August 1st, 2014
My deepest sincerest apologies for not updating sooner. I have been recently consumed in the flames of chemistry homework but have finally finished without being burned to death :-)
I can actually say, though, that my summer is going pretty swell. (ha, I used a retro word there)
Mornings have brought swim practice, afternoons have brought swim practice, and weekends have brought swim meets. It's the best feeling in the world to race, like I might have mentioned in a previous post - and when you're swimming with some of your awesome friends, the experience in ten times better. After skipping quite a few practices in the winter, I think I've actually improved to be way better than I even was before. It does count as a confidence booster, sometimes, which is helpful.
I've also been able to tackle some books I've always wanted to read with this extra summa time. Jane Eyre - finished. To Kill a Mockingbird - finished. While I always say classics aren't my favorite, Jane Eyre certainly is an exception. The perspective is astounding; you're led through Jane's thought processes, and while you certainly might not agree with some of her decisions, it's still interesting.
To Kill a Mockingbird has made the list of my all-time favorite books. There's not that much symbolism, that's true (there's just the occasional symbol like the mockingbird, etc. etc. obvious stuff like that) but the examination and juxtaposition of good and evil is food for the brain. My brain, at least. :-)
I might be posting some random writing samples later. Who knows...
Tell me about your summer in the comments! I've seen that a lot of you just look at my posts and don't comment, and that's fine. Commenting would be great, though. :D
Friday, August 1, 2014
Monday, May 5, 2014
Heading off to TSA Nationals (for Transportation Modeling)
May 5th, 2014
With APs looming around the corner and SAT 2 subject tests slowly creeping up as well, I'm swamped with studying. However, the one bright side to all of this is that after I'm done with testing and the school year, I'll be heading off to TSA Nationals with some other kids in my school.
As you may have remembered from a previous blog post, I competed this year in Transportation Modeling. I competed in the same category last year, only to get second in the state (not good enough to go to nationals, according to my school's standards). This year, after putting countless hours of effort into shaping, carving, and painting the car, and creating AutoCAD drawings and writing essays, I finally got first. In my opinion, Transportation Modeling should be a team project. There's so much work, compared to the other individual projects...and I wouldn't mind working in a team, either. :)
Anyways, Nationals this year is in Washington D.C., at the Gaylord National Hotel! It's absolutely beautiful from the pictures I've seen online. More importantly, it has a pool, so I can still practice at Nationals. The pool itself isn't small either - it looks like an artsy version of the standard 25m pool for swimming.
In addition to Transportation Modeling, I've also taken on three more TSA competitions at Nationals (including promo graphics) for fun. I can't wait - doing promo graphics gives me an excuse to try out my new Digital drawing app.
More updates to come!
For now, good luck to all others taking APs and SAT 2s. :)
With APs looming around the corner and SAT 2 subject tests slowly creeping up as well, I'm swamped with studying. However, the one bright side to all of this is that after I'm done with testing and the school year, I'll be heading off to TSA Nationals with some other kids in my school.
As you may have remembered from a previous blog post, I competed this year in Transportation Modeling. I competed in the same category last year, only to get second in the state (not good enough to go to nationals, according to my school's standards). This year, after putting countless hours of effort into shaping, carving, and painting the car, and creating AutoCAD drawings and writing essays, I finally got first. In my opinion, Transportation Modeling should be a team project. There's so much work, compared to the other individual projects...and I wouldn't mind working in a team, either. :)
Anyways, Nationals this year is in Washington D.C., at the Gaylord National Hotel! It's absolutely beautiful from the pictures I've seen online. More importantly, it has a pool, so I can still practice at Nationals. The pool itself isn't small either - it looks like an artsy version of the standard 25m pool for swimming.
In addition to Transportation Modeling, I've also taken on three more TSA competitions at Nationals (including promo graphics) for fun. I can't wait - doing promo graphics gives me an excuse to try out my new Digital drawing app.
More updates to come!
For now, good luck to all others taking APs and SAT 2s. :)
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
TSA Transportation Modeling - Year Two!
March 18th, 2014
After working for a couple months and vigorously cramming last week, I have finally succeeded in finishing my TSA project :D
I'm doing the same competition as last year, Transportation Modeling. It's individual, and this year's theme was alternative energy vehicle.
Here's some pictures of the car (I tryharded this year):
After working for a couple months and vigorously cramming last week, I have finally succeeded in finishing my TSA project :D
I'm doing the same competition as last year, Transportation Modeling. It's individual, and this year's theme was alternative energy vehicle.
Here's some pictures of the car (I tryharded this year):
The washers on top of the car allow a detachable windmill and solar panel to stick to the car, as seen in the upper photo.
Guess what kind of paint I used to paint the car?
Nail polish. It was holographic, and I only used half a bottle. If you're looking for nail polish, I strongly recommend Color Club Halographic Hues--they're not exactly exorbitant in price, but they're not cheap either. The quality is astounding, compared to the nail polishes of more esteemed brands. I thought I needed 4 bottles to paint the car...and I only used half a bottle. That was after three coats.
Anyways....enough digression. Comments? Feedback?
as a really random side note, my display has stars that light up. :)
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Energy Use in the Modern Economy - SHP review
2/13/14
Let my start off by saying: HAPPY REALLY BELATED NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!
Thank you all for being such loyal readers <3
Recently, Columbia SHP's first semester ended and the second started. Now, I'm taking Modern Psychology. Last semester, I took Energy Use in the Modern Economy. That class was definitely worth the time, and the teacher was awesome. I learned an unbelievable amount, and I've actually been able to apply it to everyday life. Although the class does focus on energy use, and the different types of fuels and their characteristics, there's a decent amount of math and physics involved (which conveniently allows me to work on math and physics while also learning about something I'm interested in. Win-win. :D).
I know the second semester selection window passed already, but for any of you SHP guys, I would strongly recommend picking Energy Use. Even though it may not sound the most impressive, you can really use the information you learn.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
A Really, Really Easy Way to Do Nails - No Experience Required
December 11th, 2013
Hey guys, sorry sorry sorry for not posting for a long time. The times have been rough. xD
Just to get warmed up again at this stuff, I'm doing a post on nails. Just for fun.
I don't spend all my time painting my nails, but I do paint them once in a while. There's all these complicated tutorials online where you have to water marble, or paint animals with nail polish, on your nails. Frankly, the results aren't so awesome, either. And in order to do those, you need a lot of colors, which costs quite a bit of money.
So, I developed a new idea which requires pretty much no painting skills, and only one color of nail polish. But you do need a printer. A regular inkjet printer. And, of course, YOU DON'T NEED TRANSFER PAPER OR SOME OTHER KIND OF FANCY SCHMANCY DECAL PAPER OR WHATEVER. TOO MUCH WORK. :D
Steps:
As a sidenote, I named the reindeer on my index finger Bob. Say hi to Bob. :D
This is basically a variation of the newspaper nails trend that was going on a while ago, but everyone's putting so much effort into actually painting pictures when they could just print out pictures and plaster them onto nails. Less work, guys! Instead of painting designs with dotting tools and stripers and everything, just transfer from a regular sheet of printed paper.
This strategy works for black pictures, grayscale, and color. Just use an inkjet printer...I don't think laser-jet will work, but maybe it will. I don't know; I've never tried it.
Comment if you have any questions!
Hey guys, sorry sorry sorry for not posting for a long time. The times have been rough. xD
Just to get warmed up again at this stuff, I'm doing a post on nails. Just for fun.
I don't spend all my time painting my nails, but I do paint them once in a while. There's all these complicated tutorials online where you have to water marble, or paint animals with nail polish, on your nails. Frankly, the results aren't so awesome, either. And in order to do those, you need a lot of colors, which costs quite a bit of money.
So, I developed a new idea which requires pretty much no painting skills, and only one color of nail polish. But you do need a printer. A regular inkjet printer. And, of course, YOU DON'T NEED TRANSFER PAPER OR SOME OTHER KIND OF FANCY SCHMANCY DECAL PAPER OR WHATEVER. TOO MUCH WORK. :D
Steps:
- Paint nails in one color. I used pink.
- Find some pictures on the internet, or draw some pictures and upload them to your computer.
- Copy and paste the pictures onto MsWord.
- Resize the pictures to make them smaller (about the size of your fingernail)
- Print the page out.
- Cut the little pictures out.
- Get some rubbing alcohol, or vodka. Whatever's more convenient. I used cooking vodka, since it's used around my house for cooking/frying so often.
- Pour that into a shallow pan/plate. It's easier than using a tall glass or cup and wastes less.
- Dip one fingernail (immerse it) in that pan for maybe 5 seconds.
- While you're doing that, dunk one of the pictures in the rubbing alcohol.
- Take your finger and the picture out, and position the picture (with ink side touching fingernail) on your fingernail.
- Once you're happy with the positioning, press down. Hard, but not too hard. Keep pressing for 20-30 secs.
- After that it should be really easy to pull away the paper, and the picture should be transferred onto your nail.
- Apply a top coat, or else the ink will wash away.
- This is what mine looked like (Christmas themed! :DD):
This is basically a variation of the newspaper nails trend that was going on a while ago, but everyone's putting so much effort into actually painting pictures when they could just print out pictures and plaster them onto nails. Less work, guys! Instead of painting designs with dotting tools and stripers and everything, just transfer from a regular sheet of printed paper.
This strategy works for black pictures, grayscale, and color. Just use an inkjet printer...I don't think laser-jet will work, but maybe it will. I don't know; I've never tried it.
Comment if you have any questions!
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
What happens when you don't sleep enough
September 25th, 2013
For the past few days, I've been experiencing first-hand what lack of sleep can do. It's terrible. After only getting about five hours of sleep (I bet a lot of you are laughing like "hoboyshethinks5hoursisshortwhat" but hey, I'm a heavy sleeper) I can tell you: never try to deprive yourself of sleep.
After getting up and stumbling around bleary-eyed for a longer time than usual, I was tired for the entire day, yawned incessantly, and had random piercing headaches. I usually never get headaches. Then I started to cough a lot, and I generally felt like falling on my face and sleeping on the floor.
Just...sleep when you can. It really helps. Unless if you have a giant project due the next day that you HAVE to finish no matter what. I those situations--hey, what can I say. Choose one: enough sleep or a decent grade on the project.
For the past few days, I've been experiencing first-hand what lack of sleep can do. It's terrible. After only getting about five hours of sleep (I bet a lot of you are laughing like "hoboyshethinks5hoursisshortwhat" but hey, I'm a heavy sleeper) I can tell you: never try to deprive yourself of sleep.
After getting up and stumbling around bleary-eyed for a longer time than usual, I was tired for the entire day, yawned incessantly, and had random piercing headaches. I usually never get headaches. Then I started to cough a lot, and I generally felt like falling on my face and sleeping on the floor.
Just...sleep when you can. It really helps. Unless if you have a giant project due the next day that you HAVE to finish no matter what. I those situations--hey, what can I say. Choose one: enough sleep or a decent grade on the project.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
It really seems like the world is ending...but it's not.
September 22, 2013
So my new hobby recently is reading the news when I get home on my iPad--and I couldn't help but see that in the past two weeks or so, there have just been so, so, so many disasters. One after another. They all just keep on coming. ._.'
For example, there was the whole flash flooding in Colorado, where a few died, quite a few went missing, and houses, neighborhoods, and roads were left in shambles. There were plenty of pictures of the devastation that made me feel kind of hollow.
As if that wasn't depressing enough, there was the Navy Yard shooting. It seems like after the Sandy Hook school shooting, these gunmen/women have been getting more enthusiastic (why D:). Well, in this case, there wasn't such a big hubbub about gun control laws (even though there should have been). Just the fact that these are adults, not children, does NOT justify in any way that the whole gun control situation should not be changed.
And THEN there was the mall shooting in Kenya. Just a couple of days after the Navy Yard shooting. Unlike the Navy Yard shooting, this time there were dozens of people killed, with many more wounded. And apparently there are also hostages being kept by terrorist militants.
Hopefully people will stop shooting, and hopefully nature decides to just lay off on the storms for a while. (Wow, when's that going to happen? Never. -_-')
I'll try to update this blog as soon as possible. :)
So my new hobby recently is reading the news when I get home on my iPad--and I couldn't help but see that in the past two weeks or so, there have just been so, so, so many disasters. One after another. They all just keep on coming. ._.'
For example, there was the whole flash flooding in Colorado, where a few died, quite a few went missing, and houses, neighborhoods, and roads were left in shambles. There were plenty of pictures of the devastation that made me feel kind of hollow.
As if that wasn't depressing enough, there was the Navy Yard shooting. It seems like after the Sandy Hook school shooting, these gunmen/women have been getting more enthusiastic (why D:). Well, in this case, there wasn't such a big hubbub about gun control laws (even though there should have been). Just the fact that these are adults, not children, does NOT justify in any way that the whole gun control situation should not be changed.
And THEN there was the mall shooting in Kenya. Just a couple of days after the Navy Yard shooting. Unlike the Navy Yard shooting, this time there were dozens of people killed, with many more wounded. And apparently there are also hostages being kept by terrorist militants.
Hopefully people will stop shooting, and hopefully nature decides to just lay off on the storms for a while. (Wow, when's that going to happen? Never. -_-')
I'll try to update this blog as soon as possible. :)
Friday, September 20, 2013
Taming of the Shrew -- GO READ IT.
September 20th, 2013
When someone mentions the word "Shakespeare", many of us groan inwardly and think, "Please, please, please, don't make us read Shakespeare. Please." I have pretty much felt apathetic about Shakespeare for as long as I can remember, but I have friends who hate Shakespeare's writing so much they openly rant about how bad it is whenever they have the chance.
But, this year, we read Taming of the Shrew, which is possibly the most hilarious book I have ever read by Shakespeare. Reading it completely changed my view of Shakespeare--maybe this guy DID have a sense of humor, after all. xD While the title sounds all dreary and evil, the book itself is full of hidden jokes and naughty, conspiring characters. I loved reading it, and now we're watching the movie. So, so funny. Some things I don't understand, for those of you who watched the movie: why can't Bianca stop laughing? And when Katharina is chasing her with a sword, why doesn't she run out of the house and call for help instead of running into a corner and screaming her head off?
Anyways, all you Shakespeare haters, go read Taming of the Shrew. You'll love it. :)
When someone mentions the word "Shakespeare", many of us groan inwardly and think, "Please, please, please, don't make us read Shakespeare. Please." I have pretty much felt apathetic about Shakespeare for as long as I can remember, but I have friends who hate Shakespeare's writing so much they openly rant about how bad it is whenever they have the chance.
But, this year, we read Taming of the Shrew, which is possibly the most hilarious book I have ever read by Shakespeare. Reading it completely changed my view of Shakespeare--maybe this guy DID have a sense of humor, after all. xD While the title sounds all dreary and evil, the book itself is full of hidden jokes and naughty, conspiring characters. I loved reading it, and now we're watching the movie. So, so funny. Some things I don't understand, for those of you who watched the movie: why can't Bianca stop laughing? And when Katharina is chasing her with a sword, why doesn't she run out of the house and call for help instead of running into a corner and screaming her head off?
Anyways, all you Shakespeare haters, go read Taming of the Shrew. You'll love it. :)
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Columbia SHP next week...YAY!
September 17th, 2013
As I am buried under homework, I'll make this post brief. I apologize once again to those who actually read my blog--I know I haven't been posting regularly lately, and I will do my best to do so. As of right now, I have a bunch of homework to do, as well as projects to complete.
That's basically been my entire first week of school, and a welcome diversion is the Columbia SHP (next week, thank god). I'm hoping its going to be fun--I mean, learning about science is always fun! (haha, until the fateful moment when you realize you actually don't understand any of the stuff you just read. And then you have to go back and decipher it.) But I love science, and it's always been my best subject.
I'll try to post again soon :D
As I am buried under homework, I'll make this post brief. I apologize once again to those who actually read my blog--I know I haven't been posting regularly lately, and I will do my best to do so. As of right now, I have a bunch of homework to do, as well as projects to complete.
That's basically been my entire first week of school, and a welcome diversion is the Columbia SHP (next week, thank god). I'm hoping its going to be fun--I mean, learning about science is always fun! (haha, until the fateful moment when you realize you actually don't understand any of the stuff you just read. And then you have to go back and decipher it.) But I love science, and it's always been my best subject.
I'll try to post again soon :D
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
The First Day of School
September 9th, 2013
The first day of school: chaotic and exciting. Everyone's wearing their best clothes, and new sneakers gleam white in the hallways. Everyone feels older, but I feel ancient.
This summer seems to have been one of the shortest I have ever experienced; it was only two months, and it wasn't even very hot. Coming back to school after a not-very-relaxing summer wasn't exactly fun. However, the new classes, as well as reunions with friends, was something to look forward to.
It's only been the first day of school, but it already feels like the last. Everyone's drowsy and tired, and we had a party during lunch, exactly like the last day of school last year. The only difference is the freshmen, who definitely bring some new characteristics to our school. :)
The first day of school: chaotic and exciting. Everyone's wearing their best clothes, and new sneakers gleam white in the hallways. Everyone feels older, but I feel ancient.
This summer seems to have been one of the shortest I have ever experienced; it was only two months, and it wasn't even very hot. Coming back to school after a not-very-relaxing summer wasn't exactly fun. However, the new classes, as well as reunions with friends, was something to look forward to.
It's only been the first day of school, but it already feels like the last. Everyone's drowsy and tired, and we had a party during lunch, exactly like the last day of school last year. The only difference is the freshmen, who definitely bring some new characteristics to our school. :)
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Summer--way too short.
August 27th, 2013If only summer was twice as long. I feel like this summer, I basically haven't relaxed at all--it was all just worrying for school, testing for precalc, etc. etc. The one vacation I went on wasn't relaxing at all. I had to teach kids in Beijing English, and I have to say, I have a new respect for teachers. Coming up with lesson plans and powerpoints isn't easy (it's also ten times harder when the hotel you're staying in has no wifi). It takes a lot of work to calm down a rowdy class, too.
But, teaching those kids was one of the best experiences I've ever had. I got to learn about my students and about the Chinese school system. (My students were actually a lot better at English than I expected them to be. Their grammar is even better than the grammar of some of the people who post on twitter or Facebook.) However, some words of advice: when in Beijing, make sure to avoid the poop on the ground. It's literally everywhere. Well, maybe it was just the place I stayed...
Basically, my vacation to China was not really a vacation. I think during all vacations, we have to plan, to work, to stress out in some way. I've never gone on a stress free vacation.
I wish summer would just last a little bit longer--and I'm sure I'm echoing the thoughts of about a million kids right now. Once back in school, it's all about looking forward to a two day weekend again. Last year was a disaster. Hurricane Sandy, WHY!? Just because of that one storm with the really bad attitude, we had no holiday breaks from school the entire second half of the year. Sleeping was the single activity most of the people in my class looked forward too. (other than eating, of course :D)
For those of you who follow this blog, sorry I haven't been posting regularly. I'll post again as soon as possible. Adios for now :)
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
What's the best kind of pet?
July 17th, 2013
Sorry I haven't posted in a while; I've been really busy.
Well.
Even though I can't get a pet (well, I have goldfish but they don't really count), I think a lot about the kind of pet I would get if I was allowed to have something other than goldfish. A dog? Cat? Ilama? Unicorn?
When I was little, I used to bug my parents all the time about getting me a dog. They seemed so cute, with their fuzzy coats and yippy barks. I read a bunch of kid stories where a girl would want a puppy, and for Christmas, lo and behold, THERE WAS A PUPPY UNDER THE TREE. I didn't realize until late primary school that the girl was just really spoiled, and in real life parents just make up reasons about how pets are "not allowed in this house!"
Then, recently, I started seeing that dogs aren't all that great. I mean sure, they're smart, they can learn tricks, and they're "man's best friend". But I've seen many dogs that bark incessantly, jump all over you, slobber way too much, claw at your legs, etc. Essentially, dogs are really time consuming creatures. You have to train them, placate them, take them outside to walk, etc... Every day I see my neighbor (with bedhead hair and dark bags under her eyes and a big mug of coffee) take her dog for a walk at 7:00 in the morning. In the winter. I know for a fact I would die of exhaustion.
So I thought, cats are great. It doesn't matter how fat they are...actually, the fatter/fluffier, the cuter. They don't have to be walked. They let you pet them. They don't bark their heads off. They purr, rub against your legs, and are generally not a nuisance. (Generally.) So now, if I do get a pet, I'll most likely get a cat. (If any of you have something against cats, please reply to this post. Please.)
I've also considered turtles (so tiny!) until I realized that most turtles aren't tiny. The ones under 4 inches are banned due to salmonella concerns, and the larger ones are frankly not very appealing.
Hamsters, chinchillas, gerbils--basically, you take care of them, and what do you get in return? A stinky cage, an animal sleeping ALL THE TIME, and almost no interaction with the pet. It may just be my misconception, but this is what I think...correct me if I'm wrong. Besides, if Fluffy escapes the cage you'll have a dandy, horrifying time looking for him. Fun!
So tell me--if anyone has experience with pets, what's the best kind of pet to get?
Sorry I haven't posted in a while; I've been really busy.
Well.
Even though I can't get a pet (well, I have goldfish but they don't really count), I think a lot about the kind of pet I would get if I was allowed to have something other than goldfish. A dog? Cat? Ilama? Unicorn?
When I was little, I used to bug my parents all the time about getting me a dog. They seemed so cute, with their fuzzy coats and yippy barks. I read a bunch of kid stories where a girl would want a puppy, and for Christmas, lo and behold, THERE WAS A PUPPY UNDER THE TREE. I didn't realize until late primary school that the girl was just really spoiled, and in real life parents just make up reasons about how pets are "not allowed in this house!"
Then, recently, I started seeing that dogs aren't all that great. I mean sure, they're smart, they can learn tricks, and they're "man's best friend". But I've seen many dogs that bark incessantly, jump all over you, slobber way too much, claw at your legs, etc. Essentially, dogs are really time consuming creatures. You have to train them, placate them, take them outside to walk, etc... Every day I see my neighbor (with bedhead hair and dark bags under her eyes and a big mug of coffee) take her dog for a walk at 7:00 in the morning. In the winter. I know for a fact I would die of exhaustion.
So I thought, cats are great. It doesn't matter how fat they are...actually, the fatter/fluffier, the cuter. They don't have to be walked. They let you pet them. They don't bark their heads off. They purr, rub against your legs, and are generally not a nuisance. (Generally.) So now, if I do get a pet, I'll most likely get a cat. (If any of you have something against cats, please reply to this post. Please.)
I've also considered turtles (so tiny!) until I realized that most turtles aren't tiny. The ones under 4 inches are banned due to salmonella concerns, and the larger ones are frankly not very appealing.
Hamsters, chinchillas, gerbils--basically, you take care of them, and what do you get in return? A stinky cage, an animal sleeping ALL THE TIME, and almost no interaction with the pet. It may just be my misconception, but this is what I think...correct me if I'm wrong. Besides, if Fluffy escapes the cage you'll have a dandy, horrifying time looking for him. Fun!
So tell me--if anyone has experience with pets, what's the best kind of pet to get?
Friday, June 14, 2013
Blue Dragon (Glaucus atlanticus) AS A PET? No.
Recently, while browsing the web, I came across numerous images of Glaucus atlanticus both on scientific forums and photo sharing sites. This animal is more commonly known as the Blue Dragon. Blue Dragons are rare, and are a type of sea slug (which is a mollusk). They float on top of water using the water's surface tension, and utilize an air sac on their ventral (otherwise known as the belly) side, so it floats upside down. Their pattered blue coloration provides protection from all sides.
So, the first thing I did was research some more. Sadly, I was disappointed.
Apparently, the Blue Dragon eats Portuguese Man o' Wars, a species of Cnidaria (the phylum that includes jellyfish) that look like jellyfish but are actually a colony of specialized organisms that really can't survive with each other. Anyways, the Man o' War is really, really poisonous. The Blue Dragon can eat the Man o' War because it has stronger poison. Where does it get the poison from? When it eats Man o' War, it separates out all the strongest poisons and stores them in special sacs in their body. So.
My ultimate conclusion: Blue Dragons should not be pets...sadly. Unless if you want to go find Man o' Wars every day to feed your little tiny cute deadly evil Blue Dragon.
I really don't think it's worth being stung by a Blue Dragon just so you can keep one as a pet.
I really don't know how the guy in the picture has the courage to hold the animal with his bare hands.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Poor Fish :'(
May 22nd, 2013
Hi everyone, so I haven't posted in a while...sorry. But:
Hi everyone, so I haven't posted in a while...sorry. But:
About three years ago, my sister went to this little
kids' swim meet where the winner of each heat would get a fish. My sister was
really fast back then...so she got 4 fish. Well actually, she got three, but
for the last one she got second place and cried, so the fish-hander-outter gave
her another fish xD
These were all feeder fish, and two were of a different kind
(smaller). At the time, I thought they were just some cheap, ugly fish which
would die in a couple days. Needless to say, I was proven wrong...they're
probably some of the prettiest fish I've seen. Much prettier than those fish
that cost forty dollars. The two bigger fish in particular are gorgeous.
They've grown to the size of maybe...five inches? They were an inch when I
first saw them. But now, they have these long streaming translucent tails and
fins, and they have splashes of golden orange along the ridge of their back and
sides. They're so pretty :')
But, today I was doing my homework, and the door to my
bedroom was closed because the AC was on and I didn't really want the cold air
to escape from my room. My room's on the second floor, and it's always really
hot in the summer since all the heat rises...ugh. But I was homeworking, when I
vaguely heard someone screaming my name. I thought I was hallucinating, because
no one screams my name unless if they want to yell at me, and I hadn't done
anything that bad that I couldremember...so I kept working. After about five
seconds, distinctly clearer: "VIVIANNNNNN!!! VIVIANNNNN!?!?!?!? COME DOWN
RIGHT NOW!!!" So I thought, "Okay, fine. I must be in trouble for
some random thing that I forgot about." I trudged downstairs.
When I get there, I find my mom simultaneously screaming my
name while shouting into a phone to my dad (who was at NYC working) about
something with a fish. Then, I made out, "IT JUST LEAPED OUT!"
Connecting the dots, I realized that there were only 3 fish in the tank. One of
the bigger fish was gone. So, our conversation from then on:
Me: "MOM DID YOU SERIOUSLY THROW THE FISH AWAY!?"
Mom: "NOnonoooo it jumped out!"
Me: "I know it jumped out...WHERE IS IT?"
Mom: "Look under the table."
I looked under the table and saw the poor fish lying on its
side, barely moving and covered in dust. I grabbed it and plopped it in the
fish tank. For a second, I thought it was dead, but it started swimming again.
Last I saw of it, it was fine. Well, it's swimming on its side. At least it's
alive. xD But after:
Me: "How long was it there?"
Mom: "Ten minutes!"
Me: ". . . ."
Mom: "What?"
Me: "So you didn't pick it up?"
Mom: *evades question* "What do you want to have for
dinner tonight?"
And I thought I was easily grossed out... xD
Thursday, May 2, 2013
The Freshmen Picnic
May 2nd, 2013
Wow, May already. This year went fast.
Anyways, today was the freshmen picnic. It was really fun, getting to know all the incoming freshmen. There's actually going to be a lot of girls next year. Excited!
Needless to say, we played lots of boring games (which the current freshmen council hastily claimed they did not come up with xD). When asked to say something special about themselves, one kid said, "I'm Asian and my name is [I forgot his name lets just say it was Bob]." Well, I think we could see he was Asian. His nametag had his name on it.
So...things to look forward to next year! Sorry I haven't been posting a lot lately...lots of work to do. :(
Wow, May already. This year went fast.
Anyways, today was the freshmen picnic. It was really fun, getting to know all the incoming freshmen. There's actually going to be a lot of girls next year. Excited!
Needless to say, we played lots of boring games (which the current freshmen council hastily claimed they did not come up with xD). When asked to say something special about themselves, one kid said, "I'm Asian and my name is [I forgot his name lets just say it was Bob]." Well, I think we could see he was Asian. His nametag had his name on it.
So...things to look forward to next year! Sorry I haven't been posting a lot lately...lots of work to do. :(
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Columbia SHP entrance exam
April 27, 2013
I woke up at 7:30 with a very, very sore throat (probably from allergies/chewing gum) and very blurry eyesight (because I hadn't worn contact lenses the night before). Then, a couple of family friends and I carpooled to drive to Columbia, to take the entrance exam for SHP.
To be honest, I thought the first math section was going to be a lot harder, but it was all basic stuff. Algebra, some easy Geometry, etc. For those of you online freaking out about conic sections and matrices: it's not that complicated...
Then, they handed out the science portion. Andddd.....my day went slightly downhill. I had never learned half the things on the test (which was designed for upperclassmen) and I left a couple blank just because I had no idea what they were talking about and wrong answers resulted in lost points.
I didn't like the math competition part. My forte isn't math competitions, and I guess I could figure out most of the questions, but for the rest I was stuck. I ended up leaving some blank on this section, too. Whoever told me this was like the AMC, it's not. It's kind of harder.
And by the way, NYC is really crowded and noisy--I haven't visited for about two years, and I totally forgot about the chaos on the streets. Not that it's bad. :) We had lunch at a Japanese restaurant across from the building where I took the test.
Columbia is also really pretty--I really like the way the campus was designed.
I woke up at 7:30 with a very, very sore throat (probably from allergies/chewing gum) and very blurry eyesight (because I hadn't worn contact lenses the night before). Then, a couple of family friends and I carpooled to drive to Columbia, to take the entrance exam for SHP.
To be honest, I thought the first math section was going to be a lot harder, but it was all basic stuff. Algebra, some easy Geometry, etc. For those of you online freaking out about conic sections and matrices: it's not that complicated...
Then, they handed out the science portion. Andddd.....my day went slightly downhill. I had never learned half the things on the test (which was designed for upperclassmen) and I left a couple blank just because I had no idea what they were talking about and wrong answers resulted in lost points.
I didn't like the math competition part. My forte isn't math competitions, and I guess I could figure out most of the questions, but for the rest I was stuck. I ended up leaving some blank on this section, too. Whoever told me this was like the AMC, it's not. It's kind of harder.
And by the way, NYC is really crowded and noisy--I haven't visited for about two years, and I totally forgot about the chaos on the streets. Not that it's bad. :) We had lunch at a Japanese restaurant across from the building where I took the test.
Columbia is also really pretty--I really like the way the campus was designed.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Where'd You Go, Bernadette?
Sorry I haven't posted for more than a week--I was drowning under homework.
Anyways, last month, I finished reading Where'd You Go, Bernadette, by Maria Semple. It was stunningly amazing. It was, in fact, one of the few books I have read recently that I actually enjoyed. The whole novel is basically a compilation of emails, letters, conversations, and narratives by the main character (Bee). Bee's mother is Bernadette, commonly known by their section of Seattle as "the crazy lady". When one reads an email from her archenemy/neighbor, Audrey Griffin, one would think she was mentally insane. According to Audrey, Bernadette ran over her foot at school for no apparent reason. The humor in this is that Bernadette never actually ran over Audrey's foot. Also, even if she did, she would have been provoked; Audrey was running towards their car and tapping on the windows while making strange faces. Needless to say, Bernadette is not very fond of her neighbor/people in general. She starts calling her neighbors "the gnats".
Later, we find out that Bernadette was actually a genius, and had received a MacArthur grant early in her career as an architect. She had designed the "20 Mile House", which was basically a pioneering "green" house. Not a greenhouse. A house that was designed to minimally impact the environment. The bad news: she had a really cranky neighbor/moviestar that decided to buy her house under an alias and destroy it. Bernadette literally went a little crazy with depression after 3 years of her work was destroyed. She moved to Seattle, far away from where the house once stood.
Bee, her daughter, is also really smart. She gets admitted into a private school, Chaote, reserved for really smart kids. However, Bernadette unexpectedly goes missing. Bee becomes angry at basically everyone in her life. She basically gets kicked out of Chaote. Chaos ensues as everyone trys to find Bernadette. Once elusive, Bernadette now seems to have just fallen off the earth. I'm trying not to spoil any of the later parts...read it for yourself and you'll see what I mean by "stunningly amazing." :)
Anyways, last month, I finished reading Where'd You Go, Bernadette, by Maria Semple. It was stunningly amazing. It was, in fact, one of the few books I have read recently that I actually enjoyed. The whole novel is basically a compilation of emails, letters, conversations, and narratives by the main character (Bee). Bee's mother is Bernadette, commonly known by their section of Seattle as "the crazy lady". When one reads an email from her archenemy/neighbor, Audrey Griffin, one would think she was mentally insane. According to Audrey, Bernadette ran over her foot at school for no apparent reason. The humor in this is that Bernadette never actually ran over Audrey's foot. Also, even if she did, she would have been provoked; Audrey was running towards their car and tapping on the windows while making strange faces. Needless to say, Bernadette is not very fond of her neighbor/people in general. She starts calling her neighbors "the gnats".
Later, we find out that Bernadette was actually a genius, and had received a MacArthur grant early in her career as an architect. She had designed the "20 Mile House", which was basically a pioneering "green" house. Not a greenhouse. A house that was designed to minimally impact the environment. The bad news: she had a really cranky neighbor/moviestar that decided to buy her house under an alias and destroy it. Bernadette literally went a little crazy with depression after 3 years of her work was destroyed. She moved to Seattle, far away from where the house once stood.
Bee, her daughter, is also really smart. She gets admitted into a private school, Chaote, reserved for really smart kids. However, Bernadette unexpectedly goes missing. Bee becomes angry at basically everyone in her life. She basically gets kicked out of Chaote. Chaos ensues as everyone trys to find Bernadette. Once elusive, Bernadette now seems to have just fallen off the earth. I'm trying not to spoil any of the later parts...read it for yourself and you'll see what I mean by "stunningly amazing." :)
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Success! TSA!
April 10th, 2013
I GOT 2ND PLACE IN MY STATE FOR TRANSPORTATION MODELING! All my hard work has paid off.
I'm the only freshman girl from HTHS to place in states, so I'm happy enough. Even though I won't be able to go to nationals despite technically being qualified to do so, I'm not really dying of rage. I mean, it's basically a High Tech tradition only to let the first place person go to nationals; might as well honor the tradition! :D
But....HAPPYHAPPYHAPPY
I GOT 2ND PLACE IN MY STATE FOR TRANSPORTATION MODELING! All my hard work has paid off.
I'm the only freshman girl from HTHS to place in states, so I'm happy enough. Even though I won't be able to go to nationals despite technically being qualified to do so, I'm not really dying of rage. I mean, it's basically a High Tech tradition only to let the first place person go to nationals; might as well honor the tradition! :D
But....HAPPYHAPPYHAPPY
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Les Miserables, Lincoln, The Life of Pi, Silver Linings Playbook
April 7th, 2013
I've heard fantastic things about many movies, but the four that stand out the most are Les Miserables, Lincoln, The Life of Pi, and Silver Linings Playbook.
Les Miserables
All I know is that it's something about the French Revolution, Anne Hathaway, a little girl, etc. I also know that it has a lot of really good music. All my friends who have watched it say that it's one of the best movies they've ever watched. Can anyone elaborate, please? I need more information!
Lincoln
While my friends say Les Mis is one of the best movies they've ever watched, many say Lincoln is THE best movie they have ever watched. Last year, I read in the TIME magazine that the actor who played Lincoln impersonated him really well. I really want to watch this. ;D
The Life of Pi
Lots of computer animation, a random tiger stuck on a boat with a random guy for some random reason, who wouldn't want to watch? (FYI, I do know that the events are not very random, but before I read the book and when I saw the advertisements with a guy, a tiger, and a boat, I was really confused). Everyone says that the tiger's not real, yet they make it look real using computer animation. I do kind of want to see this for myself...
Silver Linings Playbook
It has Jennifer Lawrence in it, what can I say. That makes it automatically on my MUST SEE list. (I guess being Katniss gave Lawrence a lot of fans...) Apparently, aside from that, it's a really funny, awesome movie about a widow (Lawrence) and another guy....I think you can tell I haven't really researched this one yet. Oh, well. I still want to see the movie. xD
I've heard fantastic things about many movies, but the four that stand out the most are Les Miserables, Lincoln, The Life of Pi, and Silver Linings Playbook.
Les Miserables
All I know is that it's something about the French Revolution, Anne Hathaway, a little girl, etc. I also know that it has a lot of really good music. All my friends who have watched it say that it's one of the best movies they've ever watched. Can anyone elaborate, please? I need more information!
Lincoln
While my friends say Les Mis is one of the best movies they've ever watched, many say Lincoln is THE best movie they have ever watched. Last year, I read in the TIME magazine that the actor who played Lincoln impersonated him really well. I really want to watch this. ;D
The Life of Pi
Lots of computer animation, a random tiger stuck on a boat with a random guy for some random reason, who wouldn't want to watch? (FYI, I do know that the events are not very random, but before I read the book and when I saw the advertisements with a guy, a tiger, and a boat, I was really confused). Everyone says that the tiger's not real, yet they make it look real using computer animation. I do kind of want to see this for myself...
Silver Linings Playbook
It has Jennifer Lawrence in it, what can I say. That makes it automatically on my MUST SEE list. (I guess being Katniss gave Lawrence a lot of fans...) Apparently, aside from that, it's a really funny, awesome movie about a widow (Lawrence) and another guy....I think you can tell I haven't really researched this one yet. Oh, well. I still want to see the movie. xD
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Playing Frisbee...And Freezing to Death! :D
April 3rd, 2013
Note: Slices of Lives just ended!
From now on these are just regular blog posts.
The other day, my gym class played Ultimate Frisbee outside. Despite the fact that we're supposed to be relatively GOOD at Ultimate Frisbee, as the sport is HTHS's unofficial sport, we're pretty bad at it. At least, my team was. Some other teams were actually pretty decent at it.
Anyways, that day, it was really, really windy. It was also really cold. Everyone had gym the day before that, too, and that day it was sweltering hot, so we all brought short sleeves and shorts to change into. For some reason, Mother Nature decided to hate us all and make the next day below freezing. So while most people were in short sleeves and shorts, I was one of the few who had sweatpants and a winter jacket.
It was one of the few days I didn't wear a hoodie (WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE THAT DAY) and I only had my winter jacket, so I was still warmer than most. After I donated my jacket to Christine, who was practically dying from coldness, I was half cold (my legs were still covered by sweatpants). It was also really windy that day, so whenever we threw the Frisbee it would land in the woods, which had a lot of thorns. The juniors spent quite a bit of time fishing Frisbees out of thorns. Eventually, we gave up and huddled together under a hill, which partially blocked the wind. Even though I got back my jacket, my hands were still literally frozen. I couldn't feel anything, and when I came back into a warm building I felt pins and needles. It must've been really bad for the people without jackets >.<'
Note: Slices of Lives just ended!
From now on these are just regular blog posts.
The other day, my gym class played Ultimate Frisbee outside. Despite the fact that we're supposed to be relatively GOOD at Ultimate Frisbee, as the sport is HTHS's unofficial sport, we're pretty bad at it. At least, my team was. Some other teams were actually pretty decent at it.
Anyways, that day, it was really, really windy. It was also really cold. Everyone had gym the day before that, too, and that day it was sweltering hot, so we all brought short sleeves and shorts to change into. For some reason, Mother Nature decided to hate us all and make the next day below freezing. So while most people were in short sleeves and shorts, I was one of the few who had sweatpants and a winter jacket.
It was one of the few days I didn't wear a hoodie (WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE THAT DAY) and I only had my winter jacket, so I was still warmer than most. After I donated my jacket to Christine, who was practically dying from coldness, I was half cold (my legs were still covered by sweatpants). It was also really windy that day, so whenever we threw the Frisbee it would land in the woods, which had a lot of thorns. The juniors spent quite a bit of time fishing Frisbees out of thorns. Eventually, we gave up and huddled together under a hill, which partially blocked the wind. Even though I got back my jacket, my hands were still literally frozen. I couldn't feel anything, and when I came back into a warm building I felt pins and needles. It must've been really bad for the people without jackets >.<'
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