To Tigger, with love

To those who have read some of my Twitter tweets a few days ago, I have found my cat, Tigger. Unfortunately, Tigger was found dead. It was pretty sick when I last saw him, vomiting clear liquid quite frequently and it won't take in any food or water. We suspected that it was either poisoned, or ate something deadly beforehand. The next thing I knew, he went missing and we weren't able to find him around and we were  keeping our fingers crossed, hoping that he would come home soon.

As some of you might know, I found Tigger in a drain late at night while it was raining. He was meowing very loudly because he was at the edge of the drain. If he falls, it would be the end of his life but he was so tiny at the time that he couldn't climb out of the shallow drain himself. My dad rescued him out and then he ran off. A couple of weeks later, we found out that my next-door neighbour was keeping him but due to certain circumstamces, they weren't able to keep him anymore so we took Tigger over.

Tigger was my favourite cat out of the 5 cats that I have. =) He was my favourite because he was the first cat that I took care of since my last cat who ran away a year ago. Tigger was the only male out of the litter and also the eldest and largest, so he took care of the other 4 young female kittens. Tigger was best friend with *Lily, good friend with **Snowie and was a fatherly figure to 2 very young kittens, ***Patches and Laces.

* Lily was the 2nd cat which we took in because it was abandoned and is kind of blind in one eye.

** Snowie is the 5th cat that we took in which was also abandoned outside our house during a night where it was raining heavily.

*** Patches and Laces were the 3rd & 4th cat that was abandoned outside our house with giant red ants all over them which left them swollen and in pain.

All of the cats that I have are all abandoned cats. They were all in bad condition when we found them but after some tender, loving care, they are now well. A few of them had cases of worms maybe because they were strays and were abandoned, not sure what they actually ate before they came to us(We did de-worm them though (= , so no worries). We feed them minimum 3 times a day with cat food, water and occasionally milk. The cats are bathe at least once a week. So, they are all taken good care off.

Well, it was sad thing that Tigger is now gone but at least he's no more in pain or suffering now. Tigger, thank you for giving me a beautiful memory to remember you by. :)

To Tigger, with love.

Hannah.

Disclaimer: All photos do not belong to me unless stated so. Credits to the original photo uploader.

3rd last day of school

I would always wonder how time flies. Don't you? It goes past so fast that you can't help but wonder what happened to the extra time you thought you had. Today is the 3rd last day of my A Level schooling. It scares me somehow, knowing that with me finishing with school, it would be the start of the BIG FINALS! I mean, it was not very long ago that I just entered into a new school, new environment and now, I'm getting ready to leave.

Well, some classes of mine have been the very last today due to some events happening tomorrow and on Saturday. It has been a bittersweet feeling, parting with the friends you've made, the teachers you've known and the attachment to certain places that we frequently hang out in school and all.

Somehow, this 2 years of school life will leave with me as a part of my "crazy teenage" memories. I hope that one day I'll be able to look back at these days in the future with a smile even though A Level is a really tough one to get through.

Persevere and endure.

Hannah

Happy Teachers' Day 2012

In Brunei, Teachers' Day falls on the 23rd of September every year which coincides with the birthday of the 28th Sultan of Brunei. Hopefully, it's not too late to wish all the teachers of the world a HAPPY TEACHERS' DAY! 

I'm rather blessed to have met many good and wonderful teachers during all my studying years. Many of which I will remember for as long as I live. That's how great you are to me, teachers. Teaching is a noble job. It takes patience, love, commitment, perseverance  and passion! It might sound cliche but without teachers, I really would be nothing and I would not be where I am today, finishing my last year of A Level.

I've been schooling for 15 years of my life and each teacher plays a different role to me. 

Kindergarten teachers have taught me to spell and count and to read and write, also to sing and dance.

Primary school teachers have taught me the many lessons and skills that are needed to lay the foundation for the years of education ahead after primary school.

Secondary school teachers have taught me uncountable school and life lessons. Other than the normal school stuff, they have taught me that it's okay to make life mistakes while we're young and if we fall down, we have to learn to get up again. To never give up when we stumble and fall.

College teachers have taught me all the further education needed to prepare myself for the university life ahead. They have encouraged me, directly and indirectly, on and on to not give up and to continue press on when I feel discouraged during my 2 years of A Level.

School life has been a challenging road to travel but with the help of teachers, they make it easier for us, students, to keep walking on. I appreciate my teachers and you should too because they are the people, other than your parents, to mould your being and to guide you to the right path. Also not forgetting my ECA teachers, like my piano teacher, my ex-English mentor/teacher, my Sunday School teachers and my Bible Class teachers, you guys are great and I thank you for your tutelage. 

So, a BIG THANK YOU to my teachers for being there and HAPPY TEACHERS' DAY! May all of you continue to share your wisdom and passion to the many generations after.

Thank you, teachers.

Hannah

Disclaimer: All the photos uploaded aren't mine unless stated so. Credits to the original photo uploaders.

2 Birthdays and a Royal Wedding

I haven't been using the laptop for the past week and hence, the no post for last week. I've been busy, you know, with the finals coming up and all. I'm currently bogged up with assignments and revisions which I'm not liking and enjoying as much. But even with all these dull activities, I still spared some of my time for a few more exciting stuff. (I'll be writing on the dates itself, so, today doesn't really means today. :P)

21 September 2012, Friday:

Today is my daddy's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!! However, it's rather boring and sad today because my dad isn't exactly at home. My dad went back to KK, Sabah which is our hometown. Dad is the peacemaker in my family. With all the constant fights and bickering between siblings and the defiance against mum sometimes (not that my siblings and I are very naughty but there's always these moments right?), dad is always there at the end to fix everything out. So, daddy left on Wednesday evening and will be back Saturday noon, so hopefully he comes home soon. 

Well, dad had to go back to KK to attend the funeral of his elder cousin which is also my uncle and this is not a very nice reason to go back home to. As far and as much as I can remember, there have been 4 funerals of the people whom I know of this year, as of September 2012. They were family members and friends. Well, it is a hard time especially to their respective families but there's always the fond memories spent together to cherish on. That's what I told myself after the passing of a dear family member of mine. It is painful but as time passes, things would get a little better. :) Below is something that I  said and wrote, not forgetting you, baby chubbs, as each day passes by. :')

"Remembering you every single day, keeping you in my heart. The memories still fresh and the love for you is always there. I miss you. "

Okay, enough of that and moving back to the main story. Since dad's birthday falls during his stay back in KK, he had the honour of celebrating his birthday with his mother, sisters, nieces and nephew, simply speaking they're just my grandma, aunts and cousins. :P They had a birthday dinner together at a Korean restaurant and I sort of gatecrashed their party. Hehehe.. the restaurant, coincidentally, had WiFi and dad was whatsapp-ing me with pictures of their food and fun. So, I was a little jealous because I wasn't there so I FaceTime-d my dad. When I FaceTime-d my dad, I was just in time to sing the birthday song and see my dad cutting his birthday cake! Thank God for modern technology! 

After the cake cutting, my aunts and cousins were surprised at this FaceTime thing and also they haven't seen and heard from me a long time, it became a catching up session for me and my aunts, cousins and grandma. Haha.. it's like stealing the spotlight away from my dad to me. :P But I had fun, they had fun and I led them to discover the wonders of FaceTime. Even when we're miles apart, it can make you feel like you was there too. I had a nice day seeing my KK family. Can't wait to go back to my hometown for a stay after my exams. :)

22 September 2012, Saturday:

Today is Mel's birthday. Yay!! You're finally 19!! I'm so happy for you. We had a normal school day but I for one, was excited about the party happening later tonight. School went well as well as everything else. I carpooled with Alicia and Bums to the party. However, in the car, Alicia informed Bums and I that Mel had gotten into a car accident. Further details weren't known at that time. So, when we arrived at Mel's residence, Mel still wasn't back. She had to go to record a police statement as a result of the accident and to the hospital to check on her injuries.

Mel came home not long after we arrived. Thank goodness that nothing serious has happened to her. What a birthday for her to remember. Poor Mel. Other than that unfortunate event, the party went fine. She had invited our school gang as well as other schoolmates. It was a fun party and I got to talked to friends whom I haven't talked to in a very long time even though we see each other in school. Mel, of course, was in a lot of discomfort from her injuries but it didn't really stop her from having a good time. What a champ she is!

Mel is one friend that I appreciate a lot. She and I share a lot of similar situations in life, though being different in personalities and all. She's always the one who talks practical sense into me for I sometimes have a fantasied view of life. Mel has a unique persona. She's a very straightforward person, so don't get offended by what she says really and she's a bubbly and happy-go-lucky girl. I've known her for 9 years and it's been amazing getting to know her. HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIRL!! You're the bomb and I love you! 

23 September 2012, Sunday:

In Brunei today and for the past week, people have been busy and getting ready for a big occasion. There's a royal wedding in the Sultanate today! One of Sultan's daughter, Princess Hafizah, is getting married. Though there's no wedding procession along the streets this time, we can still watch the wedding through TV. Wow.. I'm ever so amazed by how grand royal weddings in Brunei can be. It's really great. I've seen the repeat telecast of the wedding at night and  I can feel the excitement of the royal wedding.

This wedding has been full and rich in Bruneian rituals and culture, as like the many other weddings in the past. The items that I see in the Royal Regalia is used in the wedding and all. There's also so many people being invited to the royal wedding being held in the Royal Palace including foreign dignitaries. One thing that attracts me most is the outfit and the many blings. ;) 

You can clearly see how happy the Sultan is. When I looked at him through the TV, he's smiling from ear to ear, seeing his princess (like literally :P) get married. Ahh.. so heartwarming. SELAMAT PENGANTIN DIRAJA! :)

What an eventful weekend!

Hannah

Disclaimer: All photos aren't mine unless stated so. Credits to the original photo uploader.

Oppa Gangnam Style & Oppa Brunei Style

This week has been super hectic for me.I'm not sure about the others but I'm mentally and physically exhausted. It's been a full week of school, lessons and assignments. Oh the bore. So, nothing interesting or fun has happened to me this week. D-day is arriving soon, counting down fast by the days that seem to zoom by. I, for one, do not look forward to my finals and I'm not as ready as I think I should be.

Moving on. These days, I'm sure many of us have heard about this South Korean singer, Psy, whose song and music video, Oppa Gangnam Style. If you have not heard of it, I think you must have been living under a rock. I've heard this song much earlier on since it's initial release. It wasn't such a big hoo-ha then as it is now. From my honest opinion, this song is not bad and it's pretty catchy plus, I like Psy's music since years ago (YG Family for the win!) and songs from YG can't be any bad. <--- Okay, this is K-pop talk. Only a K-popper would understand.

However, since the song and the music video went viral on the internet and all  recently, I feel that this song has been overplayed. Not that I don't like the song but I hear it ALL the time on the local radio stations and music channels on TV that it's been getting a little irritating for me. There's pros and cons about this though. The good thing is that Oppa Gangnam Style would expose many people to K-pop and K-pop would benefit from this really. One of the cons would be that, with so many people overplaying this song, it will slowly lose it's significance and make people feel indifferent about it.

So, for people who have yet to watch the Music Video of "Oppa Gangnam Style" or wants to watch it again, here it is.

I think that this music video is pretty interesting, taking a side which not many Korean artistes take. Psy is a unique individual in the Korean Music industry as well. Oppa Gangnam Style features Psy's famous "horse dance", just like SNSD's Gee having it's "crab dance". 

Many of the people like this song however, there are some who can't seem to appreciate such music. Well, everybody has got different taste so no judging here as it's all based on personal preference. If you like this song, then good for you, if not, haters gonna hate. 

Oppa Gangnam Style is getting really popular and crazy by the second that people ALL AROUND THE WORLD are making parodies of this video. Well, I don't think it's any bad to make a parody. There are really some interesting ones out there that I have seen. Well, this doesn't exclude Brunei. A group of young people in Brunei have actually made a parody of Oppa Gangnam Style. In my opinion, it's not bad. The parody showcases some Brunei flavours in it that I think is what that is appealing to others.

Without further ado, I present to you the Brunei's version of Oppa Gangnam Style, the "Oppa Brunei Style"!

Well, this "Oppa Brunei Style" has gain many viewers since it's release yesterday which I think is quite a feat. This parody has actually many positive reviews however, when there's an up, there will always be a down right? Well, you can't please everybody. Anyway, good job to the people in the video. You guys gave a great performance. A forward step in Bruneian entertainment perhaps? :)

Appreciate good music.

Hannah

p.s. the post here is written in my very own perspective and does not reflect the views of the general public.

Getting Ready

It's the weekend now. Soon, I have to go back to school after a very short break after my mock exams. Am I ready? That's one of the question that many people ask me when they actually see me. Hmmm.. The answer to that is NO. I don't think I'm ever ready for exams, tests and all. I've still one more month to go before the BIG FINALS! Days are passing and finals sure is getting closer and closer.

I haven't been doing anything super productive this break. I'm taking it a little slow this week before I charge on for the rest of the days until my Finals are over. A Level kind of suck. It's one of the hardest thing ever that I've come across. I've juniors who come to me saying that they get what I mean now when I said it's very different from O Level and secondary school studies. Well, I'm relieved that all these will soon be over for me. Just 3 more months to go. I just have to press on for these 3 months. I must tell myself that I CAN DO THIS! :)

So, I have something to share again. These few days on my Facebook feed, I've seen quite a few people posting about a daddy-daughter duo. Out of curiosity, I went to check it out. Hey, it turns out that they're pretty good. They're Jorge and Alexa Narvaez. I LOVE THEIR VIDEOS! It's so heart-warming and it totally gives you the "AWWW" moment. Jorge sings really well and Alexa too, of course and I find Alexa being so cute! Haha! You can read further down the page to find out more about their videos ;)

This introduction is taken from their YouTube channel, realitychangers (for the people who're lazy to just go click on the link to their channel.)

Hi, everyone! My name is Jorge, the proud papa of Alexa (age 7) and Eliana (age 3).

When we posted our first family video on YouTube, I was just a father of two working my way through college. (Don't worry... mom still has a meaningful role in our daughters' lives.)

Within days of posting our breakthrough video on December 31, 2010, millions of people around the world saw Alexa give an inspired -- yet somewhat sleepy! -- rendition of one of her favorite songs as she clung onto the guitar that I was playing backwards and upside down.

Soon after, international superstars Ryan Seacrest and Ellen DeGeneres invited this "father-daughter duo" to appear on their shows and, by the end of 2011, Time.com called us "why the internet was invented."

Videos below :D

This video above is the one that made the news. It's just such a pretty picture (figurative speaking). I'm pretty sure you'll like it too. :)

One of my favourite song ;)

Oh, other than music covers, they do upload some other really cute videos too. I love Eliana. She's just such a sweetheart! Below is one of the videos that I found sooo cute!

Enjoy watching and listening,

Hannah :)

My Panic Issues

So, I have finished my mock exams already. Guess what? I think that this A Level mock exams are like one of the worst experience ever. I don't know if I'm just plain stupid or whatever I am, I can never seem to do as well as how others expect me to. I just always fall short. I get nervous breakdowns.. note the "s", which means I have had multiple panic attack each exam. Let me tell you what. PANIC ATTACK SUCKS!

I've clearly revised and study for my exams by reviewing notes and doing past years' exam papers. I thought that I remembered many facts that I needed for my exam but just when I set foot into the exam hall, I start to get all nervous, sweaty and scared. It all settles down just as I'm prepared to start writing and such. However, just when I opened the question paper  after being told to do so, the panic attack starts again. Oh boy, what I memorised and remembered then goes down the drain. What is this?! My panic attacks makes my mind goes blank and makes me forget EVERYTHING!

While many of my school peers are still having their mock exams (due to different subjects on different days, mine finished earlier), I'm excused from school. Being not having school today, I still went back to school to amend my exam schedule for my final exam next couple of months and I took some time to go meet my sociology teacher. My sociology teacher is one of the BEST TEACHER I've ever have! Seriously, he's the one who encourages me and gives me some hope even when all seems dark with my studies. He knew about my panic issues since last year's finals and he told me to calm down (in a very nice and gentle way, of course).

When I met him this morning, he asked me if my panic attacks happened again. He said that my AS sociology results does no justice to what I've done and revised. Well, I do take some pride off my assignments which I've always tried my best at it and it always got me good homework grades. :) He assumed that I panicked just before the exam (which I clearly did before, during and after the exam ><). After some chatting while I met up with him this morning, he told me to try to fix my panic issues because it's clearly affecting my studies and my results. He also told me that with some good revision and no panic attacks, I'll do good in all my future exams. Thank you for reassuring me! :)

I can't seem to understand why I get these panic attacks either. I tried not to let it happen but it just always happens and I always felt like it's the end of the world after the exam. Sigh.. I need a remedy for this. Maybe it's just my personality or it could well be my psychological thinking? I don't really know. But what I know is that having nervous breakdowns sucks and it feels like I've died a little inside.

Hopefully this problem of mine will be resolved very soon, because I'm having my finals in a month's time and i can't afford to lose out anymore. Also, I'm prepared to do very badly and maybe fail a couple of subjects for my mocks. This is just sad.. very sad. This totally sucks.. BIG TIME.

Trying to fix my freaking nervous breakdowns,

Hannah

Disclaimer: All photos or pictures aren't mine unless stated so. Credits to the original uploader.