It's the End of 2012, Not the End of the World

  Hey guys! It's already December! Time really has wings. It seemed only yesterday when I celebrated New Year's Day at the beginning of the year. Christmas is coming so fast that I was shocked when I looked at the calendar today and saw that it was 13 December! Besides signaling the near coming of Christmas, this date also has special meaning for me. 13 December is the birthday of my late cousin and I haven't gone to Mandai for quite a while to visit her. I just want to wish her a great birthday and I know she's having a great time in heaven right now.

  But Christmas isn't the only thing about to happen this period. I'm gonna get my new guitar soon and I'm very excited about that. I've been practicing for a few hours every day since I picked up guitar a few weeks ago. Although I'm not very good yet, I can say that I've made considerable improvement. ;P In addition to that, my long-awaited holidays are knocking on my front door! They start from next Monday and end on the 2nd of January 2013! I know it's only a little more than two weeks, but it's better than nothing anyways. :P During that time, my dad plans to do some revamp-work on the house. I'm helping out and I'll try to post pics of the progress!

  I just wanna thank God for helping me get through this year. Yes, it was filled with ups and downs, but I know that God will always be there for me and for you too. I hope you have a great Christmas season! Always remember that Christmas is mainly centered on these two things: Jesus and giving. :)

  And before I sign off, I'm going to say something. On January 1, 2013, I'm going to watch 2012 and laugh. I know this is quite an old joke but anyways... #JustSaying

"Summer Break" Summary

Yes, I know. Two other blogs are also talking about this right now (summer break)... But anyways...

It's always hot ol' summer down here in the equator. So "summer break" should not be the right word. However, I'm just too lazy to make up another word...

I can't really say that it has been a true summer break. 80% of the time was tedious work with a church camp, debate camp, youth camp, cell outings, DNA labs, weekly soccer training sessions, ICC, etc. to break the monotony. The work and the activities were an inordinate burden and I still have backlog! Grrr...

Besides all that, a few things made it a bit more interesting, namely taking my Grade 8 piano exam on the 10 September. I don't think I did too well, though. I feel that my lack of preparation and my nervousness let me down there. Gah... I just have to pray that I'll pass. (It was that bad.) But I guess I learnt a lesson though: practice properly!

Lord of the Rings made a comeback in my life this month. (I had neglected it for a few months) For some reason, I'm crazy about it. I've spent hours doing research on the history of Middle-Earth, the Valar, etc. I've reread the books many times too! I even downloaded a Tengwar transcriptor! Hehe!

Now "summer break" is officially over (to me, it didn't quite exist in the first place). I've started an Advanced Composition course with Potters School and my classmates seem to be a chatty, interesting, and fun lot. I normally don't say this, but I'm looking forward to the "new school year." I just need a few improvements. To be specific, time management, attitude, responsibility, and a hunger for learning. (My parents will give me a pat on the back for saying that!)

Yeah, things may get hard along the way (especially the increasing workload), but I know that God will help me get through!

Hopefully, this "school year" will one to remember!

Ending once again with a Tengwar Quenya phrase. It means: to a good school year!