Apology and Disclaimer

Hey guys, you are not forgotten. I am incredibly apologetic about the lack of posts recently it is just that things suddenly have become very busy. I have had to move my brother out of this room (hooray) and into the piano room which meant moving the piano into my room along with the desk and computer and moving the book case out of my room. On top of this I started Year 11 on Friday and also bought a new phone. I bought a Telstra Urbane (Prepaid) as my old Galaxy Ace kept crashing and had too little memory (even with max expansion). I am actually writing this post on my new phone which is exciting. I can not promise anything but we should be back to normal tomorrow with a Doctor Who Sunday post. It is a bit of a bummer that I missed out on all those posts because otherwise tonight would have been my 300th post.

I am sorry guys. See you tomorrow.

Sorry Again

You would think that things would get quieter as the year came to a close but no such luck. I am very sorry for no post yesterday (that sounds like a new segment but let us hope it does not become one) but I left home at 7am and never returned until 10pm that night. I am so sorry. On the plus though I did win 4 awards (Humanities, History of Western Medicine, Game Design and School Service) so it was not a wasted speech night. Tonight I have my Piano concert so sorry again for the short post.

See you tomorrow.

The Holidays have Arrived

Hooray! Finally, after ten long weeks of school the holidays have arrived. As much as I enjoy school it is always nice to just get away from it all and relax instead of rushing around trying to organise everything and completing homework. It is a nice feeling although this Term has being a great one. I would like to start off with a bit of an update on the fundraising we held this week on behalf of the 'Wyndham Leaders of the Future' program. I am proud to announce that, thanks to the generosity of students we raised over $600 which will all be pooled together before next April to purchase medical supplies to send to the Menari Medical Centre in Papua New Guinea. Over $100 of this came from the lolly-jar raffle and it is great to see so many people rally behind such a great cause. Aside from this however, this term has been full of a lot of highlights (and yes, I am looking at the term calendar to remind myself).

Source: http://www.millerapartments.com.au/_blog/News_and_Events/post/winter-school-holidays---6th---21st-july-2013/

The term started off with the Australian Maths Games Day which I participated in and had a lot of fun. It may have been a long tram ride from Flinders Street Station but it was worth it and going with a friend made the time seem to pass a lot quicker. Especially, when that friend had not realised how long the tram ride actually was. Then came LOTE week shortly after which supplied a lot of daily entertainment and international songs between bells. It was a nice and relaxing week and next year should be a whole lot better with even more students. Science Week followed not too long after and the daily recess trivia competitions with the horrible animations (that were funny because of how bad they were) really made my day (well, several of them actually). Finally, Book Week decided to show up and there were movie screenings in the iCentre (what we call our school library), a Macbeth incursion on the Wednesday (with actors from the Bell Shakespeare Company), a dress up day on the Friday and lots of competitions in between. Melbourne Writer's Festival then followed suit the following Monday which was a lot of fun to participate in and, since I was just an iCentre volunteer, I could just relax and enjoy the day rather than have to worry about doing any related work. The Arts and Technology week then came around with our performance-night on the Tuesday and the House Choral competition which was a blast. Seriously, this school is anything but boring. Finally, to cap it all of, there was this week full of fundraising for a good cause. Not a week goes by at this school without something happening, our Term calendar has barely a blank day anywhere with absolutely no empty week in sight.

It has been a busy term so a holiday is needed, see you tomorrow!

Song in Head Disease

There are so many diseases in our World. Just think about it, there are hundreds. Due to the vast majority of such diseases there are quite a few that are often overlooked or simply ignored. Sometimes I wonder why they are ignored as they can be the most debilitating disease, especially one. I am, of course (just read the title), talking about the gruesome Song-in-head-Disease. It is a debilitating illness that can cause the patient to experience vast trauma depending on the artists or song. Sometimes it is brought on by others while most of the time it is our own fault that we contract the short-lived yet incredibly virulent disease.

Source: http://scienceillustrated.com.au/blog/culture/the-evolution-of-music/

At any one moment a person can be experiencing song-in-head disease from a variety of songs as we try to quell one song with the other. The disease starts off innocently enough with a song which is repeated and repeated and repeated and ... well you get the idea. By about the nth time this occurs you have fully contracted the disease and now must suffer through a song you most likely have no lyrics for. I mentioned in the introduction that this is a short-lived disease. This is true in the majority of cases as once the patient gets distracted by something else they quickly forget the song and the disease passes on. However, while the disease is in full control it is incredibly virulent. It can cause the person to hum the tune or sing it out loud which can cause the infection of everyone around them (as well as a few burst ear drums depending on the singer). Sometimes we also have the 'friend' who acts as a carrier. They do not suffer from the disease but have the tendency to sing out loud or purposely get a song stuck in another's head. Song-in-head disease is serious and should not be taken lightly!

Sorry for any offence, see you tomorrow!

House Chorals 2013

Be prepared for another short post although this is happening so much you probably are more surprised to see a long one. Anyway, for today's topic I would like to reflect on my school's House Choral competition. Would that be alright by you? Well it's my blog so if you do not like it then you can leave. So basically the competition is each house sings a song (this year it was two) together. They also use a band to play the songs and some houses even have choreography to go with the song. It was actually a lot of fun and I can not wait until next year which is bound to be heaps better with more students. It really pulled many people in our house together and was a great experience.

You would not believe your eyes if I wrote a long post tonight, see you tomorrow.

Getting Distracted

Have you ever started something, gotten distracted and realised hours later that you still have not done what you were originally meant to do? Yeah, story of my life. It happens to me all the time and so today I am going to discuss some of the times this has happened to me through examples. I know I did a post on distractions back in May but that was more about studying as I wrote it around the Semester 1 exams. This one is going to be different so you may see something familiar but overall it is different. So yeah, do not say I write the same stuff over and over again. Even my YouTube Subscriptions and Politics Series were different in that each post contained something different. If you have not read either of these two series then I am not fussed but if you look in the archives down there on your right (it is so hard to point through words) Politics will be under August and September while YouTube Subscriptions will be under June.

Source: http://www.daxmoy.com/london-personal-trainer-asks-what-is-your-distraction/

So when you try to start an assignment you sit down and open your books to start writing (if the assignment is to be done by hand). However, within a short period of time you tell yourself to go get a drink, it's good to keep hydrated, you are a good student. On your way to get a drink you hear the television and stop to look at what is on. BAM, YOU ARE DISTRACTED! Suddenly you have to go to bed and you have not even begun when it is due the very next day.

You are screwed. When you try to start your assignment and you open your laptop because you need to submit it electronically. You then open up your Internet browser to do some research. Ten minutes later you give yourself a little break. Every student needs a break to maintain their attention and health, you are a good student. You spend your break on Facebook and YouTube and BAM, YOU ARE DISTRACTED! Suddenly you have to go to bed and you have not even begun when it is due the very next day.

When you are studying for a test and you can not remember something and can not find any reference to it in any of your books. You decide you will text your friends to see if they can help you. However, you receive no response so you turn to Facebook and message them. However, on your way to message them you come by your news feed and BAM, YOU ARE LIVING YOUR LIFE THROUGH OTHER PEOPLE, YOU ARE DISTRACTED! Suddenly you have to go to bed and you have not even begun when it is due the very next day.

When you are meant to be practicing for a music exam or performance and you have just arrived home from school. You allow yourself a short break because you know you need a rest from music. You turn to the music on your phone and YouTube. BAM, SUDDENLY YOU ARE IN THE DARK EDGE OF YOUTUBE WITH NO HOPE OF ESCAPE, YOU ARE DISTRACTED! Suddenly you have to go to bed and you have not even begun when it is due the very next day.

When you are supposed to be writing a blog post and you turn to news.com for inspiration and find nothing. You decide to turn to Facebook to find something to vent your frustrations on. BAM, YOU FIND YOURSELF ABSORBED IN THE DEPRESSING READING OF FACEBOOK STATUSES, YOU ARE DISTRACTED (and possibly questioning your will to live)! Suddenly you have to go to bed and you have not even begun when it is due the very next day.

I hope these experiences did something for you as they did nothing for me, what is the point of this post? See you tomorrow!

Fridays

Before I go on I am going to type something and I am only going to type this once (although you could read it as many times as you want, and this of course), thank god it is Friday. Of course, I could have also typed "TGIF" but that would have taken far less space, time and reasoning. In short, it would have been smarter but these extra sentences make the introduction just a little bit longer. I am just saying, being smart is sometimes over-rated and out-dated so just waffling on, as some put it, can be the better option at times. At least it means you guys actually have something to read. So, we all love Friday and here are some reasons why:

Source: http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/garfield/images/9223014/title/happy-friday-screencap

The first, and most obvious, reason is the weekend. At the end of a long week of staying up late and waking up early it is nice to know that you do not have to get up as early for two days at the end of five long days. That's part of the reason why I love Fridays. On Monday I am slightly tired in the mornings but by Friday afternoon I just want to fall asleep and then I go home and that night I can just sleep until 9am when I need to get up for music. Then Sunday is basically sleep-in until I want (well, until Dad or Mum comes in and interrupts my dreams). That is why I love it because I know that once school is finished and I have returned from Jujitsu I have the rest of the weekend for myself as well as anything else I need to do or catch up on. It is just really nice. Another reason I love Friday is I get to just relax for a night without having to worry about homework. In terms of homework the weekend is also a great time to catch up on anything and if I do not have much homework then I am set to have a pretty good weekend. I suppose it is the relaxation that Friday represents after a week full of five long days that makes it so appealing. For me this is true anyway.

You do not have to be religious to say TGIF, see you tomorrow!

Performances

Performances are hard for most people. There are, of course, quite a number of people who are completely at ease with performance but then they are the lucky ones. They are the ones that we all want to be yet still wish we were somewhere else. Something about public performances just makes people feel nervous. I guess that brings us all back to one of man's greatest fears. That is the fear of being judged by other people. Psychologists have shown that this is one of our greater fears so much though that it can turn the bravest of us into nervous wrecks.

Image Source: http://www.macanxiety.com/information-about-anxiety-disorders/social-phobia/

There are many different types of performances out there which can have a diverse range of effects on the performer. For example, tonight I had a piano performance for the Music Society of Victoria (MSV) which went really well. The thing with me is that when I practice at home I make all these mistakes, especially right before a performance. However, when I play it in front of a crowd it is played almost perfectly. This even happens to me during my Piano Exams and is part of the reason as to why I get such good grades. I stress out before hand and make heaps of mistakes in practice. When I go to perform it is as if I never made a mistake in practice. That is just one of my reactions to public performances. Some people have the exact opposite reaction and play it perfectly alone yet choke when they come to performances. I am just one of the lucky ones although I do become a nervous wreck. Then there are the people who need absolutely no practice for their performance (musically or otherwise) and yet still perform perfectly. I guess they are just the lucky ones.

Practice generally makes perfect, see you tomorrow!

School's Back

So it is that time of the year again. The time where teenagers live in fear of the two words set to ruin their lives. Those eleven letters are enough to ruin almost anybodys' mood. School's Back alright and already students are reaclimatising to school life. This includes early mornings, sleepy days, homework, tests and assignments. For this Blog it means more of these shorter, picture-less posts written on a phone.

Yes, so it is times like these where having a smart phone with the blogger application on it is more valuable than you think. With all I have going on at the moment expect to see more of these shorter posts. On Monday and Thursday nights now I have my Recruits course for the CFA which will take up a lot of time including homework between sessions. Also on Monday nights I have String Ensemble meaning I do not get back until later. On Tuesdays I have Methods Tutoring after school but my Tutor is on Holidays until the end of the month so that's alright. For now, Wednesday nights are free which is great for catching up and winding down after a hectic start to the week. Fridays I do Jujitsu and Saturday mornings I do Piano. In between all this I need to sleep, do homework, study, train for Kokoda and walk the dog. I know this seems busy but it could be a lot worse. Let's just say I'm grateful for what I've got.

Don't fall behind on schoolwork, see you tomorrow!

Daily Update

So today is just going to be a daily update. Whoa, contain your excitement please.

So today I started off with my Piano Lesson at 9:30 which would have been okay if my brother had not kept me up to past 3am the night before because he was on his phone and iPod doing what all boys do at night, watch anime. Plus he watched some House and he was just full of energy because he had had a Ribena drink he had bought from work (Woolworths). Just so you know, my brother always gets very energetic when he has one of those type of drinks, I think it is some preservative or something in it that increases his energy levels. It can be embarrassing at times.

Anyway, so back to Piano Lessons. I was a little worried at first because I hadn't practiced much over the holidays (by which I mean I practiced for 20 minutes before the lesson). So I got there and when I went in she was all like "Hey, how was your holidays?" and the rest. So then it came time to start practicing and she was like "Hey, I found a cool new song you might like to learn." I was secretly thinking "Yes, she won't know I didn't practice much!". It was even better when she started playing the song from YouTube as she was finding the music for it and it turned out to be Skyfall by Adele and I was so excited, not that I let it show. I love Adele's Skyfall and I really wanted to learn it and so I was really happy and so we practiced that the whole time and it was really a great lesson, I can't wait to learn more and to practice it.

When we got back I continued on with my homework while we waited for Dad to take Joshua (my middle brother) to work. When he got back we took Sandy for a walk into the main street which he loves because it is 45 minutes one way and he gets to see all the people around (I think he believes they are there for him) and he is a real chick magnet. Chicks of the senior ages who find him the cutest little dog around. While we were in town Mum spent some time looking for clothes for my cousins Confirmation (of which I am her sponsor, not money-wise but as a provider of Spiritual Guidance [she chose me]) and also got me a new pair of shoes because, as she put it, the soles 'were flapping about as if they were talking to you' [great metaphor Mum]. So that was fun and when we returned I spent some more time doing homework and then reading my friend Xavier's two blogs (Daily Xavier, Views on Current Affairs) and also went on Facebook to ask my friend some questions. Great resource Facebook, allowing us to communicate with each other for three over long distances via the internet. A great idea.

Then, as it is my eldest brother's birthday on the 15th April we went out with my Mum's family tonight to the Templestowe Hotel (in Templestowe) which is sort of a Buffet set up which is good and it was great fun to catch up with everyone (granted we had just seen them all on Thursday but anyway). So that was fun and Matthew (my eldest Brother) brought his Girlfriend with him and so on the way there we had a three-way (wait for the end of the sentence before making any presumptions) Mario Kart contest on our Nintendo DS consoles which passed the time. It was a close match with Matt's Girlfriend winning most of the time but towards the end I just kept beating her and eventually bet her entirely. I came first, so proud. Anyway  so now I am home writing this post before going to bed because unlike Xavier I don't stay up all night watching X-Files or Fringe. So that is all for today, probably one of the busier days these holidays. Last day of holidays tomorrow and then School on Monday which I am looking forward to (wait until the end of the sentence again) so I can catch up with friends and fix up any last-minute questions for stuff.

May the odds be ever in your favour, see you tomorrow!