Category: Personal Writing

It all started when my parents decided on moving to a small town in the state of Massachusetts, a few minutes away from Salem. I had just turned 10 years old, with my little sister being only 8. We moved there because of dad’s job. He was a researcher and writer who was clinically obsessed with Gothic architecture. He could talk about that stuff forever. We moved to Arkham due to dad’s new project involving the gothic-style buildings in Salem.

At first everything was fine, I was used to moving around because of dad’s remote job and mom’s insatiable craving for adventure. We bought a very nice house in a suburban neighborhood, dad got a good deal on it due to the previous owner being a fan of his. The house had two floors and an attic, with the latter being designated as a storage room. I was very happy with the size of my room. I had always slept in the tiniest rooms of whichever house we moved to since my baby sister “needs more room to grow up healthy”. Since Casey had turned eight, mom agreed to give me the larger room while Casey got the small one. Surprisingly, she wasn’t upset, which made the whole moving process go a lot smoother. Not even god could calm down Casey when she was upset.

It was on our third night there that things began to go wrong. Our neighbors had shown up in the morning with greeting cakes and meals to welcome us to their community. Dad and mom talked with them for hours while Casey and I ate the food they brought over. I particularly remember the sweetness of the Chocolate cake brought by a man with long dark hair and bright blue eyes. He and my dad talked from morning to sundown, and just before he left, I saw both him and dad with worried looks on their faces. Later that evening told me and Casey that this neighborhood had a big rule, no one should go outside between 12:30am and 1am, especially me and my sister. I kept asking why but dad only replied with “Because I’m saying so”, I could almost feel the concern emanating from his voice. I reluctantly agreed though Casey seemed pretty curious about the matter.

It was in that night that I first heard the whispers. They would begin every night a 12:30am and end at 1am. At first, I thought it was just my dreams, but the whispers just felt way too real. I could never understand what they were saying or where they were coming from, but they would show up every night a 12:30am. I know these whispers may sound creepy, but for some reason, they were comforting. They were like the voice of a close friend comforting you. It took me a week to find out I wasn’t the only one hearing them, Casey had also heard the whispers. But her case was different. The voice she heard wasn’t that of a comforting friend but of a grieving parent. She told me the whispers were like cries for help, and that she wanted to go outside and help whoever the owner of the voice was. I told her no and that going outside at that time was dangerous. She eventually agreed to leave it off but insisted that I spent the next couple of nights sleeping with her. I agreed and began going off to her room every night during the whispers, but soon I grew tired of it. I told her that she had to grow up and learn to face stuff on her own. I was being selfish. All I wanted really was to stop staying awake to comfort her. None of this would have happened if I had only stayed by her side. None of this would have happened if I had only been a good brother.

I learned this year a lot in school and personal and most of the things didn’t happened to me it happened to other people and I was just learning them without even knowing . Like don’t pretend to be someone you aren’t, don’t tell lies sooner or later the truth always comes out don’t do stuff in the dorms you are going to regret be friends with everyone you never know when someone is going to betray you, rumor in small schools gets around really fast, people can leave you in 1 second and there is nothing you can do about it. The biggest lesson I  learned this year is to not force anything conversations, relationships, friendships, attention, love, if its forced is not worth fighting for if it flows it flows, if it crashes it crashes,  it is what it is.

It’s only a month until school ends and I go back home for summer break. I am really excited to see my friends and family, I am excited to sleep on my room too. To be honest, in the first months here It was all I wanted to do, I felt really homesick and though I still was sure it was a really big experience for me, everything was new and different, I felt kind of out of place. But in the past months, I have been really liking my time here. I am both excited and scared to come back next year but I am also excited to go back home for summer though I am also sad for my friends are leaving and It is honestly quite confusing. Overall, I am sure It will be fine, I’ve had a lot of fun and I am going to have a really good time this last month.

“Spirited Away” is a Japanese animation film directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. The story follows a young girl named Chihiro moving to a new town. Chihiro and her family got lost in a mysterious amusement park. After her parents are transformed into pigs by the park’s evil spirits,  she found herself trapped with various extraordinary creatures. As Chihiro navigates this spirit world, she encounters various types of characters, both friendly and hostile. She becomes friends with Haku, a young spirit who helps Chihiro while she was trying to find the clue to rescue her parents and find a way back home. Throughout her journey, Chihiro displays personal growth in her courage, resilience, and determination. This film was released in 2001, and Miyazaki won numerous awards including the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It continues to captivate audiences worldwide with its animation style and detailed storylines.

I love Cheerios. Cheerios were first called “Cheerioats” when they were first introduced by the General Mills food company in 1941. They later had to change this name to “Cheerios” in 1945 because of a trademark dispute. Cheerios are mostly made from whole grain oats. They are low in sugar and are usually marketed as a healthy cereal option. Cheerios also have a lot of good vitamins and minerals inside of them. These vitamins and minerals are: iron, vitamin C, calcium and vitamin D. The original Cheerios is made from whole grains and has soluble fiber which helps reduce cholesteral levels. The brand Cheerios has made a lot of commercials in their time but none of them compare to the amazing Cheerios Bee. The Cheerios Bee is also known as BuzzBee. BuzzBee first came into fruition in 1979. BuzzBee is a cheerful bee with a yellow and black striped body. He has really big eyes and always wears a happy smile. This is what they want you to think. BuzzBee is not what he seems to be. He is a heartless monster who has done horrible things to me. When I first met him, he offered me a bowl of Cheerios and we were excited to eat them because I love Cheerios. But after a couple of bites, I started feeling tired and had a big headache. I was feeling really drowzy and I was starting to black out. As I was shutting my eyes I could see BuzzBee’s big giant eyes widen even more. I could hear shouting and saw a worker of the Walmart I was in come in and push BuzzBee away as I blacked out. I later found out that BuzzBee had laced my Cheerios with a lot of flunitrazepam. The police couldnt find BuzzBee after this incident. I still eat my Cheerios but never again will I look at them the same way, or will I be able to look at a bee.

Christmas break is during the winter break. So most of the dorm students are with their families on Christmas. Unfortunately, this doesn’t apply to my situation. This is because our family’s Christmas is in May.

Two days ago was my family’s Christmas. It is not technically Christmas, more like Buddha-mas. My mom is a Buddhist, so two days ago was basically Christmas for her. As the rest of the family, including me, don’t have any religion, not every member follows the customs of Buddhism. However, Buddha-mas is the only day every family member tries to make my mom happy. Every Buddha-mas, we visit the temple together and watch the monks do rituals. The ritual always ends with water lily lanterns dancing at night. They looked like stars floating in the sky, with a strange song in the background. I have never understood the meaning of that ritual, and never seriously believed in it. Still, Buddha-mas has always had a part of my heart, making me look forward to May.

Unfortunately, this is not what happened this year. This may, the only thing I did was check the calendar, and I nodded a little as I acknowledged I missed an important holiday. Of course, no lily lanterns. That night I stared at the stars hoping I can find a glimpse of the lily lanterns that were always with me. Now every time I see stars I have a flashback of that weird religious memories from my home.

I have various different notes in my notes app, ranging from shopping lists, to gift ideas, to random things that pop into my head. But out of the almost 50 notes I have in my phone, one stands out amongst the others; a note titled “the beautiful, messy human experience”. I created this note only a couple weeks ago, yet I have nearly 60 different bullet points of various events, feelings, and habits that I believe make up what it’s like to be alive. Many of these are centered around emotions, such as feeling vulnerable, sensitive and depressed but also unbelievably happy and excited. This note goes beyond what each person experiences alone, various items on this list surround watching others experience their own lives, but also experiencing those things together. A lot of this list is things that I feel, but also hide from others. Things such as feeling embarrassment, having a crush, sensing a change in your own tone during an argument, noticing something that your friend said but you can’t point out, and more. But alongside that, a lot of this list is also things that happen to us that we can’t hide from others; finding a four-leaf clover or noticing a cloud that looks like an animal, events that make us excited for whatever reason and we feel the need to share them with the people we love. Whenever I see, feel, or hear something that reminds me of this list, that experience automatically is added to the note. This simple list reminds me that other people go through this complicated, unique and exciting journey too. 

Always Watching

Always Watching;

Do you see…do you really see,

Define how the line of your box expands

How your worldview changes in the blink of an eye.

What may be Ordinary to you is Exsrodrany to me.

You lost the colour in your heart, the joy in your eyes.

We are the same person yet we see so differently,

You watch for smiles

I watch for the flaws.

I am Always Watching

Always Watching.

I have done it, I have finally finished my last year of MYP, now what awaits me in the next term? HL math? Well, that can wait. I feel like I have gone through a new era in my life, one filled with excitement about finally discovering my hobbies and seeing my family again after being away from them for over a decade, but as I mentioned in the title of this post, my personal writing has definitely gotten a lot better since the last time I cared, maybe not for ones where I express my true emotions, but more towards those where I write my own story.

I actually came back into the habit of creating my stories after writing my previous journal entry, in which I related myself to the father of Amir, the protagonist of my independent reading book, and quickly dismissed his short stories as they might’ve seemed irrelevant, which had been the case for me after reading back towards my previous works of art… Anyway, I have actually become more interested in making my own comic, which would take my stories to the next level as my audience would imagine my characters the way I portray them. I have had this interest for a while but had never done anything to push it ahead as my drawing skills had been relatively bad, but thanks to lots of trial and effort, I have made a big improvement in my drawing skills on my iPad. But, one thing has always bugged me, something that could shut my dream down completely; would people enjoy my story? Or would they find it irrelevant like Amir’s father did. Whatever the case is, I have now decided that neither of those reasons would prohibit me from developing my own ideas anymore, because if I have gotten this far, there is no way that I will be backing down now.

The mine was going to fall. Everybody knew it. It was destinated to happen. And yet, it was still used and people still worked there. Harold was changing into his working clothes in the morning. He works at the mine for years now. He ate his breakfast and said bye to his children who were going to school. He hugged them and kissed their cheeks. Harold put his used dishes into the sink and drank some more water. When he started to put on his shoes, his wife came to say bye to him, “Please Harold, be safe. For god’s sake be safe.” She was very worried about her husband because, except for the kids, she had no one else to rely on. “Don’t worry, I am safe there. Nothing is going to happen,” answered Harold and left for his job. This happened every day. He knew that that was a lie and the wife knew it as well. But they decided to ignore the truth and believe in their own little world and words of lies. He needed the job. His family needed the money. The kids needed stuff for school. He needed to feed his family. He knew that the mine was going to fall and he was prepared for it. He would rather sacrifice his life for his family than see them starving and saved money from every salary he got. Harold was prepared for his fate. It was unfortunate that the mine fell on him the same day. It didn’t have to be that way. He could have found a different job but he never tried. The owner could close the mine to save lives. But it was more comfortable for everyone to continue with their ritual even when knowing that death is closer than it had to be.

The United States had risen against the Federation and was ready to fight back. By the time the US joined the fight, China was almost done for good and the Great Russian Empire had lost almost all of the Eastern Bloc but Australia had started a partisan movement and there were many rebel cells starting to rise in the Federations territories. After several months, the eco-def organization had been disbanded and the Federation had fallen. This meant that the world was once again in peace but order had to be reestablished. Some countries became dictatorships and others remained democratic governments. The world had passed through a great war and the US lost the title of superpower after betraying its allies during the war and the Great Russian Empire along with China, United Korea and Japan became the new major superpowers in the world. The world order had shifted and the countries that had appeared from the ashes of the Federation were to be introduced into the new world. The territories won during the war were annexed and the US lost more than half of its territory to Gran México and to the Great Dominion of Canada. Australia was divided into three regions and many nations grew larger and made unions forming larger and more powerful nations.

Today I was confronted by Mr. MacKnight that he was going to delete my personal writing on my chemistry assignment which was very upsetting because I spent alot of time on my personal writting. Today I will finish my homework, study for math for a couple hours and review science. I will also play basketball at the university of Victoria also known as UVIC, to practice shooting and get better because next year Brookes Westshore is going to suck at basketball and i will be the one carrying it. This personal writing is currently being typed out during French class because I can’t find any other time to do this.

오늘의 일기 — 5월 8일, 월요일. 날씨 – 좋음

오늘은 학교에 갔다. 오늘은 아주 혼란스러운 날이였던거 같다. 아침에는 흐리기도 하면서도 내 기분은 비가 멈추지 않고 있었다. 내 기분, 감정들은 항상 흐리고 비가 온다. 그렇다. 슬프다는 거다. 울고 싶다.. 하… 하지만, 내 자존심이 허락해주지 않는거 같다. 울고 싶어도. 모두 내 자존심한테 다– 입구컷을 당한다. 학교도, 연애고민도, 친구사이도. 밥먹는거도, 운동하는것도, 인생도.

하지만 모두 괞찮을거라고 생각이 든다. 옆에서 수시로 지랄을 해대는 얼음이 있어도. 다른사람이 무슨말을 해도. 자폐검사를 받아보라는 “친구” 의 말에도.. 끄떡없다. 난 정민이니까! 오늘 하루도 잘 살아보자! 이번생만큼은 나도 freshman 이니까!

— 정민 올림–

translated —

Today’s diary — Monday, May 8th. weather – good

went to school today Today seems to have been a very confusing day. Although it was cloudy in the morning, my mood was that the rain did not stop. My moods and emotions are always cloudy and rainy. Yes. that’s sad I want to cry.. Ha… But, I don’t think my pride will allow it. even if you want to cry Everyone gets cut by my pride– the entrance cuts. School, love troubles, and friendships. Eating, exercising, and life.

But I think everyone will be fine. Even if there are people who are always yelling at me from time to time. no matter what others say even at the words of ′′ friend ′′ to take an autism test.. I can’t do it. Because I’m Jeongmin! Let’s live well today! I’m a freshman in this lifetime too!

— Posted by Jeong Min–

I doubt being ready to go back to Spain, but at the same time I’m exited about it.
During all this year here in Canada apart from going to the gym and getting fat I have learned a lot of things. Not only about other cultures, new people, music styles, traditions, etc… I have also discovered the horrible gastronomy of Canada.
Being away from home for a whole year is not as hard as I thought it would be, after all, the time has flown by. We are already in the last four weeks of the school year and we haven’t even noticed. It’s amazing how fast time can go by if you are distracted by other things. It would be harder to explain all the things I’ve learned this year than to make an IRJE that Mr. Macknight would like. But certainly all the experiences and new people I have met this year have changed the way I think in many ways. I will certainly never forget this year in Canada, although I will not forgive the bad food and the bad schedules you have.

But still, I will always have good memories of this year here with all of you.

My very first sport was soccer, I played soccer since I was 7. I played for a team and was not amazing at it due to my height and speed, I wasn’t very fast but I had decent fundamentals. Once I reached grade 6 it kicked in that soccer was not for me, I wasn’t that good so I decided to look at other sports I could do, when I reached grade 7 my friend Isaac introduced me to basketball, and as soon as I tried it I loved it and everything that came with it. Isaac taught me the fundamentals he showed me how to shoot the ball and how to do a proper layup, the rest all came naturally because of my height. Since grade 7 I have improved drastically and my dribbling and shooting have gotten much better, I still think that there is so much more I can learn and many things I can still improve on.

I have always been captivated by music, its melodies and rhythms resonate deep into my soul, igniting passion and strong emotions within myself. I could spend hours straight immersed into music.

In the recent tapestry of time, I was listening to music on my ride home. English class was the final class of the school day, our class had gone through old love poems. I found the poems rather dull, and the poems failed to spark my imagination or provoke any emotional response. As I embarked on my journey home, the melodies and beats of the music enveloped me, offering solace from the uninteresting poems of the English class. Lost in the mesmerizing realm of music, I allowed myself to get carried away in its powerful expressiveness. Each note echoed deep within me, creating a composition of intricate emotions. The melodies painted vivid landscapes in my mind, evoking imagery more mesmerizing than the words on those dull pages. With each passing song, I realized that music, with its melodies, rhythm, notes, and symphonies, was the true language of my soul, it had the power to evoke emotions, tell stories, and create imagery. As I emerged from the car, the grip of reality tightened, and suddenly, a profound realization struck me: music is poetry.

With a newfound appreciation for the profound impact of music, I made a solemn vow to seek out melodies and lyrics that resonated with the depths of my being. No longer would I confine myself to the limitations of outdated love poems. Instead, I would find refuge and inspiration within the melodies, where the truest and most vibrant expressions of art and emotion flourished.

 

The universe is a vast, gigantic, never-ending space. Every event must line up perfectly to create me. My parents would have to meet at the exact fountain in the middle of that university, during that hot summer day. Sparkles and hearts must have appeared in their minds at the exact same time. The atoms would have to dance perfectly with each other, and the stardust would have to perfectly align to make me a Stargirl, or a Starboy, or a Star-whatever-I-wanted-to-be.

I could never predict what life would bring me. Never would I be able to predict when I would find the perfect Starchild I would spend the rest of my stardust life with. I wonder if they would meet me at the fountain just like my parents did, or find me under a rainbow, or share an umbrella during heavy rain. Or that we would never find paths to each other. Maybe we are like magnets: too alike and we would repel each other, or the complete opposite that we would end up conflicting with one another. What if we were connected with an invisible thread that ties our pinkies together? Would it tie itself up and confuse our paths or would it tear apart before we ever cross paths because we’re too far from each other?

The uncertainty of my life bewilders me. It’s not so probable that I would be writing this at all. And to that, I leave my life to fate’s hands. Whether I meet the Starchild of my dreams or not; whether we’d push each other away, pull each other closer, or get lost on the path we were meant to find each other, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Part 2/2: June

I hang up my bathing suit to dry, and check my alarm clock. Today, the lake was warmer, and I stayed out until Mom made me come back. I didn’t even notice the time. It’s nine o’clock already? I guess I need to start getting ready for bed. The blinds in my room are open, and outside, the sun is still persisting on the horizon. The warmth of todays sun is emanating throughout my room. Along with the distinct smell of peach vanilla, burning from a candle. I walk across the room to open the window, leaving wet footprints behind me. My hair is starting to dry, I didn’t bother to wash it. I can always do it tomorrow.

Usually on Sunday nights, I can barely stay awake, but the recent sun invigorated me. Lately, I was incited to do more with myself, other than schoolwork and sports. I handed in my assignments during my lunch hour today, so I had some time to myself. Maybe a book, or some bible study? I knew that I had to sleep soon, so I decide to play some music, and just sit for a while. Maybe later I can watch a movie. I know I had to take advantage of this time. I have all summer, so I’m not too worried.

This weekend was kind of boring. I had to work both Saturday and Sunday which I wasn’t looking forward to. The first shift was supposed to be from 12:30-9, but when I got there they asked me to stay another hour because no one was scheduled to stay till ten. So I ended up having to work nine an a half hours. It was kind of fun though because I got to work with people who I like talking to and the chef who swears at the annoying oven which is very funny to listen to. The next day I had to work 9-5:30. I was not happy because I had to wake up kind of early. The day passed by and I got to go home which was nice. The place that I work has a lot of high school kids which is very nice because I get to talk to lots of new people. Most of the people I work with are really nice which makes the job more enjoyable.

I’ve been driving side-by-side, quads, and dirt bikes since I was around 10 years old, so I was thrilled to become 16 and be able to really drive on the road. On my birthday, May 22, I was truly only excited to drive. I went to get my driver’s licence as soon as I had any free time during that week. I was confident that I could pass because I had been studying hard. I was quite anxious before it because I had no idea what to expect; all I knew was that if I did well, I would be allowed to drive. After those 15 minutes, I was thrilled and nervous that I hadn’t passed. However, I did pass with plenty of questions left, and it was only a result of my lack of focus, which caused me to become confused. I had work the night I got my license, so I asked my mom if I could drive home. She agreed. She told me that I could pull over when I arrived near the highway, which I have to drive on because I live there. I asked for approval to continue driving while I was about to pull over. I was happy and having a great time. I drove everywhere with my parents the next week and weekend as I became more relaxed on the road and gained a deeper awareness of all the necessary rules. I can’t wait to receive my N so I can drive alone and with my friends, but getting my N also means I’ll have to pay for gas and a car, which isn’t something I’m looking forward to.

I don’t know what it is about golf, but there is something about it that just makes it perfect. Whether it is shooting your best round ever only to go back the following day, play horribly, then question your game entirely, or if it is practicing every day for hours on end, knowing that perfection is impossible to achieve, or if it is enjoying the game with friends who all have the same goal in mind as yourself, and you keep pushing and pushing each other. Maybe it is the feeling of hitting that one perfect shot that will keep you coming back for the next couple of days. It could also be the satisfying feeling of making a small or large change to your swing, then seeing great results a few weeks later once you’ve mastered the motion. Perhaps it is relaxation of getting out on the course with some friends after a long week at work or school. It may be the pure joy you get of sinking a long putt on the 18th green to edge out your friend by 1 stroke. I have been playing the game of golf for around 10 years now, and I still have no idea what makes the game perfect. But, that gives me another excuse to head back to the course to try and find out.

 

This year has been my first year of team basketball. Before this I was practicing on my own everyday and with a trainer. Mid way through the school season my skills had drastically improved. I worked my way up to being a starter and averaged ten points a game, even at provincials. This was on the senior team, so I felt confident playing against players my age. With the spring season coming up and the school one ending, I felt ready to tryout for a spring team. The elite teams all play in the Club League. This means that wherever you travel you play the best players that live there, in your age group. The team I was trying to make was called, The Grind. They have some of the best players on the island. I have practiced with them in their training camps before the high school season. They were very intense. The first time I walked in I remember feeling like I don’t belong and wanting to leave. However, I stuck through it. Because of this I knew all the coaches going into the tryout and they already knew my skill level. I missed the tryout date for my age group because of provincials. I was able to do a make up tryout with the older players who went to provincials on their senior team. Afterwards he said that we would get an email the day after. I didn’t get an email for three days and gave up hope of making the team. I did very well at the tryout so was very confused. As a result, I emailed him asking what I could do better next time, and he responded saying that I did make the team. Turns out he had the wrong email. This was an emotional rollercoaster. Now I am halfway through the season and our team is doing well. We are going to play in Vegas during the summer for seven days. Basketball has been a big part of my life this year and I am glad I took the steps to be able to make this team.

Whenever I drive, I drive good, solid movements on the steering wheel, not too hard, not too soft, just perfect, same goes for the pedals, but whenever I have to park, its hell man, I mean it, I cant park, its impossible, I dont know how people do it, how do I get perfectly between two lines? I cant reverse, im taking up peoples time, the only possible outcome is, taking up 2 spaces, its whatever, my mom will just fix it when I leave.

What is a dream?
if not something to be lost

What is life?
if not something to die for

What is love?
Oh baby, don’t hurt me
Don’t hurt me
No more

The pony-tailed libero has left an indelible mark on my soul. 

Casper scrawls the words in his journal, languishing in his melancholy. His mother calls him for dinner for the fourth time. He lifts his head millimetres off his desk for a few fractions of a second . . . then rests his head back down. And sighs.

Downstairs he hears his parents’ concerned whispers. The concerned whispers of adults often follow Casper Kramer. He turns the page;

Life is none but a ballet of near misses.

His fountain pen is running low on ink. The marks are barely legible. Casper sighs once more. Rain falls against his window. 

The wet weeps upon my window pane.

“Pathetic fallacy”, Casper offers to the sleeping dog on his bed.  His dog sighs in response.

Then suddenly, his dog’s jaw cracks open like a snake’s. Her rough tongue shoots out, and smacks Casper square across the face. Casper is knocked from his spinning chair, and onto the floor. THUD! 

Kelly Kramer, the Kramer family dog is anything, but a labra-doodle! She’s a f@#king spotted, venom-blooded Chupa-Canis!!!! 

Casper smiles for the first time in 15 years.

Si je veux sentir mes émotions,

J’aurai trop de travail pour pleurer.

 

Si je veux voir les couchers du soleil,

Je devrai aller à lit plus tôt.

 

Si je suis seul,

Ma famille seront absent toujours.

 

Si je veux faire la fête avec mes amis,

Les cicatrices sur mes bras m’arrêteront d’aller.

 

Si tu veux m’aider enfin,

Je serai déjà parti.

Today (May 25th) I went to the doctor’s office to get a steroid injection in my wrist called cortisol I had gotten this because I have chronic tissue damage and this will help speed up the healing process other than all these benefits it hurt a lot more than I had anticipated which is why I was not at school today. But on the bright side, people have to basically do everything for me like make me food bring me water, and stuff like that and I am really hoping that this injury will go away soon because it is quite annoying and restricting me from everyday life things.

One hundred and fifty four hours total,

Every Sunday,

For four months,

I had rehearsal.

Blood,

Lots of sweat,

And even more tears,

Went into those shows.

And after all of those hours,

All of those tears,

A couple of meltdowns,

It’s finally here.

The show season has come to an end,

Leaving me with many memories,

Many friends,

And a new found passion,

For musical theatre.

Saying goodbye to people I look up to,

And having no more reason to sing those songs,

I have grown in more ways than one,

I’m ready for many more shows to come.

The tech week tears,

The “why weren’t you here”,

Thirty hours of rehearsal in one week,

I’ll miss those days so sweet.

Reminding me that in two years,

I will be on that very stage,

Getting my scholarship,

And crying for days.

Although it seems like the end,

It’s truly the beginning,

Of my passion,

for dancing, acting, and singing.

 

 

 

From May 5th to 7th Brookes took the MYP 5, grade 10, class on a school trip to Tofino. Around 30 kids including myself went on this trip. We started by gathering at the school by 8:00 am so that we could get all of our baggage onto the bus in time to depart by 8:30 am. Once we got settled into the bus we made our way to our first stop, Coombs. Coombs is a small town off the highway near Parksville, with many gift shops, and a farmers market. They are a tourist attraction and are most famous for the goats on the roof. Once we had an hour or so to shop and buy food for the drive we got back on the bus and drove towards Port Alberni where we went on a small hike. Then, we had a long drive toward the place where we were staying, Oceanside Resort. We had a campfire the rest of the night and went swimming in the pool and hot tub. The next day was our most active day. We started the day off early by heading to the beach for our surfing lessons. After that, we went straight to downtown Tofino to watch the skateboarding competition part of the West Coast Triple Plank. We got back to the resort later that night and had a campfire and swan in the ocean. We stayed up later that night because it was our last night there together. The next morning we cleaned and packed our bags and got onto the bus. Our last stop was Ucuelet, a small town near Tofino. There we went on a walk around the Lighthouse loop and then stopped in town for lunch. We then started our long drive back to the school. This trip was very fun, I enjoyed surfing and having fun with my friends while roasting marshmallows and swimming. I made a lot of new connections and relationships with people that I wouldn’t have before and it was a learning experience.

The first thing I see is a beautiful sea. The sun is shining and making the water look white. I can feel the sweat creating and clothes sticking to my body. It is a very pretty view and feels nostalgic. I can’t remember being here before but everything seems familiar. I walked down the shore, strangers passing by. The path was slightly turning to the right side to properly see the sea. It felt like a dream. The next thing I remember was getting very hot under the sun. But I never left the sidewalk. It felt like a necessity to continue, to see everything. It was like walking for hours. The sun hasn’t moved a bit. The sea was the same. The strangers. Sweat. The view. Everything was repeating. It did not make sense. It went on for days. Years.

“I will be back by diner” shouted Prema to her parents and went outside. It was spring and the trees started to bloom. She could finally leave her jacket at home and wear her new hoodie. Birds were singing in the crowns of the trees and people were walking outside with their families. It wasn’t a very long walk to the hospital. Prema already remembered the path by her heart. She went there almost every Thursday. It was Premas and her best friend’s day. The receptionist already knew who was Prema visiting and let her go inside without further questions. Some doctors even waved on her way through the halls. She returned the greeting with a faint smile and went inside room 617. The room hasn’t changed in years. There were posters of her best friend’s favorite band. Few pictures from school and trophies from competitions. Everything showed that the person who was lying down lived there. But she wasn’t really living. Prema sat beside the bed and started to talk to her friend. “That teacher who you hated so much is giving us less homework after we threatened to report him to the principal. I think you would love that if you could be there with us.” Her friend hasn’t answered. Of course she didn’t. Prema didn’t know what else she expected “And the guy who pissed you so much got kicked out like four days ago. I still don’t know what he did but when I get the tea, I’ll tell you.” Prema looked at her friend with pain in her eyes. Her friend wasn’t reacting at all. “I miss you so much, Eveleen. You don’t deserve this. You always wanted to travel, to enjoy life to the fullest” Tears started to fall down from Prema’s eyes. “I still can’t believe that it’s almost three years now. I still remember the day too clearly. It was a very hot day and we were walking by the shore. It was such nice weather, summer at its fullest. I hate myself for ignoring your complaints about the heat. If I only listened to you. You said so many times that you felt so hot. I didn’t know that this would happen.” Prema was feeling miserable. Remembering the day that Eveleen fell into the coma never left her memory. She was blaming herself for it. “If I could just go back in time and catch you when you fainted. If only the ambulance was faster. And when I heard from the doctors that you hit your head so hard and there is just a small probability of you waking up, I felt sick for months. I am so sorry Eveleen.”

Always the same shore. Always the same sun. Nothing more, nothing less. Eveleen was getting sick of everything. The sun got hotter every second and seemed to never end. It was unbearable. She felt like fainting. It was too long, she couldn’t take it anymore. Eveleen closed her eyes after years of constant walking in circles and felt her body falling down.

Prema was silently watching her friend, feeling hopeless. She already said everything that happened over the weekend. There was nothing more to mention. Prema stood up, went to the door, and opened them. It was that moment when Eveleen stopped walking in circles and woke up.

We rely on something temporary to survive the day. Like an important person, caffeine or drugs. Not realising that by needing to be pampered with love, or cuddled like a crying baby is the main craving that removes this feeling of despair. This craving that you think you need will cause you pain, maybe not physical pain, but just picture an empty room with one light, the light is off. The light is off until the switch is flicked. Someone flicks that switch. As you watch the electricity in the walls travel to the lightbulb, you can see. You can finally see that dark empty room. But what you don’t realise is that the room is still empty. Love is a drug and you’ve heard that before. But turning the light on in an empty room is like falling in love with someone who doesn’t love you back. The light might be on, but theres nothing there. Love may feel like it’s just as important as life, but it’s not. It’s temporary. And maybe the reason we feel warmth when we’re in love is because it’s winter and we put a coat on. Maybe the crave for love we have comes from the unrealistic standards of an average couple. Dating doesn’t mean love. It means companionship, friendship and caring. The craving for physical touch, feeling ones body next to another, the hands of one crossing another’s body. Body is the meaning of love. Not the real meaning of course. But thats what we crave. The arms of one us to lay in when we feel down and knowing that we have one more body to protect us. But all of this is just a flicker, it’s temporary. The light bulb will eventually  go out or someone will flick that switch again, leaving that room empty and dark. Until someone new replaces it or turns it back on. You can’t expect anyone to replace the lightbulb or fill that room for you. So you have to do it. Because the only thing that isn’t temporary or just a flicker is the love you have for yourself.

I went on the Tofino trip last weekend, which is one of my best memories in Canada. We surfed, had campfires, and stayed at the cabin. My roommates were Nez, Kori, and Kana, who are my best friends. Everything was new and novel to me, such as making breakfast by myself, strolling around the ocean at midnight, and surfing. Actually, the best memory in Tofino is not the surf. We went to the ocean after dinner the second night. It was too cold to swim, but it didn’t really matter for us. It did matter that we did whatever we wanted to. The ocean was shining with the sunset. We ran to the ocean and jumped in. It was much colder than we expected. But, it was like one of those romantic movie scenes, frolicking in the ocean with my best friends under the beautiful sunset. It was literally youth, and I’m sure that I’ll never forget this. We are never getting younger, but getting older. I want to enjoy my finite youth with my friends.

Part 1/? : January

I check my alarm clock. It’s 7:54 PM. My room is getting dark. The frigid air is unforgiving. Upstairs the heat circulates, and but no matter what, the rooms downstairs never get any warmth. I already declined Dad’s offer of dinner. I hear the prominent sound of rain against my window. I put on my headphones to mask the sound. My feet traipse across the creaky, hardwood floor. I crank up the old space heater in the corner of my room. On Sunday nights, my eyelids are heavier, and my bed is more and more inviting, as I continue to look at it. Especially with this weather.  Once I get through the day there is nothing more that I want is to sleep, and try to start getting through my week already. But I cannot. I sit myself down, and start on my schoolwork. Let’s just get through this week.

During the weekend instead of going to Tofino i decided to practice and get ready to play basketball at a higher level Because i knew i would be going to the states to play, on Saturday i practiced for 4 hours and trained with my friend Gino, we ran through, dribbling, shooting and finishing drills and ended up with a full sweated shirt after the workout, i could see in the workout what things i needed to work on and what things i was already good at, when Sunday came up i let my house at 8:45 and went to the outdoor basketball court near my house, i practiced all the things that i thought i could improve on while focusing carefully on the details and trying my hardest on every drill. at the end of the workout i felt really good about myself and was happy to not have gone to Tofino and instead used my time usefully in a way that could help me in the future.

The MYP5 trip to Tofino was really fun, I enjoyed surfing with my friends and hanging out with 5 guys in our cabin… One thing I felt that I had a strong connection to was sitting down with all my friends around the campfire. In my opinion, gathering around a campfire with your friends is a way to stay connected to reality. For the connection between mankind and a simple Campfire is an ancient one that dates back thousands of years. Fire has always been a great source of light, warmth and cooking food but beyond that, fire has played many symbolic and cultural roles in human society. One of the ways that fire connects mankind is through the sense of community and camaraderie that it creates. Gathering around a campfire is a shared experience and it provides people with an opportunity to tell stories, sing, laugh but most importantly connect and communicate through reality.

Tennis

I started to play tennis in 2020 when covid started my dad wanted me to do some type of exercise and it was tennis or swimming I stared with swimming but I didn’t like it and then I switch to tennis at first it was really fun and then when I started to go to competitions it was even more fun im really good in backhand  when we play 2/2 I always chose left because its better for me, im also really good with the right hand  I think in general im really good I just have to work more on my serve but I like it a lot  in 2021 I went too my first tennis camp in San Antonio for 2 weeks it was supper fun because I played tennis all day I would play 3 h in the morning and 4 in the afternoon  and we would play against each other depending on. your category I went the year after and I made very good friends and this year im doing the same for summer but just for 1 week because I. going to other places but im going with my friend and I am really exited about it when I go back to Mexico Im going to keep playing tennis and im going to go to more competitions and be better.

On the weekend last summer, I was invited to play in a 2-day golf tournament. On the second day, after I had finished the second round and was upset about how I had played that day, shooting 90, I was brought into the conference room, asking people, “Why?” and “What for?.” When walking in there, I asked why I was there, and I qualified for the BC Summer Games. Not knowing how I got in because I shot 93 and 90, I thought, “Actually?.” After finding out where it was being hosted, I was upset and was against going. It was in Prince George, which, if you didn’t know, is the worst place in Canada. It’s boring, dry, cold, flat, and small. But then my dad told me I had to go because it was an opportunity I will not be able to have again. After all, it is only for 16 and under and is hosted every 2 years.

After a month of finding out I was selected for the Summer Games, we were finally heading up to the wonderful Prince George. My dad and I had gotten there, and the hotels were booked. We searched and searched for a room and finally found one after 2 hours of jumping back and forth between hotels. The hotel was nice, but Prince George was not.

After the whole week of golfing in BC Summer Games, I had finished second on Vancouver Island, and was very surprised, since it was my best score i had ever hit. It definitely was something to remember, and i’m glad i took the opportunity.

I also went to Tofino this weekend, and here’s just a small summary of my favorite views. I really enjoyed mostly the nature, even tho I was freezing most of the time. On the day we arrived it was still pretty cloudy so you couldn’t enjoy nature as much, we still took a little walk through the a forests on the way and it was beautiful. On the second day we had more time to explore the nature around and the weather was better so it’s was really fun. We climbed a few rocks at the beach and watched the sun and ocean it was beautiful, and we also got to see some starfishes. Over the day I just couldn’t stop watching the sky, the sun was amazing and by the end I got to see a wonderful sunset at the beach.

I am going to see my mom and grandparents over the weekend and I’m really excited for it. I have some family that lives in vancouver and my grandparents have been planning to visit them for a while now, and as a moved here too, my mom decided to come with them to visit me too. I’m going to stay with them at my uncle’s house in vancouver and we are going to visit a bunch of different places. I’ve been missing my family so much so the fact that I get to see them before summer makes me really happy. I also get to spend mother’s day with my mom too which also makes me really happy.

 

This Friday, instead of going on the Tofino trip, the school took us downtown because me and 5 more girls didn’t go on the trip. It was fun and nice. I thought it would be boring because we were staying downtown for 5 hours but at the end, we had a good time. First we arrived and we went to get a Starbucks because we hadn’t eaten anything then we got to spend time by ourselves (just the girls) and we walk all over downtown. We got to a street that had many stores, it was really cute because the constructions were like old. We saw an old fashion store were they sold vintage clothes and nike shoes and we all wanted to buy something but it was to expensive. We took pictures, but since it was raining our pictures weren’t as good as we thought. It was raining the whole day, and I was very cold so i wanted to get back to school like a the 3 hours of being their. But we go into a mall and distracted ourselves, we planned to go and eat to cactus but we weren’t hungry so we decide to get back to since because we had other activities to do. At the end it was a really cool, relax and nice day. We did something different.

I’m not the lady you mistake me for

The tightened clothes and heightened breasts you see

Bury the boy below, seen ne’er before

For eons of blinded eyes have hidden me.

 

What cruel a world it is (yet worse may come)

To put my life in unforgiving hands

Anger from stranger’s words beat like a drum

Destabilizing, yet ne’er not he stands.

 

He shall be revealed when light shines through them;

The shadows of my doubt, the pain of words

That they have spoken, are removed with pen

And ink we control to ne’er move backwards.

 

You can call me “miss” and call me lady

But when he rises you will be sorry.

I will explain to you what my art means,

I will tell you how this flower shows my suffering.

I will point to a brush stroke and describe how it brought me back to life.

Once I explain it, will you still see my sorrows

do you see your own pain? Can you interpret my art?

Do you still connect with that line of ink? Do you really need me to explain?

Explanation Kills

Art.

This is the shortest school year that I have ever experienced. While this statement may be untrue to many people, this year has been one of my best academic improvements over my school life. Although, one of the things that I really didn’t agree with was the grade that I was handed back on my personal project, as I believed that it fulfilled all the criteria that was expected from me. As a result of this, I went around the school, showing my report from different teachers, and then showing the final grade that was handed back to me. The teachers were pretty shocked to see that I had scored a whopping 7 out of 24 as they saw that my enitre project was very impressive. So this is my note to the teachers who had graded my report, please, read it again. Maybe my report didn’t follow the static and cheezy format that the IB required me to use, which in my opinion, seems very unrealistic and not typically something that any corporation or univerity would require you to follow. I believe that the personal project report should be something that is personal, as the project is intended to be. If I fulfill the criteria in a different way that was expected from the IB, it shouldn’t have been graded very harshly; instead, it should be looked over more carefully, and maybe, they could find that everything was exactly where it was supposed to be.

 

life is boring —

The sun shines on my hand as I solve a question for my math worksheet. It gently covers the back of my hand slowly — as if it tried to hinder my ability to solve the questions which I was committed into doing. It was a very hard, complicated question. I was not able to solve it for a long time — when the sun have came out four times in a row — as the clouds pass by. I wonder. Why does the sun direct my hands when I am trying to solve the hardest math problem in my life… and why is it so warm? The inconvenience I have faced with the sun have turned into a conflict in my life — it was extremely annoying. It started reflecting into my eyes and bothered my vision. The temperature of the rays made my body sweat. It was very had for me to solve my question.

Then I started noticing — it is spring !! flowers have bloomed, plants have started turning green and the dead looking trees revive as they regain their green shades. It is fascinating how this happened in such a short time — so short that I was not able to notice the change at all… or maybe I was just not paying attention to the changes of seasons. The season spring for me is a very annoying season. My skin wont stop irritating and my allergies trigger me more often than usual. however, it is nice to see the sun more often and not the rain 24/7, 365.

Life isn’t too bad after all —  

인생은 그렇게 나쁘지 만은 않은거 같아…

그나저나, 나 수학숙제 끝냈나?

with this, math class ended. I was again not able to finish the question I that I have been lingering with for more than 40 minuites. I decided to procrastinate on the work and said to myself “Il do it later” “걍 나중에 하지, 뭐..”

Besides, I got to go to tofino this weekend. I had mostly a good time, spending time with people I care about is very fun and enjoying. I got to go shopping, go to the beach, and also gave surfing a try. It was very fun, although I got hit by my own surfboard multiple times. Overall, it was a very good and worthy trip.

심심해 —

Life is actually pretty fun —

— Jeongmin ,

 

Over this weekend I went up to Tofino with some of my clasmates. The drive up was quite long, and we had to wake early to get to the bus at 8:00 am. We had stoped at Coombs but it was quite rainy so I did not get to see the goats that were usually on the roof. we had also stoped at cathedral grove. The ground was really muddy due to the rain and my feet got soaked.

Once we arrived we got to go to our cabins which were really close to the beach. The view was amazing and I loved to listen to the noise of the waves crashing against the shore and the smell of the ocean air. We had a fire that night, and roasted marshmallows.

The following morning I woke up and then we went to the beach where I watched my classmates surf and also got to see a surfing competition. After the morning was over we headed up back to the bus and then drove into town where we went to a cafe. There was a skateboarding competition going on so we went to see that for a little before going to a restaurant. We went back to the coipition after that. I think the coipition was a highlight of the trip. We drove back to the cabins and finished the night off with a fire before heading to sleep.

We were heading back when we woke up, and drove awhile before stoping for a mini hike and then driving again all the way back to the school.

 

 

This weekend I went to Tofino with the school, it was really fun overall and had a lot going on. We went surfing, to a town, I bought a Chocolate mint chip Icecream, very good icecream. I also got up on the surfboard a lot! I went inside the ocean too, lost my favorite t-shirt, and didnt sleep well because of Aidan, I wanna go again, but with less clothes, i didnt use all of them. I cant wait for next year so I can go again and do more stuff, it was really beatiful.

Instead of going to Tofino this weekend, I decided to hang back and prepare for a few upcoming golf tournaments. One of which fell this past Sunday. Uplands golf club was where it happened to be. Uplands itself, is simple. It is so flat in comparison to other courses, and the holes are also very simple. However, I still played bad. My putting was as bad as ever, and if I putted average, I would’ve been in the mid 70’s. But golf is a game of would’ve’s. That is why I love it so much, since you can never, ever perfect it. Additionally, getting off the tee was rough, as I either hit a 20 yard draw, or hit it dead straight. Thankfully, irons and wedges were above average, which really saved the round. I ended up finished in the low 80’s, in a tie for 5th place.

Next weekend I have the zone 5 amateur. This is a two day tournament at Arbutus Ridge and Olympic View. The tournament is for all the good amateurs on the lower island (any age) to play in to qualify for the BC amateur. Overall, I am very excited for this tournament, as one of the rounds is at my home course, that being Olympic View. If I continue to practice every day for a couple hours (especially putting), I am hopeful I am able to place well, and who knows, maybe even qualify.

My dog has lived with me for a long time. She is already 12 years old, so her heart is very weak, so she has to take a handful of medicine every day. If she takes a walk for a long time, her legs will limp. Her sleeping time has increased a lot.
The other house is said to keep a picture of their dogs while they are puppies, but I don’t have a picture because I was so young that I didn’t even have a cell phone when she became our family. Therefore, since she became an adult dog, there was no way to remember her face when she was a puppy. But when I saw the picture my mother sent me last night, I immediately remembered what she looked like when she was young.
Our family veterinarian’s dog gave birth to a baby this time. One of them looks very similar to my dog when she was young. He even has the same personality, and when I look at him with my dog, they almost look like a family. Since my mom sent me a picture of the dog, my family has decided to make him part of the family and we all fell in love with him. My house is busy getting ready to bring a new puppy.

This is short summary about the book “colorful”, which is based on Japanese novel. The novel tells the story of a young boy named Makoto Kobayashi, who committed suicide. Makoto is given a chance to return to the living world, but only if he can solve the mystery of why he chose to take his own life. To help him solving this mystery, he is given a temporary body. As Makoto gets deeper into his past, he discovers the many struggles he faced in his short life from being bullied at school to dealing with his dysfunctional family. Through his journey, he comes to realize that the world is filled with colorful moments, both good and bad, and that life is worth living despite the struggles that come with it. Author of this book Mori’s writing is deeply emotional and she does an  excellent job of capturing the feelings and thoughts of her characters. The novel is a expressed the human relationships and the struggles that we all face in our lives.

 “These imperialists think they can control the world with their armies and bombs, but we will show them who is really the true and legitimate ruler of the world” he took a pause and then added “We have developed a new weapon to stop our enemies and we will use it unless Leon Vasilov, leader of the Great Russian Empire stops the attack on our territories and ceases all aggresion against our people”. His words terrified the global alliance which was now called Eco-Def which meant Eco Defense. Leon and his general had a meeting with the other leaders of the world and then decided to finish the offensive in the Pacific but withdraw troops from the Turkey-Russia border. When the fight in America came to a halt with the insufferable hot summer, the “Pacto de Defensa Latinoamericana” leaders had a meeting in Brazil to plan their next move, the Federation took the chance to drop bombs in Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile and Lima. This was a devastating blow to the PDL and they immediately retaliated by launching their first nuclear missile against the Federations capital city, Albania. This meant a great morale loss form the Federations troops and citizens who started to think that the federation couldn`t protect their own citizens. Then mustanar made an appearance again. “We have suffered a devastating blow from the Pacto de Defensa Latinoamericana. Today is a moanful day for our great nation and for our people, but we should take this defeat as a lesson:we can`t trust Eco Def and their allies to not use nuclear weapons, and while we recover from this blow we offer eco def and PDL a truce. I am open to a meeting with the leaders of these two organizations so that we can both recover from the war”. The next day a meeting was held and the leaders agreed to a week-long truce so that the two sides could rebuild their cities and countries. Aldo during the conferences the leaders signed the nuclear weapons ban treaties which prohibited any and all uses of nuclear weapons. As the truce entered the final stages, Vasilov met with Andre Salinas Cardenas and Winston Blacks who were the leaders of México and the UK to discuss details on the new offensive to liberate Germany and the rest of Australia. They then started to round up the troops necessary for the attack and they also updated their maps to show the most current geo-political features and borders. After the truce was over, the eco def and PDL leaders met.