Books, books, and more books.

As I just remembered here is the book list for books I plan to read over break. (Click read more ↓)

-The Tale of Despereaux
-The Diamond of Darkhold
-and possibly Toradora! the light novel Vol. 1

Yay books!

First and Last-Minute Memories

Yesterday was the last day for HTH to stay in Mater Dei, and I have to say, I'm going to miss it a lot. The one brick wall, the oddly divided window panels, the space under the stairs, the space of the classroom, so many things to miss. Especially the view from the second floor. Oh, I should've taken a picture of that one corner landscape!


One of thing that I'm going to miss most would be the slab we ate on during lunch, by the lawn on the school. Then there's the field, so half-dead with brown grass. Running barefoot across it during The Bee. Then there's the back hallway where we used to eat until Ray kicked us out. The haunted house exhibit, the radio station that came that one day and mostly everyone ignored it. I remember talking to Michelle the first day of school asking where my class were. I remember telling Patrick that I might not be in that class, and everyone laughed. Then my transfer to Team Vista. Or rather, Team Vista Spanish.

The Spanish music video, the Creative Expression sessions, the Egyptian Ratscrew games, the lunch in the rain, I've been through thick and thin with Seton Hall and I'm gonna miss it. Like those last memories of the half end of school. Ted telling everyone to settle down, the "I've never ever" game which I might have lied on ;), and the uncovered truths and hilarious dares: Daniel's proposal to Kay, Josh sniffing Anja's hair like a stalker, and Mallory jumping into Ted's arms. xD All these memories are priceless, and I will very much miss our old campus.

And with that I bid Mater Dei, adieu.

Lunch in the rain

Today's lunch has got to be the most awesomest one ever! No it wasn't because I had my favorite food or because lunch was extended so that we wouldn't have 4th and 5th periods. It was simple. It was raining. And I was in it. And it was FUN! First, me and my riend Denise had our lunch in Kay's classroom, then we went outside. We took the back hallway to the front staircase, and we kinda just hung around a bit, talked. After that, we went out to the courtyard and walked back to the classroom. We met Sebastian and Caitlin on the way there and we went over to the concrete slab that we usually sat on. It was so cool because the security lady was in a yellow poncho and she was just watching us in the hallway, all wierd like. Denise and I headed upstairs for a little while to check up on ourselves in the bathroom, then we went back down. A Mater Dei kid was staring at us from his classroom. x] Then we went back in and showed people how wet we were, and Kay was smiling. Then we went outside again to get wet even more, then we found Holly and told her that we went out in the rain, (as if it wasn't obvious enough) then she told us we were AWESOME, and then we talked to Ted, then class started. One of my friends told me that I looked like I got hazed with a swirly. x]

Then after school, I jumped in a huge ouddle and everyone stared at me funny and I got my friends wet x] The end.

P.S. I LOVE YOU! x]]]]]]]]] (inside joke)

Overdue Post: Debate Day

Hello all, this post was actually to be done yesterday, but I slacked off. But I deserved it! The debate was tough!

So ma and my mom are driving, and I come in at like 8:20, because we got lost. After a pep talk from Kay and her sister, we were off to our first debate round. Walking around in my suit kind of made me feel like a freak show because every single person was staring. It was the first time that made me feel like I was a high school student x]

Vs. Stud Muffins GS

Me and Anja were the Negative team, up against Gary and Luis (one of my Spanish music video partners), who were doing Nuclear energy. It was cool and our judges were nice. It was funny because during Cross-Examination, I kept writing questions on sticky-notes and giving them to Anja while she was questioning them. x] We were kind of unprepared for the rebuttals, but we did okay. But Luis just blew us away when he was giving the last rebuttal. He was so passionate andit seemed like he was strongly for nuclear energy. Then our round ended, both teams got constructive critisism and almost everyone on bothe teams but me had to go to the bathroom. This round and all our other rounds ended really early actually.

Vs. Stud Muffins BP

Then we were Affirmative against Josh P. and Arielle. We did pretty well, but I think all of us kind of lost it when a class came in and everyone was just staring at us. We were like, "ZOMG, middle schoolers, looking at us like O.o" Then after what seemed like forever, they gave us applause and left. Anja's mom who was watching us told me and Anja that one kid was really into the debate and when they left, he said" Tell the Democratic team, good luck for me!" We kind of had some trouble because while we tried our best to respond, the Negative team barely said anything, and it didn't give us a lot to work off of. Round ended early and it was off to lunch.

Lunch

Me and Anja came a little early, so we kind just hung out awhile, till Holly told us that there was pizza, so me, Gary, and 2 other people went to get the pizza, and we were almost in trouble because we weren't allowed in the judges' area and we had to pass through. It was good.

Vs. Stud Muffins BF

Then we were Negative against Catarina and Desiree. It was fun and they got in trouble because the kept laughing when I was giving one of my speeches and I was all like "Wind turbines are UGLY." I guess me forcing myself to be more passionate just made me look more like an idiot up there. One of the judges was really cool, because he joked around a bit and he even made the otehr team apologize for laughing when I was talking. Sure, everyone else did, but that was like, "Ha ha, okay back to buisness." We finished early as usual and we went off to our next round.

Vs. Stud Muffins DP

Finally, the last round, Affirmative against Mariah and Caitlin. We did okay, our judge didn't really say anything and he wasn't timing us or anything. But they like creamed us during Cross Examination. But I kind of reflected Caitlin's questiong about plants and photosynthesis. I don't remember how it went, but I do remember saying, "So you're saying that humans have the ability to do photosynthesis?" It was fun, and we were really friendly to each other afterwards.

Finals: Flying Pigs BJ vs. Stud Muffins AK

The finals was a round where it would determine who was going to be put in 1st and 2nd place. Same with the Semi-Finals, but with 3rd and 4th place. Nothing really to report, but we did try to go see the Semi-finals during the Finals, but Kay wouldn't let us.

Awards

It was fun. I was kind of actually suprised to get another award other than participation. I got the 3rd Place Speaker Award, which was so cool. It means that I had the 3rd most speaker points, because during our rounds, the judges would fill out a ballot where they would give us points on how well we did and who they would vote for. I had a jelly donut afterwards (:

Then I went home to change, and I went to Mallory's party. It was fun, we played white elephant, had a piggy-back ride race, played charades, and talked to other people. It was fun (:

OK, another reading journal entry

I finished New Moon yesterday while sitting in a Supercuts for like 2 1/2 hours waiting for my turn. Fortunately, I got my haircut and finished the book. The ending was all mushy-gushy as always but the fact that people were killed back in Volterra kind of looms over that.

When Bella first saw Edward about to walk out in the sun, he was shirtless right? Then after they went down into the drain, he was still shirtless right? And then right before they left and he got that cloak from that one dude, he STILL was shirtless, right? That's a bit odd, even for a vampire. But I'm not a vampire so I wouldn't know. I felt so sad when those tourists came in though. especially that old woman with the rosary. Do they become vampires afterwards? Or do they just die? Then the trip back home. I guess Bella's too tired to notice some of the probably gawking-at-Edward drooling girls. x] Alice was awesome yet again, but I don't think I would want to get her angry. I mean, she's one of those people who would look all happy all the time, and when you got them upset, she would give out this freaky aura that tells you that something is wrong. Very wrong. Kind of like Mori the butler from the Haruhi Suzumiya series.

Aro and the other we're kind of cool I guess. In my mind, they were the show-offy too gorgeous-to-be-true albino stuck-ups. Then there was that one human woman. Kind of odd, but I guess she was just a really minor character. Course she could've been substituted with a vampire, but that would take away some answers.

And of course, Jacob. The bike part was hilarious in my view. Charlie just screaming, no, bursting with anger. And when Edward kept answering Jacob's answers before he said them was funny too. So yeah, the two odd vampire-human couple are gonna get married. I think. Their child is going to be interesting to look at.

And by the way, I'm taking a hiatus from this series, only because I want to take a break from vampire love and delve into something else. The Mars series looks interesting...

The Weirdest Dream

Okay, so I had a weird dream last night and here it goes:

I was somewhere watching TV, and I saw this mob on the news. The mob was HUGE! Like, the camera from the chopper couldn't fit them all. Then terrorists came out and started shooting people! Of course it was all bloody and everyone started running away. The camera zoomed in on Obama, who for some reason was in the mob, and Ted and a couple other people. And they got shot. I was like, "No way!" And throwing kind of a fit in front of a TV. Then the point of view went to Nicholas Cage looking like Old Snake, who had to get some files in a folder in a burning high-rise hotel, next to a laptop. He gets in, gets the folder and exits to the hallway outside the room. There he is greeted by Naomi and they move to the catwalk staircase that old buildings have in case of fires. She offers him a way out then everything goes black. 

Now, he, or me now, is in New York city trying to get on a bus. I think Moseby from The Suite Life came in and tried to get a bus to stop but I don't remember so clearly. Suddenly, out of nowhere, protesters holding picket signs were trying to tell people to not buy Pokemon stuff. W argue with the protesters, saying how little kids love them and the merchandise was perfect for Christmas and then get on a bus after the first one skipped up. The bus somehow made the transition to an amusement park ride you would find in a park. The track was a desert jungle. Lots of trees but lots of cacti. I rode it twice with my cousin, I think, then got off met with my friends, saw a computer with Holly's DP on it and went to a bathroom. There was a big muscular guy going into a stall and my friends we're peeking in for some reason. The stalls were really long, like it would be a mansion hallway length to get to the toilet from the stall door. There would also be benches on the way there, I guess if the person had the full-bladder tolerance to be tired. Then I woke up (:

Oh yeah! I got a haircut today, but I have no pictures x] You'll get to see on Monday though :D

'Tis the season to panic...

Oh, jeez, I'm not gonna finish, I'm not gonna finish, I'm gonna fail, I have so much to do, will I get it done in time?

Do these thoughts sound familiar to you? It does to me. Remember my scrapbook project for my East Coast Trip back in 8th grade? Well, now I'm handling more projects than last time. 2 more bringing it to a total of 3. Joy. My Spanish project was a music video that took me 3 hours to edit which gave me a mondo headache afterward. Kind of like my 8th grade music video project but more stressful. However, we still managed to submit it on time and it was good.

Then there's the Math/Physics wind turbine project where a couple of my partners have some issues about the specifications about the turbine. We decided on a blade design, so that's good. Me and my other partner have practically don't have anything to do, since we can't exactly construct our blade without a mold and liquid fiberglass. I was looking at more Hashima (or Gunkangima) Island pictures, and set one as my background. xD

For Humanities, we have a debate/exhibition coming up at a middle school near my house. It's not as far as my high school so I'm good. Me and my partner are doing good, but there are some things that we can catch up on.

And now for the real reason I created this post: my group's music video from Spanish.

LoGiCal FaLlAcIeS

Are you feeling hungry or tired? Then why don't you come down to the sea and eat a pineapple? They are rich in nutrients and eating it will make you have beautiful skin and beards and goatess and sideburns and all that other good stuff.

BUT WAIT! I thought pineapples give you a bladder infection?!


That's true! Don't be fooled by an apple with a 'pine' in front of it, that causes bladder infection! Eat a book instead! You'll be smarter and you will an extra toe! You will know everything that the book had. Even what was in the index and what the little crumbs in the spine came from! So what are you waiting for eat a book today! Call 1-800-555-BOOK for your free laptop and insurance consultation.
See? Like this baby! He's on the road to a smart and a healthy bladder life!

------------------------------------------------

This has been an example of a Logical Fallacy. This one is an example of Straw Man. It's when two people are arguing, and one arguer distracts the other by completely missing the point and not acknowledging the other's argument. For example, Person A says that wind turbines are expensive. Person B knows that wind turbines are expensive, but instead, he talks about how wind turbines are good for the environment and ignores the argument that wind turbines are expensive. Think about a dog that wants a bone but is distracted by a car or cat.

Hooray for Anime!

Well, here I am once again, posting up another blog post instead of doind homework. (: But that's what later is for! It's not important in the current time frame anyways. But this post will be about an anime that I found that is really ROFL funny. YOu heard me. Not "haha" funny. Not LOL funny. But ROFL funny. But since it's still airing, I think that it could bump up to ROFLMAO material.

The anime is called "Toradora!" and is a slice-of-life, shonen anime. The main character, Takasu Ryuuji, is a normal guy, but his peers are always avoiding him because he has eyes of a delinquent. All he wants is a girlfriend, particularly a girl in his class named Minori. But then on the first day of school, he bumps into Aisaka Taiga, or her other name "the Palmtop Tiger." Small in stature, she is the real delinquent. She angryly pushes Ruuji out of the way, and catch up with Minori who is apparently her friend. Later, it's revealed that Taiga has a crush on Ryuuji's friend Yuusaku. After a game of cat-and-mouse with a wooden sword at Ryuuji's apartment, the two agree to help each other in order to get each other's friends hearts.

The series actually originated from a light novel, much like the Haruhi Suzumiya series, and is available to read, on Baka-Tsuki.net. The anime is fairly new, only to have the 10th episode release on the 5th. Or in other words, this Friday. But since fansubbers, have to get to it and translate it, I need to wait a little longer to watch it. But hey, it's worth the wait (:

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Hello people of the internetz! Because this font looks appealing to me currently, I have decided to keep it. (:

Anyways, happy Thanksgiving everyone, hope you fill yourself to the brim with turkey and stuffing ;) I am currently at my auntie's house in Escondido right now, and my ither cousins just go here. There's an annoying beep going off in the kitchen, but I'm sure it's not the turkey (: Or maybe it is? idk. XD I will be sleeping over here the night, along with my brother and one of my cousins, if not all of them. I'm still kind of sick, not as stuffy a nose and slight coughs. I sleep better at night. But it's been raining a lot lately, which equals the cold in early morning, which kind of brings me back to earth, just barely. Don't get me wrong, I love the rain, and in fact it was rainging on the way here. But then of course there was a 3-car accident that clogged up the freeway, and held us up about 15 minutes, but whatever. Sadly, my parents are working today, but I'm happy and thankful that at least I have my cousins and brother. x]

Last night, I downloaded the Super Mario Galaxy OST, and I like it. The tracks range from half a minute to about 4 minutes. I downloaded the Platinum Version, which has all 82 tracks from the game on 2 CDs. I've been listening to it all since last night, and I barely reached the half-point song, without skipping any songs. There are a couple that I listened to again, only for the pure enjoyment of the track. (LMAO< my brother sounds tone deaf, trying to sing Dirty Little Secret x], he's playing Rock Band with some of my cousins upstairs, sorry. /random tangent) I like the music which makes me want Super Mario Galaxy even more, even though I borrowed it from my friend andfinished it. x] Still haven't found out the red star's secret or finished all the Purple Comets. Maybe I'll add that to my ever growing wish list :D

Happy Thanksgiving, have a good turkey day, where ever you are :)

Kyou wa kinyoubi....

[This blog post was meant to be written in Japanese, but the dumb school computers won't let me access the language bar]

Today is Friday. It's almost the start of Thanksgiving vacation. Yay! I get to sleep in. I don't think I have anything coming up, so yeah I'm good. But I have to stay after school today to shoot our dumb Spanish music video project. Blaaah. It's lunch time and I'm in Kay's class. Nothing interesting right now. But we're going against Raul (who owes me $2 for the glowsticks I gave him) and Manuel (who's in my group for the Spanish music project video thingy). My other teammates are Mallory (who I met during NYSLC) and Josh B. (who sits next to me in Spanish). Hooray for random facts! I think it's almost time to go, because lunch is almost over and people are coming in to the classroom. So this was kind of like a small update right now. (:

BTW, Denise says "Hi" and "What's up" and "Tee hee." xDDD
Anja says, "Bye-bii!"

I is a sickly child

Hello readers. :) I am alive and wanting to say that I have not become a mindless zombie that only puts up school work on his originally personal blog, which it still is. I have come to inform you that I have caught something bad. C.O.L.D., otherwise known as Coughin' On Life Disease. Or the flu. Or whatever it is. I don't know what it's called right now, neither do I care. I developed this irritating sickness sometime over the weekend, and it's only taken it about 4 days to cause me to become sluggish and slumpy-state. I actually want to keep going to school so that I won't have to make anything up, but my cold is really persistent and tempting to give in to. I would love to just stay in bed for a whole day, lying in the snot and germs that create my currently aggravated state. :p

In other news, I downloaded a new album called GAME by Perfume, a J-pop, electropop girl trio. I have to say, having Yasutaka Nakata as their producer could've been the best thing that they could've ever done. At first, I only liked Perfume a litle bit because their beats were all wierd and unfamiliar to me. But then Yasutaka Nakata from the duo capsule came aling, and it just skyrocketed. I'd love to give a link, but I kind of downloaded it for free. And I used BitTorrent, which is like a multifile downloader, so yeah. But then again, who doesn't? I love the song Puppy Love. The chorus is so catchy!

In other, other news, I am going on a field trip! In about 2-3 weeks, I will be visiting "Knight & Carver wind turbine blade repair and construction facility and the downtown library! Yay for libraries. And yay for wind power! *cough* blaargh. :imd: xPP It's going to be interesting, at least that's what my gut tells me.

To close off, I will present to you a video of what sounds like Palin singing. But if you maybe surf around YouTube, you can maybe find the original clip without the background music. I found two versions: one that just has text (which is greatly edited! and highly recommended), and another one that has an intro by Katie Couric (is that her last name?) Enjoy.




Love how she just goes "Oh!" right in the middle xDDD

Waste into energy. Wierd huh?

Wheelabrator Technology Inc., a US company uses a special technology where they turn your waste into new renewable energy where you can use it to power your car and maybe your home as well. They produce steam and electricity by burning large amounts of trash and waste to make the energy that you may be using today, and probably for the past 100 years too.

This kind of reminds me of Back to the Future (I'm not sure which one) when the scientist dude takes some of the kid's trash and puts it into a coffee pot looking thing which makes the car run. I was like, "Woah flashback!"

I, myself am a bit skeptical because if we burn a lot of trash, sure we get rid of our trash, but what about the smoke and pollutants released from burning the trash? Do they contain it and hopefully turn it into oxygen, since it is a waste product after all, or do they just release it into the atmosphere? It's great and all that we're treasuring someone else's trash but, what about the air? This is part of the reason global warming exists! So is there another way to burn the trash? Actually, I'm a little curious as to how they make trash into energy. I wish I knew (:

Wreck This Journal

For my reading journal this week, I chose to do Wreck This Journal by, again, Keri Smith. In fact, I just got the book Friday night, at the Borders in Plaza Bonita. You might think, "How can you read a book like that?" Well, it's simple. You read the prompt, proceed to do it, then look over what you did, or repeat it (if permissible). Some of the prompts that maybe is a one-time only thing, would be to write one word over and over again. The word that I chose was: again. A random word right? But, I was listening to my iPod, and the song "Again and Again" by The Bird and the Bee came up, and I thought it was "Perfect Timing", (haha, song joke, by Orba Squara). And so I wrote the word "again", again and again. But, after 10 minutes, I got bored with my pencil. So then, I got up and went on a scavenger hunt looking for colorful pens, markers, and anything else I could write with. After 15 minutes of pillaging my house for writing utensils, I went back to my sofa chair in my living room, and continued to write "again", again and again. Then after 35, 40 minutes, my 2 pages of repetitive wording was complete. I have posted up a picture for all to see. The clamps on the sides were to keep the book from closing by itself. 

Another prompt was "Make a sudden, destructive, unpredictable movement with this journal." Since there was nothing to fill out or up, I have been doing this throughout the whole weekend, and you may see me throw this book across the room in one of our classes too. Then there was, "Climb up high, drop the journal." Which I did yesterday, first thing when I went over to my cousins' house, I sprinted to the backyard, went up the metal stairs, then peered over the side of the balcony to see if my brother and cousin had a good view of where the book was going to land. Then, 3, 2, 1, and drop! The deed was done. It was fun! But I've seen a video on YouTube, on how someone went up on the roof and did it, so I'll be looking for a 10-story building next time (:

Some prompts that I'm looking forward too, are the ones that have to do with tying the journal. There's one where you tie a string to the journal then drag it behind you while you go on a walk, and there was one where you swing it wildly, letting it hit the walls. Sounds like so much fun, but I need a room, where I won't hit anything hung up or put against on the wall, ie pictures, bookshelves, entertainment systems, TVs, etc, etc. I might put up some videos of me wreching my journal, so stay tuned (:

Guerilla Artistry

I, having being influenced by Keri Smith, one of the best artists out there in this big blue ball called Earth, have taken steps to become a guerilla artist.

Basically, what it is, is like being an artist and posting up your art (i.e. sticker art, flyers, little bookmarks/good luck charms/words of wisdom in a book you borrowed from the library) in "public" places. A good example would be chalk drawings. You can put it up for anyone to see, but it can be erased, so what? It's art. And all things come to an end sooner or later. I don't know why, but I think that I am suited for this job. It sounds fun, and I can "work" whenever I want to. But, unfortunately, no one pays (not that I know of anyway), so I'm gonna put it aside as a part-time job/passion/hobby. But I think, that I might be able to do this once I reach retirement.

I have already started: a piece of paper with a doodle and a few words of wisdom on the back, stuffed in the pages of...248 and 249 (just had to check) of my cousin's copy of Twilight. Wonder who's gonna find it, and actually going to "pass it on." Who knows, maybe one of you will eventually see my "art."

Twilight Again

My first reading journal for this project will be about Twilight. Like last week. But it's gotten really interesting! I'm at chapter 20, so if you haven't read that far, this post will probably be full of spoilers. 

The baseball game kind of amazed me, and it got me thinking, how are they going to pull this off in the movie, successfully? With the hard hits and the fast runs, it might be just a little bit hard. Then there was Laurent and James and that other woman. James, being a tracker, is trying to kill Bella. So now, Bella has to leave Forks to safety. I felt a little bit bad for Charlie, because You could tell he really liked her, as a daughter of course, and to have one of your young just suddenly leave in the middle on the night with barely any reason, I could see that he was horrified. Then at the Cullen's house, or mansion, whaever you want to call it, that wimp Laurent doesn't even heglp much. All he says is, "Oh, I'm sorry that my leader wants to kill Bella, but I can't stop him. Good luck though, I must be leaving", or something like that. And he just runs. I was like WTF? He should've given some sort of weakness or stayed for support or something, but instead he just runs off like some scaredy-cat. So now, I'm at the part where Bella, Alice, and Jasper are in that hotel room, but it kind of sounded like a motel room from the way she described it, "Bolted lamps, the curtains made from the same fabric as the bedspread." And I don't know why, but it feels to me that Jasper and Alice are a bit too stiff. Like they don't show any emotion. I know they've done this before, but are they used to it? Do they really care Bella and Edward, or are they just saying it? I kind of have to agree with Bella on not trusting them. 

I was kind of intrigued on how you would have to kill a vampire in this universe. "Tear it to shreds and then burn every piece." It sounds interesting. What if there were zombies too? Anyways, I wonder if they really take down James, and I want them too without loss of Bella's or the Cullen's life. I guess I'll have to read in order to find out! :)

/spoilers

Hello PPL!

This post was written in an Apple Store near school :) Which is awesome because it's on a super huge screen where people might be able to read what I'm writing x] I'm wickd tired right now because we had to walk here with all my stuff. Which will be my lame excuse for any spelling errors in the following post. Ugh... :imd:

I've been meaning to write one of those personal, whats-going-on-with-my-life posts. And here it is.

Earlier this week, I had SLCs, which is like open house night where we show what's going on in our classes. It was okay. My dad kept complaining about my handwriting and writing over my stuff, but w/e. ^^;;

Then there was election day. I was really indifferent, but I was kind of leaning towards McCain, only because my parents were rooting for him. But I'm just as happy that Obama won. It was cool. It's too bad that I don't get to go to his inaguration since I've already been in DC this year. So yeah, it's cool.

I have a 4-day weekend coming up, perfect for procrastinating, being lazy, and sleeping in (: I have lots of homeworks, another surge due to projects. Heehee.

Oh by the way, I'm an Ouran Host Club manga fan now. (: I saw the anime and I liked it, but I felt it was lacking. Then my friend lent me the manga. I finished volumes 1-10 in about 5 days. I liked it that much. Kyoya and Tamaki are totally GAR for each other x] Anyways, I really enjoyed it and I can't wait to read the other ones. 11's out, but 12 and 13 aren't translated yet. I could check onemanga.com, or .net whichever it is, but it's better to read it in a manga volume. I'm actually reading legal for once ^^

And so ends my life update, will probably not post again unless for school soon. Looking forward to the next time you read this.

EDIT [@ home]: The boba at Toll house sucks. The mango smoothie boba I got didn't even taste like mango. And my friend's green apple had a coffee taste to it. The boba was all hard in teh middle too. Waste of $6 T-T

Twilight...

Yes, I have started reading Twilight. But I'm only like on the 3rd-ish chapter. Nevertheless, I'm enjoying the book. Bella and Edward make an odd pair. It's always interesting to see them bicker almost constantly. Seeing how their Biology class is almost the only place where they actually interact with each other is funny. Sure they have stuff outside that class, but that's where it all started. And Bella herself is a genuine character. Like how she acts and thinks, it isn't the same as how I would think. I kind of like the cold actually. I think it's funny how she thinks that Edward just automatically hates her after being glared at with pitch black eyes for so many times. 

At first I was a bit skeptical. I mean I know that the books about vampires and stuff, but the beginning was so ordinary. But then it hits you. Like the parking lot scene. I was like, "WOAHH!!! Super Edward to the rescue!" x] 

I'm at the part where Bella just turned down Eric, a boy with "skin problems and dark hair" to a dance where the girls are supposed to ask out the boys out. Is he trying to imply something or does he really like her that much? xD Then there's Jessica and Mike. Awkward... Kind of feel orry for them. It's kind of like a love triangle with extra lines and stuff. So with the number of people, I guess it would be an incomplete love pentagon? Since Edward's line is only pointed towards Bella's at the moment, it doesn't seem like he has anything against Mike and Eric. Oh! And don't forget about the guy who almost ran over Bella, Tyler. But then again, he's only trying to make up for what he did. Or didn't do. Or...I'm confused... But anyway so it would be a hexagon then. I like hexagons, you always see them in future sci-fi movies and stuff. 

P.S. Happy November everyone!!! It's time for turkeys now!

Flickr, people!

I don't think I've mentioned this before, but here it goes anyway.

There's this website called Flickr, which is kind of like an online photo gallery that you can see and make. I have an account, linkage at end, and my pictures are mostly decent (: If you're really interested in photography and would like to show other people your work, create an account! It's easy, especially if you have a Yahoo! ID, which it uses. You don't even have to use pictures. It can be random sketches, drawings, messes, what have you. Anything that can be scanned/taken a picture of is elligible for uploading on Flickr. So check it out sometime.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tokomexd

Maya Angelou's "Wouldn't Take Nothing For My Journey Now"

A quote from said book, that I found:

"...Life is an ongoing adventure...The truth is we know nothing...in fact, we ourselves will arrive whole and alive at the end of our journey. Life is pure adventure..."
-Maya Angelou

I found this to be a fitting quote, for what, I'm not really sure. I like the quote and it kind of relates to my "Explorer of the World" book because both have you looking at the world more differently. You take things and turn them in to art, or you take the world and turn it into your own little kind of adventure story. Take a drive to work for example, sure you find it boring, especially when you hit traffic. But if you turn up the tunes, rock out, and wait for it to subside, you could say you had somewhat of a good time. An adventure which you took an obstacle and turned it into something good. If you really want an adventure though, take a different route, and don't be afraid to get lost. Unless you really have to be somewhere and you have to be there on time, otherwise try to get there on time. I don't want anyone blaming this blog for saying that it's okay to get lost, which it is on some cases, but still I don't want to leave you readers with something misleading.

Anyways, life really is an adventure, whether you see it like it or not, it's your say. You don't need imagination because you don't have to pretend. It's already there, ready, waiting for you to take it and mold it into something worth your while. Have a good life.

MOAR Reading Journal...

Sorry for the lack of personal, non-school related posts, but these days, there's a lot going on at school. And I kind of forget about posting on my blog when I'm on because my tabs from the last session keep me preoccupied. Anyways, enough babbling (but isn't that why I have this blog? ^^;;).

For the RJ today, I found two news articles online. Well, one of them was found in the newspaper that my dad showed me. Both have to do with Japan.

Japan's online social scene isn't so social

This article's about how in Japan, nobody opens up on the internet. And I don't blame them. I mean, sometimes I use a fake name, age, location, etc. on some of the sites that I go to. The article mentions a couple websites, like YouTube, MySpace, Match.com, mixi (kind of like a Japanese MySpace). Oh! And 2ch(annel). But in my opinion, they didn't include Nico Nico Douga (kind of like a Japanese YouTube, mentioned in a past post). So yeah, I think it's normal for one to have privacy because of what someone said, "If I say too much, the wrong people will read it – it could get ugly." I think that it's interesting that only 40% of Japanese women are willing to put up their picture online.

Then the one that I found in the paper:

'Virtual murder' in online game lands Japanese woman in jail

I was cracking up! Now, zi've played MapleStory before, and I found it just a bit dull. But it was a great RPG, like many others. Now the story goes that a Japanese woman had her in-game avatar "married" to someone else's avatar. But when she suddenly found out that they had become "divorced" without any warning, she grew angry and went on the man's account. And killed the man's avatar. I'm not sure whether it was through monster or a PvP (Player vs. Player, I'm not sure if MS has PvP, but I'm too lazy to do research). And so she gets arrested for some violation of some sort. (I read the article a couple days ago, but I can't remember what the offense was) There were mentions of people who have been arrested through some sort of involvement on a game. Like how some lady from Denmark was arrested for plotting the kidnapping of her Second Life boyfriend. Freaky much! I mean that's a bit far, couldn't you just meet them at a local coffee shop (Denise, Anja, Monica, and anyone else. DO NOT LAUGH!) ?

And so ends my reading journal for tonight. I'll try to post some more life-related stuff next time!

Reading Journal Again!

For my reading journal, I decided to do another manga series. I kept reading it at an on/off rate, only because I have like two volumes. Anyways, it's called Konjiki no Gash Bell (judging from the kanji I would roughly translate the title to Gold-colored Gash Bell, but it's known as Zatch Bell here in America.) and it's about a genius boy named Kiyo(-maro in the Japanese version) who gets a gift from his dad. The gift is a kid. Wierd, right? What's wierder is that the kid can shoot lightning from his mouth, and he came with a mysterious red book. It's really interesting. See, his dad found the kid, Gash (or Zatch) in a forest and he sent the kid to Kiyo to help him make more friends, since Kiyo being a genius and all, is kind of a sociopath. The lightning that comes out of his mouth is triggered by a spell from the red book. Later on in the series, the two learn that Gash is really a demon boy from another world, or dimension, or what have you, out of 100 kids. The kids are sent to the human world to fight one another with their colored spellbooks that only their masters can read. The only one left out of the 100 kids will be crowned king of the spirit world. It's a little bit sad because there are some kids that Gash made friends with and they were demons too. The girl was really sweet and lived with a girl who was kind of like a big sister to her. But when her spells were read, she became a monster with sharp knife-like claws that would hurt anything in her path. Another kid was found by this one dude and the guy used the kids for robbery and hurting people and stuff. That was Gash's and Kiyomaro's first real demon battle. In the end, the enemy's book always gets burned by Gash's attack. When a demon's book is burned, the child is then disqualified and then sent back into the demon world.
A running gag, I guess it would be called that, would be one of Kiyomaro's classmates, Mizuno Suzume (Suzy in the English version), always somehow gets involved in some of the little side stories that Kiyomaro and Gash have. Like when Kiyomaro was hospitalized after a demon attack (the owner, Sherry, decided to leave them and come back another day) and a kid in the hospital hid the red book. Suzume was sent by Kiyomaro to go find the red book, which I think is a stupid decision because A) she had to ask the nurse three times on how to get to Kiyomaro's room, B) She got easily distracted by getting a balloon from a tree for a patient, and C) When she was young she tried helping a younger child get home, she got distracted when she found a cat in a box floating down the river, completely forgetting about the other child and then ending up in the police officer's station at 8 at night 20 kilometers from where they started. But of course it's okay since she's always so happy. she kind of reminds me of me, happy, and (somewhat) energetic, getting distracted easily, and being a ditzy airhead most of the time. xD
And so ends my journal entry. Check it out, if you're interested in the supernatural shonen series. Please buy the books if you can to support them, but if not, check out onemanga.com and look under Zatch Bell. (:

BREAKING NEWS!!!

Right now, from my living room, I see a huge plume of smoke. The sky has spots of brown from all of it, and helicopters, ambulances, and fire trucks are going off in the distance. Morse High School has been evacuated, and Fulton Elementary kids have day-care centers that were moved to the front of the school. Boone Elementary is still in session, which means no early release for my brother, they are deemed safe where they are. O'Farrel Charter School is okay, school police there checking things out. From what I saw on TV, one side of the canyon has been put out, and the smoke is turning white, meaning that the fires will die out soon. I took some pictures from my backyard, though they are very very amateur-ish. It looks safe, so I'm not worried.

Homework

Here is something that really isn't like our school. Vocabulary. Funny word ain't it. But here's something that is. Homework on our blog. And so, I will post 3 pictures about 3 words from our vocabulary from the play "Our Town" by Thorton Wilder.

Number 1: epitaph
"An inscription of a dead person (usually on tombstones)"









Number 2: muse
"To ponder"








Number 3: languid
"Slow, sluggish, listless, or weak"














I hope you've enjoyed this presentation of three word.

In other news, I received my cousin's iPod today!!! Yay!!! THANK YOU NATE!!! I'm installing iTunes right now, but since I have my computer regional settings on Japanese, it's all in guess what...Japanese. But, I could understand the katakana, and there wasn't a lot of Kanji (the ToA I didn't even look through) so everything was alright. Yay! THANKS AGAIN NATE!

Reading Journal!

Today's entry is about How To Be an Explorer of the World by Keri Smith, the same person who did Wreck This Journal, which I just bought today. It's kind of like one of those prompt books that gets you writing, but only different. It's one of those books that make you listen and look and use all of the other senses in the world to "explorer the world." Each prompt is listed as an "Exploration", followed by a prompt, an alternate prompt, a picture, and a quote from someone that relates to the prompt. There are 59 prompts in total and an extra spot to record and document whatever the prompt requires. I, however, bought a journal along with this book, and I will be using that. It will also be alternately used as a public journal, one for random lists, notes, and doodles that I make. I already wrote in it, describing our "first encounter" at the book store. I like the design and I think it fits me so I bought it. 

Anyways, I look forward to doing some of the interesting prompts of this book, which means all of them (:, and I look forward to jotting down my writings in my new journal. I think a journal's a precious thing to have, because it serves many purposes, and maybe I'll collect journals and fill them out on my own. That is, if my life ever has anything more interesting to write about that is blog material or the I have no access to the internet, be it grounding, or the death of the internet (both of which is very impossible, since I am a good child with computer access in many places :D) an there ends my book journal/journal tangent. I hope you enjoy (:

WAAAAAHH! I'm swamped!

This is too much! A Spanish presentation about me, which makes it seem like I'm conceded, but I'm not, a haunted house exhibit for Math/Physics, where I am kind of at a loss at what we're to do, and the life and death project for Humanities, where I have to read a big-butt packet on the death customs of China. All has got me up to my neck in work and I can barely keep my head above everything. The presentation in Spanish is tomorrow, and I barely have what I'm supposed to say. I'll practice later. 

Meanwhile, I have discovered NoiseBot.Com. A cool place to get cool shirts. I think most shirst are under $20 without tax and shipping and handling. If you see me with a sheet of paper, scribbling away at something, it probably means that I am thinking of a new slogan for a t-shirt, which they pay $50 for a design used on a shirt. (:

Small update for now, but I might have more stuff next time. 

Reading journal: Queste

(I've already read this book before but only once so I'm rereading it.)
Queste is the fourth book of the Septimus Heap series. The series itself is about a young boy, Septimus Heap, who is the seventh son of a seventh son, believed to have great magical power. His adventures range from trying to protect Princess Jenna (who is his step sister. Septimus's dad found Jenna on his way back from the forest the day Septimus was pronounced "dead" in order to take him and Apprentice him to DomDaniel, the evilest Darke Wizard.)

In Queste, he has just come back from the past as being sent back in time through a looking glass, plotted by the ghost of Queen Etheldredda to make her the eternal ruler of the Castle. Jenna, Nicko (his brother), and Snorri Snorrelssen (a young Northern Trader girl who came to find the ghost of her father and become a trader herself) go back in time to find Septimus and save him but when it's time to return, Nicko and Snorri are left behind and the glass from which they came shattered from the pressure of Time.

So far, as I've only read the first 6 1/2 chapters, Merrin, a boy thought to be Septimus Heap (the Matron Midwife who took Septimus accidentally had her baby taken away from her, instead of Septimus, where he would become part of the Young Army for the first ten years of his life), has just left The Observatory, the hideout up in the Badlands that Simon Heap, Septimus's eldest brother turned bad because he wanted the ExtraOrdinary Wizard Apprenticeship and it was given to Septimus not him, so he turned to the Darke side, now owns. Merrin takes the Two-Faced Ring, a ring that belonged to DomDaniel, in order to "Darken the Destiny of AnOther", i.e. Septimus, for "stealing his name".

It was funny to read about him putting on the ring because it got so tight that his thumb became blue and purple. Serves him right, that does. Then he goes off and eventually he reaches the Castle. But it's night and the drawbridge is up. So he stays at the Grateful Turbot, an inn filled with ghosts who either have perished from the yearly Big Freeze, had an accident on the river or the One Way Bridge, or anything else. He goes in and meets Olaf Snorrelssen, Snorri's father, who has Appeared, as a ghost to the Living for the first time, and offers him accompanyment to the Castle. It's funny of Angie Sage, the author, described Olaf's preparation for his first Appearance. His head was gone, he had a hole where his stomach was, and on the way back to the Grateful Turbot, he half-Appeared, like showing some stuff but not others, making him look like some demented victim of a massacre or torture session.

Now, Merrin is at Number Thirteen, Wizard Way, Magykal Manusciptorium and Spell Checkers, which is like the human printing press/copy machine of the Castle, applying for a job as a Scribe, a copier. Beetle, the boy who is in charge of the place until Jillie Djinn, the Cheif Scribe, returns. I haven't read past the starting of the application, aka Stating his Name, but I bet it's going to be good, him trying to be dark and all.

Look what I found!

(For those who don't know)



"Everywhere, like such as , and..." XDDDDD

A Blue Ribbon

Today at school, we had an assembly. Our first ever, and it was great. You know it starts off happy, but then it sort of went into a melancholy kind of state, you know? We had 2 guests who were part of the Blue Ribbon Difference Makers Organization, a group who help kids achieve their goal and make them feel welcome. We all got a blue ribbon ourselves that said "Who I am makes a difference." and it made me feel good. I didn't wear it yet though, and I still haven't worn the one that's given to me. We all talked about our dreams and the troubles we've been through and what really shocked me was how everyone had stories to tell, and they were comfortable saying that in front of a huge crowd. I'm glad I came to this school actually. I was going to speak but we ran out of time.

I want to acknowledge all my friends that I've made in the past, whether I'm still friends with you or not. Leila, Rachael, Marc, Mico, Chalisa, Lauren, Anja, Luke, Miranda, Denise, Gina, Monica, Michael. All of you guys and all the others are what keeps me going. I want to give you all a blue ribbon and that you guys keep going for your dream and know that me and every wearer of the blue ribbon are rooting for you, cheering you on for your dream. You do make a difference in people's lives, like me.

To my readers, thank you for visiting this humble blog. Whether you are a veteran reader, or just cruising this blog for the first time, you guys also make a difference. Just knowing that somewhere out there, someone's reading my blog and it makes me happy to know if someone cares for me or my stories.

Everone has a story to tell, listen to them. It helps both you and the person. Make someone feel better about themselves.

Nerd Day! and comp problems...

やった！今日はオタクの日！でもボクのシャツとパンツは普通.あとね，この日ひ楽しかった。そうか！ボクの数学物理学の先生は設立がボクの本！ボクがうれしいです。ありがとう，テッド先生！よかったね。
ボクのコンピュータは遅いと迷惑。いつも「エラ！」と「コンピュータバイルス設立する！」　これはぜんぜんだよ！このバイルスファイルは「ノアックセッス」。ボクは新しいのコンピュータが欲しいよー！明日はピアノのレッスン。それがもっと嫌い！ボクは疲れた。「もたくさん」と「止まれ！」が欲しいに生活を叫び声する。でもこれは不可能。ｗｗｗ　ボクが音のようにキョン，でしょう？

Ｄｏｎ’ｔ　ｂｏｔｈｅｒ　ｔｏ　ｔｒａｎｓｌａｔｅ　ｗｉｔｈ　Ｇｏｏｇｌｅ．Ｙｏｕ　ｐｒｏｂａｂｌｙ　ｗｏｎ’ｔ　ｕｎｄｅｒｓｔａｎｄ　ｉｔ．ｂｕｔ　ｇｏ　ａｈｅａｄ，　ｉｔ’ｓ　ｔｈｅ　ｏｎｌｙ　ｗａｙ　ｙｏｕ’ｌｌ　ｂｅ　ａｂｌｅ　ｔｏ　ｒｅａｄ　ｔｈｉｓ．Ｕｎｌｅｓｓ　ｙｏｕ　ｓｐｅａｋ　Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ　ｏｆ　ｃｏｕｒｓｅ． （Ｉ　ｋｉｎｄａ　ｈａｄ　ａ　ｌｉｌ　ｄｉｃｔｉｏｎａｒｙ／ｔｒａｎｓｌａｔｏｒ　ｈｅｌｐ．）

（　＾．＾）／やあ！またね！

おまけ：空耳ケキ (Soramimi Keki; Fancy Hearing Cake) by Oranges & Lemons
Here's practically a song about random things. Like me!

(Mini-tribute for the series ending T_____T)

Making Fiends

Couple nights ago, I found out about Making Fiends (a web cartoon by Amy Winfrey) thorugh a commercial on Nicktoons Network. It's a cartoon about a super optimistic girl named Charlotte and a "fiend maker" named Vendetta. For more info, go to makingfiends.com. Other info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Making_Fiends_(web_cartoon)

I love it so far. The cartoon premieres on October 4th at 11: 30 (PT) I can't wait!!!

Reading Journal: Azumanga Daioh Vol. 4

For my reading journal, I decided to read Azumanga Daioh, Vol 4, the last one for the series. I had to admit, I felt a little sad when I found out that this was going to be the last one. The series is about Mihama Chiyo, a 10 year old who becomes a freshman, and her friends. Each volume shows a year in the high school, 4th being senior. It was interesting to watch them on their trip to Okinawa, and I cracked up at the parts where Sasaki, a "cool", quiet girl ho really loves cats, just melts when she's with the Iriomote cat, the only one who hasn't bitten her throughout the series. Then they takes their university entrance exams. I laughed at the part when Tomo, the loud, obnoxious one, started asking trick questions and Osaka, the dumb, transfer student from Osaka, got them all right. Then the graduation, which I almost cried at. Chiyo gets the highest grade point average award and Osaka and Tomo start a standing ovation. I connect with the characters, even the teachers, because there's a litle piece of me in them and to find that there won't be any more of their little "adventures" makes me a little sad.

Laser Tag Friday

So yesterday after school, we had our first Advisory after school activity, which was Laser Tag. It was fun. I got there 3rd, and it was me, Marco, Andres, Tony, Max, Patrick (our advisor), Fernanda and 2 of her cousins. We were playing against a little kid's birthday party, which was a little unfair, because they had more people plus 3 adults who are actually good. The little kids kept attacking in swarms and it was annoying, but I got 8th out of 18 in my team. Yay! ^.^ But we lost by a couple thousand points. xp. I was so tired after the game because I played a quick round of DDR and it turns out it was 4 songs, and I was dead. 

Afterwards, we had dinner. We were going to eat at Olive Garden, but it was an hour wait. So we ate in the mall, which was across the street. Patrick and I ate at a Chinese place, while everyone else got Mexican food. The food was icky but I still ate it anyway. Then we talked for a bit, went into Comic's N' Stuff, then went back to the laser tag place and waited for our parents to pick us up. In the end it was really fun. THANK YOU MR. PATRICK!!!!!!

Overdue...

Well it's been awhile now, but I'm back for as long as I know. I'm usually dead during the first half of the week, and the pile of homework, waiting to be let out of my black hole known as my backpack, will make a good blanket for me.

No. Not really. x]

But seriously, I'm a bit stressed, and everything's just become a big blah. And my Spanish project is overdue, with my issues to that about to boil over. And then there's Math/Physics, where I'm afraid whether or not our bridge can at least hold up the bucket, more or less hang on to the sides. Humanities isn't all that peachy too, but there are a lot of laughs in that class, and that I'm okay with. (:

Nothing else to talk about, I'll leave it at that.

In Other News...

Today, I had a piano recital. We were late, though, and my brother didn't get to play Star Spangled Banner as planned. The place was SD Piano Hall or something that sounds like it. We proformed in a smallish room, and mostly the preformers' families were in the audience. I was really nervous when I went up, I almost forgot the names of the pieces I was gonna play when I was introducing myself to the crowd, but overall I did good. Then we had "snakes" afterwards everyone finished. We even got certificates! x] (BTW, in the invitaion/info paper, it said "Snakes will be served afterwards." An obvious typo). The pieces I played were Czerny # 27, 28, Moonlight Sonata, Pink Panther, and Soshite Itsumo no Fuukei (which I mildy screwed up on).

それじゃ，またね！

Reading Journal for Breaking Thorugh FINALE

The last journal entry for this book, for I have finished it. Yay! Really good book. And it's prequel wasn't so bad either. Anyways on with my thoughts...

To me, the best part of the book was when he went to college, which was practically the end of the book. I could understand his tension between him and his father, while not really the same predicament, but me and my dad can get into disagreements sometimes. But it was cool how he got all those scholarships though. But one thing that kept me thinking was when he put place of birth, he didn't put the real one, and I thought, how would this affect him? Would they take away his money, or expell him from the school?

The part where Panchito's dad cut off his finger was a bit of a shock to me. I mean, at one second, he's happy, then out of the blue, his younger brother comes out and says that their dad cut off his finger. I was like, Woah! That was random. But it was kind of expected as good things don't last long, and were bound to end. While his happiness of him being Class President didn't exactly end, however, the finger incident really dampened that mood.

Then the Rotary Club. Two words: that sucked. Big time, especially for Panchito, because, I can imagine going in front of a whole bunch of people and just coming out with nothing. I remember when I went up in front of the class in 8th grade, most of the words that I said were "Erm", "Uh", or the most dreaded "..."

That about ends the book for me. Also the above three events mentioned are out of order. Of course the ending did not happen before the Rotary Club incident or the Finger Amputation.

Intervieww :)

You know how sometimes, I mention my friend Leila? (Like the last post) Well I decided to interview her for her view on immigration.

What personal experiences have helped you develop your perspective on immigration?
As an American citizen, it would be unfair for people who have worked hard...to become low class people, just to have someone else take this work.

How do you feel that illegal immigrants are not/impacting your community and/or the US?
They aren't impacting, like they aren't doing anything horrible, but it's hurting the economy because,

they work for cheap, and instead of spending money here, they send it back to Mexico and prices go up due to a failing economy.

Do you think immigrants should have any rights? Why or why not?
At first, not many rights, but they do have their basic human rights given by the 1st Amendment. But, they shouldn't be able to vote or have a say in our government. Work for citizenship, then have they should be able to vote.

How would you feel if there was no border?
[The US] would become more chaotic, there would be more Mexicans to take money from us without

anyone stopping them. If they immigrate legally though, that would be totally different. The border keeps everything in check.

Do you think that the government should take more or less action on illegal immigration?
They're already doing a lot of action, but they aren't doing it right. They could deport them, but also have better border control. They need to take action torwards controlling the border.

What do you think about the border patrol?
They aren't doing a great job, like they're supposed to, as many illegal immigrants are freeloading off of us. They're either not stopping them, or failing to do so.

When you hear the phrase "jumping the border", what comes to mind?
Illegal immigrants mainly from Mexico.

Do you think illegal immigrants should be deported?
Not neccesarily. I mean, they should be given a chance to clean up and try to get citizenship, but if they don't then they should get deported.

If you were in charge of immigration in America, what would you do?
I would set up seminars near places where illegal immigrants are located to help them try to get citizenship, but if that's no use, then deport them.

How do you think the US would change if you let anyone immigrate without having to go through a process?
It would be more chaotic. There wouldn't be a fair say in the government, because the only people who can vote are citizens. Illegal immigrants are like vacationers; you can't just go to another

country and vote there. The US might actually be even run by an illegal immigrant, which would be bad, because the US is a world power.

How would you feel if you were an illegal immigrant?
I don't really know. I guess I would feel bad for having to freeload off these people, where I don't have the best life back in my country and I have to support my family. I would try to get citizenship, and I'd want my family to move to the US.

Do you feel everybody is an immigrant? Why?
Yes, everyone is an immigrant or a descendant of one, because you wouldn't be here if there was no immigration unless you're Native American

Are you related to any immigrants? Where are they from?
Not anymore, my great-grandma was from Poland, but she passed away.

Do you like immigrants who come to our country?
Yes I do, in fact, my best friend is an immigrant [from Switzerland]. I think it's cool to have immigrants here in the US, but it's bad if they come here illegally. "Don't freeload!"

Would you have the guts to immigrate illegally?
No, never, personally because I'd become a hypocrite and it'd just wrong because other people had to earn their way into society.

Why do you think people immigrate illegally?
They can't always afford to immigrate legally.

Have you immigrated from somewhere? How old were you? What were your thoughts back then?
No, but relatives have.

Unintentional Hiatus Broken!

Yay! My internet's working again! There was a trojan proxy thing that was making it bug out and I was getting pissed. But now it's okay (:

So on Saturday, I went to Torrey Pines beach with my cousins. First we went boogie boarding, then we made little sand castle cities, and we threw little sandballs at them to demolish them. It was me, Michelle, and Nate against Kevin, Julian, and Ervin. We kept losing, but it was fun. (I accidentaly trampled on one of our castles, oops ;; ) Then we buried ourselves except for Nate.

Now, school is okay, we have like 3 projects in Spanish, Math/Physics, and Humanities. Tough. Meh. Little update, enjoy (:

BTW, this post is dedicated to all of my friends I made at Kroc, especially Leila, who made me write this x]

Reading Journal 2

For this journal, I will only talk about some excerpts of the 13 chapters I have read. (Summer Skirmishes to Junior Scandals). 

Broken Heart. 

Here, Roberto goes dating. But his girlfriend has to break up with him because he's Mexican, and her parents don't like Mexicans. Load of crap right? I think so too. I mean, just because someone's a different race, doesn't mean you can't love someone. To quote someone, "I think that if we have interracial babies, racism will be no more." (-KevJumba, YouTube, slightly paraphrased)

Turning A Page

Panchito goes to college. Really he visits a college with his class. I wonder if Panchito does go to college. Will his dad let him? What about Roberto and work? Coming from a family where both of my parents went to and graduated from college, I don't really share this feeling that Panchito. So in conclusion, I don't have much thoughts on this chapter. 

Los Santitos

Panchito joins a club and helps create a canned food drive for the poor. This kind of reminds me of my elementary school, where the whole school donated food. I think it's cool of him to care and help others even though he isn't exactly rich himself. Whenever I hear "club activities, I'm always reminded of the SOS Brigade. What's ironic though is that he does it to help the poor, but when Christmas comes, the Salvation Army gives them some of the food from the drive that Panchito help set up. Nevertheless, the whole family is happy. 

Junior Scandals

Panchito participates in a talent show kind of event at his school, and he decides to sing a Spanish song. I like this chapter because, it sort of reminded me of when I sang in front of my Humanities class. I haven't actually been in a telent show before, however, but I think singing in front of a group no matter the size, can give you major butterflies in your stomach. 

That's it for now, hopefully I can write more next time. 

Breaking Through Ch. 1-6

So today's post will be homework. Woo. But hey, I'm enjoying this book, so count it as a recommendation.

Breaking Through by Fransico Jimenez is a memoir about a young boy who is at first an illegal immigrant. At first you may think, oh illegal immigrant, did he steal jobs or something? or something of the sort. But I felt connected to Panchito (the boy) in some way. When I read about him, I actually have pity for him when he has to work, or get angry at his dad for acting like there's a bee in his pants.
So at first, Panchito crosses into the US with his family, and lives his life for a few years. Until he gets caught by la migra, or the border patrol. What gets me wondering though, is when the officer said that we was turned in by "someone of his own." I started wondering during that part. Could it have been Mr. Ito, the cropholder? Or maybe one of their neighbors? But I had no time to play detective, because I wanted to read more.
So then the family goes back to Nogales, where they spend a couple nights. The family gets a check up in the US then decide to go to a relative's place. Mom and Dad talk about it and decide to let Panchito and his older brother, Roberto, return to the US to continue school. I couldn't imagine just abandoning my family like that, and taking my younger brother with me. I started thinking about everything else. Taxes, chores, and I have to send some of my money from my job to help out my parents. I admire the two because they are really sacrificial, and I don't think that I would've been willing to do that. But I felt good about Panchito, he got to go back to school and see his friends again. I was also amused at the parts where he started learning about rock n' roll. And the dances and class presentation of Elvis was cool.
Then the rest of the family came, eventually and it was a happy reunion. I could feel the warm and fuzziness coming from the scene. Dad apparently, was "hexed" which was to blame for his bad back. But like Panchito, I was a bit skeptical about the whole process: a tent full of incence, flowers, and holy cards; drinking tea that makes you drowsy; and stripping to your waist, getting a massage faced-down, being chanted on, and then puking up blood... I don't know, it all seems weird from my perspective. But it was good to hear that Dad was all better again.
Now, though, Panchito, Trampita (another brother), and Roberto all have to work in a strawberry field now, that Dad now looks after. I feel a bit sorry for Panchito and his brothers during this part because they all have to do manual labor, and it's really tiring for them and affecting Panchito in his studies. But, it can't be helped; they need the money. They start by pulling weeds, then hoeing the seeds in. But the seeds won't grow so they fumigate during the night. Turns out they killed the plants, and Dad's devastated. Now I feel sorry for him.
Later, Roberto and Panchito ask to go to the Vet's High School Dance, but Panchito gets yelled at for being "disrespectful" by asking if they could go while the Dad was thinking. At that part I was like, WTF? I mean, just because, your little strawberries won't grow, doesn't mean you have to take out by lashing at your kids and restricting them, when they've never done anything wrong!
Then Panchito "graduates" from Junior High, and I feel good about this. It was sad though that his parents couldn't come, but I could see that it meant a lot for Panchito to have his dad give him a special medallion and put some aftershave on him. And then I can't read chapter 7.

All in all, I've really enjoyed this book and I feel like I can connect to the characters. I look forward to reading the next parts.

Start of the Weekend

Yay! Froday! Finally, after all that work. Okay, not so much. I mean, the only "work" was the tests we did today in Spanish and Math/Physics. God, my brain is fried and dead. Humanities was OK, we worked on our Portfolios and did other stuff that I'm too tired to remeber. "Cept that we gave speeches and we took an assesment about the person that inspires us. Ugh. If you're somehow reading this Ms. Wood, I want you to know that I wrote about YOU! Feel even more special :)
So after school today, there was this social partay, at the park near the school. It was really fun, cuz I went with my friends. We went on the swings, then started to roll down the hill. The first time, my arm landed in a mud hole, near a drain grate, and my arms started itching. xD Then I called my friend from my elementary school to come over. We met up and caught up on things, and she brought her friend along. Then I went bobbing for apples. It was fun and I think some water came up my nose. Eww. But I got one! Then my friend came over gave it a try, while getting his head dunked by various people. Then we did a water balloon toss, resulting in a soaked me. Then some other stuff, and then getting wet again. Then I rode home with my friends dad, and now hear I am. Actually, I was here ever since 6ish, but whatever. xD

Update from home at nite

Just wanna share a vid with all.



Poor bee x]

I changed my layout. How does it look? Comments? Question? Concerns? Comment!

P.S. I finished setting up my Spanish notebook! Yaaaay! Sorta. I did all the odd page numbers and then I got lazy. :p Like a panda bear! :D Kinda.

Hello from High School!

Yes, I'm already in high school, ever since a couple days ago. It's pretty cool. We get to call the teachers by their first name, we use our fingerprints to get our lunch, and Advisory is pretty fun. We actually can start an electives class, and for those who know me, you'll probably know what I'll do ;) I guess I can be the teacher.

So yeah, anyways, in Humanities, we have to set up a blog. Lucky for me, I already have one set up. Can you guess which one? Yes. This one. So yeah, some of my posts might have random things saying something about a book or something. Breaking Through by Francisco Jimenez. It's really interesting, actually.
What I'm not used to is having a binder for each class we have, which is about three. But still, my backpack is kinda heavy for some reason. I was such a dork, I titled my Math/Physics and Humanities binders in Japanese. x] Ha ha...

Attention Mario Kart Wii Players!

I made a lil playlist for the tracks of Mario Kart Wii, created out of boredom, and I'd like you to judge it.



Link

Leave reviews in comments!
MKWii number: 1633-5586-1977

Songlist:

Mushroom Cup

* Luigi Circuit
murmur twins - yu_tokiwa_djw
* Moo Moo Meadows
Uncle Chicken's drag rag - Plus-Tech Squeeze Box
* Mushroom Gorge
Under the Sky (Ryu☆ Remix) - Minami Sayaka (BeForU) with platoniX
* Toad's Factory
Happy Life Generator - capsule

Flower Cup

* Mario Circuit
smile - miru_maki.gjw
* Coconut Mall
Dough Nuts Towns Maps - Plus-Tech Squeeze Box
* DK Summit
CANDY GALY by Risk Junk-G
* Wario's Gold Mine
FOE - IOSYS

Star Cup

* Daisy Circuit
Ocean Blue Sky Orange - capsule
* Koopa Cape
5iVE STAR - capsule
* Maple Treeway
candy cutie - capsule feat. Sonic Coaster Pop
* Grumble Volcano
A - DJ Amuro

Special Cup

* Dry Dry Ruins
Saikyou Pare Parade - Hirano Aya & co.
* Moonview Highway
Wild Girls on Circuit - Puffy AmiYumi
* Bowser's Castle
We Come Alive - Gammer & InEffect
* Rainbow Road
Fleeting Fantasy/Over the frail dream - phantasma

Shell Cup

* Peach Beach (Mario Kart: Double Dash!!)
SUGARLESS GiRL - capsule
* Yoshi Falls (Mario Kart DS)
Oyome ni Shinasai - IOSYS
* Ghost Valley 2 (Super Mario Kart)
You're My Angel - DJ Zitkus
* Mario Raceway (Mario Kart 64)
Kaeshite! Knee Socks - Aya Hirano & co.

Banana Cup

* Sherbet Land (Mario Kart 64)
Milky Blue - YMCK
* Shy Guy Beach (Mario Kart Super Circuit)
You Should Drink Cucumber Flavored Beer - IOSYS
* Delfino Square (Mario Kart DS)
V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N - Puffy AmiYumi
* Waluigi Stadium (Mario Kart: Double Dash!!)
Nijiiro - DJ YOSHITAKA feat. G.S.C. license/in the sky - Ryu☆

Leaf Cup

* Desert Hills (Mario Kart DS)
God Knows... (Euro Mix) - DJ Bouche
* Bowser Castle 3 (Mario Kart: Super Circuit)
U.N. Owen Was Her? - COOL&CREATE
* DK's Jungle Parkway (Mario Kart 64)
Nice Buddy - Puffy AmiYumi
* Mario Circuit (Mario Kart: Double Dash!!)
RINGxRINGxRING - OSTER project feat. Kagamine Rin

Lightning Cup

* Mario Circuit 3 (Super Mario Kart)
Elevator - Perfume
* Peach Gardens (Mario Kart DS)
Killer Tune - Tokyo Jihen
* DK Mountain (Mario Kart: Double Dash!!)
Panic Racer - YMCK
* Bowser's Castle (Mario Kart 64)
Itteyoshi - IOSYS

"Sad?" Update

Remember that last post? Of course you would, it was the last post. Well, I found a translation for it. It's still beta, but I think it's good enough.



and another one, just found.

Does this make you sad?

Some people might be familiar with the software, VOCALOID by Yamaha. For those of you not, it's basically a singing program where you type out the lyrics to a tune you played out on a virtual keyboard. Anyways, probably the most popular character from VOCALOID is Hatsune Miku, a character part of the VOCALOID2 character series. A lot of people from Nico Nico Douga, a Japanese YouTube mentioned before, have made covers and original songs. Here's one, that may put you in a saddened mood. I don't have the lyrics, but I think it's about Miku singing about how she can't sing like a real girl and so she gets uninstalled.

In other news, I'm going camping with my family and a couple of my cousins up in the mountains. Gonna be gone for 4-5ish days, August 20-24. And I go back to school the day after we get back. ugh...

(If you didn't notice, this post was probably a measly update with something random to distract you. Enjoy (: )

Happy Returns

After having a month-long hiatus, I think it's time for me to put up another post. I was originally going to do a vlog, but my mom's camera kept dying after 3 mins. -_-; So about my grandma's ceremonies, they went pretty well. I got to carry the coffin, and I saw some of my cousins from upper Callie. I was going to do a sermon, but for some reason, I couldn't move. My cousins, and me and my brother sang, and some of my relatives spoke. I wanted to, but I didn't want to interrupt the Pastor. 

So today, I had my first eye exam outside of school, and I, and the doctor, have to say that I have perfect 20/20 vision! My brother on the other hand, also has 20/20 vision, however, he can also 

use reading galsses you find anywhere, but it really isn't recommended. It was a bit odd though, first I had to stare at a red dot that kept moving. Then, I had to focus on a small house, like it was far away. Afterwards, I had to stare at a green light for what seemed like hours. After, I went to watch my brother in the other room take another part of his test, which was then my turn. It was weird. I had to look at letters through this sight thing and the letters were on a mirror, its hard to explain, sorta I just don't wanna type it all ;;. Anyways, I also did the "Which one looks blurrier?" thing with the "L

ens One or Lens Two" thing. So afterwards, I put on some 3D glasses and I had to look at pictures that "popped up" at me.

 Then, I had to do a color-blind test I guess, you know the one with a number inside

 a different colored circle. I got all the numbers right, I think, but me and my brother saw 2 different numbers when doing it. I saw 74, while he saw 71. Odd. 

I'm also thinking of changing my blog's name. I was thinking Psychobabble for a title. Any suggestion? Just comment. I'll put up a poll soon. 

Tearful Sorrows

Last night, my grandmother passed away. It was a peaceful death, but it was a depressing one. Yesterday, all the adults were scurrying about, saying things and going to the hospital. I had no idea what was going on, and I was offered to go somewhere with my uncle, who was going to the hospital at the time, but I declined, not knowing where he was going. Afterwards, my dad picked my and my brother up from my cousin's house, and everything was just all weird. My mom called when we got home, telling us to go to the hospital. My dad told us to grab a jacket, and I asked what was happening.
"It's your grandma," he replied. I asked her condition and he replied, "Not good." I was crestfallen, afraid of what was next, even though I already knew at the pit of my stomach. When we arrived, one of my uncles escorted us in, even though it was only one person at a time. My uncle told them that she was dead already, and they let us in. We rushed to her bed and we saw, two of my uncles, and me mom, sobbing, next to my grandma. Me and my brother looked and we embraced our mother. We all cried, and talked for a bit. She was already admitted to the ER around 12 or 1, (it was around 6:45-ish by the time we got there) and the doctors came in and talked to her. They said, "Ma'am, how are you?" She nodded. Then another question, "Do you know where you are?" "Hospital." They did checks and the felt her abdominal area all enlarged. They talked about putting her on a machine when her heart stopped, and she said, "Why? I'm healthy enough." She was also asking for two of my cousins. One in Florida, and she also got to talk to her on the phone. The other was my baby cousin, who didn't come until later at night. My mom left when the doctors were talking, and when she came back, her eyes were already pointed toward the ceiling.
Some of my relatives from Escondido came. My cousin came through the curtain and I just hugged her, sad. She looked at my grandma and she started sobbing as well. Soon, 3 of my cousins came, and they were sad as well. We were escorted from he room to a waiting area while they cleaned her up. Some people didn't talk, and the others just talked softly, outside. I sat there, thinking of my grandma, all the times we had together, not believing that she was gone. But yet her yellowed skin, gaping mouth, and bluing tongue was stuck in my mind, like it was saying, "It's true she's gone." We were then brought to a room where we could see her. My uncle left to get my auntie, who left early from work I think, and my cousin who was taking care of my baby cousin who also came. Some of us, including me, left to go eat at a nearby restaurant. It as odd that when we got there, most of the songs playing were all sad songs. We came back and looked at her more, and pondered. We said a prayer and left. Me and my cousins were disturbed at the fact that she was put in a body bag, making her look like she was a victim of a crime scene. We gathered outside, and the adults were talking about what was next. We went to my cousins house, then went back to our house.
It left me wondering everything about my grandma, how she was and how she really cared, even though we didn't see it sometimes, she really did.

RIP Ignacia M

Recent Mishaps

Sorry for not posting in forever. This past 12 days, some of my relatives from Florida came over. It was fun and I will go briefly as to what happened during their visit, and a little before that time:

• We went to SeaWorld and it was so fun. Shipwreck Rapids, Shamu, Clyde and Seamore (sp?), Journey to Atlantis, the Dolphins, everything! We got soaked a mighty couple of times too.
• My cousin from Florida and a couple from here watched Get Smart. LMAO-funny, especially the last parts.
• I got interested in the Septimus Heap series, really good if you like magic adventure books.
• I just got Mario Kart Wii. My friend code is 1633-5586-1977. I suck though :p
• I'm starting to play Trickster Revolution, by Ntreev, the same people who did Grand Chase, as I mentioned awhile back. I like it more than GC.
• My relatives just went home today. Really sad, but the rest of the family (2 older siblings + my cousin's bf) are coming in September.

I think that's about it. Keeping it short, because I want to play Trickster. Look up Tokome, if you play.

Early Morning Post: Last Day of Middle School

So the day is finally here for me to accept my certificate and move on to high school. It feels weird, and I'm feeling a lot of emotions right now: melancholy, happy, confused. I guess it's just a part of the whole experience. As I look back to the beginning of 7th grade, it seems just like yeterday I was on the bus on the way to my first day of middle school. The many things I've encountered while I was here and the friends that I've made have been and will be unforgettable. What makes it harder is that this school right now is going to be closed, which is a bit of a bummer because, I looked forward to all the future generations here. Doesn't mean that the buildings won't be here. Everything's going to be brand new.

The ceremony itself is really something. Though the practices we held really didn't help at all... ^_^' An hor and 30 minutes of sitting there watching other people recite their speeches and grab their diploma/certificate things. This is really something, but I'm sad because everyone is going to a different school than me. Oh well, I'll have to make do.