I just had french class on Monday, and my VERY "lovable" teacher told our class some things to remember when going ANYWHERE in France.
- Learn this: Je suis désolé (Zheu-swee-deu-so-lee)
It means I'm sorry. You always have to say sorry, even when just buying a metro ticket because because of you, you're making them work more and waste more time on you... (Very weird, I KNOW)
- Learn this: excusez-moi (euk-scoo-zee-mua)
It means excuse me. Use it whenever you need to... :)
- Always stand on the right hand side of the elevators or else some people will push you away
- Don't talk very loudly on the phone in the metro or even the restaurant because someone would tell you to get out because they wouldn't want to hear all about your life
Remember these points and you'll have a fantastic trip to France :) Have a nice day!
There's a catchy little song that's been going around lately...you've got it right! It's the Cup Song by Anna Kendrick! I was a little annoyed (well, not a little, but TOTALLY) in the beginning when everyone started doing it in class, so I absolutely REFUSED to learn it.
During my vacation to Malaysia with my friends, my BFF told me that it is a really great song and that I'd love it once I've learned it, so I decided to give it a try.
It took SECONDS (literally) for me to learn the song and I was TOTALLY ADDICTED to it!
I was doing it on the bus, the plane, cafeteria, with my hands, in a restaurant, anything you can think of!
The Cup Song is actually a normal song with lyrics (obviously) that uses a cup to make rhythms that accompany the song!
The Cup Song, otherwise known as "When I'm Gone" which is the song's name, was originally performed by Anna Kendrick in the movie "Pitch Perfect". I've heard that Pitch Perfect is a really great movie and is kind of like Glee. I haven't watched it before, but I would like to try it out sometime in the future!
For those of you out there who HAVE heard or learned the song before (which is probably a lot), please comment what you think about the song!
This is the music video of Anna Kendrick's "When I'm Gone". Hope you enjoy it!
My favorite movie before was the Twilight Series, but now, life changes. It's "The Host"!!!
Ok, so this movie is about aliens that take over the minds of human bodies. This movie is about the "soul" (alien) Wanderer. Wanderer was put inside Melanie Stryder's body in order to find the last humans surviving, so they can invade the bodies of those bodies too.
When a soul is inserted into a body, the human that was on earth before should fade away and let the soul control his/her body forever. However, Melanie is very strong and protective of her family, so she refuses to go away and instead, becomes stronger and stronger rather than the other way around.
Melanie leads Wanderer to a desert for a few days, just to make sure that if she really brought Wanderer to her family, it wouldn't cause her family any danger.
Uncle Jeb, Melanie's favorite uncle, finds them in the desert. He still treats Wanderer like she's still Melanie because he still thinks that it's his niece's body, though she's not human anymore.
Uncle Jeb lives in a cave in the desert with all the other human survivors that he knows. He brings Wanderer to the cave.
Once all the other people know that one of their enemies are living with them, they are very angry and many of them even hate Wanderer. Not for her personality though, but because she's a soul.
Once Jamie (Melanie's brother) and Uncle Jeb know that Melanie is still alive and well inside of Wanderer, they begin to like and protect her.
This movie was originally an 800 page novel by Stephanie Meyer, author of the Twilight Series. I'm reading the book now, so I was thinking maybe you should try it out as well! For those of you out there who have watched the movie, read the book, or even both, please comment what you think about it! I would be delighted to hear your thoughts!
I've already started my summer holiday, so I decided to do some baking! Baking can be lots of fun, so let me take you on my baking journey!
Baking is not really popular in Asia, so I don't have ALL the tools I need including a stand/hand mixer, vanilla extract, loaf pans, measuring spoons/cups, electric scale, etc.
Scones were my first "bake-it-myself" recipe that I did. Scones are an English afternoon snack that most British people serve with tea. It should have a crispy surface and soft bread-like inside.
I bet you would laugh at this, but I accidentally added an egg into the dough, so the dough became very sticky and wet. Eventually, I had to grab the sticky dough with my hands and plop them onto the baking sheet instead of cutting them out with a cookie cutter...
The second recipe, which is the one I've baked with my best friend and was baked most recently, is the chewy chocolate chip cookie! Everyone likes easy recipes that produce great food, so if you are that kind of person, this is the perfect recipe for you!
This is the link to the recipe that I used https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PszBtsAL-w8. This recipe shows you how to make M&M cookies, but my friend and I thought that this recipe might make a good chewy cookie, so we used chocolate chips instead of M&M's.
Joy of Baking is a great YouTube channel that demonstrates a lot of different recipes for those of you out there that love to bake too! I've been watching this channel's videos for forever and they never bore me down!
I love ballet. Ballet is my life. I've been dancing since I was 3 years old!
Though I know I'm not the sort of person that is really flexible and would be a successful ballerina, I try to be better than anyone in my ballet class. I try to be a better ballet dancer!
I've been stretching more than usual lately. In fact, a lot more. I get most inspiration from ballet dancers who upload photos of themselves stretching onto Instagram or just from the internet.
My favorite stretch is the scorpion and the needle pose. This stretch requires a high level of flexibility, so I haven't really mastered it yet, though I could kind of do it. However, I could get the scorpion pose! (Left - scorpion / Middle - needle / Right - Me doing scorpion)
Sorry it's twisted
For those of you out there who dance ballet too, please begin to acknowledge this, stretching today is better than tomorrow. I believe that stretching is really difficult for me because (1) I'm not naturally flexible and (2) I wasn't willing to stretch when I was young, so it's harder for me to now.
I try my best in everything that links with ballet, including exams. I get distinctions in every ballet exam.
Ballet is a life-long experience of pain, beauty, and enjoyment. You can't just stop all of a sudden and decide to quit! Ballet takes a long time to master successfully, but would let you know what real happiness and gracefulness is.
Warm bodies is a movie about the romance of R (Nicholas Hoult), a brain-eating zombie, and Julie (Teresa Palmer).
An apocalypse has turned the world upside down. The disease has transformed many humans into terrible zombies that eat people. If you get bitten by a zombie, you become one.
When R and other zombies rush into a science lab to eat people, he sees Julie, and immediately falls in love with he.
R brings Julie back "home" which is basically the local airport, and keeps her with him. As both fall in love, R's heart starts up again...
Their love has affected the other zombie's, starting their dead hearts again too and turning them from zombies, back to human again!
The amazing journey of their unconditional love for each other is absolutely fascinating. It has been rated with 4 stars! I would totally recommend it. (By the way, I've watched it again and again for like 5 times and I don't even get bored...)
Remember, everything starts out a little scary...
"You've started something, and it's affecting the others too..."(Warm Bodies)
Ok, so you would think this is really weird but I've finished another book again...I just love to read!
This book is called Radiance by Alyson Noel. It is a 200 page fiction novel that talks about a twelve-year-old girl called Riley Bloom that has, unfortunately, died in a car accident.
Riley crosses the bridge to afterlife with her mom and dad. However, her sister, Ever, has survived, leaving Ever as an orphan in the earth plane.
Everyone in Here & Now(Here- place where Riley lives after she is dead / Now- when you ask people of Here what time it is, they'll answer, "Now.") has a personal guide, a person who bosses you around and tells you what to do. Riley's guide is Bodhi, a nerdy, possibly cute guy (without his glasses) that has died of bone cancer.
As Riley complete's her mission as a Soul Catcher with Bodhi, she finally discovers who she really is, but will she change her mind about wanting to be human again...
This book would suit teenager readers that would love to discover what authors write about afterlife. Actually, no, it would suit everyone, because it is an amazing book!
Bite the bullet is an idom which means doing something you don't really want to do but you have to. This idom comes from a long time ago when people didn't have anesthetics but had to do a surgery, they would give the patient a lead bullet to bite on to distract him/her from the pain.
A time when I had to bite the bullet was when I had to learn how to wear my contacts. I was so scared because my friend told me that it would be VERY uncomfortable.
I was opening my eye WIDE but I still couldn't get it in!
I was telling myself, get this thing in and don't keep mom waiting!, though I knew that she wouldn't mind.
My whole body was on nervous mode, and I couldn't keep things straight.
I was even talking to myself. Get. That. In.
I was struggling to wear those contacts because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to take them off! I had to bite the bullet and finally, I managed to wear and take the contacts out properly.
It was the worst thing ever but totally worth it. Was there a time you had to bite the bullet too?
The drink I love MOST in Starbucks is Chocolate Chip Cream. For those of you who do not live in my area, Chocolate Chip Cream is a chocolate slushy with chocolate chips added. You can choose to have the cream on or not, but I always have it on because I think the cream is the best part of the drink! They also squirt chocolate jam on top of the cream.
I've starting to drink cold chocolate more occasionally recently because at my new school, there is a coffee shop where as at primary school, there is none. There have been compliments on Starbucks's Chocolate Chip Cream from my friends so I decided to try it out. Now I can't stop buying it! It is really hard to resist it because there is a Starbucks shop near where I live...
I have always wanted to try the Chocolate Chip Frappe because I love chocolate, but then I'm really scared that I wouldn't be able to sleep at night after I drink it. Please tell me if it is caffeinated because I am desperate to know!
Do you like any drink from Starbucks? I know that it's mostly adults who drink Starbucks but I still love it a lot! Comment which drink you LOVE from Starbucks for me please!
My Sister's Keeper was a number one bestseller in 2008 and was made into a movie in 2009. This book is by Jodi Picoult and is a four hundred page novel about a girl called Kate Fitzgerald. Kate has a rare form of leukemia and needs a donor. She has been suffering from this form of cancer since she was two, which is about fifteen years. Unfortunately, her older brother, Jesse, was not a match for her. Her parents then decides to create a child that would be the perfect match for Kate; Anna.
Thirteen years later, when Anna was in grade 9, she went to Mr Campbell Richard, a famous lawyer of the town, that she will be suing her parents for the rights of her body. The game has just begun...
This is the most recent book that I have finished reading. It is also my favorite book because it is written by my favorite author, Jodi Picoult, and in the movie, Anna is played by Abigail Breslin, my favorite child actress. To my opinion, this book would fall into the category of realistic fiction. It would suit teenagers or adults that like a book with a lot of conflict of arguing. Some of the contents in this book are more suitable for mature or grownup people.
This is my favorite book and I really enjoyed reading it! I hope you will read this book in the future! Remember, don't start the book unless you are so comfortable you're sure you will be able to stay in this position for hours, because My Sister's Keeper is such a page turner! It will keep you guessing until the end...
"The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do."
- Walter Bagehot
This is a quote that Walter Bagehot wrote. I think it is right because I have had a lot of experience with doing stuff people thought I couldn't do and it feels really good. It seems like you've just conquered that person's land in your heart. It seems like you've succeeded! However, it is wrong in a way because you don't have to do what others think you are expected to. You can go your own way and your own life. You are free and don't always have to be controlled by others with their thoughts. Doing what people think you can't can increase your self-confidence but not really caring about what others say is just a way of saying "I can go my own way and live my own life." Saying this doesn't mean that you're a coward, it just means you are free.
"Each person must live their life as a model for others."- Rosa Parks
There was a period of time when white people were racist against black people. This is a quote that Rosa Parks wrote during that time. I agree with Rosa Parks's quote because we have to show others by our actions that we are civilized and that we know what is wrong and what is right. To prove this, we always have to think of ourselves as being a mentor for others, that way, we could always be doing the right thing. However, it's important to be sure we're following the right people. What if we do the same things bad guys do because we are thinking that we are doing the right thing by following their example? In this case, we can't always use others as a model for our lives. Others may be doing the wrong thing and we shouldn't follow their actions. So, I kind of actually agree to both sides of the story.
"I say to the young ; 'Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure. You have no security unless you can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively.'" -Eleanor Roosevalt
Many people think of life as a journey of ups and downs, I think so too, but I also think that life is an adventure. I think that life is an adventure because sometimes you fall, and after you fall, you stand back up. Life is to be enjoyed, though you also have to think about your future. I think that having a successful life means having a career that you like, being able to help others with the skills you have for your career, and making others smile because you helped them.
What's the best and worst thing about being your age?
At my age, many things occur. Things like puberty and middle school. The worst thing about being eleven is that you start puberty and your boobs get bigger. It's pretty embarrassing, especially when you have swimming for PE. At my primary school, there aren't many showers in the changing room so my friends and I usually shower together. There was once when a girl who kept saying in the shower, "Vivien, your boobs are soooo big! Hello?! They're soooo big, man!" Plus, you start to think more about boys at eleven. Whenever I talk to a boy in class, at least one student would say, "Stop flirting and get on with your work." Also, one of my friends would sometimes say, "Hey, so and so are flirting with you. Can't you see!" It's so embarrassing.
However, bad things always comes with good ones. The good thing is that at eleven, you start middle school at my school already. You won't be embarrassed if you don't know where to go or if you get lost because everyone is in the first year of middle school and it's fine, especially if you're new. Everyone's finding their way through year 7. Being a year 7 student is great.
Everyone has fears, otherwise known as phobias. My phobia is actually pretty funny. I've had this phobia already since kindergarten. When I see one of my friends that are older than me at school, I usually think of saying hello to them. Everyone does, it's kind of like an instinct, to say hello to a friend you see. However, before I say hello, I have to think first. For example, A is my friend and B is my friend's friend that I don't know. When A is with one of his/her B's and I say hi to A, A would make this face at me as if he/she is really annoyed with me even if A doesn't do that normally. To make it even worst, B would make a face also and say "Ugh!" and roll her/his eyes at me which I hate people doing. Then, after I turn around, A and B would whisper at each other. I don't know if A and B is whispering about me but I bet they are and even though I've turned around, I know they're whispering. In other words, I don't have the guts to say hi.
This might have happened to you when you were still at school or even now. Maybe some people also have a phobia of this happening. Phobias could last for a lifetime and this one could probably scare me forever.
I bet everybody has a favorite singer, including me! My favorite singer is a Hong Kong singer named Ivana Wong, 王菀之. She was born in June 18, 1979 (aged 33) and is a Cantonese pop singer and song-writer. I like her because her voice is very clear and it sounds like a little girl is singing. Her voice is actually pretty high-pitched. Her latest television program is "Inbound Troubles" (老表 你好嘢). I really like this TV program because it is very humorous. My favorite song of hers is "I'm Really Hurt" (我真的受傷了). She wrote this song herself for "Inbound Troubles" (老表 你好嘢) because there is a part in the movie where she is acting to be ditched by her boyfriend.
Ivana Wong is a very good singer and actress and I enjoy listening to her songs and watching her films on the big TV screen.
Hong Kong has two major themeparks. Ocean park and Disneyland. I am going to introduce both of them to you!
Ocean Park is a theme park based on sea animals and rides, that's why it's called Ocean Park! However, none of the rides are interpreted with sea animals. There are many rides, including the cable car, Hair Raiser(roller coaster), carnival games, etc. The rides in the Ocean Park are more for teenagers than youngsters. It is Ocean Park, so there must be animal exhibits. Many of them give you useful facts on each animal. Plus, people there vary from ages 9 to 99, so it's basically for everyone. Like every theme park, there are some new rides once in awhile. Everything there is very exciting, especially at Halloween! Every staff member's makeup is so scary! It would totally freak you out! It is very profitable because you have a better experience in what "fun" means and it's pretty cheap, $280 for an adult and $140 for children. A great idea if you're traveling to Hong Kong.
Disneyland is more for immature children because everything is based on Disney characters, probably for ages 2-8. There are only new rides for about every 2 years, so pretty much everything stays the same. Many children would probably consider it heaven for them because they make it like a very big castle. There are parades during the day and fireworks at night. Halloween is absolutely not scary there, so very good for children. It is a bit more expensive than Ocean Park, $399 for adults and $285 for children. If you've been to the Disneyland in America, this Disneyland would seem much smaller with fewer rides.
If it were me, I would choose Ocean Park because of my age. For my parents, maybe they would prefer Disneyland more because it's very child-friendly. Either way, come visit Hong Kong and don't forget to visit both parks!
Many people have their own idols, so do I! My idol is not very popular nowadays but I still like him. He is...Leonardo DiCaprio! I've watched the movie "Titanic" a bazillion times, so I absolutely adore him! I know he is kinda fat now that he's old, but the Leonardo I admire is the 1999 Leonardo DiCaprio. It's not ONLY because he's handsome, it's because I love the tone and accent of his voice too! When he talks, it seems like your heart is being sucked into his eyes. Those beautiful eyes!
Even though I might not be that fond of him as time passes, for now I still enjoy watching him on the big screen!
Reading is probably what most kids hate to do, but I am the completely different. I LOVE READING! It is what I'd do in my free time, but obviously, I am not so obssesive that I'd bring a book on my vacation.
My recent favorite author is Jody Picoult, so I'd usually buy books written by her. I would definetly recommend Nineteen Minutes and Handle with Care both by Jody Picoult. Nineteen Minutes is about a boy going to school with a gun instead of textbooks and killing ten people in nineteen minutes. Nineteen Minutes is an absolute page-turner but very intimidating and agressive. Handle with Care is about a girl with OI(osteogenisis imperfecta) which is a disease that causes brittle bones. This disease is crippling the family. Handle with Care is also beyond any doubt, a page-turner. It is a very good book with a sad ending.
If you could have one superpower what would it be and why?
Many people wish for superpowers, but I'm not that impressed with superpowers. Awkwardly, I just want to be my normal self, but if I did have one, then I would want the ability to fly because we have to walk a lot of stairs at school. As you know, it's very exhausting walking up and down for approximately 2 hours a day. Sometimes, I'm kind of jealous of my friends because their classroom is on the first floor and mine is on the fifth. I have to walk up to the fifth floor for two times a day, which already adds up to walking ten floors. So do some math, how many floors would I have to walk everyday for four periods?
Now that you know what superpower I want, what superpower do you want? Are you longing for one?
A new
year, a fresh start. I am trying to make a few goals for myself this year. The
long term goals are available for the next 3-5 years, and the short term goals
for 9-12 months.
Long
Term Goals:
-lose
weight
-be able
to get Facebook
-exercise
more
-get a
new MacBook
-get a
bank account
-be able
to save 2 million dollars
Short
Term Goals:
-get
better grades in history, I will participate more in class by asking and
answering questions
-read
books a bit faster, I will let myself read on and on and build my stamina
-read 9
books(400 pg)/year, I will provide more time to read on holidays
-cut my
hair to should-length in summer
-get a
good mark in piano exam, by practicing longer
I hope I
can achieve my goals this year. What are your goals for 2013?
Tell me
the best, the worst and the most boring part of your week.
Every
day of my week is very precious, but some of them are very uninteresting too.
Let me tell you all about them.
Monday-piano
lesson, also known as “the worst day ever”. I usually go out on Sundays and
wouldn’t have time to practice piano so I don’t remember anything I’ve practice
for the week! Tuesday-math class. The math class I go to is Kumon and all I
ever do there is hold my pen, scribble a few numbers, erase everything I’ve
done, scribble a few numbers and again, and erase everything I’ve done. Going
to Kumon is sometimes frustrating because I can’t get the right answer even
though I’ve checked a billion times! Friday-the best day ever! My last period
in school is Chinese, which is the easiest class ever. I also get to go to
guitar lessons. I love guitar lessons because first, I love guitar, second, the
teacher’s really kind and last, I love it when he farts because he pretends
nothing happened!
Every
day in my week means a lot to me, even though some of them are great and some
of them aren’t as great!
Last week, my family and I went to Bangkok for Christmas. We ate much delicious food and went sightseeing all the time. Here's a little bit of what I experienced during my trip. . .
See: Palaces, floating market, greenish water, cartoon on the airplane, our fat taxi
driver, golden walls of grand palace, spire domes of palaces, statues in the
palace, golden painted murals on the walls of the palace
Hear:
People shouting in market, loud Thai, music on my mom’s phone, honking of cars
in traffic jam, roaring of motorcycles
Taste:
Barbecue, mango with sticky rice, rice crackers, potato chips, Pad Thai, American
fried rice, curry crab, mango smoothie, shark’s fin, coconut juice.
Smell:
Singha beer from my brother, smoke from the barbecue, exhaust from boats, spicy
curry, chlorine from the swimming pool
Feel:
The hot sun, cold cola in my mouth, itchy rash from the swimming pool, happy to
be with my family, bored from the many palaces, interested in thai food, sleepy
from staying up late,
