The Gap Between Her Thighs

She looked into the mirror to stare at herself

"I'm fat like a pig, short like an elf,"

She said with dismay and stared some more

"I need a facial to close those pores"

She glared at her nose, upturned and round 

She glared at her tummy: "I gained a few pounds" 

She didn't like talking, she hated her voice

To her, it was just unbearable noise

Her thighs mocked her; between them was no space

She hated her hair, she hated her face

Her body was damaging her self-esteem

She really wasn't confident as she might seem

But what she doesn't know is that it doesn't matter

If your waist and your thighs are "so much fatter" 

Because there are things deep within

Under all those flaws and all that sin

A character that can flourish and grow

A personality that makes her eyes glow

"I love your laugh," her best friend says

Her daddy tells her she has a sweet face

Her doctor says that her legs are strong

"As for your health, there's nothing wrong."

Her mother says that she has healthy hair

And as for her eyes: they were an expressive pair

Her teacher praised her for her intelligent brain

"She works hard in school and behaves like a saint

She has a kind heart and smiles all day

She knows where she stands and doesn't easily sway"

If only she knew how much she mattered

Then she wouldn't feel as bruised and battered

If only she could understand that beauty inside

Is worth much more than the gap between her thighs

College Life Thus Far.

Guess it's about time to give my blog a little resuscitation, or at least put it on life support. Seriously though; I've just realised how much I miss writing and blogging. It's been quite a while since any personal posts on updates and feels, and I thought it would be a good way to bring my blog back to life once again. (I mean, after all, somebody paid for my "cachenny.com"; might as well use it, right?)

College life has had its ups and downs, but mostly ups. No regrets enrolling here, that's for sure. The days in college usually go by real quick, and when I happen to miss a day of college, it feels a little wrong. What with regular birthday celebrations for friends, camps, spontaneous hangouts, strange little dress-up days, and even an all-around-KL treasure hunt, I can safely say my time in MCKL has so far been wonderful.

MCKL dress-up week: Dress like a sir

MCKL dress-up week: Inside Out & Mismatched

MCKL 11th Annual Treasure Hunt - with Natsumi
1. Stick to your partner.
2. Stay alert and look out for your partner!
3. Call me maybe ;)

But the greatest highlight, really, was being elected into the Student Council. It was a dream of mine ever since I found out councils that represent the student body existed, and it was surely a dream come true. The transition between the previous Council and the one now was smooth, aided by the preparation period for Midsummerfest 2014, a college-wide event to serve as a welcome party for the July intake students as well as a general fun time for everyone. The first thing we were told to do after being elected was this: "Guys, we're going to dance."

With that being said, we got to work practising the moves for our supposed flashmob, which was a joint performance between the old and the new Council. At the same time, we were invited to stay back with the old Council to help out with MSF decorations. It was the perfect way to get to know one another without any awkwardness, because we were actually given things to do.

Just one part of the decorations that we did :)

Here's us: MCKL SC, Aug 2014 - Mar 2015.

We also had our cohort photoshoot! It was pretty nice seeing everyone come together, 'cause our cohort is actually the biggest in our intake. (Still not as large as other intakes though.)

few of us here being blocked by the paper cranes,
but I hope their faces can be seen in the official photo :P

AS-Level exams are in October, and my last trial paper is tomorrow (Friday, 12 Sept '14). I guess there have been times where I've felt a little overwhelmed, stressed, even, but I would call it a good kind of stress. I've grown, mentally, emotionally, even physically (?) over the past few months that I've been so unforgivably MIA from blogging.

It was crazy surprising when I got chosen as the secretary of the council, after I ran for president and probably failed miserably (LOL). Secreterial and administrative tasks are definitely not my thing, and organising and keeping things nicely arranged are even worse, but I'm willing to take on the challenge, and the past month has been pretty smooth (I think). 

All thanks to the assistant secretary, Sara, for helping me tons and not judging my irresponsible-ness (is there such a word?), and also Marcus and Jinghann, the President & Vice President, for constructive criticism and really supporting all of us. Can foresee an amazing friendship among the twenty-four of us and I hope we all bloom to be even stronger, greater, smarter and more caring people than we were before.

And as for my current girlfriends, a big shoutout to you guys for knowing the crazy Council duties and not isolating me, but for being concerned and understanding when I have to suddenly ditch you guys. It's really been comforting to know I have such caring friends who never leave even when I did. I once raised this issue generally to another friend by saying, "Sometimes I feel bad for ditching them all the time for Council duties." She replied, "If they were your true friends, they would understand."

Guess they are ;) 

LOVE YOU FABULOUS PEOPLE.

A Word of Encouragement

Dear friend:

You are special. 

As cliche as it might seem, there's only one of you in the entire universe. No person is entirely the same as you. Fingerprints, hair color, eye patterns, you name it. 

You are brave. 

If you fly in a plane without questioning the pilot, sit on a chair without testing it first, jump into a pool, try a new cuisine, shower in cold water, or even just get up from bed to face your least favourite people, I think you're pretty brave. 

You are beautiful. 

You were created for a purpose, a reason, and appearance should not be the main focus. Yes, be presentable and neat, but don't be vain. You are beautiful just the way you are. Stay happy. Beauty shines through happiness. 

You are amazing. 

You say thank you when you receive a gift. You say sorry when you knock into someone. You hold the door for the person behind you. You greet your grandparents when you see them. You are considerate, thoughtful, and kind. These may seem like small things; but you seem kinda amazing to me. 

You are loved. 

Your parents love you, no matter how it doesn't seem like it. You have friends who care. People drive you around, buy you food, pay for your fees, wash your clothes, remember your birthday and take care of you when you're ill. You are loved. 

And if you don't feel like what I said is true, let me assure you again:

You are special, brave, beautiful, amazing and loved. 

Now don't let anyone tell you otherwise. 

With love, 

Jessica. 

How To Annoy Your Older Brother

1. Outsmart him.

Read up on topics he clearly isn't interested in, study the dictionary, brush up on your grammar; then correct him whenever you feel like it because you're a genius already.

2. Touch his face.
Nothing says "I love you bro" more than a nice little slap on his cheeks. UNLEASH THE ACNE!

3. Repeat everything he says.
"Get me some water."
"Get me some water."
"Do it now."
"Do it now."
"Stop repeating after me."
"Stop repeating after me."
"I'm stupid."
"You're stupid."

4. Agree with him whenever it sounds like an argument is about to begin.
Brothers are male. Brothers have man ego. Brothers like to WIN. So whenever he challenges you to answer something, just go "yeah man, that's right." Watch him fume as he realises that you're not going to fight back.

5. Peer over his shoulder when he games.
And then commentate every single thing he does in the game.

6. Ask to play with his phone.
Then if his phone has a password or code, repeatedly enter wrong numbers and DISABLE THAT PHONE!

7. Hold his hand/hug him.
Or any form of affection, really.

*from personal experience
**might not work all the time
***make sure knives are not present

5 Things Being A Drummer Has Taught Me

I'm not a FANTASTIC drummer, but these are some things I thought about when I recently became more interested in drumming.

1. Don't get too worked up
As energetic and enthusiastic a drummer may look, I've realised that drumming sounds best when the drummer is relaxed. An upcoming drum exam piece has got me frustrated due to its high speed; I've been struggling to keep up with the backing track since the beginning. But I discovered that enjoying the song, feeling the beat and "grooving" to the song (who uses groove anyway?) are all keys to playing a song successfully.Stressing over things and getting all worked up will most likely make the situation worse. Frustration never solves anything.

2. Everyone is important
To be honest, many instruments require only the hands (and the brain, obviously). But for the drums, all four limbs are in use and without the legs, the entire beat will be empty. The bass drum plays an essential part in giving the song a backbone, and the hi-hat foot gives the groove some flavour. Legs don't play a part in most instruments, but a drummer's legs are his (or her) assets. Value the underdogs, the ones who aren't always the center of attention, and understand that every person you meet has a part to play in your life.

3. Practice makes perfect
This is pretty self-explanatory. Be it a music instrument, mathematics, a sport, or even cooking, all talent without practice is futile.

4. You are more influential than you think
A drummer doesn't play chords. He doesn't play any melody or second voice. Worse, he can hardly produce musical notes. The entire band discusses chords and key changes but the drummer sits there, twirling his drumsticks since he can't participate in the discussion. The drums are just a bunch of wooden bottomless buckets with skins stretched over the tops, with some pedals and some metal plates. No strings, no tunes, nothing. But when the band starts playing, you are the rhythm. You are the underlying beat, the one who determines the speed. Once the drummer gradually speeds up in the middle of the song, the whole band unconsciously follows. No matter what you do, you actually impact people more than you think. You may be a shy, silent introvert, but any action of yours can change situations, mindsets or even solve problems. You are more influential than you think.

5. Silence is golden
Drummers aren't just people who know how to play a groove, how to attack at the right places or have perfect timing. They also know when to be quiet. They know that in certain songs, drums aren't needed. Drums will cloud the song, drums will be just "noise" and drums will overshadow the other musicians. Wanting to show off your skills doesn't mean making noise all the time. Sometimes silence shows more wisdom than anything.