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universallywriting · 5 years

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Hello, I stan Connie and I’m going to use my English degree to prove she’s going to be super important in SUF. There’s obviously no personal bias here, so let’s get started with my 100% flawless logic.

We've finally got an outright statement of personal issues in Prickly Pair and Little Homeschool, really starting off Steven’s character arc. How you doin' over there Steven?

"I've already said enough."

Cool! That's some crippling repression there, champ. Gold medal in refusing to talk about stuff. He made a new baby, he dumped all of his issues onto it, it grew up with rage issues and just wanted a hug. History repeats itself, right Steve-o? You’ve heard that one a couple times before. But everyone's already talking about Steven's bad time. I’m going to let smarter people than me talk about Steven.

Instead, I wanna talk about Connie and how she’ll play a big part in his arc.

Because at the beginning of this new series, I remember Steven giving a cool rundown of what everyone was doing. Sadie's touring with the Killers, Lars is in his pastry shop, and Connie's getting a headstart on college prep. And we finally got to see them! Sadie, Lars, how's that going?

Lars is going to space.

Sadie's band is breaking up.

Way to go, Steven. You’re nailing it this season. It looks like people certainly are changing and moving on from Steven's expectations. Not to mention that Little Graduation specifically calls out the things Steven doesn't know. Steven doesn't know how Lars and Sadie decided to end it - it was private, none of his business. He can't be involved in every conversation. People don't tell him everything. And, sometimes, the assumptions he makes about people are completely off base.

Unlike a lot of other cartoons, Steven's love interest Connie is a reoccurring character rather than a main. She's more likely to be missing from an episode than in it. One of the biggest arguments the fan base has had for this over the years is that it makes it feel like Connie has her own life. All the way up through Nightmare Hospital we know that Connie is still studying hard, playing tennis, and playing violin, despite us rarely seeing it, because those are things Connie does around Steven.

Continuing this line of logic, it’s also important to note that Connie is the one of the few people in the series who doesn't constantly dump their problems on Steven. And if people don't dump their problems on him, Steven assumes they don't exist. We've even seen this several times with Connie before. Unlike the Crystal Gems, Connie doesn't breakdown sobbing. She doesn't scream. She goes flat and internalizes those feelings. And Steven really struggles with that.

Steven: You don't seem mad Connie: I'm thinking mad.

Connie: But I'm hurt. Steven: No you're not! You're safe!

Much like the relationship between Lars and Sadie, there’s probably a lot going out out of Steven’s sight, and he assumes that means there’s nothing there. Does Connie still struggle with her parents? Probably, but she doesn't tell Steven. Does Connie still struggle with making friends? Probably, but she doesn't tell Steven. Is Connie scared about her future, confused about what comes next? Probably, but she doesn't tell Steven. After all, this is a girl who was locked up on Homeworld and her only concern was making sure Steven felt okay. Connie knows what Steven goes through:

Connie: Even though it must be hard for him having to be the adult for a bunch of super-powered children!

And she knows he's dealing with bigger things than she is:

Connie: No, Steven. I understand now! Your legacy, your destiny, you are everything! And I... I am nothing... But I can do this for you! I can give you my service!

So, if Connie is struggling, I don't think Steven would know. She wouldn't bring those problems to them. She wouldn't reach out. She and Steven are very similar in that, and in a lot of other things. As she said earlier in Sworn to the sword, “I don’t wanna be a burden, I wanna help!” Which brings us to what Connie might be struggling with, and how they could go through it together.

Steven: Guess plants aren’t as cool as liberating the galaxy.

The movie and Steven Universe: Future both seem very preoccupied with the idea of what happens to the hero after he’s finished his story. Steven saved the galaxy, and that was big and important and wonderful, but he was also fourteen. If you include dismantling the empire, sixteen. Even if he lives a normal human lifespan, he’s got a long way to go. So what do you do after that? How does anything in normal life compare to making that big of a difference, after spending years pushing and training for a singular goal? And who could understand that?

I’m not exactly subtle with what I’m going for. It’s Connie “I want to be part of your universe” Maheswaran. She drops everything to come help Steven the moment he calls. She always has her sword ready. She was with him every moment she could be while they were on Homeworld, and went through the worst of it by his side.

The fact that most of Connie’s character development has come through learning to fight is something that’s been criticized because her character is so centered around it. Her little character arc in Gem Hunt/Crack the Whip is about her gaining the courage to fight. She’s able to confront her mother in Nightmare Hospital because of her sword training. Her problem in Mindful Education is that she’s been training so hard it’s leaking into her every day life.

But that could actually mean something. Steven has finished his hero’s quest, so who is he without it? Connie has been a faithful knight, but there’s no enemies left to fight, so who is she without it? At 14 and 12 Steven and Connie stood side by side to try to liberate the galaxy. And then you just go back and… what? Be human? What does that even mean? Connie probably assumes it means going to college, because that’s what the plan always was before.

So maybe Connie Maheswaran was defined by her sword, and her ability to fight by Steven’s side because they want to show what happens when they take it away.

It’s a coming of age story, and our two child war heroes have no battles left to fight. I think they’ve got plenty to talk about, and I think Connie is the character best able to understand his position.

Or maybe she’s just a love interest support toy and she’ll just show up and give him a hug after he fixes everything with, like, Spinel or something. I don’t know, y’all, I’m not a prophet. I just want my daughter back. Where’s my daughter, Becky? Studying and space camp are not acceptable answers.

#connie maheswaran #connie su #su #su connie #steven universe #steven universe future #suf spoilers #su meta #su steven #steven su

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bevercges · 4 years

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your current mood: I’m sick with a cold and I don’t feel like doing anything.

the aesthetic of the place you’re in right now: Warm colors, mainly pastel colors. That’d be my room, of course.

favorite lyrics of the last song you listened to: Define lyrics.

your favorite poem/book: Rich coming from an English student, but I don’t like literature/poetry much. Great Expectations and Dickens’ bibliography are the most obvious exceptions, but that’s for secondary reasons.

guilty pleasure: Sleeping past 1Pm, or just oversleeping in general. I love sleeping but these days I cannot afford waking up past 12:30Pm or I will feel like I don’t wanna work/study.

a quote from the last thing you watched: >“Hey, who are those two good-looking guys in her eyeballs?” >“Len, it’s us, we’re inside Misery’s head.” >“No way... WE REALLY ARE GOOD-LOOKING.”

favorite time of the year: Summer. Going to the beach every week, going to sleep/waking up whenever I feel like it, not having to think about university or any other sort of work. I just don’t wanna do anything most of the time and summer’s the time for it.

the décor of your room: Lots of plushies and figures since I collect them.

favorite word: .png

Tagged By: Nobody, I went out of my way to do it. Tagging: @pompedia • @rcbygloom • @southbcys • Anyone who wants to do this! Hope you’re having a chill Munday!

#📁 • OOC.#(I can do a Munday dash game.)#(Once.)

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goldenscript · 7 years

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get to know me! [part 2?]

tagged by @tendershepherd <3 love u!!!!

1. Which BTS song means the most to you?

if i had to choose one then save me because as cheesy as it sounds it really did help me out at one of the most confusing and worst points of my life. when i hear it, i get so happy and nostalgic about all those nights i spent not sleeping and just binging through dps and bangtan bombs that eventually led me to where i am now! plus!!! this was also when i really got back into writing which is really big since i only did it every so often in high school (sadly enough).

2. How do you feel about astrology?

i love it!!!! i feel like i’ve met a lot of people who will say that they don’t like or believe in astrology because they don’t like being defined by their zodiac / sun sign and stuff but imo i think it really is just a personal preference in whether you believe or even like it or not. to me, this is something i’ve grown up with because my mom loves it and seeing it become such a huge phenomena now is so fun! i honestly feel like my birth chart explains me really well and that’s kinda important to me since i’m the kind of person who likes to understand myself considering i’ve spent 19 years trying to figure who i am anyhow.

3. Do you think ghosts exist?

oh fuck yeah

4. What’s your favorite instrument?

i love the piano for sure. guitar’s nice but there’s something about the piano that has this alluring vibe that attracts me

5. Who was the last person to make you really smile?

seeing my friend before my english final :( i haven’t seen her in a few days and seeing her just really made me happy

6. What do you do when you feel vulnerable?

it really depends because when i’m in a vulnerable state i find it hard to articulate - both through words and just overall. this is mostly because i feel like i can be really nit picky with what i hear in response to how i’m feeling and so during these moments when i’m most irrational i try to sift through the emotions myself and figure out what’s going on. if i want another opinion or the company, i’ll go to my closest friends.

7. What is the last dream you had?

ummmmmmmmmmmmmm. i know i had this one dream where i was basically studying with wooseok from ptg and he was explaining something to me before he just stopped and looked up to meet my eyes then looked away. but me being me, i just grabbed his chin and kissed him and he got so blushy and it was really adorable because then we kissed again. gbjfbhrijgkmr

alternatively, there was this dream with lucas from nct where my best friend called me and asked me if she could give my number to her cute friend and i was like “yeah ok” because i was half asleep in my dream and wasn’t thinking. so, later that night, i wasn’t sure if it really happened until he called me and i was kinda shook but very happy and by the end of it, he’s like “i can call you again right?” and i’m like “yeah” and it was just really cute and cheesy and my first initial reaction was to tell @jungnoir, as always.

ok, bonus dream but i also had one where jungkook and jennie switched bodies and i knew it and i confessed to jungkook in jennie’s body that i liked them and i even kissed them and and and it was just wild because there was a gang that was the cause to the body switching and they wanted to talk to jungkook-jennie and jungkook-jennie wanted to talk to me but i was embarrassed and i was just wondering where jennie-jungkook was by the end of it

8. Are you a nature person?

i do like nature, but i also feel like i don’t belong in it since i’m totally privileged to the indoors life.... and horror movies man

9. What’s your favorite thing to do to relieve stress?

if i’m stressed with things to do i like to actually do the things i need to do instead of procrastinating (which is ironic since i’m actually procrastinating on this research paper due tonight but whatever). again, it really depends. sometimes i’ll just tackle tasks head on or i’ll make a small check list of what i can do then save whatever else i need to do. of course, this is done by priority so really it’s just me categorizing shit. if that doesn’t help and i have no motivation, i’ll go to the gym or even nap or surf tumblr just to take a breather.

10. Do you have any other blogs you’d like people to check out?

everyone i follow??? idk??? i could just as easily make a follow forever for this since i highkey rec all of ‘em

11. Marvel, DC, or neither?

both! i grew up reading some of the marvel comics and i used to watch justice league as a kid so i love both universes man

12. What do you want out of 2018?

i forgot to answer this one kjsdfhjshf but anyway i just want to finish the school year strong, go into my third year of college with a license, and probably finish my drabble games since i started ten million of those.

alternatively, i would also like to just get through the year and the direction it goes in

13. Do you hold grudges?

not really? i stop caring after while

14. Who is your favorite Disney hero/heroine?

Mulan, hands down. i asked my family to replay that baby until my family taught me how to rewind the vhs in the tape rewinder lmaooo

15. Do you consider yourself a positive person?

i consider myself more of a realistic and literally all of my friends will tell you this. like i can be positive but i give it a realistic spin because that’s what people need to hear even if it isn’t what they want. that’s what i need at least so i try to dish out things how i’d like to hear it

16. What is something you love that’s underrated?

otome games lmao. bigkrbhtgijerok i can feel @wonhopes judging me but they’re a guilty pleasure and the storylines are just fun

17. What is your dream job?

squish together a job where i can travel, write, and plan events and we got somethin’! besides that, i’d love to just be a writer with a steady income cuz u kno adulting demands the steady income part

18. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

i haven’t traveled enough to know where i want to settle but i wanna say maybe socal?

19. When was the last time you faced a fear and how did it go?

driving on the freeway really wasn’t as bad as i thought. i mean i’ve done it maybe like 3.5 times prior but this was the first time i did it in a van and i had like 3 people in there with me LOL. we all came out alive and no one yelled at me so i consider it a success

20. Which would you prefer to read: poetry, fiction, or non-fiction?

fiction

21. Where do you feel most at ease?

i can’t really think of a place besides my bed / room but sometimes i can feel insane there so i can’t say for sure. i feel pretty at ease when i’m with people i love so yeah!

tagging: @jungnoir / @workofteaguk / @taesthetes / @boosoonhao / @baechuni / @taegetes

#about me #ok gonna work on that paper now byeee

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agirlnamedally · 7 years

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Allyyyy I start hsc on Monday and I'm supppppeeer nervous. I have been studying a lot but ofc enjoying my time with everyone at the library and talking etc. I'm stressing about my atar bc I really want to get in to social work bc I really wanna help people :((((( I wanna do psych but it's 99!!!!!

My tips for anyone starting Year 12/HSC/Senior Year:

Know that it’s perfectly normal to be nervous! I’m pretty sure I was scared to start VCE from Year 7 onwards, it always seemed like this giant, scary, looming monster that would destroy my happiness and suck out my soul like a dementor. Mostly, I just assumed I would have no free time, wouldn’t be able to keep up with the workload, and would fail absolutely everything.

Then, something funny happened. Year 11 came around and I realised… nothing had changed. The work might have been harder, but I had done the required training (aka Years 7-10) and was fully equipped with the skills to handle it. The transition from Year 10 to Year 11, and then again from 11 to 12, is really not that significant or scary! Your workload might increase a tiny bit, because (and in hindsight now I can look back and 100% support this) practice really does make perfect. Teachers don’t make you write 100 essays because they hate you and want you to be miserable or have no social life, it’s because they want you to be a good writer, but more than that, they know that the more essays you write, the easier it will be for you to write one come exam time. It will be less stressful, less terrifying and so much simpler to just regurgitate a piece of writing you’ve practically memorised because you’ve ingrained it into your memory throughout the year. That’s just an example for say English or Literature, but I think the same thing applies for all subjects, no matter how you’re tested. Practice makes perfect. Or at least, practice makes progress, haha.

Now, ATARs. Those finicky little bastards. I’m not going to tell you to forget about it, because I know that when I was in the midst of VCE it was always on my mind. I even had older kids, who had already graduated, constantly telling me how insignificant it was and that it wouldn’t matter one year from now, but I didn’t believe any of that. Now, looking back, I know that they were right. In terms of measuring your intelligence or potential for future career success, ATARs mean nothing. No matter what score you get, I promise you, you can go on and be anything you want to be in life. There will always be obstacles and challenges between you and your dreams, but if you want something and you’re willing to work hard and be nice to others, nothing can stop you. The only difference an ATAR can make is the journey and how you go about it. The only thing an ATAR determines is which course you might do. You might have your heart set on a dream course with a super high ATAR. If you want to shoot for that, go for it! Just know that if your number is lower, there are still ways to pursue it. You can take a gap year, travel, discover the world and find out who you are, uncover your passions, gain some experience. Do a TAFE course, start somewhere else, transfer. Defer it, reject it, volunteer somewhere, change your entire perspective on life, completely change directions. You still have the choice. Unis will often accept someone who didn’t get a first or second round offer initially as a mid-year enrolment, or you could do a semester or two somewhere else and then jump across and hopefully they’ll let you keep those credits under your belt. You may not even want to go to uni! There are many many options and paths you can take, don’t let a number limit or define your future.

Personally, I knew I wanted to further my education but wasn’t entirely set on any particular existing occupation. I knew my two favourite subjects were Psychology and Health and Human Development, but that I also enjoyed writing for English, so I could envision myself happily doing something that encompassed those things. For me, an Arts degree was the perfect choice because it allows you to dip your toes into many different areas of study, test the waters of various fields before arriving at a favourite – your major. The course I most had my heart set on had a pretty high entry score, one which I actually thought I had no possible chance of achieving, but I set it as my goal anyway because as I was so undecided, I didn’t want to ‘limit myself’ (typical Year 12 brain thinking). It worked out wonderfully for me, somehow I found the drive and ended up doing a lot better than I’d expected, really surprising myself (and probably everyone else) and guaranteeing a spot in the course. However, I wholeheartedly believe that had I not achieved the score I did, had I gone to a different university or course, or even taken some time off from studying, I would be just as happy. I would have found another way to continue learning, whether it be by sitting in a lecture theatre or travelling to see it myself. I could have enrolled in a different course, disappointed in myself and thinking it was only temporary, and ended up LOVING it. Maybe even more than this course! Who knows? These are the kinds of ‘what if’s and ‘maybe’s that make my brain want to explode. Being a human can be exhausting.

Whether you have a goal course you’re hoping to get entry for, a dream uni, hopes of studying abroad, a plan to defer for a year or no desire to study at all – but they’re all okay and all achievable! No matter what it is you want in life, there are ways to get there. Not just one, but limitless varying courses of action you can follow. One might be more direct, but it might also be more boring, or less challenging. It might grow you less as a person, or prevent you from meeting some really interesting people that another path will introduce you to.

Year 12 is an awesome time. It can be stressful, overwhelming, demanding, sleepless. It can invoke self-doubt, nostalgia, fear of plummeting into the depths of the unknown (your future) and leaving behind the safety and security of routine (your past). However, it can also be rewarding, exciting, bonding, enriching, growing and deliriously fun. I say delirious because there will definitely be times when you and your friends are so overcome with work and anxiety that you just have to laugh. Misery loves company and Year 12 is proof of that. Study dates are perfect for simultaneously motivating each other and collectively crying into the bowl of chocolate you just devoured. I’m probably not painting the best picture here, but seriously, it can be a terrific time.

If I could give you one piece of advice for entering VCE, it’s to maintain a balance. Balance in life is the key here, because otherwise you will either burn out from too much studying, fall behind from not enough, get sick from not taking care of yourself, or something else just as un-fun. When you’re studying, dedicate proportionate amounts of time or energy to subjects depending on their current level of significance. If possible, do assignments as soon as you get them, but prioritise the ones that are due first or worth the most. More importantly, ensure you have balance throughout your whole life, holistically. It’s just as important to take care of your mental, social and physical well-being as it is to reach your education goals. Make the time to keep active, even if it seems like there is none. I can’t even tell you how beneficial it is to get outside, clear your head and get your heart rate up. Endorphins are your best friend and a powerful stress-buster, so keep a pair of runners at the ready. If you’re not a fan of solo workouts, can’t stay motivated or simply don’t enjoy it, I highly recommend joining a team sport! In fact, I recommend this for everyone, because it’s beneficial to your mental, social and physical health. All at once. Plus there’s the accountability factor – you can’t just skip the workout or hit snooze when you don’t feel like it - you made a commitment and your teammates are counting on you! Honestly being a part of a group like that will make you feel so needed or wanted, and it’s great to make new friends or connect with like-minded people. SPORT RULES. Taking care of your physical health also means nourishing your body with the right foods, getting enough sleep and drinking plenty of water – all the basics. Back to balance – it’s also essential to dedicate time to doing things just for you. Bubble baths are a great choice, there’s also reading, meditation, getting a massage or mani-pedi, having a movie night, seeing a friend, anything that makes you feel relaxed, happy and at peace. These are the things that keep you going! Imagine a pie chat, split into 3 sections. One section is school and schoolwork, one is health and fitness, and the last is dedicated to me-time or fun activities. The three sections represent mental, physical and social wellbeing = all equally important and necessary for not only success, but holistic health in general. If you’re feeling stressed out, look at which of the three sections might be out of balance. Are you not getting enough sleep? Have too much on your plate? Need some alone time? Not fuelling your brain and body with enough or the right nutrition? Try to keep these things in check and remind yourself that they’re all significant and deserving of your attention.

Most of all, know that VCE is completely unique to your own experience. Like karma, you will get out only what you put in. You can make it an easy time, just for socialising and blowing off class, you can dedicate 110% of yourself to studying every waking hour, never lose a mark and never see anyone else, OR you can have the best of both worlds and strike that beautiful, sweet balance.

Decide what your own goals are. Make your own rules. Ask yourself what motivates you, and then go after it. Use this time to challenge yourself, grow as a person and exceed any expectations, limitations or barriers that have been set by anyone – including and especially yourself. It’s an exciting time that you should definitely make the most of, because it will be over before you know it. I know it’s hard, but try to forget about ATARs, or at least diminish the all-mighty power and holy-grail presence that it can take. It’s just a number. If you try your best, that’s all you need to do. I have complete faith in you anon,

YOU CAN DO IT :D

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keyknowledge-blog1 · 7 years

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92 Questions tag

I was tagged by @my-aesthetic-is-studying thanks for tagging me, some questions were really funny! :) I hope no one minds that I fill those out~

Rules: Answer these 92 statements and tag 20 people

LAST:

1. Drink: Green tea  2. Phone call: My Bae  3. Text message: Also Bae  4. Song you listened to: Mandy Harvey - Try  5. Time you cried: Two days ago after I had a nervous breakdown about geography

HAVE YOU:

6. Dated someone twice: not really, there was this one guy I had an on and off with but we never officially date  7. Kissed someone and regretted it: same guy, lol  8. Been cheated on: nope  9. Lost someone special: yup  10. Been depressed: I hate how people misuse the word 'depressed' and use it out of the context of the mental illness. I've been sad a couple of times, yes. I'm always depressed  11. Gotten drunk and thrown up: nope, never drank and won't ever

LIST 3 FAVORITE COLORS: 12-14: blue, green, beige

IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE YOU:

15. Made new friends: at the very very end of it, if it counts (technically January of this year)  16. Fallen out of love: nope  17. Laughed until you cried: nope  18. Found out someone was talking about you: yup, it was pretty hilarious   19. Met someone who changed you: not really  20. Found out who your friends are: I know who my friends are  21. Kissed someone on your Facebook list: I don't have a FB account

GENERAL: 

22. How many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life: zero, because I have no FB :D  23. Do you have any pets: no  24. Do you want to change your name: nope  25. What did you do for your last birthday: I honestly don't remember o_o  26. What time did you wake up: 10:20  27. What were you doing at midnight last night: having a random conversation although I originally wanted to go to sleep  28. Name something you can’t wait for: finishing my finals and going to university! 29. When was the last time you saw your mom: a long time ago  30. What is one thing you wish you could change in your life: I would want to have a lot of friends to play boardgames and rpgs with  31. What are you listening to right now: the sound of the AC  32. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom: surprisingly, no  33. Something that is getting on your nerves: the fact that people feel the need to use cars. If everyone had a car, we would have no space to live (and use the cars), so it's a thing rich people can have and others can't. Also, it's not good for the environment. People are solving the wrong issues -- create good, free of charge infrastructure and you would literally not need cars.  34. Most visited websites: Currently it would probably be wikipedia, lol

LOST QUESTIONS. I JUST PUT IN RANDOM INFO ABOUT ME 

35. Mole/s: Few 36. Mark/s: A lot of scars from back when I had really dark times in my life or fun scars from when my lil brother almost bit my finger off when he was a baby  37. Childhood dream: becoming an astronaut, an actress, a writer or a director  or some combination of them 38. Hair color: brown  39. Long or short hair: short  40. Do you have a crush on someone: I guess you could say so? I would define it as love, though  41. What do you like about yourself: I'm a very good friend and I'm good at listening when someone tells me they need me 42. Piercings: nope  43. Blood type: secret  44. Nickname: Lotte 45. Relationship status: taken  46. Zodiac: libra 47. Pronouns: the ones used in normal English language  48. Favorite TV Show: seirei no moribito, probably  49. Tattoos: none   50. Right or left hand: right  51. Surgery: nope  52. Hair dyed in different color: I did colour my hair with natural colour, but I never did it again because it's such a hassle  55. Vacation: Not yet in sight :(   56. Pair of trainers: I... have no idea what trainers are

MORE GENERAL

57. Eating: soon will be eating bread with a random spread  58. Drinking: water   59. I’m about to: start studying geography  61. Waiting for: an appointment  62. Want: a machine which could pass on knowledge to people without them having to redundantly study  63. Get married: getting married should only be done if it's convenient, there is no other reason that I could think of  64. Career: I wanna do something creative as a career but I'm leaving my options open

WHICH IS BETTER 

65. Hugs or kisses: hugs  66. Lips or eyes: eyes  67. Shorter or taller: taller  68. Older or younger: doesn't matter   70. Nice arms or nice stomach: nice stomach   71. Sensitive or loud: sensitive  72. Hook up or relationship: hook up  73. Troublemaker or hesitant: both seem terribly hard to deal with

HAVE YOU EVER

 74. Kissed a Stranger: nope, but I was kissed by a stranger if it counts  75. Drank hard liquor: don't drink  76. Lost glasses/contact lenses: when they were on my head  77. Turned someone down: many times  78. Sex on the first date: hate sex so no  79. Broken someone’s heart: many times  80. Had your heart broken: yes   81. Been arrested: no  82. Cried when someone died: death is natural, so not really, but I felt sad that the person isn't there any longer  83. Fallen for a friend: I guess

DO YOU BELIEVE IN

84. Yourself: no (although looking at the questions below... I started to increasingly believe in myself. Thank you, Tumblr, for teaching me how relative my low self esteem is lol) 85. Miracles: no way, miracles come from dogmatic religions and have nothing to seek in a rational person's mind  86. Love at first sight: depending on how many loves at first sights you might have, statistically speaking, you might find the one eventually, lol  87. Santa Claus: see 'miracles'  88. Kiss on the first date: sure?

OTHER

 90. Current best friend name: secret 91. Eye color: light grey  92. Favorite movie: currently it's probably Arrival

Tagging (sorry if you already did it!): @exposedhealth @studyblrsarah @keirati @funandfeels @mystudylifeee @diaryofmi @crimpled-petal @ako-nalang-kasi @unabashedlyluckywitch @high-liters-and-tea @studyyoassoff @nic-biostudies @motivationspace @annoteate

#92 questions tag

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nicolasninenien · 8 years

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Singaporean Paradigm

Statistically, Singapore’s education system has produced outputs of stellar academic results over the last few years, beating many illustrious international academic institutions. I must admit, the system is indeed an excellent one in providing a world-class education.

However, although it’s ranking in the international field is remarkably astounding, it comes with a heavy price upon those giving the end product. Not too long ago, I read an article about an 11 year old boy who committed suicide because he did not meet his parents’ academic expectation. This is indeed a tragic story; that young boy had a promising future ahead of him but it was taken away simply because of an ingrained culture that sweeps every Asian sub-conscience. Elitism 101.

The stress on excellent academic performance is crucial in Singapore. As such, this attitude spawned many ‘Tiger mums’ and ‘Lombardi dads’ to go crazy on their kids at a very young age, enrolling them to specialised tuition centres, music and art classes. In result, this emboldens the child’s capabilities and skill sets, enabling them to perform extremely well in schools. However, we must not neglect the silent few, the ones who can’t cope with such a system. Well, I was one of them.

I was a late bloomer. I was fascinated with cartoons and was rather mischievous in tuition classes (surprisingly, I was well-behaved in school though I do get punished in school at times). I was not interested in the Maths and sciences, I had no intention of even doing the assignments and homework given to me. I was a kid, I wanted to have fun playing with my friends. However, my parents reception to my behaviour was not well received. They placed me in many numerous classes, during the weekdays and the weekends. The tutors did their best but their efforts were futile, I still failed most of my subjects. As such, it really hit me and I thought that maybe I was dumb. I actually believed that I was stupid, incapable of thinking and logical rationalisation. In turn, my esteem was shattered pretty hard. When I was 12, I received my Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) results of 163. I still remembered the look on my mother’s face, a face I could not bear to see. A face that projected sheer disappointment and anguish.

The look on her face stirred my emotions quickly, without hesitation. I thought my life was over. “This was it, I’m such a loser”. Those kinds of sentiments rushed through my head, inside the wandering mind of a 12 year old kid. I felt lost and hopeless. However, that did not deter me. I gazed upon my mother’s face with a rousing determination: I made a bet with her. “I will enter the Express Stream”. She nodded without much enthusiasm.

As such, I entered secondary school with a drive to excel. I wasted no time with work. I wanted to be the best in all aspects, no matter what. Finally, at secondary 2, I was no longer in the Normal Academic Stream (NA). I was promoted to the Express Stream. It was glorious, a gamble I made that came true. I still remember the moment of elation when I received the news in the classroom. My efforts were not in vain.

Upper secondary came along, it was smooth sailing from the start. It seemed as though everything was in my favour, no obstacles, no barriers. As such, I was doomed from the start. My egoism mounted and my cynicism grew, I thought I could beat anyone in my class (or even the whole Express cohort). I wanted to prove what I was capable of, a former Normal Academic student. I wanted to beat them all. However, things came spiralling down. I was caught up with duties and responsibilities with my Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) in the Prefectorial Board and the National Cadet Corp (Land). I fought with my dear tuition teacher (Ms Yen) as I always made excuses for not accomplishing work given to me. I always feel guilty about that. Then one day, our amazing chemistry from lower secondary fell apart. I did not see her anymore. That’s where I made one of the greatest blunders in my whole academic life, I chose to join a class recommended by a friend of mine. That tutor, his name was Alvin Tan.

I came for his classes. He was so full of himself who talked about his academic achievements in the past, a braggart who manipulated feelings of his students to make them feel weak and useless, even to the extent of breaking friendships that altered and brewed tensions between former allies by creating unnecessary rivalry. I trusted him. He broke me to my very core. He told me I wasn’t suited for the A-level course. He was so wrong.

In the end, I got a raw score of 17 L1R5 for the GCE O-Levels and headed my way to Innova Junior College up north in Woodlands. I came with an idea of recreating myself, to forget the horrid past of Post O-Levels by establishing a wild and passionate persona. It did not go well. Well, things were easy at first. Then came along the real deal, the dreadful lectures and tutorials. Interestingly, as the months go by, my interests in the respective subjects that I was studying was reinforced while simultaneously dreading the work to be done. It was not a pleasant ride. I had a huge circle of friends at first which slowly deteriorated as the months go by. I fought with certain friends in the Student Council (not gonna state their names) and felt extremely vulnerable.

As such, the environment then felt very hostile as I felt alienated and isolated. I felt lonely, physically and emotionally. I was torn apart. Friends come and go, small talks here and there. Cliques everywhere. I felt as though I didn’t belong. What if Alvin Tan was right all along? Am I really not capable of conquering A-levels? Everything seemed so bleak, I did not have the answers. I mixed myself with a girl I thought I was in love with (dumped her in the end though, we were nothing much). It was all too much.

Until one special afternoon, a question that will forever change the course of my JC experience: “Nic, wanna go Wild Wild Wet with us?”. Everything blossomed, I got close with Asaad, Haziq and Ashleey (which at first seemed to unlikely) and they treated me like family. We laughed, we ate together, we played together, we studied together. Everything was doing just fine (well, not in the academic sense).

It was a long and winding road towards the A-levels, we (mostly Asaad and I) clocked in day in and day out in the library. Studying and mugging every concepts, notes, facts and abstract ideas for our essays. We were all sick and tired of failing (I received a rank point of 17 for Prelims) and we felt miserable. However, the company was great. Just the guys studying (sometimes productively) in the library towards one specific goal, conquering A-levels. That’s where we grew closer and stronger as we headed towards the final countdown.

This is where the story of my formal education ends. Well, you may ask how did I fair for the A-levels. I must say, not too good. I got a 60 Rank Point which was pretty average (though I couldn’t get into a local university). Believe me, A-levels was not easy. It was a suicidal course. However, I did took up the challenge where some may say I couldn’t do it (even Ms Yen doubted me). People may say that getting a 60 for 2 years of studying ain’t worthwhile. Well, I disagree. I’ve learnt so many things beyond the classroom. The notion of accountability and responsibility, the power of resilience and attitude, the will to smile through the times of hardships. I learnt that on my own. No teacher taught me that. Life was my teacher. It gave me a hard lesson these past few years in the Singaporean System.

I am eternally grateful to my teachers, those that were kind and patient, those that were brutally straight forward and honest, those that even question my very sanity. I thank them sincerely. Without them, I wouldn’t be typing this out. Throughout my academic life as a student in Singapore, I must say…

I was the victor and the victim. I had my moments of achievements and numerous failures. In these failures, I learnt the importance of humility because I know what it feels like being a complete loser. It sucks tremendously. It breaks your mind and soul, it leaves you in the dark begging for an answer to your perceived predicament. However, life itself is a dimension filled with endless possibilities. As long as you and I are still breathing, we can make the best out of our lives. As a kid, I thought failure was the end of the world. Everything felt like it was collapsing. Failure is an inevitable condition in the human experience. One must embrace it, one must remain calm and composed in the face of great adversities for life is a great big bubble of ambiguity. Our choices does not necessarily define you, it is what you do even when life seemed to be dead wrong. Respond difficulties with kindness and compassion for it shall be returned to the giver. What goes around what comes around.

Throughout this journey, I’ve met a lot of intelligent people. Oh, remembered the aforementioned 'Elitism 101’ nonsense? Well, there are those who were intelligent and there were those who mixed intelligence with blatant arrogance and disconcerting vanity. These people are those who belittle others, who mistreat them saying that they aren’t in the same level as them, in terms of intellectual capacity. Not the same level? That’s true. You know why? Intelligence is not solely got to do with numbers, concepts and statistics. There are different types of intelligence these elitist high horses need to comprehend. Schools test nothing about intelligence. They do not teach. They forgot to teach and thus we forgot to learn. We were instead forced to memorised in order to get an A for a damn certificate. People, don’t mix yourselves to these narrow-minded freaks. Don’t you dare say you’re stupid or whatsoever. You deserve everything in the world and what it has to offer, no one can tell you different. No one. Not even your parents, your siblings, your teachers and your friends. Intelligence and sheer memorisation, two different entities. Totally different things. You’re neither dumb nor stupid. You’re different and be yourself. Be original. Be you.

So, there you have it people, this is the Singaporean Paradigm, a perspective from a student and his great academic adventure from primary school to junior college, a great emotional rollercoaster that was worthwhile riding. It’s time to move along, to a next chapter of my life.

Thank you for everything, MOE

Sincerely, The Traumatised Teen

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lagroupie · 6 years

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Interview: Triptides (ENG)

Triptides playing L’Écurie / Rock This Town Extrafine.

I remember going to l’Écurie last week- it was a really sunny day, which was great because it had been raining for weeks in Romandie. I like to think the guys from Triptides brought the L.A. sun with them when they arrived in Europe, because as soon as they left Geneva the sun was gone for another week. I especially liked their jokes and their efforts to learn French- Glenn actually has a pretty good level! Join us for a chat about their evolution as a band through the years, their new album Visitors and the song Flashing Before Your Eyes, how they choose visuals that fit the music, and more.

What do you guys think of this venue?

Dylan Sizemore: It’s nice and cosy, like a beautiful European cottage. We’re gonna rock the cottage! (laughs)

Glenn Brigman: It reminds me of a punk bar in America, sorta rock and roll, punk rock. But with good food… It’s almost like where Dylan used to work! He worked at a vegan restaurant in Indiana called the Owlery. It was kinda rock and roll, but clean and with good food…

Shaughnessy Starr: A lot of wood!

What’s your life like in L.A.?

Josh Menashe: We play a lot of music, I’d say most of our lives revolve around getting together and practicing- jamming, rehearsing, writing, recording… Most of the time, when we hang out it’s just because we’re making music and then we do something after you know. We all work separate jobs and stuff, but it’s just so we can afford to make music.

Yeah, I was going to ask you- do you manage to live off your music yet?

Josh: Not entirely, but that’s the goal.

Glenn: Dream big!

You have just released a new song, Flashing Before Your Eyes- what’s the story behind it?

Josh: It’s kinda like a psychedelic dream, or like a moment. It’s like your whole life flashing before your eyes within a moment. It could be before you die, or before something beautiful happens.

Glenn: We were inspired- we were calling it the 8 Miles High song first, like The Byrds’ 8 Miles High.

Josh: Yeah, it’s inspired by the Byrds- they have a song that have loosely inspired it.

Glenn: But then I think we took it to a different place with the organ and the mellotron, and then we produced it so it ended up nuts and not anything like the Byrds, and more like a psychedelic dream pop or whatever! (laughs) Something like that!

I also wanted to talk about the video for the song. It was made by Alfredo Lopez right?

Josh: Yeah, he’s a friend of ours in Los Angeles, and we actually met him through Levitation Room. He did their video too.

Glenn: He’s worked with some really great bands, he did our last video for Invitation off our last record, he did Levitation Room’s Crystal Ball video… He did Damage Bug, which is John Dwyer from Thee Oh Sees, and he’s working on an Ariel Pink video right now! He’s got a great eye, he’s a really great director.

I think his work really fits the genre! It all really fits with the music.

Glenn: I’m glad you think so! He’s also a really good friend of ours, so it’s really easy to just be like “do you want to work on our video?” and he’s like “yeah, what do you wanna do, what’s your budget? Okay, let’s do it!” And that’s it.

What are the pictures we see in the video? Are they archives?

Josh: They’re archives, yeah. You’ll have to ask Alfredo, I don’t know anything specific.

Glenn: I think he collects 8-mm film- he puts 8-mm film on his computer. We threw a bunch of songs and he immediately picked Flashing Before Your Eyes, it was his favorite. So he already had a vision for what he wanted the aesthetic and the vibe to be. So that was cool- he was almost stoked to work on it I think! So it worked out, and I think it comes through in the creation, it’s very on point. The lyrics have changes, he follows the groove and the jams with cool images.

That’s great! I feel like the visuals and the music naturally come together in your work!

Josh: Je fais de mon mieux ! (ndlr : I do my best!) Is that correct?

Yes! You waited for it! (laughs)

Glenn: Honestly, the visual side is hard for us sometimes. For Afterglow, we had the album done two years before we found the artwork for it! It’s hard for us to say, “we want x, y and z.”. It’s more like, “we want it to feel like this”. And then people make art, and we look at it and ask ourselves “is that it? Do they get it?” It was tough.

Josh: Personally, I know what I like with art, but I’m unable to make the visual art. I don’t have the visual artistic skills.

Glenn: And we’re not creative directors in the visual arts either. We’re not like “we want blues mixed with orange, and a swirl, with a bird…” (laughs)

(ndlr: Two girls ask if the table next to ours is free)

Glenn: C’est libre! Make sure that it’s in the interview.

I also wanted to talk about your music over the years- you have been making music for about 8 years now, and I think you really have defined your music style within this whole psychedelic genre. I think throughout your evolution, you really have stayed within that psychedelic spectrum.

Dylan: I think that when I joined the band- that’s when it started heading more in this psychedelic direction. My guitar has been kinda psychedelic- Obviously, it’s called Triptides. There was a blending between 60s psychedelia with a surf vibe. And when I started playing bass in the band - not because I started playing bass in the band, it just happened to be the time I joined – the music was focusing more on 60s and early 70s psychedelic stuff. More so than the first three albums, that were surfier.

Glenn: Josh and I were also into a lot of modern indie rock when we first met, like Beach House, Real Estate, Girls... But we were also into the 60s stuff, like Pink Floyd, the Beach Boys, the Beatles. I think that slowly, we started getting more into that 60s-70s stuff. And I think that there was a boom of really great indie rock stuff for a while, and then the boom sorta became people trying to copy that. We didn’t want to be part of people trying to copy people that were just making new music. So I think we were more inspired by the older stuff at that point you know.

Josh: Yeah, it wasn’t even a conscious decision. I feel like it organically happened that way-

Glenn: Organically! We got an organ! (laughs)

Josh: We didn’t even talk about it, it just came naturally.

Glenn: Our friend saw that 12-string electric guitar, and then I found a Farfisa organ on Craigslist. It all happened pretty fast, so by the time you had both of those things all the songs had Farfisa organ and a 12-string Rickenbacker sound. That’s a pretty genre-defining tone and sounds, or colours- whatever you want to call it.

I wanted to talk about Visitors as well, your new record that’s coming out next week. I just wanted to know the reason behind the title. Is it because you guys are visitors in Europe? (laughs)

Glenn: Well, one of the songs is called Visitors. And it’s about aliens, and it’s kind of a psychedelic trip, using aliens as a metaphor for psychedelia. But I don’t know, I think everyone is a visitor right? We’re all just here for a little while, and then we go away and no one knows why, and it’s interesting.

Dylan: It can be whatever you want! You can say “visitors”, and some people might think aliens, or some people might think like you “oh! It’s because they’re in Europe!”. It’s a universal word.

Glenn: Yeah, it’s not like the red door with a lion’s face on it you know? It’s not just a specific thing. It’s something more universal. And everyone can be like “I’m a visitor in college right now, so I’m really into this album!” or “I’m a visitor in France, as foreign exchange student!” or whatever.

Dylan: Or they’ll listen to the album and visit the music…

Shaun: Or maybe Triptides are visiting me and my record player right now!

Josh: We were visiting Geneva.

Yeah, you guys are visiting us!

Glenn: Yeah, and we’re visiting your blog!

Finally, if you could say something to the Triptides from 8 years ago, what would you tell them?

Glenn: Oh God!

Josh: Go to Europe sooner!

Glenn: I would say, use a little less reverb on the vocals.

Shaun: What would I tell you guys 8 years ago? (laughs) I didn’t even know them 8 years ago.

Glenn: We met Shaun 3 years ago.

Dylan: If I could tell you guys 8 years ago… Don’t go to college. (laughs)

Glenn: I studied Spanish and I haven’t done anything with it so… But we’re going to Spain soon! Barcelona, Zaragoza, Bilbao… all sorts of cool spots. We’ll see you in Spain. Peace and love!

https://www.facebook.com/Triptides/

#triptides #lagroupieenglish #rockthistownextrafine #interview

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mongeblog · 8 years

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Education x Religiosity

I`ve chosen Outlook on Life Survey (OOL) data set to investigated the relationship between education level and one`s religiosity. Perhaps it`s common sense that the greater education level a person has, the less likely he or she is to have some sort of religious beliefs judging by the fact that science has been given answers for most of the unanswered question that intrigued human beings for the past thousand of years. But this correlation doesn`t seem to be true, raising debates among social scientists about whether or not higher education implies low religious practices.

I decided to explore this relationship by adding to my codebook the data about religious beliefs and age as well as age and income to explore if those two factors also have some influence in the overall beliefs.

The literature about this topic tends to disagree with studies pointing to both positive and negative relationship. Schwadel (2011) has found that education had a strong and positive effect on religious participation, although the effects may vary based on how one define religion. He also found that higher education increases the possibility of one converting to non-evangelical protestant denomination. These findings seems to be quite counterintuitive, specially when taking into account that the more educated the person is, the more likely he or she is to question the role of religion in a secular society (HUNGERMAN, 2013). Hungerman (2013), using data from 12 Canadian provinces has came to the conclusion that higher education does means lower religious beliefs. There may be many other factors that matters in this correlation, but Hungerman (2013) findings seems to explain the 12% increase in non-affiliated people from 1971 (4%) to 2001 (16%) in Canada.

The correlation education x religiosity has been studied for many years without coming to an agreement between the specialist in the field which raises some questions about some omitting characteristics that may play an important role in determine the level religiosity of a person. “Skeptical” individuals, for example, might naturally obtain more education but less religion, the welfare of a society may also play an important role as you don’t have to be highly concerned about education, jobs, health services, public services in general, etc, reducing the need for a “spiritual holder”. There may be others causes for those relationships but there fall outside the scope of this research. Harari (2015) discuss, for example, the human need for believing in the “non real” and how this have helped the human society to flourish.

In this context, the questions I wanna answer are: Is there a correlation between education and religious beliefs? Higher education means lower religion beliefs? Does age or income play a role in the overall religiosity?

1 - P. SCHWADEL. The effects of education on american’s religious practices, beliefs and affiliations. Review of religious research, 2011;

2 - D. M. HUNGERMAN. The effect of education on religion: Evidence from compulsory schooling laws. University of Notre Dame and NBER, 2013;

3 - Y. N. HARARI. Sapiens a brief history of humankind, Harper, ISBN-13: 978-0062316097, 2015.

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