The Life of Jessica

All-State Weekend

2012-02-19T14:08:00.001-08:00

I went to the All-State conference this weekend, and it was an amazing experience. It's really the kind of thing you have to do yourself to really know what it's like. On paper, it seems boring and tiring - rehearsing for seven hours? Waking up at 5:30?

However, my roommates became friends and we had a grand time watching TV shows, playing games, and just chatting about things. In addition, my group (people in the same band, picked randomly into groups to walk to the rehearsal building) was extremely talented and quite funny.

Then, there are those inside jokes, moments that happen just because.

Jessica

The Diary of Anne Frank

2012-01-22T17:34:00.000-08:00

In English class we've been reading a screenplay version of The Diary of Anne Frank. I think it's amazing, especially for a 13 year old girl. There is an incredible amount of depth and profound thought in it.

Anne Frank was a teenager during World War II. She was born in Germany, and her father owned a spice business. They moved to the Netherlands when they started to fear for their lives because of the Nazis. When the Nazis took over the Netherlands, Anne's sister Margot got a call-up notice (a letter for Jews to be deported to concentration camps). They hid in a part of Mr. Frank's building called the Secret Annex. The entrance was hidden by a bookcase.

The Franks lived in hiding with another Jewish family, the van Pels, and a Jewish dentist by the name of Fritz Pfeffer. They were captured by the Nazis two years later, and sent to concentration camps. Mr. Frank was the only person who survived.

Today, Anne Frank's diary is one account of life in fear - never having a normal childhood, and persecuted because of their religion.
Fun Facts:
-Mr. Frank was a WWI veteran(this is probably part of the reason why he survived -Auschwitz, one of the toughest concentration camps).
-Hermann van Pels died in October 1944 in a gas chamber, one month after he arrived.
-Mrs. Frank stopped eating at Bergen-Belsen to save all the food for her daughters.

Jessica

Shoutout

2012-01-03T20:28:00.000-08:00

And here's a shout out to a blog I'm contributing to: School + Life = Chaos(it's on blogger too). Sorry, you won't get a link. You have to find out for yourself(rule #2 of Life).

If you like reading orderly, long-winded stuff, School + Life = Chaos is not for you. We're pretty random, but pretty philosophical.
Contributors:
Me: Well, you know me.
E: My friend.
M: My friend with an issue who is on probation. Not a contributor yet.

G: My friend who is the occasional commentor.

Jessica

All-State

2012-01-03T20:23:00.000-08:00

Hi all..

I got into my All-State concert band, which is pretty cool. I'm kinda disappointed I didn't get into the symphonic band like my friend did, but I'll probably make it up somehow. :) Anyway, I shouldn't be complaining, because that means that I'm one of the 20 or so top flutists of my age in the state (according to the people who judged the audio recordings). AND I get to spend two nights in another city in a hotel with roommates that have a common interest in music. :D Life is pretty good.

Jessica

Astrology

2011-12-29T23:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I seriously think about being a therapist. Why are people depressed all the time? It doesn't make sense to me..

Anyway, this is a professional(cough cough, just me) reading of the Eastern and Western signs for a friend. I actually used information from astrology for it, although some of it was made on the spot. This friend's Eastern sign is an earth tiger, and the Western is Leo.

*****, fire and earth is a pretty unusual combination. Your desire to shine and be in the spotlight from Leo contrasts with your down to earth Eastern horoscope, which tells you to focus on your studies. The fire and earth spontaneously combust, making you in great inner turmoil and in some depression because of this. You must pull yourself out of your black hole and find a way for everything to work out. Fire and earth can be a very succeeding combination of signs when used correctly.

***** is her name, deleted because she prefers to stay anonymous.
Her comments? "This describes me...o.0"

Jessica

Blogs

2011-12-29T21:34:00.001-08:00

How's everyone's winter break?

I know I haven't been blogging much (okay, at all) but still, M(you know who you are) shouldn't be talking about procrastinating...:)

My life: I haven't finished my cross-stitch project yet. Why procrastinate today when you can procrastinate tomorrow? I should take a picture and upload it sometime.

I'm going onto ABRSM Grade 7 Practical for Flute! I'm skipping Grade 6->I passed Grade 5 with distinction despite failing the aural part of my test(ouch!). That means that in the fall, I should be able to take Grade 8(the last level), providing I pass Grade 7, of course. All-State band audition results are coming out on January 3rd, I really hope I get in.

I'm also taking the SATs in January! If you don't hear the results here, then either I sucked or I just forgot. Or..I just didn't feel like blogging.

Stay tuned on my blog!

Jessica

Fun fact- I have more than 20 sewing needles in my room. And an extremely sharp hair chopstick. Just saying.

A Whirlwind

2011-09-05T19:25:00.001-07:00

I'm such a procrastinator.....sigh.
Flute camp, at the end of July, was GREAT. I auditioned into the Senior group, and I felt much more musically challenged. In repertoire class, we learned five pages of music a day - although it was difficult and an overload, I became familiar with many famous flute pieces, like the Burton Sonatina and the Martinu Sonata.
One of the highlights of flute camp was the competition. There are two levels in the Senior group: Advanced One and Advanced Two. I got into Advanced One, naturally. The Advanced One competition requires you to play a Telemann Fantasie and at least two contrasting movements of a piece at a similar level to the Hindemith or Liebermann Eight Pieces. The attire was strictly formal: ball gowns for girls and a suit or tux or something for guys. All of the girls(including me) wore ankle-length to floor length gowns - so pretty! Of course..the best part of the competition is that I won! It's an amazing feeling to climb up on to a stage and receive a check.
I also won Jamba Juice in warmup class because I played a chromatic scale in seconds without mistakes. :D

After flute camp, I was whisked away to China. There, I learned to play Mahjong, and my relatives were exclaiming at how tall I'd grown(don't be fooled, I'm not that tall)...and they were doting over me, which is very fun. My family and I also spent a week in the Yunnan province sightseeing. We climbed the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and I got a medal with my Chinese name engraved on it - it's with my other medals on a hook.

Once we were home, I went back to school. There's all that mad rushing to get to classes and meeting up with friends, which occupied me for awhile, not to mention I'm doing cross country again, and I might do tennis, and...

In my next post, if I don't forget, I'll list my goals for the new school year!

Jessica

Oh yeah, I'm getting a new desk too. :D

Preparing for the SATs

2011-07-11T21:36:00.001-07:00

It's been a whole month since I've blogged! I admit it. I'm lazy.

Anyway, I want to join the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth(CTY) Talent Search, so I have to take the SATs. Naturally, that means a lot of preparation. So far, I've been doing Mathcounts math, studying from a vocab book, and doing sample questions + practice tests from the College Board "Blue Book." Even though vocab is my strength, I'm still missing five or so questions per 20 questions (around there). I just can't wait till I get to the math section..-____-

Other stuff..one of my cousins and his girlfriend came over. It was really awkward, because his girlfriend(Megan) doesn't speak any Chinese, and my parents' English is...not the best.
But my cousin and Megan were nice. Megan has a cute smile. :D

Flutewise, I got my flute back from the tuning and it's really shiny and plays better than ever! I'm really hoping to get into the senior level of my camp, and it's getting pretty stressful. I'm playing ten, soon to become thirteen pieces (although thankfully some pieces are quite short).

Also, swimming at 7:30 in the morning is quite distasteful. That's all I have to say on that subject.

-Jessica

P.S. I am an Oxford comma practitioner.

Braces

2011-06-04T14:34:00.000-07:00

But first: A shout out to two of my friends: Hi Anonymous and M.D.!! :D :D

I got braces on Wednesday. I chose the metal kind, with a light blue color. First, the orthodontist tried on different sizes of metal rings to act as anchors for the archwire. Next, she sprayed my teeth so they would be dry. Then she put little dots of glue on my teeth and put the brackets on. An assistant would flash a blue light after each bracket was put on to dry the glue. After the brackets were done, the orthodontist strung the archwire across my teeth. When she was done, I looked in the mirror. I felt like a true metal mouth. ;) Then she explained how to brush my teeth and floss with braces. I got an orthodontic care package with everything.

During the process, and for the rest of that day, the braces did not hurt at all. Now they are quite irritating. I have many sores inside my cheeks and on my tongue because of the metal, and food keeps getting stuck in the brackets. It is also quite frustrating not to be able to eat normal food. Luckily, my flute does not seem to be affected much.

I cannot wait until the braces are off and I will have a gorgeous smile and eat anything! :D

The Legend of the Necklace

2011-05-21T22:35:00.000-07:00

I have quite a jewelry collection, mostly necklaces and some bracelets, with pearls, sterling silver, and other gems. I am pretty happy, but there will always be one more spot for one special necklace....

A long time ago, when I was little, my relatives came over, likely my grandparents on my mother's side. I remember that they gave me a necklace in a red velvet box, a thin oval. Either that, or they put that necklace into a similar box my mother has. I was enchanted by that necklace - it was made of clear crystal, probably 20 inches long. The beads were in a diamond shape, (kind of like some Swavorski beads, but not as sharp) just strung on one string with no clasp or fancy stuff. But the beads were beautiful - I held them in the sunlight, watching the light reflect off the beads in many different colors, fuchsia in particular. I even put it around my neck.

The next day, the necklace was gone, and so were my relatives. My parents said that it was all just a dream, but it was so real....

Someday, I will find that necklace or a replica, and I will bring it home...

Jessica

State Finals

2011-04-24T21:09:00.000-07:00

I went to state finals last week for flute. It was pretty fun.
We drove about 7 hours before going to our hotel, and although in the backseat it was pretty cool, the front seat was blazing hot and so we had to switch the air conditioning on and off to accommodate everyone. I had a fun time in the backseat, alternating sleeping and eating. ;)

The hotel was definitely not the best I've ever been to, but alright. Not being very hungry, I had some Subway and ice cream, then practiced flute for about 20 minutes. I didn't want to overload myself with too much practice.

My rest that night was terrible, and I couldn't sleep. It was probably due to not eating much.

The next day was my competition. I was super excited, but didn't eat much because my stomach was still not settled. When it came to my audition, I played to the best of my ability, I think. Then was lunch at a delicious burger place. I couldn't wait for my chamber group audition and meeting my group again!

We finally met, and started practicing, working over some trouble spots. In our bright red dresses, we really stood out, and people took pictures of us. At our auditions, things went relatively well.

In the end, we didn't win, but it was a great experience.

Jessica

Audition

2011-04-09T14:14:00.000-07:00

I just auditioned for a higher level of my symphony on flute. My chromatic scale really wasn't up to speed, so I was in a panic. In addition, I arrived an hour early, so my hands quickly got tired of practicing.

I felt like things just couldn't go on, until I was finally called to audition. The room was rather cold and echoed a huge amount. However, with my new flute, dynamics were still good. There were a couple of mistakes in my technique, but I was simply happy I did not crash and burn. My chromatic scale was also alright, because I played slower than normal.

In the end, I left with a huge smile on my face. I hadn't played my absolute best, but I played pretty well, and finally this audition was over with.

Jessica

P.S. Next on my calendar: state finals, state finals for another competition, and a recital. Then braces.

Blogging

2011-03-12T22:15:00.001-08:00

I have to say that I'm definitely not blogging as much as I used to in 2009. It is a combination of laziness and not enough time. :P However, I am trying to post more interesting events.

Reading over my blog posts makes me realize how much I've changed over the last two years. It's really interesting, and I am pretty glad that I started a blog.

Jessica

Math Competition

2011-03-12T22:10:00.001-08:00

This past Saturday my school's Math Club went to an invitational hosted by another school. It was a lot of fun, like last time. There was an individual round, and a team round. We got refreshments in between.

For the individual round, there were 25 problems and a 45 minute time limit. The problems were extremely difficult, as is usually the case with this competition. However, one of the members of my team got 4th place!

The team round is quite exciting. Your team must do 15 problems in 45 minutes. We split into groups to figure out each problem. I thought that our team last year was better, but we still got 1st place out of 22 schools.

As usual, this competition was a great experience.

Jessica

Flute Competitions

2011-02-24T09:14:00.001-08:00

On Saturday I went to a local competition to compete in the woodwinds section for solo and ensemble. It was quite nerve wracking, because everyone was delayed by 40 minutes. I also had to change into a different outfit for my chamber music group. During my piece I realized that I was going too slow, but I kept going.

Today the results came, and I won as soloist and my chamber group won! We get to go on to the state finals. :)

Jessica

My Birthday!

2011-02-05T11:47:00.001-08:00

My birthday was this past week. My family celebrated with a small party complete with cake and presents. Friends said "Happy Birthday!" sometime during the school day, even more than once. :)

I've been writing with a new pen all week, and copying out poems onto a notepad. The effect is really cool - it almost looks sort of like Copperplate! I can't find my camera right now, though, so no pictures.

Jessica

Optimism

2011-01-13T19:48:00.000-08:00

I've arrived from the winter break with a fresh outlook and more optimism for school. School can be quite draining, but there are breaks every so often, and of course the weekends.

I have some flute competitions coming up, and I'm really prepping for them. I can't wait! I'm also buying more repertoire, like Suite Modal by Ernest Blach and Jeanne Baxtresser Orchestral Excerpts and Flute Music by French flutists. My teacher has even said that I can audition for the senior section of flute camp this year! Of course, there won't be much chance of me getting in, because usually the people in that section are much older than I am. (I'd also have to practice 24/7.) It's still a happy moment for me because I get the chance and the nod from my teacher to audition.

I have also been working on my math with my dad - I'm going to get a book on word problems soon, as that is my weak spot. I really want to improve in this area, and I think my test scores would go up dramatically if I did. Math Club also has a competition, and it's all word problems.

I've moved up to Gold in swimming, and although I'm not quite dying like I thought I would, it's still quite tiring. The intervals are much faster, and I am really slow. My muscles are always really sore. I'm also getting swim gear this weekend - fins, paddles, and a mesh bag. That should help alot.
Swimming really influences PE too. I'm much better at running, and even other sports like basketball I'm getting better at. But I'm not sure if that's just because I'm older now.

Jessica

P.S. I got an Alpha-gel pencil..it's soo squishy!! :)
It's my b-day soon too.......:)

Another Year, Another Look

2011-01-01T00:08:00.000-08:00

My blog has changed with the new year. Using Blogger's handy template designer, I used the "Watermark" template in a blue color scheme. It doesn't glare from a screen, and is very calming. :)
I've also added a new gadget featuring my favorite fountain pens. The picture is rather small, though. Consequently, the layout of the blog is also changed to accommodate more gadgets.

Jessica

New Year's Resolution

2010-12-31T23:23:00.001-08:00

This is my New Year's resolution. I've done it earlier this year rather than later like last year. The picture is a bit small, and my handwriting isn't great, so here is the translation:

2011 New Year's Resolution:

1. Good grades; my English grade has sadly slipped to 99%, as well as my history grade. My math grade, at 97%, is horrifying. I need to stop missing problems on math tests. PE[Physical Education] is also another problem - probably the largest one. I would like to get up to an A-/A at least. However, my expectations for PE are slightly lower since I suck at it. Nevertheless, Bs and such are not accceptable.

How to accomplish:

1A. Do more extra credit.

1B. Do more practice problems(math)

2. Have a great year competing in flute! The spring competition season is always busy and fun. I have more competitions than ever to participate in - which equals more chances to win!

How to accomplish:

1A. Practice 1-2 hours and take breaks. Spend more time on repertoire.

3. Move up another level in swimming. I have now moved up to Gold from Silver, but Junior is the next step.

How to accomplish:

1A. Go everyday and try your best. Be disciplined.

4. Finish 1-2 more Chinese books. I have [almost] finished the first Chinese book, but there are many to go before I might catch up to my peers. Again, I need more discipline.

How to accomplish:

1A. Do at least one lesson/week.

1B. Review past lessons frequently.

5. Don't stress out.

1A. Have fun too.

1B. It gives you wrinkles(stress[not fun]. :p

6. Grow taller. Not 6' tall, but at least average.

1A. Milk + vitamins.

1B. Exercise

That's my resolution! :)

The fountain pen I used is in the photo. The ink is a wonderful brownish purple called J. Herbin Poussiere de Lune.

And another thing - I should really post more on this blog. The number of posts is slowly decreasing. :( I need to find time.

Jessica

Christmas!

2010-12-25T19:50:00.000-08:00

Christmas is possibly my favorite holiday - good food, presents, and games! This year was no exception. I got two gifts that were completely surprises,and gave some too.

This year was maybe lacking in some spirit, but we quickly made up for it in our card games. My family learned a new Chinese card game in 2010(I think) - using much more skill, and consequently much more fun. Playing card games during the holiday season is one of my family's traditions. Unfortunately, much junk food is also consumed.

Then, the food. Meat, meat, and meat. My family is very carnivorous. We have some great recipes for beef and pork, as well as seafood like squid and fish. Just - no vegetables.

Finally, the most exciting part of Christmas day - the presents!:) I got 2 new fountain pens, gift cards, a dip pen set, and some ink! The pens are very beautiful and satisfying to write with, and even the bottles of ink are pretty. Pictures coming soon, hopefully. Then, under the Christmas tree, was two surprise gifts - a food basket and two elegant dresses! The food was excellent, and I now use the nice faux-wood basket to store some of my pens. The dresses are just in time for the spring flute competition season.

This Christmas is a wonderful one!

Jessica

All-State Band Recordings

2010-12-08T15:40:00.000-08:00

[Update: I didn't get in, but I'm not too sad because the performance would have conflicted with two other competitions.]
It's been a busy month, and I've been making a recording to apply for All-state Band. Unfortunately, at first I got the deadline wrong - it was December 1st instead of December 31st. However, I managed to record it in time.

I had to play scales and a piece with two movements. The scales were pretty easy, but the piece was frustrating, because I couldn't get both movements really good in one recording. As a result, I made 21 recordings and picked the one I thought was the best and sent it out.

The application also required some work, so the recording got to the post office on the last day of the deadline. But I'm excited to see if I got in. All-state Band is, of course, the best of the state, and it's something you can put on your resume.

Jessica

My First Swim Meet

2010-11-06T22:46:00.000-07:00

Last week I had my first swim meet(competition), and it was a lot of fun. I arrived at the pool very early, so I could watch other swimmers compete. There was a huge digital board with the lane, event and time of each swimmer.

I competed in the 100 yard freestyle and the 50 yard backstroke. I'm a pretty slow swimmer, and this was my first meet, so I got 16th and 17th place. But I swam harder than I had ever swum. For the 100 free, I did a kneeling dive into the water - one of my best dives so far(which, admittedly, aren't that good anyway). The meet was a great experience.

-Jessica

Ms. Mckell

2010-10-18T20:45:00.000-07:00

My history teacher, Ms. Mckell, is infamous for being quite possibly the strictest teacher in the school. Some call her mean, but I don't think so. In some traits I envy her. I know that she will give me many valuable skills that I will use in the future.

Ms. Mckell seems to be very poised, and she seems to always have the same expression on her face. She appears not to give much homework, but the videos and the workbook pages, and the presentations add up. An important skill I am learning is networking. It is like teamwork, or group work. My friends and I get together and see who heard what parts of the video, or filled out what parts of the worksheet. And after we are done, we have a complete worksheet with lots of information. Networking is a very useful tool, but I only use it in this class because I have no need for it in others.

Ms. Mckell is not nice exactly, but definitely fair, if only you will ask. It's really important to ask then and there what problems you have and what you don't understand. The people who don't ask really are missing out, and mistakenly think that Ms. Mckell is really mean. Although, she is strict - but then, most teachers are.

-Jessica

Swimming and Flute

2010-09-25T18:22:00.000-07:00

This year I started swim team. At the tryouts, I got into the Silver level swim team - which is a level behind most of my peers, but that's fine with me. I've never been very athletic.

There's a lot of practices, and I need to put in a lot of effort. Months or years ago, I would think the number of laps I am swimming now would be impossibly hard, so I think my endurance has improved a bit. I feel that joining swim team is a leap forward in getting to be more athletic.

Although swimming is crowding up my schedule, I am still keeping up with my flute playing. Actually, I find that as I get busier, I practice flute more. I'm very excited for next spring - competition season!!

Along with these extracurricular activities, I am also keeping up my grades in school - all of the homework, tests, etc.

-Jessica

Fountain Pens

2010-09-18T11:59:00.001-07:00

Weeks ago my mother gave me one of her treasured fountain pens. It had never been used and was like new. The brand was Hero, a very well-respected fountain pen brand in China. This is my first fountain pen and has a lot of sentimental value to it, so I never bring it to other places besides home for fear of it being stolen.

I inked my Hero pen with Parker Quink Black ink, the only ink supplied at our local office supply store.

Here's a couple of pictures(sorry for the terrible handwriting):

My dad also gave me a fountain pen - a Wing Sung fountain pen. The Wing Sung(which means "forever") company is maybe not as good as Hero, but is still pretty good. This fountain pen was used by my dad, so it is not new. This pen is the fountain pen I use at school; it is also has Parker Quink Black ink in it.
A picture:

-Jessica

The First Day of School

2010-08-25T13:00:00.000-07:00

All through the night, I couldn't sleep because I was so excited for the first day of school. I really wanted to see all of my friends, see my new schedules, and meet my teachers. And - I had a nice fountain pen and pencil to start school with.

At first, I was a bit nervous because there were many people I didn't know in my classes, but I adjusted quickly. The teachers were all very kind and friendly, with many welcoming speeches. All of the teachers had rules of their classroom and talked a bit about themselves as well as the coming year.

My mind is also starting to change it's mindset - from "Oh, it's summer, I can relax" to "It's school, and I need to work hard and do my best."

-Jessica

Flute Camp

2010-08-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

Last week was flute camp, and what a wonderful experience it was! I felt like my technique had really improved, along with having lots of fun! Some of the highlights:

Last Sunday, the 25th, was the first day. We had auditions (for which level we would be in) and a theory placement test. I was pleased to know that I was one of the audition winners, to participate in a masterclass. That day was a get-to-know-everyone day.

Monday, the 26th: I placed in the highest warm-up class, Intermediate 2. The teacher, Amelia, had many very difficult assignments, mostly focusing on tone(of leaps from low to high notes)and technique. These assignments were from two of Marcel Moyse's(a very famous French flutist)books. However, I enjoyed the challenge of these tone and technique exercises, and I feel I improved most in this class.

My buddy and I were the grand prizewinners for wearing the most neon colors. Honorable mentions went to some of my friends.

Tuesday, the 27th: We did yoga that day, and it was very interesting. We did a variety of yoga poses that got blood pumping, as well as some meditation. Afterward, my mind felt very calm. The enthusiasm of the yoga teacher, Kassey, helped me.

Team games were one of my favorite parts of flute camp. They didn't always relate to flute, but were a chance to inspire some friendly competition between teams. My team and Cynthia's were particualr enemies, racing head-to-head.

Tuesday and Wednesday had the exact same schedule as Monday.

Wednesday, the 28th: Wednesday was a bad day for my team. We barely earned any points, and our enemy, Cynthia's team, had gained many points. The other two teams, Tamaki's and Audrey's teams, steamed ahead.

In music appreciation, we learned about how Music and Motion combined. We learned three types of dance - Baroque dancing(the minuet, bouree, and gavotte), Brazilian samba reggae, and Egyptian belly dancing.

Thursday, the 29th: Thursday had mostly the same schedule as the previous three days, except some classes were shorter due to Water Olympics.

Chamber music was great, as usual. I was in a chamber group with the two other audition winners, Kelly and Christina. Together, our group name was Jellytina, a mixture of our three names. :) We practiced the first movement of a sonata by Quantz.

Water Olympics was a chance for my team to redeem ourselves, and we grabbed it. We did quite well - my favorite game was when the four flute teachers hurled water ballons at us, and we caught them in our towels.

Friday, the 30th: The big day of the concert at an outdoor stage. All of our teams had a presentation about our theme, Music and Motion. The best one would get 50 points. I have to say, all of our presentation ideas were very creative and imaginative. Being the biased person that I am, I still think my team's idea was the best. :)

At the end of the concert, the winners of the presentation was announced, and.........it was my team!! I was very happy. My whole team got ice cream afterward, sponsored by the four flute teachers.

All in all, it was a great flute camp!

-Jessica

Pens and Phones

2010-07-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

I have always enjoyed calligraphy, the art of beautiful writing, and so I am drawn to fountain pens. Previously, I used a dip pen - which is exactly what it sounds like; a pen that you dip into a bottle of ink to write.

However, this is a very inconvenient way to write. A fountain pen, on the other hand, has a reservoir of ink, like a ballpoint or rollerball pen, that lets you write without dipping. Fountain pens can also be refilled with many cool colors of ink, and they allow you to write beautifully. And, fountain pens are very stylish. :)

I have been saving up all summer for a fountain pen and some extras. I plan to get a Lamy Safari fountain pen in extra-fine. I have heard that the Lamy Safaris are great starter fountain pens, and although a bit expensive, are extremely good quality and very durable. I also plan to get a 1.1 italic nib(the nib is the part that you write with) to get some line variation like you do in calligraphy. And lastly, I shall get two bottles of ink: Lamy black ink(for school and other formal matters) and J. Herbin Violet Pensee, for fun and personal writing. I think I shall get enough money by the middle of August. When that time comes around, I will report back to say what writing with the fountain pen and the ink is like.

Now - cell phones. I got my first cell phone today - a purple Samsung touchscreen. I am very satisfied with it. It is reasonably easy to use and is quite pretty as well. The only other thing I would like is a data plan, so that I could access the Internet, but that is not to be. My mom and my sister both got iPhones, but my dad got a basic phone. :( However, I don't think he likes very complicated phones.

-Jessica

100th Post!

2010-07-12T20:44:00.000-07:00

100th Post!! I've been saving up for an especially long post full of interesting news. Let's start with a short story(again, based on a dream):

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, lived a princess named Silverelle, Elle for short. Her parents, the monarchs, were the rulers of a land named Kittesque(pronounced 'kitesk'). To be honest, her parents weren't very good rulers - they polluted the beautiful land, and selected officials that were both dishonest and greedy. However, the monarchs were good parents to Silverelle, and doted on her, although Silverelle was never spoiled.

Silverelle grew up in a time of political turmoil and when the land of Kittesque was slowly being polluted by fossil fuel. Kittesque's animals went to other places, so that they wouldn't be disturbed by others who wanted their fur, feathers, or meat. Despite all of this, Silverelle wasn't affected.

Silverelle was a beauty - hair like a gentle moonbeam, a wonderful platinum blond that drew the envy of all who saw it. She also had a perfect face, with large sapphire eyes, full pink lips, and a clear ivory complexion. She had a personality to match - a shy, but caring and intelligent girl.

One day she got a kitten and a puppy as a birthday present. She was enamored! After all, who could resist a puppy with golden fur and big round eyes? She immediately scooped the puppy up and ran after the energetic and enthusiastic puppy. The kitten, which was black with emerald green eyes, was shyer, but quickly warmed up to Silverelle. The puppy and the kitten followed Silverelle everywhere.

As Silverelle grew up, she realized that her parents weren't good rulers, and became very concerned about the animals in Kittesque. She knew that those animals had a right to live in Kittesque, and her parents were taking it away. Bit by bit, she took over and put Kittesque back to rights, and a happy nation for centuries to come.

THE END!

Other news....this summer I have decided to start saving up money for a fountain pen and some extras like ink. Considering that even a basic fountain pen can go for 20 USD, I need to start saving up FAST. The good thing is that I need not spend money on notebooks/journals, because my dad generously donated three Moleskine Cahiers, one of which I gave to my sister. The Moleskine Cahiers have worked extremely well, although I hear the quality control is a bit lacking.

Now that I have paper to write on, that just means I need to buy the pen, ink, converter, and stuff like that. This is what I'm planning to order:

Lamy Safari(charcoal body with black clip) with EF(extra-fine) nib
Lamy Safari steel nib 1.1mm italic
Z24 Converter
J. Herbin Violette Pensee
Lamy 50ml Blue-Black

I am considering cutting out the J. Herbin Violette Pensee and getting another Lamy ink. The J. Herbin inks aren't as affordable, and I don't know if they're compatible with the Lamy Safari. And, Lamy ink has to be good with Lamy pens, right? Not to mention, each bottle of Lamy ink has a roll of blotting paper. But then, J. Herbin inks have a pen-rest, and the colors are so tempting....;)

Next order of business: This fall I'm planning to join swim team to make me more athletic. There are many levels, so I'm sure to get into one! :) And by the descriptions of it, it seems quite grueling, so I should get more athletic very quickly.

I'm also reviewing my math, which seems to be getting worse. I am focusing on word problems, which are hard for me. I hope, that in the next school year, my grades will be much better, and that I will have a great year!

And lastly, my new flute! I finally got a Sankyo 201, after a close battle with a heavy-wall Trevor James Virtuoso. It plays marvelously, and the high notes just float out without any effort!

-Jessica

Sightseeing, Plays, and Cards

2010-07-04T20:22:00.000-07:00

Last week my cousins, aunt, and uncle came for a week. It was a hectic, packed week full of sightseeing. It was also a get-to-know each other process.

It was evening when they arrived, so we went out for dinner and just generally chatted and relaxed. The next day we woke up early and visited two extremely good universities in our area. It really wasn't much fun. We didn't go inside any of the buildings. The best part of the day was teaching my cousin card games.

The next two days, Tuesday and Wednesday, were a trip to Yosemite National Park and Mariposa Grove. It took a long time to get there, and the heat didn't help. We saw many waterfalls, such as Ribbon Falls. For lunch, we ate greasy pizza and shared vanilla ice cream and rainbow sherbet. We drank Coke from a large pitcher.

After lunch, we explored Yosemite. We went to Half Dome and the famous Yosemite Falls. There was a little trail where we could get very close to the waterfall, and even feel the spray from it on our faces and arms. We took lots of pictures, and then climbed up rocks to get even closer to Yosemite Falls. That was the most fun and exhilarating part of the day.

Later in the day, we drove to our hotel and had our dinner nearby. Dinner had huge plates of food. I had veal over angel hair pasta(spaghetti) and a tomato/Parmesan sauce. I also had two pieces of delicious garlic toast. My mom and aunt wanted to eat light, so they had a fruit salad with cottage cheese. My older cousin had a large hamburger with fries, while my younger one had a meat lasagna. My dad and sister had steak, and my uncle had veal, like me. There was so much food I had to share with my dad.

Stuffed, we went to the hotel and slept deeply. On Wednesday, we had an excellent continental breakfast that had hard-boiled eggs, muffins, frozen waffles, yogurt, fruit, bagels, and juice. After breakfast, we drove to Mariposa Grove. We hiked a long, torturous uphill trail to a museum. On the way, we saw lots of giant sequoias. We hiked for 3 hours! That was the highlight of the day.

Thursday we went to a couple of famous wineries. There wasn't much for me to do there, but my younger cousin, Ina, and I ate samples in the gift shop. There was bread and pretzels with various sauces, dark chocolate disks, nutty brittle, cookies, and breadsticks. Outside the winery, there was a little creek with lots of tiny red fish in it. We had lots of fun gently tapping the little fishes' tails, and trying not to scare them away. The fish were so cute!

When we came back from the wineries, we played cards for a long time. I love playing cards - I often played during the end of school, where there was lots of free time. And, I successfully converted Ina into loving cards too. :) We played teams of two. There were six people all together playing. At the end, Ina and I laughed as we watched the losers, our siblings, do 30 pushups each.

On Friday, I went to a nearby famous city with my extended family. It was lots of fun! Ina and I went window shopping. There were so many interesting stores, and so many things to do! We went to one of many jewelry stores, and got pretty jade/sterling silver bracelets for only 10 USD, since the store had a sale. My bracelet was purple jade with silver clasp. My cousin's was the same, just with gold. I like my bracelet better because it looks very elegant, and makes me think of moonlight. My cousin's was also very pretty, but the gold was just a tad too bright.

After buying the bracelets, we went out to lunch. Lunch came in the form of a sushi place, which was kind of like a buffet. We sat down at the bar, and watched the mini wooden boats with plates of sushi go by. There wasn't much variety, but the sushi was pretty good, and there was dessert, like cheesecake. However, everything was really rather expensive, since we were charged by the plate. Imagine - two pieces of sushi for 3 USD!

After lunch, we just walked around and wandered in various stores. We got shirts at a little booth, and looked at clothes in Banana Republic. One of the last things we did before going home was to buy nail polish and lip gloss. I bought a sparkly beige nail polish, while my cousin bought lip gloss.

When we got home, we had a little makeover, and painted our fingernails and toenails, applied eyeshadow, etc. And, of course, we played cards. But this time, we lost. Our siblings almost forced us to do "Popular Girls", a play we made up during our walk mocking shallow, "popular" girls many people read about in books. There were three acts - Act I was Hair and Nails, Act II was Gossip, and Act III was Being Stupid. But by night, the humor of it had worn off, and humiliation had taken its place. We stood strong and refused to act. We decided just to do 30 situps and pushups.

The last day that my relatives stayed, Saturday, was basically a lazy day, just being in the house. Ina and I were going to do a flute-and-ballet performance for extra points during cards, but we got too tired to finish making up the ballet performance. I was tired, but didn't want to sleep, and was unusually hungry throughout the afternoon. At night, for the last time, we played cards again. Unfortunately, Ina and I lost again. (My sister had really, really good cards.) Our siblings taunted us with "Popular Girls", but we didn't act, and barely did any situps. I was very sad that on the last day, we lost, and I contributed a whole lot to it. But I guess we were both just tired.

Today, I said farewell to them in the morning. I also gave Ina a couple of dresses I had outgrown. I went outside and waved as their car pulled out of our driveway.

My relatives live pretty far away, so it's going to be at least many months till I see them again. But they have extended an invitation for me to come next summer, so I am hopeful. I also know that I will have lots of memories from that week.

-Jessica

Wanted List of Fountain Pens

2010-06-22T18:18:00.000-07:00

This list is mainly a reference to the kind ones who give me gifts during Christmas and my birthday, to give them lots of choices to choose from. I love calligraphy and all styles of writing, so I really enjoy using fountain pens. Fountain pens are ever so elegant and stylish, and make my handwriting better. This list is for moderately priced fountain pens. Most of these can be bought at http://www.isellpens.com.That being said, here is the list:

Calligraphy fountain pens:

I need a calligraphy tip for actual calligraphy, so here's a couple of choices. The list is in random order.

Lamy Safari 1.5 Calligraphy Nib(preferably black or charcoal)
Jinhao Gone with the Wind Calligraphy Nib
Hero 5028 Set
Lamy Al-Star Silver Blue Broad Nib
Kaigelu 300 Calligraphy Nib
Gui Guan 20(?)
Gui Guan 10(?)
Pilot 78G Fountain Pen Broad/Stub Nib

Regular Fountain Pens:

Again, random order.

Glass Pen-Tiger
Hero 100 Black
Hero 132 Black and Gold
Jinhao X450 Ivory Swirl, Gold Swirl, or Smokey Grey
Jinhao X750
Kaigelu 302 Copper
Kaigelu 322 Red
Kaweco Solid Blue Sport
Naki 928 Triumph Collection - Gola Black Dragon
Naki Mini Fountain Pen Red
Bookworm Yellow-Gold Filigree Fountain Pen 675 Fine-Medium Nib
Luoshi Great Wall 710 Black
Huashilai 3000 Map
Picasso 925 Fountain Pen Solid Black
Picasso PS-902 Red/Gold or Filigree Cap
Picasso PS-908 Black Lacquer
Picasso PS-903 Silver
Picasso PS-916 Electric Blue
Regal Oxford Sapphire Blue Fountain Pen
Regal Mini Ann Fountain Pen Pastel Blue
Wing Sung 220 Dragon
Wing Sung 235 Gold Cross Hatch
Wing Sung 353
Wing Sung 837 Black Stripe
Wing Sung 818 Engraved Gold
Wing Sung 859 Fancy Black
Waterman Phileas Fine Nib(Amazon)

Whew! That's quite a list! I don't expect to get them all, of course.

-Jessica

School's Out!

2010-06-16T19:15:00.000-07:00

Today was the last day of school. We stayed in the same classroom throughout the day, and had an overall wonderful time. We ate snacks as we read a book together, played cards, and prepared for the Greek Olympics. I participated in the Greek Olympics, and afterward ate popsicles and had soda.

Now - the whole summer is ahead of me. I've been busy making lists for summer, and saying goodbye to friends. I also plan to practice flute at least 1 hour per day.

Here's the getting a new flute update: Well, the Trevor James flutes (the brand my flute teacher wants me to buy) haven't come yet. I was devastated upon hearing this at my flute lesson. Fingers crossed, hopefully they'll come by next Friday!

-Jessica

Summer

2010-06-05T20:13:00.000-07:00

Summer is just around the corner, and so are the sunshine and high temperatures that accompany it. I don't have an air conditioning as of the moment, so the temperatures in my house can go up to 80 degrees! An odd effect of it is sweating without doing anything. Sweat just keeps raining on my forehead, neck, and back, and I have to keep fanning myself to get the air moving.

Possibly the worst aftereffect of summer is the sweaty fingers and lips. It makes it quite difficult to play flute, so I must push myself and keep practicing. In fact, I put a piece of tape on my flute's lip plate so that my lips wouldn't slip because of the sweat. Since I am playing modern pieces(Acht Stucke[8 Pieces] by Paul Hindemith) I need to play with lots of expression, dynamics, and phrasing.

Unfortunately, all of the pieces I am playing have notes that I absolutely hate - E3 and F#3. They keep cracking, and make my lips(generally a mild-tempered organ) very uncooperative and sullen. ;( Even with all of this, it is not an excuse to stop practicing. I must be merciless on myself.

-Jessica

Dream Story

2010-06-04T17:32:00.001-07:00

This is a short story based on one of my dreams(but with many variations):

Earthquake

The most dreadful thing had finally come to happen. It was reported on the internet and the TV that the area where I lived would have a major earthquake tomorrow - 9/22/2014. The earthquake was predicted to be at least 8.0. My parents and I panicked at the news. We had a plan - go to the nearest school, where there would be people and food. I took the survival backpack and shoved my fully charged laptop, emergency sewing kit, and a bottle of laundry detergent(because the detergent purifies water). I shoved my stuffed animals under my bed so they wouldn't be crushed.

My parents took a suitcase with food, water, and clothes. We started walking to the school when the earth started to shake, hours earlier than expected. I barely kept upright, and everything seemed to be falling down. In the chaos, my parents and I got separated. I wandered about aimlessly, not knowing where to go. I glanced at the falling houses, and suddenly saw my friend Julie run, barefoot, out of one. I called to her, and we huddled together as the earthquake finally stopped. We looked at each other, scared out of our wits.

"What are we going to do?"Julie finally said. "We can't get to the school because all the street signs have fallen down." "Wait, hang on, I think I have a compass,"I replied. And sure enough, after some digging, I found the compass. "Well, although I'm not a Girl Scout or anything, I know that the school is northeast, so we can go in that direction,"I said.

So we started walking northeast. Within a couple hours of walking we stopped to rest and saw the whitewashed buildings of the school! I got out some raisins in the survival pack and shared it with Julie, sitting on the ruined sidewalk. After a couple minutes, we got up and started walking again, looking hungrily at the school, where our friends might be - as well as some time to rest. Julie and I stumbled inside a classroom - saw Katherine, Jett, Carolyne, Micah, and others, and just hugged them all. It seemed all my classmates had survived and gotten out of their homes. I was so grateful.

And, I also saw my parents, who were in another classroom. My heart was full with joy. When my parents and I got back to our house, most of it was intact, and so were my stuffed animals. :)
THE END
-Jessica

Essays

2010-06-04T17:27:00.000-07:00

Here's a persuasive essay that I wrote. I think it may be the best essay I've written.

Class Discipline

Most would assume that every school promotes fairness. However, many teachers promote an unfair way of teaching: Punishing the whole class when only a few are misbehaving. I think we should stop this unjust method of teaching.
Students get sullen, afraid, and downright naughty when they are all punished. As a result, they do not perform as well. For example, when Mr. Brown(a teacher at Sunnyvale Middle School) enforces silence with adding minutes to lunchtime, everyone gets on the edge of their seats, trying to be quiet – after all, no one wants to go out to lunch late. However, a few troublemakers strike up a conversation. Others begin chatting away, following the troublemakers’ example, and nothing gets done. Then, Mr. Brown adds two minutes to lunchtime. And who was to blame for the extra minutes? The troublemakers – the students that were the cause of the new “adding minutes to lunchtime” rule.
Punishing children is harmful to teachers, as well. Penalizing children unfairly gives a guilty conscience to teachers. My 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Dodson, said, “I’m sorry that the good students couldn’t have parties like the other classes, but some of you misbehaved and were bad.” I was always disappointed in 2nd grade, that we couldn’t watch movies or have pizza parties. The good students were always oppressed by the misbehaving ones, because everyone was punished.
Some say that naughty children will give in to peer pressure. “Sometimes punishing the whole class is appropriate,” says Mr. Brown, a 6th grade teacher at SMS. Maybe peer pressure worked for the previous generation, but I know that this particular generation of children doesn’t give in to peer pressure. This generation cares about self more than others - hence the nickname “Me” Generation – think iPods. As the expression goes, “Each to their own.” “I’ve gotten in trouble many times, and peer pressure never got to me,” says Grace, a student at SMS.
I know from personal experience that being punished unfairly gives me a feeling of outrage and aggravation, and often I do not do as well as I might have. Time after time, again and again, I have seen this unprincipled, unreasonable method used. It has popped up its unwelcome head in nearly every single classroom I’ve been in, ruining even the most peaceful classroom.
Sentencing a whole class just to make a few behave is cruel. After all, a teacher is a role model for students, and by teaching unfair ways, students will become unjust as well. There are so many alternatives to this. Teachers can give a misbehaving student detention. Parent conferences are another good way to avoid punishing the whole class. Students can talk to their teachers or maybe even the principal. Punishing, admonishing the whole class is a wicked method. Don’t let it corrupt you.

Trying and Buying

2010-05-30T21:31:00.001-07:00

Hi all,

It's almost the end of school! My, this year has gone by so fast! I can't even begin to type about all the amazing, incredible experiences I had this year - all of the new beginnings. But although I introspect and reflect on the past, I also look forward to the future - namely, getting a new flute.

Besides the new flutes I tried (that I blogged about in a recent post), I tried a used Sankyo flute - better model and upgraded headjoint. However, it was not as good for me as a lower model, new Sankyo that I tried last week. Since all of these flutes are handmade, the sound each flutist produces on each flute(even same brand/model)can be different. In fact, I tried 2 identical Sankyo 201 flutes, and one in particular was better. It was the one I tried last week.

The sound I created on the Sankyo (to me) was rich, full, deep, and sweet. Actually, the depth was one of the biggest factors that gave the Sankyo such a distinctive sound. It was deeper than any other flute - except maybe the Trevor James. Tomorrow, I hope that I can try a couple other models of the Trevor James flute brand. Those flute models are the last I will try before purchasing a new flute.

-Jessica

Amusement Parks

2010-05-24T19:57:00.001-07:00

Hi,

Three days ago, I went to a close by amusement park(read:lots of rollercoasters) as a result of working hard in Math Club. We rode there on school buses, and we finally arrived, we had to wait on the sidewalk, shivering, until we could be let in. All the Math Clubbers were basically free to do what they wanted, so a couple of friends and I banded together in a group.

Our group got separated very quickly, with Jett and I one place, and Geeling and Garima elsewhere. But after going on a ski-lift type of ride, Jett and I were able to locate Garima and Geeling. We were all very happy to see one another.
Then we all went on a couple of mild rides, but that was about it. Although this sounds lame, the most fun parts of the trip were lunch, and buying food. We went to a lot of souvenir and candy stores, because all of us had gotten money for this trip. I bought a large popcorn for everyone to share, as well as some sour candy for myself. As a result, I didn't have to donate money to the lunch fund.

There was a picnic lunch with hot dogs, but since Garima is a vegetarian, and the rest of us didn't like hot dogs, we decided to buy food from a Panda Express Chinese restaurant. We did go to the picnic pavilion, but only to get the ice cream and soda. :) The rest of our lunch consisted of spring rolls, crispy shrimp, fried rice, chow mein, kung pao chicken, and broccoli beef.

The bumper cars were probably the most fun of the rides. I rode with Jett, and she was a terrible driver. We kept bumping into everything - other cars, or even the curb. The bumping kept me in suspense - for fear of bumping even more. I got quite a rush of adrenaline during this ride.

And maybe the best part was simply being able to be on our own, without any supervision. We were free to do what we wanted, and it made us feel so much more powerful, and older. We bought what we wanted, went on whatever rides we wanted to go on, went where we wanted. Everything was up to us.

-Jessica

Trying New Flutes!!!

2010-05-14T21:10:00.000-07:00

If you've seen my last post, I got the highest rating for a statewide competition. As a result, my parents said they'd get me a new flute. My flute teacher had been talking about it too.

On Monday, when I went to my flute lesson, my teacher had a special surprise: lots of new, upgrade flutes for me to try! I was incredibly excited. I had dreamed and dreamed of trying and buying flutes, but now I was really doing it.

First, we tried a Miyazawa 102, which is the lowest model of a Japanese company that my flute teacher favors. Boy, it seemed so much louder, with a rather bright sound. The flute was shiny too. ;) The second flute was a Prima Sankyo CF201(or Sankyo Etude). This one was even louder(in a good way)with a deeper tone. After a while, my teacher and I concluded that the Sankyo was better overall - I liked the mechanism(keys and feel) on the Miyazawa better, but the sound was too bright and tinny.

I also tried a Yamaha 574. Didn't like it - worse than both the Sankyo and the Miyazawa. The Yamaha was tinny and the high register was ugly. A promising flute was the Trevor James Cantabile. On the first note it sounded wonderful - deeper and darker than all the other flutes. Then, as I kept on playing, it wasn't that great. I also tried a Miyazawa 202(a step up from the 102) with different headjoints.

Another brand I tried was the Miyazawa Lyric, an intermediate division of Miyazawa, which, along with Muramatsu, Altus, and Sankyo, are mostly Japanese professional flute companies. By now I suppose you know that my teacher really favors Miyazawas! The Miyazawa Lyric wasn't as good as the Sankyo, or the Miyazawa.

And finally, I tried Gemeinhardt, the brand of flute I have right now. To be frank, it was horrible. The sound was thin and small compared to all the other new flutes I tried. All in all, the Sankyo was my favorite. But I'll be trying a few more soon, I think.

As for the carrying cases, I liked the Miyazawa and Sankyo cases the best. Both of the cases were black, but the Miyazawa had fleecy white wool inside, with a leatherette flute case. The Sankyo had a very nice leather-bound case.

-Jessica

State Competition

2010-05-08T19:16:00.001-07:00

Hi,

Today my family, my accompanist, and I drove 2.5 hours to a large city to compete in a statewide competition. I brought my iPod Nano, and my accompanist(also my friend)brought her DVD player and iPod Touch. However, I was still very bored during the long drive.

We finally got to the music building where the competition was after getting lost a couple times, thanks to our GPS. Then we went to a Chinese restaurant called the Mayflower. The food was delicious, but I didn't eat much because of the upcoming competition. However, I did make sure to eat a peppermint for good-smelling breath.:)

I went to the music building, where I saw these beautiful medals and plaques. Little did I know that I would be getting one of those. Then I went to the bathroom to change into my performance clothes - a dress(with a plain black velvet top, cream sash, and black flowers against a cream background bottom), tights, and plain black heels. My favorite thing was the milky, smooth pearls clasped around my throat. My accompanist, Stephanie, wore a white dress with music notes, white knitted tights, and patent leather black heels with a sparkly flower. She forgot her teardrop pearl pendant, though.

My dad found a warm up room for Stephanie and I after circling around the fourth floor for ten minutes. At that time, nerves began to overcome me. I felt like I was playing incredibly slow. It seemed that our warm up time had gone too soon. In a flash, Stephanie and I were at room 151, awaiting our turn to perform. When I walked inside, I gave my two original copies of the score to the judges, then tuned with Stephanie. And finally I started to play.

My playing seemed to be slow, but I guess it was the right tempo in the judges' opinions. They clapped, smiling, as Stephanie and I took a bow. The judges said we played extremely well, especially for our age. They said we had blown them away, and that we could work on dynamics a little. Overall, their comments were pretty positive.

Afterwards, I found the packet of the judges' comments and my score. My heart jumped when I saw a Command Performance(highest rating possible)sticker on my envelope! Then I dragged my dad to the awards stand, where I had seen the pretty plaques and medals. I got a medal and a plaque saying Gold Medal Award and Command Performance. Stephanie got a plaque too.

Finally, we drove back home and dropped off Stephanie at her house. After an hour or so home, my parents and I went to look at lights, then went to an ice cream shop. The flavor of ice cream I got was Gold Medal Ribbon. What a coincidence!

-Jessica

ABRSM Grade 4

2010-05-01T14:04:00.000-07:00

Hi,

Yesterday I took my ABRSM(Associated Board for the Royal Schools of Music)Grade 4 practical(flute playing)exam. I arrived 45 minutes early, and was lead to a warm up room. There I found that, although I had washed my hair the day before, I had lots of dandruff. So I spent a good part of time trying to brush the dandruff out without a hairbrush.

Then I finally got to warming up and practicing my pieces. After twenty minutes, I went to the room where I would be tested. That room was more like an auditorium, with a stage. I walked up the steps to the stage and adjusted the music stand. The examiner(an elderly woman with an accent)told me to start my pieces when I was ready.

I tuned with my accompanist and began to play the three piece. I think they were pretty good, although the tempo on one was not very steady. Then . . . the bane of my life - the aural tests. Aural tests are where you have to sing and listen to music.

The examiner played a short, two-measure phrase twice very quickly. Unfortunately, I think I only sang the first measure correct. The second aural test was sight-singing. Needless to say, I completely failed at that. I'm not even sure I sang the correct notes, because I felt rather rushed. Then I answered question about a phrase of music the examiner played. That went pretty well. After that, the examiner asked me to clap the rhythm. I didn't understand and thought she said "cap" instead of clap. It was very embarrassing, but I understood the meaning at the end. However, the rhythm I clapped wasn't very good.

Then came the scales, something that was very satisfactory to me. I played the scales, arpeggios, and dominant seventh almost flawlessly, and I'm pretty sure I got a high mark for this section.

Finally, came sight reading. This went okay, actually. I had good dynamics and kept a pretty steady tempo. And then, I went out of the room and breathed a sigh of relief.

I definitely passed, because 3 out of the 4 categories went well, but I would like a pass with merit/pass with distinction, and I'm not sure I'll get those. But this is exam is now done and over, so I'm going to focus on the future - namely, the state competition.

-Jessica

Exciting Life

2010-04-21T20:34:00.000-07:00

I haven't written for so long!! But even now, I don't have much time. School is very hectic, after the leisure of spring break!

I went on a field trip on April 6th. It was full of rich experiences! We went to the dock nearby, because we were participating in the O'Neil Sea Odyssey program.

At 7:30 in the morning I boarded the charter bus going to the harbor. The charter bus had plush seats and overhead storage. It was also taller than regular school buses, like the bus I boarded for science camp last year.

My class was the first to go on the O'Neil boat. It was my first time on a boat, and I tell you, it was fascinating! I climbed onto a black net, where you could see the green murky water below. Then we went to our stations. I first learned about the harbor and the animals in it - and got rather seasick. When I got to my second station, I was thoroughly sick, and didn't even have the energy to lift my head.

I felt completely drained of energy - like a fever had consumed me. I honestly felt like I was going to die on that wretched boat, and that the boat ride would never end - and I'm not being dramatic. I imagine my face must have been pretty white. Two other classmates, Carolyne and Jett, were also seasick, and I could see how Carolyne's face had turned a deathly pallor.

The guides on the boat told me to look at land, but I thought the land looked too confusing, with its bright colors and roller coasters. Instead I looked into the water, which oddly enough made me feel better. Eating a piece of raw kelp (seaweed) helped immensely as well, because we had been hours on the boat, with nothing to eat.

I learned about the sea otter, which is dying out quickly. That could mean danger for all of the kelp forests, because the sea otter is at the top of the kelp forest food chain. People hunted sea otters for its fur, which was thick and soft.

When my class and I finally got off the boat, we had lunch at the beach and played beach volleyball. Then we went to a local park(which I thought was rather boring). When I went on the swings, I felt seasick all over again. But, ice cream came to my rescue. A lady selling ice cream and other treats came by, and luckily I had money. I spent the rest of the time at the park happily munching an ice cream sandwich.

We went back to the charter bus and back to school at about 4:00. I kept thinking about my field trip - one of the most exciting I'd ever had.

-Jessica

Kiwianis One Day

2010-04-03T22:13:00.000-07:00

As you can see in my profile, I am in Builders Club, which is a club to build leadership and other traits. It means a lot of community service and volunteer work. Today we worked with similar organizations(Kiwainis and Key Club) to fix the ropes course in a nature park.

The ropes course is a course to build trust and companionship. It's targeted for teenagers. The ropes course appeals to teenagers, I guess because of its danger. After all, you have to do things like jump off a pole 28 feet above the ground, walk on a wire strung high above the ground, and swing across a rope stretched 100 feet between two poles. Those are the "high" elements. The "low" elements require teamwork. One example is that you have to get a person through a car tire without the person touching any part of the tire.

For two hours I raked wood chips all over the ropes course. It was hard work to spread the wood chips over such a wide space. After that, we had a BBQ. Then we played some trust exercises. We each got a partner and had to lean over and - fall. The other person catching, of course. Even though we were on solid ground, it was actually pretty frightening. It was difficult not to step back and to trust the other person completely.

Then I got blindfolded and walked all over the park, guided by my partner. I found that I had a pretty good sense of direction, because I could follow my partner's voice. When we came back to our picnic spot, I felt really in tune with nature and the world. It was a great experience, and I made some friends as well.

-Jessica

Template Designer

2010-03-26T21:10:00.000-07:00

Wow! This is an old draft I found.

As you can see, I've changed my template and design using the Blogger in Draft Template Designer. It was pretty fun, and I think this blog has gotten a well-deserved change. I guess I'm going for a more modern style of blog. However, I have to say the header(the little strip of flower with "The Life of Jessica" typed on it) doesn't exactly match the rest of the blog - I will find something different.

-Jessica

Superior

2010-03-20T15:39:00.000-07:00

Today I went to a neighboring school to compete in a solo'n'ensemble festival. It was rather nerve-wracking.

Last competition I got disqualified, so I vowed this time I would not get disqualified, AND I would get into the state finals. To get into the state finals, you have to have an Excellent or Superior/Superior Command Performance rating. There are six ratings: Needs Improvement, Fair, Good, Excellent, Superior, and Superior Command Performance(best rating).

I thought, Superior and Superior Command Performance will be too much, probably. I simply have the humble desire to get an Excellent and into the state finals. Even though I will be competing against people much older than me, the judge will put age into account, so an Excellent is possible. So this week my friend and accompanist, Stephanie, and I practiced together. We are both used to playing solo and unaccompanied, so it took some time to get in sync. We practiced hours and hours, drilling sections mercilessly.

I wore a beautiful dress to the competition. The dress had white, silky straps, and black layers edged with white silk and a rose. In addition, I wore flesh-colored tights with professional black heels, and my mom's pearls. Unfortunately, I had lots of dandruff. But I'm pretty sure the judge didn't notice it. :) My accompanist, Stephanie, wore a white cotton dress from China that had a navy sash and music notes on the bottom. She also donned a pearl teardrop pendant on a silver chain.

My audition was 10:10, so I had to wake up at 8:00. Although I am usually not an early riser, today I woke up at 6:00 in a cold sweat. I was profoundly disturbed by my sister's heavy breathing/snoring, and nerves had come up on me. I felt that I would be forever disgraced if I didn't get an Excellent. Strangely enough, I began fingering(without my flute)the notes to "Prayer and March," a band song. I would've fingered the notes to my competition piece, but I stopped myself. I laid in bed, tossing and turning, till my dad called me up.

My parents and I arrived at 9:30 A.M. While we searched for registration, I saw Cecilia, one of my classmates also competing. We compared music and wished each other luck. I started getting nervous, because Stephanie still hadn't come. A couple minutes later, when I was warming up, Stephanie came. Since it was break for the judges, Stephanie and I had a little more time to practice.

But finally, my audition time came. I walked into the room, and I saw the judge, Mr. Burn. He looked very nice. I walked up to him and gave him the score, showed him where we'd start, blah blah blah. Then we walked back and introduced ourselves. I said, all professional-like, "My name is Jessica, and I'll be playing flute. This is my accompanist, Stephanie."

Then I helped Stephanie get all six of her pages up onto the music stand, and we began playing. There were one or two errors, but we recovered quickly. I really enjoyed playing, and didn't feel very nervous. We played just like we did during our rehearsals.

Mr. Burn was very impressed with the accuracy that we played with, and the fact that we were pretty young. He thought our performance was exceptional, and gave us a Command Performance card. Normally we would be invited to play again, because we got Command Performance, but this school didn't have adequate facilities.

Our rating wasn't shown until 15 minutes later. Everyone kept assuring me that I probably got Superior, but I wasn't going to believe it till I saw it posted on the wall. And, of course, I did get Superior - in fact, I got Superior Command Performance. I had exceeded everyone's expectations - even my own. I made my parents proud, and I was going to the state finals.

Then we got our medals with blue ribbons(for Superior) and Command Performance pins.
My mom even said she would consider upgrading my flute next year if I did well in the state competition.:)

-Jessica

Essays

2010-03-20T15:34:00.000-07:00

Here's an essay about Confucius(the great Chinese philosopher) I wrote to get an A+:

Confucianism Essay
“Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself.” – That’s also known as the Golden Rule, which Confucius taught in his philosophies. There are many wise sayings by Confucius that others have used. For example, present-day Chinese government has taken some Confucianism philosophies, along with making their own laws.

Confucius emphasized filial piety, humanity, and relationships. He also made moral merit very important – he thought a leader that has moral merit and behaves in a humane way should get the Mandate of Heaven, which is divine approval. Present-day Chinese government officials are elected by the people, and they definitely don’t get the Mandate of Heaven. They are usually elected for their political agenda, not for their morality.
When Confucius was pursuing a political career, he wanted a unified China, with a ruler that had virtues and didn’t have to make laws for proper behavior. Today, China is unified, without feuding provinces/city-states. But there are many laws now (with major consequences). In fact, China is accounted for 70% of executed criminals in the world.
Confucius was a philosopher who was advanced for his time, thinking of equality. He wanted everyone to be classified by their virtue, not nobility of blood. Although Chinese people are not classified by virtue nowadays, everyone has equal rights and are not judged by blood (since 1978).
Education is crucial to the government in China today. Students in China push themselves to work harder, learn more, and get ahead of their classmates. As a result, they excel in all subjects. Confucius also valued education – the acquisition of knowledge. He was a teacher, but of a different kind – he taught his beliefs. Although Confucius encouraged getting an education, I feel he was thinking of a different sort of education – a moral education that taught righteousness and encouraged critical thinking.
Confucius is China’s greatest philosopher, and he is known all over the world for his sayings. The Chinese government is rising as a superpower in the world. Both have a complicated history and influenced the world – albeit in different ways.

Comments?

-Jessica

Grades

2010-03-12T20:22:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I've blogged, but I got swept into the whirlwind of grades, since it's near the end of the trimester. I wrote two essays and re-ran the 800 meters in 3 days. Although I'll have an A+ in history and an A in English, I fear I shall never face down the B+ I got in PE. Well, I haven't gotten my grades yet, but it's going to take a serious miracle to turn my PE grade into an A-. I definitely tried my best, but the 800 was too much for me.However, at least I'm doing better this trimester. I ran 5 giant laps in 24 minutes, an A-. I also got an A- on my dance test, since we're doing line dancing.

Again, I feel sad about getting a B+. It feels like the end of my career - not that I've started it yet. But at least it won't really show on my resume!;) I feel I shall never live down this B+ - and you know, it's really myself that's been putting the pressure on. You are your worst critic.

I am going to be participating in more competitions in English, to carve a name for myself. There are so many math competitions, but math is not my best subject. And also, I may be able to hide the past under awards.

-Jessica

Calligraphy

2010-03-03T18:31:00.000-08:00

Calligraphy is one of my hobbies. My friend Jett saw a sample of mine and she wanted a piece of calligraphy(which means "beautiful writing" in Greek) for her binder. In addition, I got a multi-pack of fountain pens.

However, the fountain pens were not at all like what I expected. I usually use a fiber-tip pen or a flat, wide dip pen with a wide pen nib. The fountain pens had a pointed, very thin pen nib. I have another fountain pen from China. Its pen nib is even finer than my new pens, but it is a beautiful red one with (I think)a gold plated nib in a nice case. I'm still learning how to make fine lines and thick lines with it. The scripts you write with fountain pens are Copperplate(English round hand) or Spencerian.

I tried doing Gravura Copperplate with pencil, and it wasn't very good. I have a feeling Copperplate is much harder than foundation calligraphy hand.

-Jessica

Theory Exam and Homeroom Groups

2010-02-24T19:44:00.001-08:00

This Saturday is my Grade 3 theory exam. I know I'll definitely pass, since you only need 66 points to pass, but I want a pass with distinction, which is 90-100 points. Right now, on my practice exams, I'm only getting a pass with merit, which is 80-89 points. But today, I got really close - 89 points! Hopefully I'll be able to do even better on my last practice test. I'm definitely going to study, study, study!

In school, I've changed seats in homeroom. Previously, I was the leader of my group, and even gave two detentions! We had a system. Now, I'm sitting by a lot of annoying, troublemaker people, which is what I want, really. I want to break them down and get myself on the top, as leader. I can manipulate everything in my power to make them behave. My friends know me as easygoing and a pushover, but the kids I control know I'm also strict and unyielding. Just, the thing is, I never really expected my group to be THIS annoying.

Yesterday, Cecilia(sits by herself very close to my group, and is on my "bad" list)said I was mean to everybody. Later today, a lot of people said I definitely wasn't mean, and I was touched by the support I got. Sam and Sergio(in my group)are probably the worst. They talk back and don't listen to what I say. Thankfully, I can still get together my wits when this happens, and I can make a clever comeback. These days, I feel I really am getting meaner.

You know, I do understand what is going through Sam and Sergio's minds. After all, I'm not the teacher and not their mom. To them, I may just be a nosy busybody. And maybe I am. But I'm doing this so that they will learn good habits, and also so they don't drive the entire class crazy. In a way, I'm helping them. So far, I am letting them free rein. I'm still learning everyone's weaknesses, and how to control them and have them behave.

I aspire to be a teacher someday, and I feel this is good practice. It is hard to be funny and not hurt anyone's feelings while still being in command. I am working on that everyday, and learning more.

-Jessica

Winter Break

2010-02-24T19:19:00.000-08:00

Phew! Last week was really hectic. It was winter break, so I got pretty bored. I was looking forward to the luxury of sleeping in, but it was not to be. The construction workers started hammering and drilling in the morning, rather early. And I didn't want to give up staying up late to get more sleep.

Unfortunately, I packed on a few pounds during winter break, as a result of no exercise, ice cream, and chocolate. My dad saw that I was bored, and he took me to ice cream a lot. But towards the end of the week, things got more interesting. On Friday my mom, my dad, and I went to "wine country," a city known for its wine. My mom and I got souvenirs - I got a wood key chain with grapes on it, and my mom got a flat, round stone that said Grape Miracles.

After we went to get souvenirs, we ate lunch at a fast food restaurant. Then we went to a winery up on the mountain. We had to navigate steep paths that looked pretty scary. When we finally arrived, we noticed there was not much pollution up there, and so we could breathe better. First, we went to the art museum. It was pretty contemporary, and honestly, pretty creepy. The best one was life-size portrait of Johanna II, which looked like it could be real.

After we saw the art museum, we went on a tour of the history of the winery and how wine was made. We learned that the smaller, mountain grapes grown weren't as juicy, but gave a complexity to the wine. We also went into a room where hundreds of barrels of wine were kept, and boy, did it stink of wine! The smell was so bad I had to pinch my nose.

Next came my favorite part. My parents sampled 6 kinds of wine, while I drank water (in a wine goblet) and ate bread sticks. My parents decided on a light, fruity white wine to buy. They like it a lot, especially my mom.

On Saturday, my dad and I went to the celebration of the production of a new computer chip. We ate appetizers, and then I found the kids station, where people were face painting and making animal-shaped balloons. I got a spring green and light pink hummingbird, which is still in my bedroom, and I got a blue and white design on my face that perfectly matched my dress.

Then the buffet dinner came. There was a buffet for children and a buffet for adults. I got crispy chicken, creamy macaroni, salad, and a brownie from the children's buffet. However, I think the adult buffet was much nicer. There was some great salmon that my dad got for me, chocolate cake(which he also let me have), chicken, creamy rice, bread, wine, and much more. It was a world-class dinner, and I ate till I was stuffed.

-Jessica

Competition

2010-02-16T13:31:00.000-08:00

On Valentine's Day my parents and I drove to another city so I could perform in a competition that was held there. Then we planned to visit a university nearby. Sadly to say, everything was rather disappointing. I didn't even qualify for the competition because I did not bring two original copies of the music - one for the accompanist, one for the judges. The rules were very strict.

However, I was allowed to perform, as a non-competitive player. It was still very disappointing, though, and I could tell it showed on my face when I performed. I felt none of the exhilaration on stage that I felt at the talent show. As my former ensemble coach once said at a different competition, "You looked like you were going to your own funeral." And she said that for an event that I felt okay in. This time I probably looked like I was going to be buried alive, or tortured.

I didn't know whether to turn toward the accompanist or the audience, so I swiveled to each, finally deciding on the audience. As it turns out, it was the right choice. I felt very brittle - I held my flute up like a soldier, and didn't move at all. I played okay - nothing amiss, but maybe not as well as I possibly could. I was expecting terrible comments from the judges, but the comments were surprisingly good. They wrote I had beautiful tone and good accuracy, but could work on stage presence and intonation.

As I think about this competition now, I'm very lucky I got to perform. After all, I wouldn't have had a chance to win, because many people in my division were 3-4 years older than me. I gained a lot of experience, though.

-Jessica

Talent Show

2010-02-12T20:24:00.000-08:00

Today was the talent show. After a week of rehearsals, I and 13 others performed. I wore tan tights, black heels, and a black velvet and blue taffeta dress. It had a pattern of leaves and flowers on it, with a black sash with fake black gems.

I played the first movement of Pergolesi's flute concerto, Spirituoso, memorized. It's a pretty long piece. I had to cut the rests, since I wasn't playing with an accompanist. When we had a dress rehearsal, I had fun seeing all the acts, which included rock band, piano blindfolded, and dancing. The people who announced the acts were hilarious!

My favorite part was probably the teachers skit. Many teachers, as well as the principal and grade level administrators, danced to a song called "Pants on the Ground". They wore caps turned to the side and extremely baggy pants. Mrs. Bobeda did a somersault with no hands. Some of the most dignified teachers, like Ms. Kranich, danced as well.

As for my own feelings during the talents show: Surprisingly, I wasn't nervous. When I was warming up on the stage, I stepped close to the edge and I played my piece. It was an exhilarating feeling, to be on the stage, above the bleachers. I imagined the seats being filled, and I playing. There were no butterflies in my stomach, instead a calm fish. I was not scared of the 1000+ people soon to come, just excited. Those 1000+ people were going to be cheering for me, as loud as thunder. I was the third person to play. When I bowed, the loud applause was startling. I'm sure my friends were screaming for me.

And of other events:

Yesterday I had a rehearsal with my pianist for the competition on Sunday. Yesterday was BAD. I was very stressed out, and I couldn't even count to 5 for my math homework! Ugh! As a result, I forgot my flute. However, the accompanist kindly lent me a flute - a very nice one too. The flute was a closed-hole, probably pure silver Muramatsu. It had great sound in the higher register, although it was harder to push out notes on the staff.

-Jessica

A Dripping Start

2010-02-06T22:26:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I was just drifting off to sleep when a sudden drip, drip drip sound made me sit up and think,"Ohmigosh! The ceiling must be leaking!" (I was suddenly reminded of one of my dreams a long time ago, when the ceiling had huge holes in it.) When I turned on the light, I saw that water seemed to be leaking from the window, just a thin stream. My parents came over and worked on the leaking until 4:00 A.M., so none of us got much sleep.

In the afternoon, I watched the Liisa Ruoho masterclass and recital! My favorite piece of the recital was Fukashima, a very dynamic piece. It got so quiet that I had to strain to hear, then extremely loud. Fukashima wasn't too long, either, unlike the sonatas.

Liisa Ruoho is from Finland, and she is a flute professor who teaches the Alexander Body Mapping technique. She's really funny and puts everyone at ease. The masterclass was a lot of fun, and I learned so much. Ms. Ruoho gave suggestions to everyone who performed. I learned a new way to double tongue, and to get better vibrato.

-Jessica

Aftershocks of My Persuasive Essay

2010-02-04T18:18:00.000-08:00

My English teacher, Mr. Brown, had a chat with our class, and he changed some of the discipline policies, as a result of my very convincing persuasive essay. (I gloated. ;)) He also used the moment to teach how good writing could be very powerful. And he said that everyone should thank me for changing his rules. Unfortunately, not many people did. :( As you can imagine, I got an A+ on that essay.

However, the rest of my day was not as good. At brunch I redid the triple jump to get a better score. The triple jump is pretty easy - it's basically hop, step, jump. You also have to get your hands in front of you when you land. But I never know when to start hopping, so I got a B. But today at brunch I redid it, and I got an A-. An A- is really the most I can hope for. PE is my worst subject. Speaking of PE, I had the mile run today, without any warning. IT WAS TERRIBLE. It was a windy day, and the wind was against us, so much that I couldn't run very fast. As a result, I got a C. And my ears hurt afterwards. The mile run is always the hardest run. Last time I got a B.

I did have a nice birthday a few days ago, though. I got a $15 iTunes card and a beautiful black-and-cream dress. We had a taro cake with white frosting and fruit. Then we went to the movie When in Rome. It was okay, better than Avatar, but not the best. Anyways, I had a good time. Now I'm looking for songs to put on my iPod, Weigela.

-Jessica

Persuasive Essay

2010-01-30T22:53:00.000-08:00

In English we have just finished persuasive essays. I fancy that I'm pretty good at writing, so I tackled a big topic: Punishing a whole class when only a few are misbehaving. Teachers say misbehaving children will cave in to peer pressure. But I think that it is not only unfair, but manipulative to the good students. Teachers are trying to make good children angry enough to confront their peers. Another reason why they do this mean, hateful things is so that the naughty students will see everyone being unfairly punished, and give in to their conscience. Here is my complete essay:

Class Discipline

Most would assume that every school promotes fairness. However, many teachers promote an unfair way of teaching: Punishing the whole class when only a few are misbehaving. I think we should stop this unjust method of teaching.
Students get sullen, afraid, and downright naughty when they are all punished. As a result, they do not perform as well. For example, when Mr. Brown, a teacher, enforces silence with adding minutes to lunchtime, everyone gets on the edge of their seats, trying to be quiet – after all, no one wants to go out to lunch late. However, a few troublemakers strike up a conversation. Others begin chatting away, following the troublemakers’ example, and nothing gets done. Then, Mr. Brown adds two minutes to lunchtime. And who was to blame for the extra minutes? The troublemakers – the students that were the cause of the new “adding minutes to lunchtime” rule.
Punishing children is harmful to teachers, as well. Penalizing children unfairly gives a guilty conscience to teachers. My 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Dodson, said, “I’m sorry that the good students couldn’t have parties like the other classes, but some of you misbehaved and were bad.” I was always disappointed in 2nd grade, that we couldn’t watch movies or have pizza parties. The good students were always oppressed by the misbehaving ones, because everyone was punished.
Some say that naughty children will give in to peer pressure. “Sometimes punishing the whole class is appropriate,” says Mr. Brown. Maybe peer pressure worked for the previous generation, but I know that this particular generation of children doesn’t give in to peer pressure. This generation cares about self more than others - hence the nickname “Me” Generation – think iPods. As the expression goes, “Each to their own.” “I’ve gotten in trouble many times, and peer pressure never got to me,” says Grace, a student.
I know from personal experience that being punished unfairly gives me a feeling of outrage and aggravation, and often I do not do as well as I might have. Time after time, again and again, I have seen this unprincipled, unreasonable method used. It has popped up its unwelcome head in nearly every single classroom I’ve been in, ruining even the most peaceful classroom.
Sentencing a whole class just to make a few behave is cruel. After all, a teacher is a role model for students, and by teaching unfair ways, students will become unjust as well. There are so many alternatives to this. Teachers can give a misbehaving student detention. Parent conferences are another good way to avoid punishing the whole class. Students can talk to their teachers or maybe even the principal. Punishing, admonishing the whole class is a wicked method. Don’t let it corrupt you.

-Jessica

Oh - Dreams!

2010-01-29T19:59:00.001-08:00

Dreams are so interesting. They take me to another world, one that is extremely wacky and wrong. I like posting my dreams, so here's one:

My mom and I had to climb a huge ten-foot cliff in our backyard to bring materials to the construction workers. There were steps cut into the cliff, and my mom and I dragged the materials behind us. Each step seemed scarier, and I was so tired! It was too frightening to look down, so I simply looked at the dirt/sand steps. We finally got to the top, and we handed the materials to the workers. We sat down, panting. Suddenly, the part of cliff I was sitting on started crumbling away before my eyes!
I cried for help, and tried to cling on to the cliff, but my mother didn't hear me, and I fell ten feet - on concrete. Then, I dreamed that it was PE, and our whole class was on the top of a 3 1/2 story tower surrounded by a huge river. Why 3 1/2 stories? There were no walls on the 1/2 story, and there was a section that didn't have walls, a roof, or railings to protect you from the raging river. It was a freezing, windy day, with light rain. I was still recovering from the ten-foot cliff, and I felt very insecure. Mr. Hernandez, the PE teacher, asked everyone to play hockey on the section that didn't have railings. I managed it, but barely. Afterwards, we sat down playing a game with colored eggshells. When Mr. Hernandez looked at my work, he said I'd organized them all wrong! And he was very mean, all of his criticisms directed to me. Everyone else was pretty angry, because Mr. Hernandez had scolded them too. I was really surprised, because Mr. Hernandez is usually a really nice teacher. I thought he must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed. But then I got so angry that I slapped him and threw him into the river 3 1/2 stories below us. I wasn't afraid, because he'd violated some of the laws for teachers. A good icy dunking wouldn't hurt. And after all, I did ask someone to fish him out.

Dreamer's Note: Perhaps it was because of this Mr. Hernandez gave me a B. ;)

-Jessica

Finally Relaxed

2010-01-29T18:43:00.000-08:00

This week has been quite a handful, from tears to joy. Now I'm finally done for the weekend, I can introspect(look back on the past).

First of all, I can't go to the Liisa Ruoho masterclass. I wasn't picked, probably because I was too young. However, I can't watch, either, since my dad has a table tennis tournament. There were definitely a few tears shed for that. But since I'm so young, I will probably have a lot more chances like this. :/

This next story started off hopeful, then sad, and

finally hopeful again. I hope you remember the Renaissance program. If you read my last post, then you already know that Renaissance is a rewards program at my school. I was about to make it to the highest level, Gold, when Mr. Hernandez gave me a B in PE. I was grieved, and angered. I needed 22 points for Gold, but I only had 21.3. Decimals didn't count. So I went through my five stages of grief: 1. Sadness 2. Anger 3. Acceptance 4. Complaint 5. Make a plan and hope for the best.

And so, I did make a plan. Gold was mine by right. I had fairly earned it. In PE, I got a bad grade in homework, but Mr. Hernandez offered me the chance to re-do it for a better grade. Of course, I took it. Last Tuesday I gave him the re-do, but my grades online were still the original ones. When it added up, it was a B. And that's what he put on my Renaissance form. Only after I had my card stamped with Silver did I realize this. The day after, my PE grades changed to an A-, which would have given me Gold. Talk about unlucky! I talked to the Renaissance coordinator, Mr. Realini, and he said he would change it on Monday. I was surprised Mr. Realini didn't ask to see my grades. I had already memorized my password and prepared an entire persuasive essay in my head. :)

You might think, why is this rewards program so important? It's just a few assemblies, after all. And Silver isn't that bad - it actually looks better than gold in real life. But to me, it isn't really the rewards, it's the glory of being the best. I'm really ambitious, as well as competitive. I thought, academics are a strong point for me, why don't I have Gold? It was a personal failure. Another thing was jealousy. Why did I get Silver while some of my friends got Gold? I know they aren't as dedicated as I am. Sometimes, when I was happy, I said to myself, "Be content with Silver. It doesn't matter." But it did, and I told myself that I failed. Everything simply boiled down to this: I want to be the best.
And I don't just want to persuade someone to give me Gold, I want to fairly earn it, without bribery or blackmail. I want to prove that I have achieved the best in every subject, and that I am a well-rounded, smart, dedicated, responsible person, in every way to the best of my ability. And I can.

For something exciting: it's almost my birthday!! It's on Groundhog Day. Awww. . .aren't groundhogs cute? I'm not expecting much, since I got so much on Christmas. I'd love to get a new flute, but I need to perfect my vibrato first. I think I'll probably get a $15 iTunes gift card.

As for today's school dance: As a rule, I don't like dancing. I'm a person inclined to sit down and do something, rather than stand and move. People do look at me weirdly, for not dancing, but it's no matter to me. The things danced in these school dances is just ridiculous. There is no specific genre. It seems to be just a bunch of people jumping up and down, swaying to the beat of really loud music. I don't really mind, since everyone really enjoys it, and it's a nice start to the weekend. For some people, I guess it's a way to express their feelings and de-stress from school.

I come 1)to escort my friends 2)so I don't waste my ASB sticker(my ASB sticker provides free tickets to all of the dances 3)to meditate, introspect, and listen to the music. I don't think much, I just listen to the beat of the music. And I also figured out why I don't like dancing. Here are a few reasons why: 1. Long ago, I had ballet lessons for a few years, and I didn't like them much. Those memories are still in my head. 2. I am a very dignified person, not a person to joke around or chat - at least at school. I think it would be too weird to suddenly start dancing. This is a big reason. 3. I thought up this theory at the dance. Most of my life I have had lots of rules to follow. Slowly I adjusted, and I realized the rules were well though-out and really weren't cumbersome - that they were rules everyone followed, or should. I actually became those rules - hard and unyielding. Dancing is all about flexibility and movement.

This brings me to my next topic, the Wu Xing. They are the five Chinese elements:fire, water, metal, earth, and wood. I took two quizzes and they had the same results - I had the most metal, and the least fire. My three main elements were metal, water, and earth/wood. However, water corrodes/rusts metal. I think this is because I present different sides of myself. At school I am determined, principled, and hold everyone to high standards. To my friends and at home I am water and earth, a pushover, very even-tempered - a person who goes with the flow.

-Jessica

Progress Reports and Renaissance

2010-01-27T19:16:00.000-08:00

Hi,

These days I've been so tired, struggling just to get my homework done after school. I always do my homework right after school, without a break. I often do extra problems in math, so my homework time gets longer. However, it's paying off. My school has added a gadget online where you can see your grades, and all the assignments. Progress reports were mailed out today, but I already know what my grades are. Thankfully, there is nothing below an A-. My grades are most A-'s, with a few As.

Renaissance is a rewards program at school. If you get certain grades, you are eligible for rewards such as front of the line passes for lunch, and parties. It's really fun, and provides incentive for doing well. There are three levels: Gold, Silver, and Bronze. This trimester it's so much harder to get into Gold. I only got Silver, but there's a catch: My P.E. grade is an A-, yet my P.E. teacher only gave me a B in Renaissance. It's not fair, but I can talk to the Renaissance coordinator, Mr. Realini. It's not P.E. week, so I can't talk to Mr. Hernandez, my P.E. teacher. Both are hard to argue with, though. Hopefully I can outwit them and get Gold, which is mine by right. And after all, I'm writing a PERSUASIVE essay in English.

-Jessica

A Grand Oppurtunity

2010-01-21T19:32:00.000-08:00

Today my dad signed me up for a fabulous, fantastic flute opportunity! Liisa Ruoho, an internationally renowned flutist from Finland, will be giving a recital and a masterclass. Not only am I going to the recital, I'm also going to the masterclass and performing!! I'll be performing one of my competition pieces in the masterclass, and Ms. Ruoho will tell me her suggestions for improvement. I am probably the youngest person playing, and I really want to impress her. So, I need to PRACTICE!

-Jessica

Walking in the Rain

2010-01-20T17:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I walked home with my friends Jett and Eileen. These few days, there's been quite a lot of rain and wind, and yesterday was no exception. Luckily, I had my black duckie umbrella. :) The wind pounded so hard we didn't talk much, and I had to grip my umbrella tightly, for fear of it sailing away in the wind! It was okay at first, almost exciting. Then a bout of very strong wind and rain turned my umbrella over, and I couldn't breathe for a while. Unsurprisingly, I got home soaked.

Since the school week started, I've had lots of fun in PE(Physical Education). It's too wet outside to be playing football, so we went onto the stage. We played soccer on scooter boards! A scooter board is a colorful piece of plastic with handles on top of four wheels. They look like this:

In scooter board soccer, we could use our hands as well. Often people got hit in the face or fell off their boards, but no one was seriously injured. The substitutes sat on the sidelines, cheering for their team. The games were very intense and very competitive. It was extremely enjoyable.

-Jessica

Expansion Decisions

2010-01-16T16:25:00.000-08:00

Libra, an astrological sign, is known as "The Scales", because it weighs the pros and cons. People under Libra's influence (such as my family) struggle with indecisiveness.

And especially during expansion, when there are lots of decisions to make. Who knew buying windows was so complicated? Grids or no grids? If there are grids, which kind? Prairie or Colonial? Single-hung or sliders? Vinyl or wood? It's enough to drive anyone crazy, but my mom has lots of patience, and she researches and thinks about every little detail. Which is both good and bad.

-Jessica

Jeopardy!

2010-01-15T17:10:00.001-08:00

One or two weeks ago, my homeroom class played social studies Jeopardy. Jeopardy is a quiz show. On TV, you answer questions to win money. The categories are extremely random, so the contestants must be as knowledgeable as an encyclopedia. In our version of Jeopardy, there were five topics: Early Humans, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Israel, and India. First, there was regular Jeopardy up to 500 points, then double Jeopardy to 1,000 points, and finally the Final Jeopardy question - worth 5,000 points. We played by table groups, and the winners got to go to lunch early for a whole week.

And Group 5, my group, won. We all collaborated to answer the questions, and we all studied really hard. Everyone in the class was very competitive, and I think Jeopardy was a fun way to review after a long winter break.

-Jessica

Grade 4 Exams

2010-01-15T17:02:00.000-08:00

Hi,

A few weeks ago, I bought this expensive music book. It has all the pieces I'll need to play to pass Grade 4 flute in ABRSM, which is Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. It came with a CD, and I imported the songs onto my iPod! I can even play along to the music, and I can listen to the piano accompaniment. I now have about 20 more songs - all classical.

-Jessica

Discoveries

2010-01-09T15:07:00.001-08:00

These few days, I have been discovering and observing quite a lot. Some discoveries are just plain weird, while others are very important.

Discovery #1: I learned about the CMEA competition, and not a minute too soon.
When I got the information from my flute teacher, she said it was from a different organization, MTAC. It turns out that the deadline was yesterday! Things finally got straightened out, and now I'm very excited for this new competition.

Discover #2: I like(or at least tolerate) peppermint.
I used to hate all types of mint(I still hate Junior Mints), but I loathed peppermint the most. I like gentle foods, like rice and chocolate; peppermint's strong flavor did not suit me. This posed a problem around Christmas; everyone would pass out candy canes, and it seemed they were always peppermint! (There are, of course, different flavored candy canes, but peppermint is the most popular.) However, yesterday, my math teacher passed around peppermint candy canes, so that we might not have a brain freeze on our important chapter 5 test. That changed my opinion on peppermint. During the test, the candy cane kept my head clear, and I also got very good-smelling breath.

Discovery #3: I may not be on cross-country anymore, but my running is still in shape(sort of).
Yesterday was the regular Friday Run. This time, it was a 20 minute run where you ran as many laps as you could; three laps was the bare minimum - that's an A-. A few days ago, I was daydreaming that I would breeze through 3 laps easily, and that I would run 5 laps. In truth, I was simply aiming for four laps, and I did run four, getting an A. Four and a half, may I add. This was by far the easiest run.

Discovery #4: I have old-fashioned, fancy taste(with a tiny bit of contemporary), from dresses to furniture. I was looking at dresses online(just for fun) and I didn't really like the short ones - I liked the floor-length, ball gown type, with everything; silk, satin, taffeta, and ruffles.
I was looking at faucets in a store one day, and there was a really cute dolphin one! :) That aside, I also liked the gold-colored, crystal faucets.

-Jessica

My (Rather Late) New Year's Resolution

2010-01-07T18:06:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking long and hard about my New Year's resolution, and here they are:

1A. Excel in school. With extra practice, my math and PE have definitely improved. I would like to keep my good grades in history, band, English, and improve in science. The science teacher is very lenient, but I should be harsh on myself, and set high standards. That goes for every subject.

2A. I would like to have a good year for flute. This year will mark the 3rd anniversary of private lessons with my teacher, Jill. I'm very excited, since I will take many exams and competitions. I should work on my vibrato and rhythm.

3A. Those two resolutions are my main ones for the year, but I would also like to keep healthy, and maybe shed a few pounds. It would be nice if I could grow a few more inches taller, too.

Of course, there are several other small, more detailed resolutions, such as:

1B. Build my music collection.

2B. Keep my laptop clean and virus-free.

3B. Don't eat so much junk food.

4B. Do lots of extra practice problems in math.

5B. Get an Excellent or Superior rating and go to the CMEA statewide competition. It would be a good addition to my resume. ;)

6B. Advance in the VOCE competition.

7B. Pass with distinction on my ABRSM exams.

How to get to my goals:

1A. Look at resolution 4B - do practice tests online, extra problems in textbook, etc. I should use my time wisely in PE, and make a supreme effort to become a coordinated person and valuable player on a team.

2A. Practice at least 45 minutes a day. Reserve 15 minutes to an hour for repertoire. Take breaks.

-Jessica

ABRSM and Competitions

2010-01-04T20:05:00.000-08:00

ABRSM

At my flute lesson today, I was very pleased when my teacher, Jill, said my flute playing was up to grade 5. Grade 5 is a level in flute, and there are eight grades; grade 1 is the lowest, and grade 8 is the highest. To certify that I am up to so-and-so level, I need to take an exam. Many different companies offer exams, but I use ABRSM(Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music), a company in England.

There are two types of exams: practical and theory. Practical is the actual playing part; theory is the composing/writing part. I am currently in grade 3 theory right now, so my theory really needs to catch up to my flute playing. Since ABRSM holds exams 2-3 times a year, I could finish the whole eight grades perhaps in 2012! I think that'll be faster than when my sister took her piano exams, although she had ten grades.

Competitions and Performances

My former band coordinator heard my solo at my school concert, and she wants me to perform for their intermediate band! I think this is an exciting opportunity to perform. I hope it will be a positive influence on the young musicians and get them to work harder and continue playing.

VOCE is a competition, and it stands for Vocalists, Orchestral instrumentalists, Chamber music, and Ensembles. It's going to be on Valentines Day(which is also Chinese New Year), and I'll be performing in the solo section. Last year, I competed in the chamber music section with my friend Julianne. You compete by city first, then statewide.

The CMEA Solo and Ensemble Festival is on March 20th, my sister's birthday. I'm very excited for this one, and I know I'll be facing against some formidable people. First, I will compete in the regional competition. There are four ratings: Fair, Good, Excellent, and Superior. If you get an Excellent or Superior, you move on to the state competition. I think I can advance to the state competition, but there's a very slim chance of winning. There will definitely be people, who, like me, have private lessons, and are very good.

-Jessica

Disturbing Dreams - The End

2010-01-04T20:00:00.000-08:00

I ought not to call this story Disturbing Dreams, for I am going to use my imagination and write the end, instead of dream it, because I cannot control what I dream. However, I think Disturbing Dreams has a nice ring to it. If you haven't read the previous chapters of Disturbing Dreams, I suggest you click here for the link. That is the first section, and the second section is here.

Part 6

I stayed at school a few days. I slept in my homeroom classroom, on the carpet. My teacher was very kind; he lent me a fluffy pillow for sweet dreams. :) There were water fountains, so I didn't want for water, and I ate brunch and lunch, because I still had lunch money. Whenever I got brunch, I usually got a cereal bar or a muffin, so I could save it, for I knew I wouldn't have lunch money forever. I was also running out of food for breakfast and dinner. However, it was a temptation not to get the ham and cheese sandwich or the french toast.
I was worried about my parents and how they were doing. After school on Friday, I decided it was necessary to return home, even for a brief visit. I caught a ride home with Opal and Grace.

Part 7

We were very vigilant about watching the cars that were around us, even going so far as to look in the windows. Opal and I walked up to my house, when I noticed the door was ajar. I slipped inside, and almost immediately shrieked. My parents were there, alright, but so were the evil people! They were fighting, and neither had the upper hand. Well, I thought, that'll hopefully change, now that I'm here. I glided to a shadowy corner, willing the evil ones to not see me. Then I crouched down and threw five hairpins at the evil side, one after another. Usually my aim is not good, but this time I met my targets all five times in a row. The evil people screamed with pain and anger. The hairpins burned through clothing and flesh, then stuck to the bones. I almost ran away with fright - who knew hairpins could be so powerful? Everyone looked at me, and I stood up out of my corner, and took aim again, with the rest of the hairpins, as well as the black pen. When the black pen hit them, they burst into flames and turned into ashes. However, the floor was not burnt in the least, to the relief of my mother.

Part 8/Epilogue

I was very happy, because I was finally united with my family, and that the evil people were gone forever.
Opal and Grace are still my friends, and I do catch a ride home with them, sometimes. It's been many years, but I've never forgotten my amazing experience. Now I can live a normal life without monsters or burning hairpins.

Author's Note: Writing this was really fun, and many parts of the story come from my daily life. What do you think of this story? Fun, thrilling, or just plain weird?

-Jessica

Disturbing Dreams - Continued

2010-01-03T14:30:00.000-08:00

I didn't finish writing the rest of the dream, so here it is:

Part 5

I thought it was definitely possible that some teachers were collaborating with my enemies, so I went to a classroom filled with kids, where I could blend in. I took out a book and started to read. Soon, my suspicions were confirmed. Some teachers began shouting for everyone to open the classrooms, to see if anyone was hiding. After they searched awhile, they finally left. I noticed a trail of hairpins that hadn't been there before. I deduced that it must have been the teachers' hairpins. I laughed quietly as I picked them up, imagining the male teachers with hairpins stuck in their hair. I gave some hairpins to my teachers, for they were protection against the other twisted teachers.

The end . . . or maybe not?

Dreamer's Note: That suspenseful part was the end to my dream. I have to say, I enjoyed writing this incredible dream, and I did dream this, as unbelievable as it may seem. I did tweak a few parts, though. Opal's name wasn't Opal; I just gave her that name because I didn't know her real name.

It seems a shame to leave this dream hanging, without any end, so I will write and end it in my next post. I hope you enjoyed reading this!

-Jessica

Disturbing Dreams

2010-01-02T16:25:00.000-08:00

I've been having some really disturbing dreams that are a little scary, but also pretty strange and exciting. I'm sure it's the effect of sleeping late and having midnight snacks. Unlike others, I like to have dreams, because I never have nightmares - although I've tried to. ;)

Part 1

I was dreaming that some strange, scary people were chasing after my parents and I. We were at the swimming pool, where all of a sudden the scary people (a grinning human and a monster-shaped patch of darkness)tried to hypnotize my mom, probably to get her onto their side. However, I thwarted them, because I was hypnotizing my mom, too, and she listened to me. (I know, this hypnotizing stuff sounds rather comical, but it wasn't when I was dreaming.) Then the grinning human finally noticed, and chased after me. I ran home, and was safe. After a while, my parents came home too.

Part 2

The next day (in my dream) I went to school, and it was a usual day - for a time. After school, I met a girl named Opal(who had been through the same experience as I) and my friend Grace. (Opal had a beautiful oval-shaped face and a classic American, pioneer look, at least in my opinion. She had pink cheeks, freckles, gray eyes, and very light-colored brown hair, almost grayish. Grace was Filipino/Chinese, with big black eyes and acne.)
The aftershocks of the swimming pool experience were still on my mind, and I thought it wasn't safe to walk home, so I got into Opal's car, a tall, eggplant-purple Ford. We went to a gas station to buy a snack, then drove to my home. On the way, I gathered a black hairpin, a red pen, and a black pen. I knew, somehow, that those things would help me defeat the dark people. During the drive, Opal told of how she escaped from them, while Grace and I listened with wide eyes. When we looked behind us, we saw a shiny black car far behind us. It was evil-looking, the darkest shade of black, and brand new. I was so scared I begged Grace to accompany me out of the car.

Part 3

When I got home, I saw a note from my parents. It said that they were in hiding, for the monster had followed them. As soon as I read it, I ripped it up, so the evil people would not find it. I took my mom's Swiss knife ,a bottle of water, half a loaf of bread, and a bun, quickly, and stuffed it into my backpack. I contemplated whether to bring my flute or not, and finally decided to hide it in my closet. I also took some money. Then, I pushed some chairs against the front door to prevent the dark people from coming, or at least to stop them a while. It may sound strange, but I threw the red pen at the door, where it immediately transformed into an immense red barrier - so the evil ones would have to fight against their own magic. Thus, I was prepared. The last thing I did was to write a note to my parents and put it under their pillows. I was going to go back to my school, where teachers were sure to be there, and could help me.

Part 4

My school was quite close to my house, but I knew walking on the sidewalk would be too dangerous. So I went into the backyard, jumped over the fence, and got into my neighbor's house, hoping they wouldn't notice. Then I crossed the street and ran to my homeroom classroom. I explained everything to Mr. Brown, and then realized that the classroom was too close to the front of the school, so I ran to my math teacher's classroom, and explained everything a second time. I settled down and started to do my homework.

To be continued. . . .

-Jessica

Sherlock Holmes - Movie Review

2009-12-29T15:54:00.000-08:00

Very recently I watched Sherlock Holmes, a PG-13 movie. I think it's pretty good, but I think the movie makes Sherlock Holmes seem much more romantic. "He never spoke of the softer passions, save with a gibe and a sneer. He was, I take it, the most perfect reasoning and observing machine that the world has seen." -From The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Then again, movies are never the same as the books.

Sherlock's enemy, Blackwood, has created a machine that will put the world under his rule, and he uses Irene Adler to try to manipulate Sherlock's feelings for her. (Holmes likes/loves Irene, who outwitted him twice.) Irene fails Blackwood and instead cooperates with Holmes and his colleague Dr. John Watson, who has a love interest. Together, they kill Blackwood and prevent him from murdering all of Parliament. There are many action scenes where Holmes displays his fighting skill, as well has his logic.

I think Sherlock Holmes is an excellent movie, aside from the romanticizing. Dr. Watson(Jude Law) seems to be played extremely well. Another thing I noticed was the great music, and the theme of the music. The music is composed by Hans Zimmer, and it's on iTunes, so I bought one of the songs, Discombobulate, and I have it on my iPod now. :)

-Jessica

Expansion Noise

2009-12-29T15:46:00.000-08:00

As I wrote earlier, expansion to my home has started. I know having more space will be welcome, but right now there is only the foundation - and an incredible amount of noise! The first few days were pretty quiet, since the workers were tearing up the deck and a ton of dirt. Now they're drilling, and I wonder if they have earplugs. My head is ringing, and I don't play music from Weigela, my iPod, for fear of making more noise.

-Jessica

iPod Weigela

2009-12-26T13:47:00.000-08:00

I am really happy with my iPod. Remember when I said that it would be called myPod? Well, it has a new, formal name - Weigela, pronounced WAIjela. It is certainly a very unique name, and spelled quite weirdly. Weigela is a flower, and since my iPod case has a design of flowers and leaves on it, I thought it would be a fitting name. Weigela also happens to be the combination of my sister's and my dad's names.

At first, I had some trouble with iTunes, since I am technically challenged(as my sister says). But then I got the hang of it, and right now I have a grand total of four songs, three that are on Weigela. I think, so far, iTunes and my iPod are very easy to use. The earbuds are the only thing I would criticize. They seem too big for my ears, so I must use the internal speaker.

The Nano Vibes soft case is a bit tight, but it gives a really nice look to Weigela, softening the brilliance of the orange color. All in all, I really love Weigela!

-Jessica

Flute Music

2009-12-22T15:56:00.001-08:00

Hi,

Now that it's winter break, I can blog a lot. I've been thinking about flutes, and Miyazawa Flutes in particular. My flute teacher, Jill, says I can get a new flute when I master vibrato(which could take a long time). Isn't that exciting?

To give you some background: I began flute using a rented Gemeinhardt beginner flute, and when I got serious, I got a new flute - the exact same model as the rented one. So this new flute is doubly important, because I'll get to choose it - with the advice of my flute teacher, of course. I've been thinking about Miyazawa, because it is the brand my flute teacher uses, and I think my friend Kalie. I am rather afraid of getting such an advanced, beautiful flute, though. Here is a picture of a 14k gold one with sterling silver mechanism:

I won't be getting such a grand one - in fact, there is no promise that I will get a Miyazawa flute. However, the thought of a brand new, intermediate flute is very exciting. I'm pretty sure I won't be getting another Gemeinhardt flute, because Gemeinhardt sells mostly beginner flutes, as does Yamaha. I don't think I'll get a Jupiter one, either, because it feels too soft.

On the Miyazawa website, I found some great flute clips, including Areon Flutes, the professional flute quartet my teacher Jill is in. (Click here for the link.)The music sounds great! Another good clip (besides the Areon Flutes one) is the Greenbaum's Doyna and Chazin's Sirba played by Adrianne Greenbaum. I really like hearing the fast passages.

-Jessica

Going Forward

2009-12-21T18:08:00.001-08:00

Hi,

Today was the first day of winter vacation!! I am looking forward to having about three weeks to get my beauty sleep and take a break from school. Of course, I will study a little. I am also looking forward to Christmas. I have just seen a new present in my pile under the Christmas tree, and it looks very interesting.

Everyone has been shopping by their selves and generally being quite secretive, myself included. I lock myself in my bedroom and wrap presents very frequently. On another note, construction on my home has started. My parents have been planning expansion for many years, and it began today. I was having a nice long sleep when the pounding of hammers woke me up. Not my favorite wake-up call, really.

After shopping and wrapping presents, I suddenly seem to be very bored, and the things I said I'd do have vanished from my memory. My webcam is broken, too, so I can't take any pictures. My only salvation is to read or play flute. Of course there are other things, such as drawing and writing, but I don't like doing those things. I have absolutely no talent for drawing.

-Jessica

Gemstones

2009-12-19T22:08:00.000-08:00

Hi,

I got up this morning at a bleary 9:00 A.M. to perform in a community outreach concert. The first song, "Silent Night", was a total disaster. We didn't even end correctly! The second piece, "Deck the Halls", was pretty good, and paired well with the solemn "Silent Night."

After that, my family and I went to buy groceries, and then we ate crab. The afternoon passed by quickly. My parents and I went shopping, and my mom and I had a lively discussion about gemstones and jewelry. My mom's birthstone is citrine/yellow topaz, a golden type of quartz. Unfortunately, all the citrine jewelry was rather too young-looking for my mom, who liked the smokey quartz. Then we found a gemstone we both really liked - green amethyst. My mom insists that it is peridot, but I persuaded her.

Green amethyst is a form of quartz, just like purple amethyst is. It is much lighter than peridot, which has a lime color. Green amethyst looks like diamond with the tiniest hint of green. Here is a picture:

Secret: My dad and I are going to get my mom a gold necklace with a green amethyst frog.

It's Almost Winter Break!!!

2009-12-17T18:50:00.001-08:00

Hi,

Tomorrow is the last day of school for me. I will be participating in my homeroom's potluck tomorrow, and I will be bringing beef. It is a Chinese dish, which I cannot translate into English. The beef can be eaten cold or microwaved. It is one of my favorite Christmas dishes, and I will garnish it to make it look pretty. My other classmates are bringing Christmas bread, lasagna, egg rolls, Belgian tart, and Hot Cheetos. (My friend Ale is bringing that; she eats them all the time, and I always see her with red fingertips from the powder on Cheetos. ;))

-Jessica

Art and Pictures

2009-12-13T17:19:00.001-08:00

I drew this, being simply quite bored today. I got inspiration from looking at watercolors online. The clouds stemming from my name are my hobbies and interests. Red is not my favorite color, but it was the first marker I found. I've decided to call this drawing "Red Name". In the future, there may be a "Blue Name" or a "Purple Name". Of course, I am quite an amateur artist, so please give me constructive criticism.

By the way, I've gotten a haircut. I used to have thin, fine, brown hair up to my shoulder blades. It looked boring, blah, and limp. Then I went to a place called New Fashion Hair, and I got my hair cut to my chin, like this style:
My hair is much darker, though. This hairstyle is a short bob, I think. I love how it's low maintenance - if I wash my hair or get it wet, it will dry quickly. There will be less tangles, too.

Unfortunately, the work to get my hair in this shape was not particularly relaxing. The hairdresser was not very gentle with the brush. (The comb had a blade on the other side, to cut hair.) But, after all, my hair had lots of tangles. It is thin and fine, prone to damage. The hairdresser was careful, though. He cut right along my neck, and he didn't cut me at all! I'm very satisfied with my haircut, although my sister says it makes me look very old. :(

-Jessica

brightPod, oPod, or just myPod

2009-12-11T20:56:00.000-08:00

My awesome ORANGE iPod Nano arrived a few days ago. It was encased in a plastic coffin with white paper wrapped around it. Since it is my Christmas present, I was not allowed to open it, or even rip the white paper. However, my sister has just come from college for the holidays, and when I showed my new iPod she peeled off the white paper. The iPod looked beautiful; a darkly gleaming orange color.

My mom and I share a joke. When I say iPod, she says it will soon become herPod, or myPod. That's one of the names my Nano will have. FYI: My sister's Nano is called Gunther. I have chosen several other names for my Nano: brightPod(after its shiny orange color), oPod(O for orange), and just myPod(because it is mine).

My kirigami paper has also arrived, but the myPod case hasn't. I'm really excited for the case because I want to see if the picture online is true of my iPod, or myPod.

-Jessica

Crashes and Solos

2009-12-09T20:39:00.000-08:00

Hi,

Today was the assembly and evening concert for band. I was in band for the whole day, waiting until lunch to perform. Many people brought Nintendo DS, or other devices like iPods. I brought some knitting. ;) Mr. Shieberl, my band director, knows how to knit, and does it quite well.

My friend Julie, an athletic, sporty girl, had to wear a dress because she had no collared white shirt. I offered to wear a dress also, so she wouldn't be embarrassed. I have to say, my dress was way more formal than Julie's. It ends slightly below the knee and is black with layers edged in white. There's also a white sash with a cute, silky white rose. And I wore very grown up, formal, black heels. Lots of people said I looked good. :)

I was going to perform a solo for both concerts, but there was no time in the assembly concert. I was rather relieved, because I had gotten really nervous, seeing almost a thousand kids pour into the gym. I began shaking all over, although from nervousness or cold I don't know. The stage was so cold and I was so nervous I couldn't even keep my flute warm! Although I was sad about not being able to perform a solo in front of my peers, it was for the best.

Then I went home, did math homework, blah blah blah. At 6:15, I went to the music room for the evening concert. I was hardly nervous, because I have performed in front of parents before. There was also not as many people. The stage, oddly enough, seemed warmer, and I was much happier. Before the concert, Mr. Shieberl and I did a sound check. He said I had a good, rich tone. :)

I was calm as Mr. Shieberl announced my solo, "Meditation" from the opera Thais. The notes could have been crisper, and the tonguing more precise, but on the whole it was just as good as when I played it in my room, alone. After that, people complimented me on my solo, my dress, etc. Then came the scary part. While my dad was backing out of the parking lot, he crashed into another person's car. However, the only damage was some paint scratched. The other people got some money, but it was okay.

-Jessica

50th Post!

2009-12-06T20:40:00.000-08:00

Today I have to cover a lot of events, which is perfect, since this is the 50th post! First of all, let me chronicle how my house nearly burned down yesterday:

Yesterday, my father left the house to play table tennis(also called ping pong), and he forgot to turn off the stove, which was heating some soup. After a while, I became a bit nervous, because I heard strange noises emitting from the stove. I didn't know it was because the stove had heated the soup until there was nothing left. As my mother went to shower, I became increasingly nervous. In addition, there seemed to be a burning odor. I went to check in the kitchen, but I thought the soup was okay, and the stove was supposed to be on. Still, I was frightened, and I notified my mother as soon as she got out of the shower. She ran quickly to the kitchen, where we found everything in the soup completely burnt and black. Luckily, my father forgot to put the vegetables in, so we still had those. Not that it really matters, since I don't like vegetables anyway.

It's better than my friend Grace, though; her house did really burn down. It was from a neighbor's barbecue. Grace will move schools next year. Every single Halloween she's had to move to a different house. It's a tragedy, really.

On a happier note, my parents just ordered a wonderful ORANGE iPod nano, 5th generation online!!! Today we went to an Apple store. Along the way I saw many car dealerships. There were Fords, Nissans, and Chevrolets. In my opinion, they were all incredibly ugly.

When we finally got to the Apple store, we were amazed at how tiny the Nanos were! The Nanos were slim and rectangular. (My sister has the form factor square Nano of the 3rd generation.) They have a good thickness to them, though. Although they were small, the Shuffles were even smaller. The Shuffles were about as big as my thumb! We had come to theThe Nan store just to see the Nano colors. I had thought about getting either purple or blue, since those looked really nice online, but they were much darker in person.

I finally narrowed the color debate to three choices - orange, pink, or purple. To me, the purple seemed too dark, although my parents preferred it. A dark Nano could be very easy to lose. Then the pink Nano was a nice color, but rather girly and common. I've got nothing against girly stuff(since I'm more of a girly type of girl), but pink's not my color. This shade of pink was spectacular, though. It just didn't appeal to me. Next, to the orange. I really like the bright color, even though orange is usually not my color. To me, this orange color was the other side of my personality; not so studious, easygoing, and funny. The orange glimmered under the light, like the yellow, but with a better color. My parents didn't like this color much, but they said to go with my heart. So I did and went with the orange. I'm glad I did, because I think I won't get tired of the color anytime soon. Along with the Nano, I also bought some kirigami paper and a clear case with a flower and butterfly pattern from iSkins. These three things are my Christmas gifts from my parents.

Today I also had a CYS concert, hopefully the first in many to come. This CYS concert is one where I actually play. I got a little lost looking where the warm-up place was, but I got there eventually. Along with Wind Prep II(my group), there was also Introductory Winds and Wind Prep I. I felt very professional in my white, silky blouse, black skirt, tights, and black heels. After looking at some pictures, I have to say I look very young and short next to my peers. There is no doubt I am the shortest, and one of the youngest. And my group is the most advanced of the three.

We played three pieces: Symphonic Dances from Fiddler on the Roof, Sleigh Ride, and Fiddle Faddle. I'm sorry to say I made a lot of mistakes I normally wouldn't. It must have been stage fright. Luckily, I don't think anyone noticed. Otherwise, the concert was pretty cool. I really tried to play with all my heart and soul, even with the nervousness of being on stage. Afterwards, I got some refreshments and headed home.

-Jessica

iSkins

2009-12-05T19:13:00.000-08:00

Hi,

These past days I've been researching the new iPod Nano, 5th generation. It's got some great features, so I've been thinking of accessories. I definitely need a case for it, since I could be clumsy and drop it. I like soft cases because they're easier to take off. I found some great cases with patterns here: http://www.iskin.com/nanovibes5g/#. These cases are called iSkins.

-Jessica

Car Wash and Bake Sale

2009-12-04T18:19:00.000-08:00

Hi,

Today Builders Club hosted a bake sale and a car wash after school. It was a lot of fun! I brought jumbo cranberry oatmeal raisin cookies, and they were almost sold out! There were also cupcakes, Mountain Dew, Pepsi, chocolate cookies, M&M cookies, oatmeal cookies, blueberry muffins, and apple cider.

First, Peggy, Emily, and I advertised. We held signs that said Bake Sale! Car Wash! We were a little embarrassed, though, and we covered up our faces with the posters. After, that, Peggy and I went to every single classroom and asked for them to get their car wash. Two teachers gave us money NOT to get their washed, and others donated. We did succeed in getting three teachers to wash their cars.

And my homeroom teacher, Mr. Brown, bought lots of bake sale goodies! I'm very proud of him. Ms. Kim, my pre-algebra teacher, gave us money not to get her car washed. Mr. Shieberl, my band teacher, was rather disappointing. Us, the Builders Club members, reminded him and reminded him, and he didn't go to the bake sale or get his car washed! Mrs. Messner, my science teacher, got her car washed. (She said to me there was seagull poop on it.);) And there was. Mrs. Messner's car was very nice. She has an eggplant-colored, very tall Chevy. It looks very grand. My parents got their car washed too!

We had a bit of a problem during the car wash, because white fuzz kept sticking to the cars. It was from the fabric and paper towels we used. We were able to get most of it off, though. When we washed Officer Davis's car, almost everyone got a bit freaked out. There were ants on the car! A lot of them. We were all like, "Ewwww...." I found the ants repulsive and fascinating at the same. We found out that the ants didn't come from the ground, but from the inside of the car itself! Double Eww!

After a while, we had had enough. I was the only one not wearing a jacket, and I was frozen and numb. I had expected it to be a warm, sunny day. I was quite tired after washing approximately ten cars. Someone sprayed me with the hose, and I got very wet, not to mention unhappy. I decided to watch my friends wash the last two cars while I took care of the bake sale. When we were finally done, we split the rest of the bake sale goodies between us, and headed home. I was so ravenous that I ate the cupcake in about 50 seconds! There were lots of crumbs left over.

Overall, I had a good, although rather cold, time. I really prefer to be in my nice warm house, though.

-Jessica

Hard Work and Fun

2009-11-30T19:49:00.000-08:00

As usual, I dreaded going to school today, a Monday. It seemed that there would be a long, hard five days before the fun weekend again. I am slowly adjusting to the school week. Although I do not like Mondays, they are not as bad as I dread them to be. Today had some hard work, but it was done in good cheer. Doing hard work is fun when you're interested and happy.

In English today I got three books from the library. I am reading Possession by Lynne Ewing. It is the 8th book of Daughters of the Moon, the series. I would definitely recommend this series. It is very captivating with wonderful description. The book covers are very eye-catching. Then I checked out Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. I have seen the movie, but never read the book. I also got Wuthering Heights.

After reading, I had a district assessment on responses to literature. My hand was writing furiously, getting evidence from the story and planning my essay, but it didn't seem connected to my brain. My brain felt very frozen, and I was glad when it was lunchtime. I was still pretty full from buying brunch, but I ate lunch anyway, and it kept me full throughout this afternoon.

My math has been going pretty well, I think. I did all 53 math problems in my textbook, not just the 10 problems my teacher assigned me. I also did some chapter review. I have a quiz this Friday, so I must study hard!

Now - are you wondering whether I've chosen the iPod Classic or Nano? Well. . (drum roll). . . the Nano is the winner! After weighing in with the rest of my family, I decided the Nano was best. (It's also cheaper.) I have about zero songs, so I definitely don't need 160 gb of space. The Nano is also very portable, and will resist damage better, because it is flash-based. It's got tons of extra features that the Classic doesn't have. And I know which color I'll get - purple. The blue was too bright, and the green too boyish. The polished, dark purple color is ravishing and will look good in my hand, too. I could get laser engraving on it, but if I have a problem on it, I'll have to get a refurbished one without engraving.

This Friday I'm going to help host a bake sale/car wash. The money earned will go to many organizations like the homeless animal shelter. It's part of Builder's Club.

-Jessica

-Jessica

iPods: Nano vs. Classic

2009-11-28T15:45:00.000-08:00

I want an mp3/iPod for Christmas, and I'm debating whether I should ask for a Nano or a Classic, although I'm leaning toward Classic. Any mp3 player would be okay, but I think iPods are the coolest. :)

There are four types of iPods: Shuffle, Nano, Classic, and Touch. I eliminated Shuffle because it doesn't even have a screen! Plus, there is very little space and seems quite easy to lose, being that it is about as big as a stick of gum. It's good for exercising, though.

Then, I eliminated Touch, too. First of all, it's way too expensive. It's basically the iPhone without the phone. The wifi was tempting, but there isn't wifi in many places. Touch has lots of great features, but they're ones I don't need. Also, Touch uses a touchscreen (obviously), so my nails could easily scratch it. The iPod Touch doesn't really look like an iPod. I would like the clean, signature look of an iPod with a screen and a click wheel.

Now - to the big debate, Nano vs. Classic:

Nano:

Pros:
-small, lightweight
-just enough space
-variety of colors
-flash memory, can run with
-video camera
-faster with flash memory
-cheaper
-FM radio
-pedometer
-Voiceover
-Genius software

Cons:
-too similar to my sister's Nano
-short and squat
-small screen
-small, could get lost
-add $50, get Classic with more storage
-easily scratched back
-less battery life
-less memory

Classic:

Pros:
-MASSIVE storage
-large screen
-bigger, easier to find
-more rectangular, longer and thinner
-not too similar to my sister's Nano
-Classic sounds better
-costs less per megabyte
-longer battery life

Cons:
-slightly expensive
-bulky
-no camera
-too much storage?
-hard drive, can't exercise with
-no variety of colors
-easily scratched back
-slower, with hard drive

Which do you think is better?
-Jessica

Thankful

2009-11-26T21:18:00.001-08:00

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for many reasons. I have loving parents who provide me with good education. I go to a good school with great teachers that help me learn. I have a sister who is very funny. I have a wonderful flute teacher who encourages me to perform and audition. I live in a warm and inviting home, and I have many stuffed animals that love me. :) I have a great computer. I am in good health. I think I am very lucky to have these things, among many others.

-Jessica

Revised Wishlist

2009-11-26T21:07:00.000-08:00

In my family, the deadline for Christmas wishlists are this Sunday, so I've got to revise, fast! Here it is, but it may be revised again:

-mp3/iPod
-cell phone
-iTunes gift card(only if I get iPod)
-gift cards to Michaels, Borders, Baskin Robbins, and Target
-cash
-kirigami paper
-Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
-laptop bag
-Kindle
-anything creative and unique

Tomorrow is Black Friday! Black Friday is the day of the year that stores have great deals. Some start at midnight or very early in the morning! I really like shopping, so I'm very excited, and I'm going to wake up early to go Christmas shopping!

-Jessica

-Jessica

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T20:26:00.000-08:00

Hi,

I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving! I did. Yesterday there was a family reunion, since my sister came home from college. My family is so much livelier with her. Yesterday we bought groceries - including lots of tangerines. My sister is very fond of them.

Yesterday's lunch consisted of some VERY greasy foods: fried rice, noodles, chicken, spare rib, squid, and Chinese eggplant. It was from the deli at the grocery store. After that, we made some very delicious food, and drove to the airport, where we picked my sister. We had a family talk about the good old times, and made lots of jokes!:)

Yesterday I also noticed a small red bump on my ankle. It really hurt when I was in the shower, because of the water. I fear it is a bug bite, because I seem to be getting quite a few. I got another one on my back. It was big, itchy, sore, wounded, and very slow in healing. I hope there are no bedbugs in my bed!

Today was very grueling. In the morning we ate wontons, then headed off to the tennis courts for me to practice tennis. My sister gave me several very good tips, which I have listed here:

-Use your whole arm, not just your wrist
-Make sure the ball hits in the center of the racket
-Don't lean your racket back or you'll lose momentum

I spent several hours practicing serving and rallying. I was extremely tired at the end, and almost ready to lose my temper. All the criticism from my family made me very sad. However, my happy nature prevailed.
Then we went to the supermarket AGAIN and bought MORE tangerines. My mom bought some seasoned seaweed, because that is her favorite snack. Surprisingly, I was allowed to get a box of green bean ice bars. (Ice cream/ice bars are generally not allowed in my household.) My dad got some crabs to steam later. In my family, crabs are a delicacy. My sister got some mini red bean pies, Skittles, and several boxes of yogurt. Since she will be gone soon, we have to make allowances.

(My family doesn't really eat traditional Thanksgiving food. My mom doesn't like eating turkey or any kind of bird, and she declared yesterday that she was going to become a vegetarian. Cooking is not really my mom's strong point, so no pumpkin pie or cranberry sauce for us!)

When the crabs were steamed, I got part of the yellow things in the shell. There is a word in Chinese for it, but not English, I think. Anyway, the yellow thing is incredibly good. There are tofu-like things in the strange yellow liquid, and they melt in your mouth. The actual crab meat was not too good, but I think it's because I ate it too slowly. The crab meat stuck to my ribs and made my stomach feel very heavy and full, although I didn't eat much. A hot cup of water later, I was much better. Then we had fried fish. The fried fish was okay, but I prefer fresh steamed silver carp.

Next came my favorite part - playing cards! My dad and I like to play, but my sister and mom are strictly against it. So my dad bribed, one quarter per point. I love playing, even though I get really nervous and emotional. (I hate losing.) I got second place, though. Of course, my dad was first place. He is the best out of all of us. After losing several games in a row, my sister was last. She didn't have much momentum at the end. And my mom was third, bronze. I got 20 points, $5! It's really going to help toward Christmas shopping. I didn't do much homework or anything today, but it's Thanksgiving! However, I did my two math worksheets yesterday, so I'm mostly free.

After a while, my sister turned on the TV, and we watched reruns of Friends. It had us splitting at the sides with laughter! Friends is a pretty old show, but it's really funny.

-Jessica

Almost Thanksgiving!

2009-11-24T20:50:00.000-08:00

Hi,

Yesterday I found out that I wasn't too bad at tennis. We were learning a basic forehand with a new tennis instructor, since our P.E. teacher isn't too familiar with tennis. ;) We had to get partners, but there was no one left, so my P.E. teacher offered to be my partner! (Talk about being nervous.) Mr. Hernandez, as I said before, kind of scares me. I really don't have much of a reason, since he's always pretty nice to me. Maybe it's just his looks that make me feel intimidated. So we practiced forehand; he threw a ball, and I hit it. I did pretty well, and hit the ball about 3/4 of the time! My Prince racket was a great help, since it is a very good one. One funny time was when I hit the ball, and it got stuck in the throat of my racket! Today, I practiced rallying with my partner Jasmine. I'm actually pretty good at it, but I really can't catch the ball. My coordination skills are seriously lacking.

I'm always nervous among teachers, although by varying degrees. I think I was most comfortable with my 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Smith. She was really nice and easy to talk to. I remember that my classmates and I begged her to teach us in 4th grade.
Ms. Kim, my pre-algebra teacher, is kind of tough, but I'm not too nervous - I think.

On a sadder note, I didn't get into the CMEA Honors Group. The CMEA Honors Group is a program that lets middle/high school students play together. They have to practice several pieces on their own, with limited instruction from their band directors. Of course, you have to audition with your band teacher. No one from my school got into it. My band teacher is a little confused, so he'll be having a talk with the selection committee. There's not much hope, though.

However, I do get to play a solo in the winter concert. I auditioned just today, and I played Meditation from Thais, albeit shortened. (Click here to go to one of my earlier posts and hear Galway playing it.)

My big sister's coming home from college to celebrate Thanksgiving. I'm really excited to see her. Our relationship has always been patchy - she the idol and goddess who gets mad sometimes, and I the humble, annoying, faithful servant. (At least that's how I think of it.) But in recent days our relationship is much better. At times, I know that I've been pretty obnoxious. But she was mean, too.

I have a headache, so I shall retire now.

-Jessica

Tennis and CYS

2009-11-22T18:55:00.000-08:00

I practiced my tennis serves today. I have to say, I am much better, although by no means a pro. I would say I can get the ball over the net about half or one-fourth of the time. My parents and I went to my school's tennis court, and I realized the space between where you can serve and the net was much more than I thought. Previously, I practiced my serves in my backyard. After practicing at the tennis courts, I went home to practice in my backyard. I set up a bike to be the net. When my mother tried a few serves, she knocked it down!

A few hours later, we went out for ice cream! I got creamy milk chocolate ice cream with dark chocolate flakes in a waffle cone. It was delicious, and very rich! I am the only one in my family who prefers chocolate to vanilla.
Then, I went to my weekly CYS practice. I am in Wind Prep 2, one of the lower levels. However, the music is very challenging. Last time, the conductor was so angry she said that we were going to rehearse more, and if we had to, we'd rehearse till the sun came up! I think it would be pretty interesting if that happened. Instead, we had an extended practice, 15 minutes more. This time, the conductor was very pleased. She had considered dropping Symphonic Dances from Fiddler on the Roof(a really fantastic piece that is also pretty hard), but she was impressed and decided that we would play it at our winter concert, along with two other pieces, Sleigh Ride and Fiddle Faddle.

-Jessica

Backache

2009-11-21T22:35:00.001-08:00

My back hurts so much, and it just happened today, about an hour ago. Everyone's heard of heartache and stomachache, but what about backache? I think I'm really too young to have arthritis or those little aches and pains old people have. Maybe I've just stood too long.
Today was so gloomy. It didn't seem like a regular Saturday, where we go to the supermarket and buy groceries. We eat at the deli, too. But my dad was at a table tennis tournament and couldn't drive us. But when my dad came back, it was like the sun came out again! :) We went to the supermarket and bought groceries. We even had freshly caught fish for dinner! Fresh steamed fish is one of my favorite dishes.
After dinner, we went shopping! (Like many people, my dad doesn't like shopping. However, he wants to spend more time with my mom and I, so he brings a newspaper.) We went to Payless, a shoe store. I got some black pumps for my CYS concert, since I have to dress in concert black and white.
The mall we went to had a clothing store, so off we went! While my mom looked for clothes, I looked for affordable Christmas gifts to give to my family and my best friends. I finally decided on a big bottle of shea butter soap for my mother. (She likes the softness and smell of shea butter.) The bottle cost $4.99! For you it may be a small amount of money, but for me it isn't.
I get money from doing extra chores, and from a small allowance. I'm pinching my pennies as far as they'll go this Christmas. Before, when I didn't have allowance, my dad paid for everything. This year, or rather quarter year, I've gotten allowance. I want to prove that I can be independent. I've saved up $11, and by pinching and scraping, I think I can get close to $20 by December, maybe $25 if I take some money out of my hen bank. I'm reimbursing my dad for everything, although he protests against taking it. Not including the tax, of course. ;)
-Jessica

Paper Clip Necklaces?

2009-11-21T13:44:00.001-08:00

Hi,

I've been up making a paper clip necklace for my sister. Not only are they easy to make, they also look really nice! You can make all sorts of jewelry with them. There's a great variety of paper clips, too. Paper clips are generally very cheap and can be found at any office supplies store. I got some really cute striped paper clips that looked like this:

I made a black and green striped paper clip necklace for my sister. I also put black and green beads on the paper clips. I really wore my hands out!

-Jessica

Dance!

2009-11-20T18:11:00.000-08:00

Today, after school, there was a dance that my friends and I went to. The theme was Alice in Wonderland, and it was in the gym. There were two little devices that made colorful lights on the ceiling that moved in time with the beat of the music. The gym was very dark. In another room next to the gym sold candy, pizza, and soda, all for 50 cents. There was also Dance Dance Revolution, face painting/tattoos, and an Alice in Wonderland movie to watch. I'm not much of a dancer, so I stayed in the other room. I got a glittery butterfly tattoo on my hand(not permanent, of course) and an abstract design(kind of like a butterfly) on my cheek. (Don't get the wrong impression, I don't really like butterflies. They're okay, but not the best.)

I bought a bag of Sunchips and some Sour Punch straws. They were delicious! I went out into the gym, and danced a little. This dance doesn't really have a genre, you can dance whatever you want. Most people sway to the beat, hop, and step from side to side. Like I said, I'm not much of a dancer, so I climbed up onto the stage and watched, mostly. Then I got really thirsty, so I bought a cup of soda for 50 cents. It's really not worth the money, though. After that, I used my last 50 cents to buy some Corn Nuts for my mom. I should have bought it toward the end of the dance, though, because everything was half off. Oh, well. I had a great time.
Right now, in addition to typing, I'm making some jewelry out of paper clips, plastic beads, and string. Paper clips are great to make jewelry with!

-Jessica

The Power of Friendship

2009-11-17T20:24:00.000-08:00

I was too busy to write yesterday, but there were a few noteworthy things. Yesterday, my friend Grace wore 1/2 inch straps. You aren't allowed to wear straps under 2 inches, so she had to cover it with something. Grace had her black leather jacket(she was going to a funeral afterwards), but it was too hot/itchy, so she asked to borrow someone's jacket. When no one responded, I took off my red jacket and gave it to her. (I had another jacket underneath, and the heater was on, so I wasn't cold.) She looked happy, and she looked kind of like me! I was happy at doing a good deed.

Later, my band teacher told a story. My band teacher is very social and has A LOT of friends. So, he met up with a friend who worked at Apple, because he wanted a mini IPhone charger. (A mini IPhone charger costs about 30 dollars.) Now, his friend is probably an important guy. He's someone that Steve Jobs can actually put a face to and know. So his friend gave him three, newest generation IPhone chargers. That would cost about 90 dollars if my band teacher bought it somewhere!

The power of friendship.

-Jessica

California Youth Symphony Concert

2009-11-15T19:41:00.000-08:00

Today I looked at some model townhouses. I also went to a CYS concert, where the more advanced level symphony played. I am in the California Youth Symphony(CYS), in case you haven't looked at my profile. I had a blast!
First we went to look at some townhouses. They were pretty fun. The walls had what my mother called "orange peel" texture, and they were in gorgeous colors. One bedroom, probably for a girl, was painted a beautiful robin's egg blue. But only the top half was that color. The bottom half was white. The white ceiling and the blue walls matched perfectly. However, the bed's comforter was also that shade of blue, making for a rather girly appearance. Another bedroom was painted a dark yellow and an olive green, half and half like the other bedroom. I think this room would be for a boy, because there were two tennis rackets, a baseball, a baseball mitt, and a tennis ball. I had a fun time sneakily taking a racket and practicing tennis, although without the ball. The person who decorated this townhouse definitely had impeccable taste. There was a lot of nice furniture. The bathtubs and showers were made of granite, and so were the sinks. I loved the tasteful objects. There were giant vases with nothing in them, but they looked grand. Some were dark colors, like brown and maroon. Others were green, orange, and yellow, like in the kitchen. It gave the kitchen a cheerful air.

Then we got drinks from a little restaurant right next to the grocery store, where my dad bought a newspaper. My mom got a green bean icy, the old favorite, and I got a red bean icy, something new and bold. Actually, the red bean icy wasn't that much different. It gave me a brain freeze and rejuvenated me for the concert.

Then we went to the college where the CYS Senior Symphony would perform. I wanted to sit on the balcony, but my dad insisted on sitting on the ground, in the front. The maestro, Leo Eylar, is very distinguished-looking, although he seemed a little tired. I expect conducting must be pretty good exercise. All advanced music directors use many flourishes and hand gestures, as far as I know. They punch the air, point at many sections, and sway with the beat. I think that's good, though. It adds to the visual cues of the performance.

The first piece was the Cuban Overture by George Gershwin. The maestro told us about the instruments of Cuba, and how they would sound. The piece was a little jazzy, the style of Gershwin. The Cuban instruments dominated throughout the piece as the main instruments. Cuban Overture, originally called Rumba, had a unique flavor that made it different from the traditional classics like Bach, Beethoven, etc. Usually concertos and long pieces like this make me fall asleep, because the music is SO ordinary, and all the sounds melt together. This time, I could barely blink, I was so excited! The Cuban Overture was a light, happy piece that was also unique. Maybe I thought it was better because I was paying more attention at the beginning of the concert, when it was played.

The second piece was the Piano Concerto No. 1 by Beethoven. It featured the piano prodigy Alex Chien, age 11. He is the youngest person to win the CYS Young Artist Competition, and he has won many other awards. Alex Chien definitely plays well. He played many solos during this piece, including lots of chromatics that showed his skill. He didn't miss a beat! However, piano prodigy or not, Piano Concerto No. 1 really put me to sleep! There's not much unique about this piece, and maybe that's why the conductor didn't say anything about it. And, it was SO, SO long! I felt my eyes wanting to close and rest, but I forced them open. After all, I am the musical person in my family, and it wouldn't do for the rest of my family to see me sleeping! (I think they did a better job of staying awake than I did, I'm sorry to say.)I'm supposed to try to give them a music education by having them go to concerts. These tickets were free, though; since I'm part of CYS, they give me free tickets to the Senior and Associate Symphony concerts! :)
After the too long concerto, it was intermission. My parents and I stayed in our seats, and we talked about the pieces. We all admired the maestro Leo Eylar, and agreed that he had style in conducting.
Then was the last piece, Symphonic Dances by Sergei Rachmaninov. As the maestro said, "The first half was light. Now we pull out our big guns, our meat and potatoes." Rachmaninov was a very somber and dark composer. He was never seen smiling in pictures. "At best, you would get a scowl, or a nod." When he was 22, he composed his first symphony. Rachmaninov was very excited for it to be performed and for it to gain recognition. But it was not to be so. (Why am I telling you this? Have patience. You will see.) The performance was an absolute disaster. It WAS AWFUL. In fact, the performance was so awful that Rachmaninov destroyed the score forever. He had a mental, physical breakdown, and maybe that's why he never smiled. He stopped composing for four years. Forty years later, when he was 67 years old, Rachmaninov composed Symphonic Dances, formerly called "Fantastic Dances". It is a tribute to Rachmaninov's first symphony. It isn't that dark, though.
It seems to have a dark vein running through it, especially through the first movement. Perhaps it is his sorrow. But above it seem to be happy, frivolous times, although complete joy seems never to be achieved. The first movement is my favorite part of the whole concert. It is very dynamic, and it has light and dark, quiet and loud, joy and sorrow.
This is my opinion, though, and you may think different. I'm not really good at hearing what is good and what is bad music. I usually think that pretty much every song sounds nice. So don't regard my opinion too highly; I'm not a music critic.

-Jessica

Cooking for the Young Child

2009-11-14T17:36:00.000-08:00

Today I've developed a new recipe that I've dubbed "the Seabutter Sandwich". (Seabutter means a combination of butter and seaweed.) Since I am too young to slice many things and put them in the oven with adults, I made up my own recipes. They're not exactly recipes from five-star restaurants, but they're pretty tasty and most of them don't involve cutting(unless it's something that's easy to slice, like butter).
So here is the recipe:

Ingredients and Equipment:
A toaster
Knife
Butter or margarine
One piece of bread(I'm assuming that you are using already sliced bread. I used multi-grain bread for a healthier version.)
Seasoned seaweed(can be bought at any Asian supermarket)

Directions:
1. Toast the bread.
2. While it's toasting, slice a very thin piece of butter.
3. Take out a small piece of seaweed.
4. When the bread is toasted, put the butter on it, then the seaweed.
5. Fold the piece of bread over, hamburger way.
6. Enjoy!

This isn't a great recipe, since you have to slice the butter. You also have to make sure the ratio of butter and seaweed is the same, so neither is empowering. I would give this three stars. I think this recipe is better, though:

Cookie Sandwich:

Ingredients and Equipment:
Any type of cookie or cracker
One piece of bread

Directions:
1. Place the cookies on the bread so that the cookies cover half or slightly less of the piece of bread.
2. Fold the piece of bread over either way.
3. Enjoy!

By the way, I am assuming the bread is already sliced for this recipe as well. I like this recipe better because it's a very simple one. You can even make a healthy version by using whole-wheat bread and whole-wheat cookies/crackers. It tastes pretty good and works on every type of cookie and cracker. (As far as I know, that is.) I would rate this five stars. :)

-Jessica

Friday the 13th

2009-11-13T22:04:00.000-08:00

Today is the supposedly unlucky day of . . . Friday the 13th. However, I haven't noticed anything bad out of the ordinary, other than my mom pushing me to do more math. One of my friends thinks the 13th is unlucky just because people want something to blame bad things on.
But there might have been on bad thing.
I had a fright today thinking that my dad was in trouble. I thought he was calling us repeatedly, and I got pretty scared. My mom was talking on the phone to her friend, and I couldn't locate her cell phone, so neither of us answered it. I called my dad twice, but he wasn't there. As a result, I went into panic mode, but it was all resolved when my dad called back wondering why I called him. I got seriously frightened. :(

School News Flash: Today I also got news that I'm going to do the AMC,(American Math Competition) but it'll include stuff that I don't know, so I don't think I'll be able to get to the next round. I've also picked a solo to play in the winter concert. I'll play Meditation from Thais. (One of my other posts has a video clip of Galway playing it. Click here to see it.) Of course, I won't play it as well as him.

Well, goodbye. I feel like listening to music now. How about you?

-Jessica

Today's Trials and Miseries

2009-11-12T20:29:00.000-08:00

It's a sad day for P.E. We're doing tennis, and I am HORRIBLE.
1)This is my first time ever playing tennis.
2)I'm not a very coordinated person.
3)My whole family has never been athletic.
4)I am weak.

Especially my serves. I can get the ball over the net about 0 out of 4 times. It's totally true, and I'm not exaggerating. Whenever Mr. Hernandez comes over to watch Grace and I, I get embarrassed and do even worse. (If that's possible.) So I knew I was in for it when he said that only one or two people have an A- in tennis right now. And we better shape up or we'll get a 0, also known as an F. He also said that some people can't even serve over the net. He wasn't looking at me, but I had a feeling that was me. So, after hunting down my sister's tennis racket and her tennis balls, I practiced my serving for an hour. She won't mind; she's in college, far, far, away. ;) The tennis racket my sister has is SO MUCH better! I can hit the ball almost every time.
(Shh. . I'm eavesdropping on my mom. She's talking about me.);)
Okay, I'm done now. I think I am truly better at serving now. But since I practiced in the backyard, and there's no net, I don't really know. One poor tennis ball actually went over the fence! Best of all, tomorrow we're not even doing tennis or the mile run! We're probably going to do some step-aerobics thing.
Oh, and if I haven't already mentioned this, my math teacher says everyone is flunking.
Just a few moments ago I sipped a hot, steamy bowl of soup(from the leftovers on Wednesday). It was very good.

-Jessica

Eating Out

2009-11-12T20:10:00.000-08:00

This week has been a total bomb for eating out. On Sunday, we went to In'n'Out, an absolutely great fast food restaurant. My family and I discovered it this year, and although it's got a very simple menu,(basically, there are hamburgers, cheeseburgers, fries, drinks, and ice cream shakes)but the food is wonderful and makes you crave for more. The beef for the patties are very fresh, and even eating vegetables is a pleasure. As an added bonus, I got a vanilla ice cream shake! :)
Yesterday, Wednesday, my dad came home for lunch to go to Home Depot. My parents are doing home renovation, and they dragged me off to look at windows and doors. It was pretty boring, but I think I concealed my boredom pretty well. However, I think maybe my dad sensed my fatigue and boredom, so we went to Baskin Robbins for ice cream! I got rainbow sherbet, a trio of pineapple, orange, and raspberry sherbet. It was tangy and sweet. It was also very colorful.
After we ate the ice cream, we forgot to eat lunch! I was starving, and I wondered why I had to eat so much candy today to keep myself going. And I didn't get dinner until 7:30 because some contractors came to our house and kept my parents talking for an hour and a half! But we got dinner, and we ate out at a nice Chinese restaurant. We had chicken, beef, and shrimp fried rice, one of my favorites. We also had chicken soup, tender beef, and liver. Liver sounds disgusting, but it actually tastes pretty good. We had leftovers that we brought home.

-Jessica

Update

2009-11-10T17:20:00.000-08:00

Sadly, the pumpkin pie didn't turn out too well. It was too watery. :(
Today I got a lot of stuff done, and I expect tomorrow to be a nice, relaxing day without school. I think I'll play tennis at a nearby tennis court, because we are playing tennis in P.E. I really need to work on my serves. Then, on Thursday, I shall astound everyone with my amazing skills. (Not.)
Today I didn't have such itchy eyelashes! Yay!
I'm going to do a solo for the winter concert at my school.

-Jessica

Pumpkin Pie!

2009-11-09T20:27:00.001-08:00

Caption: A mouthwatering piece of pumpkin pie, topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Yumm! Sadly, I didn't make or eat this pie.

Right now in the oven is a pumpkin pie that I made by myself! This is a historic event - it is the first time my family has baked a pumpkin pie, or any other pie. It was totally fun! My mom cut the pumpkin in half, and I took out the seeds and the stringy stuff. Then I steamed it so that the skin came off. After that we pureed it until it was smooth. We did a lot of other fun stuff too.
The pumpkin pie is still in the oven, so I don't know what it tastes like. However, the recipe is from here: http://www.pickyourown.org/pumpkinpie.php
I think it's a pretty good recipe. The instructions are very clear.

Today I asked my P.E. teacher to give me my grades, and they were pretty bad. He didn't even have a score for my timed run! However, I still have a week to improve, and I intend to boost my grades immensely, no matter what it takes.
Tomorrow I have a district assessment on math. I just got my chapter 3 test back, and I got As on all standards, so I think I'm covered, although I'm still going to practice a little. Also, tomorrow is Renaissance Pizza Day! :)
You may have also noticed that I have changed my header. I thought this template needed to be more customized, more me. I also thought the old header was too boring.

-Jessica

Great Pictures

2009-11-07T21:25:00.000-08:00

I just recently visited a blog called Ample Dreams. It's got great pictures like this one, and is really amazing. Here's the link:http://ampledreams.blogspot.com. I like this picture because the girl in it is playing a flute, the instrument I play! It seems as though the butterflies are listening to her. I don't know whether this is underwater or not, though.

-Jessica