Okay.
YOYOYO BABIES!! :D
Yesterday, I finally got around to reading The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I would like to caution all potential readers: if you intend to finish it in one sitting, PREPARE A BOX OF TISSUES!!! Seriously, it was the first time I had been so emotionally affected by a book (yes, I cried really hard).
[SPOILER ALERT SKIP THIS PARAGRAPH IF YOU ARE A POTENTIAL READER]
All in all, the book is a real masterpiece and is definitely unlike other novels. For a start, the characters are actually INTELLIGENT and witty, yet likeable and realistic(in the sense that they aren't overly optimistic about their cancerous state). And not just realistic, but real. John Green writes as if the people are actually real and living, and I think this very fact makes it hard for readers to not feel a connection to each and every character, especially Hazel and Augustus. Also, I really liked how throughout the whole book there are hints that Hazel is terminally ill and going to die, and we are all led to think the story will end with her death, but it ends up being AUGUSTUS who dies. Okay, I cried at the pre-funeral that Augustus staged for himself and I couldn't stop crying when he finally died and it was so embarassing because I was reading in the living room and had to hide in my bedroom to really cry. Anyway, I think the best and most emotional part of the book was Augustus's death. Not because the duo was unable to live and die together or because Augustuus sounds like the type of guy whom I would like very much, but because his very disappearance from Hazel's world shows us that she lost not just a lover, but a friend, a confidante, a lifeline; and that is something that I think all of us are truly afraid of. That is also the reason why I cried; I can't imagine a world without anyone who can truly understand me. I mean, yeah, Hazel had her ultra supportive parents, but it's not like they have cancer or they really understand how SHE feels. Anyway, the ending, which was a letter from Augustus to their favourite author, was pretty sweet. Maybe it was just a simple letter to express his love - in fact, maybe the whole book IS a pure romance novel - but to me, it meant so much more than what is mentioned and goes way beyond the fickle sort of relationship that teenagers have. That is why I love this book.
OK POTENTIAL READERS YOU CAN CONTINUE READING NOW!!! I hope you haven't dozed off already :'(
Today I had dumbarse band as always...BUT I GOT SCOLDED FOR READING "THE CASTLE" BY FRANZ KAFKA?!?!!? I think it's not right. For me to get scolded, I mean. This makes me sound like a 100% rebel but here are my reasons for thinking I am right:
FACTS:
1. Out of the three hours I spend at band, about 15 minutes are actually spent on the clarinets section.
2. I can already play everything. Out of the 15 minutes dedicated to us, only about 3 minutes is useful to me.
3. We have about four 3-hour practices per week.
3. I am wasting A LOT of time.
Therefore, it logically follows that:
1. To fully utilize all 25,000-30,000 days of my life, I cannot simply sit in band and stare at the conductor or twiddle with my thumbs for 2 hours and 45 minutes during each practice.
2. I usually spend my time watching anime, replying emails, or reading.
3. Since I cannot undertake the first two, the third action is my only option.
Additional facts:
1. I read when I am not playing.
2. I read when the conductor is addressing other sections.
3. I play when i have to.
THEREFORE! It does not make sense for me to stop reading. Especially not when faced with a flimsy statement such as "It is rude to me and to the band." That is just an overused phrase that was uttered in the pre-modernist era by unqualified teachers and was passed down from generation to generation, stemming from the subservient students of that time who were too scared to challenge that statement. It is imperative that we liberate ourselves from the influence of the dark days. Join me, and we shall never again have to live in fear! Yes, soon my faction will stage a coup d'etat and overthrow the forces that threaten to oppress us once more..........
Sorry, I got overly excited talking about the oppressive society that I am involuntarily a part of.
Anyway, while walking to math tuition today, I got ambushed by a suspicious man!!! When I say "ambushed", I mean it in the literal sense. He popped out of nowhere and came so close that within seconds, I was up against the wall and trying to escape to the escalator in an awkward crab-walk. "Don't worry, I am not a pervert." He said that sentence three times, which confirmed my suspicions that he is actually a pervert. Then he tried to get me to donate $10 to some thingy!!! Normally, I would donate, but it was SERIOUSLY SUSPICIOUS BECAUSE THE $10 NOTES WERE IN A CLEAR ZIPLOCK BAG!!! Not to mention, we were walking (I was crab-walking) in front of an NTUC, which SELLS ZIPLOC BAGS. Eventually, i managed to escape. But please, to all legitimate volunteers, don't EVER act like this guy did. It's just plain creepy.
