Blog Critique -- To write love on her arms.

I have recently visited a blog called "To Write Love On Her Arms". I found this blog through recommendations of blog giant, Myspace. When I first read the blog name, it just seems to me that it is a blog about love relationship and thus I am interested in it. The title is really sensational and it does attract me to click and have a look. But after reading one of the posts, I discovered that it is totally different from what I expected, however, I still like this blog. It is a blog dedicated to encourage people and lead them out of their depressions. It also mentions a campaign which is run by the blogger, it is called the "World Suicide Prevention Day". Maybe others may feel bored of it because it talks about theories of life, but for me, a psychology lover, I just fall in love with this blog.

The post I want to discuss about is the post on September 11, 2007. Once again, I was attracted by the post title, "Part 1 of a long-overdue update. / Hope is not a myth." It is not hard to guess when the post is posted on this exact day, it must be something about the 911 incident and bingo, the blogger uses this event as an introduction to its main idea, stopping people from suicide. He describes this event in a very touching way and tries to show how fragile a life can be, so that people will agree that life is precious and they should cherish it. In this post, he specifically stresses a message which is "DEPRESSION IS TREATABLE". He tells viewers that he understands it is hard to survive in the world and feeling depressed is normal and common, but then he points out that hopes exist in the face of depression and if one needs help, there must be someone who can offer help. What the underlying message is that suicide is not a way out and it will not solve any problem. However, this sentence is such a cliche and that is why he tries to use another way to bring out the message and it works.

Beside using the 911 incident, he also quotes two recent stories, one is about Owen Wilson and the other is about Mother Theresa. As we all know, Owen Wilson is a comedian, however, he has committed a suicide recently and the rumor is because he broke up with his girlfriend. I read this news too and I was quite shocked about it. He indicates that though many audiences might think Owen Wilson, a laughter, is a free person and does not have much stress, however, his suicide attempt just proves that they are wrong and he also has depression. On the other hand, he uses Mother Theresa as another example of depressed people. Mother Theresa is always portrayed as a generous, humble and obliging saint. Nevertheless, she also had her pain. These two stories help to reinforce that every body has their stresses, their problems and their struggles. He reveals that "Life is hard. Owen Wilson isn't always laughing. Mother Theresa wasn't always walking the streets of Calcutta feeling like a million bucks." That is absolutely true and these two cases just give credence that a human being, a real people having depression is not abnormal, but the difference is whether they ask for help or not. Even the process of healing, growing and letting it go will be certainly uncomfortable, we should still try to face it and solve it. As he says, "We were meant to live", small depression should therefore not be a reason for us to sink, if we strike on, we will definitely lead to a better life.

To conclude, this is really a meaningful blog. The messages it wants to spread and the examples it uses are really strong. Though the post may be a little bit long, it is still worth reading it. From the lists of readers' responses it has received, it shows a support to this blog. All in all, I am fascinated by this blog and I appreciate the cheerfulness it gave me even though it may only last for a short period. Ha!

Shooting*

I like my crew in every team!

Hi Rise: Faye, Shulina, Sujin
Second Home: Aileen, Faye, Rita
Magic Power: Aileen, Jin, Stephanie, Sujin

Every shooting is enjoyable.
They're exciting and full of fun.
All in all, I really learn a lot from those actual shootings.
What I really appreciate is that we have great group work.
Thank you guys! You're all so lovely!





Finally, all practical works are done.
There's only written works left.
Come one, production file, I'll finish you!
Proposal, Treatment, Schedule, Shot List,
Director Statement, Edit Script, Transcript,
and also Story Board!
Hohoho...
Almost done!

Friendship*

"To develop a sincere friendship,
it needs a long time to cultivate.
But to lose a friendship,
it just needs not more than a second."

Do you ever,
have an experience that you treat someone really sincerely,
but that person somehow is not a honest person?
How do you feel,
when a friend who you trust take advantage of you?

Tell you what,
I really hate someone being dishonest.
Not only with your works, but also the attitude towards your friends.
I just cannot be friendly to those people.
Others may have the skill of being double-faced,
but let me tell you, I don't belong to that kinds of personality.
If you ever enrage me, I'll for sure show you the "red light".
If you ever move forward, I'll definitely take revenge.
Don't expect I'll still smile at you and pretend nothing,
I just won't act in this way.
You can say I'm immature,
because mature person can hide their emotions.
So sorry that I'm not.

I really understand this world contains different kind of people.
And I really understand the need of being detached.
I'll learn, but absolutely not to my dearest classmates.
This skill may probably be very important when you're in the society,.
but I don't think it's necessary to use it now.

Anyway,
Forgiveness.

Sickness*

I truly pray for my dearest HITOMI.
Please get well soon.

Since I came back to Sydney in mid-June,
I have already been sick for twice.
The first time, I vomitted for the whole night.
That day was really harsh for me,
because I got to hand-in an essay the next morning.
Finally, I did hand-in, but a late one.
I felt so bad about it as I didn't finish it before hand.
The second time, I had a serious flu.
Coughing all the time and having a running nose,
it's kind of embarrasing,
especially when you sneeze loudly in front of other people.
But it's just so painful to resist it.
It eventually took me more than two weeks to recover.
I've got to admit, my resistance against diseases is reducing.
So, I'm planning to do some exercises during my term break.
And hopefully, I can achieve this target. Ha!

Anyway, I really wish to see a healthy HITOMI next week.
Come on, HITOMI, get over it!
Let's defeat the devil of disease!

Exhausted*

It all started on Friday morning.
My first job was to finish the podcast.
And luckily, it wasn't a difficult job actually.
So I just had to spend like a lesson time to edit it.
Straight after the lesson, I then had to start my first shooting:
Faye's "Hi Rise" short video.
We rented the gear and walked to the place.
The gear was kind of heavy but thanks god,
Jin's there helping us.
We started our shooting at around seven.
But what disappointed us was that, some interviewees weren't there.
So then we had to take another day, Tuesday to finish that part.
Alright, it will be boring if I continue describing the whole process.
Perfectly matched with the schedule,
the shooting ended around ten,
and after setting the camera here and there, I was exhausted.
And you know what, we still got to take the gear to Aileen's house.
After all those works, I finally reached home at around twelve.
And I went directly to bed as I was really tired.
Then it came to Saturday,
my crew were going to meet at eight in the morning.
And I had to admit, this's the earliest day I ever had in Sydney.
Getting up so early is such a torture to me,
especially when I went to bed so late the previous night.
I just felt like my spirit was not with me the whole morning.
At least not until my stomachache.
The pain just brought me back to the work.
Well... I was glad that my spirit came back,
but unfortunately, I had to work with the pain.
And it's even harder when that shoot was a outdoor one.
We had to brought the gear to quite a lot of places.
Nevertheless,
I think it's worth it because those're really fantastic shot.
This day, we ended at around five and when I got home,
it's already half past six.
I was supposed to sit motionlessly on my bed to wait for my dinner.
But tell you what,
I just fell asleep within five minutes and so,
I couldn't hear my homestay mother calling for dinner.
Haha... I cannot imagine how I could fall asleep with the bright light.
I can only say I was really run-down.

More photos will be added later.

He*

Can you say you're an optimistic person?

Tell you what,
the news I received on Monday still remained firmly in my mind.
And I can hardly remove the scene I saw that day.

"He was smiling and greeting us at first.
But when we handed him the card and the flowers,
the smile on his face just disappeared.
He kept silence for quite a while,
but then he tried hard to fake a smile to thank us.
His eyes turned wet and he started covering his face.
When he stepped into the lift, we heard he took a deep breath."

On that morning, Yedda and I met him in front of the library.
He greeted us happily with a "nothing happened" facial expression.
If I were not told of that news,
I would have naively thought all things were solved.
However, the world is just not that simple.
It was really depressing and I had to admit my eyes are quite shallow.
I can't help sobbing when I saw that sorrowful face.
Maybe I am still young, I have never seen such a hopeless face before.
The scene hurt me seriously.
My memories with him just popped into my mind.

"He always carries an optimistic smile.
He always makes joke with us.
He always praises our class.
He always allows extension to our assignments.
He always gives us good marks.
He always keeps asking us questions though no one ever answer.
He always has a lot of funny gestures.
He always creates a relaxing atmosphere during the lecture.
He always talks about sex.
He always... He always..."

What can I say, I just like this tutor.
And I shall always pray for you.

Do you know,
your beloved may not always stay with you,
that's why you should cherish them all the time.

Stay Strong*

This entry is especially dedicated to my friends who got their results today.

The eight of August.
The day of releasing HKCEE result.
It's also the day which many students described as a horrible disaster.

First of all,
I got to say CONGRATULATION to those who have satisfied results.
And for those who were depressed,
never lose up hopes.
I'm always standing there to support you!

Time really flies,
it's already been one year since my result was released.
And I can still clearly remember my feeling last year.
It was happy,
because I got a satisfied result.
It was angry,
because I didn't understand why some of my subjects failed.
It was depressed,
because I got to leave my dearest classmates.
It was joyful,
because we finally overcame the hard days.

It's just like all kinds of feeling gathered together.
At that time, I was so nervous about this exam.
It seemed like controlling my future.
I just thought that my later career has a lot to do with this certificate.
But after a year,
I understood that the CE result was not that important.
I then treated this exam as part of my compulsory life experience.
(Even though I have escaped from the other public exam, A Level.)

I understand you guys may feel a bit confused about the future right now.
Some of you may not continue your study in the same high school,
but that doesn't mean that it is the end.
Do not give up, there're still lots of choices for you to choose.
Trust yourself,
may be you can even create a better future with the other paths.
Especially for those got enough marks to get back into your own school.
Think before you act,
do not apply the school just because it's the laziest way.
Sometimes, there're other schools that suit you better.
Entering the same school is not always the best choice.
Anyway, whatever you guys have chosen, I'll also support you.
Because I know you know yourself best.
I know you'll never play with your future.
I always believe in you all,
please remember I'm always there supporting you!



*HKCEE=CE=Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination

my best best friend*

Just now, I chatted with my best best friend through webcam for so long.
It has been a long time that we haven't met each other face to face.
She has just gone back to Hong Kong from London last month.
It's so sad that our holiday are never at the same period.
Whenever my holiday starts, her holiday then ends.
And you know, the time at London is totally opposite to the time in Sydney.
When I almost go to bed, it's time that she finishes her school and goes online.
That's why we never have a time to chat.
Finally, she is now in Hong Kong and I have my study week break.
And so we can chat for as long as we like.
I really enjoy the time chatting with her and I really miss the old days.
We used to go to school together because she just lives opposite to my building.
And that's why whenever she wanted to go out at night,
she always lied to her mum that she was going to my home.
However, those memories would not repeat anymore.
We've discussed our next flight to HK just now and...
we discovered that we won't meet each other until the December 2008.
It's just so sad to notice this.
Anyway, I really appreciate that I have this long distance best friend,
which I can still keep in good contact even though we're so far away.
I know and I believe real friendship will last forever.

What would it be?

If your house was burning down and you only had time to save one thing, what would it be?

Maybe most of you have heard of the similar question before,
but do you still remember what your answer was at that time?
I guess, different answers will pop up in your mind at your different periods.
The answer you said last year may probably have different value to you now.
For me, I still remember few years ago,
my answer was my photo albums
because those were my memories which i couldn't create it again.
However, due to the technology nowadays,
those photos can be posted on the internet,
that means they can be downloaded again everywhere and everytime.
Those photo albums are then not that valuable anymore.
Thus, I re-think this question again.
This time, it took me so long to think for the answer and still,
I couldn't find the answer.
Seems like everything in my house can be bought again with money.
I mean my home in Hong Kong.
However, for the house I'm living now,
one thing quickly jumps into my mind.
It's my passport!
I cannot lose it or else it's probably going to cause me a lot of troubles!
How about you?

We've done it!

After three days of hard working,
Winnie and I eventually finished the podcast.
What a successful feeling it is!
Starting from zero,
having a little bit skills and shaking a mic to interview people,
these were what we've experienced these three days!
Let me record down what we have done from Friday onward!

Friday:
In the morning,
we've received a call that the lesson was cancelled.
We then dated in the afternoon to get back to school to start our project.
After borrowing the recorder, we discussed about our proposals.
We made some drafts and then interviewed some people.
Gotta say thank you to those who helped us with the interviews!
Thank you all, mate!
That's all we did that day.

Saturday:
In the afternoon,
Winnie came to my house and did the podcast again.
This time, we had a clearer idea of what we're going to do next.
As we are not good at ad lib,
we first wrote down the draft for our talk.
Next,
we recorded our parts and added some background music.
It's already nine o'clock when we had finished.

Sunday:
We edited the tracks and added some new elements like introduction and ending.
Finally, it's all done.

I felt so glad that we've borrowed the recorder on weekends,
or else we might not finish our podcast within next week
because we got loads of other assignments to hand in.
God bless our other assignments!

Birthday Party*

First of all, happy birthday, my dearest Faye!
I felt so glad to meet such a nice friend like you over here.
And thanks for inviting me to your birthday party, I enjoyed so much today!
Food was delicious and your home is really comfortable, especially the big sea scenery.
Oh my god, I like the sea view so much! =V=
The kimchi Jin brought was so tasty and even more tasty when it was fried.
I really ate a lot these two days, happiness is all I felt these two days.
Hoping that the blessing angel will continue to stand by my side.
We played a lot and ate a lot, all in all, we did have a lot of fun.

Here're the pictures...

Tasty chocolate mud cake, YUMMY! *O*
[COMM 316: Dolly foward birthday cake.]

[COMM 316: High angle birthday cake.]

Can you see the starving people?

Four lovely flowers!!! Well...

Five communication students with the gorgeous sea view!

Special guest: Hitomi


Funny conversation:
(Situation: We're taking photos and I was standing at the back of the others.)
Shulina: Can you guys move a little bit to the left? The background isn't beautiful enough!
Me: Are you saying that I'm not beautiful enough? [Just kidding]
A big laugh from the others.

New Accomodation*

WOW~~~

Finally, I have moved to a new room.

What I have discovered is that, I really have lots of stuff.

Desipte the big luggage and hand carry luggage, I still have 14 small bags to carry.

And they're all heavy, especially the storage box which I put my previous notes.

I am so lucky to have my friend's help, or else, I just couldn't imagine how much time I would have to spend this morning.

Even though there were two of us, we still had to take three turns to move all the things.

I felt so happy after my movement, not only because I have a much prettier room, but also I met such a nice family.

I met them when once I came to their restaurant and bought take away dinner.

It's because we're having the same nationality--Hong Kong, we chatted for so long.

And when I told them my poor situation in my homestay, they volunteered to rent a room for me.

What more is that, they even took my friend and I to YumCha after I had settled down this morning.

I cannot believe I have the luck to meet such a nice family over here.

Tell you what, I felt like having the worst adventure after I have arrived in Sydney last October.

My previous accomodation really pushed me to the most depressed situation ever in my life.

I still remember that one night I cried so painfully on my bed because I had no supper for two days and almost starved to death and having no one to help.

What I have learnt is that sometimes I should be assertive to complain about the wrong treatment, I should never stand still and wait for it to improve.

But now, my fortune seems like having a new start.

At least, I don't have to worry about my meals anymore.

And now, I will change my living style which I used to keep hanging out in the street but not going home directly after school.

It's because I just love my new accomodation!

My luggages in a still packing situation...

Don't you think that's a lot?

P.S. Aiyo... I don't suppose to be that long!

I am just having too much feelings to comment.

Sorry if this entry bored you!

MCA visiting*

Yesterday, Jin and I went to visit the MCA, Museum of Contemporary Art.
In between all art works, there were two works that touched my heart.
One of them is a short video of sea.
In that video, a girl is struggling in the angry sea for around five minutes.
Why did I say it gave me a strong feeling?
It is because when you look at the screen, you will feel like struggling together with the girl.
I think it's a kind of success that the art work can give the audience a feeling.
And the other art work is a dark area decorated by knives on the ceiling and nails on the floor.
It is made by an artist who have been living under the pressure of unstable society.
When you look at his art work, you can feel the fear that he felt.
It really made Jin and I felt scared and that's the art work I remembered the most.

Actually, one more reason for why I like the sea video is that I love sea so much.
This is a photo of peaceful sea I took in Hong Kong before.

Accomodation Finding*

Finally, I have reached the age of 18, meaning that I can escape from home stay.
Together with two of my friends, we start our apartment finding journey.
It's kind of fun...
But to be frank,
sometimes I felt annoyed when we couldn't make up a time for inspection.
And to make it worse, my home stay have cut my internet connection...
That means I have to rely on the information found by my future home mates.
Gee!!!
I think I am kind of impatient at this stage...
because I REALLY WANT to move out as soon as possible.
=/\=

1st post*

-Coming soon-