Josie

Another talented one!

And she's only 11!









Now why can't I be talented too?

Maddi Jane

A beautiful young lady with such a strong voice!




Watch how much she has grown in just one year!





Amazeballz!

Andre Garcia

Mad love for this man :)



The song starts at 2:00, fast forward if you just wanna' hear it.


Lyrics:

Crazy cus I’m falling in love
Falling deeply in love with you
Yeah, its so damn true
Friends say I’m outta my mind
That I shouldn’t be with you
But they don’t understand

The way I feel for you
Is unlike any other thing
I’ve ever felt before
And they don’t understand
That I’m not crazy
I’m just a man
Searching for reasons to find you
Over and over again
I’m not crazy, I’m just a man
I’m doing everything that I can

Crazy cause' I’m telling the truth
There’s nowhere to run
They’re telling me that I should find another one
They can say I’m outta my mind
I’ll still be your man
They still won’t understand


The way I feel for you
Is unlike any other thing
I’ve ever felt before
And they don’t understand
That I’m not crazy， I’m just a man
Searching for reasons to find you
Over and over again
I’m not crazy, I’m just a man
I’m doing everything that I... can

I’m not crazy， I’m just a man
Searching for reasons to find you
Over and over again
I’m not crazy, I’m just a man
I’m doing everything but
I’m not crazy， I’m just a man
Searching for reasons to find you
Over and over again
I’m not crazy, I’m just a man
I’m doing everything that I can

A local talent that won my heart overnight.

On the last day of Famine Camp 2011, special guests and performers were invited to celebrate the end of the 30 hours fast. One of the guests invited to perform was Jill-Marie Thomas. She is actually the winner of One Moment of Glory. To be really honest, I was pretty skeptical about how good she was because I was not really a fan of local talent.

However, the moment she started singing on stage, I instantaneously fell in love with her voice! And it takes mad props for someone to be able to pull off a cover of WonderGirl's "Nobody" so well that she got to advance in the competition (she joined the competition as a challenger and managed to knock them out with her unique renditions).

She is definitely one local talent that I would not mind supporting. Check out her awesome medley cover of Pokerface/ I kissed a girl below. MAD LOVE FOR THIS LADY!

Happy Father's Day!

HAPPY FATHERS' DAY!

Dear dad,

            I know that I may not be the nicest child on Earth, and that some of the decisions I make, and the actions I do in life disappoint you. I confess, sometimes, I do these things just so that I can get back at you; for the things that happened then, for the past. However, I realized overtime, that all this is getting me nowhere, and I am through with fighting against you. I used to have so much hatred in me, but I learned that this wrath that I built inside of me is the reason why I am being held back in life.

            I see the effort that you put in to amend things, but I was so childish that I kept digging up the past, being really hot-tempered and stubborn, not willing to forgive or let go. However, this time, I am willing to change. I may not be the cleanest dish in the sink, but I want you to know that from this day on, I want to make you proud; make the family proud of me. I am tired of living of in other people’s shadows, and I am tired of always being the destroyer. I want to let bygones be bygones.

I am sorry that I never considered your feelings.

Your huge and callous hands may not be the comfort that I seek, but these guiding hands were the ones that taught me how to swim, cycle, catch fish, and they also instilled values that I still practice till this very day. I remember of all the hiking and fishing trips, and outdoor adventures that made up a major part of my childhood. I learned so much from those trips, of the general knowledge and skills that I believe not other child had. 

 

Sometimes I wish we could go back to the past.

Nevertheless, I appreciate all the things you and mum have done for me. Because without the both of you, I would not be who I am today, let alone existing. The both of you are the only ones who have watched me grow; from a small young girl into a (big. HAHAHA) independent woman and I hope that my growth and decisions from now on will enable you to be proud of me.

Love,

Kethlyn

Tanner Edwards

Watch how this little precious work the stage!



Couldn't stop smiling to myself throughout the video!

Colorgenerics Personality Test

I am a sucker when it comes to personality tests because I really like how people can predict one's personality through the options we choose based on the test. It's as if they can read through your soul.

I always thought that personality tests were bogus because there is no fixed template to describe people. But lately, all the tests that I have taken had mindblowing results.

Here's another one that I took: Colorgenerics Personality Test

The site might seem really hocus pocus because of how colorful it is, and the test might seem really lame because all you have to do is select 8 coloured boxes in ascending order to how it harmonizes with you. But wait till you get the results.

Here is my results:

You have always longed for tenderness, love and a sensitivity of feeling into which you would like to blend. You are a very gentle warm person and responsive to 'All things bright and beautiful'. This personifies a caring person, a person who 'needs' and indeed 'needs to be needed'.

You are working extremely hard - perhaps even above and beyond the call of duty. You are preparing for the future and therefore trying to build a firm trouble-free foundation upon which you may base all of your dreams and aspirations.

You are trying to break away from the mundane existence that you have been experiencing of late. You have many high hopes and ideals but you are concerned whether circumstances will allow you to realise these ambitions. You want to spread your wings - to broaden your fields of activities - but you are concerned that your dreams are just that - 'dreams' which are not realistic. It concerns you that you are not thinking clearly at this time - what you need is to get away from it all, to give you time to think. A short vacation could well restore your confidence.

You are being unduly influenced by the situation that is all around you. You do not like the feeling of loneliness and whatever it is that seems to separate you from others. You know that life can be wonderful and you are anxious to experience life in all its aspects, to live it to the full. You therefore resent any restriction or limitations that are being imposed on you and you insist on going it alone.

You wish to be left in peace... no more conflict and no more differences of opinion. In fact you just don't want to be involved in arguments of any shape or form. All you want is for 'them' to get on with it - and to leave you alone.

What's yours?

Go take the Colorgenerics Personality Test now!

Romanian Orphanage

When the 'child' is mentioned, what comes to your mind? 

To many, an image of a child comes to mind; A healthy, happy child, either playing by the playground or with friends; one who explores and loves being close nature; A child who has the privilege of having all their needs met (air, water, food, shelter, and even love); A child who has never-ending fun. 

Many assume that all the children on Earth are given that privilege. I beg to differ. Not every child is that lucky. Not too long, a lecturer of mine showed my cohort a video of an orphanage. Now, to the normal naive mind, many would think that an orphanage is a haven to children without any parents. The video below would change your mind about your assumptions. 

It pained my heart to see the children placed in such a living condition. All of them seemed so identical to each other, even though they were all not related. Was it because of the environment? The upbringing? The physical and psychological treatments? No child deserves to be given such a treatment. Every child has the right to live a proper life, with their needs met. 

Thankfully, John "Johnny" Upton came to their rescue.

Sometimes, the reason why I hate volunteering or doing humanitarian stuff is because I am not able to reach out to everyone. Just like in the video, John Upton had to leave behind so many children because of the incomplete paperwork from their parents, or the director of the orphanage. The worst part is that, the child does not understand why he or she is being left behind, and that moment, they lose belief in themselves, the people around them, and in life. Even though coming up with an intervention is a good thing because one is making a difference, the guilt in not being able to help everyone outweighs the positivity in the interventions.

Despite all that, I hope that this video can put an end to all the hate and torture children go through. They are just too young, innocent and naive to know what is going on, or to do anything to stop it. They do not deserve such treatment, and I hope that whoever who is responsible who get punished eventually. 

My plea for now is to hope that we all do our part to help or ensure that the young and the innocent get a chance to live a proper life. 

Friendship

A personal piece that I really had to get off of my chest.

What does the word 'Friendship' mean to you?

When I think about Friendship, the image of two people renting a room together, kicking back on the sofa, eating from a tub of ice cream while crying over a sappy love story comes to mind. Now it might seem pretty far-fetched, but just from this scenario, I can identify my elements of friendship; trust, comfort, support, reliance, happy, vulnerable, open, pure, real, truthful, and emotional.

I always thought that Friendship was a two-way passage, where two individuals were interconnected based on their thoughts, experiences, emotions and actions. However, I failed to realize that everyone has their own interpretations and the experiences that I had gone through lately have widened my perspective to this term.

The reason why I am writing this post is not really because I am confused with the term, but rather, I am confused with my role as a friend. I used to think that as a friend, it meant that one should be a pillar of support, to offer advice to lighten the burden, to be emotionally available just so that one's friend is comfortable in being vulnerable right in front of one, but at the same time, having a sense of security and comfort from the support one is giving. I always thought I was doing the right thing, but it took one incident to make me realize that I wasn't afterall.

I was definitely upset when that person said that he felt like a lab rat, under one of my psychological experiments whereby I run tests to see which advice is the most effective. I was not expecting such a response because I never treated any friendship as a form of experiment. I know that people do interpret one's actions differently, but I never expected whatever that I have done, to cause such a major setback. I did not understand why he felt that way because I always thought that offering advice would be enlightening, but then again, I realized; who was I to offer advice, when I was just another teenager? 

It then made me question my role as a friend, to everyone else in my life. Do the rest feel the same way too? Do they feel oppressed by my suggestions? I wondered to myself, on whether I was being a good friend. If I were in their shoes, I would have definitely hated myself, because sometimes, people just want someone to sit and listen, and not say anything. I on the other hand, was so caught up with trying to make the world a better place, that I forgot how to be a friend.

There may or may not be a solution to this, but no matter what, I hope my friends do feel  my love and appreciation. They are the reason why I am who I am today, because their life story, their beliefs, our experiences, and our conversations shape up my life. And as much as I thankful for their presence in my life, I never want to feel neglected, used or unappreciated.

I hope this change is good.

The Last Goodbye

PS22 Chorus is a really inspirational bunch of children, and David Cook is just amazeballz.

Pass the Fast

Last Friday, I participated in an event in school called "Pass the Fast". 

Basically, "Pass the Fast" is a one day, or rather, eight hour campaign that aims in raising awareness for those hit by hunger and poverty around the world. This movement is also in conjunction to the 30 hour famine camp (17 - 18 June) organized by World Vision and HMS as part of an outreach initiative. 

I must say it was a fantastic idea from the School of Humanities (and not because I am from that school!) because I personally found it to be really meaningful.

I chose to fast from footwear, and managed to get both Natalie and Iris to fast with me. The reason why I chose to fast from those was because I felt that most of us always took for granted of the privileges and comfort that we have in life, and since I always enjoy walking, I wanted to feel how it would have been like to not have the privilege of owning shoes, and so, I began my 8 hour barefoot journey around the school campus.  

The tenderness of an innocent child's feet on the harsh cruelty of Mother Nature

My experience:

When I first took off my shoes at the Atrium, I suddenly became really self-conscious about the stares I would be getting for being barefooted. Thoughts about people thinking that I am attention seeking, lame, pathetic, were running through my head at that moment. And it was not really helping that I was being a real whiny ass bitch about what I was going through. The roads were blazing hot, and I slipped a couple of times because of the pouring rain in the afternoon. I even dirtied a flight of stairs that a cleaner was mopping, and stepped on a drain without realizing that I was without any footwear. I could literally feel the wrath of Mother Nature on that day, and even though I told the two girls that I regretted this decision, I was kinda' glad I stuck by it for that 8 hours.

 

Even though I ended the day with feet full of blisters, I came to a realization, and that I was the only one creating a mess for myself. I found out that no one really noticed that I was being barefooted, and those who did, only had positive comments and encouragement for what I was doing. And this whole activity made me appreciate the financial stability of my family. As much as I loved squishing in mud and shimmy-ing on slippery floors, walking barefooted from one end to the other was torturous. And I only did it for 8 hours, I wonder how the kids in other part of the world bare it, especially when they have to travel from one end to the other, on tough terrains, by foot. I guess they were not given a choice :(

I am glad though, for this event was an eye-opener, and I am sure whatever that I have experienced would gear me up for the many more adventures that are awaiting me. Till then...

 

Did you pass the fast?

Personality Test

*Draft dated back in 2010 :P

Took a personality test on Human Metrics not too long ago, and found out that my personality type was INFJ (Introverted, Intuitive, Feelings, and Judging). To be really honest, I thought that it would be another bogus test that just tells people about the things that they want to hear, but boy was I wrong! This test is by far the most accurate piece ever!

So this is what the test basically said about my personality type: 

INFJs are distinguished by both their complexity of character and the unusual range and depth of their talents. Strongly humanitarian in outlook, INFJs tend to be idealists, and because of their J preference for closure and completion, they are generally "doers" as well as dreamers. This rare combination of vision and practicality often results in INFJs taking a disproportionate amount of responsibility in the various causes to which so many of them seem to be drawn. 

INFJs are deeply concerned about their relations with individuals as well as the state of humanity at large. They are, in fact, sometimes mistaken for extroverts because they appear so outgoing and are so genuinely interested in people -- a product of the Feeling function they most readily show to the world. On the contrary, INFJs are true introverts, who can only be emotionally intimate and fulfilled with a chosen few from among their long-term friends, family, or obvious "soul mates." While instinctively courting the personal and organizational demands continually made upon them by others, at intervals INFJs will suddenly withdraw into themselves, sometimes shutting out even their intimates. This apparent paradox is a necessary escape valve for them, providing both time to rebuild their depleted resources and a filter to prevent the emotional overload to which they are so susceptible as inherent "givers." As a pattern of behavior, it is perhaps the most confusing aspect of the enigmatic INFJ character to outsiders, and hence the most often misunderstood -- particularly by those who have little experience with this rare type. 

Due in part to the unique perspective produced by this alternation between detachment and involvement in the lives of the people around them, INFJs may well have the clearest insights of all the types into the motivations of others, for good and for evil. The most important contributing factor to this uncanny gift, however, are the empathic abilities often found in Fs, which seem to be especially heightened in the INFJ type (possibly by the dominance of the introverted N function). 

This empathy can serve as a classic example of the two-edged nature of certain INFJ talents, as it can be strong enough to cause discomfort or pain in negative or stressful situations. More explicit inner conflicts are also not uncommon in INFJs; it is possible to speculate that the causes for some of these may lie in the specific combinations of preferences which define this complex type. For instance, there can sometimes be a "tug-of-war" between NF vision and idealism and the J practicality that urges compromise for the sake of achieving the highest priority goals. And the I and J combination, while perhaps enhancing self-awareness, may make it difficult for INFJs to articulate their deepest and most convoluted feelings. 

Usually self-expression comes more easily to INFJs on paper, as they tend to have strong writing skills. Since in addition they often possess a strong personal charisma, INFJs are generally well-suited to the "inspirational" professions such as teaching (especially in higher education) and religious leadership. Psychology and counseling are other obvious choices, but overall, INFJs can be exceptionally difficult to pigeonhole by their career paths. Perhaps the best example of this occurs in the technical fields. Many INFJs perceive themselves at a disadvantage when dealing with the mystique and formality of "hard logic", and in academic terms this may cause a tendency to gravitate towards the liberal arts rather than the sciences. However, the significant minority of INFJs who do pursue studies and careers in the latter areas tend to be as successful as their T counterparts, as it is *iNtuition* -- the dominant function for the INFJ type -- which governs the ability to understand abstract theory and implement it creatively. 

In their own way, INFJs are just as much "systems builders" as are INTJs; the difference lies in that most INFJ "systems" are founded on human beings and human values, rather than information and technology. Their systems may for these reasons be conceptually "blurrier" than analogous NT ones, harder to measure in strict numerical terms, and easier to take for granted -- yet it is these same underlying reasons which make the resulting contributions to society so vital and profound. 

It even identifies famous people who share the same personality type as you!!

 Click here to read more about INFJ, or click here to take the Jung and Briggs Myers personality test!

So what personality type are you?