I gave high school two weeks to prove itself, and all it did was slack off. So far it's been strangely dreary and quiet; not particularly painful, but not interesting by any stretch either. I sleepwalk through classes and do all my homework and read in a study carrell in the library. I have one spare period each day, and it's very relaxing. I tend to be too offended, though, when students mistake the study area for the "talking to your friends" area.

Other than that, there isn't much. Same routine as always, just different classes. In fact, they're not different classes: in my attempt to make my final year as comfortable and predictable as possible, I only took courses I knew. The only new thing is that Math has split into Calculus and Algebra & Geometry. I have two new teachers, and one of them is new only because the old one retired.

Hey, I get to rant about teachers! I forgot about that. I can tell that I won't like the Physics teacher. She's the sort that gives unclear assignments with unclear instructions and actually does those "Careers in Physics" research projects. And her lectures are terrible. Some people were a little relieved that we didn't get the other Physics teacher, whose claim to fame in the school is his legendary yelling voice. I'm not. He seems like he's not insane.

I've heard all sorts of things about our Calculus teacher... um, two things. 1) he isn't a good teacher, and 2) he tells toilet jokes a lot. So far, I'm indifferent. He does go on long tangents. Today there was one about how he likes cats, but not for eating. He also mocks the other math teachers. I think when he senses he's found a hook, he milks it for all it's worth. As for his teaching, he doesn't seem incompetent. Then again, all we've been doing is review.

Incest storyline on Passions! Brook(e?) Kerr is so cool. She conveys Whitney's utter horror and disgust perfectly. Charles Divins doesn't do as much for Chad. Passions is better than Days now.

My Bloginality is ISFJ!!! (the triple exclamation marks were not my idea.)

That's right, I am "Introverted Sensing Feeling Judging". According to the personality portraits listed on that site, that means that I work hard and don't ask for credit, I'm a perfectionist, I'm painfully shy, I'm a traditionalist, I live in the present and have trouble predicting the consequences of my actions, and I abhor the spotlight and being in authoritative positions. Sounds right to me. Seriously, the Myers-Briggs personality types are spot-on. It's spooky. Jerry Seinfeld is an ISFJ. So was Mary Queen of Scots.

School sucks. I don't want to go back. If this summer has taught me anything, it's that I'm happy when I'm not at school - the same thing every other summer has taught me. You know, now that I know all about my personality, I think the reason I don't like school is all this teamwork and leadership junk they force on us. I'm a solitary follower, and that's the way I'll always be. That's a little depressing. Anyway, down with school.

I need some help. Did they give any instructions about what to do/bring on Tuesday? All I've been able to find is the "School resumes on September 7, 2004" line at the end of the report card.

This is kind of like last year, except then my sister took my report card envelope (with the instructions for the first day back in it) to Waterloo along with her transcripts.

I put the comments and trackback stuff at the bottom of the entry. I want to see if anyone gets confused and comments on the wrong entry... and I didn't like how the number after "trackback" was being pushed to the next line.

Sunday Brunch finally updated. It figures that the first time I try to commit to a meme it goes down for over a week. Oh well.

1. Indoor or outdoor weddings?

   No preference. Outdoor weddings are more fun, but only weather permitting, so that pretty much evens it out.

2. How many weddings have you been in?

   In the wedding party? I've been a flower girl in one or two, and a "bridesmaid" (or as close as you can get to one in a Hindu wedding) in one. Last summer my family was the proxy family for the groom of a wedding, but I didn't do anything in that one. I don't like doing things in weddings if I can help it.

3. When you were married (or if there is a wedding in your future), what type of wedding did or would you have?

   I've never thought about it. Whatever, my mom can set it all up. She likes that kind of stuff. I think.

4. Have you caught the bouquet or garter?

   Heh, there is no throwing of bouquets and/or garters at proper Hindu weddings (the only kind I've been to). The kookiest thing allowed is the bride and groom feeding each other cake.

5. Tell us about a funny, scary or memorable wedding moment.

   Oh man, who's this 'us'? Is it like a Borg collective thing? I watched Star Trek today. Anyway, I've already written about the weirdest wedding moment I can think of in this journal, so I kind of don't want to write about it again. But I'll do it, on behalf of meme-lovers everywhere. It was an outdoor wedding - easily the most expensive one I had ever attended. The site was an upscale banquet hall somewhere in Ontario. Lavish gardens, a regal wedding altar, cascades of ivy and roses... the whole deal. The ceremony should have been flawless, but the planner had forgotten one thing: the weather forecast. Heavy rain, thunder, lightning, wind... all of them. And, eerily, they picked up at the crucial moments of the ceremony. The worst part, though, was between the ceremony and the reception, because we were supposed to be mingling under the sun but instead we were all crammed under the awning.

   Actually, that wedding was also memorable because the couple tried their darndest to make it as North American as possible. They actually served alchohol, and made toasts, and kissed, and had their first dance... all in front of a bunch of conserved Tamil people. I saw one of them actually gaping at their slow dance. It was pretty cool.

Man, I actually went to Remezzo this week. For non-Agincourtiers, it's an Italian restaurant in the same plaza as McDonald's and, once upon a time, Baskin-Robbins and the unforgettable Galati Brothers Supermarket. It's long been ridiculed... by me. Not for any particular reason, other than I had never met anyone who actually ate there. My sister insisted on it, for some reason, so we went. It was nice. My opinion of it has not changed; i.e., when I pass it on the street it I still crack up.

My brother, sister and I dismantled our rotten old fence yesterday afternoon. It was loads of fun and I recommend the activity to everyone. You get to make a lot of noise, and attract a lot of attention. The neighbours even got into it, coming by with a crowbar to help us out. Okay, only one neighbour, but still. After that it gets boring, though - hacksawing off bolts and scraping rust and flaky paints off the old fenceposts.

I have 1 Gmail invite. The person who comments with the most profound and original thought gets it. Or maybe the person who makes me laugh the most. Maybe I won't give it to anyone. Try your best, though!

The Italian paving guys' boss just went on a lengthy tirade to my mom about how hard his employees were working and there was something wrong with our water system because there was suddenly no water pressure in the hose. He manages to work his employees' work ethic into every conversation. Anyway, he's adamant that it's our fault and not his, but we can see from the window that the hose is kinked. No one has the heart to tell him after that fantastic tirade. I'd give it a 9.335 out of ten.

So... Olympics. They usually draw some sort of reaction out of me, and this time is no different. I missed the opening ceremony, which is unfortunate because it's usually the part I like the most. I've watched some gymnastics, some swimming (I saw Rick Say almost-swear on national television! Oh man, that was cool.) and even some softball. Now, I have a point to make, but this paragraph is badly organized and I can't get there cohesively. So I may as well jump right to it: NBC is pre-empting DOOL for the entire Olympics. Two weeks. In summer, when there's little else to entertain me. And NBC's Olympic coverage sucks anyway! It's common knowledge that everyone who has access to CBC watches that instead of the American channel - even the Americans.

I'm bored, and angry because of it.

My sister was writing in her online journal (I still refuse to say weblog) when I woke up; in fact, her typing woke me up. I was mega-annoyed. Then I went to her website and saw that she was doing some stupid Friday Five wannabe meme. I was bored, so I decided to do the stupid meme too. Most of this happened about thirty seconds ago.

Sunday Brunch

1. Did you like or dislike high school?
   So far, I've loved it like I love most insects. My friends are cool, but almost everything else annoys me. See every entry I made during school season over the past two years.

2. Walk to school, ride the bus or catch a ride with someone?
   Bus. Every day, to and from, for the past five years. Sometimes I get a ride to the bus stop.

3. What was your favorite subject?
   Grade ten Math was definitely up there, and every year of French has been entertaining. Physics last year was fun. Don't hurt me, but I like Chemistry. Labs are cool. Once, I touched a hot crucible. That was memorable.

4. When it came to doing homework, did you do it right away, wait 'til the last minute or just do it whenever you felt like it?
   It depends on what the assignment is. Petty homework questions I generally get done pretty quickly, but larger and more important assignments are left to rot in the back of my mind until the night before. It's a psychological thing.

5. Would you go to your high school reunion?
   Sure, but I would probably duck out if there was no one there I'd like to meet. Of course, by then I'll be a cold-hearted, high-powered businesswoman living in Tuscany with my Sikh husband, Talwinder Khubar, and three spoiled children.

I like summer, because it gives me a chance to be totally unproductive. I think I need that in my life. I started sewing a shirt with a pattern from Walmart, but I can't get the collar on straight so I stopped. I attempted to have a garden this year, but the paving guys walked on it. I think I've mowed the lawn three times this summer. The last time, the grass was so overgrown that my brother says he saw a small mammal (some kind of rodent) in it, but it was obscured so he can't be sure.

I'm reading, though. Catch-22 is a strange book - it's very interesting and humourous, and I enjoy it, but I can't seem to read more than a few pages of it at a time without falling asleep.

I managed to cut myself on a winding tape measure. It's a little bit ironic. As I child I was always very nervous around self-winding tape measures for fear of getting myself cut, but as soon as that apprehension left, well, I cut myself. Huh... maybe it isn't ironic. What's the definition of irony? Alanis messed it up for me. Rain on your wedding day isn't ironic at all... I don't think. Hey Verni, I was using a tape measure because I was measuring the bedroom so I can calculate how much paint I need to paint vertical stripes. Ha.

On Saturday, MuchMoreMusic played all of the Top 80 of the 80s segments in a row - it was five hours in all. I watched all of it. Billie Jean was number one. Thriller was number eight. They tried to justify it, but I still don't accept it. I've got a lot of terrible music stuck in my head now.

Everybody have fun tonight; everybody wang chung tonight. You gotta fight for your right to party.

Damn music won't go away.

I saw The Village today. The critics panned it, but I thought it was pretty good. Apparently it isn't a horror movie, but I couldn't tell because I never watch horror movies. Whatever it is, I liked it.

A lot of people were also frustrated because one of the twists undid the only scary part of it. I liked that part. I'm no good with scary movies.

Anyway, I can't write too much about it without spoiling it. Here's a hint I thought of on the drive home: you know how the title seems weird? Like it's too ambiguous, and doesn't fit what the trailer is making the story out to be? It actually fits perfectly. It's all about the village.

And the big twist? I saw it coming. Anyone who didn't is an idiot.

Edit: I take it back. You're not an idiot if you didn't see it coming. That was a mean thing to say; I'm sorry.

I could write an entire entry about how bored I am, but that wouldn't be very interesting even for me. Instead, why don't you look at this picture I drew on MS Paint:

It's Rei from Sailor Moon, which is the default thing I draw when I'm bored. The fill is messed up because I did some weird stuff with it, like invert the colors, resize it, and then invert the colours again. And I saved it as a GIF, resized it, and then saved it as a JPEG. You know, just to see what would happen. And after all that I scaled it down to about 20% of its original size. I like Rei, I think she's cooler than Serena. Usagi, if you're Japanese or insane. I chose to demonstrate her coolness with a vague frown. (Is it a frown? A grimace? Is she angry? You can't tell.)

Not in the mood for writing but bored = survey! This one is stolen from Neena.

1. Describe the best feeling you've ever had: Huh. I think the author meant to ask under what circumstances the survey-taker experienced the best feeling they ever did. Describing feelings is best left to crazy poets, I think. (Check out that question-evading action!)
2. Were you named after anyone?: I don't think so, unless Hindu deities count. Once I made up a story in which my parents named me Kala because they received a pendant with a 'K' on it as a gift before I was born, but it's all fiction. Based on a real pendant, though.
3. Which finger is your favourite?: Definitely the ring finger. The index is too utilitarian, the middle is just vulgar, and the pinkie is nauseatingly cute. The ring finger has all those endearing romantic associations as well.
4. When did you last cry?: If allergies count, this morning.
5. Do you like your handwriting?: Not really. Especially my signature. I can't do it the same way twice. A student teacher once told me I have good chalkboard writing, though.
6. Any bad habits?: Tons! I think the one of the worst ones is my tendency to always do the least amount of work necessary.
7. What is your most embarassing CD?: I don't have many, but if you came into my room I'd certainly be embarassed of my sister's numerous Moffatts CDs. And the Gil one. Remember Gil? I didn't think so.
8. If you were another person would you be friends with you and why?: I don't think I would even be able to get to know... myself. So no.
9. Are you a dare devil?: Nah.
10. Do you believe in God? Why/why not?: Probably not. I wish I could give a yes/no answer, because agnosticism annoys me.
11. Have you ever misused a word and it sounded absolutely stupid and what word was it?: Loads of times. Once I said "indoctrinated" instead of "treated" (as in medical treatment). I didn't even have time to correct myself.
12. Do you think there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?: No. I remember a book in the Baby-Sitter's Little Sister series, in which Karen tried to ride her bicycle to the end of the rainbow and got in trouble for it. I was laughing. Karen always bothered me, but I read those books anyway.
13. Do fish have feelings?: Yeah, but they don't remember them. That must suck.
14. How do you release anger?: I don't. I'm kind of obsessive-compulsive that way... I hoard it. Who knows, it may come in handy one day.
15. Where is your second home?: The closest thing to it is school, which upsets me. I'd like to make the library my second home, but the walk is hot and boring.
16. What was/is your favourite stuffed animal?: I was never really attached to any of them. Maybe good old #99, the teddy bear I brought to Kearney.
17. What class in school do you think is totally useless?: Careers. I liked Civics, so it wasn't a total loss. If the Teacher Advisory Program counts, then that too.
18. Do you like sappy love songs?: Yes. Did you see that Jacob Hoggard guy on Canadian Idol singing Paul Anka? I loved that.
19. Have you ever been on radio/television?: No.
20. Do you have a journal?: Isn't this a journal? I did have a few stupid ones, growing up. I didn't write anything interesting in them because I was afraid my mother would read them. I remember being really frustrated about a classmate some seven or eight years ago and wanting to write about her, but deciding against it and writing "I have to go now." instead. I was a weird kid.
21. Do you use sarcasm a lot?: I try not to, but sometimes it slips out.
22. What do you look for in a guy/girl?: I don't know. This is me we're talking about.
23. What are your nicknames?: I guess you could say 'Kala' is a nickname, since it's not my given name. If not, then I don't have any.
24. Would you bungee jump?: Yeah. I know that contradicts my answer to the dare devil question. It just seems like fun.
25. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?: I try not to.
26. What are you worried about right now?: To be honest, I'm a little worried about my not taking biology last year. I still don't know what I want to study in university. But only a little worried.
27. Would you ever wear overalls?: Yes. Is this supposed to say something about me?
28. Do you think you are strong?: Physically, no. Mentally... relatively, I guess. Emotionally, I haven't been tested very strenuously.
29. What's your favourite ice cream colour?: Colour? Not flavour? Weird. I say white.
30. What's your favourite colour/shade?: I'm liking red. Beige also. Verni, I'm painting our room green vertical stripes, and you can't stop me. Appa said.
31. Does anyone have a crush on you right now?: I'm going to give a definitive 'no' for this one.
32. Who do you miss most right now?: Saja is somewhere in... the world right now. I don't even know what continent she's on. I'll e-mail her. And Loheetha's at stinky Waterloo, like my sister. I wonder if they've met each other.
33. What are your fears?: Centipedes and other arthropods and insects (but centipedes in particular) and... um, public speaking. And heights.

Yesterday I did a lot of things, so today I didn't do anything. To compensate. Summer is the best. The things I did were mostly boring. Speeding through the groceries, returning hours-from-being-overdue videogames and library books (the suspense!) and buying things like 8" chef's knives, bed linens and fans that you can attach to the wall.

Notably, though, I passed the G1 knowledge test. It wasn't as interesting as deliberating over chef's knives, but I can't say it wasn't different. The information desk lady said the old plastic trading card sleeve I put my birth certificate in was cute. It was the very sleeve that once contained the non-holographic Charizard!

I'm kidding, because as anyone who's anyone knows, there is no non-holo Charizard.

I watched Reach for the Top last night. It was depressing.

I'm determined to learn how to touch type properly. I downloaded All The Right Type 3 a few weeks ago. It's a demo version, but it's quite simple to bypass that by double-clicking on lessons or clicking and hitting Enter instead of using the 'Select' button. I'm on 'b and c' right now, and it isn't going very well because I'm used to using my right hand to hit 'b' and I'm used to using my index finger to hit 'c', but I'm coming along.

I finally saw Shrek 2 on Saturday, and I was expecting some earth-shatteringly good comedy based on the reactions of others. It wasn't that good, but it was good enough. I like Antonio Banderas. My sister drove us to and from the theatre, and it was terrifying.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time rules.