Clearing Up

Okay, before my Europe post, (which will be coming hopefully soon) I think I owe some explanation to some people. If you have known me pretty well recently, you will have realized that I have an annoying habit of correcting people whenever they say something like "Our team consisted of me, Tom, Dick, and Harry" to "Our team consisted of Tom, Dick, Harry and I".

Understand?

Well, I was just thinking about it just now, and I decided to Google the subject to confirm that I was doing the right thing. (I wasn't even sure that whole time I had the habit, Jia En's the one who taught me)

And well, here are the results of my search:

Consider the following sentence: You and I should have lunch.

Is the correct form of this sentence You and I ... or You and me ...? This is a common source of confusion in English.

Fortunately, there's an easy way to decide whether to use I or me in such sentences. All you have to do is drop the word you then try the sentence with I and me one at a time. For example:

• I should have lunch.
• Me should have lunch.

Clearly the preferred form in this case is I; thus, the original sentence was correct to use you and I.

Here's another example: He'll blame you and I. Drop the word you then try the sentence with Ime one at a time, like so: and

• He'll blame I.
• He'll blame me.

You can see that the second of these is correct. This means that the original sentence should have been: He'll blame you and me.

Easy.

On a related note, when using phrases such as you and me, you and I or them and us, it has traditionally been considered courteous to place the reference to yourself last. For example, we prefer:

• He'll ask you and me later.

over:

• He'll ask me and you later.

So there you have it. I would like to sincerely apologize for all the times I'd wrongly corrected your grammar. In that sense, I actually wronged your grammar. Not in all the cases, of course, but perhaps half of the time. Heheh.

In the future, I shall make an effort to consider your sentences before voicing my corrections.

Jun Shern out.

*Static*

We've Lost Another One That We'd Sent With A Gun

Jimmy's mother went to Capitol Hill
So she could fill her heart up with joy
Maybe shake a few hands while she's there
And tell him, thank you sir for taking my boy

-Two Weeks From Twenty, Yellowcard

The holidays are here, thank the gods. I know, I enjoy school and all that, but honestly, another week or two of it would just kill me off.

I realize that I haven't got enough time to study. Going to Europe from the 9th to the 19th this month isn't exactly a decision made in the best interest of my studies, but yeah. It's well worth sacrificing a few passes to visit a strange and foreign land.

But seriously, my studies are in a mess. If my current schooling standards show up in the final terms, my whole life will be thrown into jeopardy. Don't you roll your eyes at me, I'm serious. If you ask me what is the percentage of the things I understand(rather, have been sufficiently awake enough to listen to) out of the things the teachers have taught us this term, it will (when rounded off to 1 significant figure) be zero. Absolute zero. Sub zero. Ground zero. Zero, Jack Skellington's dog from The Nightmare Before Christmas.

That's Zero.

But anyways, I promise to type out a nice long post about Europe when I get back. Perhaps not immediately, cos I'll be getting back at around 12 midnight, the night before school starts, and I still have to go to school, but eventually I will.

It'll be nice, long, and full of pictures.

Until then, let me show you something I dreamed up while studying chemistry.

Presenting...

The CoMical Flask!

Jun Shern out.

*Static*

Pour Your Mind Out, Write Your Heart Out, Take Your Dog Out. (For A Walk)

Note:
You don't have to read this. This isn't a life-changing essay of reflection, nor is it a written letter of love/hatred/apology to anyone, nor an all-out exploration into the deepest parts of my soul. I write, simply because I want to. Sometimes when my fingers feel twitchy, but are still sore from the blisters of my fretboard and guitar strings, I look for somewhere else for my fingers to move in rapid succession, and also in harmony with the creative processes in my brain. In many ways, blogging is like improvisation in music. You let your fingers run, you unlock that part of your brain that doesn't care what comes out as long as it sounds good. It may not always make sense, nor does it have a tangible objective, but it plays its part in giving you something to do instead of just listening to the boring backing track of repetitive chords.

Hi, my name is Jun Shern. Shern for short. Or Jun. Or JS. Some prefer Chan. It doesn't matter so much, really. Even saying "Oi!" would suffice when calling me. As long as the voice sounds like it's headed in my direction, I would turn.

Most of the time, I would turn even if it doesn't sound like it's headed in my direction. Partly, it's because I like to think that people are always calling for me and that I am very much needed by everyone. I also like to think that it would make a difference in everyone's lives, should I suddenly pass. Perhaps that's why I try so hard. Which I do.

I try my utmost best in things that can make people turn their heads. I firmly believe that if something is done, it should be done to the extent that people will actually notice that it ever was. That's why I appreciate it whenever somebody does something that can hold my attention. I hate things that are done shabbily. That's not perfectionist, mind you. I dare not call myself a perfectionist, for perfectionists actually strive for absolution in every single endeavor of theirs. That's the whole point of perfection, of course. To be perfect. However, I think that the whole concept of perfection is bullshit. The word exists merely for the sake of you having something nicer to tell your girlfriend than "You're very good at many things". I mean, that sentence hardly sounds like a compliment. It sounds like something you would tell your friend when he/she has just failed an exam that meant very much to him/her.

Not to say that I am not perfect. I am perfect, in my own eyes. Everything that I want to do, I do. Every standard that I set for myself, I achieve. I am entirely and wholly contented with who I am, and I believe that that's about as perfect as a person can get. Of course, there are still many critics out there, who believe that to be perfect, I should stress more on this, do a little more of that. But that's unnecessary. I do the things that I want to do, to the heights that I believe I should reach.

Did I mention? I'm an unreined narcissist. That is, to say, "a person who loves him or herself without boundaries". I appreciate myself more than I appreciate anyone else. I trust myself to do things in a way that I would never trust anyone else to. Not to say that I dislike others. I do trust my friends. I love, and I admire. However, how else can it be? The only person whom I have known all my life, who has been everywhere I go, who knows exactly what I want to do, is myself. Is it wrong to be so self-satisfied?

I read the blogs of others, I hear their stories, I watch their tears, their tantrums. All the emotion that everyone goes through as their lives go on. I cannot help but wonder, what is so different about me? How is it that I go to sleep every day feeling the same? I wake up feeling stoned, slowly stir from my stupor, then as I meet people, absorb the smiles that others direct at me only to amplify and project that very smile back to them. I hear a joke, and I laugh my guts out to show them that I appreciate and understand that they come to me with all good intentions. As the day progresses, bad things happen. I fill with worry, I cloud my mind with solutions, plans, and hopes to overcome the problem. Sometimes it doesn't go away so easily. Sometimes it turns into something bigger, but eventually, like a balloon that swells with no mind for the consequences, it pops. It bursts.

Whether or not that balloon is empty but for the exception of air, or it is filled with dirty water from the kitchen sink, it make no difference. If it is just air, it means the problem is gone. If it is dirty water, then the water falls down upon the unfortunate head of the unfortunate person whose unfortunate maid would have to clean up the floor afterwards. This means that the problem is not yet over. It has come out full-force, and I feel the shame and disgust of the water soaking through my clothes and into my skin. But it does not matter. All it takes is a few steps to the bathroom, where I can peel off the wet, dirty, layers that envelope my body, and step into a set of fresh new clothes, feeling better than ever.

What I mean to say is, all things, good or bad, come to an end. The moments exist, and they are real to you when they are occuring. But at the end of the day, all in the past have passed, all that is gone is gone, and all you have to do is wait for the next train to come.

Just so you know, there is no lesson within this post. No deep, meaningful advice based on personal experiences. This is just something I'm doing to fill the void of the in-between Add Math marathon breaks.

I'm not ranting, though. I hate ranting. I hate the concept of it. Ranting is for crazy people. I'm not crazy. Quite the contrary, if you ask me. I like to think that the privilege of being named as a genius is not such an difficult thing to achieve. I also like to think that I am a genius. In other words,

I like to think.

And so, I THINK that this is the end of the post. And you should, too.

Cos there really isn't anything else to it.













































Heheh. Made you highlight it, didn't I?

Jun Shern out.

*Static*

Exploding Would Just Create More Paperwork

Hey guys. I'm back, after a super long time. So many things have happened, so so many. My life has sort of changed completely. Here's the gist of the changes:

I am the new IU Director of Interact.

Today, I have just learned that I am one of the 9 candidates of the new Prefectorial Board.

I stay back in school almost every single day for various things.

Every moment that I am not working on something important, I spend catching up on sleep.

I spend every precious second of my life in the most productive way possible. (this excluded, haha)

I have not touched any homework at home for a very long time. (oh, wipe that look off your face. I still get it done somehow, during school hours)

Yet, I have been staying up past 12.00am about 90% of my days doing extra-curricular things.

I have stayed up working straight until 3.00am for the first time. (WORKING. Not anything else. That's what makes it amazing.)

As shit as it sounds, I love my life.

Tonight is gonna be another long night. I've just gotten back from Interact Farewell, and I have to finish preparing everything for one of our final Prefects' Farewell dance practices that we will have tomorrow. Anything more I say will be too much. The farewell is a secretive event, for those who don't know.

All I can say for now is: It will be awesome. Or you can kill my dead body. (the first kill would already have been carried out by me.)

Oh, and I have to do my English oral tomorrow. Any suggestions for good topics?

Go ahead with your own lives. I'm doing good with mine.

Jun Shern out.

*Static*

Expectations

My hard work ends tomorrow. I hope it'll pay off.

Worried? Undeniably.

Excited? You betcha.

Pray it doesn't rain.

Jun Shern out.

*Static*

Just In Case You Were Wondering

You know what. I've been getting these questions ALOT lately. I don't know why. It just happened.

So anyways, just to be clear.

I'm not gay.

Jun Shern out.

*Static*

Updates

Hey, guys. I think I owe some updates. Cos I haven't explained at all my long periods of absence.

So yeah. My greatest time consumers nowadays? Interact and Prefect.

For Interact, I've been put in charge of organizing our annual Kids' Carnival, and yeah. Obviously, that would already take up about 50% of my time and thought space. These events don't run on hopes and dreams.

Also, I'm doing the Interact school magazine advertisement, which according to Esther, will be featured in full color on the first page of the magazine(first page, not cover, duh) So this is my time to shine.

Next, the form fives have shortlisted 18 of us Interactors as future board members, and to prove our worth, they've set us a terribly quick-deadlined project to decorate and make the Interact Room something usable. Which, in its current condition, it is not.

As for Prefect, I'm treasurer for the Prefects' Farewell, coming up quickly in August. And this is a huge project. Hotels, budgets, transportation, catering, games, performances, you name it.

I've also volunteered to play in the band for the upcoming Prefects' Gathering. This one isn't that much stress, but yeah. I still have to put aside some time to do it.

One more thing that's really nagging me at the back of my mind, and I haven't really had time to work on: The school concert. My lion dance has taken off quite nicely, I guess. Everyone seemed really happy when we appeared with a real lion head for rehearsal a couple of weeks ago.

Unfortunately, costumes can only take you so far. If I really want to do something amazing like what my brother did during HIS form 4 year (his much discussed Grease performance in the school concert), I'll have to really spice up the choreography of the lion.

The problem is: How far can I push the lion before turning it into an insult to the entire Chinese race? Would it really be so wrong if I made the lion drink some Chinese liquor and become a drunken haze of brilliance?

It may seem really boastful of me to talk about all these things I'm doing, but yeah. What's the point of doing things if people don't know you're doing it, right?

Also, as you most probably already know, I'm a shameless narcissist.

Let's talk about the holidays. On Friday, the Prefects left school early for our camp. We went to a FELDA resort thing in Jerantut, Pahang. How was camp? Camp was... GREAT.

I mean, it had to be great, with roommates like Jia En, Eric and Victor. By far, the best parts were when the four of us were together. Like at night- Okay, maybe I shouldn't do a post on it. It might create undesirable speculations about my sexuality. For the record, I am straight.

Though that might not hold true for two of my other room mates:

Hey, can you turn on the light?

Sure. *turns on light*

This is so much better.

Yep, I like bright things.

Like stars. Like stars.

*both stare awkwardly into each other's eyes*

Roommate 1
Roommate 2

Apart from the tenants of Chalet Number 37(mine, duh), my group for the camp was also great.

SO great, in fact, that we have a war cry SO catchy that it has caught on to even non-Prefects(i.e. Salim). It is sung to the tune of Britney Spears' song "Three":

1, 2, 3, we are group 3.
It's not about me, but about the "We".
Nine divide three, equals to three.
Six minus three, also equals three.

And so on...

We got back to school from camp on Sunday at 4:20pm-ish, and I was already running late for Initial Sound's band practice for Evelyn's party the next day. So I went straight from school to the studio and practiced with fellow bandmates Dylan, Justin and Jeremy. Got back, slept at 9pm that night. Cos I barely got any sleep during the previous nights.

Monday morning, overslept. Woke up just in time to be picked up by Dylan to go to Jeremy's house for practice(Studio is closed on Mondays, and we needed to practice more, because we hadn't practiced at all before Sunday).

From Jeremy's house, we went straight to Evelyn's place for her Sweet Sixteen, themed "HAT BONANZA"!

Umm. This post really has too many words, and people like Ashwin will complain, so I'll just rip a few images from Facebook to colour the post.

Us: Initial Sound


Frontman Singer/Guitarist: Dylan Tan

Bassist: Justin Kong

Drummer: Jeremy Sze

Guitarist: Chan Jun Shern

I like this picture. Rockstars.

Everybody!

No point me putting all the pictures up here, cos you can view them on Facebook. So these are just of my band and one or two others.

Evelyn's party was GREAT FUN. That's all I have to say. I'm getting lazier now.

On Tuesday, I had band practice at Wangsa Walk for the Prefects' Gathering with fellow bandmates Eric Soo, Low Zhi-Yang, Brendan Ooi, Chai Jia En, Chin Seow Wei and Ong Kai Sin.

After the practice, Brendan and I ran into Chen Yang. Had lunch there with him, then went back.

And Wednesday?

3W reunion, though not that many turned up. At least I had Jia En, JPJ, and Victor with me. Somehow we separated from the main group and ended up going for bowling and...


Happy Go Lucky. Victor wanted it. Go figure. Haha!

And finally, today. I'm sitting at home, making important phone calls to Wedding Specialists of Hotels and other people, and emailing different people for different reasons.

You know what has really changed about me since starting all this?

I actually check my email nowadays.

Jun Shern out.

*Static*