I wanted to carve pumpkins for a very long time. Mother doesn't like pumpkins though cuase she doesn't like the taste of it, but think it's a big waste if she doesn't eat what I carve out.

Josie gave me 2 small pumpkins this year, and it's perfect becuase it's small enough mother won't feel it is being wasted. So this year, I finally get to carve pumpkins.

The last time I carved pumpkins was when I was in grade 7, and that was not even my pumpkin, it was my little buddy's pumpkin so I didn't get to keep it.

Have a look at my final master piece (my friend made the left one. I made the right one).

Friend A said he will ignore Friend B becuase he doesn't like her in the way she wants him to like her. Friend A thinks that will solve all problem. He thinks that would make Friend B stop liking him. Meanwhile, Friend C and I are sort of sad about that decision, becuase we have always thought our group of friends won't break apart for a while.

Does he see how selfish (now Friend C and I will have to see Friend B's depressed face) and childish (he is running away from his problem) he is by doing that?

Just finished my OB midterm at 9:00pm. I had to bus home afterwards so I didn't even get to go home till 10:20pm. Now I am studying for Japanese Midterm.

Watashi wa konban uchi de nihongo o benkyoushimasu (the whole night).

Kami-sama let me live!

My destructive nature strikes again. My mp3 recharge betary is dead AGAIN! That means I can't use my mp3 player ever again unless I spend tons of money on another betary. It had only been a bit over a month. This is the forth mp3 player I messed up. They all die within 3 months after I first acquire the player. How do I do it?!

On completely unrelated topic. I am actually studying for a test a week in advance. That never happened before. Dear me, I think the sky is falling.

That's right the teachers are on strike. It doesn't really affect me since I am in university; however, it effects my brother whom still study in high school. The teachers break laws by striking, since the government had legislated that teachering is an essential service and thus deemed striking illegal.

This causes great inconvinece to the parents, and may have some negative consequences on unproactive kids unable to learn on their own. That being said, I do believe, if you really want to learn you can easily learn everything in the provincal without the teachers.

In fact, my brother rushed off to do a school project just now.

Some teachers does not teach. For example, Mr. Ryan gives you crappy notes for 15minutes, and then tells you to read Habden and do questions every class. Nevertheless, I values some teachers. In my text-bookless caculus class, we depended quite heavily on Mr. Peters's print outs.

The teachers talk about rediculous class size. Many parents believe they exaggerate the problem. Many parents believe teachers strikes for their own benefits. My Chinese teachers think good teachers should never consider striking. She believes that teachers should teach simply for their love for the young generations. I respect her for that.

Wages probably play a part in the strike, no doubt about that.

Yet, I refuse to think 90.5% teachers whom voted for job action strike simply for their wages. I cannot accept that 90.5% of the teachers teach for money and not because they like teaching. Some of them can care less of course. But some of them are great teachers who skip lunches to sponsor clubs, and stay after school to help students for no extra money.

Parents don't understand that class size has been a growing problem in the last few years. After the last forced contract, class size noticably got higher. Class size limit disappeared, the art class in grade my grade 10 year consisted of 4 different classes grouped in one (40+ students).

Last year's Mandarin class was a 3 in 1 class, our abinitio (total beginners), SL (standard level), HL (higher level) classes combined into a class. Ms. Ding cannot split her attention into three. The differences between AB and HL is too high to teach together. In the end, the AB students often just sit in the class doing nothing.

My other class did not fare well either. Sometimes we run out of chairs in the beginning of the year, That problem stopped when students began to skip classes, or dropped the course all together. We also don't have enough text books, so in some class we have to share.

Boo to those teachers striking for benefit. Respect goes to the 9.5% whom did not vote yes, and those teachers who are striking because of class size.


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Whoever is most happy is the most prone to disappointment, this must be an universal law. Like mother said, "The greater your hope, the greater your disappointment."

For the last few days I was bothered by my English essay mark. The idea of dropping the class plays endlessly in my head. I gave myself many excuses - my advance credits already, this can drop my core average, I don't like the topics... Theologically, I should improve in the next few essays after reading the comments from my prof. But I am very worried because my past record for in class essays is not good to say the least. 4 out of 5 essays this course would also depend on are in class.

My heart wavers. Giving up takes no effort. Quitting means doing nothing.

But dropping the class would make me a coward. Surrendering is the complete opposite of what I speak against to all my friends. I tell them not to run away from their problems, but here I am thinking of ways to avoid the possibility of failures. What would that make me but the world biggest hypocrite?

If I drop a class because of one essay how many classes will I have to drop in the future? Didn't I say I wanted to write a book one day? Am I going to give up just like I gave up before? You gave up before Crag gave up on you. Why expect him to pay attention to someone who does not even put effort into going to practices? How is writing for an hour in the morning enough? If you care so much, shouldn't you put more effort into it?

If you like something shouldn't you keep at it even it means a million failures? If you are passionate about something shouldn't you be willing to swallow your pride and preserver?

Wow I am posting really often these days but that cannot be helped, I just have the urge to express myself in the last few days quite a bit.

You see "one thing leads to another," as the narator in Alchemy by Madeleine Thien says. Or perhaps, even more fitting is the Chinese parable about the old man and his lost horse. The old man lost a horse, but gainned two, the son fell from the horse and broke his leg, but the injury saved him from war. A bad turn can end up being the right one, or visa versa.

Events fit together so well that it is hard to believe everything are simply lucky coincidences. Luck runs out, but inconceivable sequences of events never cease to do their magic. Here I can go into a deep discussion on the implication that my last statement has on fate and free will, but I am not going to go into that.

The point is, I cannot believe how well things are working out. I was quite contented with my $8.50/hr job at the flower shop. It was not hard work, and my boss was very kind to me. I have learned much from her, and the job offered me some pocket money for outings and junk food. In the summer, I worked for quite a bit during the span of a week and a bit. I worked almost every day, and for about 5hrs. per day. I was so happy when in the end of the two weeks, I earned $200 dollars. The sum lasted me through the summer, for all the dinners and movies I went to. It was quite awsome.

I assumed then that I would continue working for 3hrs. a week for the rest of my first year. So, when I applied for school loan, I said I expected to earn $700 in the next few months. By and by, my loan was approved, but just when that happened, I recieved an email from Josie saying she doesn't need me working at the shop any more because she wants her son to work for her, and there went my $700.

I wasn't too sad about it, but I wasn't too happy either. I still have some money left at the bank from last year, so I still don't have to ask my parents for money every time I want to buy bubble tea, chips, candy, etc. But I know eventually I would run out. That's when I heard from Jenny and Regina that you could join a program called work study if you have study loan. Unfortunately, I heard about this rather late, so by the time I actually know about this, most of the jobs were taken.

I applied to about ten jobs a few weeks ago. Out of these ten jobs, included a job I thought I was probably not qualified for but I applied anyway because I thought it would be awsome if I can get it - the accounting assistant posting. But when no one reply I was giving up. So I decided to turn to other fun things to waste time on. I wanted to join up some clubs and get some experience in, but I kept forgetting to bring money to join those clubs. I auditioned for a Chinese drama thing, and all I really wanted was a small part. But they rejected me, even though I was pretty confident I could at least make it in as an extra. I volunteered to help out at the exec of that club too, but they didn't like me enough to reply.

Then, just when life was hitting low point, a woman named Christined phoned and asked if I want an interview. She happened to be the supervisor I wanted to hear from the most since the job she can offer is commerce related. Needless to say I was more than thrill. I wanted the job quite badly for the experience (sounds much better than a helper at a flower shop). The fact the job pays twice as well as my previous job is a bonus. But since I am a first year without any experience I thought there was little chance I could get the job, I hardly dare to hope.

Against all odds, I actually got the job.

Now I look back and I see that if the past did not occur the way it did, I would never have gotten this job. If Josie still needs my help, my nature would not let me consider getting better job and quit for the money. If I did not put I would make $700 dollars this year, I would not regret losing the job so much. If I did not apply for the loan, I would not be able to apply for work study. If I joined many business clubs, I would not have time to work. If I got picked for the drama, I also wouldn't have time to work. If I did not apply for the job because I thought I would not have ghost of a chance for getting it, I would not have gotten the interview... and the list goes on and on.

What can I say but that I must thank the higher being up there that desides our fate for this opportunity?

I forgot to say this in the last post, but the only anime I watch raws for ended last week. I am rather sad about that. It was such an amusing (and random) show. The ending was somewhat romantic I guess. I mean after 26 episodes Sylvia and Apollo finally get to share a serious kiss even though they had been a couple since day 1. The ending was sort of unclear on a lot of things. I wish they have an OVA out for this.

And please! Would animeone catch up with subbing?! But I will refrain from further complaining since they just posted up episode 14.

I am excited about seeing a new opening for the Law of Ueki though. The last opening was so good. I hope this new one would be even better.

Bleach is also going to have a new opening this week. This better be as good as the last two opening. I loved the first one, I like the second one, and I hope I can at least like the third one. The singer for the new opening is a band that did a Gundam Seed Destiny opening singer. From that opening, I don't doubt their singing ability, but the art. Everything is about the art for me. If the art sucks, the song sucks too.

Bleach manga is getting back on track. Rukia is back (bless her little soul). She is as kick ass as she was in the beginning (yay!). Ichigo just bought Rukia to his house. There is hope for Ichigo/Rukia yet! Ha! Take that Ichigo/Orihime fans!

As for Naruto. The anime is getting so insanely boring. It is another filler arc. But the episode from the week before is amusing since Hinata is shooting chakra bullets and lazer beams like things out of her palms. So rediculous to look at. But that sounds amusing so I will take Justin's advince and watch that when animeone finally sub it. The manga is alright, Sakura is getting stronger and cooler, Kakashi upgraded his eyes, but very predictable unlike Bleach. I mean who would have thought the popular cliche fanfiction idea - shinigami coming in as students would really become cannon?!

And for heaven's sake! When will Sasuke show up?! I need to see what he looks like 3 years later and I need to see Sakura's reaction to that!

Oh right, I watched this really silly 5 min per episode anime called Damekko Doubutsu. It's about animals with traits opposite to their name (ie. Aggresive bunny). The rabbit is voiced by Sasuke's voice actor. I find this fact very very amusing.