Well, things have been marginally better since my last (locked) entry. I have a damn awful cold that sucked away whatever energy was left in me at the start of the week, but fortunately it’s now residing. This evening we had year 13 parents evening, where I received mixed feedback from the teachers. Mrs. Williamson gave the same advice she usually does; that is, I need to practise maths more in my own time or I won’t get the grade I’m capable of, which is entirely true.

However, the biggest surprise came when my Japanese sensei, Ms. Kushida, gave me a rather less-than-happy report. I totally failed my written exam – something in the region of an E (it was not totalled up), which, to put it in perspective, is probably my lowest grade ever… I had expected this though; it’s what she said about my progress through Japanese that struck a chord with me. She recalled how I used to be much quieter and serious about my work, how I would hardly ever talk in class and was one of the top students at the start of the course. Advancing to date, I’ve become noisier, somewhat crude and a lot less focussed about schoolwork in general. I hadn’t realised how talkative I’ve actually become – shrugging it off as sensei’s fickleness – up until today when she told my parents something I’d told her a good while ago. “He used to be really quiet, serious and focussed in his work, but his philosophy is good. I asked him why he was talking more in class, and he told me ‘it makes other people happy to see someone else outgoing and happy'”…Or something along those lines. It was odd she remembered me telling her this, but in any case, it made me realise that my efforts to be happier and more outgoing had inadvertently affected my schoolwork in the process. I guess it’s all about finding the right balance, but for the next few months at least, I’m going to have to really work hard to bring myself back up to speed with everything. No random Internet searching or useless msn chats.

I’ll have to round this entry up here. It’s already 11.05…

Oh, and a fantastic song this. Hayley Westenra has an amazing voice.

“When the sea falls from the shore
As the light sinks low, will I see you any more?
As the rain falls from the sky
Can I bring you back, from a distant lullaby?”

Hayley Westenra – Across The Universe Of Time