2010 Report/ Letter

Everything has been firgured out, except how to live. Jean-Paul Sartre

 Dear world,

So this day has come. 31 December 2010. The last day of the year. Many Youtubers have done 2010 year reviews and I intend to do my own. Unfortunately, I don’t know if the entertainment level would be the same as some of the videos online.

Well, everyone knows what happened in 2010. Obama is rocking out the presidency. He even ended the war ( yeah, it was not that well publised). There is a new healthcare plan in America and the UK raised University fees. Singapore held the F1 again and the very very first Youth Olympic Games. Hmm, what else happened. Snow came to Europe and has packed up there. Wikileaks happened too; which is good for people who do end year reviews. Wikileaks was this years best scanddle. Last year I think it was Obama being president and Tiger Woods sex encounters. (Yeah the King of Pop was there too but the press had more fun with Woods). The I pad came out this year. You know, its just a giant sized itouch. The iPhone 4 was released too. The apple people are geniuses, (and not in terms of their technology). In terms of Youtubers. DeStorm as a new shoe modeled after him. Dave days is switching from paradies to his own stuff ( now not only is he cute, he is talented too).

But you would see this in all other year reviews.

Every year, I write a letter to myself and the very next year I read the letter and reflect. It is a good practise. I (finally) found last years letter and remember my deep and strong feelings towards getting into the school and course of my dreams. You may think now that this is some random rant but not entirely. Every year, around this time, I write two very personally letters, one to myself and another to my readers.

This year, thanks to everyone, I hit my 10,000 views. It was something to celebrate. I don’t see the numbers flying or sky rocketting any time soon but I am glad that I have a generally healthy flow of traffic to my blog. People ask me what do I write about and I tell them life. Sometimes it is personal. Sometimes I am trying to convince you of a cause and sometimes I am not too sure myself. That is life. Life is such a broad topic and I think that is why I love it so much. Like the quote above, no one really knows how to live. And I know many say ‘oh, you need a niche for your blog’. Screw you! Life is a niche. Everyone can relate to it. And when I blog, I figure out how people live and why people live them and try and understand you. And then try to tell you what I understand.

Next year, I will cramming (again) for exams. But I will blog when I have the chance and inspiration. But I plead all of you. Go out to the world and forget that its 2011 tomorrow. Enjoy countdown celebrations. Eat, drink ( don’t drink and drive). Tomorrow will come sooner than any of us will hope. And watch out. I might just be writing my 2011 year review WAY faster than any of us thinks.

All the best for the new year.

Love, Cheyenne.

Welcoming 2011 with a new habit.

Adventure must start with running away from home. William Bolitho.

Dear World,

I know it is a coupld of days before the actual new year, but I thought I would promise my readers that I will commit to a new habit. What brought this on you might ask? Well, recently, I have been reading some articles and blogs about improving my writing. Many mention a form of a niche, something I concerntrate on. But, being me, I can’t really do that. I have too many opinions about way too many things. So, to try and keep my blog fresh, I will commit myself to find appropreate quotes to start each post.

I happen to like quotes. And may be it will help you too.

Let’s look at the one that starts this post. Adventure must start with running away from home.

I hope everyone gets that there is a potential hidden meaning under this quote. Home= security. ANYTHING that makes your feel secure. Adventure is all about taking risks; stepping out of your comfort zone.

There are a few reasons why this quote kind of starts off 2011, although not officially. Firstly, next year is my A level year and in terms of my theatre studies,  I might have to take big risks in order to be able to try and hit my best potential. Secondly, its a dare for you. In 2011, I would like everyone reading this to try and do something really really unusual for you. Be it bungee jumping or trying some new mexican cuisine. You don’t have to do it at the BEGINNING of the year. Take your time with this. If you know you can get impatient try a jig saw puzzle, 750 pieces.

Actually, everyday has potential for new experiences and new posibilities. You just need to run away from ‘home’ and take that risk.

Greece

Dear world.
Me again! Sorry that I have not been posting about beautiful Greece! I will be going to turkey tonight so I thought I could tell you all about Greece right now.
So i’ve been staying in Athens, walking distance from the acropolis! Yes, walking distance. No I have not walked up there. I took a bus!
Everything in Greece is so beautiful. I’ve climbed up to temples and theaters. I saw the original Olympic stadium and rn in it. I lost to my sister.
What amazes me is that the same time last year, I was in Italy and fence and switerland and those places were jam packed with people. And I bet it still is now. But I look at Greece, it offers so much more culture and history. It offers, in a sense, more magic.
I recommend Greece especially in autumn, when the sun and wind are friends. Stay a week or two nd do everything you can.
Make sure you have a good guide.

Being yourself, truely

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. My cousin helped prove that to me tonight.

You see we are all different people with different strengths and weaknesses and different talents as well. I can’t be Jonny Depp or Britney if I wanted to. I can only be me.

So just a little reminder.
Being perfect sometimes isn’t worth it.
It is not worth the mess.
Believe me or not and face the fact,
Don’t try and put it to the test.
Take what you have
And make it grow
And trust me
The products will show
Sometimes just being ‘me’
Is the best I can be 

I hope that helped everyone out tonight oh and btw I downloaded wordpress on my I-phone so I can update as soon as an idea pops into my head so you will get updates from me more often 
Take care
Cheyenne Phillips

There is a scary kid world too!

Dear world,

I know I was blogging about the scary adult world in my previous post. Now I am here to blog about the scary kid world.

Adults don’t understand teenagers and kids ( under 13) don’t understand teenagers for one reason and one reason alone. At teenagehood, you begin to realise that the kid world and the adult world are constantly clashing.

This is the only reason why being a teenager is so damn hard!

When you are a kid, there are a few basic expectations. Be respectful to your parents. Make your parent proud. Do well in school. Others are like, love your siblings, have fun, enjoy.

When you are an adult, you have expectations too. MOVE OUT! Get a job! Earn money and make a living. Those are the basic expectations. Others are like own a car, own a house ( move out and own a house is a different thing all together), get married and give your parents grandchildren.

Kids have it tough. Parent yell at them. Some feel like they can’t talk to their parents. They have to be the perfect child. They have to paint, dance, act, sing, play the guitar or some other musical instrument and score at acadamics. Kids really have no time to play!

That is all they want . PLAY! Kids are biologically programmed to play. That is all they want.

Adults get more freedom ( that is why alot of teens want to grow up faster, the freedom. I will touch on this more later). They make their own choices, do what they want, they are responsible for themselves. They don’t understand what that is like yet because they have yet to move out but! They don’t care. As long as their parents ( who say they love them) aren’t under the same roof they are fine.

To all parents. Give your teens the freedom. Because to keep love is to give it wings. I know you don’t want them drinking smoking or doing drugs and most kids, if they know that they are given the oppertunity to be responsible without their parents breathing down their necks about it, they will be responsible. Parents say they love their kids. I think they say it by default. Some love their kids. Most not really. Most don’t love their kids unconditionally. I believe that is how conflict between parents and teens arise. The lack of love from the parents side. I am not being biase. I am being truthful.

Most teens just want to be understood and accepted especially by the 2 people who tell them they love them. Honestly, parents! If you contradict yourself, immediately your teen will not believe you anymore!

You know we arent that tough to figure out. You just lack the understanding that it is not us that is the problem and making us emotional and rebilliant. It is our surroundings and situations. And , trust me that includes you.

This is actually on a personal note but I wish my mum just knew that I love her and that I just want her to trust me and love me unconditionally, no matter who my friends are , what school I go to and my appearence. I also wished she knew how much I am so afraid to ask her things and talk to her….because the fact of the matter is…I already know her answer to each question I ask. I don’t see the point in asking any more.

Teens, try and understand your parents. They love you. Yes they do. They just don’t understand you. Be patient and hopefully.

Parents, you don’t need to agree. You just need to understand. However, if you keep your teen waiting too long, you actually may lose contact with them after they move out.

With regards,

Cheyenne…

The scary adult world awaits….

Hey….fast and enhanced adult world.

I am Cheyenne. I am 16 and I am SCARED AS HELL.

There are many reasons to why I am scared as hell. Firstly, my school posting results are out in about 10.25 hours from now. That would be 8am on the 27th of January Singapore local time that the Ministry of Education releases the posting results. I DON’T KNOW IF I CAN GET INTO THE SCHOOL(S) OF MY CHOICE!!!!!!!!!!! Secondly, I have another fear concerning the school(s) of my choice. You see, I am eligible to enter a Junior College( JC) where it is compulsory for me to take Malay as a subject. If you haven’t been following my blog, or if I have yet to mention it then I will mention it now. I SUCK AT MY MOTHER TONGUE! Finally my mum told me I might not be able to study in an overseas university because we might not afford it.

NOW I AM SCARED AS HELL. I want to cry so much. Not that I hate Singapore Universities. I just really want to get out of this country. Plus there are universities that offer me better Drama or Marine Biology courses. I am currently looking at scholarships. I AM 16 AND I AM LOOKING FOR SCHOLARSHIPS!!!!!

There are other options. I am looking for a part time job. I am scared to death as it is and I don’t mind tutoring little kids to help fund my college courses. I don’t want to commit to a job just yet. I don’t know what my timetable is like until I enter a school (which I hope is soon).

I feel like a kid living in an adult world. My parents tell me don’t grow up too fast but the fact of the matter is that I have to. I can’t survive in this world without ‘ growing up fast’ . The harsh reality is hitting me hard, and I am not even facing the worst of it yet. I should have taken up a job.

I think when I am all settled, I’ll apply to a tuition center.

I am a kid living in an adult world. I wanted to grow up fast. I wanted to be free and I wanted to be extremely adult. Now I wish time would stop. Just for me. I don’t want to grow up any more.

I am scared for what the world will bring to me.

Sometimes I wish I didn’t turn 16…..

Lots of luck,

Cheyenne

My future, my choice

Today I went out with my cousins and my friend, Dhivya but only one cousin ( plus Dhivya) had dinner with me at Singapore flyer.  We had a discussion about my future. Upon getting my O level results, I will have to make a choice. A junior Collage(JC)? A polytechnic? Singapore School of the Arts(SOTA)? Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts(NAFA)? Private Arts school?

When I am looking at JCs, she asked me why waste my time? Polytechnic is a wonderful route. And if you are interested in drama, enter SOTA.( note: I am tired!!! I don’t remember all the words to that conversation.what she really said isn’t the above…its just paraphrased).

I just got ticked off. She is in Normal Academic Stream which does 5 years of Secondary School so she heads back tomorrow while I did 4 years in the Express stream ( Singaporean NA readers this is not discrimination! I am just explaining to others who do not fully get our education system).

I don’t know. I don’t know what I want to really do. I mean I am at a crossroads and I don’t want to regret anything and I have been taking my time with this decision.

I just got an application for a scholarship. It is in engineering but I am not fully interested in that.

I don’t know. I think everyone should stop worrying about everyone else’s futures and worry about their own.

I forgive my cousin if anyone like wants to know. I can’t stay mad at her for long.:)

We are just Ordinary People

Before I begin, let me just ask you all something. Did 2009 seem to past by fast? Through out 2009 I felt the earth spinning faster. Everything just seemed to go really fast and there was no time to stop.

A couple of days ago I bought the soundtrack of FAME with my Christmas money. I saved the soundtrack on my laptop and into my Ipod nano. There is one song that I can’t help but constantly listen to. Ordinary people by Asher Book.

We’re just ordinary people
We don’t know which way to go
’cause we’re ordinary people
Maybe we should take it slow (Take it slow oh oh ohh)
This time we’ll take it slow (Take it slow oh oh ohh)
This time we’ll take it slow

Above is the lyrics from the chorus. It is actually a love song. But the chorus is amasing.We are Ordinary people. We need to take it slow. Think about 2009 for a little bit please. Did it not go by fast for you? Did you rush through anything?WHY? We are people. Not robots. There is nothing to rush. We humans rush like crazy to save time and with all the saved up time we have, we just waste it on TV or something really lame. We need to slow down.

To all the working folk, calm down. Settle deals slowly this year. A rushed brain lowers productivity. Do things slowly and well and be done with it. Not do it fast and then it ends up to be crappy.

To students, including those in Polys, Universities, Pre-U or other standards, in exams take your time. Don’t rush. You miss stuff out when you rush through everything then you don’t do well. What is the point?

To everyone, let 2010 be meaningful. Let it have a slow pace so that you get the job done and can smell the wonderful roses at the same time. We have to enjoy 2010 and yet we do not understand why.

I dare each and every person here to slow down for 2010. Take time to breathe. You have to let your brain think for a little while and slow down. You are an Ordinary person. NOT A SUPER COMPUTER

We are Ordinary People. To my fellow Ordinary People, ‘this time we will take it slow’

With my regards

Cheyenne Phillips

the school of the future

Trust me when I say I am do not only like the school of the future because I want to become a student there. No. I actually believe that that is our future. If were a heading towards a future that is very high-tech and very advance then shouldn’t technology already be intergrating with learning? Shouldn’t all this be already in our classrooms? In my short 15.8 years,I have heard many telling the world ‘The children are our future’. So shouldn’t our future understand and begin to experience what the future is going to be like?

Sometimes I get the vibe from people that in the FUTURE, they are just going to wait for other people to invent stuff and discovery that cure for incurable AIDS. I really do get that vibe.

I just told my mother about this and she keeps going HMMHMM!

Sigh…

St. Pats Carnival: age does not matter

Today, I followed to his ex school’s , St. Pat’s  carnival. The main event was the soccer match and 4 teams had signed up. The class of 79, the class of 95, the class of 97 and the current school team plus teachers signed up for the game. Guess who won.

The class of 79! ( Way ago team. I was cheering for them all along.)

It was a tough match and the class of 79 came in top. May be they were more experienced or skilled or everyone gave them a chance ( did not really look that way to me). It was several good played games. I think we should never judge anyone by age or looks or anything because they never know what they might have up their sleves.

Sigh. Lesson of the day huh?