So maybe I can't get to the moon, but I still get to appreciate the beauty of the stars around me.
B is for Belief.
It's a magic ingredient in its own right, but at the same time it's as simple as salt. Belief makes all the difference to hazy and uncertain experiences where you don't really know what's going to happen in the end, but still you pour in your all. We don't always need reason to believe, but belief is always a reason in itself. When you DON'T believe in something however, let's just say it's a very tedious piece of (school)work unworthy of the effort needed for completion, but bopian.
C is for vitamin C.
I don't fall sick easily, but in the prevailing conditions I feel my body asking for all the help it can get.
D is for Define.
Was very ready to put "Disappointment" instead, following the last day of Sept. But that word alone doesn't do justice - even through disappointment I have achieved some definition of self. In this month, I got to know myself a little better and it's allowed me to understand and accept why I made some of my choices.
E is for Exhaustion.
18 AUs don't speak of the meetings that run till 1:30 am, the done-with-this-what's-next-on-the-list pace of work during "free time", and those days you really want to pay attention in class, but feel too zoned out to do so. 18 AUs per day rather would be a much closer representation of reality.
F is for Friends.
Running down Orchard Road in orange t-shirts, watching Sing! China, playing Codenames... Even climbing would be so meaningless without you guys. Here's to all of you out there who were with me through the ups and downs of this month, who have seen me smile, grateful for you all :)
G is for Grind.
When things are already so hectic and you know that it's going to get worse and this is the final freaking sem that's slipping away for goodness sake. It's funny that I actually thought Y4S1 was the worse, then same for Y4S2, and now I guess Y5 really takes the cake. Makes FYP feel easy.
H is for High.
Happens when one climbs!
I is for Intense.
Obviously not gonna let schoolwork run my life, so I always make sure to slot stuff that I actually want to do in between i.e. the weekends. Squeezing out rest = intense but worth it while I'm still young and able to tank.
J is for Jubilation.
I really like feeling happy for others! Jubilation is one explosive form of happiness that is simply there for everyone to tap on (unless of course one is an emotional Scrooge) - one of the most generous feelings around. No UMC representatives in NW finals this time round, but I'm so happy for all the others who managed to promote in their respective categories!
K is for Kindness.
Not everyone is made equal. I guess in that sense, people are made to rely on others every so often. Each person is skilled in their own way, and it happens that coding/wiring really ain't my thing. When a 神 asks nothing in return for a humongous amount of help (to me), there is nothing but gratitude that there are such kind people in the world.
L is for Lightheartedness.
I know I'm starting to sound schizophrenic, but this post covers the whole of September after all. Lighthearted moments ironically become more common with increase in workload. These moments hinge on the relief of burdens - those precious times following the end of some presentation or after erasing the last thing on the homework list, or when you see something through to the end.
M is for Malfunction.
When I forget things, when I slur, and when my English is a bit weird - sorry I'm not usually like that (when less indebted in the sleep department anyway).
N is for Necessity.
When time is tight, lots of things have to be weighed. But I still have to eat right, and I have to eat with my family, so there's very little question in that.
O is for Opportunity.
Unlike the halcyon days of summer, I can't say "ok!" to everything anymore. That said, whenever something comes around that passes my "is it important enough to delay attending to academic burdens for" litmus test, I do not hesitate to act on it. Opportunities now have to pass a filter additional to interest before I see them as such - I have to care enough. Know that if you happen to be spending time with me outside of schoolwork :)
P is for Pun.
Yes, this is an inside joke.
Q is for Quip.
Some people come up with the best jokes around seriously, and I especially appreciate sharp one-liners/double meanings. Can't think of examples now, but sometimes these tend to be directed at certain people haha.
R is for Resilience.
More realistic than resistance. There are some things which cannot be helped at that very moment, what's most important is coming back with a stronger solution, for a better chance.
S is for Sleep.
Which I need more of. Doesn't help that my body has adopted some sort of "high-alert mode" which causes me to wake up either at 7am or after 7 hours of sleep, whichever is earlier. If I decide to pursue the intended waking time, I usually have to extend on the alarm. Bad.
T is for Thunderstorm.
I was awoken at 5am one morning by a frighteningly loud clap of thunder, prob the first time this has ever happened to me. Half the 11 breakfast club also reported the same thing (the rest were extremely sound sleepers, or just too tired). Not forgetting the morning of 10th Sept where our event space was reduced to shambles from a single gust of wind and where a flood rolled downhill to greet us. The weather these days... But as always, 雨过天晴. Storms don't last.
U is for Underlie.
I find myself thinking a lot about the root causes of things these days. Cursory problem-solving methods tend to mistake the "whats" as the "whys", and do not address the true "whys"; these really only get to scratch the surface. It is not easy to identify things that underlie, especially if they're covered by layers of fancy stuff. That said, it is definitely helpful to understand the exact reasons why people behave in certain ways, so that these very behaviours can be turned into teaching tools to drive intended outcomes. Always useful for RE7088, and for those who played the game at DoN, never realised how much you guys were hesitating right? ;)
V is for Value.
Purely negative experiences have no value at all. Although there have definitely been some of those, I feel like I'm now more mature and able to look further. In times where my younger selves would probably have been just very upset, I gain deeper insights and deeper appreciation for things that I truly value.
W is for Where the hell did
X.
The crossroads of life are drawing near. I have no idea what path I will be set on in the future, but I just hope that it will be a meaningful one with flowers to smell along the way.
Y is for Yeesh.
It's the sound I tend to say in my head when in ridiculous situations, and there have been many in this month. [never experienced so much difficulty giving honest feedback to a few simple questions]
Z is for Zeal.
It's been a tough September. But it is my personal belief that it is the toughest times that allow one to learn and grow the most. I guess that's why I'm feeling this strangely strong zeal for life? Outside of the mundane, every opportunity to spend with cool people doing the things that challenge me and that I enjoy is now so much brighter than before.
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