Trick? or Treat?

October has come and gone! Is it just me or did it go by super SUPER fast. & Halloween isn't getting as much hype as it used to. darn. this really makes me miss childhood. but i still had so much fun going out trick-or-treating with my friends around the neighborhood...anddd i'm 17..i wonder how long i'm gonna keep doing this lol.

So...my friends and i went to this house and the guy openS the door. he seemed kinda ...suprised to see us.. he leaves us at the door, goes to a closet, and comes out with a trick-or-treat bag with candy in it... He digs through and then in his hands, is candy and then, we see the candy wrappers.....he picks out the wrappers and says with a nervous enthusiasm, "anyone want a snickers!?" my friends and i look at each other like wtf! and say "it's ok..." then we speed walk outta there asap! i feel bad for that man. THE END.

Well, anyway my friends didn't dress up this year but 2 years ago my friend didn't have a costume so with some brainstorming, i came up with an awesome idea! Jess and i made this rubiks cube that victoria's wearing. isn't it great?! we shoulda jumbled up the colors though.

Hallloooo!!

Sorry for that month long break (which is a year in blogger years) but anyway! It’s good to be back. I missed you guys!! Since the coming back from Taiwan, it’s been so hectic! It’s already been a month of high school and let me tell you. Junior year ain’t fun. There’s loads of work! And to add on to the load, I have 2 SAT tutors and Princeton Review classes every Sunday. Which means no more free Sundays!! WHY must you do this to mee?? I already have so much stress! Well at least my younger brother has to suffer with me. MUAHAHA. But seriously, my parents have robbed me of my leisure time. I barely have time to hang out with my friends! But I know that I’m not alone: my friends are busy too. Let’s not talk about work anymore. It’s kinda depressing just thinking about it. So let’s divert to something different.

aha this is julien dressed for his performance.

they are always sleeping!OCAC was by far the BEST experience I’ve ever had. That’s the one thing my friend who had previously gone there, was right about. Isolated from my parents I felt so free from authority. And this environment was just what I needed. I loved that it was an international camp where people who were interested in learning Chinese could come or…their parents make them. Of course that’s not everyone’s priority. Yes, people go there just to have lots of fun too, but I was also pretty interested in improving my Chinese since I’ve been struggling in Mandarin class last year. And making friends was a piece of cake! I practically made new ones everyday! Everyone was soo friendly and even though ages ranged from 14 to 18, age didn’t divide us or make us different. We treated each other the same. We, were friends. Back home I hated how my parents thought I was weird for having friends a year younger than me. It made me so mad! Don’t be age...-ist! But anyway people here were great not like in America. No offense but I feel like we, Americans, judge too much from the way others look and dress and even age! It’s really wrong but that’s a part of our lifestyle. Even though about half are from America the whole friendly environment of it made people not judge, I guess. I don’t know how to explain it but I didn’t meet anyone I hated! Although, there is this one person…but that’s cause she acted fake. And there’s really no reason to! Anyway, I made the greatest friends from all over the world! There were kids from Thailand, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, England, and even Guatemala! It was so sad to leave them but I will definitely visit and keep in touch with them. If you can, do something international with lots of people, you’ll meet the greatest most interesting people, I promise ;]

The Mental Storm Ain't Over.

Journal Entry #13haha! isn't this great?

SAT Madness by Sarah858

Alright, so I’ve finally found the time to blog. I came home early Thursday morning, and um let’s just say my lifestyle from here on has completely changed. No, I have not found enlightenment, but mid-camp my parents received my report card and it was anything but good news. I mean I guess I was pretty disappointed in myself too because I had worked so hard 4th quarter but for the overall grade it can only help so much. Ugh, I really don’t understand why though. For all my classes I did all the make-up work, extra credits, came to teachers after school if I didn’t understand something, & study my ass off for tests! WHY DOESN’T IT ADD UP!? I guess this year I have to make a good impression from the start and keep it up. So, right when I came back my parents decided to take action. They went psycho lecturing me on how I can’t screw up this year. I mean I don’t want to either but I don’t think they fully understand that my nature is to be slow not just when I work but when I think. It’s a curse from the gods okay. I hate being slow. I hate how homework always takes me twice as long as it should. I hate that my brain is slow processed so it’s really hard to digest information and memorize it. I hate everything about it! My dad thinks that I’m just doubting my abilities but I’m really not it’s the truth. So being all proactive, they made me read SAT prep books and made me take practice tests nonstop! Since the time my luggage first hit the floor of our house, they’d be sitting right next to me watching me turn the pages of that big fat book. You know what I learned? I learned that the SATs are dumb. That it doesn’t prepare you for the right college. And it’s just a god damn stressful competition with the rest of the nation. Yea, I’m complaining but I have to take it and one day I’ll loosen up and be positive about it when I take it so my negativity won’t bring me down. Plus I can always retake it. You know, my cousin got a perfect 2400 on her SATs and got a full scholarship to Duke University? She studies nonstop on her own. And her parents even worry that she studies too hard. Her mom’s always like “close the books & go to sleep!” Her name’s Felicia, and I’m really proud and happy for her but I could never live a life like that. I’d probably go into a depression studying that hard plus I wouldn’t remember it! Life in general is really hard. So much competition and a crave for a good status. All people care about these days is reputation. My dad went to Tufts and my mom went to Harvard. Sure, my dad is smart and really hard working but my mom? Honestly, she’s not smart. She got into that Ivy League b/c they saw “potential” in her and provided a scholarship also b/c she was from a third-world country. You see, this is called luck. She is really really lucky. At least she worked hard while she was there. But what I’m saying is, it shouldn’t matter what path you take as long as it takes you where you want to be. & that destination to most people is success. I was talking to a friend & he mentioned that people would unfortunately judge you for it. See what I mean? It’s all about status isn’t it?
I’m sorry for rambling! More posts soon.

Look Out!! A Typhoon's Comming!

So class is over, but it's bittersweet. I love my teacher. She's so open, you can come to her for anything. And even though she gave a lot of homework, i don't think i'd have gotten to learn this much chinese without her. i've learned chinese now for 10 years, and i haven't learned this much chinese in just 5 weeks!! So, you know she's a great teacher. And she rewards us every week, from Karyoke to Japanese hotpot and Taiwan's famous shaved ice. It's been so much fun!! & i will not allow what i've learned to go to waste. i refused to. She's such a hardworking teacher, i'd hate to do that to her and myself even. It sucks that my dad doesn't really talk to my brother and I in chinese. it's become a habit but that's why my chinese has been slipping away. i'm not practicing, so i'm gonna force my dad when i get back.

Even though class is over there's still so much shit to do!! We have to do a google earth presentation and it's so frustrating!! i already worked on it for 3 hours and i give up! appearently i did it wrong after 2 hours...and no one else in my class is doing it so why bother? wow, i just wasted my day and my counselor just called me to tell me that she'll do it since it's too complicated. wtf? & thanks classmates for ditching me to do funner things! (like watching movies on my laptop when i leave for 10 minutes...erg)

haha she made a star shaped bun. so adorable. Also, a friend from Singapor, Jess, just left and i'm terrible with goodbyes. it was so bad. she held her arms out and i just stood there for acouple seconds because i just didn't want her to leave!!! damn, she probably thought that i didn't want to hug her! i hate myself for doing that but ugh, it was so sad! everyone was crying bc the reality of it is no matter how much you want to reunite and keep in touch with everyone. it is so hard. i really hope with all my heart that things work out and we'll have a really big OCAC reunion in the future bc i love everyone here. this is so depressing! Anyway, this is her. Isn't she so pretty!! & she dances hella good too (i'm jealous lol). i'm glad i got to meet such an amazing dancer :) she is seriously pro. We also exchanged letters. she is so sweet! thanks Jess!!
plus we are currently experiencing a typhoon. GREAT..... let me just collect myself and i'll be back asap!

i Apologize!!!

i'm so so so sorry! i swear i didn't purposely neglect you guys. i've been sick and i have so much work!! & i feel pretty terrible that it seems that i've forgotten blogging but i think about it everyday! i have drafts lining up to be finished!( why must i type so much?! )This camp takes up so much of my time from 6 hours of daily class, being sick, stupid activities, and homework even. Right now i'm studying for a really big final tomorrow and my class already had a test today. I really should be relaxin' right now but i stay up til 1 almost nightly cause i'm paranoid and also bc it's a result of procrastination. WHY!! other than that i'm loving it here. i have a lot, a lot to say so stay tuned!! i promise to type tomorrow after my final since it's our last class. so no more stress! cheers to that. But about two more weeks of camp and i'm heading home. i'm a little homesick but i know will definatly extremely miss Taiwan and everyone i've met here. oh dear, i hate goodbyes!!!

more soon!! xoxo

p.s. as you can see i went back to the original layout. i am so indecisive. how typical. lol
p.p.s. thank you guys so much for the support!! i don't know if i'd have the energy to do it on my own. so thanks again! i truely appriciate it! AHHHH!!! thank you, thank you, thank you!!!