I begin my first day of sophomore year in high school tomorrow, if we must be specific, though I am not really nervous. Perhaps it is the repetition of having a first day so often that I do not feel the need to go over it in detail in my mind. I will simply show up, record the needed supplies for the next week, and then go back home to fill out the homework that always starts with asking us a little about ourselves. Frankly, it is all getting a little too predictable. The only times that I have ever felt uneasy is when I am starting a new school. That doesn't happen often, since I have a life where most of the people I see, I have known since I first started kindergarten. That is because I have resided in the same house since I was first brought home from the hospital. My dad often remarks of his jealousy over how we have such long-term friends since he and his family moved around quite often, and there were no cell phones back then to keep in touch as easily as we do now.
I do have some expectations for what this year will be like. I know that before we know it, it will be summer again, and it will once again be brought to my attention how fast everything moves. My few expectations that I have regard how people will see me. I want to be seen as an overall happy person. Maybe even a confident person, if I get up the guts to act that way. I can easily be my crazy self that nobody really knows about with my friends. With people I have seen but don't know, it's a completely different story. With them, I just try to get off being liked.
My brother is very popular with the drama society kids. This is mostly because he is one. As I type, he is at a play rehearsal. I have trouble keeping up with his friends. Most of them are highly energetic and talk about a lot of topics at rapid pace. They also keep a lot of inside jokes among each other, so after a while, I lose interest trying to keep up with all the topics that seem unrelated to me, yet makes complete sense to them. One of those 'you had to be there' incidences. Don't get me wrong, I do not dislike them. I very much enjoy their good humor and how down-to-earth they all seem to be. However, I feel that I can never reach a good friendship with them. This is difficult to explain, but I will try. You see, because my brother is such good friends with them and they know him so well, they appear to expect the same type of personality out of me. That is probably because we are of the same age, and to those unfamiliar with twins or triplets or however many there are, we are one and the same. Therefore I cannot have a conversation with a drama kid unless they know me individually without feeling compared to my brother. That is my reason for not being able to have anything to do with them, as much as I like them.
I do have proof to being compared to my brother, and I will quickly say now that this does not include everyone in the drama society, should anyone happen across this and read it.
I do not know at the moment if my profile says anything about this, but I am a percussionist, a.k.a., a drummer. I decided to join a couple friends and do this charity group thing that was hosting a local band night. We came up with a couple songs. I was just accompaniment, so I really only played for one song. After I went up there and performed, after the usual people saying how good they thought I was, which is always heartwarming, I got a couple accounts of people saying something like, "I knew you played drums, but I didn't know you could play!" Basically, they assumed I sucked. Not exactly something you want to hear. So I decided to perform in my school's open mic-night, which we call Cabaret Night. I sang Favorite Things from the film The Sound of Music. My brother also performed his own song, and he played piano to mine. My friend went up to me when she saw me next and said, "So now that we know you can sing and stuff, are you gonna do any musicals?" Since my brother is doing his first play, I feel that some expect me to follow. In my life, I do not expect to follow the same path as either of my brothers. I do not see myself as a musician by profession, though I do greatly enjoy playing music and would consider myself a musician at heart and talent, I'm just uncomfortable with improvisations.
I guess what I'm saying is, I am much more comfortable and happier exploiting my confidence with my trusted friends. Strangers seem to be the ones that judge the most. A good friend of mine who moved here last year once said to me that she liked it here than where she lived previously. She said that the friends here really look out for each other and stay together. In her other town she said it was more like one-on-one. When I think about it, it's true. We really do stay close to one another, even if a great secret is told, we encourage them all the more for it. I guess it's a nice town to live in after all.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Week Two: Cakes
Last week, I attended yet another week of Culinary Underground classes. This week it was a teenage lesson about cakes. I would say that the week was mostly about how to properly decorate a cake, seeing as we only ever made one type of cake. We learned how to make butter cream frosting, but after that batch was used up, we just used the store-bought stuff, which I found to be a bit heavier on the sugar, which is good if you're into that, like my dad is. When I brought home a cake that was heavily coated in frosting, as well as inserted inside, he was giddy. I'm pretty sure he ended up taking about half the cake, and my brother the other half. I managed to get one wimpy sliver in the rampage. But that's okay, since I am the one with the recipe.
If anything, this week has taught me more than just how to decorate cakes, which it did. It also brought me closer to pinpointing exactly what I would like to do with my life that would best suit my happiness. The most important thing to me is that when I am living on my own paycheck is that I am as happy as I can imagine myself being. I want to wake up every morning not feeling obligated to do my job, but rather excited that I get to be there again. If it feels like work as much as school feels to me now, then it's not for me. I will not be stifled into sitting at a desk all day. That might be good for some people, but ever since I was little, I have felt that it didn't fit into my lifestyle. I have always thought that I wanted my schedule to be orderly, but with occasional surprises that were fun. I don't mind being in a place where I have to keep running around to get all these different jobs done.
But anyway, we are talking right now specifically about what this past week has taught me about my future. I already have it figured out that I want to be in the culinary business. What I wasn't sure about was where exactly I wanted to go. Did I want to be a cook or a baker? Work in a restaurant or a small deli or bakery?
I now know that although I do have a talent with baking goods and I do enjoy it, I feel I would be much more content with being a chef. The recipes can be so much more random, and I don't have to spend a lot of time hunched over drawing out a design that cannot have any visible imperfections. I do have some artistic skills, so if I managed to get a side job working at a bakery, it definitely would not be a bad thing. I am just stating my career choices. I talked to one of the chefs named Liz, a woman who graduated from Le Cordon Bleu. She told me that my current choice for Johnson & Whales as a school was a good idea. She also told me that if I worked hard at the piping on cakes, I could probably get a good job. Apparently, it's a dying art. Most people nowadays want to use fondant (which is some melted marshmallow and some other stuff made into a play dough like texture) to place over the cake and carve out shapes from there. I find using the piping bags to create a much more elegant appearance. Fondant works best with the types of cakes that they make on that show Ace of Cakes, -- oh, I am being told now that the show I am referring to is cancelled. I wonder why. I really liked it. -- if you making something like that, then ignore what I have said about piping designs.
So bottom line, I wanna be a chef. I have faith that the perfect job is out there for me, and it's gonna be awesome!
If anything, this week has taught me more than just how to decorate cakes, which it did. It also brought me closer to pinpointing exactly what I would like to do with my life that would best suit my happiness. The most important thing to me is that when I am living on my own paycheck is that I am as happy as I can imagine myself being. I want to wake up every morning not feeling obligated to do my job, but rather excited that I get to be there again. If it feels like work as much as school feels to me now, then it's not for me. I will not be stifled into sitting at a desk all day. That might be good for some people, but ever since I was little, I have felt that it didn't fit into my lifestyle. I have always thought that I wanted my schedule to be orderly, but with occasional surprises that were fun. I don't mind being in a place where I have to keep running around to get all these different jobs done.
But anyway, we are talking right now specifically about what this past week has taught me about my future. I already have it figured out that I want to be in the culinary business. What I wasn't sure about was where exactly I wanted to go. Did I want to be a cook or a baker? Work in a restaurant or a small deli or bakery?
I now know that although I do have a talent with baking goods and I do enjoy it, I feel I would be much more content with being a chef. The recipes can be so much more random, and I don't have to spend a lot of time hunched over drawing out a design that cannot have any visible imperfections. I do have some artistic skills, so if I managed to get a side job working at a bakery, it definitely would not be a bad thing. I am just stating my career choices. I talked to one of the chefs named Liz, a woman who graduated from Le Cordon Bleu. She told me that my current choice for Johnson & Whales as a school was a good idea. She also told me that if I worked hard at the piping on cakes, I could probably get a good job. Apparently, it's a dying art. Most people nowadays want to use fondant (which is some melted marshmallow and some other stuff made into a play dough like texture) to place over the cake and carve out shapes from there. I find using the piping bags to create a much more elegant appearance. Fondant works best with the types of cakes that they make on that show Ace of Cakes, -- oh, I am being told now that the show I am referring to is cancelled. I wonder why. I really liked it. -- if you making something like that, then ignore what I have said about piping designs.
So bottom line, I wanna be a chef. I have faith that the perfect job is out there for me, and it's gonna be awesome!
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Insert Title Here
I wrote this up in about two seconds. Lemme know if the message is thwarted because I was distracted or if it is any good. I love feedback!
[Insert Title Here]
What was once lost can once again be found
However, it will never again be the same as it once was
But that's OK.
Our hearts rejoice with each new endeavor, however complicated
So be well, my friend,
And nothing shall ever harm you
As long as you desire to live.
[Insert Title Here]
What was once lost can once again be found
However, it will never again be the same as it once was
But that's OK.
Our hearts rejoice with each new endeavor, however complicated
So be well, my friend,
And nothing shall ever harm you
As long as you desire to live.
Summer Vacation: Hawaii
Hawaii, here I am! The land where they are known for their hospitality and chickens run wild. That last bit is something I didn't know until I landed here and we stopped at the grocery store for a few things.
Of course, when we landed, I was absolutely exhausted! All I wanted to do was drive to the house, find a room, and go to sleep. But, first we had to eat and buy things that would be necessary for living in a house, like food. Finally, we drove the distance to our house. However, as soon as we got there, sleep was the last thing on my mind. The house looked absolutely amazing! And it only got better the deeper inside we went. The first thing I saw when I entered the house was the giant window in the living area that opened up to the most amazing view. It was beyond anything my imagination could have come up with.
We have been here for a few days now, and there is so much to do! Today, we are going to experience a tour that takes roughly 3 hours. You go hiking, horseback riding, and finally, zip lining! I love riding on horses, even though my leg muscles are a bit sore from the day we spent in San Francisco. We walked around all day. My dad forgot the sunscreen, or rather did not think we would need it, and I have a huge sunburn on my chest and one on my nose. I was also wearing a necklace that day, and you can see the imprint of it on me.
Anyway, I really strained my leg when we went to visit this location that I currently cannot remember the name of. It overlooked the ocean. There were two of what they called pill boxes. They was used during WWII to scout over the waters and report if any enemy ships were sighted. My brother walked behind one of them that went into the forest and found that the back was open. So he climbed in and walked over to where they would have scouted in the past. I decided to go in after him. It was big enough for me to stand straight in, but I didn't know if anything was on the ceiling, so I ducked down anyway. My dad, the always cautious one, told us to be careful and we should probably climb out, so we did. While the entrance was open, there was a bit of a drop down to get to the floor. On the way back, it was harder to climb up. My brother helped pull me up, but my right leg was stretched out a bit too much when I put my weight on it, and it seized up. Since then, it's been a bit sore. But only a bit. Nothing can stop me from doing everything I can on this vacation (unless the car breaks down *knock on wood*).
My biggest worry is that I will become all depressed when we get back. It won't be as intense, I don't think, as when we came back from Florida. My reason for that is because we came back home during the winter, and it always looks so gloomy at that time of year. This time, I will be coming back to a bright sunny place where the weather is actually pretty predictable, or at least compared to here, where it will be bright and sunny one minute, then begin down pouring that is done within the next minute.
Of course, when we landed, I was absolutely exhausted! All I wanted to do was drive to the house, find a room, and go to sleep. But, first we had to eat and buy things that would be necessary for living in a house, like food. Finally, we drove the distance to our house. However, as soon as we got there, sleep was the last thing on my mind. The house looked absolutely amazing! And it only got better the deeper inside we went. The first thing I saw when I entered the house was the giant window in the living area that opened up to the most amazing view. It was beyond anything my imagination could have come up with.
We have been here for a few days now, and there is so much to do! Today, we are going to experience a tour that takes roughly 3 hours. You go hiking, horseback riding, and finally, zip lining! I love riding on horses, even though my leg muscles are a bit sore from the day we spent in San Francisco. We walked around all day. My dad forgot the sunscreen, or rather did not think we would need it, and I have a huge sunburn on my chest and one on my nose. I was also wearing a necklace that day, and you can see the imprint of it on me.
Anyway, I really strained my leg when we went to visit this location that I currently cannot remember the name of. It overlooked the ocean. There were two of what they called pill boxes. They was used during WWII to scout over the waters and report if any enemy ships were sighted. My brother walked behind one of them that went into the forest and found that the back was open. So he climbed in and walked over to where they would have scouted in the past. I decided to go in after him. It was big enough for me to stand straight in, but I didn't know if anything was on the ceiling, so I ducked down anyway. My dad, the always cautious one, told us to be careful and we should probably climb out, so we did. While the entrance was open, there was a bit of a drop down to get to the floor. On the way back, it was harder to climb up. My brother helped pull me up, but my right leg was stretched out a bit too much when I put my weight on it, and it seized up. Since then, it's been a bit sore. But only a bit. Nothing can stop me from doing everything I can on this vacation (unless the car breaks down *knock on wood*).
My biggest worry is that I will become all depressed when we get back. It won't be as intense, I don't think, as when we came back from Florida. My reason for that is because we came back home during the winter, and it always looks so gloomy at that time of year. This time, I will be coming back to a bright sunny place where the weather is actually pretty predictable, or at least compared to here, where it will be bright and sunny one minute, then begin down pouring that is done within the next minute.
A Slight Case of Jet Lag
Ever since I have returned home, I have been staying up pretty late at nights. Understandable, given the time difference. I really did enjoy the chance to experience Hawaii and once again see California. You see, my grandparents used to live there when I was young. They moved closer to us, but we used to go down there for two weeks over the summer, at which time it never rained, as California is apt to do.
I find myself, however, reverting to something I will call jet lag. I call it that because I am not completely familiar with the actual definition of "jet lag," since I used to think that it only had to do with the fact that while you are on a plane, it is almost like your body is on pause. Then, once you get off, the exhaustion hits. I am now beginning to feel that it is much deeper than that.
It started in 2010, after my family returned from a 17 day trip in Florida and Disney World. When I came back, it was winter and where I live, winter always seems dark and remote, whereas Florida was like HD in comparison. A night after we had returned, I was in bed wishing that we were back in Florida where it was warm and sunny, since I had felt that I was just starting to get comfortable before being jerked back on a plane. I will admit, it was with such awareness that I was not where I wanted to be that I began to tear up. The door to my mom's room opened, and she called my name. I went into her room and we talked for a long time. I felt better after that and even closer to my mom. We had always been good friends, even when I was little and still in elementary school. All throughout my life, I have found that my mindset has been the same. I would come to think in the same manner, as though I have been the same age my whole life. I enjoy the fact that my parents and me were more friends than one in charge of the other. I have seen households where the latter has been true, and it saddens me to see the disrespect the child will hold for their parents. I see this most in parents that have been divorced and are living more difficult lives taking care of the kids and holding up a steady job. I can understand the stress, but kids need to know that they are loved. I suppose that's true with anyone. We all want to be appreciated and admired for who we are. What we first must find out is that we all have to believe that we can be admired. One does not gain appreciation when their mindset is one of disliking their body and hating themselves. You will find that it cannot get you anywhere. Confidence is your friend. Embrace it, since it feels a hell of a lot better than believing that you are not worthy for something that you could easily have otherwise.
So what was I saying before? Hang on, let me read back a bit...
So, back to my jet lag. Right now, I need to come up with a solution. Perhaps making a list of what I find useful and happy about where I live, both location and residence. I could always read a book. I have some summer reading to complete and the stories are interesting so far. I am happy to be reading The Book Thief, which is a book that has been recommended to me numerous times, but I have never quite gotten around to it. For history, I have been given a book called Outcasts United. I cannot tell you exactly what it is about, but I like it. Usually, the history classes will land you with a book that is depressing, and one you would really rather leave alone, but yet you are made to read it. I have standards when it comes to books, although I rarely leave a book before I've finished. I am happy to say that this year is different. Perhaps I will like my sophomore year after all.
I find myself, however, reverting to something I will call jet lag. I call it that because I am not completely familiar with the actual definition of "jet lag," since I used to think that it only had to do with the fact that while you are on a plane, it is almost like your body is on pause. Then, once you get off, the exhaustion hits. I am now beginning to feel that it is much deeper than that.
It started in 2010, after my family returned from a 17 day trip in Florida and Disney World. When I came back, it was winter and where I live, winter always seems dark and remote, whereas Florida was like HD in comparison. A night after we had returned, I was in bed wishing that we were back in Florida where it was warm and sunny, since I had felt that I was just starting to get comfortable before being jerked back on a plane. I will admit, it was with such awareness that I was not where I wanted to be that I began to tear up. The door to my mom's room opened, and she called my name. I went into her room and we talked for a long time. I felt better after that and even closer to my mom. We had always been good friends, even when I was little and still in elementary school. All throughout my life, I have found that my mindset has been the same. I would come to think in the same manner, as though I have been the same age my whole life. I enjoy the fact that my parents and me were more friends than one in charge of the other. I have seen households where the latter has been true, and it saddens me to see the disrespect the child will hold for their parents. I see this most in parents that have been divorced and are living more difficult lives taking care of the kids and holding up a steady job. I can understand the stress, but kids need to know that they are loved. I suppose that's true with anyone. We all want to be appreciated and admired for who we are. What we first must find out is that we all have to believe that we can be admired. One does not gain appreciation when their mindset is one of disliking their body and hating themselves. You will find that it cannot get you anywhere. Confidence is your friend. Embrace it, since it feels a hell of a lot better than believing that you are not worthy for something that you could easily have otherwise.
So what was I saying before? Hang on, let me read back a bit...
So, back to my jet lag. Right now, I need to come up with a solution. Perhaps making a list of what I find useful and happy about where I live, both location and residence. I could always read a book. I have some summer reading to complete and the stories are interesting so far. I am happy to be reading The Book Thief, which is a book that has been recommended to me numerous times, but I have never quite gotten around to it. For history, I have been given a book called Outcasts United. I cannot tell you exactly what it is about, but I like it. Usually, the history classes will land you with a book that is depressing, and one you would really rather leave alone, but yet you are made to read it. I have standards when it comes to books, although I rarely leave a book before I've finished. I am happy to say that this year is different. Perhaps I will like my sophomore year after all.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
The Flight Begins
Here I am, on an airplane traveling to California before taking another plane to Hawaii. According to the time now, there are about 3 more hours before we land. Could this flight GET any longer??! I have to wait until I can get into a wifi zone so I can copy/paste this onto my blog.
Not a lot of eventful things have been going on. I had to wake up at 6 AM so we could finish packing, plus the usual morning routines of showers and breakfast. Speaking of which, I'm kinda hungry. It's just an hour earlier than my dinner. Because of the time difference, my internal clock is just about to become confused, and just when it thinks it has got everything all sorted out, it will proceed to get all screwed up again.
And then there's the return trip. According to my dad, this is the longest flight we will to through, even counting the way back. I wish I brought another book. After the first 3 yours, I managed to get about halfway through. It won't last long at that rate. Luckily I managed to choose something that peaks my interest from my bookshelf. I chose this book called The Dark Hills Divide by Patrick Carman. It is the first book of a trilogy.
I also brought my summer reading book for history along, but that involves a lot of note-taking and paper, so I am going to save that for a time when I have more space to spread out with less turbulence.
On the plus side, I've got my music! Recently, my iPod had problems with my Rhapsody app. I could still listen to my songs on shuffle, but not if I wanted to find a specific song. My dad tried to fix it and soon concluded that the only way to fix things was to delete and redownload it, thus erasing all my songs. I was a little pissed about it for a while, and am now pledged not to use Rhapsody again. I have switched over officially to iTunes and YouTube. So far everything seems to be working fine. Right now I am just wishing I had thought ahead as much as my brother and downloaded a couple movies.
Not a lot of eventful things have been going on. I had to wake up at 6 AM so we could finish packing, plus the usual morning routines of showers and breakfast. Speaking of which, I'm kinda hungry. It's just an hour earlier than my dinner. Because of the time difference, my internal clock is just about to become confused, and just when it thinks it has got everything all sorted out, it will proceed to get all screwed up again.
And then there's the return trip. According to my dad, this is the longest flight we will to through, even counting the way back. I wish I brought another book. After the first 3 yours, I managed to get about halfway through. It won't last long at that rate. Luckily I managed to choose something that peaks my interest from my bookshelf. I chose this book called The Dark Hills Divide by Patrick Carman. It is the first book of a trilogy.
I also brought my summer reading book for history along, but that involves a lot of note-taking and paper, so I am going to save that for a time when I have more space to spread out with less turbulence.
On the plus side, I've got my music! Recently, my iPod had problems with my Rhapsody app. I could still listen to my songs on shuffle, but not if I wanted to find a specific song. My dad tried to fix it and soon concluded that the only way to fix things was to delete and redownload it, thus erasing all my songs. I was a little pissed about it for a while, and am now pledged not to use Rhapsody again. I have switched over officially to iTunes and YouTube. So far everything seems to be working fine. Right now I am just wishing I had thought ahead as much as my brother and downloaded a couple movies.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Returned from Italy
Today was the last day of this week's cooking. So for the last day, we had a cooking challenge! We were given a box of various ingredients that we had cooked with throughout the week. Our objective was to use all the ingredients in the box in at least one dish making a main dish, an appetizer or side dish, and a dessert. While we were allowed to follow some recipes that we used throughout the week, we had to change it in some way. We were split up into two groups. There were 11 of us, so there was one group of five and another group of six. I was placed in the group of six. I have to say that the other group was given the easier box. I mean, they were given a container of Nutella! There's a lot you can do with that! (they ended up making a crostata with peaches. Real pretty). For an appetizer, our group decided to make some Polpettine. I guess that's Italian for 'meatballs,' cause that's what they are. To change it up, instead of using ground beef, we used ground sausage, which was luckily one of our ingredients. Then some other people on our team made a sauce using onion powder, garlic powder, Italian spices, and seasonings to taste. When I tasted it, I absolutely loved it! I enjoyed the fact that they were bite size, which made them easier to eat. For our main dish, we made some gnocchi with a pesto cream sauce. It took a while to make simply because we had a great quantity. For dessert, we made Amaretti cookies, some of them sandwiched together with orange ganache, and others with an almond ganache. I apologize if I spelled that word wrong, I don't know how to spell it and neither does my computer. We added one other dish as a side because we had some ingredients left over. We made a Caprese salad. Our creativity overall won us the contest. As a reward, we were given each a ceramic paring knife. The other group got non-ceramic knives (so hah!).
This week has been very fun. Next on my agenda is Hawaii! I will be sure to take a lot of pictures, by request of my family. At some point, we will be horseback riding and zip-lining! I've always wanted to do both those things!! Plus, I hear the food is gonna be great, and I'm all about the food.
I hope everything goes well and it's as amazing as it is said to be!
This week has been very fun. Next on my agenda is Hawaii! I will be sure to take a lot of pictures, by request of my family. At some point, we will be horseback riding and zip-lining! I've always wanted to do both those things!! Plus, I hear the food is gonna be great, and I'm all about the food.
I hope everything goes well and it's as amazing as it is said to be!
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