when i was a freshman...

So for the second year in the row, I am in Link Crew at my high school which is a program where juniors/seniors help out freshman and help them get used to high school at freshman orientation. Last year I did it as junior and it kind of sucked. One reason was because on the first day of training, the two teachers who were in charge of it told us that Link Crew was no longer a "three day" thing, it was a YEAR LONG commitment. Usually we just do the summer orientation and training for two days and that is it, but last year was the first time they were going to try out a freshman mentoring program which would be once a week and we would meet with a group of freshman and a teacher. And of course none of us really signed up for that reason so we were all a bit annoyed. And I was very hesitant to sign up this year because I knew I would have to mentor freshmen throughout the whole year and last year's program was the first time and it was a horrible start. But I was "committed" because I am a psycho and wanted to put down "TWO YEARS OF FRESHMAN MENTORING!" on my college applications ( the things we do for college apps right? ).

So I wasted two days of my summer "training" for orientation and so TODAY was FRESHMAN ORIENTATION. So basically, two link crew leaders take 10-15 freshmen in a group and you sit in a class (no teachers) and you lead these group activities to break the ice, give tips on high school life, learn more about people you may or may not have known before, and just have "fun". I actually had an AWESOME partner this year and he helped me out a lot (and he was nice) and I had a GREAT GROUP of freshmen this year. They weren't the most talkative bunch but I had no obnoxious, "knuckleheads" and they were all pretty much respectful. So we did almost all the activities that were supposed to and pretty much just talked a lot about high school, what they expected out of high school, what they were nervous about, our experiences in high school and me and my partner (+ another junior who was in student gov't who helped out) just gave them MANY MANY tips about high school.

Being a senior, I realized so many things about high school and tips for the survival of high school and I hope they retained SOME of my advice because it is damn good advice. Last year, I thought the activities we had to do with the kids were pretty stupid like playing "count-off" where we count of 1-20 by random order of people but this year...I actually LIKED THE GAMES and thought they were pretty useful and most of my kids in my group ENJOYED the games. It was a great way for people to get to know people they wouldn't normally hang out with.

And seeing the incoming freshman, I realized the same qualities I had when I was their age--- shy, quiet, not the type to raise their hand and volunteer (at all). Pretty much typical quiet nerdy Asian girl, but in reality, that was not the real me. People in middle school knew me as loud, slightly obnoxious and very gossipy (yes very). But when I got to my high school, I knew almost no one and I just made quick friends who I really didn't like that much just to have people to hang with at lunch. But I realized by sophmore year, the way to have fun in school is DO STUFF and be OPEN and that is what I did and OH YES I AM GLAD I DID because I would not be where I am today if I had not. Now I have friends who I am very close with even though we have known each other for two years (little more, little less) and I am so many freaking clubs/extracurriculars that times flies by so fast. And now I am back to the type of person I really am--showy, always wants to be person to open their mouth and be opinionated and show off my smarts.

I have ONE WEEK until school starts. ohmyjeebus. And I still have summer homework to worry about that. I got my schedule today after freshman orientation and I am satisfied, pretty crazy schedule though. But I am just nervous and excited at the same time. Talking enthusiastically about how much I love my school reminds me how I am excited for the things to come, the events to happen, those memorable LAST THINGS and just doing as much as I can because I do not want to miss out. High school really is what you make it, and I am glad I can look back and say I have made high school into a great experience---not the super AWESOME life changing experience where I will pine for the good old high school days----but into the great growing experience. Four years seems so short and long at the same time. In my senior year I have just only realized the things I COULD HAVE DONE, the classes I COULD HAVE taken, the people I COULD have met. But this year, I am determined to make those could haves HAPPEN!!!!

my schedule for this year.
term one - pre cal, pol science honors, econ, intro treb choir
term two - pre cal, eng lit ap, TA, intro treb choir
term three - physics, ap gov, lab tec, cal ap
term four - physics, ap gov, lat tec, cal ap

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And to catch up what I have been doing, yes I have been watching the Olympics. Though I am not a big fan of swimming... I love watching badminton, basketball, SOOOOOOCCCCEEEEEERRRR, ROWWWWINGGG IS AWESOME, white water rafting, etc. I don't have particular favorite athletes I just watch whatever is on tv and I am just amazed about how ripped these athletes are (even badminton players!). I am just amazed by them. Oh and yes my parents are sooo estatic that South Korea is third in have most medals because that one guy who won swimming gold. Phelps has certainly made America proud.

-----christina.

l.o.v.e

HAPPY SUPER TUESDAY
for the non-Californians out there,
today is super tuesday,
BIG PRELIMINARY caucuses for the presidential candiates.

My mom went to vote and she voted for Hilary Clinton. We had a mock super tuesday at our school. I voted Barack Obama. I am not just bandwagoning with the rest of the young folk. I have heard his speeches and I've watched him and I liked him a lot especially in the youtube democratic debates. I have a lot of respect for Hilary Clinton also but I just prefer Obama. I don't care for much Republican candiates but I would love if anyone won but ROMINEY. I dislike Rominey a lot, not just for his Mormon factor. He seems to like to personally attack in the debates (no surprise of course) but he just seems to have a very slick greasy factor to me.

So my weekend. I was going to show pictures of Acadeca but MIN has not sent me the pictures yet :(. Acadeca is always fun but we always lose because our team never takes it seriously. We always just go to play and we always end up bullshitting the multiple choice but rocking the speeches and the interview. I totally rocked the interview. I had three really nice ladies that were pretty impressed by my resume. haha. I didn't think I was that great with activities but they asked me a lot of questions about my CRC college classes, student mentoring, etc. I actually do a lot of extracurriculars so I am glad that I looked so intelligent and well rounded. It surprised me that they actually were impressed by me. It was astounding. I guess since I am surrounded by such HIGH LEVEL students who do like a sport, juggle at least three or four aps and are in clubs and still get A's that I under-appreciate myself. Well for the speech I have no idea how I did. I got the worst three old people. They did not give much facial expression and since I was talking about Darfur genocide I dont think they appreciated it very much since they came across as very conservative (especially the two old guys) and I was just like crappp.. inside my head. I made my speech in like 10 minutes that morning anyway. Oh well. The Superquiz was okay. I was mostly talking to Harjot and Min the whole time. Everyone else was trying to compete with Mr. Mowrer and getting the most right answers during the Superquiz. Afterwards most of our team went to go eat PHO! It was really windy and confusing because we initially were supposed to go to Pho King 2, but then people changed it to Viet Ho (??) on Florin, then we call and they are at Viet Hoa in Laguna. It was crazy. Well our whole group took up like half of the restaurant. The pho was so-so. My mom isn't even Vietnamese and she makes better pho. Dom dropped me, Maggie, Michelle and Faith home and he drove really fast over a bump and it was really fun and we were like WHEEEE!!! But in the dangerous weather we were in, I don't think that would be recommended.

On Sunday, I went to run errands with my mom and we were by Jamba Juice by our old house. So I was like, I wonder how our old house looks like. My mom was like "lets go check it out". It was fun to remember little things about the neighborhood. I remember we would always pass by this one house where this Asian guy would always be washing/waxing his car even if it was SPRINKLING. So we are driving around the neighborhood and we get to the house and... MY HEART BROKE. The new owners had totally torn down the trees in our front yard. Our old house had this kind of "forest" as we called it. Our house was formed in an "L" shape with the front door facing the street and the garage facing the neighbor's house. Where the garage was, there was a lot of bushes lined up and this really big green patch (full of sharp vines? something strange like that) and a big tree. There was a little path which was aligned to the garage side and you could walk in (this was behind the bushes) and come to this little overhang formed by the roof and the big tree. It was our (my siblings and I) clubhouse. Well they TORE EVERYTHING DOWN and had just this big mound of dirt. And they re-did the fence and put iron bars on the windows and put a stupid white iron door (i don't know what it is call but it is the door in front of the big thick door). They even planted this ugly crop of sugarcane or something. They made the house look so Asian.

I was really sad that everything had changed. I can still remember the layout of the house and what it looked exactly. I forget that houses can change even when you have left them. Things change even when you are gone, like you were never there. That is sad.



I found a youtube video that was fanmade of the "tell me" song to the fan background. I am too lazy to find the youtube video but here is the ripped version of the song. :]


Okay so I posted a couple pics from Triumir's line just because ONE, that guy in the first picture is hot (SEXY!) and two, I liked the hat. Check out their line because it is pretty cool. I love to look at streetwear brands but you know what I have a big problem with? THEY DONT HAVE LINES FOR GIRLS. Gawd, I should just open my own damn brand because there is a lack of streetwear for girls that is actually cute and cool.


Did you hear about Kanye West's new tour coming up? It looks cool.

I would love to afford to go to that.

Today I had course selection for my senior classes. That is INSANE?!?!?!?!?!? SENIOR CLASSES. That is my future right there. Well I had a real headache trying to determine which classes I have. For one, I seem to be the only one to want to try and take it easy. Everyone else is going crazy and taking like FIVE APS. Seriously, I know I am going to slack a bit being senior year. Plus think about SENIOR PROJECT AND SENIOR APPLICATIONS. I am not about to kill myself. However, I am taking a couple APs. I was really debating on whether or not I can handle AP Calculus because I would have to double up in math in order to take it but I really think it would benefit me and not be such a burden to take it in college. Then the thing about AP ENGLISH LITERATURE! Half the people I know are regular English and half are doing AP. I think I am going to do AP because I LOVE ENGLISH but the thing that sucks is no grade changes after AP test so I don't know if I can get a B in the class. I will see after AP Language & Composition. So here is my potential schedule: physics, ap english, ap gov/honors political science (goes together), ap cal, pre-cal, ap psych, econ, etc. I hope I just get really easy electives to fill it up. Sigh... why am I surrounded by overachievers?



I am really sick of this AP ENVIRONMENT. I am surrounded with kids who are like SUPER GENIUSES. I am super competitive and it really makes me sick to my stomach if I don't take an AP that someone else is taking. I was getting really anxious if I should take SPANISH AP 4 but HELLO I HATE SPANISH!!! So I forced myself not to take it. It really kills me to think some kid would be chosen over me because they took SPANISH AP and I didn't. I know some people are thinking I am just going crazy but yeah that is how i feel. I mean I think some of my friends are going to have strokes by age 20 because of all the stress they put themselves through and their LIFE PLANS. WE ARE ONLY 16/17 guys!!! Sigh but I go through the same thing as everyone else. Stupid college admins people who make us worry like shit over this stuff.

That makes me happy. Animals are so cute.

----CK.