I shall choose to believe that it's a matter of choice.

Scenario:
A very-nearly-middle-aged woman with a sour-by-nature face gets home (to an apartment she shares with no one but her cat, Yellow) from whatever work she does, sits down in her living room and opens up the day's paper. There is a piece of news that catches her eye - one about a doctor, perhaps, who has been awarded a medal for changing the lives of many for the better; or maybe one about a lawyer, who has just won a high-profile case.

Now, her options are:
(a) Stare at the name, then the accompanying picture, and then bite back the feelings of regret and guilt that come up. Crumple up that page of the newspaper, kick the cat to vent her frustation and go to bed in a black mood.

or

(b) Stare at the name, then the accompanying picture. Pick up the mobile phone and dial speed-dial number five. Wait a few minutes until the person on the receiving end picks up, then say, "I saw that article on you in the paper!" and spend the next half an hour on the phone laughing and making plans to go shopping together that weekend.

Now which will be the case?

doing the math

I made myself cry yesterday. I'm not sure how exactly, but I do know that I might accidentally do it again if I'm not careful. Overthinking might just lead to depression, y'know?

"Pain is compulsory, suffering is optional."

folk songs, anyone?

Possibly one of the hardest songs around to sing to. But it's so... Irish, no? :D

Yay to Sherlock Holmes!
Yay to a great cast!
Yay to the soundtrack!
Yay to rewatching the movie!

Quickie

I'm passing over Hanoi because the pictures are of nothing but dust and motorcycles.

I'm only gonna pick a few pictures that sum up the trip for me, because I was never an upload-every-single-thing kind of person.
Behold, Halong Bay! The locals pronounce it "Ha-Long-Bai", because... ah, the explanation is too tiresome. Suffice to say their problem is mainly pronunciation, not grammar.




Next up, Sapa! This is a lot like Cameron Highlands, except it's a tiny bit colder and more populated by ethnic minorities. The rice terraces, unfortunately, are rather...brown. Or maybe it's just the season. Hmm.


Teehee. I like the last one. Crap, I'm running late.
Ja ne!

perspective

The absolute bestest response to the first phone calls you make upon arrival home is a loud, drawn-out cry of welcome from people whom you know rock your world.
The nicest bit of turning your phone back on at the airport is the messages that come in asking if you're back yet.
The most enjoyable part of a flight is when you can say nonsense like 'V1!', 'VR!' or 'V2!' without your neighbours understanding any of it.

I'm home!
Hanoi was terrible, Halong Bay was fun and Sapa was pretty good. Possible pictures next time :D

All Hallow's Eve

A very Halloween-y piece called King of The Pumpkin Patch from M. Dyer (pu-chan) of DeviantArt. Too awesome. @_@

random.

Lol.

here's an idea:

Go and hug a tree. They're more likely to appreciate it, and they won't show it if they don't.

flash bang sizzle

"I'm not even sure there are aliens. Only different kinds of us."
-Johnny Maxwell, Only You Can Save Mankind

what is it like to fly?

In the sky earlier today were the Sun, too many clouds, a few hyperactive birds - and six F-16 fighter jets from the US Air Force. Residents of Birai U8/69 rushed out to the playground to get a better view, most armed with sunglasses (one dude had binoculars - overreacting, much?) and smug smirks at the fact that U8/69 is the highest part of the residential area, so we could sort of watch the show.

Inspiring, those spirals and somersaults were. Now there's something new for me bucket list: obtain a pilot's licence!

*I would've put up pictures, but they pretty much all look like pictures of empty sky with miniscule black specks in the middle, so no point.

cheering charms

Ten reasons to smile en route home:

1. Squirrels Tree shrews.

2. A gorgeous sky.

3. Successfully avoiding a big puddle.

4. Wind.

5. Overtaking cars stuck in the after-school jam.

6. Spotting fruits on trees that have, to date, never produced any before.

7. A fun song to sing.

8. Amusing conversations with myself*.

9. Noticing random (and sometimes funny) things**.

And the best cheering charm of them all:-
10. Friends who wave as they pass in their cars.


*I'm dead serious about this.
**Like the squashed mango I nearly trod on.