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Saturday 29 December 2012

2012

I have spent the last few days underwater with sun soaked skin and just pondering about life and all the wonders that it has to offer. I have stared at this blank page for over two weeks, thinking about what to write and when I finally have the right words, I get interrupted and the words never come back, but I normally think of blogging when I am in bed, ready to go to sleep and it is not like I am going to jump up and get on my laptop and start typing, so I try and remember it but I never do. 

I wanted this year to be different and it was, the curtain is coming to a close and everyone is taking a bow with only two days left until the year of fun starts, as I am calling it. It was the year that a lot was realised for me and maybe that is because I am still living it or because it really was, I understood life from so many different angles that it is hard to describe in a paragraph, and as I type this words, a slideshow of pictures, sayings, words and memories pop into my mind. It was the year of pain, happiness, sad moments, goodbyes and it was the year that I remember the most as having fun and just living life how it should be lived.

The last few months seem to have gone by in a flash and it is hard to get my head around that 2013 is looming and the new year begins so soon. The last few years have been full of walking, being tired all the time, thinking of beaches and the sand and finishing everything up. The weeks leading up to the holiday like always are endless and we are all just thinking about going on that plane and getting out of the city and meeting all your family members and not have to think about the next school project all the time, which is nice. As I scroll through my news feed on Facebook and write this at the same time and see what my friends are up to, it makes me understand more why we should cherish every single moment because they do not last long enough to capture.

So, if you are reading this please take a moment and have a look at your past, present and future, even if you do not know what might happen and think about all the people you have met, the places you have been and every single moment in your life that makes you who you are today as you will always remember that moment sitting on your computer and wondering about the world and life.

Have a very happy new year and may all your wishes come true and make sure that you do take a moment to reflect as no moment can last forever.

xx

Monday 26 November 2012

We Are The Cool Kids

Every time I open up my blog and try and write something, I lack inspiration. I have also been very busy and have just not had time ... So firstly, I am sorry for the long pause and no new material but here goes something.

I have recently read two blog posts about society, accepting people and popularity and I wanted to share my thoughts. Everyone hides behind a wall of themselves and in their shell, what is on the outside is not necessarily what is within that person. We all have fears of not having friends and being that person sitting by themselves, and as we reach our teenage years, that becomes very important.

We have to have friends that are part of the cool group, we have to have friends that are the most popular people in school, but what about those people that are trying to branch out but they do not know how to. They might be great people but they are just sort of shy and not really understanding of the world of friends, clothes, how you talk and who you hang out with.

Then as we reach our adolescent years, that does not become important any more. We forget who that girl was in high school that nobody talked to. We all move on with our lives and we go onto bigger and better things. We do not worry about that. As we become adults, we have children and get married, our social group is made up of people we choose and who are the closest to us.

I guess what I am trying to say is that in school, friends and popularity is not going to matter when you grow up and venture into the world. The people that we are closest to now are the ones that are probably not going to be the ones that are our best friends when we grow up. So to the people out there that are just too cool to be the popular kids, don't worry about all that stuff, just stay true to yourself and enjoy the ride of life.

I guess if is the new thing to write a blog post about being popular and what society accepts but I thought that this would be the best platform to share my thoughts. I also decided to write because someone said that they missed my blog, you know who you are, so thank you!

hugs and kisses ....

Tuesday 6 November 2012

The Gratitude Guide

Ten things that I am grateful for are ...

1. A home that is really a home, with food on the table and parents that care.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/drmo/545004382/

2. Sport, something that is a second home and where I can really show my full potential.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lumilon/2410552687/

3. Chlorine, a place that let's me glide.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/amaliee/5065186336/

4. Earth, somewhere that I can confine in and somewhere that never ends.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gx9/3283167091/

5. Planes, so that I can see the world.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cubagallery/5827978678/

6. Eyes, so that I can see the world and see what a beautiful place it is.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hkvam/117282883/


7. Summer days, licking ice creams by the beach and catching a wave.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cjfan/7656834844/

8. Winter nights, they give me a reason to wear red scarves, short boots and boyfriend jeans.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/iranmap-com/2722427258/


9. Speech, so that I can talk all the nights away.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/s3a/4466942850/


10. Words, so that I can use them to their full potential.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronicotton/370540327/


I never want the world to end. I am grateful for everything but this list is what I treasure the most.
What do you think is a bit weird in my list? I would love to answer why.

http://gratitudeguide.tumblr.com/ ...



Thursday 1 November 2012

Write To Inspire

I think that people write poems because they feel that it is a way that you can express yourself and be who you want to be. People write poems so that they can figure things out and sometimes you do not even know what you are writing until you get to the end and read it through. Poetry is as complicated as you want it to be and as simple as it can be. It is not just another genre of writing it is a way in which you see the world, using the power of words and the language that you want to use.

It can be about any topic and poetry does not have boundaries so you can write what you want. There are no rules, just you and the paper and you can express anything that you want in a way that you think will be effective and what people will want to read. I also think that you can write in the style that you want to write because the audience is not the most important thing. It is you that has to put your name on the work, so make it how you want it to be.

What inspired me to write this blog post was Sarah Kay, who is a New York born poet who speaks very strongly about spoken word poetry. In class, we watched a video and she was talking at a TED conference in California. She inspired so many just by her opening poem, that she had written herself. The way she moved gracefully around the stage and making sure that every single word that came out of her mouth was as perfect as it could be. It inspired me to say that it's okay and you can do anything with your passion and spoken word poetry is hers.

What is your view on why people write poems?

Tuesday 23 October 2012

A Touch of Weirdness

I hope everyone is having a good holiday, I know I am. Chilling in the sun and watching the days go by. It is very interesting to me that there is such a life while I am in the classroom and it is quite a unique life as I do not get to experience or take it in very much. It has been extremely nice just to not do anything and to get that extra ten minutes in bed I always want. Although, I did not go away, I stayed here and just was myself. Eating a lot, watching television, going for random runs, going off to the pool to try and fit in some recovery training, walking around, shopping and just living life, how I want it to be.

I have not posted in a quite a long time but I have been doing some thinking, trying to find that perfect blog post that I can amaze people with, I think I have found the concept I was looking for ...

" ... i am quite a weird person, well maybe that is the wrong way to go about it. i am random, unique and who i really am. i don't pretend to be someone who i am not. i am who i am, i am what is true to me. i take things and put my own spin on them, trying to make them more me, i guess. i realised that nobody acts who they really are ... listen to this.
nobody dances to the music that is blared through the speakers,
nobody yells to their brother across the shop.
nobody sings to the tune that is playing.
nobody stares at themselves in the shop window.
nobody eats whatever they want in front of friends.
nobody wears what they want to wear, no crazy clashes of prints tied together with a new 'do.
people just don't do that. i miss it ... "

It is quite sad that nobody represents who they really are. We all have natural beauty and we all have that one thing that we love to do. We are all different but we act all the same, I have kind of tried to change that. I went out and just did what I wanted to do. To see if people would notice ...

i danced to the music in the health food shop. it was from the 80s and i just jived, using moves that i have seen from footloose or any movie. my mum laughed, she just forget everything else.
i ate pasta with spinach and ricotta filling and cheese. it was delicious, i didn't care.
i turned the radio up and blasted the music from the bad radio stations in singapore, with the dj's that have no idea how to be a dj. i wound down the wind and sang from the top of lungs, i did not have a care in the world.
i clashed my outfit with different prints and my vintage sunglasses, i don't know why but i did.

Nobody cared and my evaluation of the world changed. They don't care if you dance across the floor in your mint green vans, they simply do not care. So my message is, be who you want, when you want, how you want. Live. Love. Laugh. you only live once so be alive and live the moment.

be who you want to be.
with different sides and all.
http://sketchabook.tumblr.com/ ...

nobody says that.
http://liquoranddrugs.tumblr.com/ ...

"life is way too beautiful and fascinating to spend it on fashion rules".

but abnormal isn't.
http://waiting-on-the-equinox.tumblr.com/ ...

"life is about taking risks and if you do not take risks, you will never know what you are capable of".

cheers to life. ella xx



Wednesday 17 October 2012

Silence

--- snippets of my life. this all actually happened ---

I put my face underwater, all I hear is silence. I open my eyes, the water clear and beautiful. I move the sand around through my hands and all I hear is the swish of the sand against my rough palms. I smooth it out again and again. Like an obsession. I bring my face out of the water but put it back in again. For the last time, my face is brought out of the water, my hat which is keeping the beating sun off my skin, is falling off my face. I place it back on and the water splashes everywhere. The bright light is a difference from my time underwater. I love it, nobody else is around me. I soak it in.

Silence. I only hear the clink of the ice cubes in my cups as it is lowered to and from my mouth. The smash of the silver cutlery as the food is pushed onto the fork and then rested on the plate. More silence. Everyone is engrossed in their own little world, on their phone, looking up at the ceiling or focusing on a specific point or place. I wish there was conversation though, something to talk about, something for me to think about.

The flutter of the bird or the sound from an animal and the crickets is all I hear. I am sitting on a rock in the middle of the rainforest, wondering about life and crying my eyes out because I want to go home. I am on camp, I have just moved to a place that I don't know very well and I was sent off to a place that I have never been with people that I have just met on the first day of school. I hear footsteps and a teacher comes and tells me that I can get up and continue trekking onwards. An experience to never forget, but people are what I love and I need them around me.

http://askthegreenfairy.tumblr.com/ ... 
sitting in the green. soaking up the atmosphere.

http://1thousanddreamcatchers.tumblr.com/ ...
nobody else, just me.

http://poppiesandpeppercorns.tumblr.com/ ...



Thursday 11 October 2012

Poems


Dust of Snow by Robert Frost

The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued


Poems To Read: A new Favorite Poems Anthology Project edited by Robert Pinsky


This poem struck me because it is short, sweet and too the point. It makes so much sense in my mind. It forms an image and I am easily satisfied with what it has to offer. You can go into detail and even with a short poem, it sets you off with thoughts, ideas and anything that comes to mind. I can picture the thin layer of snow on a cold, winter's night, as my mood went from sad to happy. I can picture the trees shaking off the droplets of snow as it's lips shiver. The cold wind blowing against the trees who are freezing but because they are made of bones and toughness they stand for another hundred years.

I can picture when the author sat down to write this and he looked out the window and just wrote, spilling his thoughts out so that every reader that read it, could have their own interpretation of what he was trying to show. When I read this poem aloud, I can hear the rhyme and and beat it has to offer, I can hear the emotion sliding off the words as each word is sounded out, clearly and not missing a beat.


Mug - Mornings.
On mornings such as thesewhen autumn’s chill comes
creeping under sheets, 
curling
around my legs, 
crawling
its icy fingers up my spine,
the warmth I find within my cup
seems to draw a blanket up,
tucks away the bitter cold,
sends sleeping shivers under doors.


Written By bluesandbarebones.


I chose to share this poem because it struck me that it was just perfect. I loved it ever since I first read it. My ideas on it is that it is about the morning and coffee but not all about coffee, I can picture the autumn morning, cold and wanting you to hate it. The shiver as you wrap your bare hands around your body in an attempt to keep warm. Your fingers wrapped around the cup, holding it to just make sure that everything will be okay in the end. Once you take your first sip, the warmness of the liquid running down your throat. Your mouth is doing somersaults in happiness, you know that every little thing is good, again. You just needed reassurance, but you found it, in that coffee mug.

mug mornings. 

http://dreeaammer.tumblr.com/ ...

Wednesday 10 October 2012

The Subject

I feel the need to write, it gives me a place that I can just leave all my thoughts and let it all out, I do not know why, I get an urge but I do. As I sat down tonight, wanting to let all my thoughts, ideas, emotions and everything that I want to let out, pour all over the page, I couldn't and so I decided to write this post about where our ideas come from and why we want to write, why we feel the need to write about different subjects and how we get those brilliant ideas.

When I feel like writing an entry, I have to write one or else. I feel that it gives me nothing to hide behind, no big boulder to shed behind and think to myself, which is also good, sometimes but now, I need to write. Enough about me going on about subjects and ideas and blogging, over to what this post was supposed to be about.

I get my ideas from places I have been, the way it works in that place, that way that people live, what they were and how they act. My inspiration comes from the mood I am in, the kind of clothes I wear, how I ask people things, how I answer questions, how I do everything. The subject that I write about comes from the deep corners of my mind, I fish around for awhile, typing and retyping different titles, trying to find that perfect one.

I understand other's people points of views and I blog about them, that discussion that we had in English today, can be continued if we try. In an effort to blog everyday, I write notes about what to write about but sometimes it does not work. But I still try. And try.

I would like to hear your thoughts on the matter and where you get your ideas from, to start conversation, a question must be asked and the question will be, where do you get your ideas from and why to you feel the urge to write. I would love to hear your opinions and thoughts, please leave a comment and I will reply.

the memories you have can help gain ideas.

http://officialmeerooh.tumblr.com/ ...

free thinking, think the way you want to think.

http://barriletesdeilusion.tumblr.com/ ...



Tuesday 9 October 2012

My Mentor

When I think of someone who has the common qualities of what I am taught and trying to achieve, as I go through school, I think of Miss. Paula, my English teacher. I think that it is very important to have role models and mentors, but I do think that they have to be the right ones. The type of people that you can look up to and be able to still be your own person as your are an individual but you can follow by example.

Miss. Paula has that drive and she is concerned about you but still let's you explore the world yourself. She allows you to pretty much, spread your wings and fly. To me, she let's you understand her mistakes, so that you can learn from them but she still allows you to make the mistakes, so that you know how it feels.

I am not saying this just because, I am saying this because I mean it. The mentor that I have always wanted, I finally have. Someone who is a woman, who loves to write, has a great fashion sense and is a person that just makes you feel happy when you are around her.

To achieve all my goals and to make sure that I can be the best that I can be, in every, single thing that I do, I need someone like Miss. Paula. As English is my favourite subject, I am glad that I have someone who allows me to love the subject and still let's me think by myself so that I can take good control over my learning.

I just want to say thank you for being there and making me love English, school and just life in general and for also passing over your obsession with taking photos of everything, I do to now.

never give up.

dream catcher. 

fly away to your dreams.


because everything we do is always looking forward.

i tried.

i can't wait to see you again.

credits to http://tomorrowafteryesterday.tumblr.com/ ...
always look forward.


Monday 8 October 2012

Just Some Pictures













all photos taken by me (:

i will turn it over to you, please give me your opinion on the pics.
a picture tells a thousand words (even though it is a clique).


Saturday 6 October 2012

Inspiration

Funny. I was thinking about this the other day, where does my motivation to do anything come from. For me, it comes from lot's of different places. For different things, different mentors and motivators and things that inspire me to do more, to do better and to do well.

My sports, inspiration comes from my team mates, my coaches and most importantly myself. I am quite the positive type and I will push the boundaries and make sure that I am doing the best that I can. I try and motivate others when a hard set comes along and I try and push other people along to make them feel proud and happy.

For my school work, my motivation comes from me, my teachers, my classmates and everyone that helps me with my learning. They inspire to really show what I can do, prove that I will do and tell them what I want to do.

I used to be a downer and I always felt that there was no point in being Miss. Happy, but then I changed my mindset and now I am the most encouraging person that I can be. I smile and wave and say hello to everyone. It makes me feel happy and excited and hyper. Like an adrenalin rush shakes my bones. Maybe, it's the thought that I can be motivating and inspiring to people or just because I am happy, everyone is happy.

So my word's of advice are, smile because nobody wants to see a sad face. Laugh because everyone loves your laugh. Be cheerful because everyone wants the mood to light up. Be happy because nobody wants anybody to be a downer on themselves. Live your life happy and carefree, you only live once and live that life once, in happiness.

don't worry be happy (:

credits to http://omg-mustache.tumblr.com/ ...
a beautiful nightmare.
dream and wish that everything can happen.

cheer up.

credits to http://everthingoflv.tumblr.com/ ...
dare to be different.
dare to be heard.



Friday 5 October 2012

When It Approaches

The rumble in the sky and the crack that you hear.
The sky darkens and light slowly disappears.
Rain starts to fall, slowly.
Then it pours down. Buckets and buckets of rain.
You want to go outside but you can't, lightening has struck.
You look up and a big flash is right before you.
You duck, not wanting to hear the noise.
Your ears are covered and the noise is made.
The face you pull, is squished and scared.
So, cheers to storms, they always make you scared.
And it is good to be scared ...
if it does not change who you are.
Then it all goes away and the skies clear up.
Happy and cheerful, the world becomes again.


A parting of the heavens :)

Credits to http://gable222.tumblr.com/ ... 
photo taken by iPhone 4s (:




Tuesday 2 October 2012

To Understand Us

That story that you heard the other day, that story that made an impact on you, has been shared for ages and ages, passed down from generations and will continue to. It is in your hands now to share. We share stories because we feel the need to have an opinion and perspective on anything and everyone does. We like to make sure we understand those around us so we can make connections, share experiences and be ourselves. We want to connect and be who we really are.

We are humans that are normal, but again, is there such thing as being normal. No. Everyone is who they want to be, we are shaped by past experiences which we share, those experiences are who we are and who we want to be. We share our experiences and stories by passing them done, in normal speech and making sure everyone is aware of what has happened to you. We can share our stories in a written format, with the use of powerful and descriptive language.

I am a human who likes to share stories by telling people about them. I think that is the best way, you get an idea of who that person is and who they want to be. You can hear the tone in their voice and hear what their emotion is.

Our stories that we share are about us, who we are, our thoughts, our ideas and who we want to be. About our goals and achievements, what we want to accomplish and what we already have, our reflections of life and the world. Our diversity and why we do what we do, like what we like and be who are.

Every single person on Earth has the right to tell a story and share something. The world is like a patchwork quilt, each piece unique and random. Our stories come from the deep pockets of the world and ourselves. We share because we want to. We share because we care. We share because we love. We share because we live.

Always stay strong.


Cheers to the past, but the future awaits us.


Share it, everyone wants to hear it.

Credits to ... http://blondeandpinkk.tumblr.com/ :)

Saturday 29 September 2012

The World of Blogging

It never really came to me why having this blog is so important, it allows you to yes, be yourself and share your ideas and all that. I think that there is so much more to it, it allows you to be free, it is like spreading your wings and flying. Soaring above the clouds, you have been in a cage all your life and now you are free to roam the world, to go out and explore.

I am the type of person that does not like rules, they kind of tighten the knots on the rope you have to climb. It sets too many boundaries and once you step out, it is very hard to get back in the game. With blogging, there are no rules, write if you want, write when you want, write about what you want, do what you want. Post a picture. Leave a comment. Write something. Whatever.

During the day, I always think of things that I want to write about, and if I do think of something, I have to write it that instance, it can not wait another second. All these ideas roam my mind, they are like fireworks, representing the start of a new year. New hopes. New goals. New future. New you.

And although at the end of the day, I am just a girl sitting behind her computer screen with her thoughts going off, I can still be heard and I will. Blogging can also start small and become huge. Slowly and surely, this blog might take off, if the ideas keep coming and the motivation to write is there, then there is no problem. Even if I do not have a point to write, I still will.

they always tell you to think outside of the box but maybe it is time to think in.

and looking at it from afar.

and maybe looking across.

and looking at it from close up but wide spread.

all pictures taken by me :)




Singapore, Through Me

As I look out the window of my classroom every morning, I always see the clear, picturesque view of Singapore. They say that we have the best view in school, I believe it. What I see, is what I get. It is what represents Singapore.

The cranes, representing building and development and a forever changing city. Meaning up. Buildings go up and cranes come down and are transferred to a new spot, to build some more.
This is how I see Singapore ...


Sunday 23 September 2012

Just Life

It is so good to be back. So. So. So good. I missed the world and even though I was still living in it, I turned invisible for five days. The hype when I got back to school Monday morning, fresh and ready to conquer the day. Excitement built as everyone asked you how the trip went, and what to look forward to when they go. What is it like? Was it fun? Was it hard? It is quite overwhelming but it is great to be back so I do not mind.

Even though it was a great experience and I loved it, it was hard and tough but everyone tells you to live dangerously, so I did. I am a city person, not meaning that I love the country, I do it is just that I need to see skyscrapers and people and have connection with the real world. Where we went, it was picturesque and untouchable and that is not what life is about. I needed a break and I have had it, my black rings under my eyes have gone and I am cleansed out, ready to have life thrown back at me. 

When we got back, I jumped off the bus and I knew that then, I was really home and where I belong. That last day in Sibu was tough, everyone knew that it was the end but we were just off it, fifteen hours, the countdown began. Watches were checked and math skills were used. How many hours more? The favourite question that we had in the last kayak was 'what are you going to do first, when you get home?', it kind of wore out after a while. I guess that thinking about home makes you feel better and calms those nerves down a little.




Saturday 22 September 2012

The Getaway

The arrival of us back to where we live has been and goneWe spent the last five days on Sibu island, away from technology and school and civilisation. The days past as we reflected, kayaked and thought about everything. About the trip and how we kayaked across the Indian Ocean, capsizing and trying to egg each other on.

We arrived. We conquered. We saw. We witnessed. We lived. That small (not so small island, if you kayak around it), was our home for the week. We lived there and treated it like our 'real' home. We were together and spent those days with each other, no privacy or personal space needed. The 'paw - wow' sessions at the end of every night gave us the chance to reflect on the time and the chance to hear each other's thoughts and ideas.

The day we arrived we trained up for the big expedition that was going to take place. We paddled in the bay of our cabins and resort, capsizing and learning efficient strokes to use in the real thing.  We were put into our groups, were given our equipment and got our kayaks and we were off. The sun burnt down on us as we took in the atmosphere of where we were and where we would live for the next five days. That night was spent in our cabins, in our groups which were certainly mixed with people that we do not 'hang' with, but thanks to the people that made that possible, friendships were made.

The next day, our expedition started, we paddled around the north face of the island, stopping for lunch in the middle and trying to get to the destination. The five hours that that trip took, we laughed, shouted, screamed and cried. The emotions pouring out as we laughed at the jokes, shouted at each other to keep up with the group, we screamed at how we never ever, wanted to kayak again and we cried when it was all over. Night fell and we camped out in our tents, again pushed to the limit with the living conditions, well maybe not as extreme as that but change is good right?

Morning came and the expedition continued. Tents were packed up, breakfast was served and we were off for another day. This time, longer and harder. Kayaking to another island and camping there over night. It was painful, your arms moving so hard but you had to go on. Camping that night was fun, a bonfire and thoughts and ideas passed around the circle. Once in a lifetime experience.

The last full day rolled around, cleaning day. We cleansed out and everything was washed, packed up and put away. A weight lifted off your shoulders and dinner was served. The bonfire roasted our marshmallows as it burned our faces off but you only live once right?

Throughout the trip I was happy, not homesick or sick in general. I capsized but I got back up and continued on. I was with my friends and I lived life while I was there. The trip gave me the chance to feel what being outdoors was like and really experiencing it.

It was not about the destination but how we got there, from start to finish and the process we took.  It was how we lived, the experiences we had, what we shared and why we did it. A journey to never ever forget but always one to remember, you only live once and you must try and do everything possible. Live. Love. Laugh. Scream. Shout. Cry. Enjoy ...

Just loving Sibu ...

Kayaking, another day gone ...

The jetty, storm approaching ...

Tide in, tide out ...

Go TEAM ... 

In paradise ...

The sunset ...

Another day, another dawn ...

Credits to Ms. Paula for all the awesome pics!!