Sunday, November 25, 2012
Lessons Learned
As I was flying back to school after Thanksgiving Break, I started to reflect on my life and all the decisions I made in the past: some good and some bad. I began to harp on the bad decisions and ask myself why I did those things. Why did I take that last drink and why did I make those around me uncomfortable by my drunkenness? Why didn't I ask more questions about others lives and be there for them in their time in need?
After a few minutes of thinking about what I should and shouldn't have done, I realized that I can change what happened. The past is the past and all I can do is apologize and make changes for the future. The best way to learn is through past experiences and hardships. I decided to use to my regrets and should haves as a chance to improve my attitude and my life.
The past can't be changed, but the future remains unwritten. It is up to me to write it.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Senior Year
As I am approaching the last few weeks of my summer vacation, the thought of my senior year both excites and terrifies me. I am looking forward to enjoying my last year hanging with my friends, going to parties and not having to worry about the world of payments and employment. However, the thought that this is my last year of security and comfort is beginning to freak me out.
I have spent three years in the safe bubble of Santa Clara and am not sure if I will be ready to leave it at the end of the year. My college experience was full of excitement, friendships, lessons and hardships that helped in grow in one way or another. I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity to go away to college. Not only has it taught me many wonderful academic things, but it has taught me more about myself.
However, I still have some doubts about myself and the future. I am not entirely sure of what I want to do after I live the halls of Santa Clara. There are still many unknowns that are rapidly approaching. Will a degree in communications be enough to get me a job? Will I even be able to find a job? Will that job be enough money to support myself? And where will I be living?
As I start to prepare to go back to school, I try to mentally prepare myself and embrace the unknowns ahead. I try to tell myself to be excited for the changes ahead and for now just live in the moment. Enjoy your last nine month of comfort and freedom. I have grown so much since I walked into dorms 3 years ago and still have one more year to go. Who knows, maybe at the end of year I will be able to answer those questions. But for now, I am just going to live in the moment. Because as Bill Keane said, "the past is history, the future is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.”
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
A Hard Conversation
Here is an exercise I did for my fiction writing class. Enjoy!!
It was five in the evening on a Friday of a long week. My plane would be landing in an about hour and my aunt would be picking me up at the airport. She also inspired me to go after my dreams.
“If I could back and change something in my life I would be that I got an education when I had a change,” my aunt would say. “I am too old now and have kids to take care of. Also Ryan would not know what to do with himself if I was busy studying all the time. He would definitely go back to his younger days and eat Top Ramen every day for dinner.”
How could I tell her this big news? Would she should be supportive or would she sit there in silence?
“Hi Aunt Jessica, How have you been” I would say, reaching out to give her a hug.
“Hello Anna, my darling, it has been busy. With Cody in karate and Lori in dance I have been driving around town all week. But enough about me, I want to know what you have been up to. How is school?”
“Well, it is funny you should ask…”
“Hey can you tell me on the way. We have reservations at Rose’s in 30 minutes and it being a Friday night I don’t want to lose our table.”
“Sure, no problem. Rose’s is my favorite restaurant. Is this a special occasion?”
“No darling, I just remembered you liked it. And since you have been working hard at school I thought you should deserve a treat.” We would then hop into the car and start to drive away. “How did the Ben Franklin paper go? Last we talked you were just finishing that up?”
“It went fine, got an A-.”
“High five! You are such a great student. I am so proud of you. What was it that you were going to tell me?”
“Well…mmm…I…mmm…..
“Can I help you?” The hostess interrupted.
“Yes we have reservations under Jessica at 7:30.”
“Right this way.”
We would sit down at a candle lit table; put our napkins on laps and fold open the menu.
“They changed their recipe for calamari, it’s actually fantastic now. I know you’ll love it. Last time I took you out you gulped that stuff down. Let’s order some to share.”
How could I tell her now? It would ruin the mood. She has been so nice to me.
“Can I take your order?”
“I am going to start with an iced tea and we will share some calamari to start.”
“Just water for me.”
“How is Mandy? I would go crazy if I had a roommate who bought boys over all the time. If I were you I would have told my RA when she kicked you out that Friday night. Where did she think you would go?”
“I don’t know. At least Carol let me stay with here. She has a futon in her room.”
“That’s right. How is Carol? She is such a sweet heart. When I took you guys out to dinner she had such great manners. “
“Carol is great; her softball team is going to the championships.”
“Glad to hear it. Anna, I don’t think I tell you enough how proud I am of you. You worked so hard in high school to achieve your dreams. You got good grades and never caused your mom much trouble. Most kids being raised by a single parent working all the time aren’t as self-motivated as you.”
“I just don’t want to have the same life as my mom. She works hard at two different jobs and barely makes enough money to pay the bills. Let alone my college. Thankfully Grandma helps out. I’m thankful I have such a supportive family.”
“We love you Anna. You are not a mistake or an accident but a blessing. Yes, we all would have hoped your mom would have been older when she had you. But the circumstances turned out amazing. Her actions, even though irresponsible, gave us you. And we are thankful that everything turned out. Sometimes it doesn’t. Some kids with young single parents do not get the attention they need. They may live in poverty or abusive homes. Or maybe those kids just become trouble makers. I am so glad you are not like that.”
“Here is your calamari. Are you ready to order?” The waitress would say, placing the plate in the middle of our table.
“Yes, we will have two pesto lasagnas.” She said and winked at me.
“You remembered my favorite. I haven’t been here in so long.”
“I would never forget anything about my niece. We talk almost every week.”
“Aunt Jessica, I love you and want to thank you for everything you have done for me. I feel like I could tell you anything.”
“Anna, I will love you no matter what. I will support you in any decision you make. Are you still thinking about changing your major?”
“No, …”
“Good, I think you would make a great History Teacher.”
“Umm…Aunt Jessica. Can I tell you something? “
“Sure anything.”
“Just promise not to speak until I am finished, okay?”
“Anna, you are starting to scare me. What happened?”
“Just promise, okay?”
“Alright, I promise.”
“Aunt Jessica…I….well….there was this guy I meet at this party. He was really cute and…”
“You have a boyfriend! How great! What is his name? I would love to meet him next time I visit you.”
“You promised you wouldn’t speak until I finished.”
“Oh, I am sorry my darling. Go ahead.”
“I am just going to go out right and stay it. Aunt Jessica, I’m pregnant.”
“Ladies and gentleman, we are beginning initial decent into Camilla International Airport. We should hit the ground in about 20 minutes. Please prepare for landing.
It was five in the evening on a Friday of a long week. My plane would be landing in an about hour and my aunt would be picking me up at the airport. She also inspired me to go after my dreams.
“If I could back and change something in my life I would be that I got an education when I had a change,” my aunt would say. “I am too old now and have kids to take care of. Also Ryan would not know what to do with himself if I was busy studying all the time. He would definitely go back to his younger days and eat Top Ramen every day for dinner.”
How could I tell her this big news? Would she should be supportive or would she sit there in silence?
“Hi Aunt Jessica, How have you been” I would say, reaching out to give her a hug.
“Hello Anna, my darling, it has been busy. With Cody in karate and Lori in dance I have been driving around town all week. But enough about me, I want to know what you have been up to. How is school?”
“Well, it is funny you should ask…”
“Hey can you tell me on the way. We have reservations at Rose’s in 30 minutes and it being a Friday night I don’t want to lose our table.”
“Sure, no problem. Rose’s is my favorite restaurant. Is this a special occasion?”
“No darling, I just remembered you liked it. And since you have been working hard at school I thought you should deserve a treat.” We would then hop into the car and start to drive away. “How did the Ben Franklin paper go? Last we talked you were just finishing that up?”
“It went fine, got an A-.”
“High five! You are such a great student. I am so proud of you. What was it that you were going to tell me?”
“Well…mmm…I…mmm…..
“Can I help you?” The hostess interrupted.
“Yes we have reservations under Jessica at 7:30.”
“Right this way.”
We would sit down at a candle lit table; put our napkins on laps and fold open the menu.
“They changed their recipe for calamari, it’s actually fantastic now. I know you’ll love it. Last time I took you out you gulped that stuff down. Let’s order some to share.”
How could I tell her now? It would ruin the mood. She has been so nice to me.
“Can I take your order?”
“I am going to start with an iced tea and we will share some calamari to start.”
“Just water for me.”
“How is Mandy? I would go crazy if I had a roommate who bought boys over all the time. If I were you I would have told my RA when she kicked you out that Friday night. Where did she think you would go?”
“I don’t know. At least Carol let me stay with here. She has a futon in her room.”
“That’s right. How is Carol? She is such a sweet heart. When I took you guys out to dinner she had such great manners. “
“Carol is great; her softball team is going to the championships.”
“Glad to hear it. Anna, I don’t think I tell you enough how proud I am of you. You worked so hard in high school to achieve your dreams. You got good grades and never caused your mom much trouble. Most kids being raised by a single parent working all the time aren’t as self-motivated as you.”
“I just don’t want to have the same life as my mom. She works hard at two different jobs and barely makes enough money to pay the bills. Let alone my college. Thankfully Grandma helps out. I’m thankful I have such a supportive family.”
“We love you Anna. You are not a mistake or an accident but a blessing. Yes, we all would have hoped your mom would have been older when she had you. But the circumstances turned out amazing. Her actions, even though irresponsible, gave us you. And we are thankful that everything turned out. Sometimes it doesn’t. Some kids with young single parents do not get the attention they need. They may live in poverty or abusive homes. Or maybe those kids just become trouble makers. I am so glad you are not like that.”
“Here is your calamari. Are you ready to order?” The waitress would say, placing the plate in the middle of our table.
“Yes, we will have two pesto lasagnas.” She said and winked at me.
“You remembered my favorite. I haven’t been here in so long.”
“I would never forget anything about my niece. We talk almost every week.”
“Aunt Jessica, I love you and want to thank you for everything you have done for me. I feel like I could tell you anything.”
“Anna, I will love you no matter what. I will support you in any decision you make. Are you still thinking about changing your major?”
“No, …”
“Good, I think you would make a great History Teacher.”
“Umm…Aunt Jessica. Can I tell you something? “
“Sure anything.”
“Just promise not to speak until I am finished, okay?”
“Anna, you are starting to scare me. What happened?”
“Just promise, okay?”
“Alright, I promise.”
“Aunt Jessica…I….well….there was this guy I meet at this party. He was really cute and…”
“You have a boyfriend! How great! What is his name? I would love to meet him next time I visit you.”
“You promised you wouldn’t speak until I finished.”
“Oh, I am sorry my darling. Go ahead.”
“I am just going to go out right and stay it. Aunt Jessica, I’m pregnant.”
“Ladies and gentleman, we are beginning initial decent into Camilla International Airport. We should hit the ground in about 20 minutes. Please prepare for landing.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Waiting Room
Here is a short story I wrote for my fiction writing class:
Kelsey walked into her camp cabin, water dripping from her tangled blonde hair. She pulled out her hair tie and dropped her pink and white stripped towel on the cracked wooden floors.
“Your dive is getting better, Kelsey,” her friend Jessica told her while taking off her swim shoes.
Kelsey blushed and turned to look at Jessica. “It is all because you’ve been helping me the past week.”
“That’s what friends are for,” Jessica grabbed a hairbrush and started to comb through her hair. “I’m getting hungry; wanna grab a Popsicle or something in the mess hall?”
“Sure, just let me get into drier clothes. I hope they have grape today. It’s my favorite and they haven’t had it in a few days.”
“Maybe Ryan will be handing them out. He is cutest boy at camp. Maybe he will even ask me to the dance at the end of camp.”
“He probably will, I catch him checking you out at the pool sometimes. Besides you’re great at talking to boys. I usually say something stupid or start to stutter. Last year at school, I tripped or ran into something every time a cute guy even looked at me.” Kelsey pulled out a pair of jeans, placed them on the bed and began rummaging through her duffle for a t-shirt.
Knock, Knock. “Come in,” the two girls said in unison. The camp director walked in the door, looking the whole time at the floor. She was tall and her wavy brown hair was hanging down to her shoulders.
“Excuse me, but is Kelsey Kelly here?” She straightened her glasses and finally looked up at the girls.
“I’m right here. What’s up?”
“Come with me, we need to talk to you in the office right away,” She turned and left the cabin.
“I’ll meet you in about twenty minutes in front of the mess hall.” Kelsey put on some slippers and followed the camp director outside.
“I believe I have some bad news,” the camp director finally spoke. “Your mother was in a car accident. She will be fine, but I’ll take you to the hospital right away.”
Kelsey’s world started to spin, she felt sick to her stomach. Would her mom be okay? She tried to ask the camp director for more information. But the worlds would not come out of her mouth? Does she just have a couple broken bones or is it more serious than that? What if she dies? When she was finally able to open her mouth, the only thing that came out was vomit.
Kelsey followed the camp director to the car and buckled up still in her swimsuit. No one spoke a word the entire ride. When the car finally stopped in front of the hospital, Kelsey ran out without even thanking the camp director and spirited towards the receptionist.
“Need. To see. Mom.” Kelsey said in between sobs.
“Name?” A cranky old lady who manned the desk asked.
“Umm…Ms. Kelly. Cadence Kelly.” Kelsey shuttered.
“She is about to go into operation. You can sit in one of those of chairs there.” She said pointing to the perimeter of chairs surrounding the plain white room in front of her. The walls were white and had no decorations. Not even a poster to lighten the mood, like the ones that used to line her pedestrian office. “It should only take two hours.”
She took a seat in the waiting room and grabbed a magazine to help pass the time. But the words became so blurry that she couldn’t comprehend what they said. She placed the magazine back on the table and looked around the room. Everyone there had someone to talk to. Everyone had a hand to hold. Everyone, that is, except her. What if my mom doesn’t make it? She is all I have. My life would be completely ruined without her; we’ve had so many great times together, Kelsey thought.
Kelsey had come home from school after the last day of class before winter break. Her mom was sitting in the kitchen with bowls of sugary treats, cans of frosting and cardboard boxes. “We’re going to make gingerbread houses!”
“Why?” Kelsey asked while setting down her backpack on a nearby chair.
“Why not, life is too short to not to enjoy it,”
Kelsey had grabbed a piece of cardboard and a couple gummy candies. She placed one in her mouth and started to put together the house.
“How was school, sweetie?”
“Okay, Josh got a haircut. I’m just glad to be off from school for two weeks. Seventh grade is tough”
“Have you talked to Josh yet?”
“No….I can’t. He is way more popular than me. He’d just laugh at me. Besides he has a crush on Lily Lanson and she is way prettier than me,” Kelsey said while painting green frosting on her piece of cardboard.
“Kelsey, who wouldn’t like you? You’re a great girl; you’re smart, pretty and caring. Plus you know how to make people laugh. Promise me you will talk to him when school is back in?
“I…I’m not sure. I’m not good with people. I start to stutter when I’m nervous. Especially when I talk to cute boys.”
“I’ll teach you how to be confident and talk to boys. First you need to make eye contact, it shows that you have confidence and guys tend to like girls with confidence. Second guys like funny girls, so just be yourself.” her mom had said while placing M&Ms on the top of her house.
“Like that one time I accidently called that girl the brightest tool in the shed instead of the sharpest?” Kelsey started to laugh so hard that tears started to roll down her face. Her mom joined in and laugher echoed throughout the whole house.
Kelsey looked around the waiting room, hoping to find the nurse coming in to bring good news. How long have I been waiting here? She thought. Has it been like an hour, two, maybe three. She looked up at the clock onto of the reception desk. Only fifteen minutes passed.
“Why are you here?” A young boy asked sitting in the chair next to her.
“My…my…my mom...was …was in a ccccaaar accident.” It was the first time she said it out loud and the words rang loudly in her mind and bounced back and forth in her head as a tear moved slowly down her check. “How…how..aaabb… about you?” She asked looking down at the ground.
“My brother was also in a car accident.” Kelsey looked at him. He had gorgeous blue eyes and a curly brown hair.
“I…I hooope yourrrr brother is ooookay.”
He’ll be fine. Or at least I hope, we are supposed to go camping together next week. Are you close with your mom?”
“Yeah, she…she and I do everything together. She’s very impulsive.”
“Oh, really?” Jake asked looking into Kelsey’s brown eyes.
“Yeah, this one time she shook me awake at 6am and told me she had a surprise for me. At first, I just rolled my eyes and flipped over to the other side of the bed. I didn’t have to be up for school for another two hours and I wanted some more beauty rest. But she wouldn’t let me sleep, she just kept shaking me. I got so annoyed that I finally sat up and asked her what the surprise was. But she wouldn’t answer me. She just said to get into the car. So I got up, pulled up a pair of jeans, zipped up a hoody and stumbled downstairs. It was completely quiet in the car, the only sound that could be heard were the few cars passing by us on the highway. I had been so tired that I couldn’t even keep my eyes open. I started to wonder where we were going and if I would make it back in time for school. Just as I had peered my eyes open, I had noticed that we were exiting off the freeway. We were taking the exit to Disneyland. Better than school, huh? My mom said while smiling at me.”
Kelsey started to cry and the young boy handed her a tissue. “I’m Jake, by the way,” he said placing his hand out in front.
“Kelsey,” she said shaking his hand.
“Wow, your mom seems really cool. I wish my parents would do stuff like that for me. The only surprise my Dad has given me was extra yard work and chores.”
“She’s great. Are you close with your brother?”
“Yeah, he is my best friend. We do everything together. I hope I can spend more time with him before he leaves for college. I’m going to miss hanging out with him.”
She reached out and started to rub his arm to comfort him. “Wow, do you work out,” she muttered. Jake chuckled and looked at her.
“Yeah I play baseball at school. My brother actually taught me. He would spend hours after school pitching so I could practice hitting. I’m thinking about trying out for the high school team next year. I’ll only be a freshman, but I guess it’s good to start early. My brother started as a freshman and he ended up getting a scholarship to play in college. Do you play any sports?”
“No. I’m not coordinated at all. I tried soccer but I tripped over the ball. I even tried tennis and I ended up hitting myself with the racket. I didn’t even know that was possible.” Kelsey pushed back her hair and smiled sheepishly.
Jake laughed and just looked at Kelsey. “Well by the looks of it, you are a swimmer. Do you like swimming?”
“Oh, my friend was just teaching me how to dive when I heard about the accident. I didn’t have time to change.”
“I was cleaning my room. My dad is out of town on business and very particular about what the house looks when he gets back. He starts yelling at me if it isn’t spotless. What is your dad like?”
“I…I..I’ve never met …met my father. He left when he heard my…my mom was pregnant. She had me her freshman year in college. “
“Sorry to hear that.”
“Don’t be. I like….I like… that it was just the two of us.”
Her mom was dressed in her short black mini dress, hair perfected curled and makeup designed to highlight her natural beauty. She came up to kiss her daughter goodbye when she noticed tears rolling down her face. “What is wrong sweet pea?” she had asked.
“Nothing.” Kelsey responded.
“It is obviously something or you wouldn’t be crying.”
“Well, Chrissie didn’t invite me to her birthday party. And she told the whole school that I was loser because I don’t have the new cool hair style or wear makeup. Then the whole school laughed at me. I had to sit alone at lunch today.”
“I am sorry sweetie,” her mom said while taking off one of her earrings. “You used to be best friends with this girl in elementary school and how does she repay for all those sleepovers and for all that time she spent at our house, by making fun of you? That is totally not right. You know what? I think we should go to La Fontana tonight for dinner and watch Willy Wondka and the Chocolate Factory while eating ice cream.”
“But what about your night out with your friends?”
“You are more important right now.”
“Do you two know each other?” The nurse asked interrupting Kelsey’s daydream.
“We just met.” Jake responded with a confused look on his face. “Why do you ask?”
“Well Mr. Jackson, your brother was in the same accident as Ms. Kelly’s mom.”
The two just stared at each other in silence for some time.
“Well, both of the operations just finished.” The nurse finally spoke, breaking the silence. “We are just moving them to their rooms. We will bring you back in about twenty minutes.”
“What a small world,” Jake finally spoke reaching towards Kelsey’s hand. Kelsey quickly moved her hand away and drug through her bag.
“Gum?” She asked handing Jake a stick.
“Sure, thanks.” He said reaching for the stick of peppermint gum. For a moment both glared into each other’s eyes as each of their hands was on the same wrapper. Finally Kelsey let go and grabbed her own piece of gum.
“Ms. Kelly, you can come back now.” The nurse called from the door.
“Is my Mom okay?” she asked in between heavy breathes.
“Follow me,” The nurse beckoned for Kelsey to walk towards her.
“You didn’t answer my question,” Kelsey leaped towards the nurse without looking back at Jake. She followed the nurse through the maze of the hospital. She plugged her nose the moment she walked through the door, it smelled as if someone had dropped multiple large buckets of hand sanitizer and Clorox. The pale white walls that surrounded the waiting the room also dominated the inside. Everything around her was moving in slow motion. She passed by room after room, sick patient after sick patient. She saw bloody victims laying on beds being rushed off to operating rooms. She saw doctors yelling orders at each other and nurses writing down notes in their notebooks.
“Your mom is fine, Ms. Kelly.” The nurse said while opening the door. Kelsey pushed the nurse out of the way and ran towards her mom. She had IVs in both arms and her short auburn hair was uncombed. Even though her mascara was running down her face, she was still beautiful in Kelsey’s mind. Tears began to fall down Kelsey’s face as she gave her mom the hugest hug imaginable
“I’m so glad you’re alright.” Kelsey said lying next to her mom in the hospital bed.
Kelsey left her Mom’s room a few hours later to let her get some sleep. As she opened the door, she immediately remembered Jake. I hope his brother is okay, she thought. She started to walk through the hospital once again to look for him. A few minutes later, she saw Jake walking out of one of the rooms.
“Hey Jake, I was hoping to catch you before you left,” Kelsey ran towards him, “I really enjoyed talking to you…and…well…how is your brother?”
“He’s great, just resting. How about your mom?”
“Same, she’s tired from the operation so she is just taking a nap now.”
“Good. Well, thanks for helping the time fly by. Maybe we can see other again soon.” Jake said reaching out his arms to hug to her.
Kelsey also reached out her arms and the two hugged for a few moments. “I’d like that.” Kelsey responded
Kelsey walked into her camp cabin, water dripping from her tangled blonde hair. She pulled out her hair tie and dropped her pink and white stripped towel on the cracked wooden floors.
“Your dive is getting better, Kelsey,” her friend Jessica told her while taking off her swim shoes.
Kelsey blushed and turned to look at Jessica. “It is all because you’ve been helping me the past week.”
“That’s what friends are for,” Jessica grabbed a hairbrush and started to comb through her hair. “I’m getting hungry; wanna grab a Popsicle or something in the mess hall?”
“Sure, just let me get into drier clothes. I hope they have grape today. It’s my favorite and they haven’t had it in a few days.”
“Maybe Ryan will be handing them out. He is cutest boy at camp. Maybe he will even ask me to the dance at the end of camp.”
“He probably will, I catch him checking you out at the pool sometimes. Besides you’re great at talking to boys. I usually say something stupid or start to stutter. Last year at school, I tripped or ran into something every time a cute guy even looked at me.” Kelsey pulled out a pair of jeans, placed them on the bed and began rummaging through her duffle for a t-shirt.
Knock, Knock. “Come in,” the two girls said in unison. The camp director walked in the door, looking the whole time at the floor. She was tall and her wavy brown hair was hanging down to her shoulders.
“Excuse me, but is Kelsey Kelly here?” She straightened her glasses and finally looked up at the girls.
“I’m right here. What’s up?”
“Come with me, we need to talk to you in the office right away,” She turned and left the cabin.
“I’ll meet you in about twenty minutes in front of the mess hall.” Kelsey put on some slippers and followed the camp director outside.
“I believe I have some bad news,” the camp director finally spoke. “Your mother was in a car accident. She will be fine, but I’ll take you to the hospital right away.”
Kelsey’s world started to spin, she felt sick to her stomach. Would her mom be okay? She tried to ask the camp director for more information. But the worlds would not come out of her mouth? Does she just have a couple broken bones or is it more serious than that? What if she dies? When she was finally able to open her mouth, the only thing that came out was vomit.
Kelsey followed the camp director to the car and buckled up still in her swimsuit. No one spoke a word the entire ride. When the car finally stopped in front of the hospital, Kelsey ran out without even thanking the camp director and spirited towards the receptionist.
“Need. To see. Mom.” Kelsey said in between sobs.
“Name?” A cranky old lady who manned the desk asked.
“Umm…Ms. Kelly. Cadence Kelly.” Kelsey shuttered.
“She is about to go into operation. You can sit in one of those of chairs there.” She said pointing to the perimeter of chairs surrounding the plain white room in front of her. The walls were white and had no decorations. Not even a poster to lighten the mood, like the ones that used to line her pedestrian office. “It should only take two hours.”
She took a seat in the waiting room and grabbed a magazine to help pass the time. But the words became so blurry that she couldn’t comprehend what they said. She placed the magazine back on the table and looked around the room. Everyone there had someone to talk to. Everyone had a hand to hold. Everyone, that is, except her. What if my mom doesn’t make it? She is all I have. My life would be completely ruined without her; we’ve had so many great times together, Kelsey thought.
Kelsey had come home from school after the last day of class before winter break. Her mom was sitting in the kitchen with bowls of sugary treats, cans of frosting and cardboard boxes. “We’re going to make gingerbread houses!”
“Why?” Kelsey asked while setting down her backpack on a nearby chair.
“Why not, life is too short to not to enjoy it,”
Kelsey had grabbed a piece of cardboard and a couple gummy candies. She placed one in her mouth and started to put together the house.
“How was school, sweetie?”
“Okay, Josh got a haircut. I’m just glad to be off from school for two weeks. Seventh grade is tough”
“Have you talked to Josh yet?”
“No….I can’t. He is way more popular than me. He’d just laugh at me. Besides he has a crush on Lily Lanson and she is way prettier than me,” Kelsey said while painting green frosting on her piece of cardboard.
“Kelsey, who wouldn’t like you? You’re a great girl; you’re smart, pretty and caring. Plus you know how to make people laugh. Promise me you will talk to him when school is back in?
“I…I’m not sure. I’m not good with people. I start to stutter when I’m nervous. Especially when I talk to cute boys.”
“I’ll teach you how to be confident and talk to boys. First you need to make eye contact, it shows that you have confidence and guys tend to like girls with confidence. Second guys like funny girls, so just be yourself.” her mom had said while placing M&Ms on the top of her house.
“Like that one time I accidently called that girl the brightest tool in the shed instead of the sharpest?” Kelsey started to laugh so hard that tears started to roll down her face. Her mom joined in and laugher echoed throughout the whole house.
Kelsey looked around the waiting room, hoping to find the nurse coming in to bring good news. How long have I been waiting here? She thought. Has it been like an hour, two, maybe three. She looked up at the clock onto of the reception desk. Only fifteen minutes passed.
“Why are you here?” A young boy asked sitting in the chair next to her.
“My…my…my mom...was …was in a ccccaaar accident.” It was the first time she said it out loud and the words rang loudly in her mind and bounced back and forth in her head as a tear moved slowly down her check. “How…how..aaabb… about you?” She asked looking down at the ground.
“My brother was also in a car accident.” Kelsey looked at him. He had gorgeous blue eyes and a curly brown hair.
“I…I hooope yourrrr brother is ooookay.”
He’ll be fine. Or at least I hope, we are supposed to go camping together next week. Are you close with your mom?”
“Yeah, she…she and I do everything together. She’s very impulsive.”
“Oh, really?” Jake asked looking into Kelsey’s brown eyes.
“Yeah, this one time she shook me awake at 6am and told me she had a surprise for me. At first, I just rolled my eyes and flipped over to the other side of the bed. I didn’t have to be up for school for another two hours and I wanted some more beauty rest. But she wouldn’t let me sleep, she just kept shaking me. I got so annoyed that I finally sat up and asked her what the surprise was. But she wouldn’t answer me. She just said to get into the car. So I got up, pulled up a pair of jeans, zipped up a hoody and stumbled downstairs. It was completely quiet in the car, the only sound that could be heard were the few cars passing by us on the highway. I had been so tired that I couldn’t even keep my eyes open. I started to wonder where we were going and if I would make it back in time for school. Just as I had peered my eyes open, I had noticed that we were exiting off the freeway. We were taking the exit to Disneyland. Better than school, huh? My mom said while smiling at me.”
Kelsey started to cry and the young boy handed her a tissue. “I’m Jake, by the way,” he said placing his hand out in front.
“Kelsey,” she said shaking his hand.
“Wow, your mom seems really cool. I wish my parents would do stuff like that for me. The only surprise my Dad has given me was extra yard work and chores.”
“She’s great. Are you close with your brother?”
“Yeah, he is my best friend. We do everything together. I hope I can spend more time with him before he leaves for college. I’m going to miss hanging out with him.”
She reached out and started to rub his arm to comfort him. “Wow, do you work out,” she muttered. Jake chuckled and looked at her.
“Yeah I play baseball at school. My brother actually taught me. He would spend hours after school pitching so I could practice hitting. I’m thinking about trying out for the high school team next year. I’ll only be a freshman, but I guess it’s good to start early. My brother started as a freshman and he ended up getting a scholarship to play in college. Do you play any sports?”
“No. I’m not coordinated at all. I tried soccer but I tripped over the ball. I even tried tennis and I ended up hitting myself with the racket. I didn’t even know that was possible.” Kelsey pushed back her hair and smiled sheepishly.
Jake laughed and just looked at Kelsey. “Well by the looks of it, you are a swimmer. Do you like swimming?”
“Oh, my friend was just teaching me how to dive when I heard about the accident. I didn’t have time to change.”
“I was cleaning my room. My dad is out of town on business and very particular about what the house looks when he gets back. He starts yelling at me if it isn’t spotless. What is your dad like?”
“I…I..I’ve never met …met my father. He left when he heard my…my mom was pregnant. She had me her freshman year in college. “
“Sorry to hear that.”
“Don’t be. I like….I like… that it was just the two of us.”
Her mom was dressed in her short black mini dress, hair perfected curled and makeup designed to highlight her natural beauty. She came up to kiss her daughter goodbye when she noticed tears rolling down her face. “What is wrong sweet pea?” she had asked.
“Nothing.” Kelsey responded.
“It is obviously something or you wouldn’t be crying.”
“Well, Chrissie didn’t invite me to her birthday party. And she told the whole school that I was loser because I don’t have the new cool hair style or wear makeup. Then the whole school laughed at me. I had to sit alone at lunch today.”
“I am sorry sweetie,” her mom said while taking off one of her earrings. “You used to be best friends with this girl in elementary school and how does she repay for all those sleepovers and for all that time she spent at our house, by making fun of you? That is totally not right. You know what? I think we should go to La Fontana tonight for dinner and watch Willy Wondka and the Chocolate Factory while eating ice cream.”
“But what about your night out with your friends?”
“You are more important right now.”
“Do you two know each other?” The nurse asked interrupting Kelsey’s daydream.
“We just met.” Jake responded with a confused look on his face. “Why do you ask?”
“Well Mr. Jackson, your brother was in the same accident as Ms. Kelly’s mom.”
The two just stared at each other in silence for some time.
“Well, both of the operations just finished.” The nurse finally spoke, breaking the silence. “We are just moving them to their rooms. We will bring you back in about twenty minutes.”
“What a small world,” Jake finally spoke reaching towards Kelsey’s hand. Kelsey quickly moved her hand away and drug through her bag.
“Gum?” She asked handing Jake a stick.
“Sure, thanks.” He said reaching for the stick of peppermint gum. For a moment both glared into each other’s eyes as each of their hands was on the same wrapper. Finally Kelsey let go and grabbed her own piece of gum.
“Ms. Kelly, you can come back now.” The nurse called from the door.
“Is my Mom okay?” she asked in between heavy breathes.
“Follow me,” The nurse beckoned for Kelsey to walk towards her.
“You didn’t answer my question,” Kelsey leaped towards the nurse without looking back at Jake. She followed the nurse through the maze of the hospital. She plugged her nose the moment she walked through the door, it smelled as if someone had dropped multiple large buckets of hand sanitizer and Clorox. The pale white walls that surrounded the waiting the room also dominated the inside. Everything around her was moving in slow motion. She passed by room after room, sick patient after sick patient. She saw bloody victims laying on beds being rushed off to operating rooms. She saw doctors yelling orders at each other and nurses writing down notes in their notebooks.
“Your mom is fine, Ms. Kelly.” The nurse said while opening the door. Kelsey pushed the nurse out of the way and ran towards her mom. She had IVs in both arms and her short auburn hair was uncombed. Even though her mascara was running down her face, she was still beautiful in Kelsey’s mind. Tears began to fall down Kelsey’s face as she gave her mom the hugest hug imaginable
“I’m so glad you’re alright.” Kelsey said lying next to her mom in the hospital bed.
Kelsey left her Mom’s room a few hours later to let her get some sleep. As she opened the door, she immediately remembered Jake. I hope his brother is okay, she thought. She started to walk through the hospital once again to look for him. A few minutes later, she saw Jake walking out of one of the rooms.
“Hey Jake, I was hoping to catch you before you left,” Kelsey ran towards him, “I really enjoyed talking to you…and…well…how is your brother?”
“He’s great, just resting. How about your mom?”
“Same, she’s tired from the operation so she is just taking a nap now.”
“Good. Well, thanks for helping the time fly by. Maybe we can see other again soon.” Jake said reaching out his arms to hug to her.
Kelsey also reached out her arms and the two hugged for a few moments. “I’d like that.” Kelsey responded
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Procrastination
As my finals week is coming to a close, the only thing I have left to finish is my writing portfolio for my fiction writing class. However, I keep finding ways to procrastinate. The bad thing about writing is that I’m on my laptop and only one click away from the internet. And once I go on the internet, it is hard to go back. I go on Facebook and look at old pictures of my time in Italy, then research airplane tickets for the off change that I will go back to Italy soon. And then somehow I end up looking up restaurants and clubs in Vegas, which is where I will be spending part of my spring break. The internet is a dangerous place when you have tons of work to do. Web searches lead to more links much then again leads to different links. Pretty soon, several hours had passed and I have only written a few sentences. I spent the whole time looking up random stuff on the web. Damn you internet for distracting me!!
Now that that rant is over, I will try to get back to writing.
Now that that rant is over, I will try to get back to writing.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Random Disney Facts
Since I am very knowledgeable about Disneyland, I like to share some interesting facts about the park.
1.) Openning day in 1955 was a disaster. The pavement was still wet and temperature was over 100 degrees. The water fountations weren't working and several rides shut down to maintence problems. Some thought that the park wouldn't make it and close after only one year.
2.) There is no gum sold in the park because Walt Disney did not want gum to be spit on the ground in the park
3.) The bricks on the castle get smaller as they get higher to make the castle look taller
4.) Each land has a different style trash can
5.) Matterhorn has a half sized basketball court and mini pool inside
6.) Walt Disney used in live in the Mainstreet Firehouse. The light is left on today in his remembrance
7.) The Snow White and Seven Dwarfs statues by the wishing well are the same height. Walt just put Snow White higher on the hill to make her look taller.
8.) There are several hidden mickeys located in the rides and other attractions around the resort. You can purchase a Hidden Mickey Book for clues where the mickeys are hidden.
9.) Tomorrowland is set to represent the future as the perceived it would look like in 1986, the year of Hailey's Comet.
10.) Club 33 is a private club above Blue Bayou Restaurant in New Orleans Square. It takes years on the waiting list to get in the club and it is the only place that serves alcohol in the park.
11.) Once inside the park, you can not see the outside world. You are away from the stresses of life.
1.) Openning day in 1955 was a disaster. The pavement was still wet and temperature was over 100 degrees. The water fountations weren't working and several rides shut down to maintence problems. Some thought that the park wouldn't make it and close after only one year.
2.) There is no gum sold in the park because Walt Disney did not want gum to be spit on the ground in the park
3.) The bricks on the castle get smaller as they get higher to make the castle look taller
4.) Each land has a different style trash can
5.) Matterhorn has a half sized basketball court and mini pool inside
6.) Walt Disney used in live in the Mainstreet Firehouse. The light is left on today in his remembrance
7.) The Snow White and Seven Dwarfs statues by the wishing well are the same height. Walt just put Snow White higher on the hill to make her look taller.
8.) There are several hidden mickeys located in the rides and other attractions around the resort. You can purchase a Hidden Mickey Book for clues where the mickeys are hidden.
9.) Tomorrowland is set to represent the future as the perceived it would look like in 1986, the year of Hailey's Comet.
10.) Club 33 is a private club above Blue Bayou Restaurant in New Orleans Square. It takes years on the waiting list to get in the club and it is the only place that serves alcohol in the park.
11.) Once inside the park, you can not see the outside world. You are away from the stresses of life.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Californiaisms
This past weekend I was driving with my friends to the beach and realized that being the only person from California, I have many sayings deemed as Californiaisms. For example, I put the word “the” in front of highways and freeways. For example of instead of saying, take 101, I say take THE 101. I am constantly made fun of for that by my friends.
I also recently talked to my family about this. My sister and mom agreed that they tend to put “the” in front of highways and freeways; however, my dad does not do this. But he grew up in Pennsylvania, which further emphases my point that saying THE 5 or THE 101 is definitely a California thing.
Another Californiaism is complaining about the weather. Californians want perfectly sunny weather all the time. Even when it starts to rain the slightest, many California natives freak out. Just last night I looked up the weather for the week and saw that we supposed to get to rain all week. After saying the weather looked depressing, my friends just laughed at me. They told me that we need rain and that rain really isn’t that bad. I know we need rain, I just don’t like it. It gets in the way of my tanning time and makes walking to class so much more difficult.
California is the best state and I plan on living here for the rest of my life. So my friends pretty get used to my Californiaisms because I will never change my habits.
I also recently talked to my family about this. My sister and mom agreed that they tend to put “the” in front of highways and freeways; however, my dad does not do this. But he grew up in Pennsylvania, which further emphases my point that saying THE 5 or THE 101 is definitely a California thing.
Another Californiaism is complaining about the weather. Californians want perfectly sunny weather all the time. Even when it starts to rain the slightest, many California natives freak out. Just last night I looked up the weather for the week and saw that we supposed to get to rain all week. After saying the weather looked depressing, my friends just laughed at me. They told me that we need rain and that rain really isn’t that bad. I know we need rain, I just don’t like it. It gets in the way of my tanning time and makes walking to class so much more difficult.
California is the best state and I plan on living here for the rest of my life. So my friends pretty get used to my Californiaisms because I will never change my habits.
Missing Florence
Margarita Pizza from Naples and rigatoni with eggplant
This past week I have been thinking a lot about Florence. I had a dream where I was eating Italian food last week and I woke up missing Italy. I was completely spoiled by the cuisine and atmosphere abroad and I deeply want to return soon.
First of all, the food and wine in Italy is simply delicious. Here in the states, it is almost impossible to find Italian food as good as it was in Italy. Seriously, the pizza here isn’t real pizza. In Italy, the crust on the pizza is thin, almost cracker like. Here the crust is so big and fatty that I am full after a piece or two. But since the crust was so thin in Italy, I could eat a lot more of the pizza. The thin crust also helped the other flavors become more dominant tasting. My taste buds could focus on the cheese, tomato sauce, sausage, vegetables etc.; instead of the tasteless crust. My favorite pizza was probably eggplant pizza or potato pizza. My host mom would make pizza with potatoes on it sometimes and it was simply divine. Just thinking about it makes me hungry.
The pasta was also amazing. The ingredients were also super fresh and they did not use much cheese or sauce. They also used the perfect combination, not too much and not too little. Dinner time was one of my favorite times while I was abroad.
The wine was also amazing. During my semester In Italy, I was blessed with the opportunity to wine taste in Chianti three times and wine taste once in an old cellar in Florence. The wine tastings were fabulous, each of the wineries was very knowledgeable about their wines and how they are produced. They would also give you a generous taste. By the end of my tasting experiences, I usually had finished about 4 or 5 glasses of wine. Wine is also so much cheaper in Italy. You could get a decedent bottle for about 3 euro. Here in the United States, if you spend $5 dollar on a bottle of wine, it usually doesn’t taste very good. I wish I can have the cheap wine I found while abroad. The wine here is breaking my budget. I have come so accustomed to good wine in Italy that is hard to go back to the not so tasty cheap wine.
Studying abroad in Florence was the best experience of my life. I loved the food, the wine, the people and the chance to see new things. Back home, I see the same thing again and again, day after day. I miss the adventure of traveling to new European cities or seeing new works of art in museums. Well, as I sit reflecting on my time abroad, I plan ways in my head to return again soon. Due to money and time, it seems as if it might be awhile before I return, but I will one go back to Italy. It Is my dream.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
FINALS
From
http://shailen.tumblr.com/post/2467947036/stupidcreations-finals-fuck-i-never-actually
This is basically what I am feeling right now.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Group Projects
Group projects suck. They are super stressful and unnecessary. One of my professors has claimed that group projects will help us learn to work with people in the future. I believe that that isn’t true. When we get out in the work force, we won’t be working with others on projects very much and when we do we will actually have time to get together.
One thing I hate about group projects is that it is hard to find a time to get together and work. With everyone’s busy schedules in college, finding a time where everyone in the group is free to meet is almost impossible. Therefore sometimes, the group decides to spilt up the assignment and email one person the designated parts to put the whole thing together. This leads to my second compliant about group projects: there is always someone who doesn’t do their part and someone who has to do the whole thing. Sometimes people send inadequate work to the person who has volunteered to put it together and that person has to spend time redoing it. It is just not fair.
I also hate when every member in the group gets the same grade, when not every member did the same amount of work. It is not fair when someone who spends virtually no time working on the project and someone who spent hours perfecting the project both gets A’s.
I have been screwed over far too many times during group projects. I have had a group not send me their information so I had to quickly do their part one hour before the assignment was due. I have had a partner forget to save the work she did while I was in class and thus had to redo her part. I have had a partner return the camera back to media services before saving the content to the computer and thus had to track down the camera we used. I have had people cancel meetings on me because they were too hung over to work. I am the type of person who likes to plan and get things done, so when someone else messes with that, I get a little pissed off.
I hate group projects and I hope I never have to do one again. And if I ever become a teacher, I will never assign a group project to my students.
One thing I hate about group projects is that it is hard to find a time to get together and work. With everyone’s busy schedules in college, finding a time where everyone in the group is free to meet is almost impossible. Therefore sometimes, the group decides to spilt up the assignment and email one person the designated parts to put the whole thing together. This leads to my second compliant about group projects: there is always someone who doesn’t do their part and someone who has to do the whole thing. Sometimes people send inadequate work to the person who has volunteered to put it together and that person has to spend time redoing it. It is just not fair.
I also hate when every member in the group gets the same grade, when not every member did the same amount of work. It is not fair when someone who spends virtually no time working on the project and someone who spent hours perfecting the project both gets A’s.
I have been screwed over far too many times during group projects. I have had a group not send me their information so I had to quickly do their part one hour before the assignment was due. I have had a partner forget to save the work she did while I was in class and thus had to redo her part. I have had a partner return the camera back to media services before saving the content to the computer and thus had to track down the camera we used. I have had people cancel meetings on me because they were too hung over to work. I am the type of person who likes to plan and get things done, so when someone else messes with that, I get a little pissed off.
I hate group projects and I hope I never have to do one again. And if I ever become a teacher, I will never assign a group project to my students.
Monday, March 5, 2012
World of Color
I wish I was at Disneyland right now. With finals just around the corner, I need a stress free environment to clear my mind before I start to tackle the projects, papers and study guides. Perhaps one of my favorite parts of the Disneyland experience is the World of Color Show, which runs nightly at California Adventures Park.
The World of Color is a water and light show that opened in June 2010. In the little under two years that the show has been running, I have probably seen it seven times.
The show involves 1,200 fountains of several different colors, water spouting up to 200 feet into the sky, fire, clips of Disney movies projected on the mist screens and good ol’ Disney Music. What more can you ask for?
The entire show runs about 25 minutes and cost about $75,000,000 to design, manufacture and build. However, there is no additional fee for park guests to watch the show. All they need is a park ticket and a fast pass(which they can pick up in the beginning of the day). The fast pass will have a designated meeting time and place on it. When the time comes to start lining for the show, one must go to the location on their fast pass.
The show is truly magically and amazing. Even though I have seen the show many times, I look forward to watching it again and again. I am amazed by the effects and love to dance around to the music. It also makes me happy because it truly is “A Wonderful World of Color”
The World of Color is a water and light show that opened in June 2010. In the little under two years that the show has been running, I have probably seen it seven times.
The show involves 1,200 fountains of several different colors, water spouting up to 200 feet into the sky, fire, clips of Disney movies projected on the mist screens and good ol’ Disney Music. What more can you ask for?
The entire show runs about 25 minutes and cost about $75,000,000 to design, manufacture and build. However, there is no additional fee for park guests to watch the show. All they need is a park ticket and a fast pass(which they can pick up in the beginning of the day). The fast pass will have a designated meeting time and place on it. When the time comes to start lining for the show, one must go to the location on their fast pass.
The show is truly magically and amazing. Even though I have seen the show many times, I look forward to watching it again and again. I am amazed by the effects and love to dance around to the music. It also makes me happy because it truly is “A Wonderful World of Color”
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Have you ever wished you were beautiful? How many times have you wished you looked differently? Have you even compared your body or appearance to others? Do you ever look down yourself or question your abilities?
This evening I went to a screening of a film called Miss Representation. It was a film by Jennifer Siebel Newsom that explored the issues of women being misrepresented in the media and how that has caused an underrepresentation of women in positions of power and influence. It has a great message for women and men about how women are represented in the media and should be seen by everyone. It talked about how women are objectified in the media and are usually represented in a sexual manner. It is not their power that gives them attention, but their bodies. Being a communications major and a women, this information really hit home. This is the kind of stuff I study in most of my communication classes and is an issue I am passionate about. I have struggled with body image issues in the past because of the images I have seen in media. Magazines are constantly displaying unrealistic and airbrushed models. Television programs and movies are constantly hiring skinny women as the female leads. This is sending a message to young girls everywhere that the ideal body is being skinny. Women are also often shown as dumber and weaker than men in the media. This is telling women that they should not be smarter or stronger than men and that man should have control over them. It is also sending a message to men that women should be skinny and that they have the right to control them.
Not only is the message something that everyone should be aware of, but it also made me think more about my own life. It made me think about the little girl I babysit. I do not want her growing up in a world where she doesn’t think she is beautiful enough, smart enough or skinny enough. I don’t want her to compare herself to the women that are in the media, because those are unrealistic representations of what women are really like in society. And I don’t want my little brother growing up in a world where he thinks he has control over women. I want him to treat women as equals and believe that they can have jobs that are stereotypical viewed as “male jobs.” Women can do anything they want if they set their mind to it. Women can be powerful, they can be smart and they can make a difference. Someone just needs to stand up and make a change.
This evening I went to a screening of a film called Miss Representation. It was a film by Jennifer Siebel Newsom that explored the issues of women being misrepresented in the media and how that has caused an underrepresentation of women in positions of power and influence. It has a great message for women and men about how women are represented in the media and should be seen by everyone. It talked about how women are objectified in the media and are usually represented in a sexual manner. It is not their power that gives them attention, but their bodies. Being a communications major and a women, this information really hit home. This is the kind of stuff I study in most of my communication classes and is an issue I am passionate about. I have struggled with body image issues in the past because of the images I have seen in media. Magazines are constantly displaying unrealistic and airbrushed models. Television programs and movies are constantly hiring skinny women as the female leads. This is sending a message to young girls everywhere that the ideal body is being skinny. Women are also often shown as dumber and weaker than men in the media. This is telling women that they should not be smarter or stronger than men and that man should have control over them. It is also sending a message to men that women should be skinny and that they have the right to control them.
Not only is the message something that everyone should be aware of, but it also made me think more about my own life. It made me think about the little girl I babysit. I do not want her growing up in a world where she doesn’t think she is beautiful enough, smart enough or skinny enough. I don’t want her to compare herself to the women that are in the media, because those are unrealistic representations of what women are really like in society. And I don’t want my little brother growing up in a world where he thinks he has control over women. I want him to treat women as equals and believe that they can have jobs that are stereotypical viewed as “male jobs.” Women can do anything they want if they set their mind to it. Women can be powerful, they can be smart and they can make a difference. Someone just needs to stand up and make a change.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Girl Scout Cookies
Girl Scout Cookies are basically the most amazing thing in the whole world. I was a Girl Scout for about four years and my favorite part was the cookies. It was actually basically the only reason why I stayed with the program for so long.
My favorites are the Thin Mints, followed by the Samonas and Trefoils. I have just ordered some today and can't wait to indulge in these delicous treats. After all, these cookies only come once a year and might as well enjoy the boxes while I can.
Selling cookies as a way to finance Girl Scout Troops began as early as 1917, five years after Girl Scouts came to the United States. The cookie sale was run by Mistletoe Troop in Oklahoma. The troop sold cookies in their high school cafeteria as a service project.
In the 1920s and 1930s, Girl Scouts across the country baked sugar cookies with their mothers and sold them door to door for 25 to 35 cents per dozen(don't you wish these cookies were still this cheap today?)
However, World War II halted the sell of cookies. Since there was a shortage of sugar, flour and butter, the Girl Scouts sold calenders instead.
In 1951, new flavours of cookies were invented, including the Thin Mint(one of my personal favorites)
Today there are 8 different types of cookies sold: Thin mint, Trefoil, Samonas, Do-si-Dos, Tagalongs, Thanks- a -Lot, Shout Outs and Lemonades.
Each Girl Scout Cookie is delicious and they have been warming the hearts of people for ages. And will continue to warm the hearts of others for years to come.
My favorites are the Thin Mints, followed by the Samonas and Trefoils. I have just ordered some today and can't wait to indulge in these delicous treats. After all, these cookies only come once a year and might as well enjoy the boxes while I can.
Selling cookies as a way to finance Girl Scout Troops began as early as 1917, five years after Girl Scouts came to the United States. The cookie sale was run by Mistletoe Troop in Oklahoma. The troop sold cookies in their high school cafeteria as a service project.
In the 1920s and 1930s, Girl Scouts across the country baked sugar cookies with their mothers and sold them door to door for 25 to 35 cents per dozen(don't you wish these cookies were still this cheap today?)
However, World War II halted the sell of cookies. Since there was a shortage of sugar, flour and butter, the Girl Scouts sold calenders instead.
In 1951, new flavours of cookies were invented, including the Thin Mint(one of my personal favorites)
Today there are 8 different types of cookies sold: Thin mint, Trefoil, Samonas, Do-si-Dos, Tagalongs, Thanks- a -Lot, Shout Outs and Lemonades.
Each Girl Scout Cookie is delicious and they have been warming the hearts of people for ages. And will continue to warm the hearts of others for years to come.
Monday, February 27, 2012
The Good Side of Pandora
I love pandora! It is like an online radio station that plays music it thinks you will enjoy. If you type in an artist, song or genre, it plays music similar to what you typed.
This last weekend, I was listening to pandora and discoverd a new music group I really like. I was introduced to Boyce Avenue. They are a great band that plays covers of popular songs. Sometimes the covers are even better than the orginal. Check me out on youtube!
This last weekend, I was listening to pandora and discoverd a new music group I really like. I was introduced to Boyce Avenue. They are a great band that plays covers of popular songs. Sometimes the covers are even better than the orginal. Check me out on youtube!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Quick TIp
Here is a quick Disneyland tip to avoid crazy lines and get in the best 6 or 7 rides in just a few hours. If you stay the night in one of the Disneyland Hotels, you get into the park an hour early on Magical Morning Days( which are usually Sunday, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays). So instead of getting into the park at 8am, you can go in at 7am with a hotel room key. There are not many people there that early and you can pretty much walk onto any ride.
Then around 1pm, when the park starts to get too crowd, take a break in the room. Have some lunch, take a nap, lay by the pool, have a glass of wine or whatever floats your boat. Then after dinner time, go back in the park and ride more rides. By that time the park starts to clear out.
And that is how you do Disneyland the right way!
Then around 1pm, when the park starts to get too crowd, take a break in the room. Have some lunch, take a nap, lay by the pool, have a glass of wine or whatever floats your boat. Then after dinner time, go back in the park and ride more rides. By that time the park starts to clear out.
And that is how you do Disneyland the right way!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Bucket Lists
While talking with my sister this weekend, the subject of Buckets Lists came up. We each have a list of things we want to do before we die. Of course my sister’s list has actual accomplishments, like design a ride for Disney, become a Disney Imaginer, make an app for the iPhone blah blah blah; However mine has a list of random things that does not really accomplish more than a good laugh.
I wanted to try chocolate covered bacon (which I actually did last summer. I went to a brunch with a chocolate fountain and dripped in some bacon. I got a few stares but it was totally worth it, it tasted amazing)
I want to walk into SeaWorld with a fishing pole
Try Bacon Ice Cream
Go to P Sherman Wallaby Way Sydney in Australia ( the address from Finding Nemo)
Play Quittich
Jet Ski
Break a weird in every state
Celebrate Mardi Gra in New Orleans
New Years in Time Square
Lighting of Tree in Rockefeller Center
Watch The Bucket List
And much more
And I would also like to travel to more places in the world, like Amsterdam, Prague, Vienna, Switzerland etc.;
Of course it really doesn’t matter what is on my bucket list, as long as I have a good time doing it. Life is too short to focus all your attention on hard work and your career. Life needs a little laugh and a little excitement. That is why I created a list of things that guarantee a good time and few bits of laughter.
I wanted to try chocolate covered bacon (which I actually did last summer. I went to a brunch with a chocolate fountain and dripped in some bacon. I got a few stares but it was totally worth it, it tasted amazing)
I want to walk into SeaWorld with a fishing pole
Try Bacon Ice Cream
Go to P Sherman Wallaby Way Sydney in Australia ( the address from Finding Nemo)
Play Quittich
Jet Ski
Break a weird in every state
Celebrate Mardi Gra in New Orleans
New Years in Time Square
Lighting of Tree in Rockefeller Center
Watch The Bucket List
And much more
And I would also like to travel to more places in the world, like Amsterdam, Prague, Vienna, Switzerland etc.;
Of course it really doesn’t matter what is on my bucket list, as long as I have a good time doing it. Life is too short to focus all your attention on hard work and your career. Life needs a little laugh and a little excitement. That is why I created a list of things that guarantee a good time and few bits of laughter.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Disneyland
I spent the last weekend in LA visiting my sister. She goes to USC and showed we all around LA, she was my tour guide Barbie. But my favorite part of the whole weekend was something we do quite often.
On Friday we went to our favorite spot pretty much in the whole world. We went to Disneyland! Growing up in Bakersfield, we were just about two hours away from Disneyland and because of this we went almost every year. Eventually my family decided to invest in annual passes. There are various different types of passes, all of which have different block out dates and prices. There is the Premium(which has no block out dates and costs $499), there is Deluxe( which has 50 block out dates and costs $379), there is the Southern California Annual Pass(which is only available to Southern California residents, has 150 block out dates and cost $269) and there is the Southern California Select Pass(which is also only available to Southern California Residents, has 195 block out dates and costs $199). We have the Deluxe Pass and go as often as we can.
There is so much to say about Disneyland; after all it is the Happiest Place on Earth. I have been there dozens of times and every time I go I have a blast. I have been so many times that I can basically navigate the park with my eyes closed. I love the rides, the music, the shows, the food and the feeling that I am away from the stress of life. It is said that once inside the Disneyland Park, you cannot see the outside world. All you see is the park and the magic within. When you are at Disneyland nothing else matters. The outside world doesn’t exist. All you see is the park and the magic within. When you are at Disneyland nothing else matters. You don’t have time to worry about tests, papers, homework, jobs or anything else that may occupy your mind. All you have time to focus on it the moment. That is way I love Disneyland. It is a place where I can escape and be a kid. Kids usually do not have as many worries as typical young adults and I really miss that carefree stage. When I am in the park, I get to travel through time to when I was a child and get to experience being carefree again.
Another reason that I love Disneyland so much is my absolute love for all things Disney. I enjoy watching the classic Disney Movies and even own a few merchandise items. When I was younger, my favorite movie was the Little Mermaid. I watched it so much that I wore out the VHS. My mom would even place me in the front of the TV and play the Little Mermaid over and over again and I would be entertained for hours. I would sing-along with the songs and have my Little Mermaid toys sit next to me so that they can also watch. Disney movies made me happy and they still do today.
The food at Disneyland also makes my experience magical. There are so many different options that I could write an entire different blog just on Disney Dinning alone. However, I will just mention my favorite treat at the Disneyland Resort, their white chocolate chip cookies. I am in love with white chocolate chip cookies to begin with, but add a little magic to every bite and you have yourself an amazing treat. Every time I visit the park, I head over to Pooh’s Corner, a store next to Splash Mountain and buy myself this delicious treat. It tastes so amazing; it is like a miracle in your mouth. I have yet to find a cookie as delicious as the white chocolate chip at Disneyland.
Disneyland is the greatest place on Earth and I can’t wait till my next trip down there.
On Friday we went to our favorite spot pretty much in the whole world. We went to Disneyland! Growing up in Bakersfield, we were just about two hours away from Disneyland and because of this we went almost every year. Eventually my family decided to invest in annual passes. There are various different types of passes, all of which have different block out dates and prices. There is the Premium(which has no block out dates and costs $499), there is Deluxe( which has 50 block out dates and costs $379), there is the Southern California Annual Pass(which is only available to Southern California residents, has 150 block out dates and cost $269) and there is the Southern California Select Pass(which is also only available to Southern California Residents, has 195 block out dates and costs $199). We have the Deluxe Pass and go as often as we can.
There is so much to say about Disneyland; after all it is the Happiest Place on Earth. I have been there dozens of times and every time I go I have a blast. I have been so many times that I can basically navigate the park with my eyes closed. I love the rides, the music, the shows, the food and the feeling that I am away from the stress of life. It is said that once inside the Disneyland Park, you cannot see the outside world. All you see is the park and the magic within. When you are at Disneyland nothing else matters. The outside world doesn’t exist. All you see is the park and the magic within. When you are at Disneyland nothing else matters. You don’t have time to worry about tests, papers, homework, jobs or anything else that may occupy your mind. All you have time to focus on it the moment. That is way I love Disneyland. It is a place where I can escape and be a kid. Kids usually do not have as many worries as typical young adults and I really miss that carefree stage. When I am in the park, I get to travel through time to when I was a child and get to experience being carefree again.
Another reason that I love Disneyland so much is my absolute love for all things Disney. I enjoy watching the classic Disney Movies and even own a few merchandise items. When I was younger, my favorite movie was the Little Mermaid. I watched it so much that I wore out the VHS. My mom would even place me in the front of the TV and play the Little Mermaid over and over again and I would be entertained for hours. I would sing-along with the songs and have my Little Mermaid toys sit next to me so that they can also watch. Disney movies made me happy and they still do today.
The food at Disneyland also makes my experience magical. There are so many different options that I could write an entire different blog just on Disney Dinning alone. However, I will just mention my favorite treat at the Disneyland Resort, their white chocolate chip cookies. I am in love with white chocolate chip cookies to begin with, but add a little magic to every bite and you have yourself an amazing treat. Every time I visit the park, I head over to Pooh’s Corner, a store next to Splash Mountain and buy myself this delicious treat. It tastes so amazing; it is like a miracle in your mouth. I have yet to find a cookie as delicious as the white chocolate chip at Disneyland.
Disneyland is the greatest place on Earth and I can’t wait till my next trip down there.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Valentine's Day
Here it is; the overrated Valentine’s Day rant. Today is Valentine’s Day or as some know it as, SAD (single awareness day). Valentine’s Day just points out to the single folks that they are not in a relationship. All the people getting flowers and chocolates just points out to others that they are special and loved.
Valentine’s Day is a made up holiday anyways. It is a just a ploy for card, flower and candy companies to make bank.
Seriously, who needs a day to celebrate love? Every day should be valentines. One should not have to wait till February 14th to declare their love or show someone what they mean to them. Why not give flowers on a random Tuesday or make them a romantic dinner on a random Sunday night? If I were in a relationship, I would want little romantic surprises and not a big gesture on a day like February 14th where I knew it was coming or he thought it was expected of him to do something.
Well, I have better things to do with my time then feel sorry for myself about being single on Valentine’s Day. Tonight, I will celebrate with my friends. Love is not only romantic. It can also be between family and friends. I love my family and I love my friends. So I will try to make the most out of this stupid holiday and spend it with the ones I love. Even if it doesn’t not include a boyfriend.
Valentine’s Day is a made up holiday anyways. It is a just a ploy for card, flower and candy companies to make bank.
Seriously, who needs a day to celebrate love? Every day should be valentines. One should not have to wait till February 14th to declare their love or show someone what they mean to them. Why not give flowers on a random Tuesday or make them a romantic dinner on a random Sunday night? If I were in a relationship, I would want little romantic surprises and not a big gesture on a day like February 14th where I knew it was coming or he thought it was expected of him to do something.
Well, I have better things to do with my time then feel sorry for myself about being single on Valentine’s Day. Tonight, I will celebrate with my friends. Love is not only romantic. It can also be between family and friends. I love my family and I love my friends. So I will try to make the most out of this stupid holiday and spend it with the ones I love. Even if it doesn’t not include a boyfriend.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Bakersfield
I am from Bakersfield California and am in a love/hate relationship with it. It was a great town to grow up in, but looking back I can't help to make fun of it.
First off, we have one of the worst air qualities in the country. According to an SF Gate Article, Bakersfield, CA is number 2 out of 25 of the cities with the worst air pollution, number 1 out of 25 of the cities with the worst air pollution long term particulates. Great to know that a town some of never heard of is on a list for having bad quality. I was immune to it as a kid, but now as I go back to visit from college, the air gives me headaches. Not to mention the heat Bakersfield gets in the summer. In the past couple summers, we have had temperatures reach over 100 and sometimes even over 110! That is just way too hot! And that is why I spend a majority of my summer indoors or away from Bakersfield.
Do not get me wrong, there are still some great things about Bakersfield. Like our 10sonics that everyone from my high school went to after school for happy hour. Seriously from 2-4, half off any drink. That is one amazing deal! And our amazing family owned old fashioned ice cream parlor, Dewars. Dewars has amazing ice cream and the most delicious taffy chews I have ever eaten. It has been apart of the Bakersfield tradition since 1909 when Grandpa Dewar opened its doors. If any of you are passing through Bakersfield ever, I recommend stopping at Dewars and trying a black and white and a handful of their chews(which come in flavors caramel, peppermint, almond, chocolate almond and peanut butter)Seriously, once you try once of these candies, you will never be able to eat another taffy again.
So air quality and heat aside, Bakersfield can have some great things. The heat and air quality are totally worth it, only if you can stop by Dewars Ice Cream and Candy Shop.
First off, we have one of the worst air qualities in the country. According to an SF Gate Article, Bakersfield, CA is number 2 out of 25 of the cities with the worst air pollution, number 1 out of 25 of the cities with the worst air pollution long term particulates. Great to know that a town some of never heard of is on a list for having bad quality. I was immune to it as a kid, but now as I go back to visit from college, the air gives me headaches. Not to mention the heat Bakersfield gets in the summer. In the past couple summers, we have had temperatures reach over 100 and sometimes even over 110! That is just way too hot! And that is why I spend a majority of my summer indoors or away from Bakersfield.
Do not get me wrong, there are still some great things about Bakersfield. Like our 10sonics that everyone from my high school went to after school for happy hour. Seriously from 2-4, half off any drink. That is one amazing deal! And our amazing family owned old fashioned ice cream parlor, Dewars. Dewars has amazing ice cream and the most delicious taffy chews I have ever eaten. It has been apart of the Bakersfield tradition since 1909 when Grandpa Dewar opened its doors. If any of you are passing through Bakersfield ever, I recommend stopping at Dewars and trying a black and white and a handful of their chews(which come in flavors caramel, peppermint, almond, chocolate almond and peanut butter)Seriously, once you try once of these candies, you will never be able to eat another taffy again.
So air quality and heat aside, Bakersfield can have some great things. The heat and air quality are totally worth it, only if you can stop by Dewars Ice Cream and Candy Shop.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Why do computer hate me?
Seriously, why do computer hate me? I am nice to them and even love them, but they always seem to freeze up or do something stupid at the absolute wrong time. Today whie taking a midterm, I was tpying away on the computer in the computer lab on my first essay question when my computer froze. I was frustrated. Stupid computer interperted my thoughts. I walk over to the professor and told her about the problem. She told me to log on onto another computer and continue typing and we will figure out what to do with the first half of my content later.
Well, that would have been great if i could log on to the other computer. Time is ticking away and I can't even log on. Really?
So finally after talking to my professor again, we figure out the problem and I am able to log on to another computer.
So basically a big chunk of my midterm time is gone and i only have half an essay written. Time ran out and I still am missing half an essay. After trying to fix the problem, we decide that it is better if I just retype the first portion. So I do and finally finish! YIPEE!!!!
Nope, another problem comes around. It won't print! Really now? What did I do to this computer to reserve this? Computer hate me for some reason and I can't figure out why.
This by far was the most stressful midterm ever. And I studied too. Computers make things so much more complicated. I love my computer and computers in general, I just wish it would one day love me in return.
Well, that would have been great if i could log on to the other computer. Time is ticking away and I can't even log on. Really?
So finally after talking to my professor again, we figure out the problem and I am able to log on to another computer.
So basically a big chunk of my midterm time is gone and i only have half an essay written. Time ran out and I still am missing half an essay. After trying to fix the problem, we decide that it is better if I just retype the first portion. So I do and finally finish! YIPEE!!!!
Nope, another problem comes around. It won't print! Really now? What did I do to this computer to reserve this? Computer hate me for some reason and I can't figure out why.
This by far was the most stressful midterm ever. And I studied too. Computers make things so much more complicated. I love my computer and computers in general, I just wish it would one day love me in return.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Fresh Healthy Cafe
Deciding where to eat on a given Friday or Saturday night is chore. If one does not have reservations, it hard to get a table somewhere nice without waiting hours. Instead of spending hours going through the options and spending more time waiting to be seated, waiting to order and then waiting for the food to come, try a quick café located right in the Valley Fair Mall in Santa Clara, CA.
Fresh Healthy Café is a perfect restaurant for those health conscience folks. The menu has a variety of paninis, wraps, soups and salads to choose from. Every sandwich combination can be made into a wrap, Panini or salad. The restaurant also offers fresh squeezed juices, smoothies and espresso drinks.
My favorite thing on the menu is the combo deal. One can either choice a half combo or full combo meal. The half combo meal comes with either half a Panini or half a wrap with veggie chips and juice or a smoothie. The full combo meal comes with the same thing but with a full wrap or Panini. Their veggies chips are amazing, but have one slight problem. They don’t give enough of them. They seriously just put a couple chips into a small zip lock bag. If I am paying $7 for a meal, I expect there to be a good portion of chips. However, the other portion sizes are perfect. The sandwich size can be adjusted to fit any one’s appetite.
I have only been to this café twice, but both times I was impressed. The quality of the food was great and fresh. The service was fast and the workers were friendly. The person at the cash register even gave suggestions of what to order.
There are several locations of Fresh Healthy Café. There are some in various parts of the US and in other parts of the world as well. The café can be found in Canada, Australia, India, Morocco and various other locations. Check out the Fresh Healthy Café website to find a store near you.
Eating out doesn’t have to stressful or unhealthy. A nutritious meal is just around the corner.
Fresh Healthy Café is a perfect restaurant for those health conscience folks. The menu has a variety of paninis, wraps, soups and salads to choose from. Every sandwich combination can be made into a wrap, Panini or salad. The restaurant also offers fresh squeezed juices, smoothies and espresso drinks.
My favorite thing on the menu is the combo deal. One can either choice a half combo or full combo meal. The half combo meal comes with either half a Panini or half a wrap with veggie chips and juice or a smoothie. The full combo meal comes with the same thing but with a full wrap or Panini. Their veggies chips are amazing, but have one slight problem. They don’t give enough of them. They seriously just put a couple chips into a small zip lock bag. If I am paying $7 for a meal, I expect there to be a good portion of chips. However, the other portion sizes are perfect. The sandwich size can be adjusted to fit any one’s appetite.
I have only been to this café twice, but both times I was impressed. The quality of the food was great and fresh. The service was fast and the workers were friendly. The person at the cash register even gave suggestions of what to order.
There are several locations of Fresh Healthy Café. There are some in various parts of the US and in other parts of the world as well. The café can be found in Canada, Australia, India, Morocco and various other locations. Check out the Fresh Healthy Café website to find a store near you.
Eating out doesn’t have to stressful or unhealthy. A nutritious meal is just around the corner.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
School back in the United States
Last semester, I was blessed with the opportunity to spend 3 and a half month in beautiful Florence. Throughout my time there, I had the chance to travel all through Europe and even visited several different cities in Italy(I even bought a shot glass from every place I visited and ended up with about 21). School wasn't stressful in Florence and the work load was at a miminal. We had a midterm, final and maybe a paper throughout the whole the semeseter. But now as I am in the middle of the quarter back at my American University, I am having a rude awaking.
This quarter I am being buried by projects, papers and tests(which I forgot how to handle). I have so much too do and it is begining to stress me out. Why can't I travel every weekend anymore? Where are all the new and exciting sights to see? School here is very routinue. I get up, make coffee, go to class, do homework, go to bed and start the whole process over again. Living in Florence, I got to see something new or try different foods almost everyday. I miss Florence and my miminal stress occupied life.
Well, since that I have wasted some time and procasinated on my loads of work that are waiting for me, I should say "Ciao" and get on my way.
This quarter I am being buried by projects, papers and tests(which I forgot how to handle). I have so much too do and it is begining to stress me out. Why can't I travel every weekend anymore? Where are all the new and exciting sights to see? School here is very routinue. I get up, make coffee, go to class, do homework, go to bed and start the whole process over again. Living in Florence, I got to see something new or try different foods almost everyday. I miss Florence and my miminal stress occupied life.
Well, since that I have wasted some time and procasinated on my loads of work that are waiting for me, I should say "Ciao" and get on my way.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Body Image and Self Esteem
Magazines across the newspaper stands and actress’ throughout the media are telling girls how they “should look”. These images of skinny women send out messages that they have the “ideal body.” However, this is false. There are many different body types out there and each girl is beautiful in her own way.
Body image and self-esteem are social issues that I am passionate about because they have been things that I suffered with in the past. During my sophomore year of high school, I started to question my beauty. I thought that I was not pretty or skinny enough. I constantly compared myself to other people. I became a very unhappy person and started to fade away from my friends. I thought that losing weight would make me happy, so I started depriving myself of my favorite foods and exercising. Just losing a few pounds transformed into an obsession. I discovered how easy it was to lose weight and, at the time, I thought it was rewarding. So I started to lose more and more weight, thinking that being thin would make me beautiful and solve my self-esteem problems.
However, I was wrong. Losing weight hurt my self-esteem and happiness. I became so obsessed with being thin, that I started missing out on the more important things in life. I stopped hanging out with my friends and I spent countless amounts of time worrying about gaining weight.
As time passed I realized, that being thin didn’t make me happy and having the “perfect body” shouldn’t be the main focus of my life. I realized that I had so much more to offer the world and I should focus on my good qualities.
I still have days were my insecurities sneak back into my mind and try to tell me that I am not pretty enough or skinny enough. But I try and find the courage to dismiss those thoughts and tell myself that I am beautiful. I tell myself that outward appearance isn’t everything and if I could look past all that I could truly enjoy life more.
Now as I think about the way I was my sophomore year in high school, I get embarrassed. This post is very hard for me to write because I have been ashamed of my past and have tried to hide the truth from so many people. After some consideration and a lot of convincing, I decided to share my story to reach out to other people who have the same issues I dealt with. I want to tell those girls that they are not alone. I want them to know that taking those drastic measures to stay or get thin isn’t worth it. Once you reach your goal, you still won’t be able to find happiness. Happiness comes from within and cannot be found by looking a certain way. There is so much more to life than what you look like. I just wish I realized this five years ago.
Body image and self-esteem are social issues that I am passionate about because they have been things that I suffered with in the past. During my sophomore year of high school, I started to question my beauty. I thought that I was not pretty or skinny enough. I constantly compared myself to other people. I became a very unhappy person and started to fade away from my friends. I thought that losing weight would make me happy, so I started depriving myself of my favorite foods and exercising. Just losing a few pounds transformed into an obsession. I discovered how easy it was to lose weight and, at the time, I thought it was rewarding. So I started to lose more and more weight, thinking that being thin would make me beautiful and solve my self-esteem problems.
However, I was wrong. Losing weight hurt my self-esteem and happiness. I became so obsessed with being thin, that I started missing out on the more important things in life. I stopped hanging out with my friends and I spent countless amounts of time worrying about gaining weight.
As time passed I realized, that being thin didn’t make me happy and having the “perfect body” shouldn’t be the main focus of my life. I realized that I had so much more to offer the world and I should focus on my good qualities.
I still have days were my insecurities sneak back into my mind and try to tell me that I am not pretty enough or skinny enough. But I try and find the courage to dismiss those thoughts and tell myself that I am beautiful. I tell myself that outward appearance isn’t everything and if I could look past all that I could truly enjoy life more.
Now as I think about the way I was my sophomore year in high school, I get embarrassed. This post is very hard for me to write because I have been ashamed of my past and have tried to hide the truth from so many people. After some consideration and a lot of convincing, I decided to share my story to reach out to other people who have the same issues I dealt with. I want to tell those girls that they are not alone. I want them to know that taking those drastic measures to stay or get thin isn’t worth it. Once you reach your goal, you still won’t be able to find happiness. Happiness comes from within and cannot be found by looking a certain way. There is so much more to life than what you look like. I just wish I realized this five years ago.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Cooking
Moving into an apartment is definitely starting to teach me about cooking. Before I this quarter, I haven't really cooked for myself. The only thing I really myself was quesadillas, grilled cheese, sandwiches and microwavable dinners(which don't get me wrong, are all delicious), but sometimes you just want a home cooked meal, something that reminds you of home after a stressful day. Instead of complaining about it, I decided to try and make my mom's famous chicken for my friends and me.
I quickly call my mom and ask for the ingredients. Which really wasn't much: just chicken, lemon pepper marinade and bruschetta sauce from Trader Joes. As I start to make dinner, I realize I do not know the first thing about cooking. How do I marinade? How long should I marinade? How long should I bake the chicken? I then again call my mom with a whole set of questions. Finally after a long conversation, I get up more confidence to prepare dinner.
First I place the chicken on the cooking pan and cover it with lemon marinade. I then place tin foil over it and let it sit for about 45 mins. While the chicken is marinating, I preheat the oven to 350 degrees. After the 45 mins are up, I place the chicken in the oven and let it bake for about 45 mins.After it is done baking, I add the bruschetta sauce on top to give it an Italian taste. Sounds pretty simple, right?
Well it didn't taste as good as my mom makes it. I think it could have used more lemon pepper marinade. But now I know. The best way to learn is through doing. And this experience has taught me to try out different recipes. As I continue to try my hand at cooking, I am sure I will become a master chief in no time. Or least I hope.
I quickly call my mom and ask for the ingredients. Which really wasn't much: just chicken, lemon pepper marinade and bruschetta sauce from Trader Joes. As I start to make dinner, I realize I do not know the first thing about cooking. How do I marinade? How long should I marinade? How long should I bake the chicken? I then again call my mom with a whole set of questions. Finally after a long conversation, I get up more confidence to prepare dinner.
First I place the chicken on the cooking pan and cover it with lemon marinade. I then place tin foil over it and let it sit for about 45 mins. While the chicken is marinating, I preheat the oven to 350 degrees. After the 45 mins are up, I place the chicken in the oven and let it bake for about 45 mins.After it is done baking, I add the bruschetta sauce on top to give it an Italian taste. Sounds pretty simple, right?
Well it didn't taste as good as my mom makes it. I think it could have used more lemon pepper marinade. But now I know. The best way to learn is through doing. And this experience has taught me to try out different recipes. As I continue to try my hand at cooking, I am sure I will become a master chief in no time. Or least I hope.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
The Customer is Always Right
I have a fascination or rather an addiction to Starbucks Coffee. I go through gift cards rather quickly and go to Starbucks at least once a week. My love for caffeine has led to me trying virtually every espresso drink offered on the menu. After some time, I have gotten tired of the drinks Starbucks has to offer. Instead of changing my coffee loyalty and going to a new place, I decided to create my own coffee drinks. I request normal espresso drinks with random syrups. Since there are various different types of drinks and syrups, virtually endless options of what kind of treat you can create are available. The workers sometimes give me strange looks, but they have to make my request anyways. After all, the customer is always right.
Some of the drinks I have come up are the following:
1.) A caramel mocha- basically a regular mocha with caramel syrup. This tasty drink reminds me of a Twix.
2.) Hazelnut mocha- similar to a caramel mocha, but with hazelnut
3.) Toffee nut mocha- I think you are getting the picture
4.) Zebra- half white mocha and half regular mocha. Super delicious! I love white mochas, but sometimes just plain white mocha is too sweet. This combination is just right on the sweetness factor, in my opinion.
5.) Toffee nut coffee Frappuccino- gives the bland, yet simple coffee flavor a kick. The coffee flavor Frappuccino is great because it doesn’t taste too chocolaty or sugary. But without a syrup the Frappuccino tastes too boring. You could almost add any syrup to it. I am sure hazelnut, caramel, vanilla, peppermint or gingerbread would also be good with this cold treat.
Starbucks has plenty of options to choose from. Even if it is not on the menu. Just pick a drink and a syrup, and try a new combination.
Some of the drinks I have come up are the following:
1.) A caramel mocha- basically a regular mocha with caramel syrup. This tasty drink reminds me of a Twix.
2.) Hazelnut mocha- similar to a caramel mocha, but with hazelnut
3.) Toffee nut mocha- I think you are getting the picture
4.) Zebra- half white mocha and half regular mocha. Super delicious! I love white mochas, but sometimes just plain white mocha is too sweet. This combination is just right on the sweetness factor, in my opinion.
5.) Toffee nut coffee Frappuccino- gives the bland, yet simple coffee flavor a kick. The coffee flavor Frappuccino is great because it doesn’t taste too chocolaty or sugary. But without a syrup the Frappuccino tastes too boring. You could almost add any syrup to it. I am sure hazelnut, caramel, vanilla, peppermint or gingerbread would also be good with this cold treat.
Starbucks has plenty of options to choose from. Even if it is not on the menu. Just pick a drink and a syrup, and try a new combination.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Hotel Del Cornado
Located on Cornado Island, just about 26 miles South of San Diego lies a beautiful high-in resort. Its famous red and white exterior can be seen from virtually anyone on the istland. The Hotel Del Cornado is a 65,000 square foot hotel located right on the beach.
This hotel is one of my favorite travel destinations. My family is fortunate enough to have the oppurtunity to have a family reunion there every year. Prices can be a bit high( rooms range from $270-$500 dollars a night). However, the hotel offers a varitey of fun activties from guests of all ages to enjoy.
There is a pool, hot tub and beach right near the rooms. The beach rents out surf boards, boggie board and various other equipment ended for a fun day in sand. If the weather isn't great, then one can shop in the various Shops at the Del, go to the spa or dine in one of the hotel's great resturants.
Also, if you are at the Del during winter time, you can ice skate with an ocean view. From November to January, the hotel places an ice rink on the lawn. Ice skating in front of the ocean is an amazing experience. It is like the best of both worlds.
One of my favorite places for a sweet treat is located right on the hotel grounds, Moo Time. Moo Time is an ice shop that has many different flavors and toppings to choose from. They even allow you to make your own milkshake. Just tell them what type of ice cream you want and they will make it(my cousin once got a silly vanilla milkshake, which is basically vanilla ice cream with blue food coloring). If you want just a scoop of ice cream, you can have that or you can mix toppings inside the ice cream. This tasty dessert can be expensive, but the taste is worth it. It will be sure to satifsy any sweet tooth.
However, this hotel is said to be haunted by a ghost named Kate Morgan. She killed herself at the hotel in 1892 when her lover failed to meet her at the hotel. There have been several people who have clamied to have seen Morgan roaming through the halls.
I have never seen Kate Morgan and even if it is haunted, I still have the time of my life every year at the Del. I even want to get married there someday.
This hotel is one of my favorite travel destinations. My family is fortunate enough to have the oppurtunity to have a family reunion there every year. Prices can be a bit high( rooms range from $270-$500 dollars a night). However, the hotel offers a varitey of fun activties from guests of all ages to enjoy.
There is a pool, hot tub and beach right near the rooms. The beach rents out surf boards, boggie board and various other equipment ended for a fun day in sand. If the weather isn't great, then one can shop in the various Shops at the Del, go to the spa or dine in one of the hotel's great resturants.
Also, if you are at the Del during winter time, you can ice skate with an ocean view. From November to January, the hotel places an ice rink on the lawn. Ice skating in front of the ocean is an amazing experience. It is like the best of both worlds.
One of my favorite places for a sweet treat is located right on the hotel grounds, Moo Time. Moo Time is an ice shop that has many different flavors and toppings to choose from. They even allow you to make your own milkshake. Just tell them what type of ice cream you want and they will make it(my cousin once got a silly vanilla milkshake, which is basically vanilla ice cream with blue food coloring). If you want just a scoop of ice cream, you can have that or you can mix toppings inside the ice cream. This tasty dessert can be expensive, but the taste is worth it. It will be sure to satifsy any sweet tooth.
However, this hotel is said to be haunted by a ghost named Kate Morgan. She killed herself at the hotel in 1892 when her lover failed to meet her at the hotel. There have been several people who have clamied to have seen Morgan roaming through the halls.
I have never seen Kate Morgan and even if it is haunted, I still have the time of my life every year at the Del. I even want to get married there someday.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Tahoe
Hello fellow readers,
I want to take a few minutes to tell you about a fabulous hotel I stayed at in North Lake Tahoe over New Years. It is called the Hyatt Incline Village and is located 111Country Drive Incline Village, Nevada. The hotel has many activities to choose from and is located within a few minutes of some great ski resorts. The closest ski resort is Diamond Peak, which is only about five minutes away. In fact, you can even rent your ski or snowboard equipment from the hotel. This is very convenient because the lines at the ski resorts can get pretty long.
If you aren't interested in skiing or go to Tahoe during the summer, there are still plenty of things to do in the hotel itself. For those 21 and over, there is a casino full of table games and slot machines. For the kids, there is Camp Hyatt. At the camp, kids can play games with other kids while the parents get some relaxation time. While the kids at having a blast at the camp, the parents could either gamble, go to the Spa or take a dip in the heated pool and hot tub.
The hotel is also beautifully located on the lake, which provides gorgeous view. It is a nice play to take a walk.
Next time you are craving a visit to North Lake Tahoe and are looking for a place to stay, I suggest Hyatt Incline Village. It is in a great located and has excellent customer service. The staff goes above and beyond to make your stay as enjoyable as possible. Those 21 and over even get a glass of champagne upon arrival. Talk about a warm welcoming!
I want to take a few minutes to tell you about a fabulous hotel I stayed at in North Lake Tahoe over New Years. It is called the Hyatt Incline Village and is located 111Country Drive Incline Village, Nevada. The hotel has many activities to choose from and is located within a few minutes of some great ski resorts. The closest ski resort is Diamond Peak, which is only about five minutes away. In fact, you can even rent your ski or snowboard equipment from the hotel. This is very convenient because the lines at the ski resorts can get pretty long.
If you aren't interested in skiing or go to Tahoe during the summer, there are still plenty of things to do in the hotel itself. For those 21 and over, there is a casino full of table games and slot machines. For the kids, there is Camp Hyatt. At the camp, kids can play games with other kids while the parents get some relaxation time. While the kids at having a blast at the camp, the parents could either gamble, go to the Spa or take a dip in the heated pool and hot tub.
The hotel is also beautifully located on the lake, which provides gorgeous view. It is a nice play to take a walk.
Next time you are craving a visit to North Lake Tahoe and are looking for a place to stay, I suggest Hyatt Incline Village. It is in a great located and has excellent customer service. The staff goes above and beyond to make your stay as enjoyable as possible. Those 21 and over even get a glass of champagne upon arrival. Talk about a warm welcoming!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Travel
One of my favorite things to do is to travel and explore new places. Before I die, I would like to have visited all the 50s states and as well as several other countries. So far, I have been to 12 out of the 50 states. I was also fortunate enough to study abroad last fall, which enabled me to visit 5 countries(Italy,Germany, France, Ireland and England). And even before my study abroad experience I had the chance to go to 2 other countries(Japan and Spain)through People to People Student Ambassadors.
People to People Student Ambassador is a leadership program where high school students travel to different countries in order to foster friendships with people that live abroad and learn about their culture. Through the program, not only did I get to see beautiful places but I also got to learn about those places. The program taught me that people who live in different countries are not much different from myself. Like Mark Twain has said "travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow mindedness." I 100% agree with this quote. Since I have traveled to several different places, I no longer judge people who come from different places.
Travel is an amazing experience. I encourage each and everyone of you to travel somewhere someday. Not only will you get to see beautiful things and meet wonderful people, but you will also gain a better understanding of the world around you.
People to People Student Ambassador is a leadership program where high school students travel to different countries in order to foster friendships with people that live abroad and learn about their culture. Through the program, not only did I get to see beautiful places but I also got to learn about those places. The program taught me that people who live in different countries are not much different from myself. Like Mark Twain has said "travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow mindedness." I 100% agree with this quote. Since I have traveled to several different places, I no longer judge people who come from different places.
Travel is an amazing experience. I encourage each and everyone of you to travel somewhere someday. Not only will you get to see beautiful things and meet wonderful people, but you will also gain a better understanding of the world around you.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Facebook. Almost everyone has one. They use it to communicate with friends, learn what people are up too, to brag about their lives or (my favorite and most common reason I use it) to procrastinate. Because of that, it is also probably one of the most visited sites by young adults and teens today.
I am not going to lie.... I have Facebook opened right now as I am supposed to reading for one of my classes. Every time I log onto my computer to work on an essay or class assignment, I have one tab dedicated to Facebook. It serves as my distractor, my five minute break between blocks of writing and release from the hard work. I tried to write an essay with the internet turned off once and I couldn’t do it. Instead of taking a few breaks to update my Facebook, I would just stare at the screen. Without the distraction, I couldn’t get much done. In a way, Facebook helps me to get my papers done.
Facebook is also good for reconnecting with people. I enjoy spending countless hours catching up on what my friends are up too and chatting with a person I do not get to see often. Facebook is good for communicating with people that live far away. When I was studying in Florence, I used Facebook to keep in touch with my family and friends back home. Phone calls would have been too expensive and E-mails seem outdated. With Facebook, my friends and family could see my pictures and with that they got a better understanding of what I am doing during my time abroad. I also got to quickly read what everyone is up to via status updates. I didn’t have time to email everyone and catch up. However, I did have time to read a couple sentences about what everyone was doing.
Facebook is not always a good thing. There are those people out there who find it necessary to post everything they do. No one cares what you had breakfast, no one cares that you are too lazy to get up and go use the restroom (yes, I have actually had a friend post that as her status) and no one needs to know what you do every minute of the day. One status update per day is more than enough. I do not care to read a play by play of your day. I am seriously considering deleting people who post a new status every few minutes. Limit your posts and people (or maybe just me) would not be annoyed by your Facebook usage.
Facebook also makes it easier from stalkers to stalk you. With pictures and info posted on the web, almost anyone can found out anything about you. This may also make it easier for teens or children to become victims of cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is a major issue today and may make children feel alone. Some schools are taking a stand and teaching kids about the consequences of their actions and to respect other people.
If one takes precautions and is well formed about the potential dangers….Facebook can be amazing thing. I love Facebook and would probably we lost without it.
I am not going to lie.... I have Facebook opened right now as I am supposed to reading for one of my classes. Every time I log onto my computer to work on an essay or class assignment, I have one tab dedicated to Facebook. It serves as my distractor, my five minute break between blocks of writing and release from the hard work. I tried to write an essay with the internet turned off once and I couldn’t do it. Instead of taking a few breaks to update my Facebook, I would just stare at the screen. Without the distraction, I couldn’t get much done. In a way, Facebook helps me to get my papers done.
Facebook is also good for reconnecting with people. I enjoy spending countless hours catching up on what my friends are up too and chatting with a person I do not get to see often. Facebook is good for communicating with people that live far away. When I was studying in Florence, I used Facebook to keep in touch with my family and friends back home. Phone calls would have been too expensive and E-mails seem outdated. With Facebook, my friends and family could see my pictures and with that they got a better understanding of what I am doing during my time abroad. I also got to quickly read what everyone is up to via status updates. I didn’t have time to email everyone and catch up. However, I did have time to read a couple sentences about what everyone was doing.
Facebook is not always a good thing. There are those people out there who find it necessary to post everything they do. No one cares what you had breakfast, no one cares that you are too lazy to get up and go use the restroom (yes, I have actually had a friend post that as her status) and no one needs to know what you do every minute of the day. One status update per day is more than enough. I do not care to read a play by play of your day. I am seriously considering deleting people who post a new status every few minutes. Limit your posts and people (or maybe just me) would not be annoyed by your Facebook usage.
Facebook also makes it easier from stalkers to stalk you. With pictures and info posted on the web, almost anyone can found out anything about you. This may also make it easier for teens or children to become victims of cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is a major issue today and may make children feel alone. Some schools are taking a stand and teaching kids about the consequences of their actions and to respect other people.
If one takes precautions and is well formed about the potential dangers….Facebook can be amazing thing. I love Facebook and would probably we lost without it.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Interview Assignment
A young blonde Sam Bernstein sits down and pulls out a sheet of paper and pencils. He begins to draw storyboards and stretches of characters for potential video games. At the age of fourteen, he already knows what he wants to be when he grows up and is working hard in school so he can one day reach his goal. Sam has dreamed of becoming a video game designer since he was eight years old. “I think it will be a fun job,” Sam says. “And I have a knack for it.”
Video gaming has been a part of Sam’s life since he was three years old. He would frequently play with his sister’s Game Boy to entertain himself. He didn’t have his own Game Boy and playing his sister’s Barbie game was his only option. Although mentioning the name of the first game may be embarrassing, he is grateful for having the opportunity to discover his passion. “My sister introduced me to gaming and I have a ton to thank her for that.” Ever since then, his interest in video games has grown as he has spent countless hours trying to perfect his talent and discover secrets about his favorite games.
He enjoys games that have easy controls, yet are hard to complete the most. He enjoys a challenge, but does not think the controls should be a part of the complexity. If the controls are too hard to manage, it makes game play frustrating, Sam explains. He hopes to one day make a game that challenges kids, but also is enjoyable to play.
His interest in video games does not stop at game play. Sam also reads about the history of video games, watches game play on YouTube and is often brainstorming ideas for games he would like to invent. With his determination and a binder full of ideas, he eagerly begins to attempt to accomplish his goals. “I think it will be a little hard, but I will try,” Sam said with his head held up high.
Video gaming has been a part of Sam’s life since he was three years old. He would frequently play with his sister’s Game Boy to entertain himself. He didn’t have his own Game Boy and playing his sister’s Barbie game was his only option. Although mentioning the name of the first game may be embarrassing, he is grateful for having the opportunity to discover his passion. “My sister introduced me to gaming and I have a ton to thank her for that.” Ever since then, his interest in video games has grown as he has spent countless hours trying to perfect his talent and discover secrets about his favorite games.
He enjoys games that have easy controls, yet are hard to complete the most. He enjoys a challenge, but does not think the controls should be a part of the complexity. If the controls are too hard to manage, it makes game play frustrating, Sam explains. He hopes to one day make a game that challenges kids, but also is enjoyable to play.
His interest in video games does not stop at game play. Sam also reads about the history of video games, watches game play on YouTube and is often brainstorming ideas for games he would like to invent. With his determination and a binder full of ideas, he eagerly begins to attempt to accomplish his goals. “I think it will be a little hard, but I will try,” Sam said with his head held up high.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Writer's Block
We all have it sometime in our lives. It sticks with us at the absolute wrong time and hinders your creative process. It makes simple tasks like writing a blog about anything frustrating and difficult. I have writers block right now and cannot think of any good stories or ideas to place in this blog.
Writer's block is even making my assignment for fiction writing class seem almost impossible. I enjoy writing fiction and am aiming to have a book published one day, but lately my creative juices have not been flowing.
Hopefully with some time and after I complete some of the assigned fiction writing prompts geared to help deal with writer's block, my mind will be full of fabulous ideas for stories. But as for now, I will go through my day and try not to let my writer's block get in my way.
Writer's block is even making my assignment for fiction writing class seem almost impossible. I enjoy writing fiction and am aiming to have a book published one day, but lately my creative juices have not been flowing.
Hopefully with some time and after I complete some of the assigned fiction writing prompts geared to help deal with writer's block, my mind will be full of fabulous ideas for stories. But as for now, I will go through my day and try not to let my writer's block get in my way.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
The Best Semester of my Life
I have been back at Santa Clara University for about four days now. However, it still feels strange to be back on campus because it has been so long since I was last here. This fall I was blessed with the amazing opportunity to study abroad in Florence, Italy.
I spent 3.5 months in Florence and fell in love with the city. The food, people, sites and shopping were all fantastic. I enjoyed being able to walk everywhere. Florence is the perfect size; not too small where you see the same face all the time, but not too big that is unmanageable to navigate. I walked everywhere in Florence and most other towns I visited in Europe, which allowed me to consume all of the different kinds of fabulous food that is found in Italy.
If anyone knows me well, they can tell you that I normally do not eat a lot and have a relatively small appetite. However, this was not the case in Italy. With all the walking I did and all the delicious food surrounding me, I indulged and ate my way through Italy. I love Italian food and took advantage of the fact that this food was available to me.
I miss several things about being in Italy. I miss the people I met, the food, being able to walk and see beautiful churches and monuments. At first adjusting back to life in American was difficult. I couldn't walk anywhere I wanted to go, I couldn't find amazing pasta/pizza, I couldn't be impressed by a new work of art everyday and I couldn't see all the fabulous friends I made. To be honest, I was a tab bit depressed at first. I had the time of my life in Florence and I did not want to leave. After awhile, I started to get used to life back in America. I rediscovered the awesome taste of Mexico food(which one can not find in Italy) and I got to reconnect with my friends and family.
Even though I still miss being in Italy and am eager to return one day, I am happy to be back at Santa Clara University. I will always look back on my study abroad experience and smile because, it was the best semester of my life. And I was truly thankful that my parents supported me and made my dream to study in a different country a reality.
I spent 3.5 months in Florence and fell in love with the city. The food, people, sites and shopping were all fantastic. I enjoyed being able to walk everywhere. Florence is the perfect size; not too small where you see the same face all the time, but not too big that is unmanageable to navigate. I walked everywhere in Florence and most other towns I visited in Europe, which allowed me to consume all of the different kinds of fabulous food that is found in Italy.
If anyone knows me well, they can tell you that I normally do not eat a lot and have a relatively small appetite. However, this was not the case in Italy. With all the walking I did and all the delicious food surrounding me, I indulged and ate my way through Italy. I love Italian food and took advantage of the fact that this food was available to me.
I miss several things about being in Italy. I miss the people I met, the food, being able to walk and see beautiful churches and monuments. At first adjusting back to life in American was difficult. I couldn't walk anywhere I wanted to go, I couldn't find amazing pasta/pizza, I couldn't be impressed by a new work of art everyday and I couldn't see all the fabulous friends I made. To be honest, I was a tab bit depressed at first. I had the time of my life in Florence and I did not want to leave. After awhile, I started to get used to life back in America. I rediscovered the awesome taste of Mexico food(which one can not find in Italy) and I got to reconnect with my friends and family.
Even though I still miss being in Italy and am eager to return one day, I am happy to be back at Santa Clara University. I will always look back on my study abroad experience and smile because, it was the best semester of my life. And I was truly thankful that my parents supported me and made my dream to study in a different country a reality.
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