I've been watching Britain's Got Talent religiously this year. It's loads better than America's Got Talent (especially with the absence of David Hasselhoff), and the acts this year are simply amazing. Susan Boyle has definitely got a beautiful voice, but I've been cheering for Shaheen and Aidan Davis all week.

...especially Aidan Davis. I thought his performance last night was the best semi-final performance this year. It's really a shame that Simon Cowell didn't think his dance routine tonight was up to his standards. He's still absolutely amazing, either way. I didn't like seeing him cry like that. It totally broke my heart!! :( I just felt like jumping onto that stage and kissing his cute little cheeks silly. ...AND Shaheen, for that matter. His singing was just... unbelievable. I couldn't believe he could sing Michael Jackson that much better than his audition.

And when Hollie Steel came on tonight, I was absolutely astounded. She sang a song from The Phantom of the Opera, and her voice was so angelic and perfect, it blew me away. I'm so glad she got a second chance last night. Diversity was, surpisingly, a lot better than Flawless tonight. I was banking on Flawless kicking Diversity's butt, but Amanda Holden was right when she said Diversity out-danced Flawless.

Did I mention I love, love, LOVE Stavros Flatley?? OMG, I LOVE THEM~!!

I've nothing to do for the next 20 minutes, waiting for the final part to be uploaded onto YouTube. To be honest, I'm glad I don't have the opportunity to vote. After that talent lineup, it would break my heart just having to choose amongst Shaheen, Aidan, Hollie... GAAH, I hope Simon Cowell gets all the kids to do solo careers! They're all just so amazing!!

There's a particular individual I know whose completely unaware of how ignorant and intolerant her words are. I'm good friends with her because, ultimately, she's a great person and we get along really well. She's very much aware of how confrontational I can be whenever I hear something I don't like, but I'm also very much aware of how much she dislikes this sort of confrontation. It irritates me even more that she doesn't realize what she says is intolerant and discriminating.

On Sunday, I went to see "Earth" in theatres with the gang. There was a large family behind us with about 3 kids who could not stop chattering. I'm generally accepting of kids who talk during movies, but the utter lack of discipline the parents had over their children was just incomprehensible. Needless to say, I was pretty pissed off and so was she. Regardless of just how annoying they were, though, I still could not understand how the fact that "they're Jewish" had anything to do with it. Fast-forward 30 minutes after the movie, when we had dinner at Swiss Chalet, and she had to comment with an annoyed frown that the family beside us was also Jewish.

I'm very much aware of her unfortunate orthodontist situation (who, unsurprisingly, happened to be Jewish). I cannot help but wonder why she insists that the problem starts with him being Jewish. Under normal circumstances, one would normally believe that the guy was merely incompetent. The fact that she has to add "being Jewish" into the equation is discriminating and anti-Semetic. Hasn't our world established that this sort of thinking is morally wrong? Can't she herself establish that it also lacks rationale?

To be perfectly honest, her off-hand comments about Chinese drivers and Asian restaurants drive me up the wall. Next time she dares bring it up in front of me, I'm gonna give her a good talking to. Besides, her best friend is the worst driver I know, and she's Italian.

On a more positive note, Madame Cyr just e-mailed everyone saying she was sick, so our final exam is postponed till next Wednesday. I know I should be hoping that she'll recover soon, especially with the swine flu out and about, but deep down, I'm jumping up and down in jubilation. If it wasn't postponed, I would have utterly failed this test. She's also cutting out the final dictée, so our 2nd disseration will be worth 15% instead of just 10%, which is perfectly fine with me. :D I always do better on take-home assignments anyway.

Getting anxious about the Japan placement now. I really don't want the middle of nowhere!

There are loads of things that piss me off. Some of them are fairly minor annoyances, while certain others -- like animal cruelty and environmental irresponsibility -- anger me on a greater scale. For some reason, though, there's this one particular small annoyance that just really gets me the wrong way.

Why do people consistently write and speak grammatically incorrect English, when it's their first language? Why!? It's not even the use of slang that bugs me. It's the constant mix up of "your" and "you're", made-up words like "funner", run-on sentences, and the forgotten use of the period and/or comma. GRRR!! Go take some English classes or read some goddamn books!

On a lighter note, I was shortlisted for the JET Programme! :D :D I suppose I should start using this journal as a record of things going on in my life in Japan. For the moment, I'll concentrate on my French Linguistics class, eating as much spider maki as I can stuff into my mouth, and drinking as much TenRen's BBT as I can. It turns out the spider roll was invented by the Iron Chef, so I won't be able to find it anywhere in Japan. :(

I climbed the CN Tower on Saturday. It was utterly exhausting, and I'm glad it's over. I was a little disappointed, though, 'cause it took me about 40 seconds longer than last year to complete the climb. Darnit. I won't be able to do it again for some time though. The long school break in Japan won't be until the summer. >_<

Scott asked me again today if I had gotten results from JET yet. Again, I told him not yet, not until April.

I'm. Going. NUTS. Absolutely insane!! If I get rejected, I know I'm going to go into a state of shock and depression, before I'll be able to pick myself up again. I also know that I'll be applying to GEOS if I don't get in. I don't know why I feel this looming sense of doom. I'm either being pessimistic or simply realistic.

An article on CNN stated that there was a 15% increase in American applicants this year, and yet JET claims that they're accepting approximately half the amount they accepted last year worldwide. Japan's English program is very American-orientated, so I'm assuming that most of the cuts are going to be made outside of the U.S.

I've always appreciated that Canada followed British grammar and spelling rules, but at this point, I'm really, really hoping that JET understands that Canadians are very, very adaptable to following American grammar and spelling rules. Really, we are!!

Last year, approximately 200 Canadians were selected (in comparison to about 800 Americans). This year, I'm not so sure considering this huge cut, but I'm guessing perhaps 150 Canadians. Oh dear God, please let me get accepted!

I don't think I've ever wanted anything more in my entire life. I need to calm down.

I set Sympatico as my browser homepage and they have Michael Jackson as a featured image. I get scared just looking at him.

China just spent approximately $1 billion U.S. dollars on electrical equipment from Germany. So apparently, the only car industry that isn't completely flopping is Germany's. :P

Republicans Radical conservatives have taken the plunge and started directing unnecessary accusations against Obama and his interview on 60 Minutes. I agree, his off-hand derogatory (though, not really) comment about the Special Olympics was a fairly bad misstep. But to accuse him of belittleling the current economic crisis simply because he laughed a little, is really just immaturity on their part. Given the difficult situation he's in as President, should he not be allowed a few luxuries, such as making a few jokes here and there?

I also hate that it gives Sarah Palin more things to talk about. I wish that woman would just shut up and disappear from politics completely.

Today (or yesterday) marked the beginning of the Canadian Seal Hunt. More innocent seal pups are being slaughtered without ever getting the chance to swim for the first time, and more of our taxpayer's dollars are being wasted on subsidizing this ridiculous "tradition". I wish Canadians would just wake up, and realize that what puts food on the fishermen's tables is not the profits of the fur pelts, but the subsidies from a government that still refuses to listen to reason.

Last night, Sam called to invite me to a Calvin Klein fashion show. I didn't realize it was a lingerie fashion show until I spoke to Jodi earlier this afternoon (technically, yesterday). I just got back and my feet are killing me. It was located at an upscale lounge, and tables were limited to paying drinkers, so we stood most of our time there. I only had one drink, which kept my cheeks rosy all evening.

The show was suppose to start at 11pm, but we ended up waiting until 12pm, and by then, the lot of us were getting seriously restless. I was feeling sleepy, since I had school that morning. In the end, the underwear models came out, and Julia was happy. I tried to take as many photos of the guys as possible for her, but most of them walked too quickly (very un-model-like) and my camera was lagging from working overtime.

I got into a fight with my dad, before I left today. It's always about my weight... or not my weight, neccessarily, but about my inactive lifestyle. I always revert to sitting on my ass everyday during the winter, since the weather gets me down. When spring comes along, I'm usually much more active and willing to go to the gym (for some odd reason). My dad freaked out on me 'cause he noticed I've been gaining a lot of wait. Then I freaked out on him, because... he said a lot of hurtful things. It really pissed me off, and I had a good cry about it in my room. I don't like things being said about my weight, and hearing it from my own dad hurt me the most. I know he's not good with words and that he's bad at expressing himself, but I'm also inclined to think that some of those words were meant to hurt me, and hurt me they did. Right now, we're not talking.

Maisa called this morning before I went to school, and we had a long conversation again in the afternoon when I got back. She's coming back April 14th, 4 days before the CN Tower climb. :) Soon enough. She said she's sick of Israel, and wants to come back to Canada.

I'm exhausted right now. I don't know why I always go on the computer before bed, despite being extremely sleepy. It's like a ritual or something.

There is a Dragon Ball movie coming out and Goku is going to be white.

Let me clarify in my head that in the original manga/anime series, Goku was Japanese. His character was also loosely based on a mythical Chinese character.

I'm almost ashamed that I want to watch it.

I'm at Serissa Caté again and I just completed my French composition (780 words as opposed to 1000, but oh well). The girls sitting across from me are loud, obnoxious, and immature. I know I was never like that when I was their age.

Last night, I had a dream that I was at work. Chapters now has a new clock-in system where, instead of swiping a card, you log into an account on a computer instead. Somehow, I dreamt that all the computers in the store had a special store password that we all shared, but had forgotten it and couldn't clock myself in, so I paged Scott, our general manager, and he informed me that he had no idea what the mysterious password was. I ran around the store, I can't really remember why, attempting to log in to all of them, but to no avail. By this time, 15 minutes had already past, so I was hence, late. On top of that, I went to work accidentally wearing one of my pink tops, which is inappropriate. Somehow, I was trying to chase down co-workers around the store, but I would miss each and every one of them. Finally, Kevin found me and helped me log in (always helpful, Kevin is). Then, I woke up.

This morning, Kevin really did call me to do a last minute evening shift. :D

Bonnie, of course, was disappointed I'm not going karaoke after all. I honestly thought it would take me longer than it did to complete my composition, but I was able to complete it within an hour, even with the ruckus the juvenile, high school girls were making.

I'm just biding my time, waiting till I need to go to work. What I should be doing, though, is memorizing pg. 234 in my textbook for my dictée tomorrow, and I shall do that after I get off this thing.

A couple of days ago, Paula from work showed me a clip on YouTube of these two men in the 70s reuniting with their once-domesticated lion, Christian. I say once, because after they realized Christian was just too big to care for in a city like London, they asked George Adamson, a.k.a. the Lion Whisperer, to rehabilitate him into the African wild. It was a beautiful story and their reunion was extremely touching. I cried the first and second time I watched it.

Maisa sent me a message on Facebook. I miss her so much. :( I don't remember the exact day she's coming back from Israel, but I know it won't be till sometime in mid-April. Time has been flying by. I can hardly believe we're already in the middle of March, but at the same time, April is forever looming by. I spoke to Eileen on the phone yesterday, and we're both extremely nervous about the incoming JET letters. I know I should be concentrating on school to keep my mind off it.

I just finished watching Gossip Girl. I lo - oved it. <3

Chace Crawford was especially nice to look at in this episode. Jessica Szohr is still annoying and can't act for shit, but being actively against the Canadian Seal Hunt makes her okay.

Rachel and Dan's relationship is done for good, thank the gods. I can't imagine a more irresponsible teacher, and what she did to Blair and Serena really took the cake.

I'm also happy that Elle's finally out of the picture. I was so excited to see Chuck going back to Blair in the end, but I hope this thing with Carter won't cause too much damage.

Nelly Yuki had more lines than usual, and lo and behold, she actually had some really interesting lines. I wish they delved a little more deeply into the characters of Blair's minions.

I'm sitting at Serissa Caté by the window and it's just beautiful out. It's too bad I'm stuck inside, writing my French composition. Bonnie insists that I finish it soon, so that I have time to go sing karaoke tomorrow night. I'm not entirely sure if I'm up for late-night karaoke, though, since I just remembered that I scheduled to have my graduation photos taken Wednesday right after class. If I were a nice, obedient, little girl, I would stay in tomorrow night to get a good night's rest.

The weekend has been fairly uneventful. On Saturday, I finished writing up my students' report cards, and all within my 1-hour break. I felt pretty accomplished. :) That night, I went out with the gang to see Watchmen in theatres. I will admit that I was one of those girls, expecting to see a more politically controversial version of X-Men, but instead was met with excessive blood, gore, and sex. I really did not enjoy the movie and neither did most of the gang, but Maurice said he enjoyed its "what-if" scenario.

I could have also sworn that Nixon's nose wasn't that big. Although they did change history, the least they could have done was make Nixon look a little more believable. That nose was distracting, as was another particular part of the movie. Julia enjoyed that part immensely. Two movies I'm looking forward to watching are Transformers and Half-Blood Prince. Oh, especially the HBP. I haven't been this excited for a movie, in a long time. In fact, I believe the previous movie that had me brimming over with excitement was The Order of the Phoenix. :P

An auction is ending tonight for a used Adios Star Buon Viaggio. I'm still debating how much I'm willing to pay for an Adios Star, but it is a BV which would be perfect to use for school. It's only at around $31 at the moment, and I hope it stays that way. It would even match my new Caramella. <3

Gossip Girl finally returns tonight with a new episode. :D It's my guilty pleasure.