#Violin teacher in Singapore

[praisemusicschool]

Music and Motivation

There is a wonderful study, conducted at St Andrews University, which highlights the sometimes counterintuitive nature of human motivation. It is laid out as follows:

A group of children and a group of chimpanzees are shown a box and a complicated series of actions required to retrieve a treat from it. Both the children and the chimps are able to replicate this ritual to reliably get the sweet with similar skill. The difference comes in when a panel is pulled back to reveal that the ritual was completely unnecessary and that the treat can be retrieved directly. The surprising outcome of this experiment is that the chimpanzees forego the ritual at this point, skipping directly to the treat they were after, but the children (despite being told that it is not required) continue to act out the entire sequence before retrieving their reward.

Perhaps this outcome should not be surprising after all, but it does have profound implications for the understanding of why we enjoy listening to music, an act which has little apparent direct benefit at all. For human beings, it would appear, what is really valuable is not the reward, but the puzzle itself. The harvest is at least as rewarding as tilling the soil. What’s more, brain studies of musical appreciation indicate that it is exactly this sort of joy that is involved when we listen to music. This very thing is also the source of the so called “Mozart” effect, it has nothing whatsoever with Mozart’s music and everything to do with mood enhancing properties of “solving the puzzle” of music. People do better on intelligence tests when they are in a better mood, and if listening to Industrial Rock makes you happy it is exactly as effective as Mozart for the purpose of enhancing your score on an I.Q. test.

If that explains why we enjoy (and hence be motivated to engage in) listening to music, it doesn’t explain why we should go to all the effort of practicing it. Certainly practicing scales for what seems like endless hours is not a rewarding puzzle to be solved, it is an awful hassle.

Fortunately, psychologists studying motivation have an answer here too. When the task is simple a simple extrinsic reward does greatly enhance performance. The trick is that the extrinsic reward in the case of music is (or should ideally be), the joy of being able to play music well.

This sets up a kind of feedback loop:  The more you practice, the easier it becomes to play pieces well, and being able to play pieces well is rewarding in itself, a reward that encourages you to practice more.

Ideally this is how musical education should work, but in the real world the joy of holding a distinction certificate from a recognized exam body also helps to drive practice. In the short term this kind of extrinsic reward can be very useful, and lead to a much faster attainment of key technical disciplines. However, it is worth pointing out that a long deep understanding and involvement with the music itself (as opposed to the competition and exam culture that arises from it) is almost never the outcome of this approach. As a musician I would personally seriously question the value of such an outcome, others may not.

One thing worth noting, though, is that one sure to destroy motivation entirely is to attempt to do music “for fun”. Practicing music is not in itself rewarding, and no amount of sugar coating will make it so. On the other hand, the reward from practicing music, whether that is the certificate or the intrinsic joy of making music, can only ever be reached through practice.  If you go to music lessons expecting to have fun the one thing you can expect not to have is fun. Going to the cinema is fun, music lessons are hard work that makes having fun possible. Unfortunately there is no shortcut.

Resourcecello teacher in Singapore | flute teacher in singapore

[klassbook0]

Violin Classes In Singapore | Klassbook.com

Learn to play the violin in Singapore with Klassbook.com. Our experienced teachers will help you develop your skills and unlock your creative potential. Experience the joy of music today!

violin classes in singapore

[klassbook897]

The Benefits of Singapore Math Tuition for Achieving Academic Success

In Singapore, where enlightening significance is significantly regarded, math instructive expense has emerged as a notable decision for students hoping to work on their mathematical capacities. This article examines the various benefits of math instructive expense in Singapore and how it can help students with gaining academic headway.

Altered Thought and Changed Learning:

One of the basic advantages of math instructive expense in Singapore is the altered thought students get. In a standard homeroom setting, teachers have confined time and resources to take extraordinary consideration of each and every student's solitary necessities. Math instructive expense classes, on the other hand, offer more unobtrusive class sizes, allowing advisers to to give focused respect for each student. This redid approach enables tutors to perceive and address unequivocal points of concern, ensuring a change and opening door for development specially designed to the student's speed and learning style.

Dealt with Understanding and Thought Clearness:

Math can be a troublesome subject for certain students. Math instructive expense in Singapore gives a supportive environment to students to make sense of their inquiries and strengthen their cognizance so they could decipher mathematical thoughts. Guides are proficient in the instructive program and have start-to-finish data on various decisive reasoning procedures. They use different aiding methods and frameworks to deal with complex thoughts, making them more accessible and easier to appreciate. This updated understanding prompts additionally created execution and confidence in dealing with mathematical proclamations.

Significant level Decisive Abilities to reason:

Math instructive expense in Singapore goes past the basic instructive arrangement, focusing in on making advanced decisive reasoning skills. Coaches habitually familiarize students with a broad assortment of decisive reasoning methods and procedures that go past what is solicited in common review corridors. These additional capacities empower students to advance toward mathematical articulations from different places, developing conclusive thinking and intelligent limits. The receptiveness to grouped decisive reasoning techniques outfits students with the devices to deal with complex mathematical challenges with sureness.

Test Course of Action and Execution Improvement:

Singaporean students face a careful evaluation system, where educational execution expects a tremendous part in choosing future entryways. Math instructive expense in Singapore offers specific courses and test arranging custom fitted to the specific necessities of state-controlled tests and public tests. Guides are realize of the appraisal plans, actually look at plans, and in many cases looked for explanations on a few major problems. They give huge encounters, tips, and practice materials to help students with prevailing in their tests, in the end redesign their overall academic presenttation.

Extended Assurance and Motivation:

Science can be overpowering for specific students, provoking a shortfall of sureness and motivation. Math instructive expense in Singapore hopes to switch this example by laying out serious areas of strength for an enabling learning environment. Through redid thought, ordinary analysis, and empowering criticism, mentors help students with building their confidence in taking care of mathematical inquiries. As students eyewitness their progression and improvement, their motivation levels increase, developing an inspiring viewpoint towards math and learning generally.

For more info:- 

igcse tuition singapore

violin classes in singapore

[an-art-exhibition]

DYNASTY.

SELF. BIRTH. Name: Milan Étienne Allaire Nickname: Ian, Milan Place of Birth: Geneva, Switzerland Date of Birth: May 15, 2000 Nationality: Indonesian Ethnicity: Minahasan, Chinese Singaporean, Breton. APPEARENCE. Height: 183 cm / 6′ 0″ Weight: 70 kg Hair: Dark-brown Eyes: Dark-brown Body Type: Mesomorph

EDUCATION. Williamsburg Elementary School, Geneva, Switzerland Swanlea Secondary School, London, United Kingdom Jakarta Intercultural School, Jakarta, Indonesia Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, Maryland, United States

INTERESTS. Painting Reading Piano, Violin, Cello, Clarinet, Harp Culinary Mountain Climbing, Skiing OCCUPATION. Painter, Restaurant Owner, Philanthropist STAY. Sydney, Australia PARENTAGE. FATHER. Name: Rome Haidar Allaire Place of Birth: Manado, Indonesia Date of Birth: June 12, 1970 Nationality: Indonesian Ethnicity: Minahasan, Breton Occupation: Indonesian Diplomat Stay: Tokyo, Japan

MOTHER. Name: Venice Constance Young Place of Birth: Singapore, Singapore Date of Birth: July 12, 1970. Nationality: Singaporean Ethnicity: Indonesian, Chinese Singaporean Occupation: Head of Southeast Asia Free Cancer Foundation Stay: Tokyo, Japan

SIBLING. TWIN. Name: Paris Sveta Allaire Place of Birth: Geneva, Switzerland Date of Birth: May 15, 2000 Nationality: Indonesian Ethnicity: Minahasan, Chinese Singaporean, Breton Occupation: Teacher Stay: Manila, Philippines

[praisemusicschool-blog1]

Music School Bukit Timah

We are focused on developing practical skills to help you start making the most of your instrument, We are Praise Music School Bukit Timah, we have extensive knowledge of pianos, guitar, keyboard or many more touching the lives of people around the world with Music, Passion, and Life. Our aim is to give confidence in each student’s involvement in a range of musical activities and enhance natural enjoyment and understanding of music.

[stradivaristrings]

In a ‘fix’ over the way to progress at own beginners violin lessons as the time has arrived to ‘grasp’ violin tuning? Bank upon the ‘smart’ technology and acquaint the apps that can aptly help.

[kiyalearning23]

Your children gain strength and flexibility with Piano & Violin lessons. Kiya Learning is the best platform that provides Piano & Violin session 1:1 online by expert teachers. Online Piano Class in Singapore

[praisemusicschool]

On Exams

Practical exam season in upon us and we would like to wish all of our candidates for this session the best of luck in their final preparations. It may be worthwhile at this time to reflect on the nature and value of music exams in the Classical music education environment.

The primary function that these exams fills is providing a framework of firm medium term goals without which the long time horizon of learning music may seem an endless expanse. As such these exams should be seen as a chance to look back at and apply what has been learnt and achieved rather than an end in itself.

 

Secondly, playing exams offers an opportunity to showcase your skills in front of a genuinely independent third party who has no particular vested interest in reporting only the good. This unbiased opinion can be invaluable in establishing clear and meaningful milestones in the path of development.

 

Finally, music exams offer the chance to focus on technical elements like scales and aural training that can very easily fall by the wayside in the absence of such structure and can be very difficult and disheartening to pick up at a later stage of development. These ancillary skills often make the difference between a mediocre and a good amateur musician.

 

At the same time music exams are not without their flaws. Chief among these is the simple fact that the examiner has very little real time to examine the deep technical aspects of a student’s playing, so the testing is necessarily at a very superficial level both of musicality and technique. This can mean that a student who has an unusual (or indeed especially insightful) sense of phrasing or musicality, what separates the great from the good, can be severely penalised on occasion. From a technical point of view the superficial nature of examinations can result in technical “shortcuts” being rewarded because it sounds better now, even if it will result in a worse product later. From a teacher’s point of view this can be highly problematic because technical shortcuts cause enormous problems later on that may undo whatever was gained in musical training.

Music exams should be seen as a minimum, not an end in itself. Although everyone loves receiving a shiny certificate to celebrate their achievements it is hard to say that having a distinction in grade 5 piano means anything much in the greater scheme of things. Even a grade 8 certificate only shows that one has successfully learnt the basic techniques of playing the instrument and not much besides.

 

With this in mind it is very important that one approaches the music exam as theatre, and not as an exam. In a sense it is a show, much like a stage performance of a play, and part of that show is some scenes with pieces, some with scales and some with aural training. Examiners will almost invariably mark based on their enjoyment of the performance as a whole, despite the marks being sub-divided into categories.

 

At the same time music lessons are not about putting on a good show in exam situations, they ultimately about learning to play and master music, which is at once a more specialised discipline and a much broader field of study.

Resource

music school in Singapore | violin teacher in singapore

[anaurael]

Tagged by @prismatic-starstuff Thanks for the tag~

rules; answer 21 questions then tag 21 people

name: Allyssa, but most people just call me Ally honestly 

star sign: Aquarius

gender: Female

current time: 3:04 pm

favourite artist: Honestly I don’t really have favorite artists it’s always switching depending on mood, but one I do listen to pretty much daily is Two Steps From Hell

song stuck in my head: Hymn by Van Canto

last movie i saw: I See You

last thing i googled: skin tone references, only because I couldn’t figure out what skin tone exactly that I wanted to give Melkor while i was drawing last night xD

other blogs: none~

do i get asks: nope not really but I’m also hardly active enough nor have I ever posted my own things really until like a week ago auwdnjha

reason for url: It’s the name of an old oc of mine and I just grew into it so never bothered changing it lol

following: 108

average sleep: usually 6-7 hours but sometimes I sleep for 11-12 hours 

dream job: I honestly bounce between what i want to do but a video game artist has been my main goal for a career. I just enjoy the 3d modeling and concept arts a lot and would be happy to do either xD

dream trip: My dream trip would either be to Singapore (so many beautiful pieces of architecture and the Gardens by the Bay is absolutely gorgeous) or to Japan and Kyoto or Hokkaido~

currently wearing: Basically my pyjamas lol a jacket and shorts 

favorite food: Hands down forever will be spaghetti (I am infamous for having said spaghetti as my first word rather than you know, a normal word)

instruments: Not too many, used to play the violin but bad experiences with my teacher killed my passion and I did play a little bit of the piano.

favorite song: I really don’t have one honestly, it would probably just become a list of songs rather than anything.  I don’t know who to tag specifically but if you see this feel free to~

[prestostudioss]

Unlocking Musical Harmony: Your Journey to Expression

Singapore is a busy city-state, and more and more people are finding that they like using music to express themselves. Singapore has music classes for people of all skill levels and interests, from complete newbies to experienced players who want to get better. People who want to start taking music lessons will find a lot of information in this piece. It talks about the pros, cons, choices, and exciting trips that people can take.

Want to Take Music Lessons Near Me?

As more people want to learn music, they search for "music lessons near me." There are many music schools, solo teachers, and websites in Singapore that offer lessons for many instruments and styles. People who want to become musicians can find lessons that fit their skill level and taste, from the soothing piano to the energizing drums and from the soulful violin to the flexible guitar.

Singapore has a number of different ways to take music lessons.

Traditional Music Schools: Singapore is known for its well-known music schools that teach music in a fully planned way. People of all ages and skill levels can find something they like at these places because they offer a wide range of instrument classes.

A lot of people know about the Yamaha Music School, the Cristofori Music School, and the Singapore Rhapsody School of Music. These schools are known for the unique ways they teach music.

Individual Instructors: A lot of people choose individual music lessons because they help them focus on what they're learning. Each student gets lessons from a private teacher one-on-one, making sure that the classes meet the needs and goals of each student.

Sites like Lessonsgowhere and Superprof connect people who want to learn with private teachers who are prepared to teach them. This lets students choose their own schedules and makes learning more tailored to their needs.

How I Came to Find Music:

When you first start to learn Music Lessons Singapore, you don't just work on the basics. A way to find yourself, talk about yourself, and meet new people. Taking music lessons lets you enter a world where notes are feelings and instruments are ways to share your own stories.

One fun thing about Singaporean music lessons is that you can try out different kinds of music. Whether you like classical music, jazz improvisation, or new pop hits, there is a lesson and a teacher ready to help you.

Many music schools and websites in Singapore encourage people to be involved in the community through shows, lessons, and group projects. These events give students a chance to show how much they've grown as singers, meet new singers, and feel like they belong in the creative community.

Singapore's music scene shows how cross-cultural the country is. Parts of different national traditions are often taught in class, which is interesting and useful for the students. You can learn about other cultures in many ways, such as through Chinese theater or Indian folk music.

[chamelis]

tag game 💐

thank u so much leo for tagging me @leojov 🥺💕

(there are many of these pending for me to do, i promise i will do all the tags ppl have tagged me in! tumblr tends to be a bitch and delete my posts as soon as i post them so ive lost a lot of the tag games I've done:( but i will do them again bc ily all💕)

nickname: anj

zodiac sign: aries

height: 5'2/around 160cm

hogwarts house: hufflepuff

last thing i googled: "XLI roman numerals in numbers"

fav musicians: oh boy,, svt, tobi lou, mamamoo, nct, bts, mx, atz, rv, twice, exo, chungha, zico, crush, lizzo, satica, niki, p!atd, and a lot lot more

song stuck in my head: 'soulmate' by lizzo (mainly just the instrumental bit at the very beginning lol)

following: 584 lol

followers: 105

do i get asks: the occasional one, from very very sweet ppl who ask me how im doing (usually @boogerines bc she is the sweetest)

amount of sleep: 6-7 hrs on school nights, 8ish on the weekends

what are you wearing: navy jeans and a baby blue flowy long-sleeve top with this silk top with spaghetti straps on top lmao (like a vest/apron but make it cute)

dream job: a therapist? a professor/teacher? an academic writer? maybe all three lol jk

dream trip: oh my gosh, i have so many. i really want to tour asia - mainly Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Japan and Korea. i also want to see more of europe, Greece and Italy and Portugal (basically the whole world lol)

instruments: violin! i play to a pretty high standard if i do say so myself, this probably means nothing to non-British ppl but im working at grade 7 level (theres 8 grades, above grade 8 is like diploma/university level). i also play the piano, at grade 6 level, and like to sing + strum the ukulele with that, teaching myself chords online lol.

languages: english, telugu (a south indian language, my mother tongue), enough german to introduce myself and a bit of korean and hindi

10 songs in no particular order:

• let's get lost - sophiya, dawn

• son of a gun - satica, sakima

• move! - niki

• back it up - seventeen

• i wish i missed my ex - mahalia

• late night - loco, gray

• martini blue - dpr live

• lucky - seventeen

• water me - lizzo

• game ova - tobi lou

(the first 10 that came on shuffle from my spotify playlist "if you were my boyfriend" if you're interested)

random fact: I've been in the same coffee shop for 3 hours now

my aesthetic: sunny afternoons, iced coffee & sweet treats, the sound of rain late at night, pages of a book turning, white wine or rosé and piano jazz, gold jewellery, pastels and warm tones, sunflowers, deep conversations in a car with foggy windows driving on the motorway while its dark, romance movies/political comedy series on netflix

tagging: anybody who reads this! 💐

[zayashmaya]

tagging thingie lets go

@butterfly-pumpkin thank you for tagging me!! it was a lovely surprise ;~;

1. Nickname: One person used to call me Ali, and I HATE that nickname but I only allowed him to use it. And my boyfriend calls me Ewisin (my name is Alison) yeah dont ask skdajldhakjsd

2. Zodiac Sign: 

3. Height: 5′2 the perfect gremlin height

4. Hogwarts House: RAVENCLAWWWWW

5. Last thing I googled: karkat gamzee cause i wanted this specific panel for an edit:

6. Favorite Musician: lord there are so many who i love, let’s just settle on lana del ray as one of them

7. Song stuck in my head: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIBKcr72yR4

8. Following: 221

9. Followers: 578

10. Do I get asks?: I have been getting them lately!! and i love you all for it, they brighten my day <3

11. Amount of sleep: I go to sleep at 3-4am and wake up at 9 but stay in bed till 11, i am a mess these days

12. Lucky Number: multiples of 5

13. What are you wearing: a striped long-sleeve shirt with undies for maximum comfy

14. Dream Job: A scientist! i’m living my dream.

15. Dream Trip: Japan, anywhere in Europe (i’ve been to some countries), Singapore, and going back to a place I visited at San Andros island

16. Favorite Food: my grandma’s russian food (kakleti and homestyle potatoes), chocolate, ferrero rochers, penne a la vodka, honestly any type of pasta or italian food

17. Instruments: I can’t play anything for shit but my boyfriend is a violin teacher!

18. Languages: english and russian babby

19. Favorite Song: My Funny Valentine, particularly the version sung by Chet Baker

20. Random Fact: I'm left handed!

21. Aesthetic: indigo, a crackling fireplace, petrichor smell, an old library filled to the brim with cracked spines of faded books, daisies, a small and rusted seesaw and merry-go-round being reclaimed by the wilderness, lily-of-the-valley

i tag @compositecreature, @rixxy8173571m3w1p3, @myfandombullshit, @tomcatpaws, @jorijam, literally anyone who wants to do this asdakjk I'm so bad with tagging I HAVE NO FRANZ OK

[praisemusicschool-blog1]

Cello teacher in Singapore

If you love to make rich and warm tones, learn to play the cello! Knowing how to play the cello with confidence is rewarding and pleasurable ability. An opportunity for students to come collectively, share music they are working on, and discover all aspects of performance in an optimistic, friendly environment. We are Praise Music School; our Cello teacher in Singapore provide customized cello lessons that suit your learning pace, and we take care to craft out an enjoyable and fruitful learning journey for the individual.

[docholligay]

Silverleaf 15--Hidden Futures

We’re getting down to the final entries in this story! Please thank Benjamin for sponsoring it! Yu can see all of Silverleaf here. This entry is a little over 2000 words. 

Michiru looked through her little black book with a sense of intense disinterest.

This feeling was hardly new to her, as she had spent the greater part of her life with a unique and specific sense of boredom. Once she had discovered what it was that she was meant to be, and the line was laid out clearly for her, there was no need to have any sort of curiosity over the matter. She took violin and art classes and learned languages and English riding, pruned herself into every classic social grace and became an elegant hostess and clever conversationalist. She grew and she learned and she turned off the place in her mind that imagined there might be anything else.

When one is reared with the idea that nothing is beyond one’s reach, the specific idleness of the very rich sets in, something Michiru had long abhorred and found unavoidable. She was impossibly wealthy, terribly beautiful, and endlessly talented. The only fun that could be had was to see how far one could take all of that power.

And she had taken it masterfully far, until she had flown too close to the sun and slept with the wives of the Chinese ambassador, the head of Singapore Airlines, and the conductor of the New York Symphony Orchestra. Though, not all at once, she was quick to correct otherwise. She was a lady, after all.

Her parents had pulled her home after that, still being woefully alive and thus in charge of her trust, no longer feeling secure with her being across the sea bearing their name.

And so, the boredom persisted.

But whatever shadowy darkness--and it was too interesting and dramatic to even call it darkness, when it was clearly more of a pale shade of flat and very fashionable grey--lay within her, that sad unlit room where she waited for something that might be release, she still had a sense of duty, and a sense of propriety.

Which led her to consider her options for the ball. Her dress would be lovely and couture, as it always was, though the ball hardly called for it, and it would be perfectly acceptable for her to wear something from an earlier occasion, or, in truly dire moments, something off the rack. But there was something to be said for being an example to these girls of what they could be, what they were expected to be in future. Silverleaf had long been the garden soil that grew the blooms of society. Michiru had been educated there herself.

She was a prize rose, decorated and celebrated, whatever she might have gotten up to a world away.

Her mind turned to Haruka, the same as one touches a burn to see if it still stings, and her foolishness in ever entertaining the idea that Haruka could be even a casual affair. Her hair could bounce and shine as she walked down the hall, and her bright ties might be charming, and her smile might radiate all the way to her eyes, but that did not make her an appropriate mate for Michiru.

She had learned nothing from the affair with the English teacher, it seemed. Wildflowers grew in bunches, daisies and dandelions and Queen Anne’s lace all tangled together, but roses like her grew in lines, one next to the other.

But while she was required to pay whatever sacrifice of fantasy her station demanded, she was not required to make a monk of herself. And so, the book. She would find in it a girl of great family and intelligence and breeding, and she would be dressed neatly in fine suiting, and Haruka would see then that her rejection of Michiru -- which had been a kindness to them both, really, for Michiru had been so very silly to ask her in the first place-- was more foolishness on Haruka’s part than anything else. That she could have had the golden key, but lacked the strength to hold it. That Michiru was a prize.

She opened the book, but the door to her secret garden would remain locked.

___

“Okay, so I might be wrong, but were you on the national track team? Back about seven years ago?”

“Oh my god,” Haruka put her head on the table, “It’s been seven years. How did it get to be seven years?”

Elsa laughed. “Sorry to say, but we’re all adults now. Hurdles, right? I even remember you from middle school, I dropped to regular distance running because no one had a hope in hell of catching you.” She laughed again, the first rolling into the second, her dark hair that seemed almost magenta in its red curling around her face.

“Yeah,” Haruka took a wing and snacked on it thoughtfully, “never did make it to the Olympics. Got hurt.”

Elsa seemed chided for a moment, and this made Haruka feel worse, her tragic backstory once more bringing down the general mood.

“Fucked it up pretty bad, huh?”

Haruka nodded.

“Well,” Elsa picked up another chicken wing, “Guess I should have stayed in hurdles,” she grinned at Haruka, “played the long game.”

Haruka let out a peal of deep and appreciative laughter. Elsa was fun. She was charming and calm and Haruka felt at ease around her, and if she was not quite Haruka’s type, all messy hair and polo shirt, it could be forgiven for the way her laugh came easy, and made Haruka’s come the same.

They both had crashed and burned in their former romantic lives, though Elsa so much sooner, and Haruka could tell it bothered her simply by the way she never spoke of it at all, the kind of girl who put on a cartoon bandaid and carried on. Haruka wished she were a bit more like that, that she did not take the world so much to heart, but she could only be herself. The experience of life had taught her enough about what it did to her to hold it in ike she used to, and so she managed to vent the steam of it all, but still, there we times she wished she were more like the sunny and slightly goofy girl next to her.

“Home run!” Elsa hooted and held up her hand for a high five.

Haruka had, in many ways, learned to adapt and to compromise. If there was no initial spark, why not see if she could make one? Wasn’t friendship the better beginning to love? She did want to be friends with Elsa, very much, and that could become something else.

Love at first sight only happened in stories.

“Hey Elsa,” she fiddled with the label of her beer bottle, “you doing anything two weeks from now?”

___

Hotaru Tomoe thought she’d used up her life’s worth of disasters, and then she went to high school.

She was very used to the idea that she would die, and what thinking about that felt like, but it was more of a surprise to her the feeling of desperately wishing she would die on the spot. It didn’t even have to be a medical emergency, a well-timed bus could give her all the peace she greatly longed for as she stood in front of the house where Cere lived, larger than Chibiusa’s and even more grand, a monument to whatever things her parents had done to get here, which Hotaru was sure were underhanded at best and maniacally evil at worst, if she trusted the things said about Cere.

“Oh, you...you worry too much.” Sakiko said, but she sounded as if she hardly believed herself, “I’m sure she’ll have us do some stupid chore for her or something to give us back the letter. We’ll feature her in the yearbook, she loves the look of her own face.”

Hotaru listened to Sakiko’s chuckle, even as the wind carried it away into the night, wishing it was closer at her side and not slipping away as if it had been hardly heard at all.

“I guess,” she shrugged, as if unsure of what else to say. She had her doubts that Cere would be so reasonable. She had her own ideas that Cere might also have feelings for Chibiusa. That would at least explain her need to torment Hotaru in a way that didn’t have to involve Hotaru’s ability to be bullied.

Interrupting them both, the door swung open, a young women in a neatly pressed outfit before them standing tall, with keen eyes and a natural bearing that suggested this amount of ceremony was in her blood.

“We’re, uh,” Hotaru suddenly forgot why she had come at all, for a moment, “We’re, we’re--” her brain caught the hook again and remembered why she’d come, “We’re here to see Cere!”

It came out too excited for the eggshell and black formality of the entrance behind the woman, and she looked at Hotaru curiously.

“It’s for school,” Sakiko quickly interrupted, “we have a piece of homework we have to get from her.”

“I’m sure she could email--”

“It’s for a diorama.”

Hotaru envied Sakiko’s ability to confidently lie to adults, though she reminded herself that they were fifteen, and this should be normal. They were supposed to be stealing lip gloss and getting into scrapes and it was only Hotaru who was awkward and outside of the world instead of living in it.

The woman stepped to the side neatly and ushered them inside, and yet she had such an air of authority that Hotaru could hardly stop watching her as she removed her shoes, slipping her feet into one of the pairs of slippers that stood at the door in vast array. She took their coats and nodded to them, offering up an understood command that they were meant to follow.

Cere’s house not only looked rich but it had the smell of wealth, as well, that unique quality that is somewhere between aspirational and suffocating, the call of a siren and all the same promise of drowning.

She knocked at the door to a large bedroom where Cere sat on her phone, ankles crossed one over the other on the bed, her back straight against the pillows, and for a moment she very much reminded Hotaru of Ms. Kaioh. She waved away her the woman who greeted them and set down her phone, smiling.

The door clicked behind her, and Cere leaned forward.

“What can I do for the two of you?”

Hotaru toyed with the end of her sweater, unable to look Cere in the eye and all the more angry at herself for that fact.

“I’d like my letter back.”

It was a small mew of a request, barely audible on the air.

But Cere heard it, and Cere simply flipped her and shook her head. “I have no idea what you could be talking about.”

“Oh come on!” Sakiko popped, years of being in the same grade and school as Cere finally coming to a head, “Hotaru never did anything to you, Cere.”

But Cere did not react, simply grabbed a brush from the edge of her nighttable and began to brush her hair.

“What sort of a letter was it?”

Hotaru’s blush bloomed on the pale of her skin. Don’t make me say it. Please.

Hotaru did not know Cere, not really, and as she looked at her, she saw a strange look in her eye, something that she would not understand until many years later, long after Cere had matured and apologized for the whole affair, long after Cere had moved to more adult manipulations.

This was fun for her.

“I--it was personal.”

Sakiko looked at her, with a mix of pity and confusion. Hotaru was a bird caught in a net, and there was little either of them could do now. What was she meant to do? To tell Cere it was about Chibiusa, to hear her laugh over those secret and awkward pinings?

Cere nodded. “Well, I’ll be certain to let you know if I come across it.”

Hotaru looked out the window, where the great grey clouds had come and stolen any of the light of the night, and felt an overwhelming sense of despair.

The weakness of human beings is that we sometimes see only what is in front of us. The gate of the walled garden, the darkness of the night, or not yet realizing you are only at the middle of your story. We accept what is nw, not knowing that walls often crumble, the wind blows the clouds, and all stories come to their ends.

[whaleyoufeedmenuggets]

Im too lazy to look at the questions so DO ALL OF THEM. (if you dont wanna then go on a random number generator and get 5 random numbers)

ITS REALLY LONG BUT I DID IT KJSHADJS HERE GOES i love oversharing my lifealso im putting a read more line bc its hella long

1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans?

water bottles

2. chocolate bars or lollipops?

ehhh depends on my mood. i’d say it’s (dark) chocolate most of the time (love that 70% dark chocolate mmMmMm)

3. bubblegum or cotton candy?

cotton candy!! except when it gets all over my face and hair o no

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you?

common report book comments included

- very active

- bright

- “the live wire of the class”

- usually distracted but still does well

- mischievous

- playful

5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups?

bottles so that i can close it and save the rest for later and not have to chug it yeet

6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear?

sportswear #sweatpantsalldayeveryday

7. earbuds or headphones?

def headphones but they’re inconvenient sometimes :/

8. movies or tv shows?

tv shows!! (also, my adhd ass can’t get through a movie without zoning out oops)

9. favorite smell in the summer?

i haven’t experienced /real/ summer (thank u singapore’s tropical climate) but i rly like the smell of rain :”)

10. game you were best at in p.e.?

making up excuses to skip pe

11. what you have for breakfast on an average day?

belvitas before morning practice

croissant sandwich and chocolate milk after practice

if there’s no practice, then scrambled eggs from the dining hall lolol

if i’m too lazy to go to the dining hall, then cereal

12. name of your favorite playlist?

it’s literally called jams and the description is “a clusterfuck of stuff i’ve jammed to at some point”

13. lanyard or key ring?

key ring

14. favorite non-chocolate candy?

gummy bears/sour patch kids

15. favorite book you read as a school assignment?

death of a salesman - arthur miller

16. most comfortable position to sit in?

with one foot up on the chair and the other leg sitting normally

17. most frequently worn pair of shoes?

a pair of asics sneakers

18. ideal weather?

15ºc/60ºf when its like cool but not too cold but also not ridiculously hot and also when theres no insane wind (a light breeze is fine)

19. sleeping position?

on my left side and hugging a pillow/bolster/soft toy

20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)?

i like the feeling of pen and paper but im disorganized as hell so an apple pencil + ipad makes a good enough substitute

21. obsession from childhood?

frogs (i’ve loved them since i was 3 hehe)

22. role model?

a dude i used to train with for a while in 2014. he retired last year but he’s always looked out for me like an older brother since we trained together (he’s 8 years older than me lmao) and even thought i’m so far away rn he still checks in on me and stuff and idk he’s probably one of the swimmers i respect the most.

23. strange habits?

i cant fall asleep at night if im not hugging something.  like. it could be a pillow. or a soft toy. literally anything. once on a school trip i hugged a pair of sweatpants to sleep bc i legit cant fall asleep if im not hugging something.i have no problem falling asleep in class/on buses/cars/planes though.

24. favorite crystal?

idk i never really paid enough attention to crystals to actually have a favorite and know their names. they’re all rly pretty tho.

25. first song you remember hearing?

uhh h h i honestly can’t remember. probably some classical music bc i played the violin and that was my first experience of music that i was actually aware of????

26. favorite activity to do in warm weather?

switch on the aircon and take a nap / sit in bed on netflix/playing on my nintendo switch. and swimming outdoors i guess.

27. favorite activity to do in cold weather?

switch on the heater and take a nap / sit in bed on netflix/playing on my nintendo switch.

do u see a pattern here

28. five songs to describe you?

jet lag - simple plan (bc time zones suck and i miss my fam & friends)

avalanche - bring me the horizon (pretty much sums up how tf my brain feels)

high hopes - p!atd

astronaut - simple plan

the reckless and the brave - all time low

29. best way to bond with you?

doing dumb shit with me

also Quality Time™️ like idk even if we’re chilling and doing our own shit i like just spending time with people im comfortable enough with

30. places that you find sacred?

idk

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names?

a hoodie and sweatpants

for no reason other than that’s what i wear 90% of the time

32. top five favorite vines?

I AM CONFUSION!!! AMERICA EXPLAIN

this bitch empty. yeet.

im in my mom’s car VROOM VROOM

the one of that dad playing the saxophone (???) and the kid slamming the oven door open and shut

road works ahead “haha yea sure hope it does!”

33. most used phrase in your phone?

either lmao or lolol or LMFAO or yeet

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head?

gOD i had spotify ads stuck in my head all the time before i switched to premium and now i cant remember any of them (thank god)

35. average time you fall asleep?

i’d say 12:30-1ish

36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing?

the tROLL FACE MEME LIKE those rage faces idk what they’re called but BASICALLY THOSE 2010-2012 era memes

37. suitcase or duffel bag?

suitcase!!! i like sitting on them and yeeting myself around on them or getting people to push me around and then falling off

38. lemonade or tea?

lemonade

39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie?

ngl i havent had either of them before

40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school?

so in jc2 (aka 12th grade), for some reason PEOPLE WERE PUTTING PRE-PACKAGED HARD BOILED EGGS ALL OVER THE SCHOOL. like they were still in their wrappers and all but u could open ur schoolbag and find like 5 eggs in there. and no one knew where they came from. i think at one point there were even eggs hanging from the pull-up bars. all i know is that they were everywhere and people in my batch still remember it as the egg invasion of acjc.

41. last person you texted?

my mom

42. jacket pockets or pants pockets?

def jacket!!! especially when they have zips hehe

43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket?

hoodie

44. favorite scent for soap?

idk man depends on my mood

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero?

sci-fi bc im a fricken nerd

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in?

shirt and sweats

47. favorite type of cheese?

cheddarrr also i like mozzerrella sticks

48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be?

a fineapple B)

lmao jk ummmm maybe a watermelon bc when u hit it it sounds hollow, just like how my skull would sound if someone hit it (h a)

49. what saying or quote do you live by?

here for a good time not for a long time

never give up without a fight

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have?

idk probably some dumb meme. i laugh at a lot of stuff like i laugh anything even mildly funny. some that i can think of off the top of my head are:

- i was tryna type ducky but typed fucky instead and sOmEOnE (could be the person who submitted this ask, idk tho) changed my facebook messenger nickname to fucky and the notification was like ”poopy butthole changed your nickname to fucky” and i think that’s still the funniest sentence i’ve read in my whole life

- one time we went to mcdonalds and a friend said mcfluffy instead of mcflurry and idk why but i laughed so hard at that

- once @doduo and i spent half a chinese lesson cutting out random faces from the chinese newspaper and sticking them randomly all over the classroom and idk. it was the funniest thing ever. until the teacher came over and confiscated my scissors rip.

51. current stresses?

- an essay draft (that i am procrastinating rn by doing this, oops)

- CANADIAN TRIALS (but thats a good kind of stress)

- submitting a proposal for a group project but none of my groupmates are freaking replying my texts ugh

52. favorite font?

avenir next!! i find san serif fonts way easier to read than serif lolol.i like helvetica neue too.

53. what is the current state of your hands?

dry af but also i just got my nails done so they pretty rn hehe

54. what did you learn from your first job?

i…havent had a real job yet

55. favorite fairy tale?

idk i was never rly one for fairy tales even as a kid.

56. favorite tradition?

chinese new year when we get CASH and we spend 3 days just eating junk yEET im rly sad im gonna be missing it the next few years tho

57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?

hh h h hh hhh hh hh they’re pretty personal i don’t /really/ wanna put it out here but i can text you the answer to this if you want (i’m perfectly fine with that!!)

58. four talents you’re proud of having?

- i think i’m pretty intuitive!!! i can guess anyone’s mbti if i’ve spent enough time with them/gotten a detailed enough description of them /winks/ and i can read people pretty well in general and i can draw links to themes/symbols in lit pretty well….???

- i’m somewhat decent at lettering…i think

- i’m good at pull-ups and also vertical jumps i’m secretly a froge

- i’m decent at photography…i guess….

59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be?

yeet

60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be?

pokemon !!

61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.?

/sweats/ i’m not very good at remembering lines from books/movies/shows WELP

62. seven characters you relate to?

JAKE PERALTA - b99

rosa diaz - b99

linguine - ratatouille (he’s permanently confused and he let a ratto take over his job bc he had no idea what he was doing like damn what a big mood)

dory - finding nemo/finding dory (i relate to the forgetfulness)

percy jackson

kale bae /winks/

mitt (during bad phases) /winks again, but sadly/

63. five songs that would play in your club?

idek man i wouldnt even be at my own club i’d be at home taking a nap i’ll just ask someone else to handle my playlist

64. favorite website from your childhood?

club penguin !!!

65. any permanent scars?

yE one of them was from jumping onto a treadmill going at 13km/h 2 years ago bc i thought i was a good idea

66. favorite flower(s)?

i dont have any

67. good luck charms?

i eat pancakes for breakfast on meet days!!!! altho i think this is more of a habit than a good luck charm tbh lmao.

also i guess pip???? he’s my emotional support narwhal :’)

68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried?

durian. i cant stand the stuff or anything flavored like it ugh.

69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned?

red food coloring is derived from beetles

70. left or right handed?

right

71. least favorite pattern?

overly-floral patterns i guessssss. also i hate wearing stripes.

72. worst subject?

chinese

besides that, math and physics

73. favorite weird flavor combo?

i rly like vanilla ice cream and fries

also i would eat ketchup with nearly anything

74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen?

i usually just suck it up and go to sleep when it comes to pain but i guess an 8??? idk. i usually take advil/ibuprofen only for fevers

75. when did you lose your first tooth?

i got my first loose tooth on january 11 2005 and it fell out on january 18 2005 & it was a tuesday (pls don’t ask me how i remember this bc i dont know)

76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)?

tater tots

77. best plant to grow on a windowsill?

cactus i guess. idk im not good at plants.

78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store?

grocery store sushi (it was pretty decent in singapore so yeeeee lmao also i ate a lot of that as a kid)

79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo?

its the same photo for both so yeAh

80. earth tones or jewel tones?

earth

81. fireflies or lightning bugs?

idk i always called them fireflies

82. pc or console?

console I LOVE THE FEEL OF BUTTONS

83. writing or drawing?

drawing (more like doodlign for me bc i cant draw for shit)

84. podcasts or talk radio?

neither but if i rlllllly had to choose then podcasts i guessss s sss

84. barbie or polly pocket?

neither LMAO i gave all my barbies haircuts when i was a kid bc i didnt know what to do with them

85. fairy tales or mythology?

mythology for sure!! i love greek mythology (may or may not be bc of percy jackson lolol)

86. cookies or cupcakes?

cookies

87. your greatest fear?

losing those i love and care about (could be drifting or actual death it goes both ways)

88. your greatest wish?

rn, for my essay to write itself

for the short-term, to make the olympics (and WUGs…and worlds…and sea games…and asian games…and commonwealth games lmao)

for the long-term, uhhh idk. i just wanna live a life i’m satisfied with and to have a job i actually like and to be able to support my parents

89. who would you put before everyone else?

my mom

90. luckiest mistake?

i always say that i regret doing a year of college in singapore instead of coming here for freshman year but if i’d come in a year earlier like i was supposed to, i proba wouldn’t have made it past swim team tryouts and i made some pretty great friends in my first year of college soooo it all worked out i guessi cant think of any others rn

91. boxes or bags?

bags

92. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights?

fairy lights are rly pretty!!but i like natural light :”)

93. nicknames?

deb

debs

debo

debbo

alpha childuhh h h i think thats about it??? i cant remember any others

94. favorite season?

spring’s pretty great rni like fall too (before it gets cOLd)

95. favorite app on your phone?

insta/tumblr/telegram

96. desktop background?

a photo of me looking rly cool at the starting blocks before a race B)

97. how many phone numbers do you have memorized?

4 - mine (singapore & US), my mom’s and my dad’s

98. favorite historical era?

uhh h h idk the ice age seemed pretty cool haha sike it was actually coldmedieval times seemed pretty cool too like damn i want a suit of armorWHEW I SPENT WAY TOO MUCH TIME ON THIS but i had fun so yeet

also if you read all the way down here ily and you’re cool