How to ruin my life in one minute

Ok, so I was perfectly happy curled up in bed, reading a good book and crunching on a bag of Kornets, unwinding after a stressful day. How was I to know that in a few minutes I would be cursing and crying my eyes out, all thought of relaxation forgotten?

I would actually still be cursing now, in type, if it weren't for the fact that my mom really dislikes it, and she has a high probability of coming across this.

You're all probably wondering what kind of tragic problem I have now. It's not that I failed a major exam, or lost a treasured possession, or got grounded forever. It's actually much worse.

My dad, without even telling me first, invited a girl from CHINA to stay in my room with me FOR A WHOLE MONTH. There are many things very wrong with this arrangement. First, I have never seen nor corresponded with this girl, ever. Second, she's a genuine Chinese from China, which means she can probably speak about five words of English and, needless to say, will not be enjoyable to chat with. Third, it is a known fact around the house that I absolutely LOVE time on my own. Fourth, it is also a known fact that I can only ever concentrate on studying in my room, alone. And with accounting and statistics this year as part of my course workload, I need that study time more than ever. Fifth, this is a MAJOR INVASION OF PRIVACY. Sixth, she, this foreigner I don't even know, will be sleeping on my bed with me. How many times has anyone had a complete stranger sleep in their beds with them?! Seventh, she will have full access to ALL OF MY STUFF, from my jewelry, to my books, my clothes, my shoes, my CDs and DVDs, everything. She will also be using my toilet bowl, for God's sake. Eighth, I am not particularly interested in entertaining guests after hectic days in school. I barely have any time for myself now, being kept extremely busy by our dear professors, and now this limited time is about to be reduced to no time at all.

I could actually go on up to a hundred, but then I'll never get this done. I just want to wake up and realize this was all a dream, but dreams aren't even this bad.

Dad, if you're reading this, which I doubt, I still love you and I'm definitely forgiving you for ruining my life (sorry, just had to say that), but please don't think that I'll go out of my way to be friends with this girl. And I just hope that next time, when you make decisions that affect me, you tell me about it first, because it's really highly unfair to me otherwise.

Actually, it's highly unfair of me to hate China girl just for accepting an invitation, but I can't help it. It's only natural for any human being to detest an unwanted intruder, after all. I can't just smile and try to be best friends with this person, right? I'm sure Mother Teresa would, but I'm not her. I'm not evil, either. Just human. Imperfect. And fully justified to be angry at this unfortunate development.

Anyway, I'm going to bed. Maybe sleep can make me forget about my woes, if only for a short while.

Training more than the voice

When I first enrolled at the Center for Pop Music, I thought all I would be getting was a few hours of concentrated training, singing tips and tricks, and performance lessons. After completing level one, I realized I got a lot more than that.

To have been amidst people who shared my passion and dreams was a truly inspiring experience. I loved how we felt instantly comfortable with each other, how we talked about singing all day long and never ran out of things to say about it. We got so close in such a short time, trading secrets and doing each other's hair as though we'd known one another for years.

They were also the first people ever to see me dance to a sexy song. Before Center for Pop, I never had the guts to do so. Definitely not in front of an audience.

Most of all, they were the ones who believed in me. They cheered me on at every performance and gave me the confidence to go on and do my best. They never judged anyone harshly, and they never belittled anyone for their mistakes.

The days when we were together were some of my happiest. To the girls who did Objection Tango with me (that still includes Paula), we rocked! I'll never forget our bonding sessions or our uber-project moments. Of course, let's not neglect to mention Achelle, who is really sweet, albeit a little insecure.

I also want to acknowledge the tireless coaches, especially Coach Mel, Dynes, and Mayo, whose efforts I greatly appreciate. Coach Mel was my first coach; she helped me overcome my initial shyness at performing. Coach Mayo taught me to use facial, body, and vocal expression in singing, plus blocking techniques, armwork, etc. Coach Dynes taught me to dance and project.

After all of those hours of training, I've certainly become an infinitely better singer and performer, but I've also learned a thing or two about confidence, determination, teamwork, and friendship.