Comic Sans is the bain of my existence. Thought I'd put that out there. Most rightous anger stems from comic sans. And reposted facebook statuses.

In other news, I think I'm addicted to gifs. Is that possible?
Love,
-J-

Things I may or may not accomplish in my life:

• Walking in heels.
• Going to film school.
• An IB French certificate.
• Owning a small cafe.
• Having a dog.
• Living in a warm climate.
• A bohemian existence. 
• Musical ability.
• A hairstyle that doesn't annoy me. 
• Insightful things to say.
• A role in a musical that isn't chorus. 
• Having small, dorky motorcycle.
• Physical fitness. 
• Living in a city that has a subway/underground.
• Seeing Broadway.
• 'Settling down' after hopefully years of adventure. 

Love,
-J-

(PS- And here's a link to my photoblog.)

My tumblr to study ratio is disturbingly high.

The average conversation on a facebook message with my class makes one want to weep for humanity. To sum up the entire conversation:

• Want to hang out after exams?
• Racism.
• Link to "Why can't we be friends?"
• Talk of killing animals.
• Trolling.
• Pizza. 

Now you have seen into the inner workings of an IB kid brain, seen how the 'intelligent' kids function.

One exam left: French. Then I shall be FREE! Free at last!

Insanity level (current): 7/10
Tiredness level (current): 4/10
Determination to procrastinate (current): 8/10
Exams completed: 3/4
Days until last exam: 1
Hours studying (collective): 4
Hours procrastinating on Tumblr (collective): 7
Cups of tea/coffee consumed (collective): 12
Love,
-J-

Today's post comes in crayon and three parts.

Part 1- What does it mean?
Gossip in my family should be phrased somewhat like an essay question:

"*insert name here* did *insert action here* on facebook. Discuss at length."

It's ridiculous that when I do something on facebook, I often hear my mom say something out loud down the hallway about it.

When my grandmother and my mom get together, they analyze everything me and my cousins have posted in the preceding months. IT'S RIDICULOUS.

Part 2- Science wing can't handle us:
I was sitting in the hallway today after my exam with some of my friends, causally coloring in the coloring books I brought to school, you know, as the average teenager does to cope with exams. Then the following conversations took place:

Friend: "I need to get three kilograms of honey."
Me: "Why?"
Friend: "I want to make mead."
Me: "Why?"
Friend: "Because I found a website that says how to make it."

I think I have a slightly eccentric group of friends. To prove that, this is us drawn in crayon in the back of a Veggie Tales coloring book:

Part 3- Updated exam counters:
Insanity level (current): 4/10
Tiredness level (current): 7/10
Determination to procrastinate (current): 5/10
Exams completed: 2/4
Days until last exam: 2
Hours studying (collective): 3
Hours procrastinating on Tumblr (collective): 5
Cups of tea/coffee consumed (collective): 11
Love,
-J-

City bus anger, sexual innuendos and exams.

 I had my 8th out of 10 driving hours today. Which means that I'm two or three weeks from being able to get my license.

I can almost taste freedom from the suburbs, especially since the city made the decision that people only need to leave this suburb via bus on weekdays at seven inconvenient times. I hate the suburbs and they just had to take away my getaway vehicle this year. Stupid city council and their inability to spend money efficiently, resulting in cut bus routes and my anger.

I'm thinking of what I will do when I get my license. I'm pondering a small road trip over March break, possibly to Fredericton, because I have nothing planned. But honestly, I'm looking forward to being able to go to the library more often and getting to musical practices more easily. My life offers so much excitement.

Oh, and speaking of musical, apparently the choreography for 'Miss Saigon' is thoroughly scarring the innocent minds of the leads. My former (crazy) English teacher, known for thrusting in front of my class while discussing Shakespeare's sexual innuendos in Romeo and Juliet, has gone a bit over the top with the dancing for the bar girls' (aka prostitutes) scenes. I'm a little scared for being thrown into musical stuff in a week, as choreography and provocative situations aren't really my area. It will contrast with last year's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Exams starting Monday. My schedule of writing one two hour exam from Monday to Thursday is going to screw me up. I'll keep a counter of some things this week, starting yesterday because it was kicking off exam week:


Insanity level (current): 2/10 
Tiredness level (current): 6/10 
Determination to procrastinate (current): 9/10 
Exams completed: 0/4
Days until last exam: 5
Days without makeup: 2
Hours studying (collective): 1/2
Hours procrastinating on Tumblr (collective): 3
Cups of tea/coffee consumed (collective): 5

I will keep you updated.
Love,
-J-

Formerly 'That Africa Girl.'

I was laying in bed a few nights ago, thinking and unable to fall asleep. I was in a really weird mood, a big mix of stress (history essay) and emotion (Sherlock). Out of the blue, I had a moment where I realized something sort of strange.

A few years ago, being 'that Africa girl' was something that defined me. Now, it's something that I tell people occasionally because it's relevant to something. The strange thing last night was that I realized that I say,"I lived in Kenya for a few years," the same way I say,"I have naturally blonde hair." It's just a part of me but I don't really think about it. I realized that I haven't thought about my time spent living in Kenya in ages. I laid in bed, thinking of all these memories that I haven't thought of in a really long time. It was somewhat akin to opening a box of things that I tossed into the basement years ago.

I have definite conflicting feelings and ideas about Africa.

I began thinking of the sound of rain on a metal roof, looking from my backyard at the Great Rift Valley (true story), mind-blowingly beautiful places, the tiny/adorable/run down shops and the laid back chaos of Africa. In Kenya, there are interesting places, people and things.

There is also extreme poverty, corruption, AIDS, famine and so many other things.

Yet I still manage to love that place.

Then I think of my experience going to school there. I was there for 5th and 6th grade. These are the memories I've avoided. There were good things, and good things that now cause me a twinge of pain.

Good things, such as a great little community that offered me freedom, a close class, amazing teachers and having amazing experiences I wouldn't trade for anything.

I avoid thinking of a lot of these good things for several reasons: (1) I felt completely alienated when I went back to visit a few summers ago, and (2) out of my two close friends I had while I was there, I've failed at keeping contact with one and the other died in a car crash in Michigan after two and half years of our email correspondence.

I've since moved on from being 'That Africa Girl.' I've since found places were I fit in, where I'm not the odd one out but one in a variety of people (middle school was hell for me). Also, I've grown up a lot since me time spent there. It's a part of me, but it no longer defines me. I like it like that.

Just needed to write that down. What things have you guys ever let things define you? I'm curious.
Love,
-J-

TV shows that make me happy:

Making lists brings me comfort in my world of over-analyzing subjective topics for marks ("I make lists in my sleep, baby...")

• Arrested Development 
• From the name, I always thought it was a crime show. Nope, sitcom. Crazy characters, ridiculous situations: that's how I like it. 
• Bones
• One of the reasons I like Bones is because the characters approach death in a completely unemotional, intellectual way while still being interesting (I sound like a psychopath.) 
• Castle
• Characters amuse me. It's nice that there aren't too many characters to keep up with, unlike a lot of crime shows. 
• Community
• I'm pretty sure I watched two and a half seasons in two weeks. I like the concept of taking place in a stereotypical community college and having a bunch of crazy thrown in. A brilliant use of the sitcom format, turning something seemingly mundane into something hilarious. 
• Doctor Who
• You either love it or don't watch it. Doctor Who is science-fiction at its very best. BBC just does things right.
• Gilmore Girls
• It's kind of my vice show. If I have a crappy day, I'll watch an episode. This summer, out of the four summer students, three of us were fans. We had great discussions. Now I want to live in a ridiculous small town with ridiculous people. 
• How I Met Your Mother
• Through a chain, I've got a bunch of my friends to watch HIMYM. I like the format and that the characters have been able to be developed over seven seasons. However, I feel uncomfortable that I'm sort of the embodiment of Robin's independence and Ted's obnoxious tendency of correcting people (which makes me think of my future as a cat lady.)
• M*A*S*H
• A drama/comedy that takes place at an army hospital during the Korean War shouldn't work, but it somehow does. It has a tendency of switching from serious to comedy quickly but you get used to it. My family spent years working our way through all eleven seasons.
• Modern Family
• The dynamic of an extended family is interesting to explore in a sitcom, as most families do have a unique dynamic (I know mine does.) I like that it's almost believable, most of the time.
• New Girl
• Socially awkward Zoey Deschanel makes me happy. It's not particularly mindblowing, but it's still amusing and worth watching. 
• Sherlock
• Modern day Sherlock Holmes, resulting in brilliance. Again, BBC does things right. I find it much more enjoyable than the Robert Downey Jr. version. Words cannot express how fantastic it is. I think I have a thing for (mostly British) men who play brilliant, eccentric characters.
• The Big Bang Theory
• A favorite among my social groups and most of my teachers consider everything from this show common knowledge. I like that the embodiment of nerd culture has become pretty mainstream. And Tech Crew Alpha reminds me an awful lot of Sheldon, comically enough (more so last year because lately he's grown more emotions and social skills). It's enjoyably ridiculous.
• The Office
• I haven't kept up with it lately and I enjoy when I get around to watching it. Dwight is my favorite, but it's become scary since I've met people like him (awkward kid who's liked me for a year and a half and actually thinks he's going to take over the world)

Yeah. Writing lists is a bit of a vice for me. 
Love,
-J-

Songs that make me happy:

• Awake My Soul- Mumford&Sons
• I've Just Seen A Face- Across the Universe (Beatles cover)
• Northern Wind- City and Colour
• Seasons of Love- Rent
• Sherlock theme
• If I had a Million Dollars- Barenaked Ladies
• Here Comes the Sun- The Beatles
• Candlelight- Relient K
• Life In Technicolor- Coldplay
• Love Addict- Family Force 5
• I Won't Say I'm In Love- Hercules
• I'll Make a Man Out of You- Mulan
• I Just Can't Wait to be King- The Lion King

Hibernation should be an option.

Thought I'd give you something I stole from tumblr to remind you that I'm still here. Nothing interesting is happening and I figured I won't keep you up to date on nothing.

Today somebody handed me a phone in video mode before class started and told me to point it at them. In unison, two guys threw their desks over and yelled. The phone then began to take video. I kind of stood there having no idea what just happened. Still don't know.

Also, I got the book The Reader for English class. All I know so far is that (a) it has the opening line of "When I was fifteen, I got hepatitis," and (b) it contains an affair between a 15 year old boy and a 30 year old woman. Yeah. Bring it on, disturbing IB English curriculum.

We discussed anarchy in History today and all I could think of when somebody said 'anarchy' was when they yell,"ANARCHY" during "Le Vie Bohemie" in Rent.

I have a mild obsession with Sherlock. This is what happens to me during winter. 
Love,
-J-

One of my classmates posted this. So true.

Back to school tomorrow. I made brownies to give to my classmates to celebrate surviving Great Expectations (I'm actually only to chapter 40, but sparknotes has me covered.) So happy, because now I can have homework, procrastination, along with a healthy dose of socializing that keeps me sane. HALLELUJAH.

However, this break has given lots of amusing facebook threads. And thoughts on what to do with my summer (Work at a summer camp, perhaps? But I want to make money. Meh. Time will tell.)
Love,
-J-

Things I've done in the last 24 hours:

• Discovered BBC's Sherlock (AHHHH SO GOOD.)
• Posted to facebook that actually reading Great Expectations is too much effort and sparknotes and a movie will just have to do (insert long string of IB kids discussing and joking about Great Expectations.)
• Having a burst of mental instability after church: a bit of insanity, then an attitude slightly akin to Marvin the robot.
• Singing a seniors' home after burdening people with my mental instability. 
• Skating on the lake. It was nifty.
• Eating pancakes for supper.

Yeah, that's about all.

"My teapot's been adopted."

Today I realized that I feel happy when things I previously saw in thrift stores are no longer there. I was walking through Value Village today and a crazy teapot I saw last week was gone. My first thought was,"Oh, my teapot has been adopted. I hope it went to a good home." Then I realized what I had just thought.

I'll be happy for school to start again... nine class days before exams. Mild hell, nbd.

This is an interobang.

 

This is a punctuation mark for sarcasm.

Love, 

-J-

Spirally into homework induced insanity-like usual.

In the last few days, I have developed into a mentally disturbed pile of coffee twitching mess. I hate 'vacations.' The kind where there's an unending pile of homework that you work on every spare moment and it still doesn't go away. World Issues is done, French is almost done, only 25 chapters of Great Expectations left (debating whether Sparknotes is the answer), a project on GE and a 1500 word History essay left, neither of which I know when they're due.

Can I plead insanity on any of these? 

DAMN YOU IB.
Love,
-J-

I got a photo blog, world.

I've posted a lot of the same pictures that I've posted here previously, but they're bigger and nicer. If you check it out it would make me happy :) I'm going to try to post at least one picture every day this year, because I have a massive number of (half decent) pictures. Here's the link:

This Is (an average) Photo blog

Love,

-J-

In which I express my love of odd things.

My parents felt guilty that I keep buying my brother clothes so they gave me $20 to spend at the mall.

I came home with a antique map calendar and carousel earrings. I have such odd taste.

I am also including a picture of Lindsay's beautiful, comfortable, majestic pillow that I became antiquated with on New Year's. Apparently it's a polygamous pillow, as Kaelen and I are both going to marry it.

Such a fantastic pillow.
Love,
-J-

You know, some guys just can't hold their arsenic.

New Year's was grand.  We partied it up in a seniors hall with nachos, hide and seek in the dark, 3am Dutch Blitz, challenging each other to demonstrations of physical fitness, and other generally sleep deprived ventures. I think most of our conversations with made no sense after about 11pm. Such as:

"Why are we even discussing this? It's impossible to have a baby with a cheeseburger." -Noah
"If you hear the seniors cry in the sweatshop in the attic, just hit the wall and tell them to be quiet."-Jen
*insert t-rex dance here*- Kaelen

The next day I got by on two hours of sleep, as well as some power naps I had in the afternoon. 

So now, I have a week filled with:

• Great Expectations (audiobooks via youtube are helpful)
• IB French paper #1
• 1500 word History essay

I had a beautiful week of forgetting how much I had to do. Now I suffer. I fear this might happen:

I have this as my desktop background, right next to sticky notes reminding me of my homework

Love,
-J-