Help a little this Christmas

Hello! How's your Christmas going? :DD Mine's been great so far. Will blog about it soon. Christmas has always been a season of giving, and I have always wanted to help the needy whenever I can. Though it's sad to say that I can't help them much financially due to personal reasons. 

I remember when I was young, I promised myself that when I got a job, I would contribute a part of my salary to whoever needed help. And I'm still holding on to it. It frustrates me sometimes whenever I see a person who needs help financially but I don't help. Again due to personal reasons. I'm very sorry to say this but, we have to fend for ourselves first before we can help others. How can we expect others to receive our help, or even have the means to help them when we are in trouble ourselves, right? That's why I'm still holding on to that promise. To give back. 

I was browsing through some videos on Youtube when one of their advertisements caught my attention. It brought me to : Our Better World - powered by the Singapore International Foundation. You can say that it's one of those organisations that urge people to do something for the world to make it better. 

This year (don't know about the previous >o<) , they decided to organize Good Story of the Year, where they have a few inspiring videos of people helping different causes. All we have to do is to vote for our favourite one and wait to see the results! The winning video will get $10,000 to expand their own cause in 2015!

The rules are simple too!

Simply log in on your social media account to vote and share it what you have voted after that to help spread the word! Voters even stand a chance to win goodies as mentioned above! Whoohoo! How great is that? So much encouragement for one vote. 

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Though it's really sad how they still have to dangle goodies in front of us to encourage us to vote. It shouldn't be this way. I have never liked such contests that force us to choose which cause needs the money the most/do I like more kind of thing. But we all have limits to how much we can help. I guess we can only take everything one step at a time and hope whoever received the money will make the most out of it. 

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Anyway, here are the videos I voted for!

There's only about a week left to vote and remember to visit the site every day to vote for your favourite entry! So what are you waiting for?! Just vote now! 

Post-note: Psst, there're other ways to do charity besides the above. Why not Google them?

Songs stuck in my head

 Hey guys! How was your day? Hope it was good. (: Mine was tiring as usual. I just finished a bioscience exam which was horrible in my opinion - 'cause I didn't really study. Ugh, gotta study hard from now on! Also, jiayou for those people who are having exams! You can do it! Then after bio today my sub-group and I went to Syafiq's house to do our project which was kinda fun hahaha. Thanks for the food hospitality. I liked the NTUC nuggets and the sardine curry puffs. Hahaha. We are actually making real progress in our ICA alr! Whoohoo. Last thing, I finally replaced that lousy phone cover of mine which had torn at the sides. I was still using it up till a few days ago. Now I'm satisfied with my phone cover. The colour is pretty! Just a little ex for me but I couldn't be bothered 'cos it dragged on wayyy too long.

 Hehehe, I have been browsing on Youtube more often recentlyso I have found a few songs that I liked and just stuck in my head. I would sometimes sing them out in school lol. So I'd like to share them! ^^

This is from The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1! If you haven't watched the movie, even those in front, you might think I'm crazy to like this song 'cause it's too depressing and a little sadist. But go watch it and you'll feel the feelings behind it. Plus, I have read the trilogy so I feel like I can understand the feelings behind better. This is stuck in my head the most now. It feels a little creepy sometimes. But, I like it! 

Oh, and did I mention? Movie was quite good! Should I do a review? 

Also, thanks Joey and Renny for the belated present! Lovin' it a lot I can't bear to wear haha. 

Selfie with Joe 'cos we met in the train that morning to pass me my present. \(^^)/

It's already nearing the end of November! Which means EOY sales are coming! *.* Speaking of which...

I'm also contemplating whether or not to go for the flea at Eunos which my classmate told me about. But it's sooo farrrr. BUT, it's a flea, so stuff is gonna be cheap; plus there'll be free macarons given to the first 200 customeers omggg. So... I really don't know haha.

 Plus my leg condition is no better so I don't know if I can fight for my spot to shop. Maybe if someone joins me? Hint hint. Hahaha.

Alright, lemme get back to my project. Thanks for coming and see ya!

August's Black Box

Hello people! It's finally time to put this out there! Here are the items I got from August's Black Box!

 They came in a different packaging!

Omo omo, see that? SOO gonna try it on my hair 'cause it keeps getting tangled up even after I comb it a hundred times.

     Probably gonna be giving some items away to friends 'cause they aren't suitable for my skin.

And no, I haven't tried any of the products yet 'cause there was simply no time.

Wanna get free samples too? Check out their website!

Bye! Hope you have a great day! ^^

The Maze Runner

 

  Hello! I went to watch the above movie by myself haha. I wasn't in a particularly good mood that day, which was when I was still having my attachment (due to some personal issues). So to kill the time and lift up my spirits, I went to watch a movie! Whoohoo! I would just like to say that I did call some friends out to ask if they were free, but they weren't, so oh well. (That actually made me more depressed.) Also, I watched it on 16/9 so the poster above isn't accurate.

 

  I didn't know what the story was about at all. I only saw like maybe 3/4 of the trailer after getting off the MRT and before tapping my card out of the station. And I thought, it looked cool. Naturally, it went on my list of movies-to-watch.



  The movie started with this man, Thomas hauled up in a cage from water. They call that 'the box', where they get all their food and supplies from. Once a month, a male will be sent to that place. So everybody there is a male, except for a girl that will appear.

 

  That place they are all in is in the centre of a maze. So imagine a huge square piece of land surrounded by four walls. Believe me, the movie is freaking cool.

  The maze has four openings, but only one of it opens in the day and closes when it starts to get dark. When it's opened, a group of males, who are called the maze runners, will run in the maze and explore it, finding a way to get out. However, there're Grievers in the maze who'll attack and once stung by any one of them, they'll infinitely go crazy and die. The maze also 'shifts' itself in the night. But there's deeper reason behind why they haven't been able to escape. (Find it out yourself. :P)

  While Thomas tries to adjust into the community, he also hopes to be one of the runners. He gets his wish after he manages to survive a night in the maze and rescue two of the runners. One of them is the leader of the community.

Not long later, the box comes up, which is not supposed to, with a girl. In her hand, is a note saying:



   After the box came up, it never went back down. This is when people are thrown into panic. With the box not going back down, it means that their supply for necessities is cut off. Moreover, their leader has been stung so there's nobody to guide them.

Now what'll they do?


  What I really like about the movie is the maze. Like duhh, it's the focus. Once again, awesome special effects. Technology still amazes me. But here's the thing. The maze isn't just like one big maze joined together. No, it's spilt into different sections. The sections are all different in their own way. I remember myself wow-ing at quite a few parts of the movie.

And well, they reveal the plot little by little. Just when you think there aren't any more secrets, out pops one. The movie will make you think and think and think of what'll happen next. ;)

Huh, and of course it helps that there are cute guys. ;)

If you think that the male lead isn't handsome enough, what about this?


He gives me the Peter Pan feel. Haahaha.

And I have to say this, the female lead looks like Kirsten Steward at first glance.



RIGHTTTT?

  As you might have guessed, it's another dystopian world kinda movie. OOooh, I really love this genre of books and I feel like this kind of movies are trending?? I'm in luckkk! :DD It's much more exciting then The Giver and maybe on a par with Lucy. It's a really thrilling and exciting movie!

  Okay, in any case, it's a really cool movie. A mixture of rural, science, action, mystery and twists in the story. I'm sure you all will enjoy watching it. So go watch it! :DD

Rating: 7.5/10
('Cos it had an awk. ending. Tsk.)

For book-lovers, this is a trilogy series! Whoohoo. Definitely gonna read the read when I see it.

Bye and thanks for reading!

P.s. I guess this is the last post of the month so kudos to me for posting so many posts in a month! ^^
P.p.s. Don't be afraid to do things alone! (:

Tips for Improving English

   Hello pretty people! I'm doing some posts in advance so my blog won't be dead during the busy holidays. Sooo, I just thought I would do some English tips because it seems fun! Hahaha! Some of you may think I'm crazy but I love English a lot. Secondary school really improved my English by leaps and bounds and I discovered a whole new level of writing that I never knew. If I'm not wrong, the English 'O' level examinations are coming soon, in October right? I remember it was around this time last year that I prepared for it too. (Okay, I think I really didn't prepare much lolol.)

  Numerous people have asked how is my English that good. I wouldn't say it's good because my grades weren't consistent. But, I can safely say that I didn't fail my English at all. For the overall grade anyway. Hahaha. And it's too tiring to tell everything all at once. Besides, I can't possibly remember everything so I decided to blog about this and do it bit by bit. Haha. Anyway, let's get started!

Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am a student. I cannot guarantee that these will definitely help you but these are just some tips I had used which helped a lot. Your own effort is still the most important factor.

 

1. Read

  I'm not kidding, for those who dislike/hate reading. (How can you even dislike it??) Reading was what first sparked my interest in English (which I disliked) in lower primary and earlier years. I had always thought English was such a complicated language unlike Mandarin. Until I started reading. I completely lost myself in the world of books. It started with Enid Blyton, then Nancy Drew and I gradually found my favourite genre of books and stuck to it. Come to think of it, I must really thank my P2 teacher for introducing me to it.

Reading helps your mind to get used to the language, increases your range of vocabulary, and get new ideas for story compositions!! Hehehe. Most importantly, it is one of the methods to improve your English effortlessly. So start reading! Story books, online stories, magazines and newspapers like The Straits Times. ( The latter helps in factual essays for sec sch.) Start small though, like story books. :DD

2. Listen

   Expose yourself to more of English by listening. Now, listening is different from hearing because you hear and forget, but listen and understand. Some fun ways are to watch movies and dramas because they have a story for you to understand. Others are listening to the English radio like the BBC and 938Live because they're talk radios. It will also make it easier for you to understand English with time. I would recommend talk radios though.

 

P.s. The above two points helps with oral because they normally ask about current affairs.

3. Practice

   What's the point of doing the two above without practicing? As the old saying goes, "practice makes perfect" and prevents you from getting rusty. By practice I mean speaking and writing. Doing one of it naturally improves the other. Also, please do write regularly as it will be easier for you to let your ideas flow after writing in ink for so many times.

And here are some points to take note when writing essays.

1.We follow the British's Language

   All of you should have heard of your teachers telling you that Singapore follows the British way of English. Because our papers are sent to Cambridge to be marked. If they haven't, what kind of teacher is that? This is extremely important because you can go wrong in a lot of ways while writing.

Ever wondered why there are 'colour' and 'color', 'realise' and realize'? The differences in spellings?? Click here to find out.

2. Use different sentence beginnings

E.g. 1: I stood up from my chair and felt dizzy. I took a step forward and saw the whole world spin. I felt blackness trying to engulf me.

E.g. 2: I stood up from my chair and felt dizzy. The whole world spun as I took a step forward. Blackness was trying to engulf me.

  Which is better? Of course the second one. They make each sentence interesting and motivates the reader to continue reading.

 

  Some sentence beginnings for factual compositions are: firstly, secondly, lastly, in addition, furthermore, moreover, first and foremost

 

  Another point you all need to take note is that you cannot use conjuctions in sentence beginnings.

E.g.: And, as, but, because. (Kind of stupid but that is the way.)

3. Use a wide range of vocabulary

This phrase for example, 'put one foot forward'. We can write it in so many ways.

Hit: smashed, punched, collided with, came into contact with

Injury: Wound, cut, lesion, laceration
Where to find such words? Find synonyms of words in the dictionary. I'd still prefer reading though, because books use a lot vocabulary. 

They add spice to your writing and feels more realistic. Like, it makes people feel your writing, your story, what you're trying to tell them. It lets them visualise your writing better.

          4. Do not use contractions

                 This is very important because you will get penalised.

           I am sure all of you have known since primary school that you are not supposed to use them when writing essays right? Yes, never, and I really mean never use contractions in essays. What are they?

Basically, don't use those under the cross.

5. Use past tense
   This is my personal opinion, because not everyone agrees. Oh well, my English teacher said it before so I'm just gonna share it. Hehehe.
I find it easier to write in past tense rather then present. I guess that is because majority of the information we read are in past tense. Because they happened before. Therefore, I conclude that it's better and definitely easier to write in past tense. (If you ask me to write in present tense, I'll just revert back. Hahaha.) Honestly, I don't think I can write a story in present tense without a lot of mistakes. Plus, I find it more tedious to do so because I keep having to remind myself that it's in the now.

6. Use punctuation wisely.
Do not put more than three commas (,) in a sentence because it is too lengthy and will increase your chances of errors. (Trust me, I have experienced it many times. Use short sentences!)
Semicolons (;) can be used to replace full-stops or 'and'. Most importantly, they are used to join independent clauses. If you don't understand, then it is best to not use it. (Because I never did understand in secondary school. Hahaha. But I think I get it now.)

7. Every day and everyday is different.
Click here to find out.
If you are still unsure, then google it, or ask a teacher.


8. Use could and will.
The word 'could' helps in situational writing, when you want to suggest something in a more polite and professional way.

For example, "I could..."
And use 'will' rather than 'would' to convince them better.
However, use 'will' only when you're absolutely sure that it'll benefit your choice. E.g "Building a sports hall will allow more students to exercise and helps them to have a healthy lifestyle."

Hope this helps, for those of you reading. Hahaha. All the best! Break a leg. ;)

 

Lucy & The Giver

  Hellooo people! Have you guys watched the movies Lucy and The Giver already?? If you haven't then this is a spoiler. Hahaha.

  I was burning lots of midnight oil during the exam period, trying to cram as much information into my brain as possible cause it was a last minute revision thing. T.T So I decided that I needed a break and went out with my movie buddy! Even though I haven't finish studying. :O (Want to die ah this girl.) Somehow, we end up with each other only MOST of the time even when we ask our friends along. She's like the best companion for movies, cause we both like the same genres and enjoy the feeling of watching it in a theatre. Our latest movie together was Lucy.

                                                                Very lup-sup that day. //

  I feel that the movie was kind of scientific and deep. It's focused on a woman named Lucy and the secrets to human brain. Basically it's about a Korean organization I think, which smuggles a type of drug - the same substance produced in pregnant women for the baby, in people's stomachs. Eww, just imagine the scene. Lucy was one of the person who was threatened to smuggle the drug. During the process of smuggling, the drug leaked into her blood system and eventually to her brain. As a result, she is able to use the full capacity of her brain. According to the movie, humans only 10% of our brains. The most intelligent mammal is the dolphin, which uses 20% of their brain. Following Lucy, we discover what can happen if we can use 20, 30, 50 percent and more of our brain. Supposedly we can use supernatural powers and well, turn invisible or into a USB (if we choose to) when we use the maximum capacity of our brains.

                                                     

  If it's like that, I'd rather we remain like this forever lolol. I mean sure, the superpower part is cool, but the black substance (usb)? No thank you. Hahaha. I'm fine with using only a small part of my brain, though I do wish I was smarter at times.

What kept me entertained throughout the movie was the superpower part and the actors' and actress's acting skills. They really made everything seem so intense and happening. However, the movie is really deep so some people may not understand. That's probably why they are comments like "anybody feel like Lucy is just a really stupid movie?", "don't waste your time", "this may be the worst movie I have watched". So yeah, from what I see, some people feel that the way it portrays the effects of using 100% of our brains is absurd. BUT, there're also good comments! (Hehehe.) Some think that the idea is really cool and interesting. There're also praises for the female lead's acting.

  The movie left us thinking deep thoughts - reflecting upon the meaning of life. We walked out feeling out of reality. HAhaha.

Yep.

 

Rating: 7.5/10

  Met up with my sec sch friends to watch The Giver.

We watched it because:
1) It was our literature textbook.
2) Jonas is handsome.
3) We wanted to see how such a book could come to life.

  Well, I think the main reason for all of us is no. 2. HAHAHA. The others? A bonus.

  I would recommend you guys to read the book first before the movie as you may not understand it. The book is set in the future, and humans live in a community controlled by the 'elders' and their emotions are suppressed by medicine. Nobody fights, argues, or starts a war. Each person is given a role when they are a twelve and they carry out that role until they're released to Elsewhere. It may seem like a utopia at first cause like, wow, everything is peaceful and there'll be no war. No worries about the future, everything is planned for you.

  I really feel that it's more of a dystopia. If you think about it, emotions are what makes us human. When that's removed... It just doesn't feel right. Because I think and feel that emotions are what makes us feel alive. The same goes to every living thing on Earth.

  And you know lah, humans think that we should reign above so we don't like to be controlled. So when you all watch/read it, I'm sure most of you'll be like, wts?! I SUPPORT JONAS. Hahaha. Also, the story makes me feel like we've been missing out so much on life. We haven't been appreciating it. Take for example, colours. It made me realise that we have been taking it for granted, cause they're everywhere. In The Giver, they see the world in black and white. Everyone in there is treated equally, do the same things, live the same way. They call that Sameness. But there's more to it.

  I think a lot of people will feel strongly towards the story and it really is a good book to read. The best literature book in the five years of sec sch.

Rating:7/10

 

  On a side note, The Giver's production actually started several years ago, but it was interrupted and changed hands many times due to various circumstances. So I'm really glad that I got to see the movie. I do think the book is so much better than the movie though.

New Blog Template | Past events (Part 1)

    Hey guys! So as promised, a new post! Omg, so semestral examinations are over! Let's hope I pass every module. *Crosses all fingers except thumb* But I still have lots of things to do. ~.~ My clinical attachment is coming up in just a few days time(so nervous!); hopefully I will survive. I still have some 'projects' undergoing and CCA too, so I won't be enjoying this 6 week semester break after all. It's the only break that allows us to fully rest and enjoy ourselves and YET. Haish...  

     I just changed my blog template a few days ago, hope you guys like it! (: Spent some time in between revisions to do all the necessary edits~~ Previously, I always stuck to one website for any change in my blog layout and template. However, that site which I usually used had too much *information* in almost all of their blog skins; meaning that they are always very fanciful. This time round, I wanted a simple template and organised layout that is easy to navigate and view comfortably. Therefore, I decided to search for other sites which design blog templates and ended up with this. While searching I found some really good sites(which you can easily find on the first page of Google but whatever). So here they are!


BlogSkins.com (the one I had always used)

You can check out the two sites below if you just want a simple, organised template. (:

Free Blogger Templates

Blogger Templates (where I got my template from)


Moving on. I have been browsing through my phone's gallery repeatedly(countless times, really) and with each browse, the photos just kept increasing. -.- Some of the photos are too nice not to share. SO! I decided to blog them all. But there are just too many so I'll be separating them into a two or three parts!(Hahaha.) Then I can really delete them. (Oh please yes.)

Starting with events before poly started. Yes, it's that long ago.

                                                          
                                                                       Sakae Sushi

      
                                                                  Xin Yi's Birthday

  Went to a Korean BBQ restaurant at Clarke Quay which Xin Yi made a reservation at. I was so excited cause I had never been to one before. We ordered a set with 8 different pork flavours ~  I like that the interior of the restaurant gave off a warm and cosy feeling.  The place quickly filled up with people a short while after we arrived. So it got kinda warm with many tables barbecuing at the same time. It also has TV screens showing kpop music videos omg! Now THAT, really livens the atmosphere. :D (too bad the music couldn't be heard probably cause there too many people talking :/)

Some kimchi stew first!

 

 

We ordered a set with 8 different pork flavours ~

Meat Flavours such as wine, ginseng, garlic, herb, curry, miso paste and pepper paste. (: All of the flavours left a pleasant taste in my mouth. ^^ I was very much surprised lol. I didn't know other flavours could make meat taste this nice too.

                                                                           Tempting right?

  One thing I though. We tried ordering a bowl of kimchi fried rice(I didn't take a photo of the kimchi fried rice) after barbecuing but they forgot our order. Even after we reminded them, the food didn't arrive. It was only after several more reminders did one of the staff approach our table to cook it for us. Probably they were too busy because it was full house that day, but we did remind them several times after all. I just wish they could have remembered our order and informed us of any delays to reassure us.

  If the place really has the same number of people as when we went that day, then I would say that it has a lively atmosphere. And noisy, for my taste. However, I found it a really good place for when you just wanna hang out with your buddies to eat, talk and laugh loudly. Cause everyone there's doing the same. Hahaha. In fact, you HAVE to talk loudly if you want to be heard over all the noise.

                                                        We spent an average of $25 each.

Visit their fb page for more details!

8 Korean BBQ

The Central
6 Eu Tong Sen Street, #02-70/90

Singapore 059817 Clarke Quay

Tel:62222159 

                     Opens daily: 11:30 - 14:30 | 17:30 - 22:30                      

Wild Wild Wet

Not too many photos cos they're um, too unglamourous that it's personal. :P We really had fun though. :DD <3>

 

 

 

Nice hair flipping.

                                                           
                                                          The primary school friends.

                                                               
                                                                Shopping w Bestie (:

                                                          Same colour skirts hehehe.

 

                                                                
                                                               With Uniqlo Buddies

 

 

 

Um, and some others.

                                    

So I guess that's all for now. Watch out for part 2! ((: Thank you for reading!