meliaclaire

27 May 2008 @ 11:23 pm

Blackbird (The Beatles)

Blackbird is definitely one of my favorite Beatles songs and perhaps favorite song in general. The melody is beautiful and soothing and the lyrics are touching. Though I enjoy listening to this song no matter what mood I’m in, I can especially relate to the lyrics and tone when I’m feeling discouraged and need a bit of inspiration to get me going again. I also feel like the lyrics connect to other people in my life who have gone or are going through various challenges and obstacles. The line, “Take these broken wings and learn to fly,” reminds me how you can learn a lot and get a so much out of almost any situation, good or bad. Also, the line suggests that you should try to make the most out of what you have and to stay optimistic about the situation, which is something I’m always trying to do.

Dances with Wood (Mickey Hart and Zakir Hussain)

This song has no lyrics, so I suppose it will be rather difficult to analyze, however, it is an absolutely amazing song. I love it because it is so different than anything I’ve ever heard before. The song is mainly percussion, but the rhythms and melody are quite complicated and all of the various instruments are interlaced ingeniously. I was introduced to this song and this musician because it’s the music for one of the dances I’m in this year. Though I hear it over and over throughout the week, the beats are so strong and unique that they send energy pulsing through my veins every time I hear it and my entire body is just itching to get up and dance. I’ve tried time and time again to use this song as background music while I do some homework because I love it so much, but my mind and appendages get too caught up in the music for me to be productive. It’s one of my theme songs I suppose just because it energizes me after a long day of school or dance or whatever else has been going on. I find that the absence of lyrics makes this song even more exciting and energizing for me because each time I hear it I create my own story and vivid images despite the fact that I have no idea what the artists intended this song to be about.

A Day in the Life (The Beatles—sorry, for my lack of variety here… but I can’t think of many theme songs….)

I also think this song is pretty brilliant. The juxtaposition between the sing-songy voice and melody and what the lyrics are actually saying makes this song quite complex and interesting (not to mention the many allusions). The soothing, rather upbeat melody makes this song more enjoyable to listen to; the lyrics provide the opportunity for myriad connections and analyses. I can especially relate to the line “I read the news today, oh boy” mainly because I often share that sentiment. It’s seems that much too frequently I’ll open the newspaper or glance at the headlines on the internet and want to just look away. I mean, in spite of all the progress we’ve supposedly made, it seems like there’s so much that goes on that is just terrible. Even worse is the fact that we often have little to no control regarding what happens.

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11 May 2008 @ 12:51 pm

(no subject)

Non-extremophilist student wishing for more time.

Woman (28) looking for rich old chap (80+), preferably with a terminal illness and few close relatives, friends, and children, if any. Must make a new will upon our meeting. I will gladly assist in the process of writing it.

I am kind, caring, and loving, motivated by the opposite of money, of course. I enjoy taking walks along the beach at sunset, making breakfast, buying expensive cars, traveling to Europe with inflated American dollars, and embedding large jewels and gold in everything imaginable. I would also like to purchase vacation homes in several countries and perhaps buy a diamond ring from Sierra Leone.

I am very attractive and responsible. I will ensure that you take all the required medicine and go to all of your doctor’s appointments. I will also manage our funds, because I know that that can put a lot of pressure on you when you are ill. Upon your death, which I hope does not occur within a year or two of our meeting, I will make certain that your new will goes into effect as you and I wrote it.

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03 May 2008 @ 11:12 pm

(no subject)

Dear 5^th grade Melia,

I hope you’re excited to start your last year of elementary school and finally be one of the “big kids” on the playground! Good luck memorizing all of the capitals and locations of the states. Do try to cherish this last year at Marin School as much as you can. Treasure the relatively homework-free afternoons and breaks. Appreciate desks with unattached chairs and floors that don’t make your head spin. Life will never be quite the same.

Middle School is a rather large change. Your 6^th grade teachers will give you a lot more homework than the other teachers, but try not to get too annoyed; it will really help prepare you for all your years of schooling to come. The five-paragraph essays at the end of every history test will also serve you well. Be sure to continue playing music and get involved in the AMS band. Definitely switch to flute because you won’t have to deal with the horrible taste of reeds. Also, make an effort to get involved with 8^th grade leadership. You’ll enjoy it, I believe.

Though middle school may not feel like it’s flying by, it will be over soon enough. With the start of high school, you’ll enjoy the very short walk to school and open campus lunch. Model UN and Leadership are two activities you should get involved in. Both are interesting and enjoyable, though they may add a bit of excessive stress from time to time. Stress. That’s another thing. Try not to stress too much over homework assignments or tests. Staying sane and healthy is very important. So, try to weigh a decent/adequate amount of sleep evenly with getting an A. It’s important to work hard and study, but do let yourself have a break once in a while. Don’t get too intimidated by French. Though French at AHS is rigorous and demanding, it’s a wonderful class to take. You will learn so much about the Francophone world as well as language mechanics and vocabulary. Besides, you’re bound to hear some of the most interesting stories and amusing comments. Though the workload and constant quizzes and tests will add a bit of stress to your life, it’s definitely worth it.

While I’m on the subject of language, I think that it’s really important to know as many languages as you can. French is very useful in international affairs. Ask Mom to teach you more German and ask Dad to teach you more Tagalog. I know you know a bit of both, but the more the better, right?

Stay close to your friends and family throughout these years. Once in a while, you’re bound to need each other. Don’t be afraid to try new things, especially food. Try to travel as much as you can and gain an understanding of many perspectives. Also, try not to succumb to procrastination. Particularly if/when you are in an AP class. Do not wait until a few weeks before to start studying. Perfectionism is also not a splendid thing, so watch out for that as well. One last piece of random advice is to try to always have something to look forward to; it makes time pass much faster and keeps you focused. Having goals are very important too.

You have a lot to look forward to, from Pointe and driving to leadership and French. Homework, dance, and studying will slowly begin to dominate your life. But it’s not too bad. There’s actually a lot that you’ll find interesting, maybe even enjoy. Stay focused and optimistic and don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone once in a while. Best of luck these next few years.

Sincerely,

10^th grade Melia

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27 April 2008 @ 09:54 pm

My thoughts

Dance + not warming up = pain; New pointe shoes + running out of Band-Aids = blisters; AP Bio + 2 weeks to study = headache; Food + an energetic little brother = procrastination; thank goodness I don’t have math homework this weekend.

I don’t know if that counted as an official paragraph, but oh well, my brain had to warm-up a bit.

Smoothies are ingenious. They are the perfect drink for almost any occasion and time of the day, whether it’s a quick refresher on a hot day or part of a nutritional breakfast. Additionally, they are a liquid with a little bit of solid, making it easy to have when you are ill. Homemade smoothies are, most of the time at least, much better than any smoothie you can buy. You can pick the fruit, juice, and whatever else you decide to put in it and blend the contents to perfection.

Why is it that the first half of the alphabet always gets the better treatment? I went to a college fair this weekend, and colleges A-O were located in a lovely air-conditioned room (it was boiling outside!), while colleges P-Z were in an overly-crowded, stuffy, non-air-conditioned room.

Dance is not a sport. It is most definitely an art. It just requires at least as much energy, time, commitment, practice, and sweat as any sport out there. However, dance is more about communicating ideas and expressions. I love both sports and arts, but dance is one of the latter.

Powder soap is awful. Using it is like washing your hands with grains of sand that dissolve when in contact with water and make you cringe.

Why are driver’s license pictures always so bad? You have to show them to everyone, yet they are seldom even remotely flattering.

I think that one of the most annoying things is when you try to do something really efficiently so as to save a few minutes or seconds or whatever, but then it ends up taking more time than if you had just done it normally. I experience this phenomenon all the time, unfortunately.

Klutziness is pretty annoying, too. I manage to hit my head getting in or out of the car, slam my toes into doorways, or fling my arm into a wall nearly every day. Perhaps it’s because I’m constantly dancing around my house. The kitchen, with all of its cabinets, appliances, and tiled floor is, I suppose, not the ideal place to turn and leap, but what else am I going to do while waiting for the toaster to ding or the microwave to beep?

The sound of the beeping alarm clock is a horrible sound to wake up to. Even when you are looking forward to whatever you are waking up for, the monotonous, repetitive, obnoxious sound sucks any and all energy out, making you want to fall back asleep. I have, however, become habituated to this wonderful noise, so I no longer respond to it. I do respond, albeit sluggishly, to my mom’s calls from the kitchen or down the hallway telling me to turn it off.

No matter how much homework I do before Sunday, I always manage to stay up late finishing up assignments and doing some last-minute studying. Every week I tell myself that I will be more productive Friday and Saturday, yet I never manage to follow through with this.

I would be a terrible sales person. I just came back from the School CARE phonation and I am not particularly good at asking people for money. Even for a good cause. Though I have been fairly successful selling things at the Smuin Ballet gift table during shows. But I guess selling things and asking for donations are very different things,

Sundays and Mondays must be the worst two days of the week. I mean, Sunday, all you can think about is having to wake up early the next morning and go to school and how much homework and whatnot you have left to do before the school week starts. On Monday, you have to go to every class so you have to lug an extremely heavy backpack to school in addition to waking up a tad too early. Tuesday and Wednesday are alright because you’ve got block schedule and Friday seems within descent reach. Thursday is wonderful because Friday is the next day. Friday is splendid because it’s Friday and the start of the weekend, which usually holds at least something fun and exciting, if not some much needed rest and relaxation.

I think I’ve killed a lot of trees this year, primarily in AP Bio. The class in which we discuss the importance of trees and plants to our environment and world, and where we discuss ways to protect the environment. I venture to say that the use of over half of these trees has done little more than to make my biology folder weigh much more than it should.

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23 March 2008 @ 06:34 pm

The Best Show

At last, as every avid game-show enthusiast would tell you, NBC has concocted the perfect show: Deal or No Deal. It is an extremely challenging game in which a contestant must choose to open or not open various brief cases each containing some unknown amount of money between a penny and a million dollars. Periodically, after a few exciting rounds of case-opening, a mysterious banker calls and makes an offer that the contestant must decide to take or not take, hence, Deal or No Deal. Just brilliant, isn’t it?

It’s such a delightful game because it is, I dare to say, the first game show that requires absolutely no brain, making it much more enjoyable for us Americans to watch and to play. I mean, Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader was really pushing most of our brains before this game came along. I was going to bed with headaches every night from my overworked brain trying to remember how to find the area of a triangle, let alone the name of our first president. (You definitely don’t want to know what kind of trauma I went through in the old days whilst watching Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, and Who Wants to be a Millionaire.) Deal or No Deal’s complete elimination of the need for any and all schema makes it much easier for any average citizen to get their hands on those million dollars so they can buy all the luxuries they desire. Never again will contestants spend hours, days, or even years with the inefficient process of gathering knowledge on a variety of topics just to get that money.

Additionally, the show holds true to good old American values, namely beauty, money, and self-betterment. In the show, there are 23 beautiful models, identically dressed in the newest fashion craze, each of whom holds a shining silver briefcase donning a number from 1 to 26. As for money, well, the contestant is pretty much guaranteed to walk out with something in hand. This money will be used for self-betterment, to purchase the aforementioned luxuries and hearty, greasy foods we tend to be drawn towards as a country. Just as America is first and foremost concerned with improving as a nation before reaching out to the rest of the world, most contestants choose to follow in similar footsteps, choosing to, say, buy a new, cool car instead of wasting the money on a new school in, say, Uganda. This truly would not be beneficial to one's self.

This exciting and suspenseful show is one of the best on television today. If you haven’t yet had the joy of watching it, I urge you to set aside an hour of your time to do so. For your lucky convenience, the show airs two days of the week, Monday and Wednesday, plus it is available online. If you neglect to set aside the time to watch it, you will be missing out on an amazing experience, enlightening you about luck and risks and open your eyes to the best parts of American culture. Besides, I’m sure you’ll understand it; even the most intellectual people have no trouble at all following the show.

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16 March 2008 @ 04:13 pm

My Day Off

I slowly open my eyes as sunlight streams in through my window blinds, and rejoice in the silence my blaring alarm clock normally fills. After resting beneath the cozy covers for a few moments, I grab my Onion World Atlas from the bedside table and read for a few minutes. I head into the bathroom to brush my teeth, take a nice, long, warm shower, and get dressed. Peeking outside, I’m relieved to see the bright blue sky dotted with a few, scattered clouds, and a gentle breeze blowing through the trees. I descend the stairs and walk into the kitchen. My little brother stands at the stove with a huge smile on his face, his puffy chef’s hat upon his head, and his bright yellow monkey apron tied around his waist. I grab a few plates and some silverware and set them on the counter as he carries over the still steaming batch of crepes. I take a few crepes and fill them with strawberries and bananas and blueberries and pour my brother and I glasses of his freshly squeezed orange juice. We sit there eating quietly, as I peruse the newspaper and my brother peruses the comics.

A few minutes later, after my appetite has been satiated, I head up to my room to do a tiny bit of homework (just because if I don’t I’m going to feel very guilty and not going to be able to enjoy my day off). I watch a few episodes of The Office or Arrested Development or something so that I still have a bit of fun. I hear the doorbell ring and am delighted to see my friend Rachel J. waiting on the porch. We take the bus to Berkeley for lunch and stop at Naia Gelato afterward. My sweet milk chocolate and tart kiwi combination is the perfect refresher. After wandering around for a bit and chatting, we head home where we meet our families. We all drive to Samuel P. Taylor Park for the afternoon. We hike, explore the creek, and bike around. After everyone’s exhausted, we have a picnic snack, consisting of baguette, fresh fruit, and some crunchy carrots or cellery and peanut butter, beneath the canopy of trees before heading to the pool for a swim. The pool water isn’t too warm, but it’s chilly enough that the hot tub feels soothing afterwards.

Once at home, Rachel and I meander to BART and head in to San Francisco and walk to the opera house. There, we purchase tickets for SF Ballet’s Jerome Robbins program (with West Side Story and In the Night and a few other exciting pieces). After the amazing performance, we grab chocolate dipped Madeline cookies and head to BART, reminiscing about our favorite parts.

Ideally, this would be a Friday so I didn’t have dance and could thus not have to worry about missing that on top of school. Rachel would sleep over and we would stay up late watching movies, chatting, and playing games such as Scattergories, Mah Jong, and Apples to Apples.

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09 March 2008 @ 11:50 am

A Night in Day

This piece caught my eye right away. I love the way the daytime sky is juxtaposed above the nighttime scene below. The bright blue and shades of white in the sky contrast greatly with the dark shades and shadows of the building and surrounding water and plants, making it difficult to tear one’s eyes away from the painting. The scene Magritte painted is different from pretty much anything I’ve seen before. I picked this painting for all of those reasons, and because I think there are many interesting details of which to take note.

First, the middle section of the painting uses a lot of concrete, stable shapes. The tall tree in the center outlines a very nearly perfect isosceles triangle, as does the little patch of roof over the tower part of the building. The tip top of the lamp is even a little triangle. One could even say that the light from the lamp almost makes a triangle shape on the building’s wall. The middle section is also filled with straight edges. The edge of the building, wall, windows, and trunk of the tree all form straight lights. All in all, this middle section is filled with shapes that seem to be defined and clear. This is not the case with the top and bottom of the painting. The daytime sky has clouds that don’t really have a defined shape. They are more like wisps of white smoke of varying shades. They don’t look as if they are set in one place, but rater like they are still in motion, or trying to be. Maybe the graphics are just pretty bad on my computer, but the sky seems to be filled with movement, probably coming from the shading of blues and whites and from the shapes, all of which are completely different, yet seem to interact of be connected in some way. Lastly, on a similar note, is the bottom of the painting, beneath the house and the trees. It looks as if there’s water, perhaps a lake or pond of sorts, and the building, trees, and lights are reflected down into the water. The pool of water itself doesn’t seem to have any defined shape of its own. Interestingly enough, the closer the water is to the middle section of the painting, the more defined it is. Additionally, the reflections in the water aren’t defined either. The straight trunk of the tree which was very clearly defined in the center section is now obscured by the ripples in the water, which also add a sort of moving effect.

I thought that these contrasts between the sections kind of point to our knowledge and the way we perceive things. The middle section is most concrete, so to me, it represents where we are now, time-wise and place-wise. It is the place and time about which we know most because we are experiencing and seeing it. However, if the lighter areas of the middle section were to represent knowledge (which light is often a symbol for in general), it is clear that we still don’t know everything, and still have quite a bit of experimenting, experiencing, and discovering to do. Yet, this light and knowledge affect other areas as well. The light makes sections of the building seem brighter or darker, perhaps shedding light on something new, or clouding up the statements we once believed were facts. The light is also reflected in the bottom section of the painting, which I took to be the past, and the world which we can’t see with our human eye (I don’t mean a sort of spiritual world, but the world in which other organisms live, from bacteria to ants, about which we know a bit, but will, perhaps, never know everything…) I think the light shining back on the this area shows us that the information we discover in the present, may illuminate areas of the past, but, as the ripples in the water distort the reflections, it may be kind of impossible to really be one hundred percent sure of all of the facts. The top section of the painting I thought referred to the future and everything else outside of Earth, from the moon, to the starts, and anything else out there. While there are hypothesis and predictions about what life may be like in the future or about extraterrestrial life, we won’t really know for sure until it happens. Lastly, all of these sections kind of spill together with the other sections. The top of the tree and the building overlap with the sky, and the sky shines through the leaves and branches. The building and trees are reflected in the water. This shows how everything is connected and affects everything else. I mean, where, really, is the distinction between past, present, and future? I guess it’s kind of the way day and night connect, I mean, it doesn’t go from being bright and sunny straight to being pitch black. There’s a sunset and sunrise and a bit of time in between. .

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02 March 2008 @ 12:18 am

My Ideal Life

I don’t know whether it’s just a passing fancy or something much more than that, but here is my ideal life as I see it now. It’s not particularly detailed, but who knows what the world will truly be like in a few decades, so I’m trying to leave my options wide open.

I don’t have a particular dream school where I want to go for college. I do know, however, that I would like to go to a smaller school where I would have the opportunity to study a wide variety of subjects as well as hone in on the few in which I’m most interested. Also, I would want the college/university to be in a location where I would have the chance to participate in research and/or internships. Perhaps it comes from my being the middle child, but I tend to prefer to stay away from extremes. So, I would want the school to be small, but not tiny. It wouldn’t be directly in the city with essentially no campus (like NYU), but wouldn’t be a million miles from the nearest city. This dislike of extremes also describes my very narrow temperature comfort range, which limits my choices a bit, too, but I suppose this is the factor I’m thinking least about at the moment, or perhaps my ideal self will overcome this. In college, I would continue studying French, as well as all of the other core classes, namely English, some form of history that interests me and sparks ideas, and even a bit of math (just to keep my options open…). I would love to pick up another language in college, though I’m not sure exactly what that would be. Perhaps Tagalog, because I know very little of it despite the fact that it is the language my dad grew up speaking seeing as he immigrated here from the Philippines, or, because I highly doubt many schools offer a Tagalog class, perhaps German, because my mom’s side is German. Science-wise, I think genetics is pretty interesting, so I might want to study that in more detail, though I don’t really plan on becoming a geneticist. Because I think I’d like to go into either the field of international relations or international business, I would take classes related to political science, economics, and business as well. Somewhere in here, I’d like to spend a year or a few years abroad, taking classes at a university in France or Switzerland or Canada, that is, if I don’t go to college in another country in the first place.

Once out of college, I’d love to go to graduate school. But first, I’d want to do a lot of internships at various places, such as at the capital or an international body, such as the United Nations or International Labor Organization, just to make sure that I really do want to continue in the international relations field. If I decided that I hated it, then I suppose I’d try something else. But this is my ideal life, so I guess I don’t even have to think about it. I would ideally absolutely love the line of work in which I found myself. Anyway, I’d go to graduate school and then perhaps eventually, after much more experience, become a diplomat to the UN. I don’t know for what country yet, though. I guess that sort of depends on where I end up. I would also probably want to work for the World Trade Organization or the Peacebuilding Commission, or almost any other UN body. If I wasn’t a diplomat, then I’d probably still be doing some work for an international organization or work on foreign policy for a particular government. This international work would take me all over the world. I would work in glorious, historic European cities, such as Paris, Geneva, and London, where some of the UN offices are. The work would also take me to places that are in need of a lot of help, such as various African or Asian countries, where I would have the opportunity to experience different cultures, learn new languages, and understand a different way of life, making me more grateful for what I have, all the while trying to form policies and create resolutions to solve the problems I observe.

Besides traveling and working internationally, I would also continue dancing. Not professionally or anything, just for fun, and to help relieve stress and stay healthy, of course. I would want to have a very close relationship to my family no matter where I go, making sure that I visit and talk with them often. I don’t know really whether I want to get married and have kids. I mean, I loved growing up with this huge family, lots of cousins, uncles, aunts, and countless other people who I am somehow related to but have no clue how. I guess I kind of experienced both extremes. That large family I just briefly described is my dad’s side of the family (Filipinos usually have relatively large families and value them higher than almost everything else…). On my mom’s side, however, I have a fairly small family, which is also nice, just in another way I guess. So again, following my trend of middle-ness, I suppose if I did have kids and all, it would be somewhere between these two extremes. I would definitely want them growing up speaking at least two languages, most likely English and French, though I suppose it really depends on where we live and what the world is like. Canada or some place in Europe, such as Switzerland or France, are probably the places I would choose from when deciding where to raise kids, but if I had a career in international relations, I suppose we’d be traveling a lot, which would get kind of hard. I would want my kids to explore various cultures, views, and passions, and would give them the freedom to be independent and try new things, make mistakes, and take risks, though not dim-witted ones of course. I would want my husband to have a passion and enjoy what he does for a living, whatever that would be. Wherever we did live, we’d probably live near a big city where there’s a lot to do, but a little away from all of the hustle and bustle. Maybe in the summer and/or during breaks we’d come back to where my family was living to render them a visit and catch up. Of course we’d all be very close and do lots of fun, exciting things together, such as taking walks, going to museums and shows, and traveling.

Sorry this ending was kind of vague, but I think everywhere in the world has something to offer, whether it’s historic importance, beautiful language, stunning landscape, a close-knit community, or a delicious cuisine, so my indecisive self can’t settle on one particular locale.

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21 February 2008 @ 05:26 pm

Fashion through the years

Perhaps the earliest period in my fashion history that I remember is pre-school. My 3 or 4 year-old self was absolutely in love with Madeline. Nearly every day I would put on a dress, usually red, and a matching Madeline-style hat. I suppose I should explain what a Madeline hat is for anyone who happens to be reading this and isn’t familiar with it…. I’m sure there is an actual name for this type of hat, but seeing as I am not particularly fashion-savvy I have no clue what that would be. Well, a Madeline hat is a hat that has a short-ish brim all the way around and I think it kind of curves up a bit too. There’s also a ribbon that ties around the center of the hat. Sorry, that really was a horrible description… Anyway, I also wore a lot of white tights and Mary Jane buckle shoes. Sometimes I would forget the Madeline hat and wear colorful tights and a colorful long-sleeved shirt under a usually bright and floral patterned tank top dress.

In early elementary school, I moved past my love of Madeline and stopped wearing hats. Instead, I usually wore leggings of various colors under about knee-length skirts with all sorts of colors and patterns on them. I think that I wore the leggings not only to keep relatively warm, but also because I loved the monkey bars. I think that I usually wore a long-sleeved shirt or blouse with them, or some type of sweater, that part I’m not totally sure I remember. Socks and shoe-wise, I wore white lacey socks with tennis shoes or buckle shoes. During this time, I think I went through a stage in which I loved headbands and wouldn’t go out the door with one. I don’t just mean the plain kind of headbands that hold your hair back. I loved the headbands with things sticking up out of them, such as butterflies or flowers.

During both my Madeline phase and my headband phase I wore my hair down most of the time, which is strange because I seldom do that nowadays. I also despised jeans; I thought they were extremely uncomfortable. Comfortable, loose shorts, leggings, and dance pants were the only other things I would wear besides dresses or skirts. This was probably due to the fact that I loved dancing around and probably thought that jeans were to stiff or something. Besides, I’m sure skirts and dresses were much more fun to twirl around in. I also rarely wore sweatshirts or tank tops. So I suppose all in all, I wore practically the opposite of what I know wore.

Anyway, to continue… I think I started slowly wearing jeans near the end of elementary school, probably because that’s what my friends were wearing. Sweatshirts probably began to come into the picture too. In middle school, I pretty much wore jeans everyday with plain tennis shoes, usually white. I guess I probably wore a lot of t-shirts as well. I was never really into jewelry or anything like that, though I always wanted to get my ears pierced, not sure exactly why. When my needle-hating seventh-grade self finally mustered up the courage to get them done, then I started wearing earrings occasionally.

After looking back on all of this, I realize that my style hasn’t changed much since the beginning of middle school. I still wear mostly jeans and plain white tennis shoes, just because they pretty much go with anything, plus, I’m extremely picky about shoes and how they fit, so once I find a shoe that works, I’m not going to change until I have to. I guess I wear a lot more tank tops as well, and sweatshirts. And my hair is usually in a pony-tail. I’m usually pretty lazy about earrings, though. Mostly because I think it’s uncomfortable to sleep with them in and because I rarely leave myself time to slip a pair on in the morning before school. Same goes for bracelets and necklaces I guess. I suppose I don’t put to much work into my outfit for the day. I pretty much grab the first tank top, sweatshirt/jacket, and pair of jeans that I see. It’s not that I have anything against picking out what I want to wear; it’s just that I value sleep a lot more. Also, I think I started wearing tank tops more and more as the years went on because of dance. I like dancing in tank tops and I have dance after school…. So wearing a tank top for both equals less laundry. Sometimes when it’s cold I’ll spice it up a bit and wear a scarf or some gloves, or a coat.

I don’t know if we’re supposed to analyze our fashion outside of what we wear for school, but since I’ve started going out a lot more to shows and whatnot, and because I work at shows fairly often, I’ve started buying more neat/fancy attire and actually wearing it at least once or twice a month. In middle school I was never a huge fan of going out and dressing nicely, so I only did so on occasions when it was absolutely necessary.

My dance fashion has changed a lot, with various shoes, leotard styles, skirts, shorts, etc. I think that gets a bit complicated though, especially if you’re not familiar with dance and its overly-priced attire, so I’ll spare you the details…

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10 February 2008 @ 03:54 pm

(no subject)

1. Do you believe in karma?

No, not particularly. I guess that in general if you lead a “good” life, more “good” things will happen to you, and that if you lead a “bad” life, more “bad” things will happen to you. (I used quotations because good and bad are subjective…) I also don’t think that someone should go out of their way to do all these wonderful deeds just because they want a lot of wonderful things to happen to them. So no, I don’t really believe in karma.

2. What one current event in any aspect of world news do you think is being most neglected or underrepresented?

Well, I just did a lot of research for MUN on Burundi and Sierra Leone, two rather small African countries with much violence and a lot of other problems. I haven’t really read anything in the news about all the problems in those areas recently. Then again, there’s violence all over Africa, and I suppose right now Chad and Kenya (and kind of Sudan) are getting most of the attention.

3. If you could have any one superpower, what would it be and why?

Perhaps flying, but mostly because I think it would be a lot of fun.

4. If you could invite any 5 famous people or characters to your birthday party, who would you pick?

1. Paul Cezanne because I’m writing my history paper about him, so I could discuss his various masterpieces and interesting aspects of his life. I could also practice my French, which is always a plus of course…

2. Mikhail Baryshnakov because I could discuss dance with him. He seems like he would be a very interesting person to talk with.

3. Kofi Annan, the former UN Secretary-General, because I am interested in international relations. He would be an excellent person with which to discuss this field of work.

4 and 5. Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama, I guess because it would be interesting to find out what kind of people they actually are, not what kind of people the media has made them out to be. It would also be interesting to discuss the challenges they’ve faced as being “firsts” in the race for presidency.

5. If you could live in any film or book, what would you select? Would you want to be one of the characters, or would you want to be you (introduced as a new character)?

Hmmm… maybe Ratatouille, but as myself introduced as a new character, but not a major one. Cooking is fun, not that I’m great at it or anything. Plus, the movie takes place in Paris, which equals good food, lots to see and do, the chance to experience another culture and practice another language, etc. Sounds fun to me…

7. I used to always trip out that my strawberry Chapstick tasted so strongly like strawberries (and why was I eating so much Chapstick?). Then I realized that it wasn't the taste that was strong; it was the smell. They say that smell is the strongest sense (and I agree). What is your favorite smell? USE CONNOTATIONS, FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE, OR ANALOGY in your (butter) saucey answer.

My favorite smell has to be chocolate, in any one of its many forms. I love the warm embrace of rich, steamy hot chocolate on a crisp, chilly winter day as I listen to the pitter patter of rain on my window. The sweet aroma of chocolate truffles evokes memories of my Switzerland trip. Nothing is more comforting than a whiff of chocolate, which lifts your mood as high as the stars.

If the smell of chocolate doesn’t work for you, then the smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies is also one of my favorites.

8. If you could invent a new class for AHS to teach, what would it be?

I think it would be good to have a class that examines the media’s affect on society. I don’t mean how ads lack a lot of truth or anything like that. I mean how the media really has a huge role determining people’s opinions. In the presidential primary race, for example, they’ve portrayed candidates in a certain way that isn’t totally accurate if you ask me. They do this by the questions they ask certain people and the way in which they ask those questions. They also drop certain people from debates, articles, etc. Also, headlines and stories can often be extremely misleading and/or twist what people say or do into something different or more dramatic than what they meant. The media has a goal, which is to get people interested and reading their stories/watching their debates, interviews, etc. However, it’s interesting, in my opinion, to look at what measures they are willing to take to get that story.

9. Identify any symbol from any film ever (pick your favorite if you can think of many from which to choose). Identify what it means and why you picked it.

Well… the pies in Waitress symbolize the struggles that Jenna (the protagonist) goes through. They symbolize the ups and downs of life in general, from the struggles we are forced to overcome to the purest moments of joy. The pies are also symbolic of the things we learn during our life, through the struggles and challenges and relationships we have with other people. I guess I picked this symbol because it was the first thing that popped into my head, and besides, I love the movie.

10. Will humankind still exist in 300 years?

No clue. I am an optimist, so I’d like to think yes, but I suppose it depends on what actions we take, or don’t take, now.

11. What is the most embarrassing song to ever grace your IPOD? Why was it there, may I ask?

Hmmm… this is a tough one… I have myriad embarrassing songs on my iPod, all of which I have because of dance. I guess I’d have to say that the most embarrassing song would have to be Proud to be an American. I’m really not all that patriotic and can’t listen to these kinds of songs with a straight face, but we did a dance to it when we performed on a cruise to Mexico a few years ago. Not only did we have to do a dance to this, we also had to sing it and sign it (meaning sign language…).

12. Corey Chin's brilliant question (and it's got me curious): How much would you charge to clean Mr. Ross' microwave?

Don’t know… haven’t actually looked inside of it… but I suppose some sort of reasonable hourly rate, $10 or $11 perhaps. That seems reasonable to me, I mean, most jobs aren’t totally glamorous. This can’t be much different….

13. Did you support your answers?

I guess…

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03 February 2008 @ 03:33 pm

12 minutes

I can’t believe Mr. Ross is making me do this when I could be helping my mom unload the groceries, or better yet, start my genre short story. I know it’s not due until Wednesday, but I’ll be much less stressed if I get it done before then or at least get a good start. I guess I’ve been more productive than usual this weekend, homework wise. I mean, I’m pretty much done with everything I absolutely have to do this weekend (as soon as I finish this blog of course…) and I even got to watch a few episodes of Arrested Development between AP Bio study guides.

My bunny is trying very hard to get her word in edge wise, meaning, she keeps trying to jump up onto my desk, which for her involves stepping on the keyboard. Wow, already more than half way to 12 minutes and I haven’t got a lot written… I’ve gotten into the habit of rereading what I’ve already written over and over again, which doesn’t work so well with this stream of consciousness type writing.

It’s finally stopped raining for a solid two hours… so I guess I’ll go on that walk I promised my little brother, even though I think it would be more fun in the rain… I kind of like the rain, as long as you don’t have anywhere you absolutely need to be or have to drive to. Driving in the rain is a pain I discovered yesterday while I was driving to dance over the hills…

I really don’t have many interesting thoughts right now I realize. Sorry to whoever is reading this, I’m probably boring you. I wonder who’s going to win the primaries on Super Tuesday… or is it tsunami Tuesday? Oops, there goes the timer… I guess 12 minutes is up… I guess my mind’s a bit dull after spending a few hours with the various types of speciation and isolation mentioned in the extremely interesting AP Bio textbook…

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21 January 2008 @ 03:36 pm

Mixed Tape

Track 1: 3 Doors Down, Dangerous Game

The line “You reach for your metal as I reach for mine” connects closely with all of the characters in the novel and how they only want what’s best for them. They are constantly all reaching for their “metal,” whether it is a gun, their fist, knock-out-drops, some money, or a lie, to get the other characters to do what they want them to do. Also, “The sound of bullets flyin' through the air” connects with the many deaths of the novel from the initial shooting and killing of Archer and Thursby to the later killing of Jacobi and Gutman. The lines “What will we do? What will we say?/When it's the end of this game that we play?” remind me of Spade’s discussion with Gutman, Wilmer, Cairo, and Brigid at the tail end of the novel when he is sorting out how to get away with all that they have done. He suggests that they use a fall guy, first Wilmer then Cairo, to blame for the murders. The first line of the song, “You stand before me now we stare eye to eye” also connects to that last scene of the novel, but also too many other scenes dispersed throughout the novel when Spade confronts characters on the truth of the matter, such as trying to probe answers from Brigid and Cairo and Gutman. They are all indeed drawn to the excitement of the Dangerous Game they are playing.

Track 2: 3 Doors Down, Life of my Own

The lines “Living risky, never scared/Wander closer to the edge” remind me of how Spade constantly, knowingly, walks into dangerous situations without a second thought or getting scared and turning back. Instead, he does quite the opposite and dives deeper into the mystery toward the potential dangers. “Feel no sorrow, feel no pain” connects to the way Spade never expresses much emotion when any of the characters are killed. This is particularly surprising with Archer’s death because they had worked closely together. Even later when Jacobi comes with the supposed falcon and drops dead in his office, Spade expresses nothing except that he wishes that the man would have been able to utter a few words first. He’s also a blank slate when he learns that Wilmer has shot Gutman, and says only that he should have been expecting that. “I’ll live on to another damn day” relates to Spade’s confidence in dangerous situations, such as when he’s got a gun to his head. He’s confident that he’s going to make it out of the situation alive and doesn’t bother to think twice about the matter. “Freedom carries sacrifice” connects with Spade’s relationship with Brigid and the decision he is forced to make at the end of the novel. Whether or not Spade truly loves Brigid, he decides that his freedom and life are more important than his relationship with her, so he turns her over to police. Spade embodies the idea of living life on his own.

Track 3: Kenny Loggins, Danger Zone

The lines “Highway to the Danger Zone/Ride into the Danger Zone” remind me of Spade’s willingness to walk into to any situation, unarmed and alone, without fear. “She got you jumpin’ off the track” reminds me of the way Gutman and his crew are able to use Brigid to drive Spade away from his office for several hours, giving them time during which think they can get ahead. Spade’s detective life is summed up by the lines “Out along the edges/Always where I burn to be/The further on the edge/The hotter the intensity” because in a way, he seems to rather enjoy taking risks and finds a kind of thrill in mysterious, suspicious, situations. Spade, along with other characters in the story, thrives in the danger zone.

Track 4: Foo Fighters, No Way Back

This song reminds me of Spade’s relationship with Brigid, particularly in the beginning of the novel. The lyrics, “Pleased to meet you, take my hand” connect to the moment Brigid walks in to Spade’s office as Miss Wonderly and Spade and Archer listen to her made-up story. “There is no way back from here” sums up the situation for Brigid once she kills Archer because at that point she, Spade, and the police are all wrapped up in the shootings. Spade spends time and time again trying to convince Brigid to tell the truth. Spade’s “dying for truth” because without it, he can’t hope to help his client. Brigid tells lie after lie and story after story to Spade, so he pleads with her to be honest. The lyrics, “Make me believe/No more left and right/Come on take my side/I’m fighting for you” illustrate this struggle for the truth and finding trust. The further Spade dives into this mystery and search for the Maltese falcon, the more “Something doesn’t seem right.” When he walks into Mr. Gutman’s apartment and finds Gutman’s daughter all scratched up and drugged, he knows that things have taken a strange twist and that something is definitely wrong. Spade recognizes as the events unfold that there will be “no way back”, that the events will have to play out to their ultimate conclusion.

Track 5: Miles Davis, Bye Bye Blackbird

First off, I’d like to say that I think Sam Spade would really like this song, despite the fact that it’s not the typical tough, cool-guy kind of music. The sultry sound of the sax makes the song have a bluesy tone, which reminds me a bit of the night, a time when Spade was often quite awake and preparing to walk into a dangerous situation. If Spade did play in instrument, it would no doubt be the sax because it stands out from other instruments and has a kind of nonchalant, laid-back, in-charge-but-carefree sort of tone. As for the lyrics, the line “Oh, what hard luck stories they all hand me” relates to all of the stories and lies other characters tell, both to Spade and to each other, for the point of manipulation to get what they want. Spade is also constantly walking into situations “Where somebody waits for [him].” One example of this is when he walks into his house toward the end of the novel. He believes that Gutman and Cairo and others are waiting for him inside because they weren’t at the house he was sent to, and he knows they want to talk. The title, and a line repeated several times in the song, “Bye, bye, blackbird,” connects to the Maltese Falcon of the novel’s title, a bird whose true value of gold and precious jewels, has been covered up by black, and who remains elusive to the end.

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16 December 2007 @ 10:37 pm

the perfect meal/snack

My ideal meal (well, I consider it a meal, my mom and you may disagree… but oh well, I’m more of a snacker anyway…) would consist of baguette and fruit (and ideally chocolate as well, but chocolate speaks for itself…).

Let’s start with the baguette. It’s the foundation of the meal, the canvas of a painting, if you will. It’s filling and plain enough that it can be dressed up as much as desired with cheeses or spreads. Additionally, it comes in many varieties, most basic of which are sourdough and sweet baguette, so it’s almost guaranteed that everyone can find at least one kind that they like. There is never a bad time to tear off a piece the delicious French bread. In sickness or in health, baguette is always appealing and much more than satisfactory. The first bite is chewy yet crunchy and sets off a ripple of crackles, but soft enough so that you can still hear everything around you. Warm, fresh out-of-the-oven baguette is a plus and the warmth sooths you all the way down your throat. Not only is baguette easy to have on the go, it is healthy too. The bread is filled with the necessary carbohydrates to give you the energy you need to finish the day.

Baguette can be easily made at home, but there are myriad locations that bake a particularly delicious loaf. My personal favorite of these locations would have to be La Farine. They bake several additional varieties, including rustic, that are all wonderful, though I do recommend their sweet baguette most of all. La Farine also has a particularly crunchy crust, and is less pneumatic than the baguettes of other boulangeries, not that a fluffy inside is a bad thing at all. With this in mind, Semifreddi’s (I hope I spelled that right…) comes in at a close second. Semifreddi’s has baguette with a very different quality, less crunchy of a crust, and a much fluffier, airy inside. As a bonus, they sell petite sixty cent loaves that are about 1/3 the size of their regular baguette. I would recommend their sour baguette if you were to eat it on its own, however, their sweet baguette toasted with a touch of cream cheese is absolutely scrumptious.

Now for the fruit… Fruit is the paint on the canvas; it may be bold and sour or pastel and sweet. A nice, refreshing bunch of juicy grapes would produce a kind of watercolor effect, while a crunchy apple would produce a more rigid, linear tone. Fruit is a splendid balance to the drier part of the meal, in this case baguette. Easy to prepare and easy to eat on the go, grapes are a personal favorite. The round, semi-crunchy ones are the best. Additionally, when you have the choice, be sure to opt for the seedless variety. Green grapes are tasty as well, and provide a slightly sourer feel. The best thing about grapes is that when you pop one in your mouth and bite down, a shower of cool juice explodes in your mouth, quenching your thirst. Though not so easy on the go, in fact, I do not recommend attempting to eat this on the go (unless it’s neatly sliced up of course), mango is perhaps my favorite fruit. Personally, it is fun to eat, though messy, which I suppose contributes to the fun. Perhaps it’s just my Filipino roots, but if you haven’t sucked or chewed/scraped off the mango off the huge almond-shaped seed, you have not truly eaten a mango. Second, a good mango is juicy and sweet, with a distinct lingering tanginess. Apples are good; there are many different kinds to explore and enjoy. Oranges and tangerines are good as well, though I must admit, I’m not particularly talented in the peeling field and I can’t stand the lingering smell of orange on my hand, so I tend to eat these only on occasion. The melon family is full of promise as well, the only difficult thing is choosing one that is ripe, but not over-ripe. Strawberries, blueberries and bananas are also wonderful, especially in smoothies, which are without doubt the best food/drink concoction ever (though I think that homemade smoothies with non-frozen fruit are much better than the ones you can buy).

So there it is, with perhaps a dash of chocolate to finish it off, the perfect meal, or snack if you really prefer.

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09 December 2007 @ 08:41 pm

Interview 2

1. If you could be a fly on anybody's wall, on whose wall would you perch? Why? What would you do with the information?
Hmm… well… I suppose I wouldn’t want to perch on the wall of anyone who had a flyswatter or something else with which to kill a fly. Given that, perhaps I would choose to perch on the wall of a theater, I know that’s kind of cheating because it’s not very specific, but oh well… Then, I could make the most of my very short life and enjoy music, dancing, theater, and whatever else was showing on the stage. Hopefully, a fly could still enjoy those wonderful things. Plus, I would have the opportunity to observe rehearsals and see “the creative process” of professionals. Additionally, when the theater closes for the night, I could fly around, not bothering anyone who would want to catch me, and explore the lights, back stage, the costumes, the props, the backdrop, etc. up close.

2. What is your favorite piece of art? Describe what it looks like. Why do you like it so much? How does it make you feel? Does it tell a story? Have symbolism?

My favorite piece of art is a dance, or rather a collection of dances, called The Melting, choreographed by Amy Seiwert of Smuin Ballet. It was/is such a dazzling, stunning work that I think it’s probably impossible to truly describe it, but I’ll try. Each separate piece is one stage of water, from its solid form to the liquid form to the gaseous form. Some of the pieces have 10 or more dancers, but others are a simple duet or trio. All of the dancers are wearing short blue leotards and the lighting is, for most of the dances, fairly dark with a few scattered brighter patches, kind of giving off a ripple effect. There’s music, too, and it is percussion, but with an international, primarily Asian, influence. It’s one of those pieces of art that you just can’t take your eye away from because it’s so different and interesting and you keep discovering something new about it. I remember marveling myriad times about several of the positions and steps, wondering how it could be humanly possible to actually do such movement. It’s one of the most inspirational pieces I’ve ever watched and I’ve been longing to see it again and again. The obvious story it tells is of water traveling through its various stages, but I’m sure there is a larger story and some symbolism involved, perhaps related to how different stages and parts of our life can be so drastically contrasting and forever changing.

3. If you could choose your parents, how would they be? Describe how they look, act, and parent. What do they do (for work, hobbies, etc)?
Honestly, I don’t think I’d change a thing about either of my parents. I love them both dearly just the way they are. My mom and I are very close and she always has excellent advice, kind and encouraging words, and is willing to help me when I need it. My dad always tells amazing stories about his days in the Philippines (although some parts, my siblings, cousins and I speculate, might not be completely true…), is hard-working, and a very grateful, appreciative person. Of course, it would be wonderful if we all had a few extra hours in our day to hang out more and have fun, but then I’m sure we’d all have that many more hours worth of work… Also, perhaps never developing any health issues or anything, but that’s just not realistic… I don’t think it really matters how my parents look, except for the stray crazy, un-matching outfit my colorblind dad throws together… As for work/hobbies… my mom loves to write, and she does that now, and she loves photography, which she also does, though I’m sure she’d like more time for both… my dad is in telecommunications, and he loves tinkering around with applications for cell phones and that kind of thing, and he likes to play and watch sports, though I’m sure he’d like more time to do that and to be able to play without worrying about re-ripping his Achilles tendon… So, my parents would be as they are, good examples, fun to be around, supportive, and caring, and happy of course.

4. If you could live in any decade, which one would it be and why? ELABORATE. What opportunities would you take advantage of in said decade?

Well, I guess I would say either the 60’s or 70’s. First, there was a lot of interesting political/social stuff (women’s rights, civil rights movement, etc.) which would be interesting to experience first hand. Second, it would be fun to see what life for my parents and their siblings was like as kids/teenagers. Especially for my dad, who lived in the Philippines until he was 10, and has told us time and again how different life on the islands was and how lucky we are to live where we do.

5. If you could/had to be any Disney character, who would it be and why?

Well… I really wouldn’t want to be a Disney character because none of them have a mom, or at none that I can think of right now, or if they have a mom, they don’t have a dad. Anyway, what I mean is it seems like all of the classic Disney characters never finish with both parents… But if I have to choose and set that qualm aside, perhaps I would be a character from Ratatouille. Yes, I know, that’s not exactly a classic Disney movie, but when Pixar is included, the movie is much better… Well, I would choose a character from Ratatouille because that would mean that I would get to live in Paris or another French town. Now for the character choice…it would kind of suck to be Remy. First, he’s a rat, which means that he’s not well liked or trusted. Second, it would be rather annoying to have all that cooking talent and not be able to use it on your own. So, I guess I would choose to be Colette. She can at least use her talent without such scrutiny, and is loyal, hard-working, and she stands up for what she thinks is right. Besides cooking is fun, not that I’m great at it, and cooking French food is especially fun, as I discovered last year…

6. There is a difference between the moral man and the criminal in that the moral man has a legitimate reason to steal. Support or refute this idea (that a person's objectively bad deeds can be justified by the subjectivity of their life).

I guess I kind of disagree with this. I mean, yes, some people are filthy rich and others in great need, but I still don’t think that justifies the latter stealing from the former. Also, a legitimate reason to steal is rather subjective. What may be a good reason to some may not be a good reason to others. The criminal man may think what he’s doing is right or justified, but then does that make him a moral man?

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02 December 2007 @ 10:16 pm

Un Soir a Geneve

Before I dive in… let me just say that this idea was sparked this past summer while I was on a program in Geneva and on the last night we were dropped off in the middle of the city to watch the fireworks closing the city’s annual celebration and everyone went their separate ways in little groups and three hours later, we all attempted to make our way back to the bus… luckily, amidst the thousands and thousands of people there, everyone did make it back… but I couldn’t help thinking, what if someone hadn’t? I’m sure it could use a lot more thinking through, but I’ve run out of time to procrastinate…so here goes…

First off, here’s a brief introduction to the main characters:

Elise Arnett—16 years old, from New York City, tall, confident, and independent. She is the youngest of four so she is used to having to make a case to get what she wants. Being from a big, crowded city, she is used to the crowds and knows how to navigate through them and stay safe. She often gets caught up in the excitement and makes rash decisions.

Mark Ferris —15 years old, from Washington DC, completed one year of French, observant. He is the oldest of two and looks out for those around him. He travels with his family quite often, in and out of the United States, and quickly adapts to new cultures and situations. When things don’t go as planned, he has a tendency to get a bit pessimistic.

Colleen Ramsay—16 years old, from a small town in Delaware, thoughtful, contemplative, shy. She is the middle child of three and prefers to blend into the background and set a good example. She is an expert at thinking through tough situations so she can make informed decisions. Being from such a small town, she hasn’t had the chance to go to new places very often and explore on her own.

It begins in a double-decker bus full of American teenagers—noise and laughter fill the air and an occasional sharp intake of breath is audible over the noise as they marvel at the wonders of Old Town Geneva and Lac Leman, also known as Lake Geneva. The camera angles alternate between those inside the bus, jumping from group to group hearing snippets of conversations, but not enough to make it very significant, and shots outside watching the bus whiz by, or sit in traffic next to, gorgeous sights. It’s dark outside, after dinner at about 8 o’clock perhaps so the street lamps are lit and lights are strung around trees and poles and between lamps making the city sparkle. As the bus approaches the lake, the masses of people grow suddenly and it seems as if there are thousands of people filling the streets. As this happens, the shots in the bus focus more on one of the groups of teenagers that includes Elise, Mark and Colleen. As the bus and cars around it attempt to inch further into the city, it is apparent that these attempts are in vain, so the bus pulls over to the side of the road and a voice comes on the bus’s loudspeaker system and the chit chat quickly dies as everyone listens intently. “We are being dropped off here and will have three hours to spend in the city. The bus will be waiting here at 11:30 so be back in this very spot no later than that. Please stay in small groups and have fun! It’s your last night at the Fetes de Geneve! The fireworks will be starting in roughly one hour. See you at 11:30.” The doors open, and the students rush out in their little groups and disperse into the crowd quickly becoming lost in the masses of people. Here, the camera should slowly zoom out to a sort of birds-eye view to get the full effect of the crazy crowd and then slowly, but not quite as slow start to follow, still in a birds eye view, a particular group of teenagers, which includes our three protagonists, as they struggle to move toward the lake. Then suddenly after a few seconds the camera cuts in so it’s in the crowd following the group, pushing and squeezing by other people and being pushed and squeezed by as well. Everyone is constantly looking around to make sure they are still with the group. The fireworks begin. The street lamps and hanging lights are promptly extinguished. Bright colors fill the sky and loud bangs fill the air. Everyone, it seems for a moment, stops dead in their tracks to take in the sight. Mark, Elise, and Colleen stand at the end of their group’s line snaking through the crowd and they pause for a moment to admire the sky. The next moment, when they look around, the group is gone. They huddle together, grabbing on to each other’s hands desperate to stay together. After a few moments of panic, they decide that by then they have been long separated from the rest and that they should just enjoy the fireworks. It is a never ending show, with one surprise after another, lasting at least an hour. For the finale, gold is shot up into the air until all the whole sky is covered in a solid blanket of gold slowly fading into the distance as oohs and ahhs replace the booms and bangs hanging in the air. And the crowd is jerked back to reality, starting to rush, push, shove, and disperse in every direction. Desperate to get out of the crowd, the trio makes their way to a café to reminisce about the evening. At 11, they decide that they should start heading back, hoping that the crowd has not thickened. But once out of the café, they realize that they are in trouble—they don’t know which way they are supposed to head to get back to the bus. Elise pulls the other two off in one direction, claiming that she remembers seeing a particular sign, but they quickly realize that it was the wrong direction, and by the time they finally make it back to the bus, or where it should have been, it’s gone.

Discouraged and worried, they slump down on the curb trying to decide how they will rejoin the group. Mark has a very limited French vocabulary. They don’t have enough francs to stay at a hotel for the night, and doubt they would be able to take a cab back. Their cell phones don’t work. And what good would their passports be? Colleen suggests that they ask people for help, and, figuring they’ve got nothing to lose, they make their way around the lake and Mark steps forward to try to ask for help. “Excusez-moi, monsieur… euh… euh… Nous sommes… euh… telephone?” The man shakes his head confused and Mark looks apologetically at the others. And they continue to search for some way to contact their program supervisors, Mark now terrified to say anything. Eventually they get hold of a phone, call, and the supervisors, who in the interim realized that they had left the behind, were already on there way back to come find them, so they are reunited. Or something like that. But happy, not depressing…

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18 November 2007 @ 04:02 pm

Inventions

Living with my imaginative little brother, I see new inventions all the time, though their only use is really for costumes and games and whatnot… Just yesterday he fastened his own hat with some string and a piece of felt… Years ago, just after watching Robin Hood I think, he made a bow-and-arrow out of a hanger, a rubber band, and a drumstick. The amazing thing is that this 6 or 7 year old’s invention actually works! Anyway, my point is that he really sparks my imagination in terms of out-of-the-box inventions, though I must admit, I never get around to actually trying any of mine...I’m not sure if any of the following inventions have already been developed, but here goes…

As a dancer, I am almost always sore and ready for a massage. Unfortunately, I am not the only person in my household craving a massage—there’s my mom, and then my little brother (who actually doesn’t like them but just wants to feel included…). According to my mom, I have a knack for massages, so, if you don’t want my little brother’s tickle massage, I’m the go-to in the house, which leaves me with no massage… I know there have already been plenty of massage inventions, such as those massage chairs, but those personally don’t do the trick, and it’s a pain to try to massage yourself. Thus my first invention: another massage machine. Unlike other machines, however, this would be controlled by the person receiving the massage. There would be a panel on which the massagee would place their hands and it would be connected to a nice comfy chair. The chair would massage in exactly the corresponding place and pressure as the massagee was doing on the panel. You could even set it on repeat so you could work on homework or read or whatever while enjoying the relaxing massage. This would certainly make it easier for dancers and athletes and anyone else with sore muscles to relieve any aches and pains.

Another invention I think would be very useful is some sort of book/sheet cover/protector, which would not get fogged up, so that one could read in the shower or pool or hot tub or anywhere wet. This way, if you wanted to cram an extra 5 or 10 minutes of studying in before school, or memorize a speech or poem you have to recite, or just really don’t want to be torn from a great book, you could do so anywhere. In addition to allowing you to make very efficient use of those minutes you spend in the shower, but they would also eliminate any worries about eating while reading because the vulnerable paper would be protected by waterproof sheets.

One last invention that I would love, though I’m sure there is a reason why this is not a regular practice, is taking pills instead of vaccinations. I dread getting shots and always have and probably always will, but, having mastered the art of swallowing pills for a cold last year, I would love for there to be an alternative to needles, and pills seem like they could be a possibility. A little round pill going down your throat seems like it would be much less intimidating than a sharp pointy needle jammed into your arm. I know that there’s that nasal inhalation spray stuff in lieu of some shots now, but still, that doesn’t seem like it would be a particularly pleasant experience either.

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11 November 2007 @ 11:37 am

Interview Questions

Before I start answering these questions, let me first warn you that I am extremely indecisive and will more likely than not ramble on….

1. What is your favorite book?

I don’t think that I really have a single favorite book, but rather myriad favorite books. I think that I like to read books in a series because I hate ending things, but sometimes the books can go on a bit too far…There are lots of non-series books I’m quite fond of as well. In terms of a pure enjoyment level, I like Ann Brashares’s books, which include the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, which I easily relate to because I’ve had the same circle of very close girl friends since a very young age. But I really liked To Kill a Mockingbird when we read it last year and The Color Purple which I read this past quarter. These two books in particular have important messages, lots to analyze, and are very interesting to read.

2. If you could/had to live in any country besides the United States, where would it be?

Well, if I was going to live there for the rest of my life, I would probably choose either France or Switzerland because:

1. I love the French language and know a bit of it…

2. They have really good chocolate

3. They are beautiful.

Also, Paris and Geneva are two major cities for international affairs (such as business and relations), which is a field of interest to me.

If I was going to live there for a shorter period of time, just to get a little taste of another culture or something like that, I might choose the Philippines because that is where my dad grew up in his early childhood and in my extended family there’s always been talk about taking all us cousins there. It is a very different culture than I’m used to. I’ve traveled out of the country many times, to Europe and to Mexico (but only the one-day walk around visit type of thing for a cruise…). But the Philippines differs from my other out of the country adventures in many ways and I think it would be a wonderful and valuable experience. Plus, being the fruit-lover that I am, I could have my very own mango tree!

I hope to live in another country, or several other countries, because I’d love to work internationally and I have a passion for learning languages and experiencing new cultures.

3. Who is your favorite superhero?

I have absolutely no idea… perhaps the superheroes my little brother makes up, such as “crow-man” and “lightning-man,” because he always has them saving me… but I honestly don’t know about a favorite….

4. If you could change any one law, what would it be?

Even though I hate shots and needles and whatnot, I would say that all children should receive healthcare.

5. Is life a matter of reality or is it all just based on perception?

I don’t know, it’s kind of strange to think about, but my guess is that it’s based on perception. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to see the world through someone else’s eyes or just be someone else for a day. Also, I’m not a spiritual person or anything, but who knows what happens when someone dies. I mean, it’s hard to believe that it all just ends then and there, but does it? And if it does, well then that just complicates this whole question….

6. Is it better to be too hot or too cold?

For me personally, I would much prefer to be too cold. When I’m too hot I feel miserable and there’s only so much you can do to cool off. But when I’m too cold, I can always throw another layer or two on or move around to stay warm. I do have a very narrow temperature comfort zone, but I’d much rather it be freezing cold than boiling hot. I feel like all the energy is being drained out of me when it gets too hot, but the crispness of the cold doesn’t have the same effect at all.

7. Which is better: to get in a car accident that isn't your fault and lose a leg or to get into a car accident that is your fault and kill an old lady?

Well, I would hate to lose a leg because then I could never dance again which is a horrible thought. Nevertheless, I don’t think I could ever go on living a happy life knowing that I had ended someone else’s. Thus, I think I would rather get in an accident that wasn’t my fault and lose one of my most valuable appendages than get in an accident that was my fault and kill someone else, old or young. I wouldn’t have to feel encumbered by an innocent person’s death on my hands.

8. Do you believe that pain and suffering is a necessary part of life?

I think that it is a necessary part of life because without it, we would never realize what happiness is and we would never appreciate it. Also, we learn a great deal from mistakes, problems, and other rather annoying/unpleasant things that we encounter. If everything were always hunky-dory, life would be boring. It’s experiencing the melancholy, agonizing parts of life that make the other parts enjoyable and special. As my mom always says, too much of one thing is never good. Balance is important. I’m not saying that pain and suffering are wonderful, glorious things. I think there are definitely cases where the pain and suffering are so extreme I can’t imagine justifying them, claiming that they are a necessary part of life. I just think that everyone has to experience a bit of sourness before the sweetness can truly be enjoyed.

9. Is animal testing acceptable?

Well, I can see both sides to this. I love animals and can see why people would say no to this question yet I also understand that animal testing ensure that many products are safe to use. I guess the way I see it is that the products that say “not tested on animals” or something to that effect are using the same materials that have already been tested on animals and determined safe, so it all seems a bit circular to me. I don’t know, I mean I understand it is a very relevant issue, but it’s never been one for me on a personal level…so I would say it’s acceptable as long as it’s a bit humane…

10. Do you believe that ghosts exist?

No… I mean, I’ve never had any reason or encounter that led me to believe otherwise…

11. Do you believe that you can never have too much of a good thing?

Absolutely not, instead I believe that you can have too much of a good thing.. I think that the good thing’s goodness lessens the more times you have it. Last summer one of the lectures I attended during a program in Geneva was on economics. To illustrate his point about something (I sort of forget what it was supposed to illustrate, but oh well…) the professor told us this story. He said that after going on a very long hike in hot weather he stopped somewhere and got a nice cold coke. The first drink was so refreshing and wonderful that he got another one. The second drink was also good, so he got another and another. Soon, this once splendid drink was not longer so refreshing. And after a few more he had to go to the bathroom, and then the excessive sugar made him feel sick, and on and on he went with examples. This makes sense to me with any wonderful thing. For example, I love chocolate, and I went to the Nestle chocolate factory on this same trip. At the end of the tour, we got to sample different chocolates and the first few I tried were delicious, but as I moved down the line the samples slowly became less fulfilling. I think that too much of any good thing, whether it is money or vegetables, devalues its greatness.

12. Do you believe that school is the best way to make a person smarter?

No, I don’t think that school is the best way to make a person smarter. I think that school is great for giving people a wide base of general knowledge, but it doesn’t make a person smarter in every way. There are so many different kinds of smart, from street to intellectually to socially, and I don’t think that school is the best, or only, venue for building this smartness for every person. I think that different people have their own ideal way of learning, whether it’s in a school-like environment, or learning from your own discoveries and experiences, or going out and doing something you’re interested in and learning from that. In terms of making people smarter, I think that thinking for yourself is a critical factor, and one can learn how to do that in myriad ways.

13. Do you believe that Free Market Capitalism is fair? If not, what would you suggest?

Free Market Capitalism is generally a fair system. It promotes competition and entrepreneurship. However, there are some areas where I think free market capitalism is not fair, such as education and health care. It is not being able to buy anything you want, but being able to buy anything you can afford. Thus, the poorer members of society will often get left out.

14. Do you believe that war can be justified?

Well, I don’t think that war should be the answer to everything. I think that things should try to be resolved in a peaceful manner, how ever naïve that may sound. But it’s difficult to say that war is for a noble cause when many innocent people are dying and their homes and towns are being destroyed. But I do understand that some wars have helped people get out of bad situations, thought I suppose it all depends on your views…

15. If you could switch your gender, but it had to be permanent, would you?

No, I wouldn’t for several reasons. First is that I think it is more difficult to be a boy who defies stereotypes than a girl who challenges stereotypes. Second, in my opinion, boys are judged much more quickly and much more harshly by others than girls. The only plus I can think about changing genders is that there is much less competition in the dance world for boys than there is for girls and boys get to do all the cool jumps because the can jump really high. But I like being the gender that I am and don’t really have any problems with it.

16. Do you think you are anyone's favorite person in the world?

Well, I don’t think I am. I mean, I don’t have one favorite person in the world, I have a bunch of favorite people.

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04 November 2007 @ 05:08 pm

Dance: My Passion

Soaring through the air, weightless and free; turning so fast that everything’s a blur; balancing, suspended and untouchable. Dance. I’m addicted. It is an integral part of my life and has been since a very young age. It all began in a swimming pool, about 15 years ago…

In a baby swim class, my 3 or 4 month self met Rachel, who was two months older. We quickly became friends (as did our parents) and continued to have “play dates” when the swim course ended. It was very convenient because she was living in Berkeley so our houses were only a few minutes away. Then, when we were three years old, her dad got a job in Orinda, so they moved. By that time, we were extremely close. We had practically grown up as sisters (and even liked to pretend that we were because we looked so much alike). So, our parents signed us up for dance classes at a studio in Moraga so that we could continue to see each other on a regular basis. My parents had no idea at the time that they would still be making the 40 minute drive there and back almost every day! But Rachel and I both loved it, so they did. We both grew up in that studio with many of the same people since the age of three, so now it’s like having a big family. And during these 12 years of dancing, Rachel and I have gotten even closer, now inseparable. A passion and a best friend for life. I can’t imagine how different my life would be now if I’d never met Rachel.

It’s not hard to believe how quickly we became wrapped up in the marvelous, magical world of dance. There is a contagious energy that spreads to everyone in the room and it’s impossible to ignore. Standing at the barre or in the center of the room, you can feel your feet rooted into the ground and your body floating into the air at the same time. It all sounds very esoteric, I know. But it’s not. It so simple, so pure, organic even. I mean, what could be less complicated than movement?

Dancing and watching dance can make a person tap into a wide array of emotions, from laughter, to sadness and tears. I remember the summer before freshmen year when I went to CSSSA (California State Summer School for the Arts) at Cal Arts in Valencia. Alonzo King and some of his Lines dancers came for a week to teach class. On the last day, they performed. There we were 45 or so dancers and some other arts students sitting up in the theater seats watching this brilliant pas de deux. After about two minutes, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. It was so touching, so personal, so moving, yet Alonzo had told no one what it was about. It was its own story for each and every person in the room, yet its magic had worked on everyone just the same, everyone had felt something, whether that spark had provoked a few tears or sobs. I think that’s really the first time I realized just how powerful dance could be and how quickly it could change your mood, your thoughts.

If someone were to ask me why exactly I love dance, I don’t know if I could even explain it. I mean, I love every aspect of it, the frustration, the sweat, the performance, the adrenaline, the emotion, the friendship, the aches, the soreness the stretch, everything. But I think what I love most is that it’s never perfect, which is a bit odd for me, seeing that I’m a perfectionist and all. But still, there’s something spectacular about the fact that it doesn’t have to be perfect, in fact, it can’t. You can always get your leg a little higher, squeeze in another turn, get a few more inches off the floor. That’s the fun part, the challenge to push yourself even more, but never reach a finish line. I think the one time I felt like I reached a finish line was when I got on pointe, which is in itself, a whole world of joy and pain and band-aids and a one more challenge. I was so excited, as was Rachel and the other girls approved the same day, and slipping those hard shoes onto my feet and rising up onto my toes was its own paradise. But then I remember thinking, now what? I had been working toward that goal for several years during all of the pre-pointe classes and hours of ballet. Now that I had finally surmounted that goal, was it all over? I thought it would take all of the excitement out of dance, the bubbling curiosity and hope at the end of class when the teacher would occasionally announce who was now on pointe. But to my relief, pointe had opened a new door and it was just the reverse. Instead of losing a goal, I had gotten the key allowing me to work toward so many others. The very things I was working on off of pointe, I could now try on my toes. What a relief!

Dance itself has had a huge impact on who I am and the way I live my life. Growing up as a dancer, I learned the importance of goal setting, self-motivation, and concentration at a very young age. These continue to be things that I value today, in dance and in other aspects of my life. Additionally, I think I would be a horrible student if I didn’t have dance. Every day, except Friday, I have anywhere from 2-4 hours of dance with a 40 minute drive each way. That said, around show times and heavy homework/test times dance can add a good amount of stress to my life. More importantly, however, dance serves as my much needed break from stress and anything else that happens to be bugging me. I can walk into class stressed and thinking about nothing but what else I’ve still got to do when I get home. But I walk out of class refreshed, smiling, energetic, and ready for another day. Lastly, because of dance, I’ve learned to be very efficient, despite my perfectionism. On the occasional day that I don’t have dance, I think that I’ve got so much time and don’t have to get right to my homework, so I procrastinate, and end up having to stress about it at night anyhow. Dance has been, continues to and always will be a very important part of my life. It has taught me so much and has had a huge impact on my life and personality. And, it always gives me something to look forward to and strive toward.

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01 November 2007 @ 11:01 pm

Animals

Every time I’m asked to consider this same question, I always have a different answer… so I suppose I’ll throw all of them in…. sorry it’s a bit long…

Over this past summer, I participated in a NSLC program on international business and globalization in Geneva, Switzerland. Throughout the two weeks I was there, we did several leadership activities, one of which was to take this personality test to find out what kind of animal you are most like and what traits you have, etc. Well, I took the test and found that I am most like an owl. It is by far the most accurate test I’ve ever taken in terms of personality categorization because I think all of the owl traits, good and bad, are really true about me. As an owl, I am supposedly deep, thoughtful, creative, idealistic, serious/purposeful, reserved, schedule-oriented, very economical, a problem solver, organized/meticulous (I have a very strange obsession with making lists of any kind… packing, to do’s, grocery, etc…), persistent, thorough and focused. In addition, the test says that I’m difficult to get to know, a good listener, critical, cautious, more of an observer, and content to stay in the background. I think this last part is especially true. I love organizing events and activities, etc., but I’m definitely not going to willingly be the MC or anything. Anyways, I think that because of this test, I started identifying a bit more with an owl. Though they are rather mysterious, wondrous creatures, I’ve always thought that they looked a bit mischievous. I would like the flying part though. I’ve always thought it would be amazing to be able to soar high above everything. I imagine it would be quite liberating!

Thus, another animal I think I’d like to be is one that also flies: a hummingbird. Yes, they can’t exactly do all of the high soaring I was just talking about, but they can flit around nonetheless. Also, they are so delicate and gentle and they have this rare beauty that always catches your eye and brightens your day. Yet, they easily go unnoticed and they aren’t pesky or harmful in any way. I think I’d like that, just being able to go around, drink sweet nectar, do what I want to do, and not get in anybody’s way or be chased after or followed around like an adorable puppy might be. I don’t think I’d like that kind of attention, really. Also, I’ve never really heard about anyone having a pet hummingbird before, so I wouldn’t have to worry about being domesticated, not that I’m against pets or anything.

Lastly, if there was one more animal I’d like to be, it would be a bunny. I have a bunny now, Rosie, who is wonderful. She is independent, yet loves having company. She loves to explore. Though she’s very smart, she’s extremely mischievous and clever, knowing right away how to get past any and all barriers we set up and who to go to for a friendly pet and who will not be so thrilled by her presence. Even though bunnies are generally not thought of as smart creatures, I’m convinced they are. Also, bunnies have huge families, and, being part of a big family myself, that is really important to me and still would be important in my choice of animal. The only drawback is that bunnies are pretty low on the food chain being herbivores and all, which is great because I’m not a huge fan of meat anyhow, but I suppose it would be rather scary running away from a huge predator.

Also, though I know this is already super long, I went to take the online personality test and it said I was a horse. I think the only accurate part of that really is that it said I liked to have a place to call home, but I’m always eager to get out and explore. I love to travel and go to new places, but I also love having the same place to come back to; I’ve never moved houses in my life. But I wouldn’t be all that happy as a horse. The galloping would be like flying I guess, liberating and fun, but I just know the flies would drive me nuts.

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28 October 2007 @ 09:01 pm

Irrational Fear

As kids, it seems like everyone has had to surmount an irrational childhood fear at one time or another. For me, in my younger care-free days, I never had a problem with the idea of a fear, but when I encountered that fear in the flesh, it could be terrifying. I understood that spiders, for instance, were “helpful” and “good,” and appreciated the fact that they played their role in nature. But once I noticed a spider gliding furtively across the floor, I would get scared and forget all of this great stuff about spiders. Instead, with my heart beating a mile a minute, I would run, go find a paper cup or other like object, and hurry back to toss it quickly over the spider, hoping to keep it there for my mom or dad or brother to deal with while I stayed huddled far away. I was, as my increasingly annoyed family members so lovingly enjoyed reminding me as they encountered random cups haphazardly spread throughout the house, much bigger than the teeny little spider. But I didn’t care – I knew those creepy crawly spiders could bite!

Most terrifying to my younger-self, however, were the giant Disney characters. When I was two or three, my parents took me and older brother, who was then five or six, to Disneyland. Not being the first time to “the happiest place on Earth”, I had already admired the lovely princesses and been entertained by the goofy characters from afar. Knowing how enthralled I had been watching the live characters the previous trip, my parents decided to spend a little extra money and have lunch at Goofy’s Kitchen. There, some of the characters would come out and walk around to the different tables to say hello.

The meal commences wonderfully, and we are all perfectly content with the food. As I start in on my dish, I’m in my own little excited, dreamy world, just as any other young toddler at Disneyland would be. Then, out of nowhere, a gigantic Chip and Dale sneak up behind me and come up to the table. They wave over-excitedly and pat me on the head. Their faces are frozen in the same position. I stare at them, eyes wide, jaw dropped, dumbfounded, overwhelmed and horrified, trying to figure out why these over-sized chipmunks are attacking me. Finally, I wail and scream and cry, wanting to be as far away from these giant creatures as I possible can. Slightly taken aback, the two big monsters try and comfort me until my dad comes to the rescue and takes me, still screeching, outside to safety. After calming down a bit, my dad tries to persuade me to go back inside and to finish eating. I consent only after sending him to go on a lookout for any more enormous, monstrous beings and taking a thorough scan of my own. As you may have guessed, we steered clear of those life-size characters for the rest of the day and I remained on the guard for another pair of gigantic rodents that may try to come close for the rest of the trip.

Luckily, I've finally come to terms with this irrational fear and have accepted that these big cartoons might not be after me after all.

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