My 2011 Winter Break

My 2011 winter break was unlike any other I’d had before. For one thing, it was not as long as it usually is. Usually we get two weeks off from school for winter break, but this year was the first time that they gave us less time by starting and ending the break during the middle of the week. Despite that, I did manage to do lots of stuff. Once school was out, the first thing I turned my attention to was Christmas shopping. I have never been a fan of Christmas shopping, although I don’t hate it nearly as much as the rest of my family does. I had to get presents for my parents, my sister, and both cousin gift exchanges for my mom’s and my dad’s sides of the family respectively. So after going to Target and Barnes and Nobles, I found my gifts: A 500 piece puzzle of Paris for dad, a reusable cooking/baking sheet for mom, a book for my sister and two itunes gift cards for my cousins. In retrospect, I should be proud that I managed to get all my shopping done before Christmas and by going to just two stores no less. Christmas Eve and Christmas day were fun. In the afternoon of the 24^th, I played trumpet in the Christmas orchestra at my church for the two services. That was a lot of fun, since I enjoy playing the trumpet and the story was entertaining to hear because it was acted out on stage for us, instead of just read straight from the bible. Then in the evening, my family and I went to my dad’s brother’s house for dinner and presents. The cousin gift exchange was amusing because we play a game to decide who gets what gifts. First, all seven of us (including my sister and me) are given wrapped presents randomly. Then we open them and see what they are. Then the stealing (AKA the fun part) begins. We sit in a circle and go around three times and on each person’s turn they can choose to swap presents with someone else, no matter if the other person likes their present. After we go around three times, everyone has to keep the present they end up with. I ended up with a book about all kinds of creepy/bizarre facts and stories in it, so I’m pretty happy with it. I also got a bag of miscellaneous goodies from my aunt, which had stuff like chocolate and beanie babies in it. Christmas Day was also very enjoyable. My family and I went to church in the morning before opening presents and only about 1/10^th of the congregation was present. When we got home, we started with present-unwrapping-time with the stockings. There were several surprises as well as some old favorites in mine. I got a penguin “baby beanie” which is basically a smaller version of a beanie baby. I also got some of my favorite candy, which includes chocolate coins and sour gummy candy. I also got a pack of holiday-themed hot chocolate. However, the most memorable present in my stocking was a simple, black bowtie. I was rather surprised when I found this, but I think it’s pretty cool too. After the stockings, we moved on to the wrapped presents under the tree. I received all kinds of stuff. I got three books, two of which were fictional action-adventure stories. The last book was hilarious. It’s called “Awkward Family Pet Photos”. It’s kind of like a photo album of hysterical pictures that include people’s pets, with captions to go with them. I also got a 2012 calendar and a Wii video game that I had asked for. It was a fun morning. My cat Bismarck was ripping apart wrapping paper and we had to stop him from eating some of it. That afternoon, we went to celebrate Christmas with my Mom’s side of the family for food, fun and even more presents. I got an itunes give card from the cousin exchange, a headlamp for camping and a Best Buy gift card. I also got numerous Chinese red envelopes with varying amounts of money in them from my aunts and uncles. Red envelopes are a Chinese giving tradition for the holidays (my mother and her family are Chinese). As for the food, it was a mixture of Chinese food and holiday goodies, a mixture that I have long since accustomed myself to. We spent the whole afternoon and evening there. All in all, this Christmas was a good Christmas. During the week between Christmas and New Years, I split me time between enjoying my presents and working on college application essays. The night before New Year’s Eve, I had a reunion with my fellow theater techies, including several people who came back from college. We played apples to apples, listened to a lot of show music and found a bunch of theater techie jokes on a site called backstagebadger.com. The graduates gave me some advice about colleges. Connor Syring did an impression of a seal, to our great amusement. That was first social night I’d had in a long time with those friends and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I actually ran into those same graduates again the next night at the New Year’s Eve party I attended. The party was hosted by my sister’s friend’s family, who apparently knew all sorts of people. I had some food and listened to college stories from my sister’s friends while solving all kinds of handheld puzzles that I found in their house. At about 11 o’clock, someone started a dance party in the basement, complete with glow sticks, a radio, a stereo system and no lights. I was dragged down there but I didn’t feel like dancing: I was too tired. Instead, I crashed on a beanbag and fell asleep, to the general astonishment of everyone else. One of my friends had to wake me up at 11:55 to welcome in the New Year. Everyone went upstairs, grabbed party poppers and a drink. We belted out the countdown and soon confetti and smoke were everywhere. I was happy, but I was still really tired so my sister and I went home soon afterwards. Although it was shortened, my winter break was awesome.

Tribute to Timmy

There we were, an adventurous group
who looked forward to the trip,
a troupe of scouts, with packs and skills
not knowing that one of our strings would be snipped

When Timmy's string was cut,
this was no longer a journey,
rather it was an unexpected dedication
that turned our sunshine rainy

This poem has a volta right in the middle, a shift from an optimistic tone to a bitter tone. The rhyme scheme in both stanzas is A B C B. However I did take some liberties with the rhyme between "trip" and "snipped" due to the tenses of the words. The last line has a bit of imagery in it, as does the snipping of the string. The snipping of the string is also doubles as a reference to the 3 Fates in Greek mythology that cut the life strings of people when they die. The last word, "rainy", while sort of rhyming with journey, is a bit difference to emphasize the "rainy" mood.

Activities A, B and C

A)
Is there a tune more happy than a daughter's windchime laugh?
A silence more crushing than her rolling tear?
I there a breeze more cooling than a son's slumbered sigh?
A thought more awesome than the question he asks?
And is there a truer joy when I am the clown?
Shame when I accuse and rage?
Peace when I pull up the sheet?
Pride when I strike the flint?
I made these kids and I make these kids.
And they make me.

B)
Pastis, 43, credits Schulz for giving birth to his career, too.
He was a frustrated insurance lawyer yearning for a career as an artist
when he approached Schulz, who was eating breakfast in a diner,
and introduced himself as an aspiring cartoonist.
Much to his amazement, Schulz invited him to sit down
and spent an hour giving him advice.
Schulz even asked Pastis to retrieve his portfolio from his car,
so he could critique his work.

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/131470203.html

C)
What is it about time and change? Life is such a mysterious thing. People like to think that they can predict the future based on patterns, but I'm finding this is not always the case. Take what happened to me in A.P. Economics class yesterday. At the beginning of this class the announcements come on, talking about club meetings and the school newspaper. Then towards the end, the announcer says "And now, if you so choose, you may stand for the pledge of allegiance". Guess what happens? About four of the thirty or so people do it, including me. Most of the students stay seated and talk about whatever. I think to myself, why does this happen? I've seen it happen before. I remember reading about some students who got suspended from school because they didn't stand up to recite the pledge. Based on how students always recited the pledge in the past, you'd think that students would do the same today but it's just not happening. Why? Times change, and so do people. Perhaps the new generation doesn't think America is perfect.

Poem version:

What is it about time and change? Life is such a mysterious thing.
People like to think that they can predict the future based on patterns,
but I'm finding this is not always the case.
Take what happened to me in A.P. Economics class yesterday.
At the beginning of this class the announcements come on,
talking about club meetings and the school newspaper.
Then towards the end, the announcer says
"And now, if you so choose, you may stand for the pledge of allegiance".
Guess what happens?
About four of the thirty or so people do it, including me.
Most of the students stay seated and talk about whatever.
I think to myself, why does this happen?
I've seen it happen before.
I remember reading about some students who got suspended from school
because they didn't stand up to recite the pledge.
Based on how students always recited the pledge in the past,
you'd think that students would do the same today
but it's just not happening.
Why?
Times change, and so do people.
Perhaps the new generation doesn't think America is perfect.

10 Ways of Looking at a Half-Filled Glass of Water

I. You can look at it half empty

With disappointment and sadness

II. You can look at it half full

With gratitude and happiness

III. You can see a dirty cup

Filthy and unsanitary

IV. You could see a clean cup

Spick and span

V. You might see ditch water

Impure and nasty

VI. You could see clean water

Filtered and healthy

VII. You can see a bad sign

An omen of despair and a bleak future

VIII. You can see a good sign

A symbol of hope and good things to come

IX. You can see a half empty glass

And a depressing world with it

X. You can see a half full glass

And a wonderful life with it

The Ride

Looking at the bike in the garage,
I drank in the helmet hanging on the handlebars.
The kickstand down, the whole bike up,
ready to be of service.
Sitting in a dusky garage,
with only a small window to show the light,
the most wonderful feeling
slumbers in the most unlikely place.
Taking the bike out onto the driveway,
it almost seems to wake up.
Casting off the blanket of sleep,
it stretches and gets ready.
Once I'm on the bike, it seems like a horse.
It was anxious, now that it was awakened,
to be off and about.
Pedling out of the driveway is like taking flight,
chasing the unknown and infinity.
Once we have begun the ride, the bike and I,
We have succeeded: We have escaped.

Modernism Poem

This poem represents modernism

It’s really quite concise

It doesn’t follow many old rules

And it reacts against romanticism

Twinkle Poem

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Twinkle
are.---Twinkle
you-----------little
what -----------------star how I wonder
wonder --------------------what
I -------------------you
how --------------------are.
star ----------------------Up
little------dimond a-------above
twinkle---in---------like--------the
twinkle-the-------------high,--world
****sky------------------------so****
***----------------------------------***
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