Saying Goodbye.

I'm tearing up just thinking about this last week of school. I've had so many wonderful memories at Fairfield Jr. High, and I'm going to miss everyone who went there. In the past years I never really felt sad about school ending, but the fact that we are all separating into different schools makes this a lot harder. I hate saying goodbyes, especially to close friends I have made throughout the past three years. I know that we will still see each other every once and a while, but we will never be as close as we were throughout Jr. High.

Another thing that makes me sad is saying goodbye to all of my wonderful teachers. Most kids wouldn't really care about this, but I really have loved all of my teachers. We have great teachers who care about us, and put forth tremendous effort to teach us what we need to learn.

I have loved Fairfield more than words can describe, but at the same time I am very excited to move on to Davis High School. I'm intimidated and excited to start three of the best years of my life. Once I turn 16 my world will be completely different. I will have a ton of free agency with the ability to drive myself wherever I want. Yesterday, my dad and I went to a church parking lot to practice driving for the first time. As I sat in the drivers seat, I realized how fast I was growing up, and how fast time was going by. People would always tell me that time was going to fly by, but I never believed them. Now I agree 100% that time goes by faster than you think it will.

All of the experiences and trials I have gone through while at Fairfield have shaped me into the person I am today. I feel that coming out of Jr. High, I know a lot more about life and what I want to accomplish in mine. I've learned to put others before myself, and also to be an example to everyone around me through my actions.

To any of my peers who are reading this, I want to tell you how much I've loved going to school with you. I feel like we have all been good friends even if we don't hang out outside of school. We all had differences, but most of us learned to put them aside to create friendships, and good relationships with our peers. I loved going through all my classes and having the ability to meet new people, and get to know my peers better.

These past three years have been great, and I'm sure that the next three will be even better. I hope that I can hold myself together this week while saying goodbye to a big part of my life. I will miss all of you going to Layton, and I will miss all of my wonderful teachers who have taught me so much. I love you all, and wish you the best of luck! :)

Apparently turtles can run away..

Two christmas ago, when my brother ran up the stairs on christmas morning he saw exactly what he wanted. A big cage wrapped with a thick red bow around it. He grabbed the russian turtle from the cage and named him Tod. Not only did they become great friends through the past two years, but he became the neighborhood superstar. All of my brothers friends knew "Tod the Tortoise" and always wanted to come and see him. Tod was adored by everyone and given way to many carrots. In the summer we would take him out in the grass so he could walk around and get some fresh air. He loved feeling free instead of being trapped in the four corners of his cage. A couple saturdays ago, me and my family were doing yard work when we decided that we should let Tod enjoy the nice weather. We brought him out, and he started walking around our yard. After about 20-30 minutes of doing yard work we realized that we hadn't been keeping track of Tod. We looked around, but couldn't find him anywhere! Our house doesn't have a fence around it, so that didn't help either. A couple hours after we had begun our search we figured that our favorite pet would be lost forever. I tease my brother about this without end because seriously, how can someone loose their turtle? How can a turtle run away when it walks less than a mile/hr? I do feel bad for my brother though, he lost one of his best friends. For now all we can do is wait to see if he will find his way back. Every once and a while we go out to search for our carrot-eating friend and hope that someday he will show up on our doorstep.

Where I'm From

I am from laughter spread by little children, whose energy never falters.
A place which is never quiet nor still, an ongoing adventure.
I am from the late night gatherings on the couch,
And the gleaming television which brings our different lives together for a small moment.
I am from bowls of buttered and salted popcorn filled to the rim, much of it missing the children’s mouths and falling along the cracks of our couch.
I am from a talented father, whose travels bring us foreign spices, sparking our curiosity.
I am from a loving mother whose second home is in our car-driving to our scheduled places.
I am from a pack of swimmers, bringing in the smell of fresh chlorine each and every day.
There are trophies, medals, meets, and more, but this is where I’ll never score.
I am from the ocean waves that call for me during the summer months.
I am from high expectations, and parents who I don’t want to let down.
I am from Disney Princesses, and other characters who never remain unspoken of, inside and outside our walls.
I am from the never failing dolls and board games lying about, mocking me as I step and trip.
I am from the mountains, where flowers bloom each new spring.
I am from friendly people living in the houses that encircle me.
Streets filled with bikes and children, as they happily ride about.
I am from bundles of blankets placed perfectly next to the burning fire.
I am from a world of care, where no one is ever left alone.
I am from a loving home.

Seedfolks

Seedfolks shows how one person can change the community through small and simple things. This apartment complex is filled with strangers. No one knows who their next-door neighbor is, and frankly they don’t really care. All of the families living in the apartments are only concerned about themselves and about why their lives are bad. When Kim plants that first seed, things slowly start to change as people learn more about themselves, and also about their neighbors.

The garden symbolizes the growth and understanding of the people who plant it. All of the characters are shy and unsure of themselves at the beginning, but as they grow and start making friends they gain more confidence in themselves. As they watch their own plants grow, they become happy and proud of their work and want others to feel the same way. They start helping each other with their gardens, and all of the plants grow into big fruits and vegetables. By spending time helping each other, they learn to act in a selfless way by taking time to talk to others about their lives.

“Those conversations tied us together.” P. 59

Seeds are only the start of what grows in this garden. Friendships grow. People grow. Knowledge grows. Understanding grows. Care grows. The characters not only grow, but their relationships do as well. They learn how to respect each other, and how people should be treated. You can see the change that takes place in these characters, and it’s only for the better.

The theme that this book conveys is that no matter where you come from, and what your background is, you can still come together as one in a community. Today I feel like we often divide ourselves into groups, or just bluntly don’t make the effort to reach out to other people. This book showed very clearly how we never know what someone has, or is going through. There are a lot of people who are lonely, or need someone to talk to. The garden becomes a place where people feel safe sharing stories about their life, their background, and culture. I wish that our world today was a “garden” where we could share our lives with others, but sadly, this isn’t the case. This is one of the reasons why I enjoyed this book so much. It showed us that anything is possible. Even the smallest lima bean could spark the start of a community coming together. The smallest lima bean could change the world once and for all.

Mr. Sun

It's amazing how one thing can determine so many other things. In this case, the sun, determines how we live each and every day. Without the sun, we wouldn't be here today.

The reason I bring up the sun is because summer is finally here! After week upon week of rain and horrible weather, we finally get to have some heat and sunshine. The one thing that really does change when summer hits is everyone's mood. Suddenly people become happier, and have better attitudes about everything. During the winter months we are kind of "depressed" because of the cold, short days. In the summer we can enjoy the outdoors, and the sun stays out until 8 or 9 giving us much longer days.

Right now it is hard to go to school when you want to be outside in the sun jumping on the trampoline or swimming, but luckly we only have 3 weeks left. Sometimes it feels like these weeks are the longest, but hopefully this year they go by fast. I can't believe that summer is officially beginning in 3 weeks! It's crazy to think that this year has already gone by!

Keep bringing more sunshine Mr. Sun! :)

My strike against getting ready for school.

At the beginning of this week I woke up and realized that if I had to get ready one more time I would go crazy. I then decided that there really was no point of getting ready anymore, so from there I started my strike.

The next day I wore the big baggy shirt I got from the David Archuleta concert in 7th grade to school. It was really comfortable, and I thought to myself that these next two weeks were going to be great. I continued wearing baggy shirts to school all week, and didn't do my hair once either. I would put my hair in braids the night before, or just put it into a nice-and-easy pony tail. I am still planning on continuing the strike, so schoolmates beware!

I'm glad I realized that I don't need to care about what others think about me. I'm my own person and my true friends will stick by me whether I'm the ugliest person on the planet, or on the cover of a magazine. Before I felt like I needed to impress and "please" people, but now I honestly do not care one bit about what others are thinking. I noticed that from the moment I started having this mindset, my confidence in myself has increased tremendously. I've learned who I am, and I know now that fitting in to the most popular group is not the most important thing in life. A lot of my friends are trying to become as popular as they can be before high school so they can be among the "highly ranked", but soon enough they will be left with no true friends.

I love all of the true friends I have, and I can tell that they really are true. With true friends you can be yourself, and you know that they will love you no matter what. I'm glad that I have amazing friendships that will last me through high school and beyond because I'm sure that a lot of people won't be as fortunate. I'm glad I decided to start this "strike" because it taught me a lot of things I should've realized before.

Singapore: A Model City

The strict laws of Singapore have resulted in a smooth-running society, which impresses many. I think that Singapore is a Model City because the government offers more help then harm. The city of Singapore is always well kept, it provides children with good educations, and also provides employment. The strong government of Singapore tries to run the city in the best direction possible, and with only good intentions for their people.

Singapore is a Model City because of the way they maintain a well-kept environment for the people living there. The streets are squeaky clean, and lined with trees and flowerbeds. They have plenty of taxis, modern expressways, and also their newly built subway, which is available so there is never traffic, especially among the disciplined drivers. There are never any homeless people because of their huge apartment complexes, so don’t expect to see beggars on the streets. Singapore is one of the cleanest, safest places in our world today, allowing you to stroll the streets late at night with no fear. America today would not receive this same description because we are not under strict laws. We have become accustomed to littering, and trashing our streets, which is not okay. We need to discipline ourselves more, so we will have a better environment to live in as well. Not only do Singapore’s strict laws affect the adults, but also their children.

The children of Singapore have a school-system, which is patterned after the Japanese. They have examinations before hand to divide them into schools that will be the best for their learning abilities. The students who do well on the examinations are put into a “superschool” which prepares them for the university and their careers. The other students who don’t do as well on their core subjects are put into technical and vocational schools. The students are taught very well, and have a lot expected of them. They are required to know English, because it is the first language within the educational system. They are challenging their students, and helping them to achieve the most they possibly can through their school-systems. With their great educations, they are pretty much insured a job.

These people have some of the highest living standards in Asia, beside from the Japanese. Their unemployment rate is only 5%, which is a pretty insignificant amount. They have about the same amount of income as the United States, and are pretty well off in their living conditions. Most of the people living in Singapore can afford their own home, or a comfortable apartment. The government has a social security system, which makes workers pay, but also provides them with many benefits. They have many health care benefits, it allows them to borrow money for the purchase of a home, and also insures them retirement at only age 55. In the US, people cannot retire until at least the age of 62. Living in Singapore pretty much guarantees you a happy live, and one without many financial trials.

I believe that Singapore is a Model City because the government helps more than it harms. They demonstrate a clean environment daily, provide good educations to their students, and also provide employment for the adults living there. They only have what is best for their people in mind, and want to show their example around the world. I don’t believe that we need to follow Singapore 100%, but there are many things we can learn from them. If we followed in the steps of Singapore, our world would be a much happier place because it would be under control. Our people would act appropriately, and we would have a clean and organized environment to live in. There would be a lot more order to the way things worked, and overall, we would be safer and happier living in a place like Singapore.

La Caille!

On Monday night, My Teen Living class had the opportunity to visit La Caille. The week before going to La Caille, we did an etiquette unit so we would know everything about eating at a high-end resturant. I never knew that there were so many rules and mannerisms for eating food! We watched movies of how to eat in pretty much any senario possible. So while on the bus ride to La Caille, we were not nervous because we knew exactly what to do!

When we arrived at La Caille, the luxurious yellow school bus had a hard time squeezing through the tight gates at the entry. Once we made it through, we drove up to the entry and started to walk around. The outside of the restaurant had beautiful landscaping, and also had wildlife as well! There were ducks everywhere, and it was obvious that they were accustomed to people because they were not afraid to come after you. We had a good time exploring the grounds and taking pictures, but the best part was eating the delicious gourmet food.

After we were seated, they quickly brought us our first of five courses. The first thing they brought out was the Es Cargo. We were all anxious, excited, and nervous to see what a snail would taste like. We took the snails out of their shells, and looked at them in wonder. We would either love them, or hate them. I tried my first bite, and absolutely loved it! I was surprised by how good it tasted because I was expecting it to have a gross texture and taste. It tasted like a buttery, garlic, ball of deliciousness! Once our table was cleared, they brought us a sorbet to "cleanse the palette", which also left us wanting more. We then received a green salad, and rolls with carefully shaped round butter balls. I'm sure you are wondering what came next, so I will tell you! The main course! We had the choice of either chicken or salmon, and since I love fish, I chose the salmon dish. The salmon dish was unlike anything I had ever had before. It had a very unique sauce on it, which made the flavor very different than salmon I am used to. It tasted great, but it took my taste buds a while to get used to the strong flavor. The dessert was the last part of the meal, and also the funnest part as well. They served us Banana Fosters, and gave us the option of having it "Flambe." Because of the strong taste burned rum leaves in the sauce, I decided not to have my dessert "On Fire", but it was still fun to watch others have theirs "Flambe!" The creamy, hot, carmel sauce was mouth-watering, and I practically licked the bowl clean.

It was fun to feel like Royalty, all dressed up at a 5-course meal. I'm glad I got to experience going to La Caille so early on in life!

The bunny is on it's way!

Easter has always been an interesting holiday for me. The whole idea of a bunny going from house to house leaving presents in children's baskets, and eggs in their yards, just seems strange. I guess santa fitting through a chimney and delivering presents to the world in one night isn't far off though. Why did we believe these silly things as kids growing up? When I think about it, I find it sad that parents are brainwashing their children into believing in things that don't even exist. I do admit that holidays are never as fun once you find out that none of what you believed in was ever real. So I guess the lies are a good thing. If you have little brothers and sisters, you almost feel like an secret agent because you know things they don't know. I love feeling all smart and sophisticated as you watch them frantically wait for santa, or the easter bunny, knowing that the second they went to bed, mom and dad would be pulling out the hidden presents. Sometimes I wish that these fantasies could be reality. Wouldn't it be the coolest thing to have an easter bunny, santa, north pole, reindeer, elves, sleighs, leprechauns etc.? Well, I think it would. I think that if these things really did exist, our world would be a much happier place! Our parents wouldn't have to lie to us, or pay for our gifts, and we would never have to find out that we had been lied to for the first 10 years of our lives. Everyone would want to be on Santa's "Nice List", so people would try harder to be happy instead of grouchy and mad. I know you are probably thinking that I am the weirdest person alive right now, but just think about the possibilities! Think about how different our lives would be!..It is very weird to think of what our lives would be like if fantasies were reality.

My Poor Piano Teachers..

I've been taking piano since I was about 8 years old but have never had a love for it. My parents forced me through lessons year after year, and really, it was just a big joke. I never practiced, and I had no desire whatsoever to learn songs on the piano. Things stayed that way for a while, and my teacher, week after week had to listen to me attempt to play the songs I hadn't practiced. One thing I got really good at while taking piano lessons was making up excuses. I have to admit that some of them were really clever! I think one of my best ones was "Sorry, I didn't have that much time to practice this week." Yes, I know, I was a very clever 5th grader. Looking back, I feel really bad for my poor teachers. Obviously they new that I just didn't want to practice, because seriously, how busy can a 5th grader be?

When I entered Jr. High I became even more busy which meant even less time for me to practice. We moved, which meant my mom had to find someone else who would soon want to kill herself. After about 6 months of searching, my mom finally found someone to teach me the piano. I went to my lessons week after week, unprepared, and not wanting to be there. You are probably wondering, "Why is she telling me this?" but just wait, I have some exciting news to tell you. In 8th grade I took Choir with Mrs. Minor which required us to do Term Projects each term. There were about 100 girls in our class, and everyone had different instruments and songs that they performed for the class. As I watched everyone perform their music, I started to think about myself and how I was progressing. I then realized that I was not progressing, and not getting any better. I wanted to be like the other girls that could play these hard, complicated songs, so I made a goal to try harder at the piano from that point on. I actually did pretty well throughout my 8th grade year, practicing, and trying hard to become a better piano player. I would go to the store and pick out popular songs to learn, which made it more fun for me. I still had to do the other lesson books, but knowing that I had the popular song as well motivated me to practice. That year I made a connection to the piano and actually really enjoyed practicing. It was kind of like a therapy for me after a long hard day. I would go sit down on the piano bench, play my song, and suddenly I wouldn't feel as stressed or uptight.

As 9th grade started, I did a pretty good job of practicing a couple times a week, but I was slowly becoming busier and busier with school, dance, and homework. I honestly didn't have any time to practice the piano, and this time I wasn't lying. I probably had 1 week of 5th grade homework in 1 night, if not more. My parents kept pushing me, and telling me not to quit, but I wanted to because I "knew" I had no time. After a couple of crazy months, my parents had a talk with me and told me it was my decision, and that I could quit if I wanted to. Suddenly, all of the fights I had with my parents about quitting piano seemed silly because I didn't really want to quit deep down inside. Yes, I didn't have time to practice, but I didn't want to give up all those years of lessons and practicing. Something that also came back to me was a line my parents told me almost every day. They always said, "If you quit, you'll regret it for the rest of your life." I always knew that they were right, but I never wanted to accept the fact that they were. I didn't want to look back and wonder "what if?", so I decided to continue on with piano.

I have been trying to make time to practice, but it still seems almost impossible. I know that if I tried harder, I could do it, but by the time I'm finished with my extra-curricular activities and homework, the night is over. I honestly did not want to quit, but I couldn't continue the pattern of not practicing, and then showing up at my lessons unprepared. All I was doing was wasting my parents money, which obviously does not make sense. A couple days ago my mom pretty much decided for me that I couldn't do it, so she called and told my piano teacher that I was going to take a break for the rest of the (school) year, and maybe I would start up again in a couple of months.

I don't know if I will start up again, or if life will just get busier, and I'll keep pushing it off. I really don't want to let it go, and that is what makes this so hard. I have also really wanted to learn the guitar, so for my 15th birthday my parents got me one. I was doing pretty well at spending weekends here and there teaching myself, but after a couple of months, the same thing happened with my guitar. I'm planning on taking a few lessons during the summer, and who knows, maybe guitar will be my passion, and in the end is really the instrument I'm meant to play. I'm still sad about piano for some reason, but maybe it's time. I will be putting a lot of thought into what I should do, but for now, I'm just trying to make it through the rest of the school year. I hope that I'll make the right decision, and not one I will regret later on in life.

The Big Day!

I know that you are probably about to drop dead from my stories of running and training, but the most exciting part of it all was the race, so I must tell you how it went! I hadn't thought much about the race at all during the week, but the race was always lingering in the back of my mind. Friday night I went to bed excited, but also very nervous, because I didn't want anything to go wrong. Friday, my mom picked up our packets that had our bibs and shirts in them. The morning of, I happily put on my new shirt, and pinned on my number. I went upstairs to have some last minute carbs with my mom, and then we left at around 5:00. Luckily, since I was so anxious and excited, I didn't feel tired at all! The second the garage door came up revealing the rain, our stomachs sunk. A million thoughts ran through my head in that instant. "Are my clothes warm enough?" "Am I going to get soaking wet?" "Is it going to be raining the whole time?" But at that point there was nothing we could do, so we hopped in the car and headed off to Salt Lake. As we got closer and closer to Salt Lake, the rain became lighter, and eventually stopped. We were so glad that the rain had stopped so we could run the race without being pelted in the face with rain drops the whole time.

Getting to the start line was very challenging. We first had to park under the gateway so our car would be there when we finished the race. After parking, we walked to the closest trax so we could hitch a ride to the University of Utah. There was a group of runners there to wait with us, and we later came to find out that there were also a ton of runners already on the trax. The "bus" was completely full of runners, and we hardly even had room to move. We were not just close because of our love for running, but because we literally were back to back. We rode for about a half hour due to all the mandatory stops along the way. At one stop, they kicked us off and had us wait for another trax which delayed us even more.

By the time we arrived at University of Utah, we were ready for some air, but also to use a restroom. There were about 20 port-a-potties lined up, but all 20 had lines with at least 30 people in them. We didn't really have another choice, so we waited, went to the bathroom, and then finally walked up to the start line. You never really know how a run is going to go until after it is over. So many things could happen, or go wrong, that really you never know. I ran past that start line with a smile, excited, and knew that it would go well.

There was a total of 8,000 people there, running in either the marathon, half marathon, or 5k. The streets were filled, and no matter what pace you ran, you were amongst a crowd. The first few miles flew by, and I was enjoying the people who had lined up along the streets to cheer everyone on. It was cool to see the people who lived on those streets that were blocked off participating as well. One guy was sitting on his porch, strummin his guitar and singing, "I love the way you run! I love watchin you run!" The song went on as he continued to make up it's lyrics for all the runners. It was also neat to see everyone who volunteered and helped with the race. At every mile marker there were people pouring drinks, passing them out, and cheering us on. The support system of the race is great, and really helps you to feel motivated and enjoy it even more.

What surprised me about this race the most was how well I felt. We ran to about mile 8 where we encountered a problem, a need for a bathroom break. We stopped at one of the many port-a-potties and started to wait in line when we realized it was going to be a while. I then looked over at a Fresh Market down the street and told my mom that we should go to a bathroom there. We ran down the street and into the store where we asked where the bathroom was. She then told us, "Down to the end, up the stairs, down the hall, and to your left." My mom and I looked at each other with a look of "Are you kidding me?" and ran to the bathrooms. Sadly this whole bathroom extravaganza took a good 10 minutes out of our time, but you can't stop nature when it's calling!

After leaving Fresh Market, we kept running until we entered gateway. The best feeling was running through the streets of gateway (which were filled with people cheering) and knowing what I had accomplished. I saw the finish line, and sprinted past it with all the excitement in the world going through me. They gave me my medal, and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. I was so happy, and wanted that moment to last forever. After absorbing the moment for a while longer, we walked to a photographer who took our picture and then continued on to the best part. Table after table were covered in oranges, bananas, apples, paradise bakery, protein drinks, and dried fruit. We took some food to nourish our tired bodies, walked through gateway a little while longer, and then went to our car which was waiting for us under the gateway in the parking garage. I am so glad that I made a goal and stuck to it, because the end reward was amazing. Now I truly know that I can do anything if I set my mind to it!

It's over..

The Sunday resulting in the end of Spring Break is very depressing. You find yourself reflecting on your week and wondering "Did I spend my l week off wisely?" I asked myself that multiple times today, but in the end it doesn't matter because the point of Spring Break is to have a break! I probably could've accomplished a lot more than I did this week, but as I pondered I realized that I needed a break from routines, schedules, homework and stress. It was nice to sleep in and wake up every morning with no idea of what the day had in store for you. What I loved most about this Spring Break was the chance it gave me to spend time with my family. Since I am so busy, my family usually gets put in second place. With homework and dance, I don't really make an effort to play with my sisters or talk to my parents and brothers. This week was kind of an eye-opener for me in realizing how much I do love being home with my family and spending time with them. I spent most of the week with my mom and it gave us a chance to bond and make our relationship stronger. We went grocery shopping, took my siblings to see Hop, rented old movies to watch together, and made multiple trips to Jamba Juice after our runs. It wasn't a exotic beach vacation, but I enjoyed spending time with my family and just relaxing with no worries. Even though Spring Break isn't technically over yet, I can already feel some of the stress coming back to me as I remember all the assignments I was supposed to work on over the break. I am realizing that this is going to be a homework-packed week since I slacked off during the break. This week has given me a glimpse of summer, and now I cannot wait for the sun to shine, and for 4th term to come to an end!(:

13.1 Already?

These are the lovely 12 miles I ran last Saturday!

As I looked at the 12 week training schedule I thought that it would never end, and that my body would fail me before I ever finished. We started with week one, taking it one step at a time. I wasn't sure if I could get used to running 4 times a week, but as the weeks passed, it slowly started to get easier. Most of you probably know that a training schedule consists of a "plan" which contains how many miles you are supposed to run every day. The miles get higher and higher every week, slowly increasing your stamina and strength. Most of the time it doesn't feel like you are improving because of the increasing miles, but I just changed some of the words to my friend Dory's song and said to myself "Just keep running, just keep running, What do we do?.. We just keep running!" It's hard to get up before school every other day to run 5-6 miles, but I always feel better on the days I get up and exercise. Running before school means less time to get ready, less time to eat, and results in very hectic mornings. I am always running out the door late with a piece of toast in my hand. No matter how hard I try, I always get to school 5 minutes late. Hopefully my 1st and 5th period teachers don't hate me too badly! But through this whole experience, I have actually come to like running. It is amazing to think that 2 months ago I could barely run 2 miles and last Saturday I ran 12. I am proud of myself for sticking to my goal of training for a half marathon, and now I just have to run through the finish line at the Salt Lake City Half Marathon this Saturday!

It's Spring?

Well first of all, I am having a very hard time believing that it is spring. As I look out my windows right now, I see plenty of snow on the mountains and think that the ski resorts might re-open or something. Maybe I should plan on spending my "Spring" Break snowboarding, not jumping on the tramp. I love Utah, but the weather is seriously starting to get to me. Friday was a warm, nice, clear, SPRING day and now two days later we have fog, rain, and snow. If the snow doesn't clear up by easter, I am going to have a little talk with Mother Nature. The little innocent children do not deserve to have crappy weather while they are looking for their cute easter eggs! They would be wet and cold, and I would feel so terribly bad for them! But I would also feel HORRIBLE for the "Easter Bunny" aka ME, because she would have to go and lay all the eggs out in the snow. But seriously, why can't spring just come?

If there is anything good about it being "spring" it would be the fact that there are only two months of school left! I cannot believe that I am going to be in High School already. I knew that this year was going to go by fast, but I don't think I have realized how fast it really was going to go by until now. With the end of 9th grade so close, I am really starting to get an itch for summer. Every year it is the same story, but you really do just have this desire to go outside, talk, and do everything except your homework. Part of this is also because of the Daylight Savings change. Now it doesn't get dark until 8 so the nights just fly by, and the next thing you know its time to go to bed!

This week is obviously spring break, but the only break I'm getting is a break from school. Yes, my family is one of the few families staying home all week. We don't have any exciting plans or places to go, but I'm sure my mom will come up with creative activities for us to do. ;) There are a couple of up sides to staying home though. I do have a bunch of homework and projects I want to finish this week so I can be on top of my homework, and maybe even get ahead. I also want to do something I've been putting off for months, getting my permit. I could've had it in November, but since I have barely been able to breath lately, I haven't studied or taken the test. I am determined to take the test this week until I receive my permit! I hope that I can pass the test and spend this week practicing how to drive without killing anyone. The last thing I have to accomplish over spring break is completing all of my campaign posters since I'm running for Sophomore Office. It is hard to think of original ideas since I have ran for office every year since entering Jr. HIgh. So far I have used Thriller and Spice Girls, so who knows what is coming next from me! Lets just hope I find something somewhat interesting to do!

The joy of subs at end of term.

I am very pleased to say that I did in fact receive a 4.0 3rd term! It was a long time coming, but finally my hard work payed off! I was very nervous as the weeks passed, and the end of term came closer and closer. Wonderful timing hit as our math teacher had an emergency and ended up going to the hospital for surgery. We had lost our amazing math teacher, and with that we had lost our ability to do math. Our math classes struggled tremendously as the subs had us copy the notes and said "Okay, there ya go! Figure it out!" Yeah right. There was no way on earth that was ever going to happen. A week passed and we dealt with the sub who thought she was funnier than all the funniest comedians put together. She would tell us joke after joke as I sat there saying to myself, "Lady, just give us the notes!" The even better part was when nine o' clock rolled around every night and I literally stared at my assignments for half an hour. I do have to admit that the week did have an up side when we got a new sub.

This sub was actually quite an inspiration to me if I must say. He walked into the room and off the bat told us that the last math class he had ever taken was in fact, Geometry. He had never gotten past geometry, and even had the pleasure of telling us "Math is pointless, you will never use it in life." At this point I was completely in love with this old man and almost had an instant connection with him! I did however find it very surprising that someone who had never taken more than geometry was subbing the math classes. I mean seriously, the kids in Algebra 2 Honors are already smarter than him. How can he teach them when they know more than him? The funniest thing about this sub was his common knowledge. He passed out our quizzes and said "Make sure you bring them back next time!" Us honest students couldn't cheat and informed him that we had to turn them in by the end of class. But as you can see, we had quite the adventure with the different subs who made math better than it already is. While the subs taught, we had two quizzes, and when our math teacher did arrive at the school, there was no messing around. We got straight to the chapter test, and soon after had a test on the terms 1-3. I was barely at an A, and the determining factor of whether I would receive a 4.0 was that test. I had to ace it in order to get a 4.0. So as you have probably already realized, I was very nervous with all the pressure, especially since our teacher had missed a whole chapter. Luckily I did my very best and ended up getting an A on the test which led to my first 4.0 of the year. I am very excited and hope that my grade will stay that way through 4th term as well!

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.."

“A Tale of Two Cities” written by the great Charles Dickens, put a new light on the French Revolution. It is mainly based on two families, the Manettes, and the Defarges. Mr. Lorry (A banker at Tellson’s Bank) and Sidney Carton (A alcoholic Lawyer) are also two very important characters in this story. Early on in the book, Mr. Lorry reveals to Lucy Manette that her father has been alive for the past 18 years and is a survivor of the Bastille prison. They travel together to get Dr. Manette out of France, and later, Dr. Manette often thanks his young daughter Lucy for “Recalling him to Life” and saving him from his deathly misery. Many themes were addressed, and many points were given throughout the book, but the most important one of all was ‘revenge and greed always lead to tragedy’. In this book, Revenge completely consumes Madame Defarge. She is so set on her hate for the Evermonde family that she cannot focus on anything else. All she wants is to see people suffer, especially those who were responsible for her suffering.

When Mr. Lorry and Lucy Manette arrive at the Defarge’s Wine Shop to retrieve Dr. Manette, they find that a large cask of wine has been dropped, and broken. The red wine is running down the streets, and people suffering from all kinds of hunger are licking it off the pavement. Meanwhile, Madame Defarge is watching the people on the streets.

“The wine was red wine, and had stained the ground of the narrow street in the suburb of Saint Antoine, in Paris, where it was spilled. It had stained many hands, too, and many faces, and many naked feet, and many wooden shoes. The hands of the man who sawed the wood, left red marks on the billets; and the forehead of the woman who nursed her baby, was stained with the stain of the old rag she wound about her head again. Those who had been greedy with the staves of the cask, had acquired a tigerish smear about the mouth; and one tall joker so besmirched, his head more out of a long squalid bag of a night-cap than in it, scrawled upon a wall with his finger dipped in muddy wine-lees—BLOOD.”
-Book the First, Chapter 5-The Wine Shop (Page 33)

The French are starting to become greedy, and thirst for what is coming. Madame Defarge knows that the “Lady Guillotine” is on her way, and that she almost has what she’s always wanted. The people have become desperate in their hunger and have a special thirst for change in their lives. They want to be freed from the miserable state they are in, and will go to great lengths to receive happiness in their lives. With nothing around them, and nothing to live for, they only have Madame Defarge’s influence on them, which will lead them to believe that they can only find happiness through revenge, and the lives of others. This is the build-up to the French Revolution, and many people living in England do not understand how this revenge and hate is consuming the French. Like the joker, many of them are already acting like the Defarges and not only thirst for wine, but for blood.

Once you make the connection that the wine is like the blood of the French Revolution, the passage makes a lot more sense. Dickens sets the scene telling you where everything is taking place, and makes it very easy for you to picture the moment in your head. He also does a good job of showing how the French Revolution affected everyone. The blood ‘stained many hands, and many faces as well.’ Whether you were a revolutionist working the guillotine, the person dying from it, or even someone watching, you were affected by it. He also talks about the ‘tigerish smear’ on the faces of the people. This ‘tigerish’ look on their faces describes what the French look like later on in the book as they watch people die at the guillotine with that same ‘tigerish smear’.

The tone of the passage is very strong and has a very negative feel to it. Charles Dickens intended it to have a negative feel so the audience would be ready for all of the negativity that would come later on in the book. The theme is much like the passage, because it too, drips negativity. It helps prove the theme because the people in this passage have become greedy, and that in the end will lead to tragedy.

Even though there were many tragedies throughout the book, there were also many triumphs. Many of the people in the book had their character tested. Some failed to remain strong and live life with love and hope, but some, in fact, did remain with good character throughout it all. Some were even changed for the better because of the revolution. Mr. Carton, an alcoholic that had wasted his life, finds what being a good person really means by saving the life of Mr. Darnay, and giving him the chance to live the happy life Defarge was trying to take away. But even though there were triumphs, the tragedies usually won. The streets of France had in fact become covered in red, but not in red wine: the red blood of innocent people living their ordinary lives. After Darnay was taken to prison for the second time (when doing no harm to the French), not even Dr. Manette, who was very dear to the French, could save him. Their greed had even topped their love for a Bastille survivor, who they treasured dearly. No one could save him, because they had all been stained. It wasn’t just the blood that stained them, they were stained with greed in their hearts and with revenge that had started with Defarge and ended in the whole community.

“A Tale of Two Cities” helped me reflect on many things. It showed me that revenge gets you nowhere in life. You never want to let revenge consume you, because all it will do is hurt others, and end in tragedy (as demonstrated in the book). It also showed me how important your family is and how they can help you overcome your tragedies and trials. Many of the characters in the book wouldn’t have made it without their families to help them along. Lucy saves her father, Dr. Manette; Dr. Manette saves Lucy’s husband; Mr. Darnay, etc. The family’s love for each other is really what keeps them in tune with what is important in life. They want only to have a happy live, and wish that the French would realize what happiness really is. You can tell how a life without family has affected Mr. Carton, and many of the revolutionaries, which is one of the main reasons they are filled with grief and need “Lady Guillotine” to cheer them up. The fact that they take others’ lives to recover from grief is in itself showing their greed. They are selfish, and care for no one but themselves in their actions. So this is why ‘revenge and greed only lead to tragedy.’ Only those who cared for someone else more than themselves found true happiness, and joy. Like Mr. Carton said, “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest I go to than I have ever known.”

The conflicts in Israel..

The real trouble began when the Jews started calling themselves “Israelis” after their homeland of Israel. The Arab population were known as “Palestinians” and ruled the area. The Jewish population was killed off or forced to leave by the Romans leaving the Arabic-speaking Muslims as the dominant ethnic group. In 1900, the population of Palestine was around 600,000 (94% Arabs). Many Arabs were willing to sell land to incoming Jews, but other Palestinian Arabs were worried about becoming the minority.
Zionism began in the late 1800’s, influencing the Jews to move to Palestine so they could reclaim their “homeland” of Israel. Throughout the years Jews moved to Palestine, and by the 1930’s the number of Jews living in Palestine had risen to a high point, alarming many Palestinian Arab leaders. British put down the revolt, but fighting never really ended between the Jews and Arabs. Both the Jews and Palestinians formed military forces for when the British would leave.
When the British did leave in 1948, the Jews declared the independence of Israel. Neighboring Arab nations (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Transjordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq) invaded Israel trying to get them to leave, but they lost the war and the Palestinian diaspora began. Hundreds of thousands of Arabs fled Israel, and left for the neighboring Arab nations so they could live as refugees and wait for the day that would allow them to return to their homeland.
The Jews had taken most of the Palestinians land, but not all of it. A small crowded area around the city of Gaza and a part of old Palestine on the west bank of the Jordan River became the part of the “Gaza strip, and the West Bank.” After the war ended in 1949, Egypt took over Gaza Strip and Jordan controlled the West Bank. Through the 1950s and 1960s Palestinians raided the borders of Israel, which led to much violence and warfare around the Gaza and West Bank.
The Arab armies wanted more than anything to destroy Israel, so next came the 6-day-war. After six days of air, sea and hand-to-hand warfare, Israel defeated all three Arab armies, taking control of the Sinai Desert, Golan Heights, and West Bank. After their defeat they were ready to leave, but the General Moshe Dayan persuaded them to stay. He offered them education, medical treatment and employment in the West Bank, and Gaza. They went from being a frightened, defeated army to a dangerous enemy. Dayan later regretted opening up their land for settlement.
The Arabs continued, and still continue to fight for Palestine. With wars and attacks, the Israelis and Palestinians still struggle to find peace. Is violence really the answer to settling this conflict? Is there no other way? That’s what they believe, and they will fight until they get what they want.

Some more Romeo and Juliet!

Romeo
It was foolish of me to spend so much time
Grieving over Rosaline when I had not yet loved.
Jumping over the Capulet’s walls,
I knew not what lied ahead,
But my life was forever changed with love at first sight.
I knew as I kissed her and bid her farewell,
That Juliet held my heart in her hand.
She stood on the balcony that starry night,
And I listened as she spoke of her love for me.
I could not contain myself,
So I told her of my love as well.
We both knew that true love appeared,
So in secret we married, and held our love dear.
What saddens me is that which comes next,
My sword going through Tybalt’s chest.
Then Juliet’s heart was broke,
And I stood in Mantua with no one to hold.
When I heard the news of my lover’s death,
With all my might to Verona I fled.
Lying next to Juliet,
I pulled the poison from my coat,
Knowing I could not live without her.
I ended my life right beside her.



Juliet
They’d always wanted me with Paris,
But that was not what fate had intended.
On that night came young Romeo,
Into my life forever more.
As we danced and he kissed my lips,
I thought my life was forever bliss.
I stood on my balcony on that night,
Expressing all my hearts desires.
But what I did not know at first,
Was that Romeo was in a bush.
He heard every word I said,
Which startled and quite frightened me.
We talked and told each other of our love,
And I knew, even if a Montague,
I’d marry my dear Romeo.
The next morning seemed to long,
Waiting for the nurse who brought along,
The news that I’d be his sweet bride
And we’d be wed within the hour.
I was a happy wife until I discovered,
Tybalt’s blood was shed by my secret lover.
When I was ordered to marry Paris,
I knew that I’d find another way.
So to Friar Lawrence I went for help,
His potion worked extremely well
And for a while I said farewell.
Even though my cheeks were rosy red,
Everyone along with Romeo believed I was dead.
When I woke and found him without breath,
I knew I could never live,
Without Romeo who much did give.

Some traditions aren't the best.

Our school unfortunately has the tradition of loosing the championship girls basketball game every year. We've lost the final game for three years in a row now, and it was very sad to see the girls so let down. This season they were completely undefeated until the championship game, so it was a big disappointment to loose the most important game. This game wasn't all bad though, we had a "Spirit Bus" that brought a bunch of the students from our school to the game (Which was a Northridge High School) to give our team some extra support. They tried their hardest, and gave it their all, but in the end it just wasn't enough.

Last year I went to the championship game (as a cheerleader) hoping with all my heart that we would win. My reason for wanting to win last year was a lot different than my reason this year. Last year the cheerleaders and officers spent most of the year with fundraisers and assemblies for a team member who had cancer. Her name was Madey Slaughter, and she was an inspiration to all of the students at the school. She made the team before she knew about her cancer and couldn't play for the team at all. Even though she couldn't play, or even go to school, we still felt like she was part of our team and we were always thinking about her. Our girls basketball team fought hard to win for Madey, and we made it all the way to the finals. The games leading up to that were some of the best games I've ever gone to. We would paint our faces with her number (55) and cheer like we'd never cheered before. At a couple of the games we were surprised to see cameras with news reporters coming to film for stories they were doing on the news.

We worked hard to get to that last game, and we could feel the pressure rising as we walked into the doors of Davis High School. Right as the game was about to start we could see Madey being pushed in her wheelchair with her mask, ready to support her team. This made everyone want to win even more, and made the team even more nervous. They gave that game 110% and honestly did everything they could, but when that buzzer went off, we hadn't won. It was really devastating for everyone, but mostly the team because they felt like they had let Madey down. It was at this game that I learned a really important life-lesson. "The journey is more important than the destination" what really matters is your journey getting there. It doesn't matter if you win or loose, all that matters is your journey! We had sold hundreds of sweatbands, raised thousands of dollars, and become more united than ever before. I noticed that the students had become less selfish, and more selfless in their actions. Even though most of us didn't know her, we all came to love Madey for her courage and faith, knowing that everything would work out for the best.

Shakespear!

In our 9th grade english class we are learning about Shakespear, but mostly Romeo and Juliet. I love the story of Romeo and Juliet, and have loved learning about it. The way that shakespear writes, and the dialouge he uses in between characters is amazing. Some people hate going to class and learning about this stuff, but I find it very interesting. I almost wish that we could just learn about it all year! I'm not sure why people don't enjoy learning about it, because if you pay attention to the story, it is the opposite of boring. The characters are obviously different than us, but in a lot of ways they are the same. They go through trials and hardships just like we do today, but the way they respond to them is the main difference. Most people living here today wouldn't kill themselves if they couldn't be with their "love" but Romeo and Juliet have so much compassion and love for each other that they would go to those extremes. The way they describe their love and pain really makes you understand how they are feeling, and gives you a glimpse of what it would've been like to live in that time era. I'm not sure what life would've been like if there were two houses, The Capulets, and The Montagues. Shakespear is a brilliant writer who captured the world with his stories, but most of all with Romeo and Juliet.