with every step we take

If you gave me a chance I would take it,
It's a shot in the dark but I'll make it.
Know with all of your heart, you can't shame me.  

 Well, that's 2019 done and we're about to go into a new decade, wow. Bring on 2020!
But before that, a wrapup of the decade.

I am proud. I've grown as a person. It's a cliché thing to say, but it's true. I decided to make music my career after writing my high school graduation theme song that became a hit with my cohort. I've made some friends, I've lost some too. I found my way around a city that doesn't speak my language and whose language I don't speak. I've found reasons to live and have learnt to find joy in spending time alone - eating out, watching movies at the cinema, going to F1 and concerts. I've written songs and performed them, I found catharsis through my art. I've scored a short film and produced a theme song for a podcast. I've performed at concert halls and on international TV.

2020 is going to be busy. In January alone, we're having LASALLE's first-ever composer showcase, and later in the month, I'll be taking part in an orchestration workshop hosted by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Tim Davies (whose name I flipped out over after seeing in the credits for Frozen 2 at the cinema with my dad). I'm gonna start working on another short film. I'm looking to do more travelling this year. Hopefully, I graduate from college.

Sometimes I realise that some things also don't change, that as much as I try to be better, at my core, I still hold on to too many things. But I guess the important thing is that I'm actively trying.
All I can do is ... try.

Highlights of the year:

☆ Performing at the grand finals of Asia's Got Talent (in front of David Foster!!), which was filmed at the Marina Bay Sands Grand Theatre. (that's me at the beginning)


 

☆ Writing and conducting my recital, Degas Tableaux, find the full playlist here, and the programme here.



☆ Dru Chen remixing my original song - "Past Conversations".

☆ F1 (again) and seeing Ocon (again), but also getting to watch Hans Zimmer live and being right in front of the stage!!

☆ Oh, and one last thing. This technically has nothing to do with me but is too cute not to share.
My baby cousin was born in September.

I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 22

Happy, free, confused, and lonely, at the same time.

It's miserable and magical. 

I haven't written here in a while. Here are some updates filling in the gaps from the last 3 years:

1. I finished my Diploma in Music at LASALLE with a performance that I was proud of. Those 3 years were so full of conflicts but at the end of it, I'm grateful that I learnt so much. Not just on my musical practice, but also on how to differentiate true friends from the fake, the importance of being happy being alone, as well as how to find the bravery to share my stories with the world.



2. I referenced a family tragedy in one of the pieces I performed for that recital, and in a callback later that year, helped perform the monologue for my cousin's dance performance. That performance was very emotional and felt so important because of how much those words meant to her and how much it meant for us to perform together in that capacity.

3. I'm currently continuing at LASALLE in the BA Music programme, but this time majoring in composition and arranging instead of popular music performance.

4. I went out on dates for the first time.

5. I started working as a violin teacher and a primary school tutor.

6. I got to watch Bruno Mars, Halsey, Foster the People and Snarky Puppy live in concert.

7. I had a blast at F1 for the last 2 years, and I'm definitely going again this year. I've had so much fun, especially at the Singapore GP, in 2017 not just getting to see the cars and drivers up close, but also getting to watch OneRepublic, Lianne La Havas and Duran Duran live. And in 2018, finally getting to meet Lewis Hamilton, as well as making so many new friends at the track. More on that here. 

8. I actually walked around by myself to explore Sultanahmet, Istanbul in December. Something I would never have found the courage to do 2 years ago.

9. I was chosen to become part of the Daisie 100 via this performance.



10. I've been involved in recordings as a sessionist a couple of times, including one track for Krysta Joy's upcoming debut EP.

11. I performed at Esplanade Concert Hall for the first time earlier this year in February, with Malaysian reggae band Gerhana Skacinta for their 20th Anniversary Concert.

UP NEXT: I'll be performing at Marina Bay Sands next Thursday for the S3 final of

ASIA'S GOT TALENT!

How to Fall

{ 19th April 2017 }

I performed one of my pieces solo for this year's recital.

Told a story through loops and a monologue.

This is a transcript of that monologue.
Oh, the reason why I suddenly switched to Mandarin at the beginning was because the person this was about was there and I chickened out. Half of my mind started frantically translating the whole monologue to Mandarin before the other half of my mind took over, told me to breathe, and be brave.

Update: 18th June 2018
This was my submission for the Daisie 100, here's the synopsis that accompanied it:
This performance was for my 2nd year college recital. It details a friendship that I hoped could become something more, but ultimately disappointed and hurt me.
This performance marked a growth in myself as an artist and a person. It was the first time I was able to let myself and all the emotion I had hoarded within me go. The first time I finally found the courage to share my true feelings with the world. The first time I performed something that was honest, that was true, that was real, that was me.
It also documents the last time I held on to these feelings, as after this I finally found the strength to move on from this person.

~

One day, all of this will just be another story to tell.

Unwritten

I'm heading to college tomorrow so I don't know when I'll be able to blog here again, though I will try to do it once a month at the very least, but no promises, I have literally no idea what my schedule will be like.

In the meantime, you can follow me here and there:

Instagram | Tumblr | YouTube | Letterboxd

Guess Who?

{ 2nd September 2013 }
This is a song for someone I should have written for a long time ago. It's really bad and has 2 NSFW words but I don't really care.
-- SoundCloud recording here --

~ Verse #1 ~

3 days, 2 nights,
15 hundred meters high.
This kinda thing, not allowed.
But frankly, I didn't care.

We had to write notes,
For each other and I
Slipped a hidden message
That I didn't share.

I told my friends what I wrote
In everyone's but yours,
And not cause I was lost for words.
It's because I hid a tiny little secret in yours.

Wishing for Tomorrow

{18th October 2010}
A poem that turned into a song that I wrote for someone who really doesn't matter anymore.

Wishing for Tomorrow.

Whatever, life

"When you're ten, they call you a prodigy. When you're fifteen, they call you a genius. Once you hit twenty, you're just an ordinary person. About three years until I'm ordinary." ~ Nanase Haruka, Free!
I can't believe I'm quoting a gay swimming anime. This is what my life has come to.

So... I've decided to do the one thing I swore never to do... pursue music as a future career path. =_="
Yup. I don't know if I'm being smart or stupid, oh well, I guess I'll find out 10 years down the road.
And yeah, if you follow that quote, by then I'll be really ordinary.
To be honest, the reason why I decided to choose music is partly because I want to live in Singapore.

I've been posting a lot on YouTube and SoundCloud lately, and I'm loving the response that I'm getting. Of course, this blog has been doing pretty well in getting views as well.

The audition for the college I want to get into is in February, the intake will only be in August.
So in between I have a LOT of free time, except for March-May, I have to attend National Service. XP

In the meantime, I have a few musical projects that I will definitely try to complete before March.
And I might offer myself up as musician / arranger / teacher for hire during the month of January till February.

I'll update this post when I'm feeling more inspired to wax lyrical.
It's late.

The 30-Day Studio Ghibli Challenge

I've had this post lying around my drafts for more than a year now. It took so long because of the gif hunting involved. I wanted to start editing it again after this happened, but yeah, had exams. For some reason, the middle of my SPM seems like a good time to post this long overdue post. Whatever.
I'll come back and edit it later.

Day 1: First Studio Ghibli movie?

Spirited Away.

To those who wait

{29th August 2014}
The little essay mentioned here has been returned for the day. Scroll down for writer's thoughts. Here it is, as written.

          It is almost dusk, I am waiting for her at the corner of the street. She has just landed in the country and she sent me a message asking me to wait here for her, the place where we last saw each other. It is cold, I wrap myself tightly in the scarf she gave me before she left, it still smells faintly of her perfume. I lean against the lamp post, tilting my head upwards to watch the sun say its final farewells. I close my eyes, and the memories begin to flow.

Scribble Something

{6th August 2014}
I haven't been writing much lately. I don't think it was writer's block, I think it was just me being too lazy to think about something to write. I doubt that I will ever write a book, I just don't have the discipline, a collection of poems maybe. After at least a year of no new material, I finally wrote a poem. Like most of my poems, it comes off as more of a song, which like most of my poems, it is. I used to compile all my writing (especially my poems) in this notebook.

Poetic Musings, by Rachel Wong Yen Yi.

But at one point I was writing a lot, almost two poems everyday, so I couldn't be bothered to update it, so now I just type them out and save them online. Which is easier, and dare I say it, better.

And so my wait begins

Today was my SPM (Malaysian O-levels) trial English writing exam. We have to write 2 essays, one directed, the other continuous.There are 5 topics to choose for the continuous writing question.
I chose: Write a story ending with, "All good things come to those who wait."

I wrote a love story. I have been reading a lot of shoujo manga lately and I watch Legend of Korra so the elements and many of the little moments are undoubtedly stolen from there, so it is in no way original. Unfortunately, I will not be able to share it until the paper is returned. Here's the first paragraph as a "preview":

     It is almost dusk, I am waiting for her at the corner of the street. She has just landed in the country and she sent me a message asking me to wait here for her, the place where we last saw each other. It is cold, I wrap myself tightly in the scarf she gave me before she left, it still smells faintly of her perfume. I lean against the lamp post, tilting my head upwards to watch the sun say its final farewells. I close my eyes, and the memories begin to flow.

There was something else I wanted to post but I lost the notebook I wrote it in. *sobs*

Update: (11th September 2014)
I got back the paper.
I got full marks.

A Melodious Symphony

I am so glad I was wrong.

Here's the program.

The time was short and long at the same time.

Unexpectedly, a lot of people turned up, so many that there weren't enough chairs! It was a great surprise because on Monday, less than 400 tickets were sold; Wednesday: 530+; Friday: 750+; and on Sunday itself, at least 1000. Almost everyone from my class turned up, they all sat in one row. They cheered for the band girls. I am very thankful that all my friends turned up.

I guess my conducting was slightly better. I was satisfied with my playing. Everyone played very well. There was finally percussion for Love Story meets Viva La Vida, and it was good. Apparently Frozen was quite good, I had fun, the only thing wrong with it was the PA system which totally sucked. It appears that our Pomp & Circumstance was better than the other school's. Everyone started clapping before the end of that, Instant Concert, and Can-Can. Unwisely, we did not prepare for an encore. So when the audience roared for one, I told Kam Yan to do Can-Can again.

The band girls kept speeding up the tempo for Can-Can, which we strings found hilarious because they were basically making life difficult for themselves. In the end we laughed together, with the strings laughing at the band, and the band laughing at us laughing. :D

It was amazing. All of us are so proud. The cheers and screams from the crowd were everything. We were so proud and high after that. Everyone wished we could do it all over again. Working so hard and putting everything all out there for the whole world to see was scary but liberating. Thank you all for this. <3

Get in line. For once, I was the one getting her picture taken. It's a very small, very vain thing, but it mattered to me. I got two bouquet of flowers, one from my mom, the other from the emcees.

My only regret: forgetting to take a photo with my lover/cellist, Xin Ying, who played the part of Hans for Love Is An Open Door while I played Anna's part. T_T But having only one regret is miles better than having a dozen. I am very thankful for that.

More photos here.

{7th to 8th July: Monday - Tuesday} Aftermath on Facebook and Instagram.
{9th July: Wednesday} An article about our concert popped up in the state section of the national Chinese newspaper.
{11th July: Friday} AJK meeting to decide on next year's committee.
{12th July: Saturday} AGM.
{14th July: Monday} Our last day at Symphony.

Reflections
The beginning
The finale
National Music Camp @ Langkawi Island (June 2013)
International Music Festival @ Genting Highlands (November 2013)
National Music Camp @ Penang Island (December 2013)
National Competition @ Penang Island (March 2013)

The end of this concert also means the end of my time with the AMC Symphony Orchestra. I know I should be sad, but instead I'm really happy. Thanks to this concert, I now know that I can win at life sometimes. Thanks to this concert, I have absolutely no regrets about the biggest and most constant part of my secondary school life. This is the end of the line, but also the beginning of a new one. I started this whole journey on a low note, and the last week was a whirlwind of emotions, mostly negative. I am glad and grateful that it ended on such a high note. I am happy that I can still smile at the end of an era.

Thank you. It was truly A Melodious Symphony.

Burning Red

{11th June ~ 8:50 - 10:10}
THE TAYLOR SWIFT CONCERT IS OVER. *CRIES* WHYYYYYYYYYY????!!!!!
Ok firstly: It ended too quickly, and she didn't sing enough songs from Red.
BUT ANYWAY, THE GOOD THINGS.

This was my very first concert, and I totally loved the experience.
My brother and I went early to check out the place and buy merchandise before the crowds arrived. There were already people waiting in line, it was 2PM. I bought a shirt, a baton, and a guitar pick set.
Then after waiting around at our hotel, we came back and it was SHOWTIME.
People who walked right in front of me: The 2nd Asia's Next Top Model, and Taylor Swift's mom.

Incredibly Unmotivated

I am barely halfway through my mid-year exams. I honestly haven't studied much (read: at all) and for some reason, I don't care. Not one bit. Instead, I've been sailing through the afternoons, weekends and holidays with zero regard of the time I've wasted. I don't know what's wrong with me at the moment. I have forgotten to bring my calculator twice already. I have reasons to be afraid, of all the subjects I'm certain to fail, of the consequences once the results are released. But I'm not. For the moment, I could care less.

Instead of thinking about the now, I'm thinking about the future.
And oh, what a very selective future it is.

I've fast-forward to Taylor Swift's concert in June, which my brother and I will be attending. I'm constantly thinking about the symphony orchestra concert in July. And most of all, I keep thinking about what I'm going to do after I finish secondary school (i.e. high school).

Previously, I entertained the thought of going to Singapore to Study. To do the IB diploma in Wen Yi's school (UWCSEA) and then do BA (Hons) Film at LASALLE College of the Arts.
Yup, I've decided that I want to work in the film industry, a field infamous for its high unemployment rates, even among the arts scene.

However, after doing a lot of research, I realised that a film degree doesn't guarantee a job in the film industry. Which is why I've decided to study communications, which can help me find work in the industry, but also give me something to fall back on if it doesn't work out. And maybe doing an MA or MFA in filmmaking, most likely in the US since TischAsia no longer exists. Sigh.

My father is recommending the University of Nottingham for BA (Hons) International Communication Studies with Film and Television Studies because he thinks highly of the university and think I will enjoy studying it. However, I'm more interested in UCSI University's BA (Hons) Mass Communication, because it will allow me to major in Film and Television in the final year and I will definitely be able to make actual short films, unlike the former option.

Mr Lee (my violin teacher) is a lecturer there so maybe he can give me some valuable insight of the environment and the quality there. I don't think a music degree will be good for me, but I definitely want to get my diploma in violin and start learning the piano again, so that I have something else to fall back on. Yup, music is my ultimate back-up plan.

But anyway, I have no idea how I'm going to climb out of this rut I've stuck myself in. Any advice for now and for my future is extremely welcome.

Also, it is very likely that I will end up rewatching Her and Moonrise Kingdom later, instead of studying for whatever subject I'm taking tomorrow. *Sigh*

Here are the things I've done so far instead of studying:

• Blog about not studying.
• Watch TV shows with the pretext of admiring the actual production as a form of studying for the future.
• Play 2048, repeatedly. (Side note: I won.)
• Play the same songs on the piano over and over again.
• Play the same song on the violin over and over again.
• Practise The Moon Song on the ukulele.
• Tidy my desk.
• Begin tidying the rest of my room.
• Research for the future.
• Plan for the concert.
• Tumblr.
• Scroll down Twitter and constantly unfollow and follow users.
• Basically everything except study.

Many Happy Returns

I am happy and sad and everything in between. My birthday was on the 26th, during the mid-term school holidays. I still had to go to school because our Symphony Orchestra was going for a competition in Penang the very next day. I'm the concertmistress of Team A (playing the Prince of Egypt) and the conductor of Team B (playing Pocahontas). I spent most of rehearsal time with Team B. That morning, I was in the classroom with them, about to begin practice when suddenly, everyone from Team A came in.

At first, I thought they wanted to listen to Team B's performance, and asked them as much. Then, my good friends Kam and Shum walked in with a birthday cake and they all started singing the birthday song. I was really surprised and also really pleased. It's the first time ever someone surprised me that way. Then I blew out the candles and Kam cut the cake (her b'day: 28/3). We made the cake a mess but had fun smearing the cream on each other's faces. The cake was a mocha sponge cake. After that, it was business as usual.

Here is my Tumblr post complete with photos.

After rehearsal, So Jun came to pick me up to take me out. She was a little late, but never mind. After we dropped her friend off, I got out to get in the front seat. She had dropped my present beside the door (by accident) so when I opened it, she asked me if I could pick up something she dropped from beside my seat. And that's how I got my present. Easily the best birthday present EVER. I don't deserve it, but she says I do. Either way, I was really touched, especially by the little note she wrote for me. We went to Jusco, had Secret Recipe for lunch and she bought me these really cute charms. I skipped violin that day. (Shhh!!!)

For dinner, Dad bought crab and we watched The Avengers. Dad's birthday presents were tickets to Taylor Swift's concert in June and the lomography camera (but apparently, that's my pay for doing his website). Also, he bought me scallop pasta from Indulgence for lunch earlier.

The next day was the 27TH and THE DAY OF OUR COMPETITION. I was nervous the whole day for Team B, in the end they got bronze, as expected after their performance. Oh yeah, apparently my partner from the Genting friendship concert shares the same birthday as me. ANYWAY. THEN IT WAS TEAM A'S TURN. AND MY GOD WE WERE GOOD. All smiles after we left the hall. But during the presentation ceremony, we got... silver. I've never felt so deflated in my life. WE DESERVED GOLD. And it's not just me, some other schools also mentioned that we should have gotten gold. Heck, even the school that goes out of their way to say how much we suck said we should have gotten gold.

On the bus, I listened to the audio our senior (Mei Ern) recorded. I CRIED. IT WAS PERFECT. REGARDLESS OF THE RESULTS, I AM PROUD OF US AND THE FIVE YEARS WE DEVOTED TO THIS ORCHESTRA. NO REGRETS.

Also had a long talk with Mei Ern and Kam and we went to this totally useless shopping centre which totally killed our mood completely. But later we sang and stuff so we were pretty high by the time we arrived back in school. Also got a Doraemon from my junior.

28th: Kam's birthday present from me was a message attached with a collage. I had to go to school to do oral, my cinematography is good. Then Junqi took me out to AEON, had lunch at Nando's, watched Captain America, took the worst photo in history.

30th: Watched Divergent with Carmen and Cassandra. Did those Kawaii photo thingies. Had lunch after at Sakae Sushi.

It was a jolly holiday indeed.

31st March + 1st April: I received birthday cards from my three Mouseketeers. Oh yeah, even our coach thought we were gonna get gold, he was shocked when I asked him why we didn't.

The Sea of He And She, a tragic romance

{4th July 2012}
Junqi wanted to write a poem together so this is what happened, and I sent it to the school magazine for last year. According to her, I shouldn't have added her name to the credit, because I wrote most of it, but she did help, and it was her idea. So... I think most of our schoolmates liked it, even though it's a bit melancholy. There are a few mistakes, but I still like it.

This is the story of he and she,

They lived in a village by the sea.

The villagers said it was destiny,

But it turned out it was not meant to be.

He the sailor,

She the fisherman's daughter.

The first day of summer,

The first day they saw each other.

She was known as a great beauty.

Each day, she would swim in the great blue sea.

One day, as he stood on deck drinking tea,

He dropped his cup, mesmerized by her beauty.

By the end of the season, they were wed.

They had great pleasures while in bed.

You may think they were happy but this is sad,

This happy tale is about to end bad.

Each morning, she still went swimming.

Her beauty still blossomed even with her aging.

She became so beautiful till one day,

Even the sea couldn't turn away.

That evening, she did not return.

The cause of her disappearance, he vowed to learn.

As the night went on he began to despair.

He ran towards the sea, hoping to find her there.

He walked along the shore, desperate to find a trace.

Instead the sea washed up her ring, he began to pace.

Up and down the beach he went,

His frustrations, he began to vent.

Close to dawn, a conclusion came to my mind.

The mere thought brought tears to his eyes.

He realized that the sea had finally claimed her as its own.

Struck by the horror, he began to moan.

He looked out into the sea and thought,

A life without her, worth living? Not.

And so he walked into the sea,

Hoping that he would find his she.

Nothing was heard of them since then,

And at last our tragic tale has come to an end.

The writing utensil

{This is my script for my English oral assignment, which is a show-and-tell. I was supposed to present it on Tuesday but our teacher forgot about it so I'll only be presenting it next Tuesday. I wrote it on Monday. I didn't want to show anything fancy, because we are not allowed to bring certain things like mobile phones to school. I wanted something simple, so I chose my pen and decided to talk about how important my pen is to me.}

Good morning, etc.

This is a pen. I used it to write, obviously. It's nothing special, it's not magic or anything. And as you can see, it's running out of ink. I use it to do my homework: writing down equations, scribbling out essays, doodling.

But I also use it for so much more.

Bonne année

Christmas and New Year rolled into one.
My Christmas wasn't a very merry one. New Year will most likely be the same.
I've had a bit of thought about what I want to do after next year.
It drives me crazy getting old.

This dream isn't feeling sweet, we're reeling through the midnight streets.
And I've never felt more alone, it feels so scary getting old.

I'll be spending even less time here. I don't feel bad about that at all. This should be the way.
I have quite a few resolutions, which I have written in my diary but will not be sharing here.
I don't know if I have the diligence, dedication and determination to fulfill them, however.
But I've run out of time, I have no choice but to turn over a new leaf.

Looking back on this year, I don't think I've learnt much from school. But I've learnt quite a bit outside, elsewhere. The world is not in our books, it's out there.

This year, there are a lot of things I want and have to do. No more wasting time, this is my last chance.

School starts day after tomorrow.

I can only hope that I will take myself seriously this year.

Good luck, Rachel Océane Wong Yen Yi.

Happy New Year.

Let It Go

This blog post's title is a reference to the award-winning-song-it's-destined-to-be from Disney's Frozen, as well as a subtle reminder for myself to let go of last year's Oscar snub for Rise of the Guardians. No, I have not gotten over it yet. *cries*
But another awards season is rolling around, and it's time to pay attention to a new set of animated feature films. Sigh.
Also, I've noticed that my readership has expanded somewhat since commenting on articles on Rookie, so if you got to this blog from there, HI! And please let me know what you like or don't like about my blog via the comments.

I watched Frozen on Thursday with my dad and we were both blown away by how great it was. It started off with a musical number and had some pretty good plot twists though being me I spotted them a mile away. The music was amazing, particularly the score by Christophe Beck. I expected Olaf the talking snowman to be annoying (you can blame/thank Shrek's Donkey for that) but he was funny and we rolled around in our seats laughing. I didn't really appreciate the trolls and I was disappointed by the lack of a big company number as a finale. But all in all, really beautiful animation, even though I like the ice animation in Rise of the Guardians better. (Because I'm BIASED, remember?) Also, Elsa seems like the Disney version of Jack Frost. The music deserves nominations in Best Score and Best Song, with at least one win for Best Song. The voice acting was top notch, and the singing even better. Also, brownie points for being the first female to direct a full-length Disney animated feature film as well the sole writer of the entire screenplay. You go, Jennifer Lee. This is easily the best animated film of the year.

As a reward for reading the review, here's the video for "Let It Go", just in case you haven't seen it yet. And even if you have, watch it again because Idina Menzel. (Defying gravity, anyone?) Best viewed in full screen and in 1080p HD.

As a side note, I think the only reason why I pay so much attention to the animation category is because that's pretty much the only Academy award category in which I have watched all the nominated films.

Here are some of the awards and the nominees so far. Yes, I was incredibly biased in choosing which awards to display.

Annie Awards: Best Animated Feature

• A Letter to Momo (GKIDS - Japanese)
• Despicable Me 2 (Illumination/Universal)
• Ernest & Celestine (GKIDS - French)
• Frozen (Disney)
• Monsters University (Pixar)
• The Croods (DreamWorks)
• The Wind Rises (Studio Ghibli)

Golden Globe Awards: Best Animated Feature Film

• The Croods
• Despicable Me 2
• Frozen, also nominated for Best Song
• (The Wind Rises was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film)

Satellite Awards: Best Animated or Mixed Media Film

• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (Sony)
• The Croods
• Epic (Blue Sky/20th Century Fox)
• Ernest & Celestine
• Frozen
• Monsters University
• Turbo (DreamWorks)
• The Wind Rises

P.S. I just realised Rise of the Guardians won the Satellite Award last year, this makes me happy.

I am in total agreement with the statement that this has actually been a pretty weak year for animation, most of the releases were sequels. (Pixar, I'm looking at you.) Especially in comparison to last year, where the best animated feature race was actually a proper race with many strong contenders. This year, it looks like Frozen's gonna take home the award without any competition. But anyway, this is an Oscar noms prediction, not an Oscar win prediction. So here, assuming that there will be five.

Locks:

1. Frozen (Disney)
2. Monsters University (Pixar)
   Just because they're Disney and Pixar, but this round, Disney definitely deserves it.
3. The Croods (DreamWorks)
   I seriously doubt they'll snub Jeffrey Katzenberg two years in a row.

Possibility: The Wind Rises (Studio Ghibli)
I actually doubt this, I just don't want the others to have a place on the list.

Leaving:

• Epic (Blue Sky/20th Century Fox)
• Despicable Me 2 (Illumination/Universal)
• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (Sony)

And possibly Walking with Dinosaurs and the two GKIDS films (A Letter to Momo, Ernest & Celestine) to pick up the scraps. I have a feeling that there might only be three nominations this year.

Whoa, this article actually took a lot longer to write than I thought it would.

References:
Whoa, check it out! I'm learning how to cite other sources!
~ Indiewire: For Oscar nom predictions.
~ SFGate: For further reading.
~ Various Wikipedia articles

UPDATE (17th January 2014):
I WAS WRONG. Pixar is losing its mojo, but Frozen will still win.

Dreamsand Miracles, a letter to Dreamworks Animation

{14th January 2013}
A fan letter for Rise of the Guardians.

To the lovely person who took the time to read this letter,

Hello. My name is Rachel, I am 15 years old and I come from Malaysia. In case you don't know where that is, it is a country in South East Asia. I am writing regarding the beautiful animated film that is Rise Of The Guardians.

     Maybe none of you will read this, but I just want everyone involved in the production of this film to know how much I appreciate the love and effort that they put into this film. I may just be one person, but I am pretty sure that I am not alone in thinking this.

     This is the first time I cried while watching a movie. And what is truly amazing is that I wasn't crying because I was sad, I was crying because I was so happy. Yes, this film made me shed tears of pure joy. This was the part where Jamie started believing in Jack Frost. Maybe it was partly due to Alexandre Desplat's score, which was beautiful in every way imaginable, but all I know was that Jack Frost's moment of recognition touched me in so many ways. All his life, nobody knew he existed, nobody cared about him, and the only thing he wanted so badly was to be believed in. Somehow, I can relate to that. Feeling alone in this world, and never receiving any attention or any form of recognition from anyone. And when Jack Frost and Jamie faced each other and looked at each other, I don't know why but it was just so moving I teared up and cried right there in the theatre, which I have never done. I was just so happy for Jack, he waited for so long to receive even just a tiny shred of recognition, and he finally received it. It was pure cinematic magic.

     Seriously, I have no idea what the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is doing, excluding Rise Of The Guardians from the nominations for Best Animated Feature. In my most humble opinion, this film is an epic classic that deserves that Oscar (as well as any other awards) way more than all the other movies combined.

     So once again, thank you, thank you, and thank you for making the most beautiful film I have ever seen, animated or live-action. It has made me once again believe in magic, hope, wonder and fun, things I have forgotten and stopped believing in as I grew up. It has made me believe that one day, we will all get our happy ending, one way or another. No other film has made me feel as much as I did as the Rise Of The Guardians. Somehow, I have a feeling that DreamWorks has found the magic that several other animation studios have lost. I sincerely hope that there will be a sequel for this movie, because I am really looking forward to seeing Jamie, Jack, Tooth, Bunny, Sandy, North, and maybe even Pitch on the big screen again. And once more, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

{P.S. 19th & 23rd July 2013}

     In March, I received the Guardians of Childhood books as a birthday present. (To be honest, I requested for it specifically.) At first I was a bit hesitant. A 16 year old reading a children's book isn't really considered "cool". But I thought, whatever. I wanted to read it, so I did.

     And I loved it. (The series is now among my favourite books of all time.)

     When I first wrote this letter, it was to thank the filmmakers who made the film. I never thought of thanking the creator of the world. Now, I can't believe I never thought about it until now.

Thank you Mr Joyce,

     Thanks to you, I know I'm no longer alone at night. Thanks to you, I will always see the world with my eyes open in wonder, and let my mind wander and imagine. Thanks to you, I will never give up, I will keep on hoping, I will keep on believing that tomorrow will be a better day. Thank you.

     Thinking about Mary Katherine and Jackson, I think they're very lucky to have a dad who loves them so much. And I'd like to think that wherever she is, MK would be proud of the things her dad's given the rest of us. Hope, belief and wonder.

Thank you all.

When I write a letter thanking someone for something they have done, it's because that something brought me out from a deep dark hole and shined a bright light into the vast emptiness of my life, that something cheered me up, brought me happiness, inspired me and became a part of my dream.