My love affair with The Hunger Games

Hey everyone!

If you're keeping up to date with entertainment news, then you'll know there are three buzzwords that have been keeping the industry raptured  for the entire year ~ that's right, they are: "The Hunger Games". A trilogy written by Suzanne Collins, set in a dystopian future where North America is now called Panem and split into a Capitol that rules over thirteen districts. Many years ago, District 13 rebelled against the Capitol but failed and was destroyed, so as punishment, every year the Capitol decrees that two children between the ages of 12-18 are to be reaped from each District and forced to go into an arena in a fight to death. This fight is televised live, mandatory watching for the population and is known as The Hunger Games. Predicted to be the biggest box office hit this year, and if you've read the books, then you can see why...

I think it's about time I came clean now with my love for this series.



Song of the day: Safe and Sound (Hunger Games soundtrack) by Taylor Swift (lovelovelove)

I haven't been this obsessed about a franchise since Artemis Fowl.

In fact, no book has been able to grip me quite as much as The Hunger Games has, and that is part of why the book is so magical to me. When I was reading this series, I was completely sucked into the world of Panem. I lived and breathed coal dust with Katniss, I felt her fear, her joy, her sadness, and...I became her. There is no other way to describe it. It was as if I left everything I know behind and traded it for everything that lay in the words on the page.

And boy, how I'd trade in everything I own for Peeta's heart! He is...perfection. All you could want in a guy. If I ever meet a real life version of him, then he is going to be mine before you can even wish me odds in my favour... :P




I really liked how he was portrayed in all of the books ~ he wasn't the stereotypical protector type even though he wanted to be, and for the most part he was the weakest character in the arena. He's physically strong, but we never get to see that since he always ends up crippled in some way. But what we do see is an inner strength from the boy with the bread and his unconditional love for Katniss, both of which I really really really hope we get on screen.

Because that will make or break the movie.

I have no qualms about Jennifer Lawrence portraying Katniss well ~ I mean, when it comes to tough badass chickery then it's not exactly too difficult so long as she has the attitude down to a tee.

At first, I avoided the series since I thought the concept was way too similar to Battle Royale and I wanted to stay loyal to it. But then I finally decided to read the books this time last year, and boy, I devoured them in a matter of hours ~ it was so fast paced that I got an adrenaline rush just from flying through the story! Forget that I was supposed to be backpacking (with a suitcase) around Bulgaria, I couldn't take my eyes off the Kindle. The one thing I kept on saying to myself was that I totally wish I'd read them earlier!

In preparation for the upcoming movie, I decided to re-read the first book a few days ago, but ended up unable to stop and finished the second and third book over the weekend. Next up was the merchandise hunt, but couldn't find anything that wasn't overpriced online. Totally drooled over these sweatpants:

Except that they were a large...

In the end, I went into town today and found a stash of merchandise at Waterstones! Thinking of my giftcard back in my room, I refrained from splurging and only came home with one item.

A Mockingjay pin! It was the last one in the store... :3

This trilogy has made me laugh, made me cry, and made me fall in love with the characters. I hope the movie can do the same. It's killing me to know that the L.A. World Premiere happened last night (totally stayed up until 3am to watch the live streams...), and that tomorrow, the European Premiere will be happening at the O2 in London. Because whilst there was no way I could get to the first one, there is a huge chance that I could get to see the London Premiere...

Metro, why have you made my life so difficult!?

What do you think? Skip the last day of lectures to go to London and wait at the O2 arena for hours in the hopes that I may be one of the first 200 to get a ticket?

Yishi xxx

[柚子] Pomelo ♥

Hey guys!

Sorry I haven't been active on the blogosphere as of late ~ real life has been eating up my time, but since I have a few spare minutes before bed I thought I would tell you about something that is close to my heart...and food related.

There's a fruit that I really like to eat which is called Pomelo:

Apparently the leaves of the fruit are used in a ritual bath, which the Chinese believe/believed(?) helps to cleanse a person and repel evil.

It's a large citrus fruit native to Southeast Asia and tastes like a sweeter version of a grapefruit (it's actually the ancestor of the grapefruit). In China, we call it 柚子 (you zi), and when my parents have friends round for dinner, they will often have pomelo for dessert as it is a nice cleanser after a meal. It's often candied and used in Asian desserts as well as Western marmalade. I think it'd also make an awesome breakfast or drink! ^^

Since it's a citrus fruit, it's a great source of vitamin C, and also of folate. For those that are health conscious, there's a full breakdown of the nutritional values of the fruit here.

It's quite hard to come by in the UK ~ we can usually only find them at local grocers or Chinese supermarkets, which is why most of my friends have never heard of this fruit! As such, I thought I'd tell you guys about it and spread the pomelo love! :D

Yishi xxx

Inside Out by Britney Spears

Wow, Youtube must be in sync with my emotions because it recommended me this song which I have now been listening to on repeat for the last half hour:

                        Original                                                   Remix feat. Eminem

I recommend the Eminem remix if you are feeling particularly angsty. Here is a ballad remake version that I believe is better than the original:

[Lyrics - Verse 1]

Said you’re gonna be here in a minute
Sitting in the mirror getting pretty
Gotta look my best if we’re gonna break up
Gotta look my best if we’re gonna break up

I can hear you knocking at the front door
And I know exactly what u came for

Trying to say goodbye but it’s hot and heavy
Trying to say goodbye but it’s hot and heavy

You touch me and it’s breaking me down
I’m telling you let’s just give it up and get down

[Chorus]

So come on won’t you give me something to remember?
Baby shut your mouth and turn me inside out
Even though we couldn’t last forever, baby
You know what I want right now

Hit me one more time it’s so amazing
How you shook my world and flipped it upside down
You’re the only one who ever drove me crazy
'cause you know me inside out

[Britney Spears - Verse 2]

I know that we probably shouldn’t do this
Wake up in the morning feeling stupid
Said that we were done but you’re all up on me
Said that we were done but you’re all up on me

Tell me how we got in this position
Guess I gotta get you out my system
Trying to let you go but it’s not that easy
Trying to let you go but it’s not that easy

You touch me and it’s breaking me down
I’m telling you let’s just give it up and get down

[Chorus]

So come on won’t you give me something to remember?
Baby shut your mouth and turn me inside out
Even though we couldn’t last forever, baby
You know what I want right now
Hit me one more time it’s so amazing
How you shook my world and flipped it upside down
You’re the only one who ever drove me crazy
’cause you know me inside out

Yishi xxx

If I could have a superpower...

...then mine would be the ability to fly.

Without a doubt.

To me, there is just something inherently fascinating and appealing about having a pair of wings or being able to defy gravity, which often translated itself into dreams I had when growing up. They don't come as often as they used to now, but when they do, it's such a mind rush!

Song of the day: Wings of a Butterfly by HIM (oh this song brings me back many many years!)

Maybe subconsciously, I just want to be an angel.
(image source unknown :S)

I know it sounds a bit weird to describe a feeling for something that I have never experienced, since how can you do such a thing if you have never felt it before? We covered this philosophical concept during my second year when I studied History and Philosophy of Science, and in the end, I guess it must just be a conglomeration of other feelings all smooshed together ~ theme park rides, hurtling downhill on a bike or a sled, jumping high high high on a trampoline.

All of these experiences give me the same thrill and adrenaline rush that I get in those dreams when I'm 'flying' out of the playground yelling "so long suckers", when I'm on a secret mission to save the world or when I'm flying away from people who are chasing me...probably because they do not wish for me to fulfill my world saving duties. HMMM. Does anyone else have dreams like these? O_O

This would avoid the hole in outfit problem.
(source)

Imagine the kind of scenery that you'd be able to witness from way up there? How awesome it would be if you could skip traffic queues, the money that you could save on transport?

Maybe the reality would be completely different to how I perceive it to be in my dreams. Maybe it would be really cold up in the sky, maybe I'd get airsick. And maybe it would just get plain annoying having to cut holes into the back of every outfit you wear to fit your wings through them. I'm not sure I could ruin so many clothes!

But since I'll never be able to find out, I can still dream, right? ^^

If you could have any superpower in the world, what would yours be?

Yishi xxx

P.S. On an unrelated note, I have done a Seven Deadly Beauty Sins meme on my style blog, so please check it out! :D

There ain't no party like a grad party

Hey guys! :)

This is a photo of my lab group in December 2011:

Two of the people have left though... :(

Last night, one of my lab mates held a party at her place, which was themed bright colours to warm up the winter ~ despite it no longer being that cold. But it was still a nice idea, and gave me something to look forward to during the day since I ended up staying in the department until 7pm to finish off some work for E...who then told me that his boss was making him work all weekend so he wouldn't have time to mark it! :'(

Nevermind!

Song of the day: Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5 (this came on a few times at the party hehe)

On the plus side, I was really happy that I was finally moving ahead in my synthesis, all thanks to the lovely S who was so helpful. He is quite a character, a wonderful guy full of witty banter and always lights up the lab (in fact, the title of my post is a quote by him). Although he refers to me as the lovable klutz and says he only helps me out to stop me from being a danger and hurting myself... -_-:;

Anyway, this is what I wore to the party:

Click the image to go to my style blog to find out more about this outfit! :)

There, I met my other lab buddies, and was finally introduced to some other chemists. Since I arrived late, S was already tipsy which was odd to see but I liked that he was really nice to me and was with me all evening (OK, I admit it, S is pretty cute~!). In retrospect, I felt really good about myself all night. Maybe it was because I was hanging out with people who were more chilled about life, since they had all graduated. Or maybe it was because I was just getting out there meeting new people ~ for the last few years, I've been pretty social and it's only been this year where I've kinda...stopped... :/

I found it really amusing that in the department, I seem to have gotten a reputation for always wearing heels, leggings and shorts, when a semester ago, no one noticed me for the denim and trainers. Guess my New Year Resolution of style change has been working...maybe?

We took a rainbow photo! :D

There was a really nice cocktail that was butterscotch, ice cream and cream, which tasted so yummy, like Angel Delight! :)

Inevitably, conversation turned to relationships, and it was kinda weird to sit there and listen to the grads chat about being engaged and stuff. I pretty much told S that it was a shame he was engaged (hehe) and also told him the identity of the guy who I had a high school crush on...my supervisor E...much to S's eternal amusement... -_-:;

"It's the brains isn't it?"

But one thing I learned from the grads is that if you like someone, you should tell them because life is too short. And that girls need to be forward. There was a girl I met who was engaged to another guy at the party...after driving away all of his girlfriends for the last few years. She said that she pretty much told him he was going to be hers and proceeded to make it happen.

Totally wish I had that confidence!

Although the situation here is kinda weird since E is my course supervisor so our dynamic is mainly a student teacher one. Which I really don't think I should compromise until after I finish my exams! E also has plans to go to America to do his post doctorate after the summer, and I need to focus on my exams so...what are your opinions and perspectives on this matter?

Yishi xxx

Today I won an iPad 2

And I don't even like Apples.

This afternoon, I experienced the awkward silence when a piece of cotton wool falls into your lab experiment and soaks up the measly single gram of product that you have painstakingly spent the last few months making. Luckily, we managed to recover most of it. As if the day wasn't exciting enough, at 6pm, we had a fire alarm and what I presume to be a real fire at the chemistry department! So I didn't get home until hall was about to close. After cycling home, I bumped into my gym buddy F at the main entrance to my college just as a taxi pulled up.

Using the high pressure tactics that only a seasoned salesman could employ, he managed to convince me to get into a taxi with him and go to a company presentation at the Cambridge Business Park. What sold it to me?

The free pizza.

So we turned up, and I ate a whole pizza's worth of Dominoes. Since I hold no interest in software, I didn't really pay too much attention to the presentations.

Neither did the other guys from Selwyn.

However, from what I gather, the Redgate employees have so much fun that I don't know how they find the time to do any work.

Anyway, there was a raffle, and being the strategic sharks that we are, a group of eight of us decided to pool our tickets together in increase our chances of winning the iPad 2 that was on offer. I had a feeling that 197 was going to be a lucky number but I decided to pool anyway...but sadly, logic failed me for once!

I went for the risk averse route, since the expected return is the same ~ a £400 prize with 8 times less chance of winning, as opposed to £50 with 8 times more chance of winning.

My number was drawn, and I looked onwards in horror as I realised the £400 that could've been mine had now dwindled to a £50 share...

One of the guys, F in fact, actually bailed out of the pool at the last second, but he told me that he'd rather be him than me, since he came and left with nothing, whereas I could've had much more... >__<

We made F take the obligatory photo.

I'm still in shock.

Like, I just don't win things. It's not in my genes.

But since I came here purely on a fluke with no intentions or interest whatsoever, I guess it's just a case of you win some and you lose some, right? So it's funny how quickly things change when the stakes become high. Guess this is why I should never get into gambling.

Guess it's just ironic that the girl who despises all things Apple ends up with the iPad 2.

If you are interested in buying it, do let me know ~ it's white, wireless and has 16GB worth of love...! Plus it comes in a pretty Redgate company bag.

Have you ever won anything of high stakes value before?

Yishi xxx