HAPPY BIRTHDAY

I am now 19, this gives me 365 days of being a teenager left.

I must make this worthwhile. Let’s list all the things that needs to be done.

1. Meet loads of new people.
2. Be nicer to my family.
3. Live for God.
4. Pass my exams.
5. Always try my best.
6. Reconnect with friends whom I have lost contact with.
7. Start sketching again.
8. Have faith in myself.
9. Have confidence in everything I do.
10. Stand up for what I believe in. 
11. Remain close with my friendship group from school.
12. Have a bit of romance in my life.
13. Eat more fruit.
14. Wear my retainer to bed.
15. Go on holiday.
16. Learn to cook.
17. Write letters.
18. Save money and spend it on something great.
19. Obtain my dream weight.
20. Become more inventive.
21. Buy a new pair of glasses.
22. Plan something awesome.
23. Learn how to use my graphics tablet.
24. Walk the dog more often.
25. Do something dramatic to my appearance.
26. Compliment others.
27. Get a job.
28. Take more photographs.
29. Continue to do my photo-of-the-day until 31st December 2012.
30. Spend more time with Jared.
31. Learn to drive.
32. Don’t stress.
33. Read more books!
34. Don’t worry.
35. Make more eye contact with others.
36. Redecorate the container.
37. Do something which would usually scare me.
38. Stop caring what others think of me or my interests.
39. Take vitamin tablet daily.
40. Go to a party.
41. Stop snacking, especially in the evening.
42. Travel alone.
43. Practice my signature because it's a mess.
44. Turn off the internet and dive into other hobbies.
45. Look after a plant.
46. Build up my physical strength.
47. Give money to the poor.
48. Get out of my comfort zone.
49. Make a movie.
50. Take make-up off before bed.
51. Go on holiday with friends before we all go our separate ways.
52. Spend less time online.
53. Recognize and praise the accomplishments of others.
54. Explore and widen my music taste.
55. Start baking more often.
56. Apologise for any wrong-doings.
57. Create a list of my favourite films.
58. Make more phone calls.
59. Work on being more flirty.
60. Pray consistently and earnestly.
61. Control my temper.
62. Drink less tea.
63. Stop being a horrible person.
64. Join an extracurricular activity.
65. Enjoy every day as much as possible.
66. Go to the beach.
67. Schedule some me-time.
68. Express how I really am to people I don’t know well.
69. Read my Bible regularly.
70. Smile at random people.
71. Stop, break and breathe.
72. Eat food from around the world.
73. Help out round the house.
74. Use the stairs instead of an escalator/lift.
75. Get experience a paid or voluntary job relating to my career.
76. Become less reliant on my mobile phone.
77. Stop being shy...
78. ...and even worse, snobby.
79. Tell someone I love them.
80. Practice willpower.
81. Sort out my skincare regime.
82. Look at the stars.
83. Keep secrets.
84. Turn down my music volume or I will go deaf.
85. Improve my posture.
86. Be more friendly and approachable.
87. Look after myself.
88. Spend more time with my Grandparents.
89. Continue to look for bargains, like a boss.
90. Bake a cake.
91. Watch different T.V shows.
92. Look after my hair.
93. Enjoy a bath.
94. Stop Facebook stalking.
95. Mend any broken relationships.
96. Keep my wardrobe organised.
97. Drink loadddsss of water.
98. Work on things early and get them done and out of the way.
99. Do what I love and what I want to do.
100. Live life to the fullest.

CHRISTMAS CARD

Hello again! Did you all have a nice Christmas?

So yes, my intentions were to post photographs of my pressies, but I haven’t done that yet (and more than likely won’t, with exam revision looming.)

But anyway here is a fabulous card that Jared made me - it made me laugh a lot:

A great illustration of everything that I love!

He even wrote his own poem on the inside, which I adore. Enjoy.

To Claudia

We all know that you like kpop

And that you are in love with top

But big Bang are nothing compared to SNSD

Especially when they start to sing gee

So what your sexy brother is trying to say

Is that Shinee is completely gay

Sooyoung and I will not cause a fuss

So that you will have a merry Christmas

From your super mega sexy brother and his wife

Yes, he's convinced he's married to Sooyoung from Girls Generation. Bless.

Thank you Jared!! 

DREAM LOG: AUGUST

11th August: Fush the Fish.

Dad got really cross at Jared and threw him into the fish bowl. Poor Fush was so shocked he inhaled lots of oxygen and exploded. :(

12th August: Beck is my Best Friend.

(I think the physiological exam result stress is kicking in right now)

I received my results, which were ACD, which I was very pleased with. However, my main motivation was to tell David Beck. Yeah, the one in our year. Our conversation was like this:

Me: Hey Beck! Wanna hear my results?

David: Hey, nah not really.

Me: Aww really! Awk please, I want to tell you!

David: Um no Claudia, I’d rather not know.

Me: But it’s exciting, please!!

David: Enough of this, leave me alone!!

Me: But I’ll miss you and everyone now!

David: Lol...I don’t care.

Me: When are we meeting up?

David: ??? What? We don’t hang out, we hardly know each other!

Me: But we always hang out in the summer - please let me tell you my results!

22nd August: Perverted Dream.

So for some reason I had a Fused meeting to attend. When I arrived at a completely random building there was only four of us there. However when I sat down there were many third and fourth years at their S.U Weekend sitting in sleeping bags round the edge of the room. Also saw Mr Chestnutt there.

Emma appeared out of nowhere and invited me to a sleepover for her, Kerri and myself. We all sat down in the toy room - there were many faces I didn’t recognise - and we were discussing what to do. I suggested getting our toe-nails painted professionally but both Emma and Kerri already had that done. We thought it a better idea to just paint our nails here because that made it a more a traditional sleepover party.

I think I had to go home to get sleepover stuff, so I excused myself and immediately arrived in my own house. It was then that I realised The Wanted - yes, the band - were staying over at my house!

I think this dream was a poor attempt to think logically, because my next action was to take a shower and wash my hair because that would mean it wouldn’t matter if my old nail polish chips because I’m getting my nails painted afterwards.

Here comes the weird bit - when I walked into the bathroom 4 of The Wanted were there in towels. They put a plug into my shower drain and were filling the water up like a bath!

I asked Nathan why they were all bathing in a shower together and he told me they save water that way and insisted I join them. (?!?) Emma and Jared then knocked on the door and asked for everyone’s glasses to be handed over to them incase they get broken. (It was then I noticed Siva had D&G glasses - swoon!)

So some of us (note, some of us?!?) changed into swimsuits to hide our modesty but the weird thing was when we all went inside the shower the shower was as wide and the water was as deep as a normal bath. May I add the water was also very cloudy looking so I couldn’t see anything I didn’t want to see.

My next intentions were to ask Siva out but Emma got very cross that I wasn’t at the sleepover and made me feel guilty. I also felt guilty and immoral remembering the meeting I was at in the beginning of the dream.

Unfortunately it was then that I woke up. SIVVAAA - drools.

Three dreams that I can remember in 31 days? Pitiful! That’s worse than July’s.

RESPONSE

Hallo! I answered my own questions, because I am a SADO!

❍ If were forced to change your name, what would it be?

I’m terribly dull, but I do believe I would change my name to Claudine. I like my nicknames and being that bit different, so I feel Claudine is more mature and sophisticated for when I get older. I’m really fussy when it comes to names and I cannot think of any other names in the world that would possibly suit me. For my surname, I do have a small selection of surnames that I do like: such as Button, Valentine, Harrison, Love, Buchanan...alas I can’t remember anymore.

❍ If you were stuck at one age for the rest of your life, what age would you choose?

I wouldn’t choose this age, because although 18 is meant to be a cool, respectable age, it certainly is not as cool as it seems.

I am a confused human who is not old enough to be independent, but too old to be childish without the feeling of stupidity that goes with it.

I’m bombarded with responsibilities that I’ve not been taught to deal with and am criticised when I don’t know how to do it.

Not forgetting the stress and pressure teachers, parents and the society put us all under to the subject of our future. It’s so boring! Leave me alone.

I don’t know why, but my answer here is the age 23. It somewhat appeals to me.

❍ You just got a plane ticket to anywhere on earth. You have to leave right now! Where are you gonna go?

My brain automatically thought South Korea there. I’m gonna stick with this choice because the flights are expensive and I couldn’t pay for them otherwise.

❍ If you only had two music artists to listen to for the rest of your life, what would they be?

Like Mary-Jane, mine changes very often and would be different in like two weeks time. I’d be afraid to pick K-Pop incase I get sick of it - but then again, if it’s the only music I can listen to, there’s little I could do about it. Right now, I’d say I would go for Owl City and 2NE1. (Although no Big Bang ever again would cause me to decay.)

❍ What is your current desktop picture?

It’s actually SHINee. I change my wallpaper a lot. I don’t like this one much because it looks low quality.

❍ If you had to lose one of your 5 senses, what would it be?

That’s a tough one. I couldn’t go without my sense of sight or hearing, because I would find them the most valuable to use. Taste is important for...well eating of course and without it for the rest of your life would be just terrible. Smell would be pretty bad too, because I love perfume and potpourri so that would be sad. And touch, seemingly the least important in my opinion, but I think it would be one of those things that would be a nightmare not to have at all. I’m going to be foolish here and say touch.

❍ Oh no! Your house just spontaneously combusted! Thankfully your family members and pets have made it out safely, so what’s that one thing you are going to save from that blazing inferno?

You actually think Toby is going to move from his throne in the living room? This is an easy answer, my macbook of course. Speaking of such events, I really REALLY should get that insured.

❍ Matt Smith and Amy Pond have just crashed into your living room in the Tardis. They offer you a short trip back to the past. What year/era would you choose to go to?
I’ve answered something like this a while back. I’d go back to the late sixties and join in on Beatlemania.

❍ What one fictional character do you wish was a real person?

Voldemort....Lawl.

Jun Pyo from Boys Over Flowers, because he’s an absolute babe. But that’s a stupid answer because Lee Min Ho technically is Jun Pyo.

Aish I can’t think of anyone really...I don’t read books either, so that doesn’t help.

❍ The government is forcing you to produce children and are offering any sperm/egg from any celebrity on earth. Who would you choose?

I’m going through a T.O.P-is-my-bias stage again so my answer here is Choi Seung Hyun. I was debating wether this was a good idea or not, because if you don’t see his beauty, like old me and other people do too, *cough*kerri*cough*, he maaayyy look a bit creepy. And I don’t want a creepy looking child, do I?

Then I realised we are both sexy beasts so the child is going to look stunning anyway.

Wait, I feel that I’ve actually convinced myself that this is going to happen as I wrote that section. Oh no!! I’m going to be pregnant with T.O.P’s baby! Dad’s gonna kill me!

(But seriously, look at his jawline! And THOSE EYES! WORTH IT.)

❍ You are holding a baby shower for your new born and are allowed ten guests. Who would be invited?

Well the father obviously, although there would be a slight language barrier because it appears he only knows the words ‘Yo,’ ‘Turn it up’ and ‘Yeah.’

Others on the list include:

Emma - obviously because she can speak/write in Korean.

Amy - because she would die inside if she was missing out on something fun.

Elizabeth - although the thought of a mixed-race child may destroy her soul she is likely bring nice presents.

James - he once said that T.O.P was unattractive so this will be the ideal opportunity to prove him wrong.

Mary-Jane, Jordan, Jared, Mum and Dad too.

❍ Wow! You’ve just found your doppelgänger in opposite gender of yourself - how would they look? Speaking of look-a-likes, do you know anyone that looks like yourself?

Well I suppose I already have one, and his name is Jared. Like we have the same colour of hair and are fairly similar looking. So basically let Jared’s hair grow and straighten his teeth, put on a dash of make-up and big blue glasses, and ta-dah! It’s me.

- Claudia

PIN UP BOYS

Hey guys what’s up. I forgot to tell you one of the best gifts I got this year. Jared and I exchanged presents this year on Christmas Eve. He promised me to make something hand-made but I don’t think he realised the amount of work that goes into such a thing, but he requested a list of my 12 favourite Asian guys.

I instantly knew what he was making, a calendar: a guy for each month. Then he announced it was in fact, not a calendar and then asked for another 12 guys. And I promptly gave him it, and constantly nagged at him to keep working on the project, because he wouldn’t finish it if I didn’t, (and I was dying to know what it was!) I eventually realised he was making a booklet. Not from being nosy, he was just being very obvious about the whole operation!

I do believe he saw that I found it so easy and satisfying to make such things using the computer, he could do the same. But he kept running into problems but couldn’t ask for help for me because he wanted it to remain a surprise.

Fast forward to Christmas Eve, and behold was this surprise neatly wrapped under the tree. I must admit, I was very impressed when I opened it, because Jared’s usually very lazy and gives up on everything. He did make me a calendar after all, and it was absolutely beautiful. Of course I loved it. Personalised gifts are lovely because they are unique and made specially for you. This was the most personalised thing for me possible, so I was super excited about it.

Jared swore he would never do something like it again though, because he just found it too stressful. lawl.

If you were wondering, I ordered him a Laptatt for the return gift. double lawl.

In today’s wonderful post, I took photos of each page of Jared’s Calendar, and wrote a summary of what I predict will happen in the year 2011. Enjoy.

January

Okay here goes, I know for a fact in January there will be the New Year, Cafe 180 and disastrously, my AS English Resit. Which I still am not prepared for. Hmm. In January I also hope to get back into the swing of driving, which I have currently abandoned due to school work and the ‘bad snow.’ I like how Jared started the year with my all time favourite T.O.P (and yeah, I already have the calendar hung up in my room for the new year, I’m just so organised)

February

Hoorah! It is finally my 18th birthday month. Not that being 18 really means much to me, I guess it will come in handy if need ID for DVDs or games or whatever. I also will get to find out the surprise Dad is arranging. (I’m honestly scared to think what it could be) Mum told me she wrote it in her planner so she warned me not to look, but c’mon, that’s not gonna last. I kinda hoped I would have my driving test by my 18th but I hardly care now. This will also be the month of the BIG INTERVIEW!! So I pray that by then I will be all sorted for it. By the way, I’m not telling anyone when the interview is, just to make you all suspicious.

March

The only thing planned for March is STRATFORD. Yeah, our English class/year are going on the annual Stratford-Upon-Avon trip over St. Patrick’s Day for 4 days. I now remember blogging about how I wasn’t able to go ages ago, but updated news, I now am, after much pleading and crying about missing out when everyone else is going except for me. It should be great, but again all my focus is going towards other happenings before it.

April

Is anything at all happening in April yet? I don’t think so. Hah, I might have my driving test. I should have all my offers back by now, so I’ll need to pick one and a ‘safety net’ one too and sort out accommodation God willing. Scary stuff.

May

Holy moly, we get Study Leave this month. And we have the most important night of our academic year: the Upper 6th Formal! I can imagine from February onwards I’ll begin preparing my outfit (I can’t buy a dress too soon because I don’t want my weight to alter too much) and also watching head girl Kerri get everything sorted, dear help her. It’s likely we have our I.C.T exam round this time too. Oh, and art practical too: the best day of the year.

June

Study leave continues for some. I don’t even know when my two english exams are but when they are over I will be out of school, which makes me very sad.

July

A holiday perhaps? Well if everything goes to plan for uni I will hopefully get a proper job and work to save up.

August

Same again. I’ll get my results, and tragically have to say some goodbyes. If I don’t die after that, I’ll begin panicking if I’m starting uni in less than a month. Jared made a tiny mistake here and put a photo of Jaejoong in instead of Mickey: easily done.

September

According to UCAS, all the courses I’ve applied for start on the 9th, so that’s where I will be then. I feel frightened already.

October

It’s hard to know now what’s going to happen. It’s actually impossible to guess. So I’m going to leave this one out.

November

Look, it’s Papa Rain. I wonder where this calendar will go when I go to uni?! I wonder will it even last til November.

December

Look, it’s Christmas again. This year is going to go past so quicky, ah, it's crazy.

- Claudia, happy.

B is for...

Brother

You all probably know this, but for strangers reading from Finland or Arabia, I have one brother called Jared. I’m 17 years old and he’s 13.

Also known as Plug, J-Boy (my contribution: GayBoy), Paddy, Gerald, Jerry, Jayyyy, Jarrr, Jarhead... etc.

Jared knows me better than anyone I know.

Why do we get on so well? I think it’s because there’s between a 4-5 year age gap between us which allows us to be socially accepted to spend time together because he’s old enough and we are also able to do our own thing like hang around with our own friends. We have our separate lives thanks to this age gap, so we aren’t stuck in each others faces in or outside school.

I’m very thankful that we get on so well. Like, I see other siblings in families bite the face of each other. I don’t understand why they fight!

Jared and our personality traits are really compatible, and we are too lazy to fight. I’m a bit crazy, foolish and invents wild ideas and has a good sense of humour. He’s more sensible and intellectual, which keeps me from doing anything ridiculous and he’s got a dry sense of humour which can be very funny.

I think it also works so well because I basically bully him into doing things when he would rather stay at home and do nothing. For example, I could rant for a week that I wanted to go to Belfast. 99% of the time I get my way, so that Saturday we would be in Belfast, much to Jared’s displeasure. Then him and I go shopping (because we are both mature enough to be trusted to not run away or get kidnapped) and we go into cool shops: such as HMV and Hollister. This makes him happy, and he goes home saying ‘Wow that was a great day!’- which WOULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED IF I DIDN’T RANT! Our family would be very boring without me to spur them along!

I believe I have some special gift at getting my way. Maybe it’s because I’m first-born, but I don’t feel guilty telling my parents if I need something. Jared, on the other hand, would never ask “because that’s greedy” or would save up himself or even do without. I know it’s bad, but I couldn’t live like that!

We maybe have similar interests too. Jared listens when I start telling him random K-Pop news (I have no-one else to share it with!) and when he tells me something along the lines of “Hey guess what Claudia, there’s a new Professor Layton game out on Saturday” I usually fall asleep or blank out. He’s very patient- I am a mean sister!

Well, not that bad, I do know things because I listen when he thinks I’m not, I like surprising him when he asks me was I listening then I recite all he just said.

Recently we have this joke on who’s the best group, F(x) or SHINee. I’m team Shinee, because they are the guys, he’s team F(x), a girl band he listens to constantly. He sings Chu all the time! And shouts at me “Gaymin (Taemin) is nothing compared to my manly Amber!!” LMAO. What brother would say that. He’s so cool like, almost as cool as Charlie.

I’m not sure if he’s just playing or does he actually like K-pop! I’m feeling convinced that he actually does, because he likes G-Dragon, Taeyang, Se7en, Mas4 and SNSD. Occasionally he would quote SS501 and Suju, always makes me laugh!

“APPLEBODY! I am a boyy, you are a gurrrl. His name-a-pete”- Drives Mum mad, it’s hilarious!

He’s also a Christian, which is such an encouragement in the house. His good manners, patient attitude to life and wise decisions makes me want to punch him in the face sometimes. He’s encouraging because he’s a reminder of what I should be like and a warning of what I should and should not be doing. Thanks Plug Boy!

I hope we stay this close when we are older. I think my heart would break if we fell out over something major.

If it’s not too corny to say, I guess I’m really proud of him.

4. YOUR SIBLING

Dear Jared,

You came into this world when I was about six years old. I don’t think I understood at the time but I remember the day clearly. Mar told me that your name was Jared, and I announced that I didn’t like that name, and from now on, you will be called number 7. No reason of course, it still sounds like something ridiculous I would still say today. I also remember the first time I held you, by then I realised the responsibilities that would come in being the older sister to you, so I knew this was a special moment. However when I did hold you, you cried until you were moved away from me. I really didn’t like you much to be honest.

After a while, I found that it could actually be quite fun having a baby in the house, I was your teaching you about your new world, things that parents and grandparents were unable to teach you. You respected me a lot. I noticed you were not spoiled like I was as a child, because you never wanted anything. Give you something basic like a hairbrush and you would be entertained for hours. You were a cute baby, you had the biggest head I've ever seen and you often wore dickie bows and hardly cried.

As we both grew up we have many memories. Especially ones in the summer, with Jonny, Lee, Lauren and Ryan playing outside in the cottage. Remember the ‘spooky way’? It was fun, but when I look back it was under the oil tank, which really wasn’t safe at all. There was other things too, such as the Playstation, Harry Potter and Sooty. Then there was also the skateboarding, ‘Hide and Hide’ and you being afraid of Furbys. (You still are, I know it.) We did get on very well as brother and sister.

We still do though. As I got older, instead of bullying you into doing what I wanted, I began to respect you as an older person, which was very weird at first. You now have an opinion on things and you act a lot older than what I did when I was in first year. Instead of talking about Spongebob, we gossip and talk about high school. You actually understand me a lot better now and you don’t annoy me as much. And you accept my love of k-pop and point out Asians when they walk back in Belfast. (Even if they look about 100 years old.) You even listen to k-pop too, which is fun because you actually like it and we have something more to banter about. I think I have fooled you into thinking Daesung is blind though, muahahaha.

I really enjoyed that day we went shopping in Belfast. I wasn’t embarrassed walking around with you, and it was enjoyable finding clothes for you in Hollister. It’s gonna be great fun when I get my driving test, then we can go shopping and the cinema, as long as that’s not too weird. :-/ I am proud that your not afraid to hang out with me: like go for walks around Annalong or walking into school. You always have so much to say. And you make me laugh more than anyone I know.

Of course, you do have your flaws, you're as tight as a drum. Why don’t you spend any money!? I just don’t understand this, I wish I could be like that. When we are older your going to be filthy rich and I’ll be poor, but I don’t care because I’ll have lots of kids and you can be Uncle Jared. And another thing, you’re so MESSY! You are disgusting. Maybe all boys are that gross, but I never step foot in your room because it makes me boke. And you leave the container a mess too- I gave you a table and that’s how you repay me!? One more thing, you are so opinionated, and you can be a real tattle tale sometimes. But I’m the one who can get away with everything so :P

Please, in the future, don’t forget about me. It makes me so sad that I’ll be getting ready to leave home this time next year. It’ll be unusual when you aren’t around, messing up my room and talking to me as I try and get ready in the mornings. I wish we wouldn’t get any older, because time is going too fast and you are growing up so quickly.

I really am proud of you Jared.

I love you so much.

Love, your big sister,

Claudia x