For my last blog of this school year, I would simply like to reflect on my junior year. This is a follow-up to my last blog about how proud I am about accomplishing so much within the last few months.
August/September 2015
I attended my 2nd Aloha Dance
I applied for Senate & MADE IT!
I learned how to make posters for the school
I started going to more games & attended more events = MORE MEMORIES
I improved on my school spirit!
ALOHA 2015
one of the dress up days
October 2015
I planned a surprise birthday party for my best friend
I made on of my favorite posters for Bell Week
I went to Knott’s Scary Farm with my best friend
Stayed at school until midnight with Senate & ASB to put down all the posters for Bell Week
BEST NIGHT EVER
BELL GAME vs. Edison!
HBD Pauline
Midnight @ school
BELL GAME 2015
November 2015
My mom and I hosted an at-home wedding for my brother & his wife
It was a lot of work, but totally worth it
My friends took me on a surprise adventure and it was absolutely amazing.
thank you t.t, r.l, b.h, j,n.
December 2015
My friends took me out on more adventures
CHISTMAS of course!
January 2016
Went to more school events
Helped ASB with the winter assembly
This was one of my favorite high school experiences
February 2016
Tet festival with my friend Dacey
We got some great food
More fun school events
TALENT SHOW was amazing
thank you girls.
March 2016
I went to Sunken City with my friends Thinh and Bryant
I also went on an adventure to San Diego with my sister and Pauline
thank you boys.
thank you best friend.
7:40 PM
April 2016
More school events and making new friends, like Audrey!
I went to MOLAA for my Spanish culture project
Baron Games (:
I went to a baseball game with my brother’s family
May 2016
Not that great of a month because of all the testing
I applied for ASB, but didn’t make it
I celebrated my birthday at Universal Studios with my best friend, my sister, and her boyfriend
I went to Corona for a Hawaiian themed birthday party with my best friend and her family
Wow, that was a great trip down memory lane. Looking back at all I’ve done, I am truly happy I have been going through with my goal: to make new memories and try something new each month. It’s been a blast, the past couple of months and I can’t wait to make even more memories this summer.
I’d like to thank everyone who has come and/or go this year because everyone has impacted my life one way or another. Thank you to those who have helped me through this stressful year.
Good-bye Junior Year. It’s been great.
Hello summer & hello senior year, I’m ready for you.
For the past few years, my life has been consisted of strict rules, same-old routines, and a sad me. I was starting to think my life was pointless if I was born to follow the same exact path as everyone else: go school, go to work, have a family, and sooner or later, die. I don’t like living a dull life. I’m not saying my entire life, so far, is boring. . .just the majority of it. So when 2016 started, I wanted to break the rules, change up my routines, and make myself happier.
Throughout my entire life, I have been following all the rules set by my parents. I’ve broken rules before, but in January 2015, I did something that changed everything. It wasn’t anything serious, but it’s just too personal to share. Since the day I got in trouble for what I did, I started to distance myself from my family because I felt like a disappointment. I don’t regret what I did because it was a lesson and I actually had fun. But this pride died down when I realized home didn’t really feel like home anymore. I went back to following the rules and my life got boring again.
By October 2015, I started to spend time with people who helped me heal. I started lying to go out again. I understand that lying is bad, but I needed a change in my life before I went crazy because sitting in the same room for hours, is not living. My friends took me out to places I’ve never been, showed me things I’ve never seen, and helped me with things my family couldn’t help me with.
thank you Pauline.
thank you t.t, r.l, b.h, j,n.
When I am in one place for too long and am there every day, I get tired of it. When I do the same thing every day, over and over again, it feels like I’m replaying the most boring movie ever. So I tried to fit in something fun after a long week of school. Ever since 2016 started, I changed up my schedule. I tried to go out every other weekend. I had one goal in mind: to do as much in one month as I could. This was one of the most difficult goals I set for myself because it’s always been hard to convince my parents to let me go out, but I managed. This was also one of the most fun challenges I’ve taken on because when I do go out, I make the best memories with the best people.
thank you Senate&ASB.
thank you girls.
thank you boys.
thank you best friend.
Ever since 2016 started, I set goals for myself and I have been accomplishing so much. So I’m glad to say that I am very proud of myself. I may be sorry for lying to my family, but this is my life, and I need to start living it; if not now, then when?
Since 2016 started, I’ve been focusing on myself and truly living. It’s only May and I have done so much, so I am looking forward to all the amazing memories to come.
When I was younger, I was a very, very, very shy girl. My first time meeting new people was when I first started school. I would cry because my mom would leave me and head to work. I stand by myself and did not want to approach everyone because I was scared of them like they were monsters. I kept to myself most of the time.
Of course I had friends during my preschool and kindergarten years, but it was mostly because teachers had to encourage others to come up to me instead. Then one day, I met a very kind girl.
It was my first time in elementary school and my mom was about to leave for work. She let me sit at a bench near other students, but I ran after her and started crying and clinging on to her because I was scared. I was probably still in my separation anxiety stage, but I was also still scared of meeting new people. But that changed when Tammy La came up to me with the biggest smile on her face.
She grabbed my hand, walked me back to the bench, and sat down next to me. She was one of the smartest first graders I’ve met. She introduced herself and started to explain that my mom would come back later. That’s when I knew I made a friend; I felt safe.
unsplash
As I got older, I learned to appreciate people. They weren’t monsters, they were just like me; human. I am better at introducing myself to people because what is there to lose? I love all my friendships because they are so important to me.
It’s the second most important support group in everyone’s life. Because who do you go to when your family can’t help you? Who do you go to when you want to have fun? Your friends! Building friendships is necessary for a person and it may seem scary because everyone might seem intimidating at first, but try to get to know them! I was scared to talk to most of the friends I have now, but I’m so glad I had the guts to introduce myself because I love my friends.
So if you’re a shy person, you’ll eventually get out of that bubble one day and learn that you have to meet a lot of people in order to find the people who are most similar to you. Once you find your friends, trust me, you’ll be so happy and thankful.
Thank you to every person who has come into my life even if you’re not really around. You’ve impacted my life in some sort of way and helped shape me into the person I am today.
There’s something thrilling about exploring the beautiful world around me. There’s something special about being outside and going to new places. Exploring gives me a taste of life, helps me discover myself, and shows me the purpose of living.
There’s something wonderful about that: exploring and living.
I woke up bright and early to beat the traffic to get to San Diego. There was no way I was going to waste a precious second of this one-day trip with my sister and my best friend. I could barely take a nap in the car because I was too excited.
Our first stop was the Birch Aquarium. The different exhibits had many beautiful sea creatures swimming through the water. It was so interesting all I could hear around me were “oooh”, “aaahh”, “this is so cool!”. I felt like a kid again. It reminded me of the field trips I took during my elementary school years. Strolling through this aquarium made me realize there are so many fascinating things outside of a classroom.
There were also tide pools outside the aquarium and what’s cool about these was that you were allowed to touch the sea creatures! This is something technology can’t even provide us and that’s what I love about it.
I enjoy the fact that I could learn about things without being in a stuffy classroom. I also love the fact that I could get a hands on experience and feel like a stress-free kid again.
Our next stop was UCSD. This one is actually for my best friend, Pauline. This was one of her dream schools so I thought it would be good to explore the campus. The whole time we were there, I didn’t really see a future for me there because it was such a hard school to get into, but it was a good experience being on the campus and getting the feel of what college will be like. I was just lost in thought. It’s not going to be long before we graduate from high school and go our separate ways. I guess I at least got to say I went to college with my best friend, but not really. I just hope the best for her and I hope to see her land a spot at UCSD because it seems like a great school for her.
looking up at our futures, together
Our third stop was La Jolla/Children’s Pool Beach. This was one of my favorite experiences. First, the view was breathtakingly amazing.
Second, we got to hang out with some seals! It’s not everyday that people get to experience this.
Last but not least, the time I love the most. When the sun slowly sets and the city lights illuminate. We had to walk a long way to get to the ferry that would take us to Coronado Island. What I love about traveling across water is the breeze that touches my skin.
I sat on a bench, alongside my sister and Pauline, and waited for the perfect picture. As I sat there, I just took it all in. The water, the air, the palm trees, the buildings, the people, and me. I felt alive. My legs were tired from walking all day, but that was okay. I was a bit cold, but that was okay too. I was breathing and that’s all that mattered.
6:40 PM
With all the stress piled on top of me from home and school, I never really thought what life is about. I used to think life was useless because we are born, we go to school, we go to work, we get old, and then we die. Adventures like this one, shows me that life is worth living because there is so much to explore out there. Adventures give my life a purpose and makes me feel like I have something to live for.
So to end my day with the view of San Diego’s skyline from Coronado Island, I know that I lived that day like it was my last and that’s the point of living: making the best out of every moment.
7:40 PM
I encourage everyone to travel or just go on adventures. It’s become something that I have fallen in love with. If I’m at home and have nothing to do, I crave excitement. If I don’t get to go on an adventure, it feels as if I’ve wasted a day of my life.
I have a lot of places I want to go, but I get to check San Diego off my bucket list. (:
A couple of days ago, my school held a two day presentation called ‘Every Fifteen Minutes‘. The purpose of this is to bring awareness to drinking/texting and driving.
Day 1
Juniors and seniors are all seated around the crime scene in front of our school and got to witness a possible real life situation. Smoke was escaping from the damaged cars. A boy was ejected from the drunk driver’s car. Some were severely injured, but thankfully they looked alive. Just one thing . . . the girl lying on the floor didn’t look alive.
Although this scene wasn’t real, it was such an eye-opening presentation. It gave me so much anxiety just seeing a “dead” girl on the ground, the boy ejected from the car, and blood covered bodies. It hurts a lot of students just simply seeing their friends’ names written on tombstones and it hurts a teachers when they receive e-mails that their student has “passed away”. It’s not real, but it’s effective.
After school, these cars were set in front of the school office. Students walked around them, observing the cars in detail. The damage was horrifying. When I looked at both cars, I wondered what had happened to them before. I wasn’t sure if they were ruined from an accident or if it was purposely ruined for this presentation. Either way, the thought of people being inside these cars was gnarly.
Day 2
The second day was the day everything hit me the most. We had a guest speaker named Josh. He told us he had a wife named Mandy, a two-year-old son, and a daughter who was about to turn one-year-old. He had lost all of them because a 43-year-old woman, with a .18 BAC, had hit his family’s car at around 65 MPH. When he said, “On November 26, 2008, I lost my entire family”, I lost it. I couldn’t help it, but tears ran down my face. I didn’t even know this guy. The story just hurt, and knowing that Josh had to go through that all by himself, hurt even more. The last thing he left us with, was the video. The video of his family, the accident, and this all came together with a lesson.
When I got back to class, I couldn’t focus on my quiz. I couldn’t think clearly because my head was clouded with Josh’s story and it started reminding me of my own life experiences. It hurts to even recall all of them. But I know for a fact, I learned something.
Make the right choice. DO NOT text and drive. DO NOT drive while under the influence of something. It’s illegal and it will cost lives.
A couple of days ago, my cousin, showed me a six part documentary about Compton. I watched through all six and it is one of the most eye-opening documentaries I’ve watched. . .
NOISEY Bompton is centered around rapper, Kendrick Lamar, his friends, and where they grew up: West Side of Compton. Part one starts off explaining the story behind Kendrick Lamar’s music and his recent albums: To Pimp a Butterfly and good kid, m. A. A. d city.
When Zach Goldbaum visited Kendrick’s high school, he talked with principal, Madie Adams Robertson. Robertson explains that the job of educators is to help students cultivate [students’] gift so they could pursue their American dream and that American dream is simply to be alive and well in Compton.
Then, Goldbaum speaks to social activist, Dr. Jorja Leap. She tells us that this area [Compton] has always been a “lower income, lower resource, poor area; gangs are here, under-performing schools are here, school drop-outs are here, guns are here, drugs are here, violence is here, and the wounds of incarceration are here.”
What people should pay attention to, is why Compton is the way it is, and why the people living IN Compton are the way they are. This city is widely known for their gangs and violence, but it’s important to understand that poverty plays a role behind why this city is the way it is.
Kendrick Lamar’s best friend, Lil L, went into the gang lifestyle that Kendrick was able to avoid. In part two of this documentary, we learn a little about Lil L’s choices. He describes the pain that is felt when he loses his friends. He explains that he “doesn’t want to do this sh*t every day.” If people didn’t look into his story, they would assume he is just another gangster from Compton. However, he is also just a guy who doesn’t want his daughter or son waking up and realizing that their dad is gone. During dinner, Lil L’s grandmother helps us understand that economic disadvantage leads to crime and a lot of people turn to music to break that cycle.
Lil L
Kendrick Lamar was able to avoid the gang life by turning to music. His friends try to turn to music as well.When these guys are not making music, they find every way to promote it. Even WE turn to music almost every day of our life. To this day, music is still an important form of art that helps people cope with problems and express themselves. The power of music, is amazing.
Part three introduces another one of Kendrick’s friends, known as Hitta J3. Tarita Alvarez, his mother, has always told Hitta J3 to stop gang banging. She makes it clear that she doesn’t condone it, but she definitely realizes that her kid “lives and breathes it.” She understands the feeling of seeing her kid lay on the ground and not knowing whether he is going to take his last breath or not because she’s been through it seven times.
She is a mother and she doesn’t approve of her son’s lifestyle, but she helps us understand something important. When a person “lives and breathes” something, they have to go with it. Most of these guys in gangs have no other choice. They do what they have to to protect themselves in their area.
This explains society in general. A lot of people conform to society in order to fit in and survive. And sometimes, it seems as if that’s the only thing people can do.
Hitta J3 and his mother
We meet Pastor Michael Fisher in part four of this documentary and he says “violence definitely touches all of us.” He doesn’t believe violence is getting any better in Compton. Even Kendrick’s friend, G Weed, says, “can’t nobody make this place safe.”
“I know a lot of people are saying that it’s getting better, but I’m the one that’s doing the funerals.” -Pastor Michael Fisher
When the Pastor says this in the video, that’s when it really hits. I felt the pain in the way he said this and it really showed me how much violence really touches everyone in the community.
Dr. Jorja Leap reveals what gang bangers really want out of life in the beginning of part five. “They want to own a house, they want to send their kids to college, they want to have a cool car; tell me how that’s different from anybody right now in LA, the greater Southern California area, or in the United States of America. How gangster is that?”
There is something so important in what she says. People view gangsters as bad, yes. I admit, it gets dangerous and scary. But in between the lines of what Dr. Leap says, it really hits me that there is a reason behind everything. The saying, “you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover” applies to these guys too. They are no different from any one else. They have a story that just needs to be revealed.
Then, Dr. Jorja Leap brings us back to the fact that poverty and economic disadvantage plays an important role behind the city of Compton. Until it is eradicated, nothing will get better.
Kendrick Lamar and Lil L
After watching all six parts, I learned a couple of things behind the Compton community. Kendrick Lamar is a great influence in this city and his music speaks for this city. I went back and listened to his music and tried to understand the significance behind every phrase.
Then I realized, that’s what people should be doing with everything they encounter in life; dig deeper. Every one of us should be putting the pieces together ourselves, rather than letting others assemble the puzzle for us. No one should assume that they know something without looking into it and magnifying it.
If my cousin didn’t show me this documentary, I would’ve still thought gangsters are just bad people. Yes, it’s still scary and Compton will continue to be seen as dangerous, but I learned that there are reasons behind it all; poverty leads to crime and that crime is what turned those who live in Compton, into the person they are today. They “live and breathe it” so they just have to go with it.
Kendrick Lamar
Thank you, Kendrick Lamar, for showing us the story behind Bompton.
It’s something I don’t want to feel. It’s something that could break a relationship. Jealousy can bring out the anger in someone. It can be one of the most painful feelings to hold in.
I had a best friend in sixth grade and let’s call her Lynn. At first we didn’t really click, but after having a couple of classes together, we finally had a conversation. From that day on, we became inseparable. We never got into a fight. We didn’t let anything get in between us. We planned our future together and wanted our children to become best friends too. We spent so much time together for the first two years of high school. She made the dance team and I was so proud of her. I just kept thinking that our friendship was so strong, nothing could break it.
After five years of building a strong relationship with a girl I thought would be my best friend for life, I realized “BFF” meant nothing. Being part of the dance team made her more popular than me. She started hanging out with different people and found a new best friend. Day by day, I felt the distance growing between us. She started doing things differently. She became someone she said she wouldn’t want to become. When I explained my situation to a girl I met freshman year, I broke down and cried. I got jealous of her new friend. I didn’t like her and wasn’t planning to. I held a grudge against someone I barely knew about because she took my best friend away from me.
Jealousy is a strong emotion that could make a person sad and angry at the same time. Not only that, it could destroy the mind and the heart. It causes the person to think and feel differently – usually in a bad way. It takes over in a person and can bring out the worst in people.
Sometimes, I experience this feeling so much, to the point where I reach another level of anger. It doesn’t look or feel pretty. It breaks me down and wears away my happiness. That’s why I wish I don’t get jealous.
When we first know how to talk, we start our long journey of education. We are thrown into Pre-School, then Kindergarten, forced to elementary and middle school, then high school, and then sent off to college. If I didn’t miscount, that would be twelve years of education (and this is not counting college yet because of the varied number of years a person can attend college).
When Zach Goldbaum visited Kendrick’s high school, he talked with principal, Madie Adams Robertson. Robertson explains that the job of educators is to help students cultivate [students’] gift so they could pursue their American dream and that American dream is simply to be alive and well in Compton.
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