I was on blog-hiatus for a while, wonder why?

It has been three weeks since classes started and boy, let me tell you, keeping up with blogging.....is a pain in the butt. As of right now, I've been juggling a couple of things as per below :

• SAT exam - Which will fall on October 1st and we're doing it in Penang. PENANG! Did you hear me, Penang ^%^&T&%E54e45!!! This will be our little first (perhaps the only?) trip. 
• TOEFL exam - Born and breed in a non-English speaking country (no matter how fluent you are in English) is not a hallmark. We need to take this English Proficiency test.
• Universities Applications - United States (being the United States) requires us to fill up the Common Apps accounts, get teachers' evaluations, list of courseworks, and endless of supplements essays! Getting in is the hardest part!
• Assignments - On top of those mentioned above, regular classes should be attended and assignments are expected to be handed on time. 
• Keeping up with extra activities - This, is probably, the most exciting part of the US education system. They want you to participate in the extra activites and this aspect will be greatly considered in your application!
• Quizzes, and being a teacher's pet - The former is crucial as we're expected to gain an average CGPA of 3.5 for this semester. The latter is something I'm working on.
• NEW FRIENDS - Joy to the world in making new friends! Not to mention, being in a University-College where the students comprised of a wide diversity of races.

Okay, that was a quick blog post. I am now off to study. Like a nerd I am. 

To the Brother I've Never Had the Chance to Meet.

Why do I feel you near me, when you afar from us?
I hope you'll keep watching us up there.
Keep us safe from the cruelties the World has in store for us.
The condition exacerbated a long time ago,
I wonder what would you do?
Would you saviour the shipwrecked the relationship,
or Would you just sit stand and still?


I wonder, brother, what would you be?
Would you be inclined to music like I am?
Would you write well like your sister do?
Would you protect me from bad guys?
Would you hug me if I feel like collapsing?
Would you hold us together?

Would you, want to meet us, if God's willing to do that for us? Would you, brother?

Acting childish : Yay or nay?

Say you're 18, and you still have your favorite Barbie Doll or a Barney soft toy and carries it all around wherever you go - even to college when you're going to embark on a new journey, a new chapter of your life! But, what should you do? You absolutely don't want to throw it away neither do you want to be make fun of for being too childish. Now, the question is, at what age is innapropriate for one to still own his favorite childhood toy?

Certainly, there's no specific rule stating that having a childhood - heck, scratch that! Your memory - item is a crime! It is really okay, as a matter of fact, to have your lovely stinky pillow (that you have since you were born. Exhibit A : yours  truly here. I have 3 of  them!) in your dorm room or to own a collection of Naruto figurines queued up on your dorm's shelves. 

Don't get me wrong here. I am just saying that, having a particular favorite thing from your past is okay. It brings back the memorable memories (whether they were bad or otherwise) back.

However, does this rule apply to one's personality cum attitude as well? Would you like to be friends with someone who is a whiner and complains everytime he/she doesn't get what they wanted, or someone who is positively over-sensitive and needs a friend to calm him/her down every single damned time? Are you in one of the category, I shall ask? I certainly do not want to be with a person who constantly joke about his parents, the food he ate and is just plain silly! I'd go crazy. 

Clearly, not all childish acts are so to say, a boon. 

 For instance, girls like guys who act cutely on dates. Awkward, childish guys are on the hunt lately. So, apparently it is a +1 point for childish guys (under a few terms. Nobody likes a whiner, I'd say it again.)

What do you say? Is it okay to be childish? Or are your childish boyfriend/friend/girlfriend gets your nerves, everytime? Comment below!

And to entertain you, here's MGMT's infamous Kids. Enjoy.

I know you're reading....drop a comment!

So, recently, Blogspot created this function that enables a blogger to check his/her stats. Which is extremely helpful and a definite confidence-booster because it practically tell us that "hey, you have viewers" even though they're just a mere 5-7 people. But knowing that there are readers from all over the world is exhilarating. Therefore, I'm extending a warm welcome to you, reader (s), where ever you are from, thanks for visiting, though I'm quite sure, you were searching Google on some images and you ended up here ( I posted a lot of photos from Google).

But that's not the point of why I am writing to you now. My intention is for you to leave a comment down there, and give feedback if that's possible? That'd be a great help and I'll definitely will spend more time blogging here if I were to know that there's people reading my humble blog. Thank you greatly in advance.

What I think of Youtube.

Hey you. I bet Youtube is on your browser tab, right this very moment. Comment below if I was right, and also, leave a comment if I was wrong too.

I'm going to talk about YouTube. You could leave now if you have no slight interest of YouTube or you just hate YouTube so much for making you procrastinate doing your assignments.

You're still here, why are you still here?

Sidenote : The images below are copyrighted and they don't belong to me. I Yahoo-ed them.


YouTube is my Homepage.
Besides Twitter.com, YouTube is my favorite site at the moment. Never really paid attention on YT before my 3 months break, due to the work load and stress that both occupied me for the rest of the year. But the past three months, I had been actively watching vloggers on YouTube, just rambling about their daily lives. It's so addictive when you watched them for hours in a day and days in a week. It became a habit. It became part of you. Normally, I'm not the kind who would listen to complete strangers telling me how they spent their last weekends doing really uninteresting stuffs. But YT vloggers, they really have a voice. They pointed out opinions, which is really a good thing to hear what people had to say about one particular topic. E.g : Rebecca Black's invasion and so forth. HayleyGHoover is definitely a favorite on YouTube. Her 'lay off Rebecca Black's video really shaped up what I was thinking about the whole bashing teenage pop stars thing. Having said that, I'm sorry Bieber and Cyrus, I plead guilty. Sorry for having say not the nicest thing about you people. But hey, I think Hannah Montana and Never Say Never are good shows?

Nerimon

Charlieiscoollike

Pathway to Stardom

Michael Aranda

There are so many YouTube vloggers that has over 30 million views. Please note the 'vloggers' I'm trying to point out, because Britney Spears isn't a vlogger. For those who had been surfing YouTube most of your time, Charlie McDonnell (also known as charlieissocoollike) is a YouTube royalty. Over 10 million views, he is really something. Being English, I think it helped him in gaining those billion fan girls he has. Not to missed out, his witty, whimsical, slightly odd personality and good looks brought girls into subscribing him on his YouTube Channel. He is a YouTube phenomenon and is a big name in the UK and USA. His first YouTube video was only over a couple years ago and look where he is now. Making money via YouTube. Famous and getting paid by just posting videos are reasons why more and more people decide to vlog.
Charlie, if you're reading this, I am a fan of your videos.

Owlssayhoot

HayleyGHoover

Mike Lombardo

Gaining Friends And Lovers.
Ever heard of 5 Awesome Girls? and 5 Awesome Guys? And 5 Awesome Gays? Well, it first started with 5 Awesome Girls. They came up with an idea of bringing other YouTubers - that I'm sure, they were strangers at first - and making YouTube videos everyday (each person was assigned to a specific day) and at the end of the video, they would come up with a question that the person after (the next-day vlogger) would have to answer. Oh and they were Harry Potter fans, so that was the similar interest they had. And then, the 5 Awesome Guys were very intrigued by this idea, and they decided to do the same. Long after, there are so many 5 Awesome groups trying to attract viewers but we all know who came up with the idea first....the girls!
I wasn't trying to be biased or anything. Point is, people gained friends from YouTube. Common interest is a main factor. Heard of Nerimon? A friend of Charlie, and now they're living together. They met through YouTube and so did other 5 Awesome guys. They formed a band called Chameleon Circuit and Sons of Admirals! Crazy isn't it how YouTube is a great medium for forming bands and alliances and such. It's fascinating how YouTube is sort of acting as a match maker now. Luke Conard is dating Kristina Horner (who dated Nerimon) and Mike Lombardo is with HayleyGHoover now and who knows who might get married on YouTube in the future!

Luke Conard & Kristina

Sons of Admirals - Charlie, Eddplant, Tom Milsom and Alex.

Bands and music.
 YouTube is the free and fast track device for a band to promote their latest demo or songs or videos. Recently, I've discovered a really quirky duo called Scott & Tom (via vlogger, BooShoe37). Without YouTube, I might not even know they existed. YouTube really produced quite a number of good artists, singer-song writers and such. The well-known would be Bieber. Then there's our hometown international singer-song writer, Zee Avi who was discovered by a NY based record company who watched her video accidentally and poom! She's now signed and touring US and making her way past it. Also, most of you must've heard of Sam Tsui. He's just really this famous guy who cover mainstream songs and just so happened to own a really great voice.Mike Lombardo, I mentioned him earlier, he's an aspiring singer-song writer and I love his originals! Check him out, he's a great artist. If you're a fan of autotunes and a coincident fan of Harry Potter, try Ministry of Magic. They does super cool home-made music videos. YouTube is for everyone, and every genre literally.


Comments and the Liking System.
Viewers could be a little aggressive at times. Refer to Rebecca Black's video and you'll see. Some even threatening to kill her. That's repulsive and absolute filth. Opinions are good, but they're even better if they are constructive comments. Or you could just say, "I hate it" or better not say it and leave the video (why were you even watching her in the first place!) instead of posting comments like, "Go die", and "You're the dumbest person on Earth." Other cases like what I came across the other day, "You're a fat cow, I don't know why people are watching you". For goodness' sake, did God made you perfect? Other thing that bothers me the most is the liking system. It's okay on Facebook but the existence of the thumbs down button wasn't the best idea. I saw videos that had more thumbs down that thumbs up and I thought how would that make the creator feels? It's okay if he decided to not make YouTube and just ignore the comments he had, but what if that person was so affected by it and commit suicide? Comments on YouTube could be a new form of bullying.


I think I've said what I wanted to express of YouTube. I apologize if the facts are slightly off! I am after all, only human and didn't have the time in the world to Google every little details. I'm leaving you with a few links of part of my favorite vloggers (the list is growing, it's mad!)

What I'm Watching Now (in no order):
Kayley (Owlssayhoot)
Scott and Tom Music
Charlie McDonnell
Alex Day (Nerimon)
Michael Aranda
Hayley G Hoover
That Zak
Kristina Horner
Matt (BooShoe37)

Why should you even bother watching them, you ask? For good humors. They're really funny people. Funnier than what you have on the television. Who needs TV nowadays anyway? YouTube is not just a site, it's a lifestyle.

P.S : Comment me if you have suggestions on other vloggers that I should check out! Communication is vital!
P.S.S : I haven't come to a point where I'm a 'fangirl'.

Bandgeeks = A group of nerdy people playing music.

The title fortunately is not applicable in Malaysia. Joining band here, could either lift your status quo, the first step towards social outcast, or you could be one of the non-affected. I'm probably in the latter group.

Marching band/Orchestra = versatility.

 Free Of Charge Music Lessons.
Considering the fact that I had musical background before, it's certainly a plus point, though it doesn't mean you'll strive in band just because you know what are arpeggios, and sight reading or how a minor note sounds like. To let you know, I studied music only until Grade 3 - could've gone further but my teacher decided to move back to Singapore, and I dont like any other teachers there - and may I tell you, it ain't easy to memorize those Italian terms and their meanings. The tuition fees are expensive, and buying the actual instrument is much more a burden. Each book costed around rm 30 - rm 50 range each, the 3cm thick past exam papers are even ridiculously priced! You're just going to do it once. They cost about rm 11 each.  Hence, I'd say learning music is very costly.

Dedication is vital factor.

Commitment.
There's one way you could learn how to play music, get a proper posture, and learn how to work with 50 other people. That is, by joining your school band! Experience, experience, experience! You'll be in shape because all those twice a week practices (and everyday if there is an event) could really shape you up. Of course, commitment is the utmost important aspect. The seniors of my school band had repeatedly remind us about how band is all about teamwork, patience and commitment. I knew so many of my band-colleagues who irresponsibly (for those without a proper reason) quit and gave up. There is nothing more to say about quitters. If you intend to join band in the future, I beg and I plead all my heart out, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU'RE FULLY COMMITTED TO ATTEND PRACTICES! Imagine all those sweat and energy spent on teaching you the techniques. More importantly, the memories you had with fellow band members. Those memories are not store-bought. They came from sincerity.

Mass Band 2010 at Merdeka Stadium.

Events.
My favorite part of band is the events that we were able to participate. Let me know, where else could you join a Mass Band that consisted of schools from all over Malaysia, paraded all the way to Merdeka Square and get your photos taken by various photographers at an International Flora Fest? You'll get a 'ahhhh', gasp, and compliments from strangers. It is very glamorous being in band. Besides, you'll get paid, usually for these kind of events, so, that's an extra!

Fun times!

Missing class/Academics aspects.
However, to every thing, there is a downside. You'll miss class - that's for sure - and get tanned every year. Missing class is inevitable for band members. And staying back for practices. Also, attending weekend practices. That's a drag, totally. But isn't like all about challenging yourself? If you missed a class, go for tuition or extra classes or study groups. Ask your friends on homework and due dates. Don't make band practice as an excuse unless your assigned band teachers gave permission to do so. If you love music/band, you'll do anything for it. Even jump a building. Okay maybe not that.

We're so energetic, we love jumping photos!

Social life in band.
Believe it or not, we have gossips, bitching, politics in band. There might be cliques, or certain groups that would just stick to themselves. That is normal. We are only humans after all. We bitch, moan, gossip. Those are bad habits, but we do it anyway. In every family, there will be fights and arguments. I would advise you to channel all those energy into practicing your music sheets. Come to think of it, you'll be friends with the people you never would've talk to if you hadn't join band. So, get out of your 'posse' and be friends with other musicians. They are the ones who 'll be with you most of your time. And respect your seniors and band master (coach). They are, after all, more experienced than us. They're more knowledgeable. So give them a break if they yelled at you. Your coach is getting paid less than what he/she really deserves! So, show him/her that you appreciate their time.

Beloved band coach who was always so patient with us, Mr Koh

People who made it all happened.

In an eggshell (nutshell's too cliche'), I, Eera Razak, made a wise decision in joining band, though honestly, band wasn't really my first choice then. But I am glad, I did signed up for it. I am glad I was a band geek.

I'm glad I found my second home : band room. CBNBIUTC!

What can substitute joy? Happiness.

Greetings reader(s)! Hope all is well with each of you! I know I've been abandoning every single writing-related things lately but excuse me for being lazy. Couldn't help it. Sorry if you've been anticipating posts from me.
Not a lot of stuffs happened the past 3 months that I could tell of, really. Just that this week, life has finally kicked off for me. 'The beginning of a new phase'. Or to me, 'The Ending of Joy' more like. SPM results (that is, equivalent to GCSE O-Level) was announced and almost half a millions of 18 years old were freaking out over the internet and ranted on Twitter for exactly every hour, posting Tweets as such:

"WTF, I'm not ready for Wednesday", "Doomsday is approaching, beware SPM-ers!", "Pee in your pants on the 23rd, you know you would."

Taken from a junior's FB album ; The overjoyed CBNers class '10.

The D-day arrived. Funnily, the night before, I wasn't as nervous as I was 2 weeks before. I was also, having trouble sleeping for no apparent reasons. Maybe the habit of over-napping in the evening? I'm happy and contented with what I achieved. Dad spending thousands sending me to tuition classes, Mom wasting her saliva and time trying to make sure I was studying and not pretending to. Those recess time I spent hanging in the hall, alone sometimes, doing exercises. Not to mention, being called a nerd most of my senior year. But that's fine, all's fine. Works paid off, big time! Julia the Jewel is KL's top student for 2010, so applause for her. If I complained on how much I spent my time studying and going tuition and such, she spent her entire school years, concentrating in every class (except PJK/P.E class), doing and reading the whole day. She's a superwoman, I'm telling you.


That said, moving on. I'm now in the middle of hectic week of filling tonnes of applications and scholarships. Thankful that they're all applicable online cause if not, I would've had my fingers cemented by now.

Another news. I'm changing my thoughts on my preferred field of study. I am suddenly finance-ed. Perhaps it's due to the job opportunities bound out there when I've graduated. And maybe, scholarships factor affected my decision too. But hey at least it is still psychology-related. I'd still take up psychology in pre-u and maybe I might take a minor in University. Being ambitious gets you crazy, ain't it? Truth is, it gets you going.

So, there you go, finance for me! I'm going from Bill Nye the Science Guy to Rich Dad Poor Dad. If you get what I mean.



P.S : Congratulations if I haven't tell you personally! We made it, we made it through high school, guys! Whatever results you got, you know, deep down inside, you've done your best and you're glad it's over. Lets conquer college, next!