the twinkling of an eye

It happens every year...

2007-09-02T15:49:00.000-07:00

Every year I always think there's at least a week of summer left, and then my mom tells me school's starting in a day. This year was no exception. I kept myself blissfully oblivious of the date of the first day until two days ago... oh, but the oblivion was blissful indeed!!

So what can I say? Summer's done!

I don't know why I put that exclamation mark there; I'm not particularly thrilled at the prospect, but I have missed school (... a little). I've missed the homework to keep me busy, and, of course, my friends. I chose my locker a couple of days ago. It's on the second floor even though 5 out of my 8 classes are downstairs -- I know that wasn't very smart!

As I was going home, I couldn't help but wish for my camera. It's gorgeous outside. Everything is still a fairly bright and vibrant green, but there's lots of little red and orange leaves that stand out like accents in the grass. Nature in general has been fascinating me this summer. About a fortnight ago, a huge cicada fly was sitting on my window... it was literally 4 cm long. (It flew away when I tried to photograph it).

My mom's birthday was a few days ago. I had so much fun making her cards -- handmade cards are a tradition in our family. But the best thing is the roses we got her. They are so velvety and rich... perfect to photograph!

I realise today's post is full of 'photography' themed stuff, but it's as big a part of my life as ever. I'm going to get my own Canon EOS soon... I really can't wait!

Oksy x

A Midsummer Day's Blog

2007-07-21T09:29:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! My summer's still going great... I'm doing some photography -- I discovered that bobby pins make the BEST photographic subject -- and writing some poetry after a two-year-long hiatus. I added a link to my brand new poetry blog on the main page of my site. I do hope you will take a look and maybe comment if you have time!

I don't have much to write about, so I thought I'd share 'my little story' with you. share it with everyone. If you know me well, no doubt you have already heard it. But for those who haven't, I'm posting it to my blog in hopes that it will make you smile! Here goes:

I came to Canada when I was 5, and I didn't know any English. I learned quickly, but because my school had not ESL program, my vocabulary was limited. One day, we were doing a worksheet on animals:

"Name an animal with stripes."
"What does a bird use to fly?"
"What is a zoo?"
"What are pests?"

Pests? I had no idea what 'pest' meant, and was too intimidated by my strict teacher to come up and ask her. So I decided to listen to the answers others were sharing with each other. I heard it from two whispering, giggling girls, and wrote it down, so proud of my problem solving skills:

"Boys are pests."

I never got that worksheet back...I wonder why...

Oksy x
PS. That is why I never cheat! Lol... have a great one! :)

Flip-Flop Season Has Arrived!

2007-06-24T13:27:00.000-07:00

Summer is here!!! Wow, I haven't blogged in two months now... I've been really busy with schoolwork, but now that it's over, I can catch up on all the Cyberspace time I missed! I'm not even sure where to start blogging... I guess I'll tell you guys about my exams.

In one word: Ugh.

To elaborate a bit on that... they were all right. Math was so easy, it was irritating. It was a board-wide exam, so it was easy because everybody in the whole school board had to be able to write it.. I guess I shouldn't be complaining, but it made me really mad because I studied a whole weekend for nothing... and I kept re-reading the questions to see if there wasn't any trick to them!

Okay, I REALLY shouldn't be complaining! That brought up my average a lot... but I do wish I had studied for English or Science instead.

English was all right, but Science was terrible. I barely knew any of the answers, and I did study, really I did -- just all the wrong stuff. I memorized about 10 pages of notes, but the questions on the exam were the very ones I hadn't memorized... plus, I finished at the last second and didn't look over it much.

However, I'm not too, too upset... Normally, would be, but at the moment, I'm just so happy summer's here, I actually don't mind all that much. I'm not taking any of the sciences next year anyway. I feel quite liberated, really!

This summer, I'm just looking forward to doing some photography, drawing a lot, updating my site (I've already changed the front page), reading, and writing some... Please drop in and add some comments when you have time!

Oksy :)

You-nivercity, Me-nivercity.

2007-05-12T17:21:00.000-07:00

Hey guys... Ugh! I've just recovered from what was most likely the worst cold of my life. I missed 3 and a half days of school, which is not good at all for my already-faltering math. By the way, it wasn't just some wimpy little cold... I wouldn't stay home for that. But I was literally half-fainting in school, and after I came home, I didn't even have enough energy in me to sit at the computer, which is worrisome; and truly rare. So it's nice to be back here, and blogging! :)

One problem (besides the math, which I am SO behind in!) is that I couldn't get my mom flowers for mothers day. I did make her a card on Paintshop, but I wish I could have gone shopping for her as well... she deserves a lot more! I know she won't mind, because I was sick, but I still feel bad.

Now, rewind to last Friday. I spent a day at a local university, which was pretty fun. My friend had both of the same workshops that I did -- Humanities and Aerobics. We had a quite a bit of ... fun .. at the latter, being on the more athletically-challenged side, but it was a nice bonding moment, wasn't it, Ish? :)

As a double advantage, the field trip allowed me to miss my science test, so I had an extra weekend to study for it. But my enthusiasm was dampened by the fact that I had to get my tetanus shot right after... That sort of describes my whole fortnight: good in someways, bad in others. Bittersweet [that sounds so melodramatic!]. An oxymoron. But hey... Oxymoron is one of my nicknames, after all! ;)

Oksy

PS. I'm listening to 'O Holy Night' right now... thought that would be worth mentioning!

Soundtrack of My Life

2007-03-21T19:39:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I've decided to compile a list of songs that are very special to me and that represent me or events in my life. It has nothing to do with whether or not I like the song, artist, or lyrics -- it's just songs that I can relate to, that seem to be written about me. Here are 9 songs currently in the Soundtrack of My Life!

Lost at Sea - by Eisley. I've always been dawn to oceans and seas; I feel as if I was predisposed to love everything about them -- the seagulls, the lighthouses, the wind, the ships... But that's not the only reason I like this song... in fact, it means something completely different to me. There's a lyric in it that says, "...and I'm not so afraid, lost at sea, as I should be ... you and me." It reminds me of a day when I went for a walk with my mom, and we wandered off into an unfamiliar neighborhood. We couldn't find our way back, but somehow, I just wasn't afraid. I knew whatever happened, mommy was with me and we'd be safe together, no matter how big the world is. "And I know," the song continues, "that 'till the stars fall, I'll always love you..."

She is Like the Swallow - by Leigh Nash/Lucia Micarelli. This song for some reason always reminds me of Ukraine. As soon as I hear it, all of those rainy days and Christmases at my grandma's come flooding back. Although there is nothing overtly Ukrainian about it (it was written in Cape Breton), it always makes me think of the unpolluted beauty of Ukraine.

A Bit of Earth - by Charlotte Church. This song is from the soundrack of 'A Secret Garden.' It's special to me, because I'm a very frugal person by nature towards just about everything (food, clothes, music), except plants. I love to buy new plants... it's like accepting a new member into my family. People often wonder, as the song says, "Why can't she ask for ... something that money can buy that won't die?" But living things are so much more precious, even though they don't last forever.

Bridge Over Troubled Water - So many people have laid down their comfort, time, energy to be a "bridge" for me through the troubled times. Whenever I hear this song, I think of the support of my parents and friends; and of Jesus, who laid down his life for my sake. It always makes me wonder why people would sacrifice for someone like me, who just doesn't deserve it... but that's what love is all about, right?

Sonny - by Hayley Westenra. This song talks about a mother begging her son not to go away from her and leave her all alone. It's an experience I know all too well. I've moved 3 times in my life, and went to four different elementary schools. Every time, I'd have to leave friends behind, and start all over, and I still check Myspace and Facebook every few months to see if I can find any of them. (NOTE: As I was writing, I decided to check again. I think I've just discovered one of my best friends from 2nd grade!)

Praise the Lord - by Acappella. This song always reminds me of a really hard time when I was 13 and got very sick. It was about at this time that I became a Christian, but it wasn't immediately smooth sailing. The song lyrics say, "the chains that seem to bind you / serve only to remind you / they'll drop powerless behind you." I've only recently understood that I got sick for a reason -- so God could show his power by healing me, and give me a story to share. (A story you can read by visiting my site).

Somewhere Only We Know - by Keane. I don't know what it is about this song... it just means so much to me. It talks about revisiting old places and realizing how much they have changed; and I do that a lot. Sometimes change really makes you feel hopeless... but as the song says, "I need something to rely on," and that something for me is God because he never changes. The song also talks about how heart-to-heart converstations can add so much meaning to life. I wish they were not so rare... I wish I could go and talk with all of my friends "somewhere only we know."

Gratitude - by Nichole Nordeman. This song is about being grateful for what you have even when you want something completely different. It's funny, because later you realise that what you got is all you really needed. About a year ago, I was praying that something would happen, something that I really wanted. Now, I pray that the opposite will happen, because it's taken me some time to realise that what wanted was not at all what I really needed. The thing is, God knew what I needed all along... he just wanted to make me see that for myself.

Breathe - by Sixpence None the Richer. This song is special to me because it's basically how I pray -- just a casual, honest, laid-back conversation with God. Prayer is such an amazing thing. Knowing that there's a person I can trust with all of my secrets and worries makes it so much easier for me to breathe!

Oksy x

Autumn leaves, sailing, and writerly adventures...

2007-02-26T10:18:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! Long time no blog. I'm so sorry... my last post was 3 weeks ago! I always had a lot to tell, but just felt too apathetic/lethargic to tell it. I'm just going to fill you in on some old news, then get to more recent stuff... like March Break, which starts today!

Okay, old news first. My cold is long gone... I didn't get my voice back for a long time, though. I couldn't sing for several weeks and missed it sorely. I love singing so much -- only as a hobby. I can't carry a tune in a bucket... or fruit-basket for that matter!

I also finished Les Miserables... it was an AMAZING novel, and (of course) I cried at the end. Really sad but really inspiring. As I said before, more than highly recommended.

The clipart is going beautifully but I've run out of design ideas... if you guys have any, please do tell. I hope to get a clipart page up over the March break!

That's it for old news (this was saved as a draft blog post for about a week)... now the new news! There's not much, except something from English that I want to share with you (beware, it's pretty long!). Because this is the day before March Break, a lot of people in my school stayed home, and we had pretty empty classes. So my (awesome) English teacher Miss M decided to do some Writers Craft stuff with us. The first thing was a "stream of conciousness" non-stop writing thing... I'm going to post mine, edited and abridged, in hopes that you'll find it at least mildly interesting. :) The prompt was "When I think of the colour red..."

"When I think of the colour red, I think of autumn. I love the season because of the weather -- the delicious melancholy of the rain, the whipping wind... there's nothing like good old fall to get me in a good mood! When I was younger, I always wanted to be a sailor, namely because I loved the feeling of wind in my face. (I imagine that's how it feels to sail a ship, just before a big storm). I always loved that sense of adventure.

This was in about grade 6... before that, I had wanted to be a dentist, writer, teacher, and ballerina. Then I got really interested in espionnage and detective things, but that wore off pretty quickly. Right now, I'm not sure what I want to be. I kind of want to work as a communcations specialist or graphic designer, but I don't like working under pressure -- even though I'm working under pressure right now: pressure to not write something stupid in case the teacher makes us read these out loud!

Wow, I've filled almost a page... my hand hurts... which reminds me of the time when I did wheel pottery and got tendonitis from kneading the clay. It was fun, though. The second time I did it, my arms didn't hurt at all. I've improved a lot. There's a bunch of little pots all over the house right now. Plus, I volunteer close to where I did the pottery... and I'm volunteering tomorrow. I can't wait... it's a lot of fun!"

That's it, folks. Have a blessed weekend and March break! Oksy :)

Sneeze!

2007-02-11T08:39:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! I know, I know, it's been two weeks since I last updated my blog. Sorry for the delay (if anyone is reading it, anyway...). A couple of notable things have happened since my last post. First off, semester 2 started. I have English, Math, Science, and Gym. The problem is, that 3 of these are my all-time worst subjects. (I think I've already mentioned this before). My teachers are pretty nice... especially my English teacher, Miss M. She's really sweet: she always smiles, has a great fashion sense, and she's part Ukrainian as well! (That last part does not affect my opinion of her, I'm not racist. Just thought it was worth mentioning. :)

What else is noteworthy? I finally figured out how to use vectors in Paintshop Pro. That means I can start making some clipart! Hopefully I'll have some up on my site by the end of the month. I've wanted to make my own since I was 8 or so, but never thought I'd be able to. It's actually pretty fun!

I've been reading Les Miserables... got only about 200 pages to go. It's probably the greatest fiction book in history. It's amazing... compelling, inspiring, tragic... running out of adjectives... At any rate, I highly recommend it. You'll remember it for the rest of your life. Oh, but don't watch the musical beforehand -- it will ruin the ending for ou. I watched clips on YouTube from the revival cast, and now I know what's going to happen... :( The musical is great, though. The songs are really emotional and dramatic -- perfect for singing in the shower! I've posted my favourite above... On My Own by Lea Salonga.

Except I can't sing at this moment... I've got an awful cold. Hopefully it goes away soon so I can do something fun. I mean, reading Les Miserables IS fun, but not all day long. Good thing I've got an MP3 player to keep me company. It has 500 songs on it already!! (That amounts to about $500 in music within 5 years ... I should really cut back on my music!).

Okay, I'm logging off now. See you next weekend.. if you're reading, leave me a comment, pretty please! :)

Oksy xx

Goodbye Semester 1!

2007-01-27T16:39:00.000-08:00

Hey guys... exams are FINALLY over and I can breathe. The French one went okay. I think I did well, but while I was writing it, I always had that sneaking suspicion that I could be wrong. But for the most part, I find French easy and intuitive because it's so similar to Ukrainian. For example, 'car' is a feminine noun in both French and Ukrainian. Yeah... so French class is just like home for me.

History is the exact opposite. It just doesn't penetrate my brain, and although I know that's not an excuse, I never listened in class because I just found it so dry and difficult to concentrate on. Obviously, that reflected in my exam -- I just barely scraped up enough knowledge to answer (or at least guess at) the questions. Oddly enough, my friends found it really easy... I demand an explanation, guys! What's your secret to success for history? Not that I'll need it... I'm sure I won't take that class again (but we'll see... sometimes I surprise myself!).

Anyways, I have a couple of days off school, and then it's back to class. The only problem is, that I have gym, math, and science -- my three worst subjects -- this coming semester. My average is going to go Down with a capital D. :(

Oh well, I'll just enjoy the break for now. And wait for Hayley Westenra's new CD. It's coming out in March, and I'm insanely excited. There's a lovely promotional video up on her site right now... it sounds like it's gonna be great! I'm also waiting for Celtic Woman's and Kelly Sweet's CD's to come out.

I'm currently typing up a fairy tale I made up, which I rather like, so I'd better get back to that. I'll post the it up when it's done!

Love and blessings,
Oksy

Exams are Nearing

2007-01-17T08:31:00.000-08:00

Hi guys! I'm writing this from my Careers class... I have finished all my work for the course, so I've got nothing else to do this period. And, luckily, we only have an open-book exam in this class... which saves me some stress.

I STILL have not begun studying for my History and French exams, but I resolve to do that tonight. I've already got a hang of most of my French, but I just don't know where to begin with History. We've covered so much, and I can't imagine cramming it all in to one week. (Of course, sitting around like this doesn't help it at all).

I'm going to have to stop complaining about exams, though. Just give me 'til February, and all these exam-blogs will stop. Until June rolls around. :)

Okay, the bell's about to ring... I'll continue at home. Lunch is here!

Now I'm writing from home... hi guys! Anyways, I just wanted to say one more word on exams: although I don't really know HOW I'm going to get through it all, but I'm pretty certain I'll get through it somehow. I mean, failing is out of the question. I know I'll study and learn everything... I just don't have a "plan of action" if you will. (Probably not the best attitude to have...)

All right, enough on that. I hope you guys have a safe and blessed remainder of the week. I'll be back to tell you how next week's exams went.

Oksy :)

First Week Back

2007-01-11T15:02:00.000-08:00

Well, it's the first week after Christmas break; but it already feels like a month, it's been so exhausting. All my summatives and exams are drawing near, and being the bad student that I am, I have not done a mite of studying yet. I feel sorry for wasting my Christmas vacation now... I could have done a lot of work during the break, but now I've got to have everything finished in a little over a week -- kind of scary, really!

Anyways, two things are new about me this week:

1. My hair! It used to be waist-length, and my mom cut 12 inches off. I kind of miss it, but it's so much easier to take care of.. and feels much lighter! I currently hold a record for wearing my hair in a braid almost EVERY DAY last year, and now, it's too short for one! (That's a good thing; it was time for a change).

2. My mp3 player. I got a Creative Zen Vision M which I'm very happy with. It holds videos and photos, plays my 477 songs (with room for many more), plays and records radio, and has a microphone. Plus, it looks really nice. It's a teensy bit too bulky, and has frozen a few times when I pressed too many buttons at once, but I really can't think of anything very negative about it. Except for the fact that it doesn't have any nice accessories like iPods do... not even a case!

I haven't much else to say about my week, but I'll have LOTS of studying and work to do this weekend, so wish me luck! Oh, and I have a new website layout ready for the spring... just a few months and you'll see it!

Oksy .x.

Merry (Ukrainian) Christmas!

2007-01-02T11:12:00.000-08:00

Well... Christmas has finally rolled around for us Ukrainian folks... we celebrate it by the old, Julian calendar, where Dec. 25 corresponds with January 6. So, 'veseloho Risdva,' folks! I rather like it more at this time... all the decorations around town have been taken down, all the sales are over, and we can just concentrate on the real meaning of Christmas without the commercialism.

To get you back into the holiday spirit with me, I'm going to tell you my 2006 Christmas story... doesn't it always seem that something inspiring happens around the holiday season? My little moment of inspiration took place mid-December outside of a grocery store.

I was walking to the store with my dad when a homeless man asked for change. Being in a hurry (and having mostly pennies in his wallet), my dad said, "no sorry," and walked on.

"That's okay," said the man. "Merry Christmas!"

His kind greeting stopped me dead in my tracks. How could this man care so much about my Christmas when he knew his would not be so merry? Mine would certainly be -- I was going to spend it at home, surrounded by my family, with lots of delicious food at the table. And this man... he would be spending it on the streets without so much as a penny to get by on. And he was wishing me -- me, who had more than enough for the holidays, and was walking to the store to buy even more -- a merry Christmas! How could he be so selfless?

With these thoughts, I began to run back. By the time I got to him, he had asked a few more people for change, and got the same answer each time. "Sir, sir," I called as I opened my purse. I emptied it and gave him my meager change -- it didn't even amount to three dollars; and yet he looked overwhelmed. "God bless you!" he said, delighted. "You're an angel."

I would have assured him I wasn't, but my dad was waiting for me, so I answered, "God bless you too, sir," and hurried away. But I spent the rest of the day with a huge smile on my face, and not because of the tiny gift I had given, but because of what I had recieved from him. He gave me the rarest Christmas gift: truly heartfelt holiday wishes, sincere gratitude, and the knowledge that love is appreciated... especially around Christmastime.

I wish all of you reading this a merry Christmas!