Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Neglect but not abuse.

'Life is a struggle, but not a warfare'

Well its not warfare yet at least. I have been neglecting this blog as of recent and it comes as a mixture of stress, lack of sleep and a pile of work. Not to mention the assessments. It's funny,the year isn't over and we've already started to set our futures up, we're doing a part of our HSC already, after a few weeks of brief but hardcore learning. It really concerns me that we have to consistently perform for the next year, its like going up a 88 degree hill or whatever that is in radians. Frankly I'm tired and need a holiday and its just around the corner. Peace and comfort at last, well at least for the time being.

posted by Ben李 @ 10:13 pm Comments: 2

Monday, November 20, 2006

There's nothing left to say but goodbye.

'They say friendship can cross galaxies and universes...'

Well this blog is dedicated to a, shall we say, friend of a friend of mine. Her name is Annie, don't know her last name or anything else much about her for that matter. What matters is that she's Daisy's friend and apparently she reads my blog. So to one of my few fellow readers, I salute you and wish you a great trip back to China. I wish I could do that but I'm stuck here so I guess in a way I envy you. I have never met you properly or even talked to you so it seems weird to be blogging like this but it's not like my life is any more interesting than a friend of a friend of mine leaving the country for bigger and possibly better things. I can say this though, you sound like a girl who anyone would like to be around, who anyone would like to talk to and certainly a girl who smiles a lot. So best of luck to wherever you'll be and think of it this way, at least there's no HSC for you now. Goodbye to one of my few readers! *waves*


posted by Ben李 @ 10:34 pm Comments: 4

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

The following content has content.

'If you believe everything you read, better not read at all...'

I know I haven't been the best of bloggers but to be fair I never thought it'd be this hard to blog. I'm not sure there are much readers out there but to those few who do read my blog I apologise for not having the patience or time to make my rants. Work has caught up with me of late and I finally realise why everyone told me not to worry when I was younger. It all just comes rushing in now, like the waves at high tide. I'm not really complaining, it's something we all have to put up with, all have to experience and hopefully all get past.

Today was a day I really had to blog on as it was the last day of the HSC for '06. Hope everyone did well and that you all get the marks you want. I guess it's a bit optimistic for everyone to get the mark they want. With the system set out to the standard it is now, getting closer to the end is just that much harder. Some people do fall while others find hope; it's the way the world works.

It sounds different coming from me, to those who know me, and it certainly comes as a change for me but I think it's something important. For once in my life I think I'm happy. Maybe not like overjoyed or anything but rather content with life. It really just hit me when I was leaving school at 12:30 today with no lessons in the afternoon. I really have nothing to be sad about or really nothing to bring me down. I've been through quite a bit in my life and it's like now it just doesn't matter. Funny thing what the HSC does to you. It's like an anvil to the head, except you're just not quite dead. Feels strange, just get that feeling that everything's going to be alright, maybe. I guess I'm not the greatest blogger so to you my reader, thankyou for reading and I'll make sure I update this regularly. I think Rob should too, that Won video looks nice but we need to know whats going on with you =). Don't stress Rob.

Been going to the library alot with Conrad lately. So a little shoutout to him for studying with me and putting up with my crap when he's trying to study. It's always better to study with others than alone I think. Good luck as well man, you know what I mean.

posted by Ben李 @ 10:09 pm Comments: 1

Monday, November 06, 2006

My Get Well Blog.

'Life is a sexually transmitted disease'

Well usually in such a time and place I would be blogging about how my birthday was or what great meaning I gathered from school. Rather, this blog is dedicated to a friend whose Company I have enjoyed for a while now. His name is Alistair Wilson and for those who don't know him he's a guy in year 12 SGS. Today, I, along with the rest of my grade learnt that he has been diagnosed with cancer. Dictionary.com defines cancer as a malignant and invasive growth or tumor, esp. one originating in epithelium, tending to recur after excision and to metastasize to other sites. Whatever cancer really is, most of us by now know what it does or could potentially do. So what happens in moments like these? Usually what I would try to do is make some poetic line and make this sound a bit more formal, but situations like this call for something different.

My friends and I affectionately know Alistair as "Stair-bear" for characteristics that are known to us. He's a quiet type of guy and always there to talk to at lunch. I'm could go cliche here and describe how much he means to me as a friend or rather I could just say Get Well man, we still need you at the parties so that we can rely on you to entertain us when its all going downhill and at school so that there's always someone to talk to. It just doesn't seem fair, just a few weeks ago we were bitching about exams together and now it's this. We know you'll pull through this and when you come back we'll make sure there's a party. For now rest easy and get well ASAP.


posted by Ben李 @ 8:30 pm Comments: 0

Sunday, November 05, 2006

17 Years Since The Beginning.

'Watch the time go right out the window...'



 Well, to those of you who didn't know, I turn 17 at whatever time I was born 17 years ago. What does this mean? Well for one, 17 years of my life has just...shall we say breezed passed. I can't get much more poetic than that. So from birth till now, a period of 17 years of ups and downs, verticals and horizontals, lefts and rights, fluctuations and recessions have simmered through..."like sand in the hour glass."

So what do I have to look forward to on such a joyous and festive occasion? In the past I would've enjoyed a simple party; with all the music, the laughter, the fun, the games and my god the fairy bread. Oh how I miss the delights of such beautiful creations of food. I wouldn't mind some now. But away from the puffy bread with the sweet sweet candy and butter on top, more to the point, birthdays just don't come in such a package anymore. I'm not complaining, just really reminiscing on the good ol' days and realising its all gone now. I just hope between now and next year, there's not as many regrets, not as many hopes but rather some memories.

生日快樂... 我對自己說...



posted by Ben李 @ 12:12 am Comments: 2

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

A Pre-Summer's Night's Dream.




'Focus on the Journey, Not the destination'

You know those nights where its perfectly still? I think tonight was one of those nights. The sun was setting later than usual and there was a scent of a breeze in the air. Nothing too hot, nothing too humid just a touch of paradise. I guess there's still a bit of calm left but the storms going to be here soon nevertheless.

Got my new timetable and you'd think here was a typing error, or maybe some fatal 404 linkage error. But no, the school's computer system had not failed in its duty and the ones responsibly for it did not have a hangover while writing my timetable. I have what is known to the senior high school world as Free Periods. Those two words are probably the most beautiful when put together no matter what word order it's placed in. I have 9 free periods every 6 days. Even the little touch of paradise in the night sky could not match the feeling of ease that comes with such a timetable. To be fair, I do have morning classes, but why focus on the negatives when there's such a big positive there. (I'm still a pessimist, just not when it comes to free periods)


So while I'm on the subject of...well...subjects, my units are 4 Maths, 3 English, 3 History and 2 Economics. 4 subjects, 12 units and whole lot of frees. Whether its a sign for me to work more during these periods or just a bit of refreshment for my studious attitude over the years /sarcasm it feels good. Lets go forth class of '07 and show what the best year 12 can do.

posted by Ben李 @ 10:32 pm Comments: 1

The Calm before the Storm.

'An implacable force brooding over an inscrutable intention...'

Well HSC year starts in a few hours and as the wee hours of the night fly by, I sit here contemplating my subject choices. You see, choosing subjects is never that easy, I made the easy mistakes of choosing unnecessary and unwholesome subjects during my few years in high school, the biggest mistakes being the 4 years of French I had to endure and the other various languages I picked up and dropped along the way, kind of like a prostitute or you could totally ignore that analogy. Either way, I think I've finally come to a year where its really no regrets in subject choices. I've chosen subjects which genuinely interest me to a certain degree and are what I seem to do well in, most of the time at least.

So indeed year 12 is upon and as I shiver here, unnerved by the prospects of a year where I will have to work, theres finally that light at the end of the tunnel. That could just be a premature death but I guess its all just coming to an end. Not even the Gods themselves could stop me gettin closer to the light now. It's inevitable.

posted by Ben李 @ 12:10 am Comments: 0