Tuesday, March 30, 2010

writing goals

It is the start of a new quarter and that means we have to do another statement purpose for our blogs. I kinda forget but we might have not done one during the end of the first semester. I looked through my old blog posts from the school year, and i find stuff mostly about my hongkong trip but i also see writing about tennis, and a lot of school related assignments. What are my current goals as a writer? From the prompt that was posted up, it said we have about one last quarter to blog.

I plan to blog about anime, some more tennis stories, weird facts about me, and my goals for the future. The only anime that i talked about so far is Full Metal Alchemist, meaning that i have a lot more to write about including prince of tennis, naruto, bleach, ultimo, pokemon, yugioh, kirby, and one piece. Each of these animes have a special element in them but most of them have the idea of protecting your friends. My tennis stories will most likely about the ones that stand out to me the most because i cant remember my daily stories with clear details everyday.

Goals that i can write can be the ones in the near future or they can be in the distant future. Well for the goals that is near, i guess school counts because that is the main thing we need to suceed in right now. Recently, we were given the light yellow forms to fill out what classes we want. I turned the paper in yesterday afterschool, unsure about what to choose for zero period. It was either journalism or current life, i was unsure about journalism because i am not very cofident with my writing skills. The option of current life was not as good as journalism because it is only half a year, but i need that class to graduate. I decided to get zero period because i found out that we were allowed to have zero thru fifth period. This would make my future as a junior much more enjoyable because i get to get out of school at lunch on tuesdays and wednesdays. For the rest of my classes, i chose regular English 3, Ap Us history , Ap calculus, Ap Physics, and Hp Spanish 4. Yesss i know 3 Ap and 1 Hp classes will be hard and it might mean getting 4 hrs of sleep half of the school year, but Apush and Hp spanish 4 i might not get in. For Apush we had to fill out an application and it included a essay and a segment saying why you wanted to be in that class, i kinda bsed it because it didnt really really want to be in that class. For Hp spanish 4, we had to write a one page essay about either who is the person that is most important in your life or why you chose this class all in spanish. I hope with these advance placement classes, they can look good on my transcript and result in a good college. For longer term goals , i want to get better in tennis but not that much get into varsity. Getting into varsity in Ahs is quite pointless because we dont progress there.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Hunger Games monthly review.

monthly review
12. what are the weaknesses of this book, in you opinion?
Although the book Hunger Games is constructed with beginning middle and end, there are some things that makes me feel there is something fishy. In every situation where the main character or the supporting characters are about to die, they do not. No body said that the main character can not die, it would just make the book more eventful. A few examples of when this happens is when Katniss is dehydrating, or when Peeta is dying. After dehydrating for three days, Katniss somehow finds water on her brink of death. When Peeta is dying, Katniss miraculously comes to save him, even though the odds of finding him was so slim. This element makes Katniss seem very lucky and just won't die, making the book go along too well.

Another weakness that comes to mind is how useless Peeta is in the story. Even though he saved Katniss when they were little kids about ten years ago, that doesnt mean Katniss needs to save him time after time. The only thing that Peeta contributed in winning the tournament is acting that he loves Katniss. It could be acting or real, but without Katniss cooperating in the plan, they could not have done it. If I were to write this book, I would kill Peeta in a slow and painful way, so that Capitol can have fun watching. This would most likely make the audience that is reading the book a lot happier, than the constant escapes of death. If it was not for Peeta, right after they won the Hunger Games, they would not have needed to be on guard against the Capitol. I guess these might be weaknesses in the book, and they are what helps make the book longer, but these are the things that make me raise an eyebrow.

17. Pick a character that interested you and write about them in depth.
Katniss, a girl that grew up in the ghetto part of District twelve called the Seam, has to support her family. After her father died from an mine explosion, her mother had a mental breakdown and Katniss was alone in supporting her family. Along with her hunting buddy, Gale, they went into the woods, knowing how severe the consequences are. Slowly they made acquaintances with neighbors and other people they could trade their food with. Even with meat from hunting, that was not enough for Katniss' family, so she had to take tesseras for the family to get more grain and wheat. Tesseras was when you put your name in the Hunger Game one more time to get more food. Some people had taken seven tesseras, one more every year since they were eligible.

When Prim, Katniss' sister is chosen for the Hunger Games, Katniss bravely switches with Prim to be a tribute. From that moment on, Katniss' life changed, scaring death but mainly worrying about her beloved family. In the last time they were able to meet, Katniss made arrangements with the baker and the major to help her family out. In the train ride to Capitol, Katniss had to adapt to the life style of luxurious foods. Throughout the book, she reminds herself that she has to win because she promised Prim that she would.
From all the abilities and qualities that she has, acting is one of the important ones that helped her out. Surviving the Games and winning with the other tribute was mainly from the fact that she acted that she loved Peeta. I believe becoming allies with Rue, was a smart choice but it did not help her much because Rue died very quickly. Archery skills acquired from years of hunting experience was very important, making it her goal to get a bow and arrow. The best quality that she has is luck, probably because she is the main character. Fortunately she survived a bee attack she caused, the bee stings, somehow dodging dozens of fireballs,and an attack from mutated dogs. In the end of the Games, Katniss and Peeta challenged and rebeled against the Capitol for their survival. They knew that this was a wrong action that would end up in later pressures from Capitol, but the love act had to be kept. Poisonous berries that killed once it hit the stomach were used as bait so that Katniss and Peeta would not have to kill each other.

11.What was the author's purpose(s) in writing this book, and how can you tell? How well was this purpose achieved?
The author's purpose in writing this book is to tell how to survive in the wild, how people can change, and how strong love is. Twenty-four tributes, two from each district, were chosen to play the hunger games. The last one winning of this competition would be the winner and gain glory , fame, wealth, living in a special part of town created for them. This was a crucial element in the Games until it was announced that both tributes from the District could be the winners. Special skills helped certain people survive however long they could, for example: Katniss used a bow and arrow to get food, Thresh won battles with pure strength, Rue had good hunting and gathering skills, Peeta could make bread, ... and so on. People changed in this book when people's way of thinking was changed. Priorities were changed because it was not all about fun or being full, it was survival of the fittest, mentally and physically. After eating a lot of rich foods on the train and in Capitol, the leaner people gained some weight, but it was quickly used up in the games. This purpose was achieved very well when in the end Peeta and Katniss needed an extreme makeover for their body, and they knew that this victory would affect their whole lives.

Showing how strong love is in this book was very big because it helped Katniss and Peeta live. Katniss' love for Prim made her sacrifice herself to protect Prim. Love that was acted between Katniss and Peeta was strong enough to persuade the audience of the Games to help them survive. Unfortunately this big part of the book confuses Katniss mentally, does she like/love Peeta or Gale? Peeta was the person that she escaped death with but Gale is the one that she hunted with everyday, and helped support her family.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Lit circle part 3

Yay. I finally finished this book, about one week earlier than we needed to. In the end of the book, Katniss and Peeta both wins the games together but their relationship is different. In front of the audience, they both were sweet and caring to each other. Without this element in their way to winning, they wouldnt have gotten sponsor's gifts to help them survive. Unfortunately on the train ride back to District 12, Peeta asks Katniss if she misses Gale and did she really like him. Katniss really feels that Peeta was not lying to her in the Games, and he really did like her since first grade. Katniss' answer is not very certain and direct and gives Peeta the idea that she never did like him. So, Peeta decides to not be as close to Katniss but in front of the media they still have to act sweet. If the Capitol finds out, they might think that katniss and Peeta acted to make Capitol look bad, then get revenge.

In my opinion, Katniss seems like she is falling for Peeta a little bit. So, she should keep the act up and eventually it will not be an act and she really will love him. Maybe outside of the games, they can understand each other better. I think that Peeta is kinda useless and should have died in this book, getting a mechanic leg is not enough punishment. He didnt do much in the book and mainly counted on Katniss to stay alive. For Peeta to win fairly, he should have equally helped Katniss out in survival, not just the lovey dovey act. He caused katniss more trouble than help, especially when he got cut by cato, bitten by the mutated dogs, and other injuries. Just acting for the Capitol will eventually blow up in their faces and backfire when one side gets mad.

Sigh . i am pass 300 words, now time to go random. this week is horrible. math midterm part 1 and 2 , chem test , history test , pacer test , mile run test , pe written, and ill just squeeze that 1000 word assignment last minute on friday =D

Thursday, March 18, 2010

CAHSEE.

The California high school exit exam. . . the test that we need to pass high school. I never thought that this test would be hard, and it is not. Even before the test my buddies told me that it was just simple English from 8th grade, and math that is from 7th grade ( algebra 1). So, with that i decided not to study at all for either tests, not even using the blue and gold ELA book. In our English class, one substitute forced us to practice the problems on the booklet but i did not really try. He stressed how important this test was.haha

The first day of testing, i asked my friend that gives me a ride to school if we can go 15 mins earlier. I woke up at 7 but went back to sleep accidentally and woke back up at 7:10. I still got to my friends house at the agreed time, 7:20 but they were not ready yet. It turns out that we left at 7:45, 5 mins earlier instead of 15. I was not able to visit my buddies on the day of testing but oh wells.

On the list outside of the conselor's office, it said that i have to go to the cafeteria. When i got there people were lining up outside and the security guy was trying to make us single file. For a moment i thought that i forgot my ID card but luckily it was in my backpack. The first part of the test for day one was about English and the multiple choice. The writing task was quite lame because it was writing about a time where you missed an opportunity but still benefited. I did not know what to write so i just bsed it about wrote about skipping summer school for vacation. I benefited by learning about the culture in that place and having a good time. =D

Day two. The math part of this testing was so easy, i believe it was easier than Alg 1. Most of the material was about logic and you didnt really need to think to solve them. The one question that stood out to me was n=12 what is -n? Lol. the answer was obviously -12, how can you not know that? During both parts of the tests, i had about 45 mins of extra time to spend. Unfortunately i forgot to bring homework to do that day and was extremely bored, so i took a little nap. When i woke up, i felt that the blood in my leg feel funny. I started playing with this tennis ball that i left in my backpack long time ago. The lady immediately came over and said, " Put your ball away !" My friend and i started laughing, but i put the ball away of course. Does placing with a tennis ball really distract all the other people?? I think if they were super concentrated in the test, they should be in the zone and not notice the green sparkly bouncy ball.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Lit Circle part 2

By the end of the story it is unclear whether or not Peeta really loves Katniss. Peeta goes through many obstacles to make sure Katniss is relatively safe. He joins the Career Tributes, a group of people that live better than the rest of the districts, in hope to tell them false things about Katniss. Katniss thinks that Peeta betrayed her, but she finds out that isnt true when Peeta saves her life. Katniss released a bunch of tracker jackers ( deadly mutated bumble bees) into the Career Tributes camp. In order to protect Katniss from Cato, Peeta took a swing from Cato to the leg. From there on, Peeta was kicked out of the group, making Katniss confused.

Katniss teams up with Rue, a cleaver little girl from district 11, to form an alliance. After Rue is assassinated by a kid from district 1, Katniss shoots and gets revenge on this boy. When the announcement is said that both tributes from each district can survive this year, Katniss goes looking for Peeta. Peeta is dying from the injury on the leg but on the rescue is Katniss. i think that Katniss will realize all that Peeta has done for her soon, and be thankful. =)

Katniss finds him and fixes him up. The thoughts running across her mind is that does he really love her? My opinion is that he really wants to be with her, when he tells the story of liking her ever since elementary school. Is this a story to please the audience in the Capitol, i dont knoww, but it sounds pretty real. I think it is unfair how Katniss only acts likes she is falling in love while Peeta is not. From the acting of the duo, the audience in the capitol gives them supplies when they most need it, because they are loving the romance.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Tennis racket cracks

My first tennis racket that had a huge crack was bought from my friend's friend called John Chan. The racket was a Babolat PureDrive with cortex second generation. Along the B of the Babolat near the head of the racket was where the crack rested in. I had first found out around the crack when i broke my gosen tennis strings. Sighh I tried to ask people to help me restring my racket but when they saw the crack they were afraid their stringing machine would get hurt. Risking my racket getting a bigger crack was not a problem for me but their machine breaking would make me responsible. So . . . I decided to get a brand new racket in Hong Kong. Unfortunately this trip was a month away so i had to use my friends racket. It was quite heavier and older than mines, making my arm a bit bigger.

When i got this Babolat PureDrive Third gen, the difference being that this frame is composed of graphite and tungsten (GT), i worried that it would be a fake racket because i got it in China. Playing with the racket and being able to hit 80mph serves reassures me that it is real. But, the thing that this racket was about 130 usd still worries me a bit because the original price in California is 185+tax. Haha. When i was young, i always thought that +tax meant that it was included already, but noooo it means PLUS TAX. I guess i always interpret wording in some things differently then how they are supposed to. Another time that thing happened was in Spanish class. The directions for the Destinos activity said can you answer these questions without using the word bank, so i thought that you had to use other words. I was reminded that it said "can you" and not that you have to use other words, and that they mainly wanted you to use the word bank.

Okay, continuing with my cracked tennis story. . . Three days i ago i was practicing after school at AHS, when i realized something. Like usual, i use my left hand to hold the throat of the racket, somehow making me feel more balanced. I felt that there was a chip on the paint of the racket. When i was not busy, i closely examined the paint chip, and saw that it was another crack. At first i didnt see that the inner black part of the racket was cracked but, i confirmed it after staring at it for a long while. I was shocked, another tennis racket broken. I am sure that i can use that racket for another month or so, but sooner or later i need to buy another one. Learning from both the cracks, i think this time i will get one from tenniswarehouse.com, because there is a one year insurance just in case your racket cracks. Hopefully no more of my future bought rackets crack, because they cost a big amount of two hundred dollars, a big investment for having fun.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Lit Circle , Letter 1

Katniss is a girl from District 12, coal being its main way of life. When her sister gets picked for the Hunger Games, Katniss volunteers to take her place, making her seem heroic. The Hunger Games is where one boy and one girl each of the twelve districts is chosen for fighting in an arena til the last one survives, simply for the pleasure of the Capitol. Getting ready for the fight, Katniss is transported to the Capitol and her popularity rises. Her stylist, Cinna, helps give Katniss an unforgettable image that is about her being on fire.

During the training session or tryouts for Katniss to show the judges what she can do, she scores an eleven, the highest being twelve. She attained this score by shooting an arrow through the apple of a pig the judges were eating, surprising them. So, I wonder . . . can she live up to the expectations she has of winning? With the support of her sister and family, the image boost , and high score, it should be a big help. But, somehow i think these advantages might backfire and go against her because it will make her hated by all the other tributes.

Right where the bookmark ended, the boy tribute from district 12, Peeta confessed his love for Katniss. This might be real or fake but his goal was to make Katniss seem more desirable for the sponsors. The sponsors can help you during the Hunger Game when you need certain necessities so that you do not die. Can this confession really help her?? I am sure there is another way for her to get sponsors even though their mentor is not helping them. Their mentor is a former tribute that survived the game and won, but right now he is a drunken fat dude.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Scoliosis

Scoliosis is when your spine has a slight curve, that can look like a "S". The main cause usually is not genetic but i acquired mine during puberty. I have always been known to be growing fast and tall, so unfortunately one of legs grew a big longer than the other. This unbalance of the legs made my whole body unbalanced, including my shoulders and spine. sighh. The consequences of growing too tall can be different for all people. Luckily, the scoliosis that i have is quite minor and i do not need a brace for my back. If i did need one, i would hate wearing t shirts, because the brace out stand out. The only thing i have to do for this problem is put a 1/4 inch plastic thing on my shoe so i have equally tall.

It all started on a day of simple tennis practice about two years ago. I was practicing by myself against an invincible enemy, the big tall brick wall. So, one time i stroked the ball and pop, i feel something feel stretched. I just ignored it and kept playing, never winning against this unstoppable defense. The next day i woke up and i felt the pain on my back. It felt sore at first but i still exercised that day, the day after i could barely move. My mother and aunt applied heat, something i thought was good at first but learned it was not advisable a year later. The heat felt goooood and relaxing but it didnt help with the pain in the long run.

As soon as could get an appointment, i went to the doctor's for a checkup. My aunt from Seattle had accompanied me there because my mom was at work. Our usual doctor was busy so this person was unknown to me. She pressed around the lumbar vertebra and asked me how much it hurt on the specific places. Her conclusion was that i got a back muscle spasm and i need rest. Ah! But, i had to go to Seattle in one week to help my grandparents move. I guess, i couldnt be as much help to them as i thought. She also saw that my legs were slightly unbalanced so she used a book to put on bottom of my left foot. With that book, it looked a bit more balanced.

The day following my doctor check up, i went to Alameda hospital to get a xray on my back to see if i had scoliosis. The old american man that was helping me got frustrated. He said that i was moving too much and it would take the whole day if i dont stay still. I was probably quite nervous at the time. After we got the results, it was officially confirmed that i had the curving of my spine.

From this discovery, i learned that i should not force things when i am playing a sport. Thinking about it, this can be applied to life, dont be forceful and there is always limits. If my body hurts a little bit, i should quit and go rest, because i can always play tennis another day.