Woy Woy (bt)

A backtracked post.

Photos from my Woy-woy trip from a while ago, that I never got around to posting.

Not very exciting, but I wanted a break from studying, so I figured I'd make a short blog post because that's always fun.

Beach

Selfies? Sure

I miss going on road-trips like this, and looking forward to a November trip later this year, after my exams. No spoilers as to where I'm going, but I'm very, very keen for the photo opportunities and especially the GoPro footage.

My brother really enjoyed running away from the incoming tides.

Anyway, that was pretty boring. Not much I really have to say right now, because my mind is buzzing with Mod B Hamlet.
Random side-note; purchased black-tie clothing for a formal dinner yesterday. That was fun, and I would post pictures but I didn't take any, but I'm sure they'll come later.

I'm really just trying to think of things to say, so I think it's time to end this blog post.

Swissotel High Tea

As a late birthday lunch outing for my friend MM, a few of us took her out to High Tea in the city.

Before we got there, we wandered a bit around QVB and consequently got lost, but that's okay.

Some T2 decorations.
They're conical flasks!! How cool is this.

Anyway, we made it in time for our booking, and sat down nicely together and got keen.
This was the first time for high tea for 3/4 of us, so we were all pretty excited!

((Not to mention that we had coupons which saved us 50%; shout-out to Groupon))

Apple mocktails.
It tasted like apple juice, with blended apple pie.

I can assure you, I felt a lot more sophisticated with high-class tea, nibbling on the array of foods presented on a platter.

It was hard to take photos because of my 50mm and crop-sensor, but it was alright.

I tried some Orange Pekoe tea for the first time, and although it sounded strange, it wasn't half bad.

 The tea-pots were also very, very cute. My friend RA's tea pot was pretty interesting.

We probably looked the most unsophisticated bunch of all those dining at that restaurant.

I reckon we spent a good 10 minutes discussing what this yellow cherry-like fruit (?) was on top of this desert.

I still don't know what it is. RA said it was an apple and I didn't believe her at first but the longer I ate my 'apple' the more it tasted like one.

In the end we just concluded with a shrug and 'I don't know' and just ate it anyway.

We probably could have just asked the waitress.

Then we had some time to spare so we headed off to the bathrooms, which were absolutely stunning.
Needless to say, I took some selfies.

Not exactly in focus; manual focus is hard :(

Then we also shopped around for formal dresses and I searched for some casual heels. I didn't exactly find what I was looking for, but these babies were on sale and pretty neat and decent, so I figured I'd treat myself.

After this though, no spending until China.

Anyway, the day was a pretty decent one. For $30 for High Tea per person, I enjoyed it tremendously. Although exams are looming, sometimes it's just great to relax a bit and enjoy yourself. Life's too short to constantly worry.

But, tomorrow is back to studying! Wish me luck.

Likely to be few updates until HSC is over. Be well while I'm gone.

A la prochaine!

Last Week #5

Sadly no photos taken by me of actual graduation (I chose to leave my camera at home, because I wanted to enjoy the day myself)

But here are some post-graduation photos.

A lovely bouquet that my friend, CL, gifted me.

Also got several goodbye letters which really hit home when I read them.

I still lick my envelopes; does anyone else do that?

A paper rose

Graduation certificate.

The past year has been eventful, especially in terms of photography.

I said that I would start bringing my camera with me to a lot more places this year, and I did. And I enjoyed it. I enjoyed capturing every moment possible.

These images reflect so much in them. They tell such a big story. It has really grown to be something I enjoy.

Although this isn't the end of my photography, it will be the end of my photography for the school. It has been a pleasure serving the school this way, and although I received no award or merit, I've received things that I could never have asked for.

For a starter, there was the entire camera incident. That was already beyond anything I could have imagined.

And I have taken away experience, good times, great photos, and many (candid) smiles.

Although graduation is bittersweet and overly commented on, I'd like to put my interpretation of things.

I believe we have a choice in how to tell a story. I believe we have a choice in how to live our lives. I believe we have a choice in our actions, our words, how we think, and what we do. And I believe that those are the things that can change the world.

So, let us attempt to regard the past experience in positivity. 

Let us not think ‘Never again’ but rather, phrase it ‘Remember when’.
Let us not think ‘I wish I could go back’, but rather, phrase it ‘I’m glad we did it.’
Let us not think of the absence of these people in the future, but rather, think of the existence of them in our pasts.

Nothing can change the past, and nothing will change what we’ve done, where we’ve been and who we are. No matter what happens in the future or what winds will sway us, nothing will change the fact that our paths crossed and you are now a part of my world and I, a part of yours.

In fact, the future is ours to take. Who knows what it will bring?

Doesn’t that excite you? That excites me. I can’t even sit still.

And even though I won’t be there with you physically every step of the way, I will lay forever in the hearts of the people that love me, and if they go to great places then I will too.

Even in the slight chance that I don’t see them again, even if our time together has ceased, our futures have not.

But for those that mean the most to me — the ones that really matter in life, well. This is not the end. I sincerely believe so.

One day we’ll see each other. 

That may be next week, next month, next year, or in 50 years time.

But one day I will see you again. We will sit together. We will catch up. We will be glad of the past, but more importantly, we will share the future that came after we said our goodbyes on the 19th of September. We will tell of the places we went, the things we did, the people we met, and in those moments I will feel like we didn’t actually say goodbye.

And I will feel like I was with you every step of the way.

Go out there, take on the world. Be who you want to be, with or without me. That’s all I want for you, and if you do just that, then this goodbye will have been worth every tear of sadness.

"You and I will meet again,

When we’re least expecting it, 

One day in some far off place, 

I will recognize your face,

I won’t say goodbye my friend,

For you and I will meet again.”

— Tom Petty

As a post-note, I’m so excited for the future.

Last Week #4

Started off the day with my friend giving me a goodbye gift and this cute little cake-pop, which I have to post because it looks so cute.

I sincerely hope MA opens up a bakery one day.

Anyway, to the topic on hand, we had a final Year 12 Picnic.

It was, frankly, a wonderful day.

It was far too short, but I enjoyed every second of it.
I tried to take more photos, but I mostly focused on taking some footage with my GoPro, which will be posted soon (well..... maybe in a couple of months).

As per tradition, we all brought BBQ food.

Cooking with chopsticks.

Also as per tradition, we had a waterfight.

Needless to say, I got drenched. Thankfully my camera remained dry, but not my GoPro (keen for the footage!)

I bought my 'super soaker' which is actually my brother's, and I can guarantee you, many people got super soaked.

You can see the GoPro attached, haha.

A pretty large range of weaponry that day.

My friends also brought a watermelon, which we named 'Henry'.

It was a wonderful day. I couldn't have asked for better people to spend the day with.

Henry was delicious.

We also had a performance night later that day, but the photos I took are on my friend's camera.

Last Week #3

Pyjama Day dress theme, and we also recorded our music video! (link at the bottom)

Not many photos with faces on them, but here are some from the various food parties we had.

I can assure you, the entire day, I was basically feeling a constant experience of sickness from all the sugar and sheer unhealthyness that I had consumed for 2 continuous hours.

No regrets though.

[Also sorry for the watermarks; accidentally put them on]

My biology teacher, Ms K, bought us a cake to celebrate our last lesson.

I don't usually enjoy cake, but when it's filled with as much love as this...

We also had pancakes in a Chemistry party (that I joined), which was absolutely delicious.

Here is the music video.

I'm amazed at our grade and how we managed to pull it off. It's not anything /professional/, but it was whipped together by a handful of individuals with hardly any experience and very, very little time.

It was also done in one take and on the first go, and that fact in itself impresses me.

I didn't film or organise; my partner in photography did, but I made the credit scene! 

Enjoy.

Last Week #2

So Tuesday was cross-dressing themed.

Of course, the guys looked fabulous.

Quote: "It's so breezy!"

Guess, guy or girl?!

Initially there were a lot of "It feels so weird and unnatural" comments, and things like "MY THIGHS ARE TOUCHING"

But by the end of the day, some of the boys were actually saying "Man it feels so good, I wish I could do this more often."

Some even went to the length of shaving their legs (very impressive)

"that hairline"

I also didn't fail to take the opportunity to dress up.

I also saw a good idea from a friend's post on instagram and decided to draw a beard on myself, thinking many other girls would also do so (I was wrong, but it was still super fun).

Several comments throughout the day

"You look like a hobo."

I'll admit, I enjoyed being a guy for a day a lot more than I should have.

Other frequent occurrences during the day were giggles and junior kids who kept staring at my face until I looked them in the eye and shot them a 'sup' nod.

Later on in the day was the Teachers VS Year 12 annual competition in Touch, Netball and Softball.

[Cheers to my photographer friend LQ who took the majority of the touch photos]

Would make great cover photo

[Cutting the line very thin because of side-profiles but it was a nice shot]

Also it's not the first time, but the lighting in the Gymnasium is pretty bad, which means very high ISO, which makes me sad sometimes, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

Overall, at the end of the day, we lost :(
(Lost in softball and netball, and won in touch, so I heard)

But, overall it was such a wonderful day and I enjoyed it so, so much.

Also it made me sad to think that this week will be one of the last times I get to take photos of school events. I'm going to miss it, and there's the need for a long post about Selective Photography and working with my good partner in photography, LQ, but that will be for another day.

Today we also filmed a very long, one-shot music video for our year 12 grade, which I'm very keen for (all credits to HL, LQ, and all others involved).

Well, it's the final stretch guys! Excited for tomorrow. Very. GoPro footage will be good, I hope.

Last week #1

Day 1 of the last week of high-school!!

We had a 'primary school/junior uniform' dress-up code today, but unfortunately no photos for here (though you can check them out on Facebook)

Several class parties going on today, which I attended several of.

My chemistry teacher made us this gorgeous (and amazing tasting) cake.

I'm going to miss her.

The best quote I've heard in a while is from her, but now's not the time to post it here.

We also roasted marshmallows over Bunsen Burners (!!)

Not sure about the presence of heavy metals, or the OHS safety but eh, it tasted great.

Several times throughout the day I felt sad that it was the last Monday, and I can assure you, last-time-Monday-assembly was a big hit ("Bye guys" broke my heart).

But, like the many others that have gone before us, this is something that's going to happen, and I'm trying to keep my chin up in the days leading up to Friday.

Peking Duck Dinner

Went out with the family to dinner.

Brought my camera.

A pretty mundane blog update.

We went to LYNN, a Shanghai Restaurant in the city.

Best dumplings I've had in a long, long time.

I love Peking Duck

Yeah nothing much. Sorry for the boring post!