Monthly Mixtape #2

Hello, readers... I'm back with a little updated playlist of songs I've been listening to for these past two months. Once again, I'm hoping that all of you will be able to find a new song to listen to amongst the different genres of music you will find below.

1. All I Want by Kodaline

I've recommended this song in a previous post, but I have recently been listening to it very, very frequently, so I thought that it deserved a spot on this playlist. To those of you who have watched The Fault in Our Stars in theatres this past month, I'll have you know that I almost jumped out of my seat in excitement when this song came up in the background during Hazel and Augustus' visit to Amsterdam.

2. All Of The Stars by Ed Sheeran

Speaking of The Fault in Our Stars, we need to talk about this song. I'm going to be completely honest, and haters can hate. I originally thought The Fault in Our Stars was extremely overrated and had no interest in reading the book or watching the movie. Then Ed Sheeran's new music video for this song appeared on my YouTube subscription list and after listening to the song and hearing the lyrics, I was a goner. I have now joined the TFIOS fandom (is there a name?).

3. A Sky Full Of Stars by Coldplay

It seems as though I have a link between every song haha, and it is actually completely unintentional. Okay, so now, another moment of honesty. Though I admit that Coldplay is beyond  talented, their music has never been my absolute favourite. When Ellen posted their performance on Facebook, I saw that the title sounded promising... and I'll admit that I played the video because their stage setup was really pretty... don't judge. Anyways, I love the song now. That is all.

4. Moonlight by EXO

One of my favourite exotic (haha, punny) bands came out with a new mini album in May. They adopted a more R&B style and I love love love  every new song on this album. Moonlight, in particular, gets me everytime with all the amazing falsettos. This is the Chinese version I posted, though there is also a Korean one. I simply posted this one because my favourite member is the vocalist in this version, don't judge me...

5. Boomerang by The Summer Set

This is my go-to jam out song. I will never not dance and lip synch to the song. Yes, I've gotten some pretty crazy looks from strangers on the bus and looks of exasperation and embarrassment from friends sitting next to me. No shame though, I dare you to listen to this and not want to spontaneously dance.

6. Don't Stop by 5 Seconds of Summer

I cannot wait to see 5SOS in August. Their new songs are amazing and I'm so happy that they've finally been able to put together an album. I highly recommend finding the music video on YouTube if you don't already know this band. It actually represents them perfectly.

7. Butterfly by G-Dragon

I normally wouldn't post more than one non-English song on each of these playlists, however, this is an exception. This song has a super spooky(?) and ambiguous atmosphere and the music itself is enough to make you forget that it's in an entirely different language. Before you judge, listen to the perfection.

8. Cough Syrup by Young the Giant

It seems as though my music playlist has taken an ambiguous turn. I heard this song first on Glee when I used to watch it and I fell in love with it. The topic of the song is darker and much more serious, however, isn't art supposed to touch on all aspects of life? (So deep, I need to stop) Anyway, go click that play button.

I only have 8 songs for all of you this time. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to look for 10 worthy songs! Anyways, I hope I was able to open some of your eyes to a new songs you'll love, or even a new band/artist entirely.

What are the songs you're currently loving?

| Monthly Mixtape #1 |

Summer Bucketlist | #2014BloggerChallenge

It turns out, I'm horrible at keeping the promises I make on this blog, haha. After promising twice  in my last two posts that I would be coming out the next day with a Blogger Challenge post, I am proud to say that it has finally happened. So without further ado, here is what I would love to do this summer!

1. Spend a day downtown with my friends.

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2. Have a barbecue party at home. 

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3. Go down to the beach. (If it can count as one... Canadian Problems)

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4. Read five books.

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5. Get my driver's license.

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6. Redecorate my room.

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7. Go to a concert.

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8. Work on the short film my friend and I are making.

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9. Catch up on all the TV shows and movies that I've missed.

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10. Blog more often.

I'm hoping I'll be able to accomplish this list in the next two months of summer vacation! We'll have to see about that driver's license though....... So this is a relatively short post, but I'll see you soon with a favourites post perhaps? (I've learned not to make promises, haha)

Canada D'eh 2014

Happy Canada Day everyone! One of the biggest advantages of living in the nation's capital is being able to attend the biggest celebration in the country on its birthday. There's nothing like being pushed along by a giant crowd of tourists and citizens dressed in red when its 32°C and very, very  humid. All sarcasm aside, it really is such a unique experience. So, here are some photos I took throughout the few hours I spent downtown, but they really do not do the hype and overall atmosphere any justice.

Walk to the bus station where all rides are free for the day.

Lemonade Stand on the streets downtown.

Sparks Street sign.

Sparks Street

We should be celebrating, but the Argentina vs. Switzerland match was being broadcasted...

Clever advertising technique, CIBC... well played.

Flags of the teams left in FIFA.

Canadian flags everywhere.

Huge crowd in front of Parliament hill.

Stage set up in front of Parliament Hill for performances all day long.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police escorting the Governor General to Parliament Hill.

Traditional flight of the Snowbirds after 21 cannon sounds.

Byward Market sign.

Byward Market crowd.

Red Bull's amazing advertising.

OC Transpo buses all over the city.

Lunch at a hidden, but amazing Korean restaurant, Arirang.

So those are the photos I managed to take while being pushed around by crowds! I'll see you tomorrow with a little 2014 Blogger Challenge post, and Happy Canada Day!!!

Year One

Oh, how the time has passed us... I can't believe it's already been a year since I first sat down and decided to start a blog. As dramatic as it sounds, this blog really has changed my life. The thing is, I'm more than thankful to have such a busy and exciting high school life, but the stress really does build up. My school is full of students who excel in academics, sports and overall community involvement and leadership. Needless to say, life is busy.

That being said, to all those who find their way onto my blog and don't have one yourself, I highly recommend that everyone starts their own personal blog. Write whatever you want on it and ignore the number of hits you get. (Getting deep again) In today's society, so many different rules and 'social norms' dictate everything you do. In English class, for example, when was the last time you ever had a choice on what to write about? When was the last time your teacher stood in front of the class and told you guys to hand in any short story you want to write? By having my own blog, I obtained a creative outlet where no one can tell me what I can and cannot say.

Okay, I'm done with all the motivation now. So, I thought I'd start a little tradition. For each of my "blog birthday" posts, I'll update all of you on five prominent events to take place in the past year. So let's get this started.

JUNE 2013 • JUNE 2014

Student Senate

Taking on the role of student senator was more exciting and eye-opening than I could have ever imagined. I was able to become friends with so  many amazing people from different schools who I would have never even had the chance to meet without this amazing opportunity. We were a quirky bunch, but I can't even begin to comprehend how we have become such a close bunch solely based on our monthly meetings. I can't wait to see the hard work of the student senate and, more importantly, our two student trustees, make a big difference in the way Student Voice is perceived throughout the board.

Leadership Camp

Leadership Camp was a very unique experience for me this year. I'm going to be straight up honest. The student who are usually chosen to be leaders at camp are part of the so-called "popular" group in high school... which I am not a part of. My friend and I were fully prepared to be outcasts during leader bonding events and such. Now, however, I look back on camp and I can only see the positives effects it had on my school life. I met some of the nicest grade 12's and grade 11's I never would have talked to in the hallways, those who were charismatic and weren't blinded by the labels students earn in high school. Of course, I'm also thankful I finally confirmed some of my suspicions and learned who to stay away from at all costs, haha. Overall though, my school is very well known to be extremely accepting towards everyone, and through this experience I was happy to be able to further confirm that fact. 

Senior Band

We had a very rough start to band this year. We slacked off, we didn't practice, we weren't working together very well and we just sounded horrible. However, there is one unique aspect that brought our band together. It was the overwhelming shame we would feel when disappointing our conductor, though he never acted disappointed in front of us. Needless to say, we started having sectionals, we (hopefully 'we' :P) practiced our songs at home, we bonded over a weekend-long band retreat and we, above all, became a team. By the time our festival (or competition) came along, we definitely were not the best band in terms of skill, however we did become passionate and linked as a team. I like to think that this is how we ended up winning Most Outstanding Concert Band out of all 114 bands who performed at the festival. I guess this really taught me how much of a difference simply loving what you do can make. The funny thing is, this was such a big accomplishment, but no one in school cared. But let's be honest, who needs haters? ;)

Relay For Life

I have never been so exhausted and stressed out before in my life. Out of all the leadership roles I've ever taken on, this was the first one where I was completely in charge with little teacher guidance. I spent twelve hours running around with some of my amazingly dedicated friends who were a part of my committee. We had to organize an activity every 30 minutes for the entire day. This meant gathering materials, walking all over the property recruiting participants, holding the activity itself and keeping order at the same time. In the end, our school raised $96 818.39 for the Canadian Cancer Society. We exceeded our goal by more than $20 000. What did I learn from this? Leadership is not about recognition, but the results which come out from your hard work. Me and my committee may have worked our butts off for months, but sometimes, you don't get recognition. Instead, people tend to notice the negatives. But that's what being a leader is about isn't it? People will always see the worst, and when things go well, they won't notice. Instead of being bitter about this, pat yourself on the back, celebrate everything you  know you helped achieve and learn from other people's criticisms, that is what being a leader is about.

Co-President

After 2 years of being a part of Student Council, it has become one of the biggest parts of my school life. I've met so  many students from all different grades, and I have become friends with people I never would have talked to in the hallway without the confidence I obtained from joining Student Council. I'm ecstatic to share with all of you that I will be one of the co-presidents in my school next year. The competition was hard and the campaigning period was highly stressful. In the end, I gained a little faith in humanity. I may not be in the "cool" group in school, but people somehow did not choose to only consider that factor and my relentless hard work for the past two years has paid off. If anyone from CB is reading this, I hope to make you proud next year!

So, that's a little summary of my year for those of you who were curious... for those of you who weren't, I'll be posting a lot more frequently now. I should actually have a 2014 Blogger Challenge post coming out tomorrow. You may have noticed that I went on a little bit of a sudden hiatus because of exam season, but what better way than to end it on my blog's birthday? I'll be seeing you very very soon, and I can't wait to see what next year is going to bring!

My Two 2-Minute Hairstyles | #2014BloggerChallenge

Here's the honest truth. I don't put a lot of time and effort into my hair. My only purpose is to keep it out of my face, so you'll come to see that these hairstyles are super  unoriginal and simple, but my goal today is to be honest and show you my daily hairstyles.

These hairstyles work on both long and medium-length hair. You'll be able to see this since the first one is demonstrated by my long hair and the second, by my sister's medium length hair.

So let's go!

The "Less-Than-Two-Minute Two Minute Hairstyle"

Step 1

Grab two front sections of your hair.

Step 2

Pull both strands to the back of your head so they meet directly in the groove between your head and neck.

Step 3

Take your clip and pin your hair to hold it in place.

Yep, that took about 20 seconds... don't hate. ;)

Double Braid

Step 1

Brush out your hair!

Step 2

Take the front section of hair from one side.

Step 3

Using the strand, make a 3-strand braid.

Step 4

Stretch the across the back of your head then using bobby pins, clip it into place.

Note: Try hiding the pins better than we did in this photo... :P

Repeat the same steps using a front section of hair from the opposite side and run is across the back of you head on top or bottom of the previous braid and you're done!

And that's it. This post wasn't much, but I will not be defeated by the challenge! I'll be back soon with a better post. Promise. xx