Top 10

So, it's the end of the year, and I feel that I need to make a top 10 list. Something that everyone does. But, this won't be the 10 best blog posts I've made. This is a top 10 list of ways to help people next year.

1. Volunteer at your local food bank. If there's a Foodbank or Operation Food Search around you, go ahead and volunteer there. People can really benefit from what you do, and you never know who you're helping.
2. Donate. If you are finanically stable, donate to those who need money, or use it for a good cause.
3. Join a group. If you have a local group such as hospice or a volunteer group, go ahead and join. It's a great way to do good things regularly.
4. Recycle/don't litter. Just as I made the post about the Galapagos animals, here's the same idea. Recycle, or at least make sure your garbage is properly disposed of. This can do so much for our environment. More than we even know.
5. Be nice to everyone. Even when you're not volunteering, be nice to everyone you see, or those that come around you. It really does impact people.
6. Start your own project. If there's a certain branch of community service that really hits home to you, start your own project about that. It doesn't have to be a huge thing that lasts forever. Even just working on it for a month or so is helpful.
7. Convince friends to help out. The more the merrier. The more people you have helping you volunteer, the more work gets done. And it gets done faster too!
8. Talk to people. If you volunteer at a hospital, homeless shelter or anywhere where your work is benefiting people, try and see if you can find some way to talk to them. Visit patients, or the homeless. It's not always possible, depending on where you're volunteering, and if you can't do it, don't worry about it. But, if you can, go right ahead. It really makes people happy.
9. Find creative ideas. Think about different ways that you can help people. Aside from packaging food or volunteering at shelters, what more can you do? There's always something. You can always do something.
10. Show your gratitude. I'm currently watching a news segment about a little boy who greets soliders when they come home from the airport. I'm not saying that you have to do that, but when someone does something nice for you, show them how grateful you are. Maybe make them a card, or cookies. Just something nice to show how thankful you are.

So, I hope that you enjoy this list, and find it useful through the next year when you want to do something to help out.

Not Only People

So, it's not always people that community service (or out-of-community service) helps. One very important thing that it means is animals.

Animals are a very big part of our society, and to the ecosystem in general. But, now a lot of their populations are dwindling. A lot of this has to do with things that us humans inflict on them. Such as trashing oceans, cutting down rainforests and poaching of endangered animals. Many of this I have seen recently in the Galapagos islands.

For anyone who doesn't know, the Galapagos islands are a group of islands off the coast of South America. They have beautiful landscape, but the most amazing thing about them is the wildlife. From sea lions to beautiful birds, fish, tortoises and sharks, these islands have such a variety of wildlife that enjoy the place that they live. But, since many tourists have come to the islands, many populations of these animals have dwindled. It is a national park, and it was an idea that tourists should be completely eliminated from the island. Why is this? Because, tourism has added to the decline of population for many of these species.

When walking off the dock from our boat, I noticed some trash in the water, and wondered exactly how someone could throw trash into such beautiful water, with adorable sea lions and iguanas happily swimming around. I know I could never bring myself to do something like that. Especially when there's a trash can not far away at all. I think this is why people are looking to shut down tourism. What happens of some sea lions get curious and decide to eat it, or if the iguanas get caught in it? What happens then?

The next time you litter, or throw garbage into the ocean, or if you have some sort of chemical that you don't want, and you're right next to water, think about how that will affect the wildlife in that water. Or, if you see someone else do that, tell them about what you know. About how that will affect the creatures in the ocean. Or just the ocean itself.

Something Nice Everyday

So, helping people ot doesn't always mean donating money, or making things to give to people, or buying things in which proceeds go to a good cause. Yes, those things are always fantastic to do, especially for the people who your work benefits. However, it could also mean something a little bit more close to home.

If there's someone in your world who helps you a lot, such as the woman who takes care of my grandma every sngle day, it's nice for them to know that you appreciate what they do for you, aside from their paycheck. A simple thank you card or gift can brighten their day, and show them that there is someone who really cares for them. It doesn't even have to cost any money. A nice homemade card can really show people that you care.

Or, holding the door open for a persn that you may not even know is something good to do. At my school, there are codes on the doors, and so you have to enter them to get into each building. Since most classes involve going to different buildings, this can get quite tedious and annoying after a while, especially when you just miss the door closing. Whenever someone waits to keep a door open for me, it always brightens my day to know that there's someone who is considerate enough to do that. Waiting around in the door is not fun, especially in the cold or whatnot, so it's nice to know that someone would do that just to make your day a little bit easier.

So, think about your day, and something that you can do to brighten someone's day every single day.

St. Jude Candle

The above candle can be bought at the Pottery Barn. It might be a little hard to see because the background makes the candle similar to distinguish. But, it's gorgoeus, and it's not only good to decorate your room with, but it's also good for society.

When you buy this candle, half of the proceeds will be donated to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Not only does it make a good gift for yourself, or a family member or friend, but it also makes a great gift for a child in need. St. Jude is strong in the fight against cancer in children. This candle will make great gift ideas, and will affect more lives more than you can imagine. So, if you're in need of a good gift idea, or a nice elegant candle, stop by your local pottery barn today to pick one up.

Adopting a Family

This holiday season, there are families in need all over the world. Not everyone has what they need to have a wonderful holiday in this time of festivities. Adopting a family! This year, my first in hospice, the leader sent around an e-mail about a family that we adopted, and two little boys that we are also going to be providing things for. That's when I thought about how important and helpful that adopting a family really is.

This is one of the perfect ways to help out this holiday season. To help a family in need is something that will put a smile on your face, and their faces. Visit the link below to get started!

http://tohelpistoheal.org/content/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47&Itemid=55

Crafting Things

So, this weekend, I spent Thanksgiving with my cousins, where we made videos about how to make Turkeys out of paper cups and some household items. Which got me thinking about how important crafts are to me when I'm helping out. A lot of the work that I do is with people, which is why I like to have things to do with them.


One of the things that I can always do with people is crafts. I can always make things with them that both of us can cherish and enjoy for a long time. It's so much fun to look at something and know that you made it with someone else. To ensure that I always have a fun craft, I keep a craft book. In it, I keep all the crafts that I know how to make. For each craft, I write a list of materials needed to make the craft and a step-by-step set of instructions for my craft.

The above video is the instructional one that my cousin and I made. If you do a lot of work with people, you should keep a craft book and you can make this one the first craft. If not, think about making something so that you'll always have something to do when helping out.

Mother Teresa

Thinking of helping those in need, there is one person who stands up above all the rest. And that person is the woman whose name is in the title. Her work served more people than I could ever hope to help in my life time. She touched so many lives, even lives of those who never got to witness her work firsthand. In that group is myself.

When I think about helping people, she is the first person that comes to my mind. When I think about the impact I want to make, I wish I could model her. Even though I know that is next to impossible, it's a good goal to set. To touch as many lives as you possibly can and help as many people as there are to help.

Mother Teresa. An amazing woman and an inspiration to all.

Turkey Train

So, today my school did it's annual Thanksgiving event. The Turkey Train! On this day, we line up from one end of campus to the other and pass turkeys that we all bring to school that day to be collected and sent to families in need of a Thanksgiving turkey.

This made me think about all of the families who need those turkeys, and how special this must be for them, but also that I should be so thankful for what I have. Because not everyone can have turkeys for their Thanksgiving dinner, and I can. I also have a wonderful family, school, house and so much more that it would take me too much of this post to list out. Not everyone else can say that they have what I have, so it is so great to know that I can.

The point of this is, when helping out, it's important to be thankful for what you do have, yet not brag about it. Because you never know when it might be taken away from you. Thanksgiving is a very special time to celebrate all that you do have, so be sure to reflect on that as you are having a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Holiday Projects

Hey everyone! So, the holidays are coming up, and you know what that means! Fun times galore for everyone! But, what about those people who are in dark times? What about those children who aren't going to have a good Christma?

That's something that's good about the holidays. It's such a good time to do something special for someone in need because it makes it all the more special for them. This time is so difficult for people when there aren't people to share it with them. But just one simple action can show people that there is someone who cares about them.

So, that's why I encourage everyone to start one special project this season. Because they can really help out people this season. For example, I am starting a project called Helping Hats, where I ma going to make as many hats as I can before Christmas, and invite friends over to help stitch with me. You can have friends help you do this too. It's fun and it's really helpful to people, and it can make people incredibly happy.

Helping Out Means...

So, here's something that's been eating away at me recently. I don't finish school in time to go on a mission trip to Denver with my youth group. I always felt like this was the perfect way to help out and learn so much about the world as well. And I was devastated when I learned I couldn't go.

But, then I thought about it, and realized that I don't need to travel to Denver to do good work. Sure, I'll miss all the fun and laughs, but that feeling of knowing that I'm doing good work for someone is still there, no matter where I'm doing the work.

That being said, doing work on your own ommunity is just as good as doing work anywhere else. No matter where you are, there is always someone in need very close to you. Whether that person needs a friend to comfort them through a difficult time, or whether they need food to last them for the next week, there is always something that you can do to make them feel more comfortable. I know that one thing I'm doing to help out around my community is hospice with my school. That is where we make cards and visit patients with terimal illnesses.

There's other things you can do. Such as work at foodbanks, or even organize a group to go and clean a park or neighborhood, you definitely have options.

Community service starts in your community, and you don't have to stray far to be able to do it.

And All the Hard Work Pays Off

So, here's just a post to show how helping people can reward you in multiple ways. Not only does it make you feel better about yourself, but there are also some advantages to helping out others that benefit you.

I'm not saying that every little good deed you do has something in it for you, but, there are plenty of deeds that do.

For example, this week, I went to my grandma's house, which we had spent so long cleaning, and remodeling, and making sure that everything was perfect to live in for her. We spent so much money, time and effort on this house, and all the hard work has finally paid off. TO watch her living there, and being happy where she is especially. Because we know that she is enjoying being home, and we can feel good about her being there, because we know the house is a lot nicer now.

But, whenever we have family visit-ins, we know that we can expect good things, and that the house is a place we can have huge amounts of fun and family time in. That's good for us, because we don't hav eto worry about dust and bugs and creaky floorboards when we go to visit.

That goes to show you. Hard work for someone else does pay off for you too.

Website Review: Dragcave Halloween 2011

So, I'll be reviewing this site:

http://dragcave.net/

Dragon Cave. Particularly the Halloween release which happened this year.

The Halloween festivities started off with the Leetle Trees changing to their Halloween form. This happened right before the Halloween dragons from years past were Able to breed, creating some want for those. Next, there was the Haunted House event.

This event was very fun and interesting. And it was a first for Dragon Cave in a way. Usually all the items just appear on the page after a set amount of time. But for this event you actually had to find all the items. When you did find all the items a Haunted House badge was given with the items when you click on it.

Next, there was the actual release. This year the Shadow Walkers were released.  When the release took place, there was the usual cave lag. But it wasn't too bad, as many people managed to grab eggs. The dragons turned out to be beautiful, and this holiday turned out to be wonderful on DC! Hopefully everyone enjoyed it. And if you weren't on DC, I would advise you to join us at Christmas for all the fun and festivities.

Was Shakespeare...Shakespeare?

So, this has been a very interesting topic for me in my English class. Did Shakespeare write all of the things that he was said to write? There is a theory that it is not Shakespeare who wrote them. The theory also states that a woman named Mary Sidney Herbert, whose family was very noble and so, she had the educational background, and the emotions to do it.

Her father and brother died at the period in which Shakespeare's plays indicated a drop in this area. This indicates that she might have written the play because her emotional status that she had. Also, the plays that Shakespeare was said to have very accurate depiction of things that nobles would know, that he wouldn't know, and also of women, and their feelings towards men, which would either indicate Shakespeare being homosexual or a woman.

So, how did all of this get pulled off? Well, Mary Sidney Herbert had a son, who would have been able to put Shakespeare's name in the credits due to his profession. He wouldn't want his mother to be the one who was credited for writing the plays because at this time, women were not supposed to be doing such things, and it could be very bad for their status as nobles. Shakespeare came across a great sum of money in this time period, and it is not known where or how he got it. Therefore, it is very plausible that he was paid to have his name on the paper. That way, the works could get published and not cause an uproar about the author.

I am not saying this is true. It is only a theory. However, I am curious to hear some of your theories on this subject too. Feel free to post them in the comments section.

Tolerance of Beliefs

So, I know I talk about tolerance of other people a lot, but now, I want to kind of shift gears on the same subject, and talk about religious tolerance, or tolerance of other beliefs.

One of the most important things I can say here is that if you don't know how the person will react to what you say, don't say it at all. This is important, especially when you are talking about touchy subjects like religion with a religiously diverse group of people. An example of this was during History class, we are talking about religion. We have covered Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam so far. And there are plenty of people who fall all of religions listed above in my class. So, our teacher was lecture us and then he made a comment about how "Christianity was basically a religion centered on Mary getting pregnant and not wantign to tell her parents so she said it was God" with a completely serious look on his face.

This offended plenty of people in our class, and it was not okay when he dismissed it with a smirk before moving on to the next topic of conversation.

Not only the Christians were offended by this comment, but many other people were too. They thought that he had kind of stepped over a line that was not meant to be crossed. Maybe if he were just joking, it would be more accepted by our class, even though plenty of poeple would still be rather upset. However, he didn't even make an effort to apologize to the people that he had offended.with that comment. It has made plenty of people lose a lot of respect for him.

So, do you have any stories about people who are intolerant to your faith, or another faith?

A New Journey

I am pleased to report about a new journey that my family is embarking on. Last night, my grandmother reutned home to St. Louis after being in Chicago since July of 2010. This was very amazing for us, because we didn't know if and when this was ever going to happen, and how we would make it work. We don't know if things are going to get easier or more difficult from here, but we do know that we are very lucky to have gotten this far.

The journey that my family was on before this one brought us together and farther apart. It brought us closer as a family, but it also created many disputes and arguements, some of which resulted in our family nearly falling apart. But we knew that we would get it after a little while.

Maybe you're wondering why our family is no longer on the same journey that we were on before. Well, the answer is that we are on a different journey, because many different things are happening. This journey is not focusing on the recovery, but it is focusing on the maintaining and making a woman's life as happy for her as it could possibly be.

One of the biggest changes in this journey was the addition of a new member, Beth. Beth will be taking care of my gramdmother when we cannot. And she will, and has already proven to be a huge help to our family. So thanks ot her, and thanks to everyone else who has helped us out.

So, are you or your families in the middle of a journey? If so feel free to post about it in the comments section of this post.

Dying...

Odd post title...I know. But, you can always trust that I will explain it. Yesterday, I had a very huge hospice meeting. It was a training meeting for visiting patients. As a student, I am only allowed to see patients in a nursing home for about two times a month. I will also be doing that with a partner.

One of the main things we talked about at the meeting was death. This is because all the patients will die, and we need to know all the signs and stages, and also how to help the families. But, one of the things that I learned at that meeting is that not everyone dies with the loved and support of their family and friends. That's where us volunteers come into play.  We support those people who don't have families. We also support people who do have families, because the families always need a break, and we should give them that.

The reason I decided to do this was because two years ago, in October, my grandmother fell and was placed in a rehabilitation facility. My dad and I went to visit her every single day, and we worried about her constantly. But, the woman who shared a room with my grandma was in much worse condition than her. And there was never anyone to visit her. I wondered how horrible that must be. To be by yourself with nobody there to visit me. Maybe it's just because family is so important to me and my family.

So, I encourage you to take a step out into something like hospice, or a friend who is in the process of losing someone. I'm not asking you to do a lot. But, just be there for them, and help them through this journey that htey are on.

Losing and Gaining Friends

So, here's something that I have been struggling with a lot recently. Gaining and losing friends. This is more of an advice post, because I know it's something that you struggle with a lot. Especially when your friends with someone and one of you is changing in a way that the other is not, and it's really affecting your friendship.

I'll say one thing. Don't stress over it as muh as you do. There's plenty of people out in this world. It's not like you won't ever find another friend, no matter what. Because you will. If you aren' t spending as much time with one of your friends as you owuld want to, or they aren't taking an interest in your friendship, take it as an opportunityto meet new people. Maybe you'll meet someone who you'll form a lifelong relationship with. So, don't stress over not being as connected with one of your friends as you used to be.

Next, take the opportunity to meet new people, because  you never know who you'll meet. You might just meet someone who you'll form a lifelong bond with. Even if you have good friends, there's never any harm in meeting new people, because you never know how that person might impact your life later.

Anyway, if you have any friendship advice that you need or tips you have to share, feel free to post them in the comments section.

Learning About Your Heritage

So, here's something that's recently becoming very important for me. Learning about my heritage. Today, I performed a dance that was baically Bollywood and Bharata Natyum mixed together. I dance, but I do ballet, tap and jazz, and I have never done an Indian style of dance. I've always wanted to do some sort of Indian dance, but I've never actually done it before. This was my first time performing it, and it went surprisingly well, actually. I enjoyed it very much.

Luckily, none of my friends were in the crowd today, but htey will be soon. Next Monday to be exact. I know I have to practice a lot before I perform for them, but, I will put in the effort needed, because I want this to be amazing.

But, the cool thing is that it doesn't really feel like practicing when I do the dance. It's just fun. Which is why I want to encourage everyone to look into their own backgrounds. Maybe you'll find something about the culture that you'll enjoy doing.

Do you have any stories or cool things about your culture you would like to add? Feel free to post them in the comments section.

A Helpful Day

Today was a rather interesting day for me. I learned a lot about hunger, but also solutions of hunger. Now, I'm not going to go into all of that, because I know it would bore plenty of people, however, I will post a link to the Danforth Plant Science Center for anyone who is interested in learning more. 

http://www.danforthcenter.org/
:
Anyway, today was World Food Day of 2011, and so, for this special day, the center decided that they would package food to help fight hunger. We packaged soy, vegetables and rice into bags, and made sure that everything was ready to be sent away to the people who needed it most. We tried to package as much food as we could, for as many people as we could. For us, we did this mainly to beat everyone else at packaging, and try and produce as many bags as possible, but, while I was doing it, I thought about the people who would end up eating this meal, and how much they would appreciate it. 

Also, recently, I found out that my dad's friend's wife has cancer, and it's not looking very good for her. So, my dad set up something where we could pre-make meals for them, and their family, because they have two kids, and it's really hard on them to have to deal with her chemo, yet also needing to cook for the family. It wasn't exactly meant to be for World Food Day, but it tied in well. Everyone is scared, but in terms of her medical condition there isn't a whole lot we can do about it. But then I got to thinking about what else we could do...

There's always more to do. In any situation, there's always something that you can do to make people's lives easier, and sometimes, it doesn't even take longer than five minutes. Even the smallest things could be helpful.

So, to those who want some advice on what to do, here's a list that you can use to help you.

1. Explore your community: There's always someone who could benefit from your help in your own community. Chances are, there's going to be someone who could use your help. If you want to get involved, take a look around your own community, and try to fnd if there is someone who really needs the help.

2. Do some research: Do a quick internet search of charity organizations in your area, and try and find our how you can volunteer there. Who knows? Maybe you'll find an organization that you really like.

3. Get people to help out: One thing that my dad did, was he got a group of friends to help today, which made things go efficiently, but it also made it a lot more fun. When there's other people with you, more work gets done, and it makes doing the work better, because you are helping out, yet having fun at the same time.

Hopefully, this list has helped you. If you have any other ideas, or you want to post your World Food Day stories, or stories of volumteer work in general, feel free to post a comment.

A Lesson

So, in early June, I posted about my mission trip to Chicago, and how if affected my life, and my thinking. Now, I am going to elaborate on one experience I had on that trip in particular.

On one of the last nights, my group went to the homeless shelter for the men staying there, who didn't have families there. The main point of our visit there was just to talk to them, and tell them about our lives, and try and see if we could make a differencce in their lives, or be a link in their chain. Which is exactly what we did. But, we didn't know that some of them would be links in our chains as well.

One of them who still stands out in my mind today is Fred. I first met him while I was serving dinner. I was putting cherry cobbler on someone's tray and the woman who was showing me what to do basically did all the work. I felt that I wasn't doing enough, but finally, he came and asked for some cobbler. He put his tray right in front of me, and so I gave him a couple scoops. He said thank you, and I felt really good about it for a moment or too, and then went back to waiting to serve somoene. After we had served, gone back to eat  dinner, and then went back to the family shelter to watch Despicable Me, we went to the shelter.

The walk was long, and many of us were exhausted from things that we had done previously. We finaly got there, and my friends and I felt awkward at first, because we didn't exactly know what we were supposed to do.

Them, Fred walked in, and we noticed each other. He asked to talk to me, and so my friends and I sat in a circle with him, and basically listened to his story. From the time that he was a child, he was bullied, which made him feel like he needed to do certain things to be able to fit in, or be okay. Those things ended up getting him into jail after a certain point, and he later became homeless.

He taught me many things. The first being that everything has a right to live. When there's a bug, never kill it, because it is a living creature and it has a right to life, just like we do. Yet, just because I'm bigger, I don't get to decide what right to life that creature has. He also taught me that anyone can become homeless. I don't believe I will ever become homeless, but neither did he. Who knows what could happen in the future? He taught me much more, but those two points were the key things that I will always remember from talking to him. Wherever he is now, I hope he's doing well, and living by the advice which he gave me.

How Good People Matter

Good people. We've all known a few, and heard of many more. There's my hero, Mother Teresa, who devoted her entire life to helping people. However, less than a handful of people would ever be willing to do something like that.

How about people who have just been all around helpful and loving for their entire lives?

In my life, the two people who have come to fit that description as well as they possibly could are my grandparents.

This weekend, my aunt, uncle and cousins came down here and we spent the majority of the weekend cleaning out my grandparent's house, because my grandma is coming home, and she's going to live there. Recently, we had the entire house remodeled because it was very old, dirty, and it was falling apart by the minute. On the outside, it looks the same as it always did. But, on the inside, it's no longer the same house where they took care of me. But, I can feel all the memories around me when I'm in it. Anyway, the people who did the remodeling stayed in it for some time, and it was a mess when we looked at it. All of her clothes from a closet that they didn't even do anythign with were dumped on the floor. Half of the stuff in the house was gone, and all the the dining room table was a mess. Not to mention the floors and bathrooms. When I walked through the house, and saw all this, I wondered how anyone could do this to the place where two amazing people lived.

It made me upset, as my cousin and I angrily, yet thoroughly, cleaned every space in the house, and made it look as beautiful as we possibly could. We folded all the sheets, cleaned all the bathrooms, folded the clothes, cleaned a lot of dishes and scrubbed the floors. And there was more that the rest of my family did. I was still upset thinking about what a mess the house was before we finished it, but when we were done, I looked at the house, and the weekend's worth of hard work that we put into the house, and realized how much work we did, without a single complaint, because we love my grandparents so much. And that's when I realized that the poeple who made it such a mess didn't know my grandparents, and how much they helped others, but we did. And my family and plenty of people in our community loved them so much that we would do anything for them. And that thought makes me so happy.

So, how about some good people that you know? Please leave a comment about them, because I would love to read it.

Halloween How-to:Jack-O Lantern Decoration

Hey everyone! So, today, I'm going to do something a little bit out of hte ordinary for my blog, but hopefully, it will still be fun for everyone to do. So, let's get started!

Halloween is coming up at the end of the month, andit's going to be really fun to blog about. Enjoy posts about constumes, fun ideas and scary stories that I am planning to post. But, this month, I'm going to get started writing a fun How-to about a cool Halloween craft idea. And that is...

Paper Jack-O Lanterns!

Well, let's get started making this!
1. To start off, we wil be taking some paper of any shape, color or size you want and folding it in half.
2. Next, cut out a half pumpkin shape as shown in Image 1 at the bottom of this post. Also, if you want to get creative, you can cut out a stem at the top of the pumpkin, to make it look more realistic. The line should represent where the fold of the paper is.

3. Unfold the cut portion of the paper, and make sure that you are happy with how it turned out. If not, try Step 1 again and try and cut it out so that it looks the way you want.

4. Refold the paper at the same place and using a pencil lightly draw an outline of a face as shown in image two. Make sure that all your lines are able to be cut from the fold. When you do this, it should resemble Image 2.

5. After you have done this, cut out the lines with the pencil and unfold your pumpkin. It should resemble Image 3.

6. From this, you can put some individuality on your pumpkin. You can add bows, and mustaches and other defining facial features and what I like to do is lightly put scented oil on it. You should be able to find pumpkin spice scented oil at a craft store.

Be sure to tell me about the Jack-O Lanterns that you made, and the creative touches you added to them.

Image 1

Image 3

Image 2

Tibetan Prayer Wheel

I know this looks very random for me to be writing about the Tibetan Prayer Wheel when it has nothing to do with my blog. However, hopefully, you will find it as interesting as I do.

Spinning the wheel sends prayers to haven, which is useful for devotees who can not read. This is important because it opens a new door for Buddhism, and all of it's followers. Larger prayer wheels are sometimes turned by larger groups of people, which brings large groups of people together in their beliefs.

This prayer wheel is a very important symbol and is very important for Buddhists. Not to mention it is a beautiful piece of art.

Practice

"Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard."

The truth of this quote rings far and near, because of the amount of truth it packs in just a sentance. Practice can be the key to the heavens in terms of a skill. Even if your skill has been your skill since the very moment you were born, it is still important to practice it, or it will never develop into what it could be. Everyone has something they would jump over the moon for. Whether it be writing, dancing, singing or a sport, there's something. For some it may take lifetimes to find. For others it's there since day one. But however long it takes to find, it's nothing without being practiced or developed.

Nothing Lasts Forever

Here's something that's been on my mind recently. Nothing lasts forever. What does that really mean? Does it really mean nothing? Well, I suppose that's true. Because our lives don't last forever, and neither do material objects. And, yes, that may mean that they fall apart or break, or get lost. However, that also means that they lose their value in life.

Such as times when you lose something that you may have just got, and you feel it is very important to you. At first, it's easy to become sad, because you know hiw important it was to you when you lost it. However, after a while that sadness goes away. Why? Another thing that falls under the category of "Nothing lasts forever" is that everything loses it's value sooner or later. Like, the lost object loses it's value, because, even if that object were never lost, it would end up becoming less and less important anyway. Until it finally just sits somewhere, and is barely looked at again.

I know that sounds a bit drastic, and it's not true for any and everything. And, it might not even be true for everyone reading this post. But, it definitely happens to me a lot. And, if this happens to you, and you just so happen to lose something that you really liked at the time don't feel so bad about it. Because there would be a time where it wouldn't be that important to you anyway, and you'll eventually get over it.

So, have you ever lost something that you missed, but then got over? Post a comment with the story below. Also, since this is October, I hope to have so fun and cool Halloween posts coming up, so stay tuned for that. And if you have any Halloween post suggestions, also post them in the comments section below.

Seeing a Friend

You amy or may not remember me making a post about a friend of mine who moved away and I was worried about what it would do to our friendship, and my entire group of friends, because she was such a good friend to us. Well, she came back and visited this weekend, and I spent some time with her yesterday.

It was nice for one of my friends and I to catch up with her and tell her about school here, and also hear about how school is over there. We told her about things that were puzzling her, but also about difficulties we were having and she did the same. Sometimes, I felt like she had never left, and that she was only absent from a school for a few days, but, a lot of the time I miss her and how much of a good friend she was to all of us, and how we will always miss her.

So, what about you. Have you reconnected with friends who moved away? If so, share your experiences in the comments section.

Website Review: Bearville Craftshop

So, this isn't a website of it's own, however, Build A Bearville has so many different components to it, that I decided I would just focus on one in particalar. Which is Craftshop.

http://www.bearville.com/Home/Videos

At that link you can see all of the videos posted on Bearville. There's BE News, Bearville Live and last, but not least, Craftshop. Craftshop is an informational video series which focuses on a particular craft each week, and teaches members of the site how to make them. These How-to's can range from tissue paper flowers to pillows, belts and even fun snack ideas. A lot of the crafts involve using old household items that kids don't use anymore to make a fun new craft that they will use, or update to the item. Also, the crafts can be very useful, like a tote bag for school or something similar to that. They're all very fun crafts to make, and it's always nice to know that I made it.

Family Values and Connections

Today, I realized a lot about the importance of family, and how their absence can affect us in many ways.

My family is from a part of Inida called Kerala. It is on the western tip of India, and is a very small state. Not many people outside of India have heard about it, but it's truly an amazing place. The good thing about Kerala is that everyone is connected. It has a very important sense of community and family, and you learn good family values. Though I did not grow up there, I learned from my parents and hope to pass these values along to my children.

But, today, I went to visit my grandpa's grave, and I saw that by my grandpa's grave, there were three other gravesites for people from Kerala that are very close to my grandpa's. Though I still cry sometimes when I think about it, though it's been eight years, it comforts me to know that there are people who are so close to him with their graves by him.

The point of this is to discuss just how important and valuable family is to the people where I'm from. So, in your family, what is something that connects you? What values keep you together?

Decisions

So, today, a teacher at my school told us a tragic story about something that to dear friend of hers, and I won't go into the story, however, I will go into what it taught me.

I realized that every decision I make, no matter how big or small it is, can have a very impact on something, and I won't know exactly what will happen until I have made the decision, however, when I do make that decision, I should be held accountable for it, no matter how everything turns out.

Responsibility can have many meanings and contexts. So, when I use it now, it's important to know exactly how I wish for it to be used. Right now, I am using responsibility as responsibility for one's actions. It's impossible not to make decisions, and turn those decisions into actions. We all have responsiblity for our actions. Because the actions we make are very important and they can impact any and everything in ways that are unchangeable. And, when you do something, you can't go back and undo it, and you can't change it. What's done is done, and wer're responsible for everything.

So, if we are held responsible for our actions, we should take great care in those actions, and decisions made for those actions. So, now, whatever I decide to do, I will think about it carefully, and think about all the consequences, and then determine whether I want to make that decision.

Tolerance...Another Guest Speaker

So, today we had another guest speaker at our school, and he was very helpful in teaching us about tolerance. He gave us examples about how intolerance could make people feel, about about why we should be more tolerant.

First off, he said that tolerance is the bare minimum, and acceptance is really what we should be striving towards. Yet, there are so many people that need to learn how to be more tolerant.  So, that is the best place to start.

Secondly, a good example of why people should be more tolerant is the phrase he used. "Live and let live." This phrase is very important in dealing with tolerance because it talks about just what we should do. Live our lives and let people live theirs. Also, you don't know about the situation of another person, unless they tell you about it. You don't know about all the hardships in their life, or what they are going through. You really don't know that much about a person, even if you think you know them very well, there are still things that you don't know about them. But, the thing is, it's not about being tolerant to friends. It's about being tolerant to total strangers.

And, I must say that I agree with him. As a world, we need to be more accepting of diversity. We need to understand that everyone around us is different, but it's those differences that make them who they are, and it's what makes us who we are. They're important, and no matter what, we should accept them.

So, do you have any stories about tolerance or intolerance that you'd like to share? Or maybe just your views on the subject.

Peer Pressure

This is a very interesting topic for me, because there is someone I know that struggles very much with this, even though I'm not even sure if he knows it.

So, this is basically it, being pressured to do things by your friends or other people that you might be trying to impress because they'll have some sort of respect for you if you do it. That's the first thing that many people think of when they think of peer pressure. But, there's also the smaller things. Like, when you are with your friends and they want to work out, but you have a mountain of homework to do and you need to get started on some of it. You were planning to do that, but, now that your friends are gong to go work out, you think you'll just follow them.

For all the talks and lectures I've been given about peer pressure, this example has not been given a lot. But, I believe that it needs to be given a lot more. Usually, when I've heard about peer pressure, I've heard about doing drugs, smoking, drinking and things in that genre, but never about the example that I've stated above. That example is important because it tends to happen earlier than when people get pressured with drinking or smoking. If you gain the confidence to do what you want to do, or what you think you need to do early on, before drugs, smoking and drinking come into play, than you will have a much easier time saying no later on.

This happened to me today, and I am sad to say that I didn't say no, even though I was contemplating it multiple times. I had to stay after school because my dad couldn't pick me up, and my friends wanted to go to the gym, however, I had a lot of homework that I needed to complete. I wanted to leave, and do my homework, however, I felt like I wasn't going to have any fun if I did so. So, I stayed, and now, I have a lot of homework to complete before I can sleep.

So, have you ever had to deal with peer pressure? How so? And what do you believe is the point where you being influenced by your friends is going too far?

Symbols for You

So, yesterday, I had to write for my English blog. The title was "Symbolism" because we were discussing it in class. The assignment was to write about a symbol that represented us.

I chose a dove, because I couldn't think of what to write, so I decided to take a quiz online. I chose a dove because it symbolizes peace in a way. I'm the kind of person that doesn't like to stir up drama, or be involved in it. Which is why I started this blog. So I could let people know about my feelings without hurting people, or upsetting people. Also, I'm the kind of person that just flies away when I don't like where I am. And, if I'm stuck, I'm always trying to get...unstuck, I suppose, and fly away from trouble as fasr as I can. Whenever people are having a conversation that I don't want to be a part of, I just leave and try not to make it too obvious, and neither does a dove. I suppose I just thought that peace and flight were parts of me, and a dove symbolizes both of those things.

So, in your comments, tell me what symbolizes you. and why. I'm really curious to hear what you have to say.

Epiphany Day...Sorta

So, today, a guest speaker came to speak at my school. Some of the things he talked about really made me think. Like, if I knew that a friend was drinking a lot and it was becoming a problem, would I tell their parents? Well, I could go on and cover for my friend so they're not mad at me, but, whree would that end up. If my friend was drinking one day and they decide to drive a car, with other friends in it, and they get into an accident,... Would I rather have my friend mad at me for telling, or dead? Those are some things that he really made me think about.

Another thing he made me think about is saying two words. These two words should be said often, and, they are. These two words are very important. And, we use them a lot, yet, we don't usually use them unless we see the immediate need to. You see, when someone opens a door for us, we say it. Thank you. We say it for something as simple as that, but, do we ever say it to our parents because they set aside all that money for our college funds? Do we say it to our parents because they raised us? Do we say it to our teachers because they taught us? Not usually. So, I'm going to try and be more thankful from now on.

Then, I guess there's the last thing. So, today, he asked all the senior boys to stand up, and give him a reason besides sex to have a girlfriend. He said that if they couldn't think of anything, they should sit down. So, all of the guys sat down except two. Is that really the type of boyfriend that I want to have? Is that really the type of guy that I want to be dating when I'm a senior? Is that the guy who I want in a lot of my memories about hgih school? And, well, it also makes me think about a guy that I like. Would he be sitting down, or standing up?  And, it makes me think of the probable answer, which is sitting down.

So, the question that encompasses all three of these topics is... What am I going to do about it? When the times come for all these questions to arise, which is soon, for all of them... What am I going to do about it?

Website Review: MovieStarPlanet

Here's something new that I'm doing on my blog that I hope you all will enjoy. I will be reviewing websites, just so you know exactly what kind of website So, here's the first one on MovieStarPlanet.


MovieStarPlanet:
http://www.moviestarplanet.com/

This website is a fun place to let your famous side shine through. You can make movies and your friends act in tem. You can also create looks, chat with friends, favorite your own Youtube videos, and see which videos your friends like, play games, shop, adopt and play with pets, and decorate your room. Then, when you have created your movies, upload them and enter them in competitions so that you can earn money, fame and share your creations with the rest of the world. Use MovieStarPlanet to make yourself an award winning director. I have a feeling that anyone who loves the idea of fame will love the idea of this website.

Golf

Today, I had my first golf practice. And, I thought it was really cool, because our coach reminded us that it is a sport and skill that we can use for our entire lives. Like, my dad's best friend is someone that he plays golf with all the time.

So, I'm excited to learn how to play, because I know it's going to have a good impact on my life, and a very long-lasting one. I can't wait to start getting better, and learn as much as I can from golf. It's going to be such an important skill and activity later in my life. It's a good way to meet new people and talk to people that I already know.

Well, of course this has to have some advice. It's not difficult. All you have to do is find a sport or activity that you really enjoy and that you can carry on for the rest of your life.

Family Troubles

Here's a post for everyone who is experiencing family troubles. Never give up. Always try and get everything to go as well as it possibly can. And always put mending things in your family above all other problems in your life. Because when you feel like you ha ve nobody to turn to, your family will always been in your corner.

So, I guess what I am trying to say is that whenever there is an issue in your family, you should always try and resolve it, or somehow have it resolved. Because family is important, and should not be broken in any way.

Two Hectic Weeks

I'm sorry for not updating in the past two weeks. I'll explain why now.

So, on July 9th, I boarded the Bus to Nashville, so I could sing in the Crossroads Children's Chorus Festival on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. At first, I thought that wouldn't be too fun. And, granted, we did spend more than a fourth of each day there rehearsing, but, it was quite frankly amazing. The Gaylord Opryland Hotel was truly amazing. The fact that there was a Garden Conservatory in it, with resteraunts and everything was just truly the best. It was the most amazing hotel I've ever stayed in, and I really wish I could go back sometime. So, the coolest part was that there was this one choir from China there. They were all really young and absolutely adorable. Anyway, it was incredibly fun, and I had an amazing time. Stephen Hatfield was a wonderful director. And so was Russell Davis, who played the piano for us. After that, there was Collin Raye, Kallen Esperian and Lawrence Hamilton, the three soloists who sang with us. We had a lot of fun every single day, and it was just amazing that we had so much fun.

Then, I learned that my grandma had fallen and broken her leg. So, I got home Friday night and then at Saturday morning, I drove to Chicago. I wanted to see her before she went into surgery, and luckily, I got there just in time. She's doing better now, and she's even starting to remember things.

Lastly, I went to Robotics camp. It was pretty awesome. I made tons of friends there, and I also made tons of cool robots. The first was a wal-following and line following robot. It was difficult, yet we called it Snorebot, and it ended up working in the end. The second was a racing robot, which was difficult to make, and it turned out that the controls we used were even worse. After that, there was my favorite project. The Sumobot. Mine was named Failbot. I think that was the simplest to build and program and everything. It also ended up winning the giant sumo competition. Also, during the battle, we played all this super epic music in the background. It was so much fun. We later made these segway bots, which helped us learn about balancing. It wasn't too big of a project though. Then, on the last day, we did the final search and rescue project. It was awesome.

So, I hope you understand where I've been for the past few weeks.

Gran-ma Torino

So, yes, I'm sure you can guess exactly what movie we watched in my summer Ethics class today. We aren't done with it yet, but this movie really made me think about the way that I treat my grandma, and that my family treats her.

I know that we are putting her in a nursing home now, after taking care of her for all our lives. But, we know that right now, that is the safest thing for her, because if she stays with either our family or my aunt's family, there won't be someone there taking care of her all the time. Now with my aunt's job, and the auntie leaving, we don't want anything bad to happen to her, so we decided to make sure that she is taken care of.

The important thing is that every decision that we make about our elderly loved ones is based on your love and care for that person, not your want for everything they own, like what happened in the movie.

I would say Gran Torino is great for anyone who hasn't watched it. It has a great message for everyone, and it is very heartwarming, and it stirs plenty of emotions. So, I would say that it is a great movie for anyone who is in the mood for a wonderful movie. But, warning, there is violence and some pretty bad language. So, it's not the best family movie.

But, I will think about all the decisions I make about my grandma, and why I am making them from now on.

Mission Trip: Chicago

I just returned from a mission trip in Chicago. I know I have been to Chicago before, but that was mostly in the subarbs, and very rarely in the city. This time, it wasn't like that. And it was something like no other, that I can't wait to share with you.

This trip was the youth trip from my church that they take every year. This was the first year I was able to go, and I really enjoyed my time. We stayed at a place called Jesus People, USA and we helped out at homeless shelters too. The people there were amazing, as was my time there, and I really wish it didn't have to end so soon.

Through this trip, I learned about hard and messy work. One of the jobs we had to do while we were in Chicago was shovel all the rubber chips out of the JPUSA playground and replace them with woodchips. This took some doing because it was long and tiring work, yet, we had a deadline and we had to get it done. I learned that sometimes, even if you're tired, you can't quit, or you will never get a job done. I learned about messy work through all the cleaning and cooking I had to do one night at the homeless shelter and also visiting the homeless shelters and seeing how they were. It makes my house look like a castle.

I also learned about the homeless. Most shelters split apart families that come in, and sometimes, boys over the age of 12 don't even put in a shelter. One of the men that I talked to at the shelter told me about how anything can happen, and anyone can become homeless in the blink of an eye. Different situations lead to different things. What struck me about this man is that he had poems memorized. Not just any poems, but ones that were meaningful to him. If you were to talk to him, chances are, you would hear these poems. And chances also are that you would find them just as amazing as I did. Not only could he recite them, but he could tell you what every line, every stanza, and every poem meant to him. To me, this is amazing. There are so many people who have more books, poetry and works than he does, but they never take the time to memorize it, or figure what it means to them. I think that talking to homeless people made me learn about homeless people. and though it broke my heart, I'm glad I learned it, because it's important to know about everyone in the world around you.

Lastly, I learned about relationships. I learned that my relationships with God and those around me aren't going to be strengthened unless I want them to be. I also learned that I have to grow as a person.

On this trip, I learned just what some people had to go through. And it made it me want to help. I now want to help all those who need it. And right now, that's a lot of people.

My advice to you is "to do something" as the supervisor of the shelter said. Do something. Volunteer at a soup kitchen, a food pantry, a nursing home, a homeless shelter or just any organization that helps those that need it. Even just for an hour a month. Because, believe it or not, that hour does make a difference, and the people you help are going to be very thankful for that.

http://s1127.photobucket.com/albums/l626/chuhulil/Chicago/

Saying Goodbye

So, I'm sure sure everyone's had a friend who's moved away. If not, consider yourself extremely lucky. For me, it happened today. I knew it was going to happen for a long time, but it never really hit me. After all, I just thought that I'll e-mail her, I'll see her when she visits and everything will turn out alright. Am I right? No.

Cherishing the last few moments you have with a person that you've been able to talk to all the time before, and now it's just like they're being sucked away, and you know things aren't ever going to be the same. And, I really wish they would be, but I know they aren't going to be.

For me, it was a classmate. She was my summer buddy before I came to my new school, and she was really nice. She was the first person I really met when I went to my school, and she took the time to really explain everything. Saying goodbye today felt...really weird, because she's always been at my school, and she's always been the one person who's always there, and who I can always turn to for advice, and now she's just going to leave.

The thing is, she gave me advice. I'm not sure if I should listen to it or not, and I feel torn, but I will always think of her advice, no matter what. And I will always think of her whenever I feel like I'm lost. Because she was there to keep me from being lost. And next year, I'm starting to go up to another place in the school, and I'll remember her there, guiding me, because she helped me the first time, and I know she'll help me this time, here or not.

Confirmation Flock

"Birds of a feather flcok together."

That quote describes my confirmation class. I think that we are all birds, flying to one common place, with one common goal. To come to know how God affects our lives. Today, we made it to that place, and all of us have reached that goal. Today, we were confirmed to be members of our church.

This year has been full of struggles. All of us struggling to find our faith. And all the newbies, myself included, struggling to find our way around and meet new people, though everyone was rather welcoming. Lastly, our struggles were to think about God in a larger way. Not just the blind following faith that we all had when we were kids, but a new, more educated faith.

For this bird, the journey was fub. U found myself not only believing and learning more about God, I found myself wanting to believe and learn more about God. At the beginning of the year, I thought that I was going to  have to tell my leader that I wasn't ready to get confirmed, but I was. I didn't have any hesitations or doubts in my mind when I read my faith statement to my small group leader. and as my name was read for the elders to confirm me.

So, what is one journey for you that has recently been completed?

Amazing Concert

So, Friday, the 13th of May, my class had our very last vocal concert in the middle school. I think it's crazy just how far our choir has come in one year. Last year, we were over double the size we are now, and we were a whole lot worse. This year, we're smaller, and we're better.

We had a fun time all year and we've all gorwn as musicians. I think my new teacher really helped with that. He pushed us into making our sound and expressions better, and told us just how inspirational we are. He also made class fun and interesting for us. We all had a really great time, and I can't wait to have him again next year. The amount of progress that we've made as a group is amazing, cand though we definitely have a lot more to work on, we have come a long way.

Malcolm X

Last summer, I read the Autobiography of Malcolm X. I was a little young for it, but I found it quite interesting. Though he was a radical, I found him quite interesting. I think the way he advocated what he believed in struck me most.

In his autobiography, you follow him around many twists and turns in his life. I think this is interesting, because he tells you everything.

What really inspired me was the sense of truth that is revealed throughout the book. If nothing else, that is what most inspired me. The way he was willing to share his life. Even the struggles, and bad times. He shares his regrets and the things he's done that he's proud of.

What this shows me is that to make writing great, you have to reveal truth about yourself, which is what I'm planning to do for all my readers. I'm going to reveal more about myself through each post. To create a sense of trust and truth.

If you haven't read the book, I suggest you do, and to those who have read the book, what do you think is it's greates quality?

The Power of the Internet

So, this is something I love to talk about. And, it's a message that I wish I could share with more people. But, the power of the internet is really great. It stretches so far. All around the world. And, I believe that it's a great way to try and share yourself.

Me? I love to write music. Which is why I created my own youtube channel to hopefully share my music on soon. Just need to get a few things set up and in place. But, I think it's nice that I can use the internet to make my voice and my music heard.

You can do the same thing. Maybe you're into crafts, or dancing. You can share your work on the internet and find people who enjoy the same things.
Which leads me to my next point. You're not limited to the people around you on the internet. On the internet, you can talk to people in different countries. And you can find people who are more like you than anyone near you. You can also tell them everything you feel, without worrying about anyone else  you know in real life will find out. I love meeting new people on the internet, because I can get to know people.

So, what do you think about the internet? And what do you like to share?

Traditions

So, St. Louis is a pretty traditional place. Same with our church. There are so many traditions around here, and they're all very well known.

For example, May Day. All the girls dancing around in pretty dresses. It's...kinda awkward, but, it's something that plenty of people come to watch, which is honestly just crazy. Yeah, the guy I like came to watch, yet, it didn't make things too awkward because I only found out after it was over. Yet, my friend still found a way to humiliate me in front of him. But, that's beside the point. The point is, so many people came to watch something that's been going on for years. And, the way it was presented really reminds people just how old that tradition is. It really is a town tradition, seeing as so many people come to watch it.

Secondly, my church is very traditional. All the sermons. And they're so traditional that they're beautiful. Yet, they're not boring. Sure, they're long, but not boring.

And, I quite frankly really like traditions. I think that they're beautiful, and they remind us of everything in our past. What do you think about tradition? Are there any that you're a part of?

Literature Fest

So, today in school was LitFest which was pretty cool because we did plenty of literature themed activities. We listened to Prize Speaking, had a Scavenger Hunt and watched some video clips. Then, we went to our 25 minute activities. Mine were Calligraphy and Letter Collecting.

In Calligraphy, we did what is shown above. I think it was pretty cool. We did what is shown below, and we had so much fun with it. I got that cool sheet to take home. I even learned some Chinese characters that I didn't know before.

In Letter Collecting, we wrote to our favorite stars about anything that we thought of them. I think it was pretty cool, because it inspired me to write more letters after the initial one I wrote. The first one was to Adam Grontier. And, I really hope that he replies back. Right now, I'm writing to Jade Ramsey, and I'm really hoping to get a reply back from one of them.

So, have you ever written to someone famous? If so, who? Did you get a reply?

Impact

So, I just got home from Science Olympiad, which wasn't really focusing on making the world a more green place, however, it got me thinking about it.

Which is why I'm starting this new campaign, "Impact" which I am using to help make this world a better place. Now, the cool thing about Impact is that it doesn't just focus on one charity or way to help. And, nothing is set up for those who want to participate. Impact focuses on you, and what you want to do to change the world for the better.

What is Impact?

Impact is a way for everyone to communicate with others about things that they want to do. For example, I created a Green Architecture page on my wiki. That page focuses on ways that people can make their homes green in both big and small ways. Anyone can contact me if they have things that I can put on my wiki page that can makes homes greener.

What's so special about it?

Impact can help people communicate, meet new people, and save the world at the same time. If you see someone that's creating a project and you know a little bit about that project, you can always tell them what you know, so they can add it to their project.

How can I be a part of Impact?

All you have to do is comment below, saying that you want to help change the world, and exactly what you want to do to help change it. Just write about your topic and exactly how you are going to share this topic. I personally did a wiki page, and I will create a blog post as I gather information. You can make a website, or you can share your information with your local community through fundraisers, presentations and you could hand out fliers at school or work. Whatever you do, it will be greatly appreciated, and hopefully make a difference.

An Update

Well, if you read the earlier post on my birthday, it said that my great aunt had cancer and that she was not doing so well.

She passed away yesterday. Monday, April 11, 2011.

This is just a post to remember her, and the wonderful life she lived. I only knew her for a very short period of time, however, when I did, she was so sweet. She was just so nice to everyone. She would cook and she was all by herself. We went to this bird place. I don't remember it very well, but htere were these parrots that talked to us. They asked us for crackers. And, it was a wonderful time that we had with her.

Memories

Well, this weekend, my cousins came down to take a look at my grandma's house, which is being remondeled. It's kind of sad when you think about all the memories that we shared in that house, but now I know that someone else will be enjoying it.

So, there was this woman there. She was one of my grandma's neighbors. She told me something about my grandma. She said that one day, she backed into my grandma's mailbox and she went to the front door to talk about fixing it, and she was so nervous. And my grandma said, "Oh, don't worry, I don't think there's any mail today."

Sp, what's one memory about a family member that you love? Or a special place that you have?

Up and Down B-day

So, I kinda had an up and down birthday. Firstly, my friends decorate my locker, which is nice. Then there was this ERBs, which I messed up on filling the bubbles, which I realized five minutes before the test was over. Then there was a talk about good friendship, which I found semi-awkward to think about how some of my friends really aren't the best friends I could have.

Then, things went pretty average. Then there was Science class. Aside from the really easy quiz, the other teacher across the hall posted the soccer team listings outside her door. I ended up making it on the Green team! Which is good... And so, thanks to everyone decorating my locker and for all the candy. I love my friends!

Then, the bad news came. My great aunt in Australia isn't doing so well. She doesn't have too much time left, and I really want to talk to her on the phone, however, I'm not sure if I'll be able to. I don't have too many regrets though, because I met her once. Yes, it was back in 2006, but at least I met her and I knew her for once. It's scary to think about this, but she was such a great person and I know she's handling this well. She lived a good life.

So, there was my birthday. How was your last birthday?

Confirmation Retreat

So, for my confirmation class, we went on a retreat to Lake Williamson, which was incredibly amazing. I had so much fun, as did all of my friends.

Yesterday at 5:00, we all met at church to drive to Lake Williamson. The car ride was fun, despite the fact that my friend got crazy on sugar. She was like that the entire time, and I'll just leave it at that.

So, anyway, when we got there, we put our stuff in our room and then we ate pizza. I realized I lost my completed faith statement, and I couldn't find it at all.Soon it was time for the hay ride, which took us to the bonfire. There, we listened to all our leader's faith statements. I thought it was very inspirational. After that, my friends and I played volleyball in thw Activities Center and we also played basketball and soccer and a ton of random yet fun games. After that, we went back to our rooms and slept.

We woke up in the morning to go eat breakfast, which was really good. Then, we went back to the Activities Center to write our faith statements. I am actually kinda happy that I lost my old one, because my new one is so much better, and I am even debating saying it in front of the congregation. Then we packed up and played around on the Activities Center. Some of my friends and I played racquetball for a little while. Then, we ate lunch. After that, everyone played out by the lake for a little while before we did the high ropes course. It was so much fun. The first level, we had to balance on some boards, jump from box to box, run on some wood peices, and then walk on a balance beam with a partner. I ran into trouble in the beginning, but I got it eventually. I was a little scared for the second level, but I did it, and I'm glad I did. My partner was really nice. The obstackes were walking across a wire and hold onto thin ropes from the ceiling, walk on a rope and go around some pipes, walk across more planks of wood and walk across a wire holding onto two crossed ropes. I'm happy I faced my fears, because I enjoyed it.We left after that.

So, what fears have you had to face? Have you gone on some very fun retreats?

Have You Ever Felt Lonely?

Have you ever felt that way? like no one in the world cares about your problems. They don't care that you seem to have nobody in your corner. Nobody to support you. You just feel alone in this world.

And then, looking around, you see everyone. With all their friends. Their perfect families. Do you ever ask yourself why you don't have that? Do you ever ask why you are stuck being yourself, knowing the people that you know?

As of now, I feel like this. I'm trying to think, but i can't think of someone who really even cares enough to talk me through the situation. Well, it's possible, however, with him always being busy and he also makes me feel lonely too sometimes. I feel like he's moving on without me, and I never will.

I just want one person to understand me and always be there for me. What about you? Do you ever feel like that? Have you ever felt so alone? Like the world wanted to rip your heart out?

Again With the Videos

Seriously? I don't even care if she is a troll. This is not considered acting on impulse. This is just offensive. Because over 10,000 people died in a tragedy, and you are talking about it as if it's the best thing that ever happened.

So, to everyone who hasn't seen the video. It's just about a girl who says that she is so happy because of the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan because it is a sign from God to all the Atheists in the world. She said that at the start of Lent, all the Christians came together to pray to open the eyes of the Atheists so that they may realize that there is a God.

Now, personally, I try to be open-minded. Yes, I do believe in God. And I have tried not to before. So, it seems that my heart lies in Christianity. I try to be open-minded and accepting about things that most Christians wouldn't find acceptable. Like homosexuality, abortion etc. My beliefs are that everyone is entitled to whatever they see fit for themselves, and nobody else is in any position to judge them. I do hope that the world can come to religious peace, however, I know that is quite frankly impossible. But, I would never pray for thousands of people to die to prove my religion. Nor do I think that thousands of people dying is proof of God. I wouldn't even promote Christianity to someone who doesn't believe in it.

Now, in the video, she's talking about how much God loves us, and what an amazing God he is. Now, here's one point that I can't seem to understand. Her entire "God is so loving" point is destroyed by the fact that she says that God answered her prayers by killing thousands of people and destroying the lives of many. Making them lose their homes and their loved ones. And yes, some of the people that died in Japan were Christian.

Also, why are you acting happy about what happened in Japan. Because that is honestly just horrible of you to sit there and say that you are overjoyed about the fact that a giant tsunami came and destroyed many people's lives. Do you honestly have any idea how bad you are making Christians look right now?

So, what are you thoughts on the video?

To Strangers

Yesterday, my friend and I were bored and decided to go shopping. We ended up hanging out at all the Asian stores, art galleries, Hot Topic, and then the little homey stores like Yankee Candle and Bath and Body Works, before getting random stuff to eat. 

But, after we went to the art galleries, which were all right next to each other, we went down an escalator. When we were about to get on, we had to ask a few kids to move for a little bit so we could get on. They stepped to the side. They were so small, they barely had to move. When we stepped on the escalator, we realized that two little kids sitting on the escalator by themselves didn't look right, and we should probably go look to check things out. So, we did, and we found that they were waiting for their mom, who was in a nearby department store. However, their little sister, a small 5 year-old girl, was too scared to get on the escalator.

My friend and I tried to help, hoping that maybe she would trust some older kids. We had to talk to her a little bit. And give her a few examples. A quick one foot on and one foot off demonstration. Finally, we got her on the escalator, and she liked it so much, she didn't want to get off. It was so sweet. Though, it was a little creepy how her older (yet still younger than us) brother started hitting on us.

Later, we went to Bath and Body Works for a little while, when we realized that we probably shouldn't leave them there, so we went back and waited for their mother to show up. She finally did, but as we went down the escalator, and they walked along the top floor, they waved at us for as long as they could see us, and we waved back.

The point of this is, doing a random deed for a stranger makes you feel good inside, not to mention it will put a smile on someone's face. Next time you see someone that could use your help, do your best to help them, because it will really put a smile on their face. And when you put  a smile on their face, you put a smile on your own face.

So, what's a good deed that you've done for a complete stranger?

Keep a Journal!

There are so many rants that people need to make. And it seems they always need a place to rant to. I know that if I'm not around another person that I can rant to, I tend to turn to the internet whenever I need to rant. But, the one other place I rant to is my journal.

My jornal provides the best thing for me. A place to rant to, where I can say anything and everything, and not worry about offending or upsetting anyone else. I name all my journals, and write entries whenever I have something to say. And I keep a box with all my journals in it. The one I am using at the time is always on my bedside table, because I tend to do most of my writing at night.

Also, I can always share what I wrote in my journal later. Because everything I want to say is written down, along with all my emotions and feelings. And later, when I've thought about what I said, and whether it's something that other people need to hear, then I post it on my blog.

So, do you keep a journal? And do believe it's a good place to rant to and a helpful tool? What's something special about you and your journal.

Acting on impulse

Okay, so, I know plenty of people have acted on impulse before. In fact, everyone has. Done something without really thinking about it.

The internet makes acting on impulse even more dangerous, because we can do post things on the internet for everyone to read. Writing something such as a journal entry is much better, because you have the option to share it if you want. And, if it is offensive, nobody has to know about it. On the internet, your rant is up for everyone to see, and the second it is made, it's public.

In my previous post, I wrote about a girl who acted on impulse because she heard Asian people talking in the lbrary and made a video to express her feelings. Now, I don't agree with what she did, and I believe that she really should have thought before posting that online. However, the important part is that she apologized for it. Yes, I was offended by it, because I technically fall under the category of Asian. But, I don't believe that it's right to insult her personally. And a lot of comments under the video on youtube have been doing just that. Just forgive and forget is what I say.

So, my advice for if you need to rant is this. First of all, don't go to the internet when you need to rant. Start a journal, and write to that journal when you need to rant. And, take time to calm down about it and read over it again. If you feel like that writing should be shared, and it's not going to offend people, then put it on the internet. Also, if you have to apologize in advance about something you are saying on the internet, don't post it.

So, what are your tips for when you need to rant? And, what are good ways to control impulses?

What is this? I don't even...

My response to this... Oh gosh...  I don't even know where to start.

First of all, that's just a generalization. Why are you insulting Asian people? Plenty of people talk in the library. Seriously, why must it be the Asian people that you're insulting. I know plenty of Asian people with manners.

Sercond... The tsunami. I'd like to start this off saying, you seemed to be insulting Chinese people in your first statement. The tsunami hit Japan! Also, that event was a tragedy, and I can't even believe that you would use it to insult the people that were affected by it and their families. You feel bad? Then why would you post that on the internet?

No, I really don't like saying that. I don't like using my blog posts to insult people, and I wasn't trying to insult her. But, what she said infuriates me, and I just want to say that making generalizations about a certain race or culture is not the way to handle problems you've had with a few people of that race or culture.

So, tell me your opinions on this. What do you think of this video?

Why can't I be PERFECT?

Yes...this is another one of those posts about the fact that so many people don't see themselves in the way they should be seeing themselves. I see this all the time. Plenty of teenage girls think they're too fat, too skinny, too tall, too short, too...this list could honestly go on forever.

From the perspective of a teenage girl, I have definitely felt that way before. I felt like I don't look like good enough. And that I have to change myself so I can be perfect. I've wished so many times that I could just things about myself. I wished I could be perfect.

But...in reality...

I should listen when people tell me that I'm fine the way I am. Sure, I want to be perfect. But, who is? Nobody is perfect. It doesn't matter who they are. All that matters is who I choose to be.

So...why try to be? Or, why try to act like it? I see it all the time. Girls acting like they're so much better than everyone else. Telling other girls that they're not good enough, not pretty enough, not smart enough. But...why? So they can feel perfect. Well, I'll tell you a good way to feel perfect...

Stop acting perfect. If you just realize that you're human, and that you're wonderful the way you are, things will be so much easier and better for you. People will like you, and you'll feel like a good person too. For everyone who reads this, recite this pledge.

I understand that I am no perfect person, nor will I ever be. I also understand that I am great, just the way I am, and I want to be happy with my body and who I am.

If you just keep that attitude, you will feel perfect. So, tell me. What makes you feel insecure?

Chicago

Hey everyone. So, right now, I'm in Chicago, and I'm sitting in a hotel room watching TV. I'm updating a ton of pages. Like my wiki, my blog and my forum. This is sort of off-topic, but, be sure to check my wiki for links so you can help Japan.

Anyway, I got here on Friday to see my cousins and my grandma, becuase my grandma had to go to the hospital the next day. Don't worry, nothing is serious, but she's been having trouble seeing out of her right eye, and it turns out that it's completely blind. So, we took her to the eye doctor, and now we're taking her back in a month for the procedure.

But, I started off Saturday by playing catch with my little cousin. He's so cute. Sometimes, he's a little bossy, but he's fun and he's a great kid. I just love talking to him and psending time with him. So, we played catch, and aside for nearly (this word may or may not apply) hitting a ton of things, it was so much fun. Then, my other cousin came home and we played Wedding Dash. We're cool like that. We love games like that. Wedding Dash, Diner Dash, Hotel Dash. And, other stuff like that. After that, we went and saw Beastly. That is a wonderful movie and I suggest it to teenage girls. It's not only just a cute, nice movie, but it proves that inner beauty is more important than outer beauty, which is a lesson that plenty of people need to learn. And that's no lie.

Then, on Sundaymy dad drove me to my mom's hotel, and now we're here. My mom's working in Chicago right now. I tend to visit wherever it is that she works. After we got to the hotel, we went to see the Blue Man Group before my dad went back home.

Monday, and I ended up sitting in the hotel room all day. It wasn't too bad. I thought it was going to be, but getting some alone time was pretty fun. Then, my mom and I went shopping. It was fun, but, she kept picking up clothes that I really didn't want. It was almost like I was a little doll for her to dress up.

On Tuesday, we went to the mall again. It was pretty fun. I got a Godiva bear and some earrings. They were...really expensive. Then we went to an Indian resteraunt and it was pretty cool. The food was good, and the waitor said I was pretty and described my eyes as "magicful" which was nice.

So, on Wednesday, I basically did nothing besides study and read. My mom had to work all day, and ended up coming home really late. It was rather the ordeal for my father who was basically sitting by the phone, hopubg he wouldn't have to call my aunt and tell her to come get me.

So, give me your thoughts. What was your best experience visiting your family? Tell me about it, and your story might be featured on my wiki.