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Tuesday, 22 September 2015

"Uncomfortable" Situations at School...

          Hello world!

So, some of you have probably watched or seen those "relate" videos. I've watched a few that are based on school, like "the first day of school" or "embarrassing moments at school". And to be honest, I've rarely, if not never been in any kind of situation like the video mentions, so I can't relate to it most of the time which is too bad. The videos are fun to watch and they're funny, it's only that little piece of me not being able to relate that bothers me. But, I thought it'd be fun to make something of the sort on this blog! I'll be sharing the situations I've been through at school, in hopes that someone out there can relate to these!! I hope I'm not the only one here.

I'll start with this one. In class, we raise our hands if we want to participate. Sometimes when I have my hand up, it'll actually take a while for me to actually register exactly what I want to say, and then when the teacher actually calls on me, I kind of just freeze up there, forgetting everything I was about to say, and what I was going to say sounded extremely smart and deep! That frustrates me so much! Then I have to quickly improvise the whole thing, and it doesn't sound as good as the one I originally thought of. Plus, it takes longer to explain because you're still improvising and trying to prove your point AND it sometimes bores the class! Is that just me? Please don't let it be just me.

Another one related to class participation... When I raise my hand to call out an answer, the teacher looks in my direction and only, ONLY, says "yes" so obviously you think they acknowledged you, so when you start speaking, the person behind you starts talking too. Then you have a stuttering session, signalling to each other whether you should let the other person go before you. What's also awkward is when your teacher says "oh I called on (insert name)" so either you have to repeat your whole answer and/or explanation, or you gotta shut up for the other person... Yeah.

The hallway dance... oh dear. Don't even get me started on that! It's enough that the hallways are always crowded and students are trying to rush to class, but when you and someone else accidentally stand in each other's way, for some inexplicable reason, you both go in the same direction, therefore blocking each other's way again. I seriously don't understand how you and that person can have that much synchronization, but it magically happens. This "hallway dance" is so common, I honestly don't know how we keep doing it!

One awkward situation I've been in a few times is when one of my friends is friends with someone I don't really hang out with, or talk to. When they have a little chat in the hallway or anywhere really, I'll kind of just be there, not really adding anything to the conversation and instead, I'm probably doing something awkward like adjusting my binders and books, smile and laugh at anything funny, just for the sake of it!

I am always on time for class. However, there will be times when I have to be late, most of the time to help out teachers or other students. So here's a story: at my school, there's a special program called ACCESS, which is a class for students with mental and/or physical disabilities. I've been helping out with ACCESS since I attended this junior high, so I'm happy that I get to hang out with the class again for the last time, because this year is my last year at this school! Anyways, so a while ago, I helped the class take out all of the classes' recycling and bottle bins. And so we were on our last classroom when the bell rang. I had an option class, but because that didn't really matter to me, I decided to finish up the papers and juice bottles with my buddy. I wound up being about 5-8 minutes late to class, and when I went in, the whole class turned around and looked at me. Some went back to the teacher, who was pretty cool and let me slide in without questioning me, while some just kept staring at me until I reached a desk! So the whole point of this story: an awkward moment is when you're late to class and then everyone just stares at you!

This post is getting a little long, so I will stop here. This was only a few uncomfortable situations that occur during school, so there's a chance I'll write another one of these! Until next time friends!

Keep Smiling,
M-L

Wednesday, 16 September 2015

My Music Playlist #6

           Hello everybody!

This post will be my sixth music playlist! I've been listening to these songs a lot lately, and I really like them so much! I can't stop replaying them!!

I have been listening to EXO a lot lately. EXO is a really popular boy group that sings in Korean and in Mandarin, if you haven't heard of them. I've been listening to them for a long time now, but it was only these past several months that I have been playing them nonstop! Their songs are so catchy like, wow! I love their newest album!! So the original album is Exodus, but they have this second repackage where they added like, four more songs to the album. There is not one song I don't like from the second repackage, and I could not choose which songs to write about because I love them all.

So originally, I was going to use the link I used to listen to their newest album, however that video didn't work because of its copyright problems. But then that video is viewable now, but because I already changed this whole post up, I'll  just leave this as is, but still leave that video link. I'll also write about my absolute favourite songs from the album, even though there are several of them haha.

Love Me Right Repackage

1. Call Me Baby - EXO: I love this song so much!  I first listened to Call Me Baby when it first came out because my friend had it on her phone. We played it during our lunch break and I was immediately hooked! I am definitely not tired of listening to it. Here is the link to their music video, because I think it's worth watching. Prepared to be blown away by their dancing.

EXO - Call Me Baby

Aaaaand, I just love the actual music in the song in general, without the lyrics! It sounds so cool, so I wanted to leave a link to the instrumental version of it.

Call Me Baby Instrumental

2. Beautiful - EXO: I like this song because it's a ballad and the tempo is slower. I love the beginning of the song and the chorus. The beginning sounds so... majestic haha. Don't know how else to describe it. I like this song when I just want to lie down and do nothing. It's super relaxing to listen to, to be honest. And I don't think it's a song you get tired of, or maybe it's just me ^-^.

EXO - Beautiful

3. Love Me Right - EXO: The melody of this song is like, whoooooa. It's a song I always find myself humming along to! I love the "na na na"! I love the rapping in here! And seriously, you could easily dance to this song. It has such a funky tune! I have nothing else to say except LISTEN TO IT.

EXO - Love Me Right

4. El Dorado - EXO: I love love love the beginning of the song, before the singing starts! The song has such a unique tune. To be honest, I didn't like the song at all at first, especially the lyrics ("Find the El Dorado"? Eh). But then I played it a couple times, and then it kinda grew on me. And again, I really love the rapping!

EXO - El Dorado

5. EXODUS - EXO: To be honest, I don't understand the meaning of this song, even when I read the translations! But I still love it! The melody, the beat, everythin'. They got me hooked right from the beginning! I can easily hum along to this song because it's so catchy. Check it out! And even if you don't understand anything at all, just enjoy the melody.

EXO - Exodus

6. Transformer - EXO: This song is so... man, I don't know how to explain it! At first I didn't feel the song until I listened to it a couple more times and then I couldn't help but enjoy listening to it. I don't know what it is about it, but I find it so catchy and ugh it's so indescribable! I know for sure that this won't be some people's cup of tea, but for me I find it super awesome.

EXO - Transformer

7. My Answer - EXO: This is another slow ballad. I especially love the chorus. I always sway to this song, no joke. At first, it might seem like the song has no... "uumph" to it, but then it slowly builds up which I love. What I also like about this song is that there's only piano playing in the background so in my point of view I think it makes the song even more lovable. It's easy to focus on the singing. Ah just listen to it.

EXO - My Answer

8. First Love - EXO: I'm not so crazy about the chorus, but the rest of the song is on point! I love- LOVE- the rapping in here, it's so groovy!! The whole song is groovy in general. I'm also loving the bridge of the song, it sounds really awesome. At the end of the song, it seems like they're saying "ow" which I find funny, so if you hear it don't so surprised. The song is awesome though haha.

EXO - First Love

9. Hurt - EXO: The beginning of this song seriously reminds me of like, a circus or carnival of some sort, which I find so funny! But the rhythm and the melody is to die for. I love the chorus!! When you listen to it, you'll see, you'll dance to the song. Well, if you like the song. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but give it a try.

EXO - Hurt

10. Promise - EXO: This is definitely one of my top favourites. This is a song that I know the group wrote for their fans. It has such a nice melody. I also find myself humming to this song. And once again, the rapping never fails to blow me away!! But the verses, chorus and bridge, perfect! I will also include the instrumental version of the song because it's super sick as well. I wanted one without all of the background vocals, and this was the only one I could find without it, but this version is pitched so it won't sound the same as the actual song so beware.!

EXO - Promise
Promise Instrumental


11. Fight Song - Rachel Platten: I first heard this song on the radio. At first I didn't like it, but then I kept hearing it, and eventually, well, I really enjoyed listening to it! I think this is a very motivational song to listen to. It has a good message too! I also like the fact that I always have the urge to sing along! I love songs that I want to sing along with!!

Rachel Platten - Fight Song

12. Locked Away - R. City feat. Adam Levine: I first heard this song on the radio and immediately fell in love with the song! I made sure to memorize at least one line in the song so that when I got back home, I would start listening to the song. I love the melody of the chorus!! The melody is not too slow, but also not too fast-paced. Check it out!!

R. City ft. Adam Levine - Locked Away

13. StudyMusicProject - This is a YouTube channel that has loads of playlists of study music. To be honest, there are some songs that sound more sad than anything, but it still has a nice soothing melody. Here are my favourites playlists.

StudyMusicProject #1
StudyMusicProject #2


So this is it for today! As you can see I'm lovin' a lot of songs! Check these songs out if you haven't yet! Until next time folks.

Keep Smiling,
M-L


Monday, 7 September 2015

Spring/Summer Favourites 2015

          Hey guys,

I was wondering, when was the last time I did a favourites post? Um, a while?! March, if you were wondering (yes, I did take the time to look hihi). So, after around a few, maybe several months, I decided to write more favourites posts. Here is one, that is... more of a spring and summer favourites, ending the warm season as we enter the colder months!


I finished this already, but this is (was?) the Mango Melon Twist body lotion from Bath and Body Works. I'm not quite sure if they still sell this, but if they still do sell this line, you should check it out because it smells really good! It has a really sweet smell, that some might find it a little too sweet, but I only put a little bit on and I really like it! It stays on my clothes too, so the scent is there all day! 


Yay! A returning favourite! And yes, this is the same picture as the one from last year, haha. This is a blanket from Vietnam. I've had this for ever, and it still feels so new! This blanket, or quilt, is perfect- I repeat, perfect for summer, especially for where I live! Where I live, the weather is a little um... unpredictable. One day it's like, super hot, and the next, it's raining and it's cold, and I'm wearing a sweatshirt. When the night gets too hot, I only use the blue quilt. When it's a little chillier, I use my duvet, and the quilt for a little more warmth. It's such a versatile blanket, and it's the perfect size as well. This blanket is for sure one of my summer essential!


Another one of my favourites is Sanpellegrino! I was drinking this so much during the month of July! Not everyday, but one or twice a week, which is a real treat for me. My favourites are the blood orange, the lemon and the clementine one! Here I only have the clementine and blood orange, but if you want to try the lemon flavour, it's the one can with the yellow foil. I just love the fizziness (is that a word? Oh well)! It tastes so good with ice too! Aaah! This might be a summer food essential on my list from now on!








SUNSCREEN! My "all-time" essential! The sunscreen on the left is the Garnier Ombrelle sunscreen with SPF 60, and the one on the right is the La Roche-Posay sunscreen with SPF 60 too. I wore sunscreen every day of summer and so I guess ultimately it's one of my favourites during the warmer and sunnier months. I've been using the La Roche-Posay sunscreen for a while now, but this year I tried out the Ombrelle sunscreen for the first time and I am very impressed! It's very light and it doesn't leave my skin as greasy as other sunscreens and I'm pretty sure it makes my skin softer!! I love it, and I love how it comes in this huge bottle for only like, $20, PLUS it has SPF 60. Like WHAT?

This is the Capris Seaside Citrus shimmer mist from Bath and Body Works. So originally, I was only planning on wearing this during the summer because the smell matches better with the warmer season, and also because of the shimmer it leaves on your body. I did use it, and I liked it! I think it has a nice smell plus the shimmer makes me sparkle under the sun haha. It will take me a while to use this up, because as you can see it comes in a pretty big bottle. One thing I don't like about the smell though is that you can overload it, and it will smell too strong. I got a headache once because I spritzed too much on. But other than that, it's a great summer scent.

This is lemon and honey and mint tea! This is such a soothing drink at night, but it's also a great refreshing drink during the day with cold water. Making this is so simple; so you just need to cut up a couple of lemon slices, add some sprigs of mint, and honey and pour boiling water over it! The honey I have at home is pretty hard and thick so it doesn't dissolve in cold water, so what I do is dissolve the honey with hot water and then I pour it into my water bottle so it's a little bit like a syrup. What's cool and even better about this drink is that it's super healthy and good for you! The mints I use are actually from my backyard too so it's fresh from the stem! And because you can make it your own, you can change it or spice it up to your liking.

This is the Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Leave In Conditioner. I've actually had this for a while now, but it was only this summer that I started using it every time I finish showering. I don't know if it's because of this, I think it is, but the ends of my hair have been a lot softer and less like, gritty! It has an apricot smell which is awesome for summer. So when I finishing showering, I go back to my room and pat my hair dry with my towel so it's damper, and then I squeeze a little bit of the product into my hands, like a little bit more than the size of a dime and I massage it into my hands first, then into the ends of my hair. With whatever's left I massage it on the top of my hair. And it works great. Plus it's cheap, and you can get these at drugstores.


These were some of my favourites from the last few months! I hope y'all enjoyed reading this post!

Keep Smiling,
M-L


Tuesday, 1 September 2015

School is Back in Session 2015

          So... School is back in session! Well, at least it's going to. I mean, some of you have already started. I started this morning!! But, today I want to share some "words of wisdom" with you before you all go back to school, if you haven't yet. There are already so many videos on YouTube and so many sites that talk about the things we need to know before we go back to school, I don't want to be a parrot and repeat what everyone says, so I tried thinking of things that have not yet been mentioned! But of course there will be some things that have already been said, because I agree with them.

Haha, I feel the need to say this. School will not be like in the movies and TV shows. Elementary school, junior high/middle school, high school, doesn't matter, I don't think it's what you would expect. Personally, there was a time in one of my school years when I thought that school was going to be like in the movies! But haha, no. Nope, school is... not necessarily boring, but there's nothing really interesting about it like on TV and in movies, other than all the new things you're learning!

A huge part of school is finding out who you are as an individual. I've mentioned this in one of my other posts. So don't try to change who you are because of other people. Be your own person, and don't follow others. Be yourself, reveal your unique personality! And definitely don't be shy about it. Who cares if you're a little quirky, or you're into stuff that people might find weird. This could also tie in with your physical appearance. Unveil your beautiful masterpiece that is your face once in a while instead of covering it up. No one will really care if you have dark circles, or you have a few blemishes here and there. Be confident with who you are and what you look like.

Try to balance time with your school work and your friends. It's better to be balancing your life with school and friends and family and other activities, than to always be in your room studying. Try out for some sports if you feel like it, or join a club or two to keep yourself busy sometimes. That being said though, in desperate measures, education (well, for me), should always come first (unless you're sick, than of course health is first).

I learned this at school. In order to reach success, you need to fail. Failure doesn't mean it's the end. When you fail, you learn from it. You can correct your mistakes, and have better experiences from it. So don't be too hard on yourself when you make mistakes. But, buuuut, don't let that be an excuse either for doing bad things, and knowing it's bad. You can't do something bad and be like "failure is good!".

People care more about themselves than they do for other people. So don't sweat it if you feel like people are judging you. I mean if they are, it's likely they'll forget about you in a nanosecond (unless they have nothing better to do with their lives, truth be told). I'm sure you know this, because you've judged others before, just to think about yourself a second later. Right? Just relax and let loose.

You are in school for a reason. Education. Don't slack off. You will regret it when you're older. If you have a choice between hanging around, or finishing off an assignment, please choose the assignment, even though it's probably one of the most hardest, and sometimes painful thing to do! It's your number one priority! No pain, no gain guys!!! In the long run, it might change your life! Well, that's a little cheesy, but something good will come out of it. You may not know it unless you do it.

Time flies by faster than we all think. So stop and smell the roses. Soak in every moment while you're at school. Enjoy your free time during lunch with your friends, the sassy yet hilarious comments from the students in your class, just the overall life at school. And if you want, keep a journal to write in the events that happened in the day, and complain about how fast school is flying by! Before you know it, you'll finish school and you'll be like, "What just happened?".

You should always show up to school 500% ready to face the day. When you think about it, you're at school, getting an education, you're learning new things so that you have a nice future. I don't mean to be annoying, but we're lucky to go to school everyday, we should take advantage of that. We have teachers who, despite the stereotypes written on them, teach us things (even though the way they teach us proves otherwise). We have big and sturdy buildings with lots of technology as resources, and we have libraries with loads of books that you could maybe spend hours in just to choose a book you like to read. School is setting you up for the real world, and for you to be successful. Wouldn't we want to take advantage of that? Plus, we see our friends everyday at school, so isn't that awesome?!

There we have it! Things we ought to know before we go back to school. But when in doubt, I think you should do what you think makes you feel good on the outside and inside. I hope you enjoyed reading this post. And I certainly hope with all my heart that you have a nice upcoming (or rest of) school year!

Keep Smiling,
M-L