Comprehensive Collection

Now I'm really irritated because this has happened again.  I schedule a blogpost and it doesn't work.

I forgot to show you earlier how I pick up all these FREE MAGAZINES AND COOL THINGS.  These ones are from the Peranakan Museum, the camera shop, and the Ann Siang Hill shop.

Ziggy and Juice are hilarious "hipster" magazines.  The editors/writers are too cool!  I feel like I really know them already!  Talent.

Whatevs.

For some weird reason I feel sort of awkward when I ask the shop assistant about the price of everything in the shop but don't buy anything and then look for the free things.  It's more awkward than all the times I fall over in the street.  

I'll tell you about yesterday's now.  It was raining.  I was carrying a bag on one shoulder, an umbrella in the other hand.  I was walking down a slope.  I stepped gingerly, as J.K. Rowling would say, on this slippery metal (which had pathetic grips, obviously) covering (I don't know why they have them every few metres.  Maybe there are storm water drains beneath the road) and then slid straight onto the right side of my bum.  So weird.  I just crashed!  My leg was so sore afterwards, I was worried I would not be able to walk up the stairs.  It still hurts, but I probably just bruised and pulled some muscle.  I also cut my ankle.  I also made this loud noise, not really a scream but a loud yelling of "oooww".  So weird, every time I drop something and it makes a noise, I yell "ooww" or "ouch".  Then all these people at a cafe on the opposite side of the road (I was near  corner) made noise and looked up at me, and the waitress was looking at me and yelling loudly.  But I didn't understand because I don't speak Mandarin.

Which brings me on to something I've been meaning to say for a while.  How I get really annoyed whenever people speak to me in Mandarin, which is like, all the time in public.  Probably I get annoyed because a) I probs looks stupid, and b)  I learned Chinese for many many years, but never could understand or speak or write anything.  And Chinese is like a new global trend and I just can't deal with it.  But anyway, if you saw me on the street, would you think I am Chinese and speak to me in Chinese?  For a long part of my life, nobody ever saw me as being at all asian.  But back to what I was saying in the question, I really should feel lowly and ashamed, but I reckon I'm offended because a) WHITE PEOPLE LIKE BEING OFFENDED, and b) the fact that someone made an assumption is an action which can always be justly seen as offensive.  This is a fact.  Christian Lander wrote about it a), and I am an expert and came up with b).  But seriously, here is what I wear: worn up converse as shown in picture in last post, ankle socks, either linen shorts or shorts from one of my old schools, either a country road singlet or a singlet from the organic shop, Ted Baker sunglasses, a Kipling bag, and a Tree of Life bag.  Seriously.  Sigh.

Why I Might Not Be White

Inspired by the words of Christian Lander in Stuff White People Like on "High School English Teachers".  Those are quotation marks denoting the words inside are reported, they aren't like, "supposed" or anything.

If you're old, you might not know what "shit goes down" in High School English class in these days which pass us by.

1. Bitch about society;  
2. Explore the truths explored in the novel.  These days one is totes seeing so many people talking about "making things up" or whatevs about the novel.  They are just mainstream brats who just don't believe that the author could be smarter than them.  Just like how people totes "hate on" Tavs Gevs; 
3. Talk deeply, i.e. become TEENAGE PHILOSOPHERS (I wasn't shouting, though);
4. Listen to our own opinions and "learn from them";
5. Try to find meaning - in just the same way that we don't know what the aim is in our essays;
6. RELATE OURSELVES to the characters in the books. e.g why do we hate Emma Bovary so much - because we're just like her!  This is totes a good thing for society and for ourselves.  Because it's good to understand people;
7. Be objectively subjective or the other way around;
8. Exercise our moral high-ground; 
9. Find academic ways to tell our "peers" "You're thinking is shit";  
10.  Have the teacher explain to us our reaction to the characters and novel.  But English is not about being "personal", so one should totes not say what you thought about the characters because that is totes not academic.  THE STUDENT SHOULD PASS NO JUDGEMENT ON THE CHARACTERS OF THE CHARACTERS; 
11. Think up creative ways to express an opinion we don't understand / try to write a thousand-plus words without letting on that we know "fuck-all"; 
12. One's opinions are always valued by "peers" and the teachers, but on judgement day it is revealed that they are wrong/boring/immature/totallylackingincreativity/spokeninamonotone,whichshowsyouaretotesknowingyourcontenttoowellbutinabadway;
13. Be passionate and evoke responses.  In general, be inspired.  That's why kids these days are so good at creative writing. 

Numbering things is totes angsty, btw.

Some people think they are darn cool because they take English and they are thinking that English is cool because it is all about having your OWN OPINION, which pretty much means you don't have to be anyone but yourself.  Pretty much, English is about YOU BEING YOU.
Whatevs.

 But what I'm saying is that also, there's so much room for general growth in English.  Things not clear cut like in Mathematics where x is x, fullstop.  (bahahaha.) Life is not clear-cut.  Like Mathematics may totes be aconstruct which is why is clear-cut only if you see it as clear-cut.  Because the world is confusing.  But anyway, in English, you make the world from a world or two.  I've lost the point I was trying to make...  If you're the type of person who takes English over Maths, then you can have, like, life-changing experiences without actually living in the "real adult world"!  Like, you can totes be a teenager and read something life-changing like HARUKI MURAKAMI and just like get wise whilst still being at school!

In the world of deepness, you're not confined.
You're free, you're an Indie.

And so, white people would say that it's not just the book, it's also the teacher who brings you to understand your immaturity as both a person in the scheme of life and in your ideas.  Lap it up like a dog, children.

And now to another entirely connected rant.  What the hell is with Oral Presentations?  Remember that they are neither a discussion nor a lecture (though one may be discussing by oneself...)  They must be engaging but not a chat.  Engaging but not a chat.  Try not to read a speech, but at the same time, you should know exactly what you're going to say.  SUCH A BLOODY CONSTRUCT!!  I refuse to conform!  Especially when I don't know what I'm meant to be/do.  And I just don't think that creativity can be judged because I just don't think the idea of judging is right since I'm unsure of whether it's a creative process.  But is that not a deep truth about humanity?  As humans, we are stuck in this paradox...

Playlists

Why am I typing?  I got up at the crack of dawn to type up an assignment, worked on it during my free period, skipped a class to work on it, and spent all lunch on it as well. Do I want RSI or whatever?

As soon as you hear that someone's made a playlist, you know that guy knows his stuff and is, hence, an Indie.  But what drives the Indie to create a playlist?  The key is in the words "Indie" and "create".  As you surely know, Indies have this innate sense of creativity and this compels them to do creative things, like, all the time.  There's no mundane in the Indie's life - music listening is fancy.

Throughout an Indie's life, they have moods, experiences, awakenings and phases.  How great would it be if your life had a soundtrack.  Frankly, that wouldn't really work out because seeing as there is not a god picking the songs for you, you will be needing hindsight to do this.  This is because the music needs to be reflective of you and your experiences.  Each time you're feeling a certain way, you can scream your heart out to those certain songs that give the message that you need to get through this experience.  Bring them back to their youth or whatever, help you in your time of trial.  Madonna is an artist who really helps people along.  I'm not an expert.

Another reason for creating playlists is to at least get some cudos for coolness when you're felling bitter about your lack of soundtrack to life.

Yet another cause to create them is that once you've put the time and energy into creating a playlist, you've set the mood for your work and so you're able to carry through with one idea for longer.  Otherwise you'd totally not be focused because you'd be being carried off by other creative ideas.

In Stuff White People Like, Christian Lander caps locks the word "warning" and then writes:  "Indie music is perhaps the most dangerous subject you can discuss with white people.  One false move and you will lose their respect and admiration forever."  (What would you say if I told you I listen to the BeeGees nearly everyday?)  To a great extent, you can redeem yourself if one bad song is on a list of great songs.  One song doesn't define your taste.  It's part of a collection of tracks.  And when you're in the mood...

Some people are using 8tracks.  You can make, like a piece of art to go with your playlist.  The thing is that these days, people are making not just playlists to go with their moods but also mood boards etc.  So, like, Indies are being creative all the time.  When you post an 8tracks playlist of your creation, you're bringing it all together.

Good old iTunes.  Take a screenshot of your playlist and Wall post it someone on Facebook.  Aside form the fact that it gets your taste out there, it's a really considerate thing to do for someone because seeing as music is the closest thing to your soul and you are SHARING IT WITH SOMEONE, like, wow, man.  Also, they are LETTING YOU JUDGE THEM and their life experiences based on their tastes.

If you're only going to take one thing away from this blog post, let it be this:  People who upload playlists to Facebook are totally selfless. And you should take advantage of it.  However, you are indebted to the person who shares their soul out to you and who could possibly be CHANGING YOUR LIFE.  Remember this forever.  If you wouldn't plagiarise in your essays, then you shouldn't take on someone else's taste as your own without proper referencing.