it brought a host of rather nice memories (remember when we were all asked to have merienda with him at the Jesuit Residence?) rushing back into my mind. Well, actually, more of emotions, really. Nice, fun ones. It kind of sucked that he couldn't have stayed.

So that's it?

My entire life--I'm always going to have to be endlessly choosing between myself and my friends, is that it?

Because honestly, and I don't even know who I'm saying this to, I am sick of being absolutely shallow and having a supreme abundance of friends, or being deep and have people turn away because they can't relate.

So it's always gonna be like that, huh?

I hate this.

I miss my Goddamn friends. Where are you guys? Why can't I feel you anymore? We barely even talk anymore. Can't you feel it? Or doesn't it really matter?

Yeah, you've got your own groups of people now. I can understand how you might not find it important right now. But, God.

God.

I Could Cry A Million Years

Jackie and I just got out of a conversation.

Wow, was she pissed.

I need to talk to her. I mean, really talk to her. Soon.

So here are today's (and the recent past and soon-to-be-future) events:

- Xavier was TRASHED. Milenyo certainly had her way with it. Everything... totalled. Especially the Sacred Heart Garden. We'd all gotten inside the classroom and were wondering why it was so damn bright when we realized that the trees outside our window had been taken down (and those weren't any ordinary trees either. They were about 5 stories high). We were all pretty grumbly about it, too.

- I helped laoshi teach some kids Chinese today.

- I've been marathoning Charmed videos ever since Friday morning. I got through about 7 episodes of season 2 when the DVD just died on me, so I moved to season 3. I'm at episode 19 already, now. (The reason I didn't watch season 1 was because I already had, a long time ago, from a different source)

- Meggie's debut is on the seventh.

- Alex's and Meggie's birthdays were on the 29th of December. They're eighteen now.

- Mom's birthday was one the 1st of October.

- Catherine's and Ah-ngin's birthdays on the 8th of October.

- Gian's birthday on the eleventh of October.

- Char's Days was moved to this week.

- Jake Haw's birthday on the 6th of October.

- Mr. Perez's and Courtney's birthdays on the 10th of October.

- 4 day weekends are bliss

- I want to write something for BURN but I can't find the inspiration, or inner peace. Yeah, you see, when I write, I have to be either super duper inspired or passionate (*cough*HSATD*cough*) or completely, maddeningly at peace with life. Either has a very big chance of happening, as the feeling doesn't have to last--a temporal fit will work quite nicely.

Okay, so there was this song that used to be my favorite when I was in Canada. And even today, when I listen to it, I am reminded of Canada. Amazing what the effects of Aaron Lines' music are.

I Can Read Your Heart by Aaron Lines

Well, I don't claim to know everything
But some things aren't hard to figure out
I can tell your love for me’s been fading
And I know what you want to talk about

Cause I can read your heart
It wants to say goodbye
I can read your heart like an open book
It's written in your arms
They no longer hold me tight
And what you're about to say is tearing me apart
So don't start, baby, I can read your heart

I felt it skip a beat on the night we met
Moving cautiously at first, then letting go
Yeah, with each passing day, life turned another page
So there ain't much I don't already know

Cause I can read your heart
It wants to say goodbye
I can read your heart like an open book
It's written in your arms
They no longer hold me tight
And what you're about to say is tearing me apart
So don't start, baby, I can read your heart

Well, I knew this day was coming
It was there between the lines
Still I was hoping maybe I could change your mind
But that's not gonna happen
No way upon this earth
So just kiss me one last time, but don't say a word

Cause I can read your heart
It wants to say goodbye
I can read your heart like an open book
It's written in your arms
They no longer hold me tight
And what you're about to say is tearing me apart
So don't start, baby, I can read your heart

So don't start, baby, I can read your heart
I can read your heart

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Then there was this absolutely wonderful Christian Rock song. I sent it to Char recently, and I'm not sure what her reaction is yet. But here it is.

Just The Way I Am by Big Daddy Weave

Unbelievable, I’m blown away it’s true
By the matchless love that I’ve found in You
Undeniable, the changes in me
I’ve never felt so free

It makes me want to dance
You make me want to dance
When I think about how

You love me, You love me
You love me just the way I am
You love me, You love me
You love me just the way,
Just the way I am

Ever patiently accepting me
Lord, You love in spite of everything I do
But, oh, so faithfully
You’re committed to the process that makes me like You
And I feel like I can dance
Oh, You make me want to dance
When I think about how You

You love me, You love me
You love me just the way I am
You love me, You love me
You love me just the way,
Just the way I am

Not when I’m good enough
Not when I clean my act up
Not when I cross that line the thousandth time
And become a better man
Your grace is more than enough
To cover all my sins

You washed them away
So right here today
You love me just the way I am

You love me, You love me
You love me just the way I am
You love me, You love me
You love me just the way,
Just the way I am