Friday, July 20, 2007 @9:13 AM
Finally, at long last.
After months and months of anticipation, eagerness and impatience, it's finally here.
HARRY POTTER 07 - THE DEATHLY HALLOWS.
Oh, how I've yearned for its arrival. Tomorrow, at last, it shall be mine. I shall be able to hold it in my hands, feel its pages with my fingers, devour it with my eyes.
I fell into the magical world of Harry Potter at Primary 5. Believe it or not, I was once the most anti-HP person you could possibly find around. Mostly due to my dad's influence. "Rubbish", "nonsense", "WHAT magic" were amongst the kinder labels he hurled at the series. Without any justification whatsoever. So, gullible me was taken in, and was staunchly against HP.
Until one day, my cousin persuaded me to watch Chamber of Secrets with her at her dad's club. I agreed reluctantly, and that was only cos it was very rare that I got to spend time with my cousins. I went into the cinema, the blurrest of all sotongs, asking stupid questions like "What is that? Is he good or bad?" In reference to Dobby. And I actually believed my cousin's explanation of why Harry didn't end up in Diagon Alley after going through the Floo Network, that it was cos he had said "diagonally" instead, thus he literally went diagonally. Oh, the stupidity of moi. Of course, now, I know that it was cos he went off at the wrong grate, at Knockturn Alley.
So I was sitting there, feeling vaguely bored. Partly cos I didn't exactly understand what was going on. And then. And then.
Enter Draco Malfoy/Tom Felton. Oh gosh. My first ever obsession. Goodness. Who is that, on the screen? The camera moved upwards, from his feet to his face, slowly. My cousin leant over to me and whispered, "I can't STAND this guy!". What? Couldn't stand him? Who couldn't? Note that she's about the biggest bandwagon-jumper I had ever met. So, Draco = bad guy = cannot stand him. Uh-uh. For me, it was Draco = bad guy = ohmygoodnesswillsomeonetellmewhyIhavethisweirdfeelinginmyheart.
After the movie, the next day, I demanded to borrow the COS book from Sandra. The moment I got it, I didn't read it from the beginning. Oh no. I flipped through the book like a maniac.
Sandra: Uh, exactly what are you looking for?
Yinfei: The parts with Malfoy in it.
Well.
Then I came to my senses and decided to read the whole book. Then, HP magic took over. Sure, it was Draco Malfoy who got me interested in the series in the first place, but it was the book, the series, the story, really, that got me hooked. I borrowed SS from the ever-obliging Sandra. After I was done with that, every time I went to a bookstore, I would search for a copy of POA and read it. When we left the bookstore, I would remember the page which I had stopped at. The next time I went to a bookstore, I would take it to read again. Till I had finished it. Yep, I had converted Popular to a library. Then I entered RGS, and went every recess in Sec 1 to the library to read GOF. We went to China at the end of the year, and I persuaded my dad to buy books 1 to 4 for me. He agreed only cos it was in chinese, and he thought this would somehow increase my interest in the language.
Well, I still couldn't stand it. I received books 1 to 4 as my birthday present the next year. I then bullied my parents into buying OOTP for me when it came out. And subsequently, HBP. By then, I had morphed from anti-HP-forever to diehard, insane, HPforever fan. As well as a "walking harry potter thesaurus", in Zhihua's words.
So here it is, then, the final book. I'm so excited, and so sad. This is the last time I'll ever be looking forward to a Harry Potter book coming out.
Here's to JK Rowling, the wonderful creator of the series without which my life would never have been quite as complete. The cause of the millions of fansites, billions of fanfics, zillions of happy fans. I cannot quite put into words the utter respect I have for you.
Thank you so very much.
- JJ, for persuading me to watch COS that fateful day.
- Draco Malfoy/Tom Felton, for getting me hooked onto the series.
Deathly Hallows, I await thou with bated breath!
Sunday, July 15, 2007 @7:14 AM
All hail the ever-so-responsible CO member! :D Namely, yours truly.
Ahem. So here's what happened on Friday. :D
Basically, I assure you, four hours of sitting in one position near the koi pond and desperately trying to keep yourself in the upcoming concert, with the conductor's threats of kicking you out of it still ringing in your ears, and wishing that you could be doing something more WORTHWHILE... ...it's no bundle of laughs at all.
So, when the 4.30 ten-minute break came, I hastened to make full use of it. At first, I hung out in the canteen with Leican and Lydia, but because I couldn't buy anything to eat (depleting wallet *coughpotonecklacecough*), the canteen lost its allure after a while. Then all of a sudden, I got this hunch that Joy and Gillian and Xinjia, fellow ever-so-responsible members of CO, might be prac-ing in the 307 classroom, as per their normal tradition whenever a dazu session comes rolling round. ("We're hopeless cases! We can't join dazu!" thus, takes refuge in classroom on the PRETEXT of prac-ing) So whaddya know, my hunch was right!
Upon entering 307, though, it was to discover, *gasps* that THEY WERE NOT PRAC-ING! HOW SUPRISING! :D Instead, to show that their hearts were all in choir rather than CO, they were holding a karaoke session instead, which they very generously welcomed me to join in. Xinjia had pulled down the screen at the whiteboard, and switched on the com so that the song lyrics were shown on the screen. Joy and Gillian were belting out Tong Hua when I entered (with water bottles and scissors for mikes), while Gillian was looking on half-amused, half-exasperated. Since it looked infinitely more fun than what I had been doing (just ask Zhimin the number of times she had to poke me with her gong to wake me up), I decided too, to show my singing talents (or the lack of it).
After repeating Tong Hua about three times, Joy decided that we should sing another song. AND GUESS WHAT WE SANG NEXT.
POTO, EAT YOUR HEART OUT, ZHIHUA! :D :D :D
Gillian hastily searched out the POTO song lyrics (like I needed them anyway) and flashed them on the screen. Xinjia suggested that one of us be Erik, and the other Christine, but we eventually decided to all sing it at the same time. Gillian, more self-confidence! She absolutely refused to sing at all, going on and on about "off-tune" and "wrong pitch". But anyway, for about the next twenty minutes (yes, ten-minute break be darned), the room was filled with loud and uh, MELODIOUS renditions of "THE PHAAAAAAAAAAAAANTOM OF THE OPERA IS THEREEEEEEEEE". Joy and Xinjia dropped out at the super high-pitched "PHAAAAAAAAAN", but the very bu zi liang li me persisted, to much awe and wonder at my ability to hit such a high note (or rather, to shatter windows). The very out-of-her-mind Gillian: "You should join choir!"
Anyway, remember the part when Erik goes "SING MY ANGEL OF MUSIC!"? And Christine starts going like, SUPER HIGH-PITCHED? We actually did that too. :D So Joy was like, "SING FOR ME!" and I did the screeching. Wheee. We also did the ghostly "He's here, the phantom of the opera! Beware the phantom of the opera!".
Then, change of activity. Seeing the com was on...well, you all know what I usually (or mostly, or even only) go on the school com for. And, hey, whatever was on the com would show up on the huge screen too! Now, how could I pass up a chance like that? So it was off to Rafa fansite I went, much to the delight of Xinjia (a fellow Rafanatic, THANK HEAVEN!), and the exasperation of Joy and Gillian (unappreciative people!). Of course, that sparked off the usual insults (which only my obsessions ever get). This time, though, it was with a difference, cos I had Xinjia to aid me in the assault on Joy and Gillian with water bottles and blackboard markers! Wheee. Xinjia and I dissolved into uncontrollable giggles, and there was this little exchange:
Yinfei: Once in my lifetime, I must go to Wimbledon or French Open!
Xinjia: Once in my lifetime, I must go to Spain!
After a while of this, I kind of realized that my ten-minute break had somehow morphed into a 45-minute break. WHOOOOOOOOPS. :D
And so I hastened to return to CO. Sigh.
SHALL DO THIS AGAIN NEXT WEEK! XD
Sunday, July 08, 2007 @1:51 AM
Well, ladies' finals last night was pretty definitive. Venus Williams beat Marion Bartoli 6-4 6-1. I'm not sure about the score, but I think that's it. Like I said, after Justine was out of the draw, I don't really care who wins anymore. I mean, if it were any other two players, like Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic, Nicole Vaidisova, or even Anna Chakvetedze, or maybe Daniela Hantuchova, I would still take an interest. But Venus and Bartoli, seriously, I don't care. Anyway, the match wasn't as exciting or competitive as a Wimbledon final should be. That's cos Bartoli was really not much of a match for Venus. If Justine was there, now, it would be a different story. Venus might or might not win, but still, there would have been a more competitive match. At least, there would most likely be a rubber set.
Anyway, men's finals are on tonight! Once again, FedEx vs Rafa! Federer beat Richard Gasquet, who had earlier on beaten Andy Roddick in a suprise outcome. He took in straight sets, pretty definitive. Rafa, on the other hand, lost the first set, but won the second, and was leading 4-1 in the third when Novak Djokovic retired due to a toe blister, back pain and general exhaustion. Anyway, Rafa would have most likely gotten the third set. I mean, 4-1. Hold serve, break serve, that's it. Then Rafa being Rafa would probably go on to take the fourth set, and the place in the finals. So it was just as well anyway.
Ok, Rafa, you might or might not be able to dethrone the master of grass Roger Federer. But remember, you're the king of clay. You took a set off him at the finals last year, you can do it again and more. Pay him back for the set he took off you at Roland Garros! I'm going to be optimistic and say that you CAN WIN THIS. Even if you can't, you're not going out without a fight. Xisca'll be watching you from the stands, just remember that, if you need motivation. :D And millions of fans around the world, including me, will be watching you too. VAMOS RAFA, LET'S ROCK THE GRASS OF WIMBLEDON!
Friday, July 06, 2007 @8:51 PM
IHATEMARIONBARTOLI IHATEHER IHATEHER IHATEHER.
WHY?!?
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Justineee what happened to youuuuuu.
In a most shocking semifinal match yesterday between World No. 1 Justine Henin and 18th seed Marion Bartoli, poor Justine lost 1-6 7-5 6-1. She totally trashed Bartoli in the first set! I was so sure she was going to win! I mean, she was THE Justine Henin! Like, the invincible? 7-5 I might vaguely believe, but 6-1?!? Since when does Justine Henin get beaten 6-1, by a player who's not even in the top 15?!?
Bartoli, in her post-match interview, claimed that the prescence of Pierce Brosnan, ex-007, in the crowd, motivated her on. "I thought to myself, I can't play so badly in front of him!" she said. Uh RIIIIIIIIGHT. You just happened to catch a Henin on a bad day, that's all. Wait till you next meet her, you'll be SO TRASHED. After the first set, I happily went to bed, thinking that it was going to be another straight set win to the finals for dear Justine, where she might even beat Venus Williams to clinch her first Wimbledon crown. If I had known that there would be such a change, like if I had stayed up to watch the second set too, and know that there would have to be a deciding set, I would have brought my voodoo dolls out again.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
Justine, you're still my No. 1. You have next year, you can win this. You'll complete a career Grand Slam, I know you will. And I'll still be supporting you next year.
I don't care for the finals now. I don't care who wins anymore. Marion Bartoli vs Venus Williams for the final. Both are players whom I absolutely can't stand. I'm just so disappointed that Ana Ivanovic failed to clean Venus off. I was so expecting a Henin vs Ivanovic final. In which case I wouldn't mind both, but I'd certainly still support Justine. If Venus wins, it's going to be a total insult to Wimbledon. Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy? Yesterday, Gillian, Joy and Xinjia all agreed with me that Justine would win. I thought it was for sure.
Here's the moral, I guess: In tennis, the ball is round. It's anybody's game.
P.S.: Men's semis: Roger Federer vs Richard Gasquet (in ANOTHER suprise win over Andy Roddick!), and Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic. VAMOS RAFA!