Behind Busy Emptiness

This post was originally going to be a story about the DRESS, but I didn't have time for that and now it's no longer relevant.

Ah well.

As like most times, this blog has been temporarily neglected in favor of exams. Again. I'm sorry :(

Now that the big ones are over though, I will try to write more. It has been a while though.

Anyways.....

*   *   *

I wouldn't say that I am a huge fan of travelling. I know some people live for it; the thrill of being a foreigner in a foreign land. I know some people would rather sit at home in comfort; resting to prepare for the long journey ahead. I consider myself an in-betweener. Not someone who couldn't decide on what he likes, but rather one who enjoys the little things of both worlds.

But it seems that around me, the travelers are typically international students studying in the UK; hardly anyone local seem to travel abroad. Maybe it's because the local students are busy spending their break at home with their family. And also because since we're all in Europe, far away from our home back in Malaysia, we might as well take the opportunity to travel to neighboring countries and see what we could see.

Since I'm still young (ahem) and brimming with energy (ahemahem), I feel that it would be good for me to travel as well, to places only heard of in books and the Internetz.

But seriously though. If you think about it, what really is the point of travelling? Many people seem to make it a point on going to as many, if not all, countries in the world, as if a decorated passport is a badge of honour that must be obtained.

Think about it.
You don't get any new skills.
You rarely pick up the native language. (Over half of all countries speak English.)
You don't get money. (You lose quite a bit.)

Gotta catch my flight

But ask anybody who has been travelling, and they will say that it was the best thing that ever happened to them. And it's hard to see why not.

I like to call myself a seasoned traveler, but I have only been a tourist in the must-go places of the countries I've been to. Does it count?

But I've enjoyed every minute of my travels, regardless of what I've written above. It's just the experience of something that you don't really get in your home or study country. And sharing that experience with people you love, no matter your family or our friends, is something special that has no substitute.

Everything is just so new and weird. I like it. And as tourists, it wouldn't get old as we will return when the magic is still in the air. Or in the camera, depending on what kind of tourist you are.

It was never about practicality. It has always been about the magic, of which simple logic does not apply.

What one may expect to see in a new country.
Credits to Alice Tang

Poof. Aaaaaand there's class tomorrow. Sigh. This post seems kinda short to me, but now that exams are over, I'll try to write just a bit more.

Cya real soon!

Oh, and Happy birthday Mom!

Behind Singles Appreciation Day

OK I lied about coming back in spring.

Because I am a bitter unattached human, I now have this song stuck in my head.

I'm sorry.

Anyways, enjoy your weekend!

Cya! I'm a little more cheerful now.

Behind Individual Snowflakes

Holy moly, it's been a month and a half into the year. A cold, wet month and a half, but a month and a half nevertheless.

And the next few weeks will be eventful for most people. Val day this Saturday (which I am not celebrating, woe is me/lucky me), and Chinese New Year just 5 days after.

But these days are yet to come, and so I can't write about them. Not yet anyway.

I just want to write about a snow day.

Do you wanna...?

*   *   *

It's a funny thing, snow. It excites me, and it terrifies me at the same time.

On one hand, it gives us as Malaysians to do what we always have only seen in Western movies;

Building snowmans,
Having snowball fights,
Or just walks in fields of white.

On the other hand, it freezes the ba-- minds off sun-bred Malaysians, and leaves the pavements dangerously wet and slippery.

But all in all, I don't really mind. It hardly ever snows in London anyway.

*   *   *

Only time it ever did snow was that one morning I decided to stay in bed. Woke up, saw the pictures, went out, snow was gone. Like, completely gone. Nothing left.

That is, except for the graveyard. On the untrodden grass, remnants of what was a blanket of snow can be seen as little heaps of white, like threads of a stolen duvet.

If I squint, I fancy myself being able to see the individual snowflakes, differing with one another in so many beautiful ways.

But I delude myself.

Truly, what is left is the half-melted, and possibly refrozen ice/water, which will properly disappear once the sun is properly up.

Pity. I did want to build a snowman.

But I still like to imagine that snowflakes, once landed, could still retain that individualistic beauty that no other snowflakes have. Crystals of symmetrical perfections that belongs to them, and them alone, regardless of what the other snowflakes think.

I like to think that accumulated snowflakes, together, can withstand the heat of the moment and remained unchanged in their splendour. And although it's true that snowflakes together last longer than a snowflake alone, what we usually end up with is a semi-same molecules of ice.

Snowflakes change snowflakes, for better and for worse.

*   *   *

But we're humans. Don't for one moment think it's an analogy for human society. We don't work that
way.

I think.

Cya in spring.

Behind A Crowded Shop and A Crowded Mind

3 days ago, I was shopping in Italy.

Yesterday, I was shopping in London.

As a self proclaimed hater of shopping, I am quite ashamed of myself for this atrocity. I mean I don't hate shoppers, just the act of shopping.

You know....

Sacrificing money for stuff you probably will never use.

Walking for hours to find that one thing you want.

Mentally calculating the cost of everything to see if the sale is not a sham.

Spending days trying on different sizes.

Realizing sizes differ from store to store.

Jostling with people who actually enjoy shopping.

Being the bag man.

Basically, shopping.

Especially if you're a student on a tight budget.

Now, I'm not saying that I won't ever shop. A guy's still need to buy stuff to eat y'know.

Just that I don't understand how people *coughwomencough* derive joy from shopping. But that's just me. I am the kind of guy who would love a 2nd hand sweater for Christmas.

I just don't need new stuff. Just stuff.

Like stuffed turkey. And stuffed... pillows. Yeah.

But I won't judge you if you're one of those people. At least now I know what makes you happy.

And Christmas is all about happy.

Happy Boxing Day everyone.

Behind The Pines of An Evergreen

My family has never gotten a Christmas tree. Ever.

Couple of reasons.

One: We don't have the space to put it once we're done with it.

Two: We ain't Christians. No shame in that.

Three: We just don't really care for buying a tree, when we have one in the garden.

But honestly though, I do just love the whole spirit of Christmas. A time of giving and receiving, of getting together with your family, of love and joy, and of the saving of humankind by the coming of "Christ the Lord".

Notice how the seemingly most important of the reasons, I delegated to the back of the queue.

Because honestly, that's how Christmas feels to me, and I think to all non-Christians. As a Malaysian, I know that we all love to find a reason to have a joyous occasion. Not only during Christmas, but also for the new years of every race and religion, the achievements of our countrymen, et cetera.

We like to find happiness wherever we go, regardless the reason.

...took the Christ out of Christmas and added more Mass...

I'm sorry, but in a world with non-Christians, it is bound to happen.

And as long as people are happy, I am fine with that.
If you are not happy with that, I won't be fine with that.

But I ask of you, does it really matter if people forget the original meaning of Christmas?

Churches remind the flock, to look back at this day as the one when we are saved from sin.

Perhaps they are right, and we were saved. And we should be thankful. So we celebrate.

Shops remind the crowd, to stock up for this day and get the best quality goods to use with our family, at allegedly cutthroat prices at their premises.

Perhaps they are right, and we did save money. Then we can enjoy the time with our loved ones with a slightly better quality. So we celebrate.

I do not dare say who is right or who is wrong. For for such an objective question, it can get pretty subjective. And touchy. The amount of people you can offend with that question......

But the point is, Christmas means different things to different people.

It could mean a world was saved.
It could mean a life was changed.
It could mean a new mystery gift.
It could mean a gathering filled with love and joy.
It could mean a kiss under a mistletoe.
It could mean a three-generation family, gathered around the fireplace.
It could mean a day off work.
It could mean a nice dinner, complete with turkey and pudding.
It could mean a heart-warming story.
It could mean nothing.

But the spirit of Christmas is definitely in the air. The feeling in which you know that wishes could be granted, and possibly, but unlikely, by a fat jolly old man in red with a sleigh pulled by reindeer.

But I don't want to spoil the mood and everything. I just want bask in this spirit, smelling of mulled wine, hearing the praising corals, seeing the tinsels coats the walls, tasting the dry roast turkey, and feeling the happiness emanating from those around me, for whatever reason it may be.

Happiness. That's what Christmas means to me. And I don't need a tree to be happy; my hope is evergreen enough.

Are you happy? Free hugs available, or whatever that makes you happy (that is free. I am a student after all).

Merry Christmas, and God (whomever he is) bless us, everyone!

Cya!

Behind A Tenny

Attention,
Ten tenors attended,
An intended dance,
With ten tense dancers,
Ostensibly independent,
But tended to rend for attention,
In a tent in Tennessee.

Tentatively,
A bartender tends the tenors,
But his tendons bended,
Abdomen distended,
So he ended with pension,
And ended his passion,
In a tent in Tennessee.

Temp'raly,
The tent's tenants tend the tenors,
With planned gin and martini,
Teppanyaki, tortellini,
When it endsa, with marzipan mango,
Tenors, dancers, trembled as their hands locked; tango,
In a tent in Tennessee.

Pretentious,
Dancing till ten, the wenches
Wrench away hearts and tore down fences,
Shared trench coats, thirst quenched, defenseless,
Panting breaths while dancing pantless,
Hand-in-hand, but eight of ten ended there and then,
In a tent in Tennessee.

Enlighten,
What we intended when we attended,
A den for tender mended broken hearts,
Sent to pretend we're not what
happens to everyone who's torn apart,
I hope it ends and also begins,
In a tent in Tenne-cya.

Behind 700 Episodes And A Bit

Alt title: Behind 7 Months And A Bit

So it finally ends. 

Naruto, the gold standard of (most) aspiring ninjas (almost everywhere).

Not with the ending that everyone hoped it might have, but the ending that was best for everyone.

What was the ending, you ask? Well, I wouldn't spoil it for you.

.....mainly because I have never read much Naruto, and know hardly anything about it.

I'm sorry. I tried.

But it has been a big part of every fan's life, and I just wanted to pay my respect here.

I mean, just look at this:

Even MapleStory has a Naruto set. (Purely cosmetic, but probably costs real money.)

That just goes on to show how powerful Naruto truly is.

But alas, like all great things, it finally comes to an end.

Not by choice, but by circumstance. 

Think about it. If it goes on, there will be nothing but fillers. And one person can only put out so much work before he gives up, no matter how much he loves it.

15 years. Really I respect that. And your fans respect that as well, Kishimoto-sensei.

But think about it, Naruto fans. If it goes on, will you truly be happy? Do you not want a nice ending, structured well with all loose ends tied up?

I hate loose ends.

It's good to have closure for everything, and as long as everyone is happy, it will be okay.

But then we all know it's impossible to satisfy the fandom.

Sigh.

Let the fanfictions bring Naruto to 7000 episodes, for imaginations will take everyone far. Even for a non-ninja like me.

Cya,