Letters to Electra - Novel Update, School Life and Reunions

11/3/15

Dear Electra,

Lent is extremely difficult when you have decided to give up chocolate, meat and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Trust me - I am in the process, and it is tough.

Today was an extremely cheerful day: I had an easy R.E test, had my science test grade increase and my friends & I had an odd but stunning time together. Luckily, the R.E test was open-notes and I finished in less than an hour.

Remember Samantha E., my primary school best friend? She has finally enrolled at my school and I am awaiting her arrival next week! Gwen, 'Shaniqua' and 'Pricilla' have all met her before, Regina has seen her, and 'Bonquiqui' has never met Sam before. I'm excited to come up with a terrible nickname for her. Better get ready, Sam.

The process of writing my novel has been difficult since I am constantly having cases of Writer's Block and have no time for writing, with the school musical and my studies.

With sincere affection,

- M ★

Marian's 2015 Reads - 'Flash and Bones' by Kathy Reichs

Picture via moviesinthebuff.com

Title: 'Flash and Bones'
Author: Kathy Reichs
Publisher: BCA
Publication Date: 2011 (this edition)
Pages: 271

'Flash and Bones' is a book which follows Temperance Brennan as she solves what happened to a body in an asphalt-filled barrel. A man, who happens to be a NASCAR crew member, reports to Brennan suspecting that the body might be his missing sister's or his missing sister's boyfriend. Is it really the NASCAR crew member's speculation, or is he wrong?

What I enjoyed most reading this book was when they got closer to the murderer, of course. The murderer actually revealed itself. What a crazy thing to do.
I also enjoyed the ending; it was clear and closed the book up perfectly.

I recommend this novel to people who are willing to expand their knowledge in either NASCAR or crime investigations. Before I bought this book, all I knew was that this would be my first taste of Kathy Reichs' work. I didn't anticipate that I would end up reading her other books in the 'Temperance Brennan' series.

- M ★

Letters to Electra - The Fascinating Behaviour of The Human Male

3/3/15

Dear Electra,

There is something perplexing about the behaviour of the boys in my class. In my maths class I sit in a cluster of desks with three other males, and as I try my best to avoid their crude humour they somehow have a way of pulling me into their baffling conversations and drift me off from the maths exercises. 

"Who do you like, dude? Tell me, or I will KILL you." An example of the ridiculous points they say. 

What in the universe did I do to sit near them? Did the planets realign to tell my maths teacher that I deserve this? Queries, queries.

Another habit they have is straightening my stationary. Look, I am a perfectionist, but I wouldn't care about the alignment of my pens and books.

On Monday, I came out to my friends with the fact that I have started being a vegetarian again. 

"You're a vegan? What the heck?"

"Vegans are very different from vegetarians. Vegetarians do not eat meat, but some still consume fish, dairy or eggs, which I still eat," I explain.

"So, if you're not vegan, do you still eat cake?"

"Of course! Have you tried vegan cake before?"
"No, but I bet it tastes disgusting," my friends surmise.

Such supportive friends I have, don't you agree? 

I have started a new novel by Kathy Reichs titled 'Fatal Voyage.' The copy I have is the most immense novel size I have read in my life. It looks like a medium encyclopaedia but with 365+ pages. Some of you might take a glance at me reading it at school/some other public place and say, "Wow, Marian wasn't lying," which I am not.

I have never thought to be as busy as I am right now. Tomorrow I have a science test, a rehearsal for the school musical and I have more homework to complete. As I write this letter to you I am in my dim bedroom with my laptop being the only light source and a fan blowing gently towards my face. 

I am starting a series of book reviews on this blog called 'Marian's 2015 Reads,' which I write reviews on the books I have finished recently. The first review will be published during the weekend. Watch out for it!

To conclude this letter, what's been up, Electra? Is that what this generation of youth would say? 

With sincere affection,

- M ★

Letters to Electra - "You Read Too Much!"

25/02/15

Dear Electra,

I am feeling blasé about the insulting attitudes of some people.
Am I really what my peers say about me? Boring and useless? A person with not enough social skills to live?
There are particular people at my school who question my continuous face-inside-a-book habit, mostly females in my age group.
Should I change that habit? Is that habit affecting others around me negatively?
The answer is for me to continue reading, but only if people are occupied or are already reading. Another rule is to ignore the affronts of the teenage rantipole society. I think I've set that clearly in my mind.
Never change, Electra; only if it's for an explicable reason.

What has been happening since the last time I sent you a letter?
I've got it; my school had a rap battle today on the school field. It was between a kid from my grade and a senior. There was a humongous conglomeration of students, which was quite alarming since my school is private and Catholic (or, in Gwen's words, "a white-people school."). Even an assistant principal was watching! Wow, my school must be extraordinary.

I am going to keep this update short so I can relax and watch my guilty pleasure. Today has been a tiring day, dealing with school/homework and confusing human beings.


With sincere affection,

- M ★

Letters to Electra - Sacrifices

18/2/15

Dear Electra,

Today was tiring, like any other school day. I had to deal with my silly classmates, complete schoolwork and rehearse for the musical. I'd like to share with you a conversation I had with my form teacher:

Teacher: "Marian, you are so nice. You can be a nun! Or whatever you'd like to be."
Me: "I'd like to become a forensic anthropologist."
T: *gives me a bemusing gaze*
Me: "A forensic anthropologist is a person who works with decomposed bodies."
T: "Well, that's just life."
Me: "Thank you! Bye!"


Since I am a Christian, I am meant to forfeit some habits and possessions of mine for Lent. Chocolate, gossiping and watching 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' episodes are what I'm planning to sacrifice. Learning, socializing and praying are habits I'd like to perform more of. I'm not sure if you're a Christian, but what would you sacrifice for Lent? Is it not eating meat, avoiding binge-watching or to attend Chuch more? Post a comment on this blog post.

With sincere affection,

- M ★

Letters to Electra - Lake Safety Day

11/2/15

Dear Electra,

This Valentine's Day craze is figuratively driving me into a wall. It's nearly impossible to escape from it. From Facebook to high school.

"WHO IS YOUR VALENTINE?" A Buzzfeed quiz pops up in my news feed. I click 'hide from wall' automatically.
"Oh, my gosh. I need a boyfriend at this moment." I hear a girl whine as I walk to my maths class. I silently remind myself never to act like that girl. Ever.

After all of this chaos, I retreat to my bedroom and read Kathy Reich's books in the bare silence with the laptop off and my blanket keeping me warm and snug. Ah, it feels good to be alone after the Valentine's Day apocalypse.


Today my class and two other year nine classes went on a field trip to the local lake for a lake safety programme.I wonder why the school allowed us to visit the beach since the weather was cold and mundane, and the chance of catching hypothermia was high.
Us year nines were separated so one-half swam in the chilly lake while the other fraction trudged down a two-hour long bushwalk. Out of the two activities, I'd say that swimming was better since we had the chance to kayak around the capacious and beautiful lake. No matter the obstacles, we all enjoyed the day and each other's company.

With sincere affection,

- M ★

Letters to Electra - The First Week of High School

4/2/15

Dear Electra,

I have missed writing to you after two months! I hope everything is well wherever you are.

My life is as energetic as a light bulb. I have started high school last week and I have not had enough time to blog as often as when I was in years 6-8. Home/schoolwork, family & friendship matters, and chores are all contributing factors to this predicament.

In other words, school is not as bad as it seems for now. It's still the beginning of the year and I'm starting to adjust to different situations. Somehow I will find a way to fit blogging into my daily schedule.

For the remainder of this letter, I will complete a tag I found on Tumblr named, "Meet the blogger."

LAYER ONE: THE OUTSIDE

• name: Marian [insert middle name] Yao 
• eye colour: Bistre Brown
• hairstyle/color: "As dark as night." Straightened. Approximately three centimeters past my clavicle.
• clothing style: it depends on how the weather expresses itself. Running shoes, black jeggings & t-shirt for rain; jandals, shorts & a breezy shirt/dress for sun.
• best physical feature: hair, eyes and ability to touch my toes without bending my legs. 

LAYER TWO: THE INSIDE

• your fears: an unexpected & slow death, losing my friends/family members and receiving the worst test result.
• your guilty pleasure: constantly reading a book everywhere I go.
  
• ambitions for the future: graduate high school with excellent grades, study at a top university for a Bachelor of Sciences in Anthropological Sciences/Computer Science and a minor in Forensic Science, receive masters' & P.h.D in those majors, work for a company in the Anthropology/Computer Science industry and maintain a great relationship with my family.

LAYER THREE: THOUGHTS

• your first thoughts waking up: what happened in my dream (if I had one).
• what you think about most: how Brennan would act in a particular situation and what my peers think about me.
• what you think about before bed: Bones (both the TV show and the human skeleton) and what I did wrong/right that day.
• you think your best quality is: my ability to think. In other words, my intelligence.

LAYER FOUR: WHAT’S BETTER?

• single or group dates: single.
• to be loved or respected: loved.
• beauty or brains: brains.
• dogs or cats: dogs. But Taylor Swift's cats make me question my opinion.

LAYER FIVE: DO YOU

• lie: no, even if it were to protect my life.
• believe in yourself: not often.
• believe in love: in terms of friendship & family, yes. But if you mean the 'first sighting' or romantic kind, then no.
• want someone: I don't see the reason why right now.

LAYER SIX: EVER?

• been on stage: yes.
• done drugs: no. I will never attempt to experiment.
• changed who you were to fit in: never. If I can't fit in with the 'cool' kids, then it's their loss.

LAYER SEVEN: FAVORITES

• favorite colour: anything between the 520-570 nanometer range.
• favorite animal: all of them; humans are not that bad.
• favorite movie: I don't watch many movies.
  
• favorite game: 'Cluedo.' 'Scrabble.' Anything that stimulates the brain, like crosswords or mathematical equations.

With sincere affection,

- M ★