Here we are again.

Two weeks out for mocks. Spending almost every night (without shame) at Massey Library, trying to get away from procrastination. (facebook.) It's exactly the same situation as last year. Crazy huh. It's been a whole year. Makes me think about where I was then, compared to where I am now. It seems almost time to reminisce on the things I've done/achieved this year, which is a bit scary, because that means the year is almost over. Academically anyway. Might leave that for another time, when it's actually the end of the year.

I can see the end of the tunnel! In about 3 weeks time I'll have finished my exams, and there'll be exciting things to look forward to like Future Problem Solving nationals for the teams (hopefully) ARTS AWARDS, spring... Just gotta keep my head down for now :)

Anyway, the main point was the write about Wei-Kai's birthday :) When I look back on exam periods, I always forget that I actually did stuff during it. We went out to dinner last night at Takara, an awesome Ramen Shop in Browns Bay :) Melody rang ahead and ordered for us, so we got our meals when we walked in! LOL a family next to us had been waiting, and still had to wait long after we started eating :P This is seriously one of my favourite restaurants. The ambience, legitness.. everything =D
Aww Wei-Kai is 18! All grown up :)

Update.

The past week, has unfortuanately, flown by. I feel I've done not very much in the last week except for have FML moments about school, been tired, and slept. It is also insanely cold.

So our orchestra and chamber orchestra got bronze at KBB. bronze. It's strange because it doesn't seem like it should go this way. We've never gotten bronze before, and this is our final year. I guess my 40mins of practice wasn't good enough for them :P still, a bit guttering!

No-one told me that scholarship and university applications take up THIS much time! Seriously I've spent quite a bit of time (procrastinating study) on Aussie uni apps, but it seems like I'm getting nowhere! Help?! And the ridiculous thing is, the accommodation is apparently more urgent, when we don't even know if we'll be getting INTO that uni... Might consider giving up on these and staying in a student apartment if I do get in...

I watched the Schindler's List last night with Weikai, as it's going to be one of the texts I do in my English Research. (which I plan to write in one day..) I've never taken to History. It just didn't really click with me. But after being to all these places, standing where people faced such crazy hardships, it seems to come alive. It really reminds you of how lucky you are, and how much we, as a world, have so much to lose. Watching the irrational killing of people, just because they are. It 's crazy.

And so the three day weekend continues. Slowly catching up on school work, but mocks are in less than three weeks! This time last year I would've been full on studying - but here I am, updating my blog.

Back to New Zealand. (relatively pointless post)

So I'm home. Back to school, back to life. Even though it's only 3 weeks and 2 days until mocks, school has been good for the last two days. Seeing friends again made me realize how much I had missed them. Can't imagine what next year will be like, when everyone goes their separate ways. It seems that in the time that I was gone, everyone had made up their mind as to where they wanted their life to go, and more often than not, that was away from where I want to go.  This chapter of my life is quickly coming to a close.

With my adventures overseas, came forfeiting of some high school experiences. Missed the ball, missed rep photos, a KFC party in Japanese. Pretty trivial things, I know, but still.

Auckland welcomed me back with extremely cold weather - highs of 10, lows of 2? yay. It "snowed" yesterday - didn't get to see it because I was at KBB. After 40 minutes of personal practice the night before, the Orchestra performed at KBB, with me as its concert master. what! it went okay I think.. better than i had hoped for. Chamber orchestra was up next, and this one didn't seem to go so well for me :/
The best thing about the day, though, was catching up with friends who I haven't seen since KBB last year, or even longer ago than that.
I can't believe that this is my last KBB. I still remember my first one, in 3rd form, when I went with the orchestra and the THIRD FORM STRINGS. Still remember those 7th formers who seemed amazing at their instrument.

So now I begin my catchup for FOUR weeks of school. Chem is impossible. I didn't understand a single word in that class today. On the bright side, I have so much time on my hands now that MAX is finished, and AYO doesn't start for a couple (fingers crossed) weeks!

Apologies for this extremely jumbled post.

Headed Home.

Wrote the following 10km above the sea, still 7562km away from new Zealand, sleep deprived, but halfway on the journey home.

Perception of time has always confused me. Can I really say that the past six weeks have flown by? I can't remember the last day I spent at school. And ironically it's strange seeing myself here, already going back home.

The last month and a half have been intense. Even with UMAT it's hardly been an academic exercise. However I feel as though I've learnt so much, and have extended my capabilities. Reflecting on what I've done in the time away, I've had it so good. Travelled to 5 countries, walked around 10 towns/cities, eaten new food, drunk new drink, tried new things, met new people, and made new friends.

I think that I've changed, compared to the person flying to Brisbane on the 2nd of July. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what that difference is, but it's definitely there. Wouldn't call it maturity - maybe just experience. I've gotten grasp on what's important in the big scheme, where I want to be in 10 years time, what my priorities should be, why I remain motivated.

Home sounds pretty good right now. Just a bit of normality - even if that includes catching up on so much work, and studying for exams that are distressingly close. Friends and family are sorely missed, MUM's COOKING is being craved, ability to talk to easily communicate... priceless. It seems that I've missed a bit, which is a bit sad, considering that it is my last year of high school. Birthdays of friends, events at school, close teachers leaving and in general just happenings at school. It'll nice to be back (at least from the perspective of someone who's been commuting 24 hours ago, with five and half hours left to go.

And so "normality" comes again to Daniel's life - starting with the KBB music festival tomorrow...

Berlin (Day 4) / In Transit

Had a free day today. Got up early to see the rest of the people off, as they are leaving from Frankfurt (8 hour bus away lol). Packed up my luggage and headed out at 8:20am to Harcksher Markt, to get coffer and wifi at the place where we went yesterday. Stayed there for about 50 mins. Cute they lit a candle for me.

Wandered over to Alexanderplatz and got a pastry, and then strolled over to Museum Island. All of them are so impressive to look at! I decided to go to the Pergamon Museum, and lined up 20 mins before it opened, and already there was a decent line. People who went the day before waited for 2 hours before they got in. Struck up a decent conversation with some guys from Michigan. Love meeting new people randomly! Got into the museum at 10, and wow the place was amazing. The things I liked most were the friezes of the Greek gods waging battle, the Pergamon Altar (170bc what!) the Ishtar Gate from Babylon (6th century BC), Mshatta from Jordan and the young one - the market gate of Miletus (2nd century AD).

Went to Harcksher Markt for some shopping afterwards. Found a street that's very similar to high street. So expensive but window shopping was one. Everyone here dressed so nicely. Went to Wittenberg next, which is in west berlin. Berlin is so big, haven't been able to see all of it. Oh well, I'll be back ;)

Left the hostel at 5pm, and after some annoying check ins we successfully got onto the plane. After a short sleep we were in Vienna, and after some more sleeping, we are now in Bangkok, on a 5 hour layover =P Almost back in nz!

Berlin (Day 3)

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Yesterday I went on the bike tour with Anne, helen, Mary and Natasha :) met by Hacksher Markt, and then moved towards the tower in Alexanderplatz. It was such crappy weather :( so rainy - I was wearing a sweater and my Asian jacket! What! Met a kiwi who lives in Dubai. Awesome! She's from masterton originally.

The tour was awesome - great tour guide and interesting places!! It's called the insider tour (I think). Humboldt university is awesome - the faculties are so pretty. Went to bebelplatz (sp?) where students burned 20,000 "un-German" books. Einstein, the brothers Grimm, Karl Marx, all went to this uni. Visited many other places, and also the Konzerthaus LOL. pretty incredible that we played in such an amazing venue! Stopped from an awesome lunch in a biergarten. Got a "green beer". Basically they added some sort of sweet syrup to it. Nom!

Checkpoint Charlie and the Berlin wall were incredible. It's hard to believe that Berlin was only unified in 1989! Crazy stuff. Heard all sorts of stories about attempts to escape east Berlin. Headed to Berlinerdom after the tour. Hehe got in for free (u18) such an amazing cathedral! Better than most in Vienna I think. Finished off the afternoon with some shopping in Friedrichstrasse. Too many high end shops...

Went to the Netherlands' concert at the Young Euro Classic. They did an opera by Rossini. Simply stunning. Although I didn't understand the plot =P After the opera we headed to Hard Rock cafe! Had a "long Island iced tea" nom. :)

Today I have a free day in Berlin, while the others head to Frankfurt and fly out from there. I can't believe that the tour is coming to an end. I feel like I've grown up a whole lot, and seen a whole lot more. Traveling is amazing.

Berlin (Day 2)

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Had a nice easy morning because it was the day of our concert in the Young Euro Classic! This seems to be such a prestigious festival. There were national youth orchestras from places like Russia and china and Korea and turkey =O. Pretty stoked to be invited to play. after using a bit of wifi, Robbie, Liz, Anne, Mary, Helen and I went shopping at Potsdamer platz. Headed back to the hostel at 12:30 to start preparing ourselves for the night ahead.

The concert took place at the Konzerthaus, which is the MOST amazing venue. When we were rehearsing, people were taking photos of us from the doors. Quite funny how we're actually the tourists, but people were taking photos of us. Even when we had a group photos on the steps outside, we attracted a crowd. Had dinner in the staff restaurant, and then got ready for the concert at 8. The concert was basically sold out - apparently there were 1300 people Ridiculously big. It was one of the most amazing things I've done. The amount of applause we got was immense. Stood up at the end about 6 times before it ceases. On such a buzz for so long after. This'll be one of the things I'll remember.