See You Later

Dear Internet Friends,

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS A LONG POST. A LOOOOOOOOOOOOONG POST. Here we go.

This is an abrupt post - I don’t deny that. Writing this post is not going to be particularly enjoyable for me. Yet, I am willing to do so. 

I’ll stop being melodramatic now. What am I on about? Well. Drum roll, please.

I kid. This isn’t an announcement worthy of celebration. This is an announcement that I hope to follow up in 188 days’ time. In other words, I hope that my next post is on Tuesday, 19 May 2015. Or later. But most definitely not before then.

Tuedsay, 19 May 2015 is the day I sit my final IB exam. It’s French, in the morning. Let’s let this sink in for a second. FINAL. IB. EXAM. Then I’m a free fairy! I do not know why I said that.

As you may have deduced from the title of this post, this, indeed, is a semi-farewell moment. In NO way, I assure you, is this forever. I said this two weeks ago, before departing on my MindblowingBreathtakingHeartwarmingEyeopeningAmaaazingAsdfghjklkjhgfdsa trip to Nepal (I have many feelings, trust me, still lingering from the trek; but I don’t think sharing them online would be very smart - sorry). “See you later”, I captioned my 100th @jaaananannnsfood Instagram pic. Nay, I returned. This time, however, the hiatus will be longer.

My debut pic on @jaaananannnsfood was posted on Wednesday, 1 October 2014. I remember this date exceptionally well because (i) Oct 1 was the day I very stupidly walked from home to Admiralty and back. I decided to check out Occupy Central (or Occupy HK) with my best friend (school was out because all the roads were blocked). Remember my three somber and heartfelt posts earlier on? I even plead to the YouTube community in my impromptu video “This is Home?”, asking y’all to wear yellow to support the movement. Anyway;   (ii) Unsurprisingly, walking a few k on a severely sprained and swollen ankle made it worse. So I practicallly froze to semi-consciousness under a heap of ice packs that night, in attempt to ice my ankle; and   (iii) The reason why I chose to visit Occupy Central on Oct 1 was because ’twas the national day of the PRC (People’s Republic of China - yes, the communist one; no, not the beautiful Imperial one). This meant that all officials were busy celebrating, well, nothing really, up in Beijing, and I could rest assured that no tanks would be sent down to kill us. I’m serious here.

I think that’s where my addiction to social media began. I’d posted MY FIRST VIDEO + TMI TAG | jaaananannn prior to that, but my attachment to the online world was mellow. I started my food Insta because I like to prepare and consume aesthetically appealing meals and snacks. Precisely, because I was overloading my personal account (i.e. legit close friends irl had blocked my updates on Facebook. I knew I could simply unlink the Fb share option; I did, but I also didn’t want my personal account to turn into a foodie feed.). Then I got hooked.

I started spending more and more time photographing, pondering upon approachable captions, browsing fellow healthly foodie accounts… Essentially, not working. My productivity rate declined so quickly and so suddenly that I soon became overwhelmed with my icnreasing workload. And I wasn’t helping myself. 

Finally came the day that my Extended Essay was due. I was also leaving to Nepal the very same day. I don’t know how to share this episode of my life tastefully, because it wasn’t. To be blunt (and I believe this is the best way to tell this story, for you and for myself), I skipped class, when Nepal people were specifically told not to; I e-mailed each teacher (upon my mother’s advice), telling each of them I was skipping. How insanely awkward, absurd, disrespectful, disappointing, out of my character, and crippling towards my reputation. I know, I know. “Skipping class? Woah, rebel… No.” If you’re silently judging behind the computer screen right now, uh, feel free to carry on. It doesn’t really affect me. Though bear in mind that not everyone is as indifferent as I am.

So I skived to finish my EE. I was breaking out in cold sweat. I got into so much sh*t. Nice teachers helped. Strict ones made me cry. I went off to Nepal with one of the teachers whose class I’d skipped. I am actually a genius (please feel my sarcasm bleed through your screen). I returned from Nepal Trek. I arrived at school. The scary teacher gave me more sh*t and made me feel like a worthless piece of yak dung. I needed to pick up my game.

Let’s rewind to the morning I got home from Nepal. There was a letter waiting for me. It was from my mum, who’d been through the last moments of my EE handing-in with me. I will not summarise the letter because it is personal and painful, but I will say that she requested that I read it twice. The first time was shaming and heartbreaking enough, but I forced myself to go through a second time. It would be the least I could do, after the disappointment through which I put my mum. I also never called / texted to report that I was fine, alive, enjoying myself... That broke her heart. If there’s one thing a child does not want to see, it’s his parent in tears. She said that she broke down in tears shortly after I left for Nepal. I regret so much of what I did.

With the colossal love and support of my mum, I climbed out of my hell hole. There is always a bright - well, in this case, let’s just say it was a “less-depressing” side to the situation (I don’t like throwing around abnormal behavioural terms like “OCD” or “depressed” because I’m a Psych student, so the inclusion of the word “depressing” here shows my commitment behind my words). The less-depressing side of the situation was that at least I messed up (BIG TIME) now, not later. At least it wasn’t my degree. At least it wasn’t my final dissertation. At least I was still lawfully a child. At least I lived at home, with my superhuman mum. At least I wasn’t alone.

Inarguably, it hurts me to leave you. This blog, appropriately titled “Thoughts by Jaaananannn”, is my creative, emotional, conceptual outlet. I do not need to face anyone’s judgement with all five senses. I can just write and write, oblivious to reality. I enjoy it.

This is a bittersweet moment for me. Like it or not (I really can’t decide which; I suppose that I like it, given the long-term achievements), I will have to “see you later”. But I’ve chosen to keep @jaaananannn (my personal Insta), as well as @jaaananannnsfood (my food Insta) active. I just won’t be posting every day (let alone a few times a day - something I felt absolutely obligated to do on my food account). @Jaaanyuen on Twitter will also remain active. I don’t find Twitter interesting anyway. This leaves my YouTube channel “j aaananannn” and this very blog. These final two forms of social media will be idle until I return from my IB exams. This means no videos, no posts. 

I’m terribly sorry to leave you. I also need to say a big fat THANK YOU for sticking around all this time. I still need you guys. I just can’t show it until I pass IB. I’ll just think about my Internet Friends when I’m down or feeling pressured (which is most of the time. Pressured, that is.).

When I return, it’ll be the beginning of my summer. Schoolkids will still be sleeping through class (our school’s summer begins on July 1), but I’ll be a free monkey! I don’t even know now. Wait. I said I would be a free fairy at the beginning of the post, didn’t I? Free fairy. There we go.

It’ll be the beginning of my summer - post-high-school, pre-university! Asdfghjkljhgfdsa

I’ll update you guys then. Short and sweet updates will be pinned to my Twitter profile. I’ll miss you. I’m already missing you.

I hope you understand. I truly hope you understand.

Thank you; see you later. 

Let’s do this a final time before I online-hibernate: Jan out.x

❧

Word count: 1,404

Life Proceeds like Poetry

Raised conservatively,

Brought up by the rules,

Taught traditionally,

Then I switched schools.

Dove into the British system,

Made a few friends;

Learnt the social rank of school,

But I didn't want to pretend.

Granted, I was shy - 

I barely spoke a word

In classes to which I was forced to go;

My intentions were so blurred.

Speech and Drama opened my mind

To wonders, chances that helped me shine.

I found my voice and used it to explore

The world, which I now adore.

Then came secondary, a more intense ride

Than primary, obviously, and I began to abide

To social norms established by the "cool" crowd;

I tagged along, but I wasn't proud.

Middle school drama kicked in full blast;

It's insignificant now because it's the past.

But it surely shaped who I am today,

I wouldn't have had it another way.

My best friend thenceforth was kind of a mum;

When she left for boarding, it was no fun.

I had no close friends, only acquaintances whom

I met in cross-country. I was doomed.

I realised my strengths,

I ran and I ran,

Won races, gained trust,

Made new friends - that was grand.

My days looked better

As I found my personality.

It sounds cheesy,

But it's not - really.

I soared past GCSEs

And into sixth form.

Plunged into IB...

It was a storm.

A concrete chunk of cognitive development,

Academics was not everything, and so I went

And indulged in extracurriculars,

Found more passions, found more pleasures.

I grew to be more open,

Communicable and confident,

Focused and more dedicated,

Because it wasn't a sprint.

Growing up is more long-distance,

Where a strong start is exemplary;

Deceleration is allowed,

Though it's best to finish powerfully.

I just wrote my life out in one long rhyme.

There's more to come; life's a big hill to climb.

I'll continue to pour my thoughts out, onto this blog;

It continues to relax me, just like a jog.

vlog | shop with me!

NON-MATERIALISTIC AUTUMN FAVOURITES | jaaananannn

vlog | mail & my deformed face

vlog | fruit crazy & TIMEOUT

vlog | mundanity & zumba?!

LET THE SELFIE GAME BEGIN | jaaananannn

vlog | physio, food & young wine

vlog | deserted school & nerd gloating

vlog | stairs, pulse & causeway

Rainbow Trek and Pillow Wars

View from... Somewhere along the Hong Kong Trail. Ik, helpful. #NoFilter #SoLovelyThatTheTreesAndHillsAreOnlyStepsAwayFromTheCity

Dear Internet Friends,

It’s been a while since my last text-heavy post. In fact, my most recent two were videos. Have you watched them yet? ;)

If I recall correctly, I hinted, in last week’s post, at an explanation on Pillow Wars. We’ll get to that in a moment. Firstly, I want to share with y’all my last Saturday doing the Rainbow Trek.

Rainbow Trek is an annual 25/50km hike on the Hong Kong Trail, for Island School y12 students. Students get in groups of four or five and together, they complete the hike with the intent to (i) raise awareness; and (ii) raise money. For what? For New Sight Congo - an NGO founded by Hong Kong-descendant Joyce and her husband Henri, who is from Gabon. New Sight has been dedicated to helping the blind and visually impaired of the Congo republic since 2006. Joyce and her team operate on the locals in a hospital they’d funded and built themselves; in addition to this marvellous service, homeschooling and childcare help is also provided. Their work covers 3 areas: prevention and cure (since 80% of the blind in our world are needlessly so - their causes of blindness are preventable or treatable); helping the blind (helping those with irreversible blindness cope with their disability and be okay with it); and training and education (educating the community about eye health and care, simple hygiene, and for those who wish to become supportive staff, Henri trains them and teaches them surgical skills) - I find this last one most remarkable. Bring a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime. You can find out all about New Sight Congo here: http://www.samoutou.com/?i=13935 and learn how you can help!

Anyway, back to Rainbow Trek, I’d done it last year, when I was a y12. This year, as a y13, the hike was absolutely not mandatory. But here’s another chunk of news: I’m trekking in the Himalayas in a month’s time! WOOO! (More details... later.) Sooo, TRAINING. A group of y13s also going on Nepal Trek was invited to join the y12s last Saturday morning on the Rainbow Trek. Whew - what a sentence! So off I went with the four y13s who actually bothered to turn up ;)

I started my morning bright, early, sun-shiny and excited. Behold - an influx of pictures!

We did the 25km hike that day. At the 18km marker, I fell. It was a trail path, I was leading, I was moving quickly, and because I'm a genius, I landed on my ankle at an angle of 90˚. In other words, I twisted it. I scrunched up on the ground, immobile, for half a minute, then teachers came and bandaged it up. It's no big deal - I know ya'll are thinking that too - but believe it or not, it was my first time injuring myself that way. I live a boring like ok. Anyhoo, I, according to a photo caption my friend and co-hiker posted on Facebook, 'soldiered on'... Yes, for the remaining 7km. Was I crazy? I always think to myself, It's all in the mind. I'm not sure if this is admirable or unhealthy...

So later in the evening, I scribbled this down and Instagrammed it:

Get it? Please tell me you get it.

I grabbed a Niro Chicken Wrap from Prêt à Manger after the hike. It's a new product; it was the first I'd seen of it. I was confused when I encountered it in the open fridge - was that... Seaweed over the tortilla wrap? Yes, in fact, the whole shebang is inspired by Japanese flavours! In the wrap, there was chicken breast, lettuce, carrot, cucumber, ginger, black sesame seeds, and sesame dressing! It was delicious.

That sunlight tho.

Oh yeah, so I had to practise RICE: Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate. I'm missing out the Elevate part here, but. uh.

If you're following me on Instagram (@jaaananannn), you'll have seen this already. Hats off to you.

Then, I got hungry. Look - a wild biscuit.

And here's my swollen ankle. How pleasant.

Shout out to my creative ankle-selfie-photographing technique.

And here's dinner: Vegan fusilli dish with fresh carrot, tomato and broccoli. And by fresh I still mean cooked. Dw. Actually, it was leftovers. See how I made it sound fancy and vaguely appetising?

Finally, after wasting time on the Internet for many hours, I fixed myself a Fruit Bowl. I missed these things. 

I don't even remember if I had Maths tutoring that night. I may have. Either way, it wouldn't have made a difference to me - I was exhausted. Hear me loud and clear: EX •HAUS•TED.

Before I sign off, worry not - I didn't forget: PILLOW WARS! Let me explain.

The Wednesday before the Rainbow Trek training hike, the guys were playing Pillow Wars in the Senior Common Room. Yes, I am not a senior at school. #FeelingOld

I decided that I should go up against them. Me, clocking in at 100lb, and them, at 160-185lb. I told you I'm a genius, remember? How it worked was, that we each were to hold two sofa pads (you know, those squishy cushiony lengths on which you place your bum) in front of us and CHARGE! at each other. And kind of chest-bump. Only this was with pillows. Hence the CHARGE!

Granted, the boy I (tried to) CHARGE! at weighed the same as me (? - but really, he's skinny, but tall, but we tied at arm wrestling, but he plays rugby...), yet when we hit, well, he hit me. I went flying backwards, landing flat on my bum. I couldn't move or sit myself up. At this point, I'm beginning to evaluate my capacity for common sense. Another guy had to pick me up and transfer me to a sofa. One day I'll remember this and laugh. Actually, I'm laughing now :D So that was my Pillow Wars experience.

The lessons I bring to y'all today are:

1. Bring a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime. If you care for someone, teach them to fish. I mean, share with them your knowledge, experience, insight. It can only do them good.
2. Mind over matter (I hope you figured that out from the picture!). Soldier on - unless it's clinically disapproved. Though I'm pretty sure a doctor would've forbidden me to walk that last 7km...
3. Pillow Wars is fun. Just do it with people your own size. I'm warning you now.

That is all for this post. Jan out.x

40 FASCINATING THINGS IN MY ROOM | jaaananannn

This is Home?

This is Home?

Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Protesters Clash With Police In Surreal Scenes
The Huffington Post UK

Out of the 27 surreal (dystopian) images captured by The Huffington Post last night, this 9th one pains me the most:

He's not even doing anything. Just standing there, decked out in full protective gear: a combat suit, shelter helmet, eye shield and a freaking gas mask. Feeling important. Granted, it is likely that this member of the HKPF, too, has a family and desires true democracy. Or maybe he's been brainwashed to worship the wishes of China's Capital. Either way, this shot frustrates me beyond words. The pictures showing tear gas pealing through our inky sky and clouding round HongKongers, who are in turn hiding behind umbrellas and cling film... Those make my proud... And break my heart. My good friend is down there at the moment, distributing water to those that need to wash their eyes out. I admire his deeds; I wish I could go down (I'm kind of... immobile right now. I sprained my ankle on a trail hike two days ago, but that's for another post.). I'm sorry if these updates are bothering you, but democracy affects us all - like it or not, this is relevant. It's absurd how our government is reacting to our plead for a simple human right: democracy. Whatever we'd been promised during the 1997 Handover, we're now being eroded of. I hope Hong Kong will be returned to its beautiful and phenomenally safe metropolitan state soon.

Keep sparkling, Hong Kong.
Jan out.x

Wear Yellow for Hong Kong

Wear Yellow for Hong Kong this October 1st.

https://www.facebook.com/events/448929675246041/

Please take a few minutes to read about this Facebook event and join. I'd like to express my gratitude to the six students who started this at Harvard. There are currently already over 10.5k going. I urge you to join the movement and share. Change your profile pictures. 

I trust you, Internet Friends, to spread the word. Thank you.

Jan out.x

I need to say this at 2am

I'm turning to you for help. Do you know what's going on in #HongKong right now? #Police are responding to #peaceful #youth #protesters with #violence. Yes, that's mostly #teenagers and #students - all HK desires is to not be overruled with the #communist system, and here we have #teargas bombs going off and policemen threatening to open #fire with rifles. My city is being turned over and it's painful and #heartbreaking to watch. I trust you to help spread the word about our city. We really need all the #support we can get - HK's making history with this current #nightmare, and it's an international story. But please - YouTube something along the lines of 'hong kong pro democracy protest' and see for yourself :\ Broadcasts brought me shivers and almost to tears. I'm scared for our people, and for the first time in my life, fear that I may be physically hurt by violence. It's so physically close - 10 minutes' drive, to be exact.

➤ From my cousin, but I stand by her words completely:

Okay. I realize that my opinion may be shared by many, few, or none at all, but here it is anyway.

Hong Kong is my home, and has been for my entire life. It almost physically hurts for me to see that the Occupy Central protesters, who are Hongkongers just like me, are being threatened, harmed, and disregarded like this by the government. So their actions may not be lawful, - it's a civil disobedience movement after all - but Rosa Parks was breaking the law when she didn't stand up on that bus.

All I'm saying is, the media may be biased, I don't know. I may not know the whole story. But what I do know is this: fully geared policemen with gas masks and whatnot are firing pepper spray and tear gas at peaceful protesters who have cling wrap and towels. It's umbrellas against guns. Rifles pointed at 16 year olds. C.Y. Leung grinning at a media conference and saying it's not his problem - this coming from our Choef Executive. In my opinion, these are Hong Kong citizens, who are our peers, mothers, fathers, grandparents, teachers, friends, who are fighting for our rights yet being harmed for it. All I can say is, I fear for their safety, but I am so proud.

I realize I might not be the most qualified to say all this, but it is only my opinion, and I hope HK gets the democracy it deserves.

Confessions and Life Sorting

Dear Internet Friends,

I’ve something embarrassing to admit. It’s only logical that I share this with you here because it’s quite relevant to the recent focuses of my blog.

I ‘unveganised’ from PVP2 early - two days early, to be exact. So instead of 7 full days, I only managed 5. I’m ashamed. I feel like I’ve let you guys down as well. I’m getting my act together now.

I hope I’m not making too big a deal out of this. I hope I’m not downplaying this mini failure either. Please just know that I regret it. My only explanation is stress and decline of discipline. By stress, I mean in addition to the unhealthy IB workload and university applications, it was super stressful keeping this vegan thing from my parents. You know how Asian parents are, well - maybe not, but the more meat you eat, the better child you are. My mum especially - she’s been eyeing my habits at dinner every night and questioning my choices throughout the meals. Christ, it’s not enjoyable, nor is it easy to sustain. I didn’t mean to offend anyone by using the word “Christ”. But really, it was stressful. She didn’t notice the first time I tried out Project Vegan! Why now?

So to bring this to a positive note, I’ve decided to tidy my life a little. Too tidy, everyone knows, isn’t ideal. But a little tidy is nice, right? I’ve made a list with brief explanations, and I’d like to share it with y’all:

1. Sort out my school e-mail mailbox. SERIOUSLY OMG.
2. Sleep before midnight EVERY NIGHT. SERIOUSLY OMG. AGAIN. REALLY. #IBLIFE
3. Actually, uh, do homework. So I don’t have to rush work during registration every morning.
4. Manage my time more wisely by (i) working during free periods; (ii) by ‘working’ I mean WORKING. A.K.A. All things not YouTubeInstagramFacebookDancingWithTheStarsSoYouThinkYouCanDancePinterestEatingEatingEatingPillowWars... Yes, Pillow Wars. I’ll explain in another post in the very near future. I’m a genius... I said I’ll explain. Oh yeah, back on topic: (iii) by not spending an hour (or more) after school every day watching videos. I mean, I need to keep up with the YouTube world, but an hour a day, especially these next few months as a final year IB student, is downright stupid. I said that. I cannot be stupid any longer.
5. Trust more people. I probably trust four people in my life right now: my mum, dad, brother, and myself. Is that sad, that I don’t trust any friends 100%? Actually, make that six people. I’ve got two verysuperincredibly best friends. They’re great. Anyway, my point is, I don’t open up very easily; I generally don’t allow people to see my vulnerable, human side, and I think it may be time for me to do the exact opposite. I think that letting my guard down every so often will improve my communicability with others and have more people respect my presence... I mean, it’ll be a good way to make new friends. That’s a simpler way to put it. Hah. My existing friends are phenomenal, but I’d also like to strengthen our relationships. But then we’ll all be split up in less than a year, when we are all heading off to uni. So I shouldn’t get too attached to anyone... THIS CONTRADICTION THO. I think I’ll just give it a try. Ayyy
6. Become more flexible. This was a sharp turn from my previous point. But it’ll be so fun! I’m working on the splits. I might have them down my Christmas. I truly hope. I’m working on it! 
7. Handstands. I can do unsupported headstands, but I need handstands now. It will feel so accomplishing. And it’ll strengthen my back and shoulders - fundamental for tiny athletes like myself. And they look cool, ok?
8. Keep on running, swimming, tennis-ing, yoga-ing. I also really want to improve at volleyball.
9. Practise veganism on alternate weeks. I’ll figure out the parent stress thing. I must figure it out. 

You know what this list looks like? A New Year’s Resolutions list. I’m a firm believer in year-round resolutions. I mean, when you identify a problem in your life, fix it immediately - why wait for January to roll around before taking action? Really, why? How does on stand it? A wise fella once said, “If you desire something enough, it should not be classified under ‘things you desire’; rather, it should be under ‘things you are working on’ or ‘things I already have and love’.” Just kidding. I probably built that quotation with a collation of Instagram captions, YouTuber rants and inspirational school assemblies ;)

So not to bore you, here’s another chunk of information about my life (not that that’s fascinatingly fascinating but...): I’m going on a health kick :D I’m so excited. Since the last two cross-country races were cancelled due to (i) typhoon 8; and then (ii) high pollution warning (wOW this makes HK sound like a disaster zone... Yes, I’m aware of the earthquaketornadodroughthurricane areas on (in?) the west coast of North America, but ‘high pollution warning’... Really?), I haven’t been training in a few weeks. And I’ve been kinda less *ahem* disciplined and straying from a good-for-you diet. It’s true what they say - you are what you eat. I’ve been feeling less energised and snacking uncontrollably. I’m so set on getting my act back together now.

I hope this was worth reading. I certainly freed a gush of stress while composing this. Jan out.

Blogged out • Project Vegan: Part 2 | Day 2 + 3

Dear Internet Friends,

I recently read an post on Rosemary of Elephants, which flitted around the idea of writer's block and an obligatory blogging routine. I commented with what was probably a tad too much enthusiasm, writing along the lines of how I had too much to say, all the time, and that condensing my thoughts into a non-rambling post was a challenge. I know what makes a piece of writing engaging: no matter how widespread or comprehensive your content is, it's absolutely necessary to tie everything together, delivering a clear message at the end. If subjects are too scattered, the meaning behind your post will be diffused, leaving your words less worthwhile, less unique, less memorable.

Anyway, after I commented, I went about my day. Then I came home and recorded my eats. The post composition screen was looking extremely empty at that point - an introductory paragraph was lacking, my traditional 'Thoughts' section succeeding the list of meals was empty... I had nothing to say? Was I blogged out?

I decided to save this post and see what wonderful thoughts I would come up with the next day (today). Turns out, that was a wise move. Here I am today, typing wildly, thoughts pouring out of my... Fingers? Brain? Well, I'm typing with my fingers... idk. Here I am, typing wildly, unable to contain my fervour for sharing my experience with blogger's block yesterday. It's undoubtedly a lovely feeling to have recovered from that! So without further ado, here's yesterday's menu:

Breakfast

Sourdough raisin toast, unsweetened soy milk, orange

Lunch

Last night's leftover stir-fry + peppers + noodles

So hot, yet so fresh. Doesn't sound like I'm talking about food hahah. Ok ima stop. That's immature.


Snack
Red Delicious apple, salted mini pretzels, I was offered chocolate and accepting is the only socially sufficient response...

Dinner
Red rice, tofu + carrot stew, pak choy


And...
Unsweetened soy milk

Thoughts:

Like the intro, I'm writing this on Day 3. Here's a combined pic of a few scribbles from yesterday afternoon:

(From top left, clockwise)

1. Simple scribble technique

2. Floral scribble

3. Insects & spiders scribble

4. My reference

It was incredibly satisfying to be back in the studio - I'd been off art since the beginning of summer, since the start of July. That irreplaceable feeling you get from evaluating tones in front of you while adjusting your line weight by refining your wrist and finger movements - basically, drawing - ah, I LOVE IT!

P.S. - If you happen to have clicked on my link to Rosemary of Elephants, and if you happen to comment there, do drop in a word of how I linked you there! I'd appreciate it dearly - she may check out Thoughts by Jaaananannn in return, and who knows, perhaps guest-blogging in the future? Collab-blogging? Is that a thing? (Thank you)

• • • • • • •

Day 3

Breakfast

Kiwis, mixed grain toast + soy butter, unsweetened soy milk

SWIMMING ASSESSMENT. OFFICIALLY TIRED NOW.

Lunch

Baby spinach, roasted beet, avocado, Mandarin orange and walnut salad w/ blueberry pomegranate dressing | Dressed Salads ; five-grain bread

The phone screenshot on the right shows the new Dressed app, in which you scan the QR Code from your receipt and collect points! I earned 9 points from my purchase today; it's like a modern version of a stamp card. To give you an idea of what can be redeemed, 70 points wins you a free Artisan Sandwich, 80 for a free Hot Pressed Panini, 100 for a free Chef Designed or Custom Pasta, and 120 gets you a free Chef Designed or Custom Salad. The app also helps you find the nearest stores and lets you order online! Users can upload pictures to the communal Gallery as well, just for some on-the-go food porn! I forecast myself using this app very frequently in the near future :)

Snack

Dark chocolate coated digestives | Marks & Spencer ; Granny Smith apple

Dinner

Fusilli w/ Portobello mushroom, mixed bell peppers, broccoli, onion and olive oil

Something to keep me going... Revising...

Granola Crunch energy bar (organic, vegan, with 18g protein!) | PureFit

Yes, this was Saturday and Sunday. It's Thursday today. I'm sorry for putting off this post. But you gotta admit the pictures are mouthwatering :)

Jan out.

I totally forgot the excitement of being vegan! • Project Vegan: Part 2 | Day 1

I decided to change up the composition of these PVP2 (Project Vegan: Part 2) post titles. During Project Vegan, I titled my daily posts "Project Vegan: Day [#] | [Day of the week], [Date] [Month] [Year]".

If you haven't already noticed, I like to be consistent with formatting. I wouldn't call it OCD yet - I'm a psychology student; Abnormal psychology is branch sophisticated as any, and diagnosis requires many considerations - but I get extremely picky about these things. Anyway, for PVP2, my titles shall follow this template:
[Original, insightful title specific to the day] • Project Vegan: Part 2 | Day [#]


Nowww, on to today's menu:

Breakfast

Weetabix, unsweetened soy milk, raw almonds


Period 1: English
Remember English Cake Fridays? Read about them here. Anyway, it was my turn to bake. If you've been following me on Instagram, you will have seen my sneak peek pic of #rainbow snippets of #sugar. I made two dozen Low-fat Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies (see recipe here) with 75% of the sugar recommended! But I did add in a fistful of rainbow sprinkles to make it my own... Anyway, here's some food porn for y'all:

Aaand, yes, there is butter and an egg weaved into the dough... I forgot about that... I guess this is a little fail? (My bad)

Period 4

Mango juice | VITA ; Dark Chocolate Mint Almond Pro protein bar | Honey Stinger

I'd been speeding through some last-minute Bio homework during Long Break, which is why I couldn't afford to eat. After Bio (Pd 3), I had to speed through last-minute Chem revision (our test was Pd 5, after lunch, and I was - surprise surprise - busy at lunch), which is why I again couldn't afford to eat... Much. So I grabbed a sugar-loaded juice (I did not mind at all, I was so focused on getting through Chem) and chomped down a protein bar I'd taken from home; I knew if I didn't eat now, I wouldn't have a chance until I got home after school, after cross-country and after circuit-training. I NEEDED THE GLUCOSE.

(See the little mint chip in the transverse section pic? It was DELISH!)

Lunch

(Meeting with my university applciations reference writer)

And then... #hongkongweather happened. Bipolarity. I promise you, I'm not exaggerating. This is particularly common in the summer/autumn months, where one minute, the sky is sunshiny clear and the clouds are glowing; three minutes later, the sky is a murky indigo-grey, thick with fog and thundering. Lightning doesn't hold back, either. After a few minutes of high-energy light streaking through the troposphere, the fog moves over to reveal a glimmering sun and a calm, calm blue sky. I told you: bipolarity. My point is, it was ultimate crash-bang-storming when I got out of Chem (the test went well, by the way)... And cross-country was cancelled. I suppose circuit would still have been possible, but I didn't check... I probably should have, shouldn't I? ...

Snack

Fruit bowl! Kiwis, Granny Smith apple

Dinner

Red rice; soybean vermicelli, wood jelly, carrot, bean sprouts, vegetarian chicken and tofu stir-fry; choy sum

This was at 17:30. That's freakin early for me, considering my bedtime. The reason why we had dinner so early was because I'm failing Maths. I mentioned this in Revisiting Project Vegan. In an attempt to fix this, I'm receiving private tutoring... At night. Six hours a week. Uh.

Brain Food after Maths

I kid you not, I googled it. I was mentally exhausted. I truly wanted to go for a run at that point.

Raw almonds, grapefruit

That was it for my first day back at Project Vegan. 

JAN OUT.

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Revisiting Project Vegan

Dear Internet Friends,

I know it's the middle of the week, but this time, I can go on for longer (or shorter). I'm talking about revisiting Project Vegan.

The dilemma holding me back last time was sports. I'm still training, though this isn't a concern any more. Back then, my mind was set on representing the school for sedan chair racing. It'll sound like an incredibly stereotypical Asian thing now, but I realised that I absolutely needed to prioritise studying this second year of IB (disclaimer: I'm using the sedan training sessions instead to do Maths - yes, I'm failing Maths. Not so stereotypically Asian anymore.). All this CAS stuff should really be conquered and run by the year 12s anyway, not the year 13s. My conclusion: for once in my life, I need to focus on myself. I can no longer put teams before everything; I need to prioritise my education and my own future. Deep.

There will be people for sedan. Actually, no. Last year (when I was an eager, happy year 12), there were at least 35 people who showed up for the first run with the chair in August. This year, not only was our first run in September, but 8 people showed. EIGHT. EIGHT = THE TEAM. Pathetic! The show at our preliminary meeting had, amongst the y12s, almost 10 girls and over 20 guys. All but two girls quit even before our first run, and well, the guys were less pathetic, but eight? Really?

One of the guys (a y13) was only there that day because the two teachers (who are rather strict, might I add) who sorted out sedan last year (and who have passed on the responsibility to a younger (less motivated, less organised teacher)) stared him down and forbade him from not participating. But he quit afterwards. So did a brilliant y13 girl (who made the team with me last year, but didn't race due to an unfortunate last-minute injury). So did I - I said, I was failing Maths (I think getting into university is more important than helping a losing team, at this point). I'm not confident that Island will be taking home the win this year, but I'm really hoping that we (they) do. Dropping sedan was difficult :\

Anyway, because I no longer need to cross-train EVERYTHING and train HARD for sedan, there's really no reason why I should refrain from going vegan. I've been appointed co-captain of the girls' tennis team, so I'll be trying arm/shoulder/back work to improve my strength, and rallying more than ever to improve my game. But because this'll all be done in moderation, in contrast to sedan, where strength and stamina are tested in exhaustive bursts of activity, protein-strength-energy-maintenance-wise, I should be fine. SUPER fine :) So. Many. Clauses there :p

In conclusion (yes, I use this conjunction IRL; yes, I just used the word 'conjunction' IRL), I am going vegan (again, temporarily, but still), starting tomorrow! I'll document my meals, etc., like last time, though because I am a kid and I live with my fammm, and because nobody (except YOU!) knows about Project Vegan, these vegan meals will not be terribly interesting. In fact, if you haven't already noticed from last time, it's almost always the same thing - Chinese cooking doesn't use much dairy, and egg isn't big for dinners, but apparently it's difficult for our helper (don't call me spoiled ok - my parents made the decision to hire her...) to make meatless dishes. I know - first world problems. But I gotta illustrate my point. My point is, please don't expect a colourful menu, though please stick around and read the thoughts I have each day from Project Vegan: Part 2.

Thank y'all for reading today! JANOUT.

I've turned my room inside-out for y'all

Dear Internet Friends,

I'm working on my second video for my channel j aaananannn. I won't say what it is just yet - the suspense (if any) and the element of surprise (not really; my channel art states that videos go up on Sundays) usually makes the viewer enjoy the substance (video) more.

But the title of this post gives a little hint: "I've turned my room inside-out for y'all". Alright, I have yet to do something crazy on camera - I'm more subdued in my everyday activities; plus, I would like to know I have more viewers before I openly embarrass myself on the internet. It feels better to know my effort is cheering up more people. Back to the point, this title, I admit, is exaggerated. My room's fine. It's messy, but not upside-down and inside-out. I just used the title to catch your attention. And it worked. My reign of short sentences ends here.

This was just a little teaser for my next video. It'll be up on Sunday (or before). Byeee! JANOUT.

Names

I feel as though I need to start addressing you, my blog readers (few as there may be), with a name. You know how celebrities have their fandom names, like Gaga's "Little Monsters" and Zendaya's "Z-Swaggers"? Most of them include some form of the subject's name, smushed with a suffix that represents a group of people (e.g. Demi Lovato's "Lovatics" and One Direction's "Directioners"). Even YouTubers have them. Connor Franta has his Frandom / Franta Family. Bethany Mota has her Motavators. Though now that I think about it, they're the only ones I know of with a fandom name (and Beth only got hers when she launched her line on Aéropostale); other YouTubers just address their viewers with a generic greeting, which they stick with for 99.99% of their videos. The rate at which fandom names are brewing has had an extremely steep incline since the 21st Century. WOw that sentence was formal. Anyway, think about it: the improvement, efficiency, trendiness and therefore potency of social media has taken the ol' school-playground-popularity-contest to a whole new level. Nowadays, being socially accepted and liked doesn't end when you leave the party, the office, the restaurant, wherever. The desire (or some may even argue, the need) to be popular follows you home. It follows you everywhere, from the comfort (?) of your own pocket. I'm talking about your phone.

Back to my point, … I never introduced my point. MY POINT IS, followers of popular people like to give themselves a name, in order to feel connected to others who appreciate / admire / stalk said popular person. With the uprise of social media, it's become increasingly common for these appreciators / admirers / stalkers … Viewers. Followers. … To weave together a family over the internet. Fandom names seem like the deciding factor of whether or not you're "popular" in today's web-slain world. All this came to mind when I wanted to address you with a name, my readers.

Naming y'all is kind of a dilemma, though. Reason being, it means I consider myself "popular". I'm worthy, of course I am - everyone is. EVERYONE. But that doesn't mean I am big-headed, a.k.a. a popularity-stricken teenager. Coining a term with which I can use to address my readers will be big-headed. Sooo, after three paragraphs, I've finally decided to do what most YouTubers do: officially name you with a "y'all" (Tyler Oakley) or "guys" (many, many, many, many YouTubers) or "lovelies" (Theodora Lee)… I can go on for a while… "Best friends" (Jim Chapman), "everybody" (Zoe Sugg "Zoella" in that adorable British accent), "internet" (Sonia Gill, in a different European accent each week)… What should I use? OMG. Pwettiwad: People Who Enjoy The Things I Write And Do. Pwettiwad. No, it does not sound like brand of sanitary napkins. TMI. Sorry. I shall stop. You read nothing.

I don't think Pwettiwad is the most appropriate anyway. Imagine me saying "Pwettiwad" in a video. How… Weird (and in the most unattractive way possible, not the "quirky", "cute" kind of weird) would that be? I'll call y'all my internet friends :)

Project Vegan: Day 7 + "Unveganising" + YouTube

I'm a week late.

Ok.

I don't remember exactly what I ate, but I'll give it a go:

Breakfast   … ?
» Swimming «
Lunch   Papaya + greens salad, wheat germ roll (it was sweet?)

Snack   Probably a fruit bowl … or something

Dinner   Minestrone w/ loads of veg and pasta :)

Probably had some milk or something…   Ok this is pathetic.


I apologise for this wonky post. I did, however, just upload my first every YouTube video. It's shared in the post prior to this one. OH.

The thing I really wanted to say last week:

I went off the vegan diet.

Let me explain.

Training has begun. After all, Project Vegan was a test-run kind of thing - it was only for a week. This isn't to say that I won't try it again in the near future :) I just needed to make sure I wasn't depriving my body of nutrients I'd been receiving for the past 17 (16… Babies don't eat much meat… Stuff… Do they?) years. What I'm trying to say is, this past week I've been having meat and everything again.

To be honest, eliminating meat and animal products from my diet actually felt clean. I never knew. I always thought it was just mind over matter. But I felt it physically, and saw it. Uh. I hope you get what I meant there :p

I'm proud of what I've achieved in Project Vegan. Tonight's post will end right about here, but I am going to write another "reflection" post very soon. It has taught me (even more) discipline and I'm so proud of myself! Despite really really really really really wanting to go vegan this coming week, I'm afraid that if I do, I'll hurt myself (somehow) during training. My right knee is already starting to give in - likely the weighted squats on Friday :/ Perhaps I'll do a few vegan days a week?

JANOUT.

P.S. I will write every few days from now on… Until I slack off again. Sorry. Also, I've decided that I'll have a video on jaaananannn every Monday. JANOUT AGAIN.

MY FIRST VIDEO + TMI TAG | jaaananannn

I finally did it.



Here, I divulge TMI about myself. Remember to rate and subscribe :) (Can't believe I just wrote that ahah)

ENJOY.



Janout.

Project Vegan | Day 6: Saturday, 30 August 2014

Breakfast   Soy butter + raspberry sandwich, fortified soy milk, kiwis

Snack   Trail Mix bar | Nature Valley , mixed raw nuts

Lunch   Cold buckwheat soba noodles + sweetcorn, green peas, carrot bits...

Snack   Granny Smith apple

Dinner   Red rice, vegetarian chicken, bean curd sheets, Chinese mushrooms, wood jelly, choy sum


Thoughts:
Sorry about this delayed post. After lunch, my mum and I went out to SHOP. But not the typical AwesomeFunMaterialistic kind of shopping - no, it was shopping for NEPAL TREK.

Every November, my school has a week-long break from classes for CAS Week; the students (and teachers who choose to participate) get to select one trip, anywhere in the world, to undertake some CAS (Creativity, Action, Service) work. There are options ranging from local Hong Kong to mainland China, to New Zealand, France, and even North Korea (cray right?)! Some are service-based (like teaching mainland kids English or cleaning beaches), some are creativity-based (like Cooking in Hong Kong or, ahem, 'cultural' *cough* 'shopping' trips in Japan... [Tip: don't waste your CAS trip on 'cultural' trips]), and some are action-based (like Dance Around The World, Team BMX or NEPAL TREK!). This year, I chose Nepal Trek, a 12-day trek - legit - round about in the Himalayas. Yes - CAS (the school renamed it "Quest" Week last year... cringe much) Week lasts only one week, so we're leaving almost a week in advance, which is particularly demanding for us year 13s. Anyway, TREKKING. ALTITUDE OF 4,727m. -5˚C to +40˚C. 9 DAYS NO SHOWERS. ... Basically, I needed stuff. Outerwear, namely. And certain bits of gear. So that was shopping. It was actually quite fun. And I got protein and energy bars and gels for cross country season. I need to up my training this year, but don't worry, I'm not going full-on gym rat shakes and bars and gels. LOL me?

Aaand... That run? The hot weather warning was up. I was so disappointed. When we got home from Nepal shopping, it was 8pm. I had dinner, then wasted (spent) time on my laptop *sonotaddicted*, then collapsed in bed. I KEEP PUTTING THIS RUN OFF AND I'M WORRYING ABOUT MONDAY - OUR FIRST TIME TAKING THE [sedan] CHAIR OUT [for a run] THIS YEAR. It is going to be exhausting, I just know it.

Oh gosh. Before I sign off, I just realised I FORGOT TO JANOUT ON YESTERDAY'S POST. AH. ON THE POST BEFORE THAT AS WELL. AH. JANOUT.

Project Vegan | Day 5: Friday, 29 August 2014

Breakfast   Soy butter + raspberry sandwich, fortified unsweetened soy milk, orange

Period 1: English   Every Friday is Cake Day in English. It's kinda uplifting because, well, everyone loves cake. Our new teacher initiated this - it's legit, with a Google Doc to sign up for the weeks in which you're responsible for bringing cake. This was actually the very thing she talked about our first lesson with her. And apparently Cake Day will benefit us in the future: if you're a loner in uni, bake a cake; all the kids will come to you and you'll instantaneously propel to be a 'cool kid'. I love this teacher. Anyway, one of my classmates brought in an almond + olive oil chocolate cake. Fancy. I have no idea whether or not it was vegan, but... Come on. It tasted absolutely brilliant :D

Lunch   Fresh salad: mesclun mix, grilled pumpkin, sweetcorn, carrot shavings, cucumber, tomato, beetroot, canned peach | Island School Salad Bar

Dinner   Veggie Burger | Triple O's - Out with ze frenz~

Dinner was very early so uh   Fruit bowl! Kiwi, Granny Smith apple, Trail Mix bar | Nature Valley


Thoughts:
Did I say something yesterday about a long run today? About that...

I'd planned to do it after school, after TimeOut. TimeOut?, you may ask. It's a student union-hosted after school party/hang-out for years 7 and 8 thrown fortnightly (yes - I'm in the group that planned, campaigned, won, and made change to the school :D Not to toot my own horn, but :D ). Back in my day (gosh I love saying that. I feel old and wise.), when I was a puny year 7, TimeOut was 5-8pm. But over the years, due to staff and security staying overtime, keeping TimeOut running this 'late' got pretty expensive. Sooo while I moved up the years, TimeOut got earlier and earlier... Until the allotted time now: 3:30-5:00.

(By the way, it was AWESOME. And I'm not overusing that word here! We changed our Heads of TimeOut and things actually worked out great - 93 kids showed! And paid! And had a blast! Asdfbghngfdsf wooo! We accidentally ordered half the amount of pizza we'd meant to, but that's beside the point :p A few of the guys and I ended up halving each slice behind the scenes, to make sure each kid was fed fairly. It definitely made the evening more... Memorable.)

Anyway, after TimeOut, instead of heading home (as I'd planned), I ended up at dinner with my friends. I didn't realise it was dinner until... uh, I ordered. I mean, it was 5:30! Who on earth has dinner at 5:30? Actually, dinner during my summer med course at UofT was 5:30. *Cough*

So there you go: dinner out, back home at 8 o'clock or so. Then I FINALLY got to catch up on So You Think You Can Dance. THE FINAL! NOT to be confused with the Finale episode, which is the coming week, but it's the final chance for viewers (sadly, only those in the U.S.) to VOTE FOR AMERICA'S FAVORITE DANCER! (Urgh favourite without a 'u' looks so gruesomely weird... Just sayin) Sooo I watched an hour and twenty minutes of that. Then I passed out.

Project Vegan | Day 4: Thursday, 28 August 2014

The last thing I want is to bore you here. But I really need some sort of reassurance about this YouTube idea I've got. Read my last post if you don't know what I'm on about. I just want to put myself out there and see how the internet likes me. I fear that the response will be negative, if there is at all. Then again, how will I ever know if I never try? Hmmm

maybe I'll give it another day. Or the weekend. I'll do a tag video on Sunday night. Maybe. Anyway.

This morning during registration, I Scooped a few vegan articles on Scoop it! My new English teacher introduced it to us on Monday - it's like the Reading List feature on Safari, and you're able to make countless (is it?) topic folders to store web pages. I also looked into a few vegan athlete blogs last night, because I was getting concerned about the nutrients I was losing from this project. So far, they all seem to be saying the same things: vegan diets are brilliant for athletes because they're clean, more raw, blahdeeblah.

But they also mention how we're losing creatine, a nitrogenous organic acid that helps supply energy (in the form of ATP - sorry, Bio slipping in here) to all living cells in the body. We receive creatine only from meat (as the nutrient is present only in vertebrates), and insufficient amounts of it in our system may limit us during 'short bouts of intense exercise, like sprinting'. Also, the vitamin B12, found only in meat as well, is important for endurance athletes. B12 affects erythrocyte (red blood cell) production, and as we all know, the fewer erythrocytes, the less haemoglobin, the fewer haem groups, the fewer oxygen molecules bonding with the haem groups, the less oxygen in your system. The less oxygen, the less ATP is formed (due to limited aerobic respiration); with less energy, performance is not at its best. Whew. My point is, I will be performing short bouts of intense exercise, like sprinting for sedan tryouts, and cross-country will keep me doing endurance training. I seem to have a problem here... Does this mean I'm not performing to the best of my ability now? ... I'll get back to you on this.


Breakfast   FIRST TIME MAKING JUICE WOOO Ok uh it was juice with Granny Smith apple, raspberries and blueberries. And water. 'Twas brilliant. Then I had a handful of raw mixed nuts :D

Long Break   Quinoa + diced tomatoes

Lunch   I originally had training, but today MY BIFFLE FROM ENGLAND VISITED - the last time she visited, I was at training -  I had to give it up to see her! So. Pasta + mixed veggie tomato sauce. It was very carb-y. I think I'll take advantage of this and do a 6k tomorrow morning :D Yeah, make today a carb day, and see how I perform tomorrow! Exciting ~

Snack   Fruit bowl! Kiwis, oranges - I know, same as yesterday, but it's only the second day it's been the same. I'll be okay. And fortified unsweetened soy milk.

Dinner   Red rice, chili tofu stir-fry, yellow bean glass noodles + carrot, mushroom, wood jelly strips, choy sum

I got hungry... I feel like if I slept earlier, I would be able to eliminate this snack   Red Delicious apple, trail mix bar | Nature Valley


Thoughts:
I've thought about it. An alternating diet, I mean. Remember in my Project Vegan post at the beginning of this journey, when I was considering having alternating dietary weeks? (Penultimate paragraph, line 5) September Week 1: Vegan; Week 2: Vegetarian; Week 3: Everything, including meat; Week 4: repeat. Something like that. This will in no way make me a full-on-farm-animal-rescuer, but it will help me regain lost nutrition, which I very much need for training. I'm so torn.

I don't want to be thinking too far ahead, anyway. I don't even know if I'll enjoy meat after a week or two living meatless. It may become a chore, which is the last thing I would ever want to happen. That, and boring y'all on Thoughts by jaaananannn :D See? I pay attention to what I'm writing! Back to the point, I'm don't even train that much; it's not like I do gym or crossfit (yet - maybe - more details in another post), so missing out on dairy, eggs and meat may not really do that much harm. Right?

• • • • • •

Information in purple has been taken from this article by Gretchen Reynolds for NYTimes.com. Quotes are from Nancy Clark, a registered dietitian and board certified specialist in sports dietetics.

• • • • • • 

Project Vegan | Day 3: Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Today, I endured

• Bio test. Affects predicted grade. Affects uni application.
• French IA. Affects predicted grade. Affects uni application.
• Maths re-sit Mock exam. Affects predicted grade. Affects uni application.

Basically, anything and everything I do in this period of my life either benefits or harms my opportunities in higher education.

This is not a rant blog because I don't believe many people out there care about feelings. Sooo... Let's get to #ProjectVegan!

Breakfast   Toast + applesauce (so cold and refreshing ah), fortified (unsweetened) soy milk

Long Break   Soy butter + banana sandwich

Lunch   Er... Training :p

Snack   Fruit bowl! Kiwis, orange

Dinner   Red rice; carrot, celery, button mushroom, Chinese mushroom and wood jelly fry-up - what a mouthful; choy sum

I forgot to record this - I'm adding this snack on Day 4   A few raw mixed nuts + soy chocolate cookie 


I'm writing this relatively early in the night (compared to my posts the previous two nights) sooo... Nothing. Let's hope I get 8 hours of Zs tonight :D


Thoughts:
I just realised that those were my thoughts. Um

I've been considering making YouTube videos. Thought I'd invest the energy I use to procrastinate to do something (seemingly) fun. Sports, art and all that are super duper fun, but I'm just so inspired. Caspar Lee ("Casper") and Joe Sugg ("ThatcherJoe") are by far my favourties (as of, well, now...) and their enthusiasm rubs off on you! It's inevitable! Watching YouTubers do their thing was what inspired me to start writing publicly (i.e. this blog!) so I mean, why not? Surely, it wouldn't hurt to upload a video or two of myself doing YouTube tags.

But then it will. It could hurt. It quite predictably will hurt - #hatersgonnahate and even if the intent was not to insult or patronise, comments received in text are likely to be misinterpreted. Am I worrying too much? I do that sometimes.

Another concern I have to do with videoing myself for the world to see if my real friends. Actually, my real friends I'm not so worried about. They'll accept my out-of-the-blue-ness for (trying) to get onto YouTube. It's my acquaintances I'm worried about... Then again, I shouldn't care about what people think. Should I? People are there to validate your existence, like it or not, because without people with whom you can communicate, you've only got yourself to rely on. How, then, do you know that you're actually there, here, living? #TimOBrienReference (Anyone read The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien? Remember the chapter How to Tell a True War Story? If no one has heard your story, you've no one to back you up on your experiences; if no one knows, in a way, it never happened. I feel like I really need to stare into your souls to make sure y'all understand what I'm trying to get across. Go read The Things They Carried! It's not the most... Exciting... (I had to read it as Lit in English) but man is it deep. I promise you, it's not as mind-twistingly deep as LUCY (seen the movie, anyone?).

Omg I apologise for that accidental spin into TOK (for those unfamiliar with the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme, look it up: TOK.) Let's not end talking about school. I have to shift Lunch to Long Break again tomorrow... Training calls :p After training, there's PE. Believe it or not, I'm soso pumped! I'm not the most well-rounded athlete, but I love moving. I'm excited to continue with #ProjectVegan tomorrow! I'm 3/7 of the way now! Jan out.


P.S. Idk why I started that hashtag #ProjectVegan... It's not like it's searchable on Blogger anyway... Um. I live in the age of social media references. There we go. #JanOut. ««« That is so awesome!