So, this is the perfect time to talk about my obsessiveness about Harry Potter. Why is that, you may ask? Well, all you Americans out there reading this (and perhaps abroad, too - who knows?) most likely know that the Academy Awards were last night. And if you saw the awards show, you'll know that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two did not take home any awards that night - The Academy of whatever apparently doesn't like HP, which is a totally wrong move on their part, because the Harry Potter movies do a fantastic job of creating the magic of the books, which cannot be said for Twilight or for most movie series based on books.
I could go on and on about why I love Harry Potter so much that it's my favorite series of all time (so far). I read this series in about a week. I didn't get into the Harry Potter club until pretty late on, but a couple of years or so by now. My favorite book was the last one. It had the most action (all books were amazing and very interesting, but the last was the best in my opinion). These books made me truly imagine that wizards and magic were real and that Hogwarts actually existed - and I would definitely go to Hogwarts if I were a witch. I would love it there. I would probably be a Ravenclaw, I believe, which I'm happy with, but Gryffindor or Slytherin would be cool, too. I'm a Ravenclaw on Pottermore. I loved several characters, I could not name which one was my favorite.
My favorite characters are (in no particular order)
1. Severus Snape
2. Hermione Granger
3. Luna Lovegood
4. Ginny Weasley
5. Fred & George Weasley
6. Harry Potter (of course)
7. Sirius Black
8. Remus Lupin
9. Nymphadora Tonks
10. Minerva McGonagall
11. Ron Weasley
Of course, I love ALMOST all of the Harry Potter characters - I don't particularly like Wormtail or Draco or Umbridge, or Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge or any of the Death Eaters - although Bellatrix portrays a psychotic, obsessed-with-Voldemort Death Eater, and I applaud her for that, but she killed Sirius and Tonks so I can't love her. Voldemort, although I admit he's a genius in all the wrong ways, killed Lily and James, Harry's parents, and a bunch of other cool people.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Music
All I have to say is that I would die if my iTouch got stolen or got lost, because it is my life.
My music interests are pretty spread out. Although, yes, I do listen to whatever's on the iTunes top 50, I also listen to SOME country, alternative, rock, etc. Most of my favorite music doesn't come from the iTunes top 50, if that helps. I must admit one of my favorite artists is Taylor Swift, though. I love every single one of her songs. Right now I'm obsessed with her latest song (the one that came out for the Hunger Games) - Safe & Sound. I absolutely adore her music video for this song as well.
My top 25 list of favorite T.S. songs - In NO particular order:
1. Dear John
2. Enchanted
3. Breathe
4. Change
5. Better than Revenge
6. You're Not Sorry
7. You Belong With Me
8. Long Live
9. SuperStar
10. Jump then Fall
11. Untouchable
12. Invisible
13. Ours
14. Mean
15. Never Grow Up
16. Story of Us
17. Cold as You
18. Tim McGraw
19. Teardrops on My Guitar
20. Stay Beautiful
21. The Outside
22. A Place in this World
23. Tied Together with A Smile
24. Mary's Song (Oh My My My)
25. Haunted
Also here is a list of songs that I very much like - I hope you don't judge me for anything you might not agree with or like here! :)
1. Sweet Disposition - The Temper Trap
2. Knock Em Out and The Fear - Lily Allen
3. If I Die Young - The Band Perry
4. Be Ok, Breakable - Ingrid Michaelson
5. The Call & Samson - Regina Spektor
6. Hide and Seek and The Moment I Said It - Imogen Heap
7. This is Home - Switchfoot
8. Off to the Races, Video Games, National Anthem, Dark Paradise, Radio, Carmen, Million Dollar Man, Summertime Sadness, Without You, This Is What Makes Us Girls, Lolita - Lana Del Rey
9. The Only Exception, That's What You Get, I Caught Myself, Misery Business, When It Rains, Fences, Crushcrushcrush - Paramore
9. Sea of Love - Cat Power
10. Breakaway, My Life Would Suck Without You, Because of You, Addicted, Already Gone, Behind these Hazel Eyes, Since U Been Gone, Mr. Know It All, Stronger - Kelly Clarkson
11. Fergalicious, Clumsy, London Bridge, Glamorous, Big Girls Don't Cry - Fergie
12. Opheliac, Across the Sky - Emilie Autumn
13. How Far We've Come - Matchbox Twenty
14. Black Horse & The Cherry Tree - KT Tunstall
15. Going Under, Bring Me To Life, My Immortal, Tourniquet - Evanescence
16. I Write Sins Not Tragedies, Nine in the Afternoon, The Ballad of Mona Lisa - Panic! At the Disco
17. Sugar, We're Goin Down - Fall Out Boy
18. Sinking Friendships - Jonsi
19. Falling or Flying - Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
20. Animal - Neon Trees
21. Misery, Moves Like Jagger, Harder to Breathe, She Will Be Loved, Wake Up Call, Makes Me Wonder - Maroon Five
22. Be Be Your Love - Rachael Yamagata
23. Lily's Theme, Severus & Lily - Alexandre Desplat (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two - I will talk about my love of Harry Potter ASAP)
24. Heartbeat - The Fray
25. Hey, Na, Na - Katie Herzig
26. Hello - Martin Solzeig and the Dragonettes
27. Hey, Soul Sister - Train
28. I Do, Realize, All of You - Colbie Caillat
29. Jar of Hearts, A Thousand Years, Distance, Bang Bang Bang - Christina Perri
30. Set Fire to the Rain, Rolling in the Deep - Adele
31. Love Song, Gonna Get Over You - Sara Bareilles
32. Lights - Ellie Goulding
33. The Show Goes On - Lupe Fiasco
34. Baby, I'm Yours - Arctic Monkeys
35. Trouble Is A Friend - Lenka
36. Alice - Cocteau Twins
37. Dog Days Are Over - Florence and the Machine
38. Gun For A Tongue, Not Foolin Around Tonight - Butterfly Boucher
39. Duele El Amor - Aleks Syntek and Ana Torroja
40. Oh Darling - Plug In Stereo and Cady Groves
41. Fireflies, Hello Seattle - Owl City
42. Long, Long Time Ago - Javier Navarette (This song is my lullaby - it's from Pan's Labyrinth)
43. Angel of Music, Phantom of the Opera, Think of Me, The Point of No Return - Andrew Lloyd Webber (the Phantom of the Opera Music)
44. Hold Me Tight, It Won't Be Long, I've Just Seen A Face, Dear Prudence, Across the Universe - Across the Universe Soundtrack - of course, I love The Beatles as well - I could go on forever listing my favorites)
45. Make Me Wanna Die - The Pretty Reckless
46. Nothing - The Script
47. Season of Love - Shiny Toy Guns
48. She Wolf, Hips Don't Lie, Animal City, Hey You (and a LOT more) - Shakira
49. Come On, Get Higher - Matt Nathanson
50. Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) - Emily Browning
51. Tracks in the Snow, Barton Hollow - The Civil Wars
52. Fall For You - Secondhand Serenade
53. Secrets, All the Right Moves - OneRepublic
54. Kiss Me Slowly - Parachute
55. L-O-V-E - Nat King Cole
56. BigCityDreams, Smelyalata, Trouble, Did It Hurt? - Never Shout Never
57. Hey There Delilah - Plain White T's
Of course, I have more songs I like on my iTouch, but these are my favorites. Comment with your favorite song or artist! :) Next post will be about Harry Potter, I promise!
My music interests are pretty spread out. Although, yes, I do listen to whatever's on the iTunes top 50, I also listen to SOME country, alternative, rock, etc. Most of my favorite music doesn't come from the iTunes top 50, if that helps. I must admit one of my favorite artists is Taylor Swift, though. I love every single one of her songs. Right now I'm obsessed with her latest song (the one that came out for the Hunger Games) - Safe & Sound. I absolutely adore her music video for this song as well.
My top 25 list of favorite T.S. songs - In NO particular order:
1. Dear John
2. Enchanted
3. Breathe
4. Change
5. Better than Revenge
6. You're Not Sorry
7. You Belong With Me
8. Long Live
9. SuperStar
10. Jump then Fall
11. Untouchable
12. Invisible
13. Ours
14. Mean
15. Never Grow Up
16. Story of Us
17. Cold as You
18. Tim McGraw
19. Teardrops on My Guitar
20. Stay Beautiful
21. The Outside
22. A Place in this World
23. Tied Together with A Smile
24. Mary's Song (Oh My My My)
25. Haunted
Also here is a list of songs that I very much like - I hope you don't judge me for anything you might not agree with or like here! :)
1. Sweet Disposition - The Temper Trap
2. Knock Em Out and The Fear - Lily Allen
3. If I Die Young - The Band Perry
4. Be Ok, Breakable - Ingrid Michaelson
5. The Call & Samson - Regina Spektor
6. Hide and Seek and The Moment I Said It - Imogen Heap
7. This is Home - Switchfoot
8. Off to the Races, Video Games, National Anthem, Dark Paradise, Radio, Carmen, Million Dollar Man, Summertime Sadness, Without You, This Is What Makes Us Girls, Lolita - Lana Del Rey
9. The Only Exception, That's What You Get, I Caught Myself, Misery Business, When It Rains, Fences, Crushcrushcrush - Paramore
9. Sea of Love - Cat Power
10. Breakaway, My Life Would Suck Without You, Because of You, Addicted, Already Gone, Behind these Hazel Eyes, Since U Been Gone, Mr. Know It All, Stronger - Kelly Clarkson
11. Fergalicious, Clumsy, London Bridge, Glamorous, Big Girls Don't Cry - Fergie
12. Opheliac, Across the Sky - Emilie Autumn
13. How Far We've Come - Matchbox Twenty
14. Black Horse & The Cherry Tree - KT Tunstall
15. Going Under, Bring Me To Life, My Immortal, Tourniquet - Evanescence
16. I Write Sins Not Tragedies, Nine in the Afternoon, The Ballad of Mona Lisa - Panic! At the Disco
17. Sugar, We're Goin Down - Fall Out Boy
18. Sinking Friendships - Jonsi
19. Falling or Flying - Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
20. Animal - Neon Trees
21. Misery, Moves Like Jagger, Harder to Breathe, She Will Be Loved, Wake Up Call, Makes Me Wonder - Maroon Five
22. Be Be Your Love - Rachael Yamagata
23. Lily's Theme, Severus & Lily - Alexandre Desplat (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two - I will talk about my love of Harry Potter ASAP)
24. Heartbeat - The Fray
25. Hey, Na, Na - Katie Herzig
26. Hello - Martin Solzeig and the Dragonettes
27. Hey, Soul Sister - Train
28. I Do, Realize, All of You - Colbie Caillat
29. Jar of Hearts, A Thousand Years, Distance, Bang Bang Bang - Christina Perri
30. Set Fire to the Rain, Rolling in the Deep - Adele
31. Love Song, Gonna Get Over You - Sara Bareilles
32. Lights - Ellie Goulding
33. The Show Goes On - Lupe Fiasco
34. Baby, I'm Yours - Arctic Monkeys
35. Trouble Is A Friend - Lenka
36. Alice - Cocteau Twins
37. Dog Days Are Over - Florence and the Machine
38. Gun For A Tongue, Not Foolin Around Tonight - Butterfly Boucher
39. Duele El Amor - Aleks Syntek and Ana Torroja
40. Oh Darling - Plug In Stereo and Cady Groves
41. Fireflies, Hello Seattle - Owl City
42. Long, Long Time Ago - Javier Navarette (This song is my lullaby - it's from Pan's Labyrinth)
43. Angel of Music, Phantom of the Opera, Think of Me, The Point of No Return - Andrew Lloyd Webber (the Phantom of the Opera Music)
44. Hold Me Tight, It Won't Be Long, I've Just Seen A Face, Dear Prudence, Across the Universe - Across the Universe Soundtrack - of course, I love The Beatles as well - I could go on forever listing my favorites)
45. Make Me Wanna Die - The Pretty Reckless
46. Nothing - The Script
47. Season of Love - Shiny Toy Guns
48. She Wolf, Hips Don't Lie, Animal City, Hey You (and a LOT more) - Shakira
49. Come On, Get Higher - Matt Nathanson
50. Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) - Emily Browning
51. Tracks in the Snow, Barton Hollow - The Civil Wars
52. Fall For You - Secondhand Serenade
53. Secrets, All the Right Moves - OneRepublic
54. Kiss Me Slowly - Parachute
55. L-O-V-E - Nat King Cole
56. BigCityDreams, Smelyalata, Trouble, Did It Hurt? - Never Shout Never
57. Hey There Delilah - Plain White T's
Of course, I have more songs I like on my iTouch, but these are my favorites. Comment with your favorite song or artist! :) Next post will be about Harry Potter, I promise!
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
The Summer I Turned Pretty
One of my favorite series happens to be one of the most innocent teen romances out there in the world of books today. By this, I mean, no intense steamy make-out or sex scenes. Can you guess what this series is? I'll give you a few hints - 1. The protagonist's nickname derives from jellybeans 2. One of the protagonist's "loves" is a dark, brooding boy who shelters himself from the world, displaying little to no emotion most of the time. 3. The setting of this story is a dream, calming beach house in a small town known as Cousins Beach.
If you didn't get the answer from the hints, then don't worry, I'll tell you. This series is known as the Summer Trilogy by Jenny Han. The books include The Summer I Turned Pretty, It's Not Summer Without You and We'll Always Have Summer. Why, you may ask, do I love this series so much? Is it because of the BOYS? No, Yes, Maybe....but it's not the only reason why I adore this series as much as I do.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!
Every summer since before she was born, Isabel "Belly" Conklin, her brother Steven, and her mother Laurel, have gone to spend the summer at Laurel's BFF Susannah "Beck" Fisher's beach house in Cousins. Every summer, Belly gets to spend with Susannah's two boys - Conrad, the eldest, the smart one, the secretive one, and Jeremiah, the fun & funny one, the golden boy of the Fisher family. Ever since she was ten, Belly's pined after Conrad, hoping he'd notice her, like her enough to actually want her, with no luck, apparently. But now Belly's almost sixteen, and she's changed over the past school year, not just physically, but mentally/emotionally, it seems. She arrives at the beach house in all her new undiscovered glory, being center stage for the first time in Conrad's - and Jeremiah's - eyes. This summer, she gets to enjoy having all the luxuries she's been denied her in years past - such as attending parties with the boys, or being noticed and whistled by the go-kart operator. Another luxury she gets to enjoy is her first real boyfriend - Cameron, or "Cam." They share a common bond - both went to a Latin oral competition in D.C. (being intelligent, like Conrad, Cam won the oral competition.) However, Conrad becomes jealous of Cam and Belly's relationship, although he doesn't tell Belly he likes her, either, so Belly is confused by his protectiveness of Belly and the sarcastic attitude directed at Cam. Jeremiah also starts to like Belly this summer - and after he admits his feelings to Belly, things become a bit awkward between them, although they try to not let this affect their friendship. Things come to a head when Belly confronts Conrad to tell him her true feelings for him. He rebuffs her and rejects her, making her angry, because it's obvious, even to her at this point, that he does like her, too. Jeremiah intervenes, and warns Conrad not to hurt Belly like he's done a million times, and Jeremiah and Conrad begin to fight (literally, physically fight) - but Belly - poor, ignorant, clueless girl she is at this moment - doesn't realize until the end that this fight had almost nothing to do with her.
Sadly, unfortunately, Susannah, the boys' mother, has cancer again. This is why Conrad had been acting out so much over the summer, in his anger and grief. Of course, they aren't supposed to know about their mother's illness, she was deliberately hiding it from them, wanting that summer to be the same as in years past, but they found out about it anyway. Belly is devastated, of course - Susannah is practically a second mother to her. This novel ends this way, sad and bittersweet, with the inevitable end of Cam, Belly's summer fling, and with the irresolute promise that she and the boys will always come back to the summer house, regardless of what happens to Susannah. Oh, how promises can be so easily broken because of loss and sorrow.
I really liked Belly. I know a lot of people don't like her because she's a bit whiny, but aren't most of us like that at the age of fifteen? Even if you told me you weren't whiny and annoying at 15 years old with a straight face, I still wouldn't believe you. Trust me, 99% of the people I know are WORSE in the annoying/whiny factor than this girl. I definitely sympathize with her frustration/fascination/desperation with Conrad. I also really liked Cam. Although half of the time I wished he would just disappear out of Belly's life so that she and Conrad could be together, he was a genuinely nice guy. Any girl would be lucky to have him as a boyfriend. Nothing personal, Cam...but Conrad's the perfect guy for Belly, even if he won't admit it. Jeremiah was swoon-worthy, even if he's not Conrad. He's hot, AND he's funny. He's nice to Belly, and they share everything - I wish I had a friend like him. This book is a great quick, easy read - absolutely marvelous for sitting out on a towel on the beach or on a pool chair and reading (although since it's only February, I'd highly recommend that you wait to do this until it gets a bit warmer - in no way whatsoever do I want to be responsible for anyone suffering from frostbite or succumbing to hypothermia.) I would totally go see this in theaters if the movie was made! But warning - I will be very angry if the characters/plot are not the way they should be! So Jenny Han had better be collaborating on any movie project so that it doesn't turn into a total ruin like Twilight.
I would review the second and third books for you all, but I'll just let you guys find out what happens to Belly, Conrad & Jeremiah for yourselves. Does Conrad ever tell Belly how he feels about her? What will happen to the summer house - and more importantly, to the friendships/relationships that exist between the Fisher/Conklin families - if Susannah passes away? The world may never know...
Just kidding - the answers are all revealed in the next two books - titles are above! So go read them, people!
If you didn't get the answer from the hints, then don't worry, I'll tell you. This series is known as the Summer Trilogy by Jenny Han. The books include The Summer I Turned Pretty, It's Not Summer Without You and We'll Always Have Summer. Why, you may ask, do I love this series so much? Is it because of the BOYS? No, Yes, Maybe....but it's not the only reason why I adore this series as much as I do.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!
Every summer since before she was born, Isabel "Belly" Conklin, her brother Steven, and her mother Laurel, have gone to spend the summer at Laurel's BFF Susannah "Beck" Fisher's beach house in Cousins. Every summer, Belly gets to spend with Susannah's two boys - Conrad, the eldest, the smart one, the secretive one, and Jeremiah, the fun & funny one, the golden boy of the Fisher family. Ever since she was ten, Belly's pined after Conrad, hoping he'd notice her, like her enough to actually want her, with no luck, apparently. But now Belly's almost sixteen, and she's changed over the past school year, not just physically, but mentally/emotionally, it seems. She arrives at the beach house in all her new undiscovered glory, being center stage for the first time in Conrad's - and Jeremiah's - eyes. This summer, she gets to enjoy having all the luxuries she's been denied her in years past - such as attending parties with the boys, or being noticed and whistled by the go-kart operator. Another luxury she gets to enjoy is her first real boyfriend - Cameron, or "Cam." They share a common bond - both went to a Latin oral competition in D.C. (being intelligent, like Conrad, Cam won the oral competition.) However, Conrad becomes jealous of Cam and Belly's relationship, although he doesn't tell Belly he likes her, either, so Belly is confused by his protectiveness of Belly and the sarcastic attitude directed at Cam. Jeremiah also starts to like Belly this summer - and after he admits his feelings to Belly, things become a bit awkward between them, although they try to not let this affect their friendship. Things come to a head when Belly confronts Conrad to tell him her true feelings for him. He rebuffs her and rejects her, making her angry, because it's obvious, even to her at this point, that he does like her, too. Jeremiah intervenes, and warns Conrad not to hurt Belly like he's done a million times, and Jeremiah and Conrad begin to fight (literally, physically fight) - but Belly - poor, ignorant, clueless girl she is at this moment - doesn't realize until the end that this fight had almost nothing to do with her.
Sadly, unfortunately, Susannah, the boys' mother, has cancer again. This is why Conrad had been acting out so much over the summer, in his anger and grief. Of course, they aren't supposed to know about their mother's illness, she was deliberately hiding it from them, wanting that summer to be the same as in years past, but they found out about it anyway. Belly is devastated, of course - Susannah is practically a second mother to her. This novel ends this way, sad and bittersweet, with the inevitable end of Cam, Belly's summer fling, and with the irresolute promise that she and the boys will always come back to the summer house, regardless of what happens to Susannah. Oh, how promises can be so easily broken because of loss and sorrow.
I really liked Belly. I know a lot of people don't like her because she's a bit whiny, but aren't most of us like that at the age of fifteen? Even if you told me you weren't whiny and annoying at 15 years old with a straight face, I still wouldn't believe you. Trust me, 99% of the people I know are WORSE in the annoying/whiny factor than this girl. I definitely sympathize with her frustration/fascination/desperation with Conrad. I also really liked Cam. Although half of the time I wished he would just disappear out of Belly's life so that she and Conrad could be together, he was a genuinely nice guy. Any girl would be lucky to have him as a boyfriend. Nothing personal, Cam...but Conrad's the perfect guy for Belly, even if he won't admit it. Jeremiah was swoon-worthy, even if he's not Conrad. He's hot, AND he's funny. He's nice to Belly, and they share everything - I wish I had a friend like him. This book is a great quick, easy read - absolutely marvelous for sitting out on a towel on the beach or on a pool chair and reading (although since it's only February, I'd highly recommend that you wait to do this until it gets a bit warmer - in no way whatsoever do I want to be responsible for anyone suffering from frostbite or succumbing to hypothermia.) I would totally go see this in theaters if the movie was made! But warning - I will be very angry if the characters/plot are not the way they should be! So Jenny Han had better be collaborating on any movie project so that it doesn't turn into a total ruin like Twilight.
I would review the second and third books for you all, but I'll just let you guys find out what happens to Belly, Conrad & Jeremiah for yourselves. Does Conrad ever tell Belly how he feels about her? What will happen to the summer house - and more importantly, to the friendships/relationships that exist between the Fisher/Conklin families - if Susannah passes away? The world may never know...
Just kidding - the answers are all revealed in the next two books - titles are above! So go read them, people!
Monday, February 20, 2012
This is Why I Prefer Individual Projects
For AP US History, my teacher (who I absolutely love, despite which people she puts me in a group with) assigned everybody into groups for a project where we have to teach the class about a specific part of the Progressive era. My group got the corporations part of this (blah, I know, not my favorite part of APUSH either) - and yes, I do actually enjoy AP US History, and not meaning to brag or anything, but my having a 100 average in that class for more than a semester does help in the fact that the class is easy for me - but I was put into a group with girls who I do get along with (the majority of them), but discovered are not so great work partners (except one girl) - because they all expect me to do the majority of the work because I'm a nerd in that class.
The problem is, no one wants to make the effort to actually contribute to the project. We had split up the one vague topic into many detailed parts and each one of us chose something to research. I chose the breakup of the Standard Oil Company in 1911. However, the project is due next Monday, we have to submit two FRQ prompts by Thursday, and it will immensely help the organization of this project if we met after school or this weekend to put it all together. But noooooo...everybody's too busy with personal things, fun things. One is sick, the other has rehearsals for a play, and the other two...I don't know what's up with them. I have things after school this week that I am willing to put aside for this project, and they refuse to do so, which makes me feel like I'm the only one who cares about making a good grade on this project. Too bad the grade will be a group grade instead of personal grades, otherwise I'd be making a very good score on this regardless of how everyone else performs. However, since this grade is not based on individual efforts, I have to depend on them for the A I really want.
And I try to set up a date and place where we can all meet, and one girl said Sunday was free for her, another said she couldn't on any single day of the week or the weekend (she said that she could on Friday since she'd be staying after school anyway, but computers aren't open after school Friday and my mom has a no laptop to school policy cause people at my school are thieves, and one said she just plain didn't know. So Sunday it is, then. I told the Friday girl that she should just send everything to me on Sunday then so I can put it all together, and she goes all dramatic and is like "I can't just rearrange my family stuff" and I'm like dude, I'm not asking you to rearrange anything. You're misunderstanding me. And she starts saying that no, she's not misunderstanding me and that I don't know what I'm talking about. I told her that technically it is a misunderstanding because I know myself better than she does and for that reason I know that I would never ask her to change family plans because I know as good as hell that I can't opt out of going to family stuff.
Ugh, dramatic people these days! I wish they'd all disappear. Without them, this world would be much more calm and peaceful. And this is why I prefer working individually on projects...but not science labs, because I am clueless in chemistry and would totally fail that class without someone's help.
The problem is, no one wants to make the effort to actually contribute to the project. We had split up the one vague topic into many detailed parts and each one of us chose something to research. I chose the breakup of the Standard Oil Company in 1911. However, the project is due next Monday, we have to submit two FRQ prompts by Thursday, and it will immensely help the organization of this project if we met after school or this weekend to put it all together. But noooooo...everybody's too busy with personal things, fun things. One is sick, the other has rehearsals for a play, and the other two...I don't know what's up with them. I have things after school this week that I am willing to put aside for this project, and they refuse to do so, which makes me feel like I'm the only one who cares about making a good grade on this project. Too bad the grade will be a group grade instead of personal grades, otherwise I'd be making a very good score on this regardless of how everyone else performs. However, since this grade is not based on individual efforts, I have to depend on them for the A I really want.
And I try to set up a date and place where we can all meet, and one girl said Sunday was free for her, another said she couldn't on any single day of the week or the weekend (she said that she could on Friday since she'd be staying after school anyway, but computers aren't open after school Friday and my mom has a no laptop to school policy cause people at my school are thieves, and one said she just plain didn't know. So Sunday it is, then. I told the Friday girl that she should just send everything to me on Sunday then so I can put it all together, and she goes all dramatic and is like "I can't just rearrange my family stuff" and I'm like dude, I'm not asking you to rearrange anything. You're misunderstanding me. And she starts saying that no, she's not misunderstanding me and that I don't know what I'm talking about. I told her that technically it is a misunderstanding because I know myself better than she does and for that reason I know that I would never ask her to change family plans because I know as good as hell that I can't opt out of going to family stuff.
Ugh, dramatic people these days! I wish they'd all disappear. Without them, this world would be much more calm and peaceful. And this is why I prefer working individually on projects...but not science labs, because I am clueless in chemistry and would totally fail that class without someone's help.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Need to Move On
So, by this time, you'd think I wouldn't be surprised anymore about this. But I am. The other weekend I got pissed off at my friends TO THEIR FACES about excluding me. They invited me to see the Woman In Black, which I now assume was meant to be a pity invite, but now they went to see Chronicle and failed to exclude me. That bitch Hannah went with them, and I'm 200% sure she had everything to do with me not being invited. UGH I WISH A BUS WOULD HIT HER! I would not miss her one bit. Maybe if I wish hard enough...?
I wish I could just shut them all out of my life. But I have to see their faces every single day at school, I have at least two classes with every single one of them. The thing that angers me is that I help them with homework and tutoring and stuff - sometimes I let them copy my history homework, and this is what I get in return? Maybe next time one of them asks for help I'll just say I'm too busy to help them, or that I just plain don't want to.
What would you do if you were in my situation at this point?
I wish I could just shut them all out of my life. But I have to see their faces every single day at school, I have at least two classes with every single one of them. The thing that angers me is that I help them with homework and tutoring and stuff - sometimes I let them copy my history homework, and this is what I get in return? Maybe next time one of them asks for help I'll just say I'm too busy to help them, or that I just plain don't want to.
What would you do if you were in my situation at this point?
The Secret World of Arrietty
I had my initials doubts about this movie, but I am so glad I went to see it. To sum it all up, this movie was simply adorable. In my opinion, Arrietty is so pretty, and I sympathize with her family's worries about the survival of the "little people" race. Warning: don't read on if you plan on seeing this movie, as spoilers may be included.
Even though only the screenplay was by Hayao Miyazaki, the movie was pretty enjoyable and I would definitely go see it again. Sho (I believe - it may have been different in the American version, but that's his Japanese name) is so romantic, and honestly, I find him pretty cute for an anime character. Arrietty's family are known as "borrowers" - they only take stuff that the humans won't miss, such as sugar or tissues or soap. My heart melted when he returned Arrietty's sugar cube to her, even though she waited to take it until it was half eaten by ants. I could feel his pain and desperation to have Arrietty as a friend, and probably more than that. There were quite a few audible awws on my part, as well as those from many girls in the theater, I have to admit. The housekeeper doesn't seem like a truly vindictive person, just that she wanted to show the world that there really were "little people" in the world. But that would have destroyed Arrietty's family and the future of the little people.
I was so sad when Arrietty's family had to leave their small, yet beautiful house under the real house. At least Sho and Arrietty got to say goodbye. The cutest part was when they exchange goodbye gifts and Arrietty gives Sho her hair pin to remember her by, and he says "how could I ever forget you?" and then he says, because he has heart problems and he's having an operation the next day, that "My heart's stronger now because you're in it."
I just love the fact that the romance between Sho and Arrietty was purely innocent. I mean, do movies really need steamy sex scenes and hookups so that people will enjoy them? The cute romantic things are also quite nice, in my opinion.
So, I highly recommend that any of you Studio Ghibli lovers should go see it. Although it was not as amazing as Spirited Away or Castle in the Sky or any of the older Studio Ghibli films, The Secret World of Arrietty is definitely worth seeing.
Even though only the screenplay was by Hayao Miyazaki, the movie was pretty enjoyable and I would definitely go see it again. Sho (I believe - it may have been different in the American version, but that's his Japanese name) is so romantic, and honestly, I find him pretty cute for an anime character. Arrietty's family are known as "borrowers" - they only take stuff that the humans won't miss, such as sugar or tissues or soap. My heart melted when he returned Arrietty's sugar cube to her, even though she waited to take it until it was half eaten by ants. I could feel his pain and desperation to have Arrietty as a friend, and probably more than that. There were quite a few audible awws on my part, as well as those from many girls in the theater, I have to admit. The housekeeper doesn't seem like a truly vindictive person, just that she wanted to show the world that there really were "little people" in the world. But that would have destroyed Arrietty's family and the future of the little people.
I was so sad when Arrietty's family had to leave their small, yet beautiful house under the real house. At least Sho and Arrietty got to say goodbye. The cutest part was when they exchange goodbye gifts and Arrietty gives Sho her hair pin to remember her by, and he says "how could I ever forget you?" and then he says, because he has heart problems and he's having an operation the next day, that "My heart's stronger now because you're in it."
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| "My heart's stronger now because you're in it." |
So, I highly recommend that any of you Studio Ghibli lovers should go see it. Although it was not as amazing as Spirited Away or Castle in the Sky or any of the older Studio Ghibli films, The Secret World of Arrietty is definitely worth seeing.
The Wicked Witch of the West
I know I'll regret bitching about my family (not my immediate family, but extended family such as aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.) if they EVER saw this (God forbid that doesn't happen) but it's something I just have to get out of my system. And to those of you who wonder why I am spilling personal family stuff for the whole world to see, well, I suppose she deserves it. She was never particularly kind to me so why should I return the favor?
Let's focus on my least favorite person on the planet, my aunt Christie. Three words to sum up my aunt - lying, manipulative bitch. It all starts when my mother and Christie were younger. Of course, Christie was my grandparents' favorite daughter - she was - and still is - SUCH a kiss-up. No joke. She always got what she wanted. Later on, it seems as if Christie told deliberate lies to my grandparents to make them disapprove of my mother. For example, Christie told my grandmother at some point in time that my mom went to a party in middle school at a guy friend's house and apparently this guy did drugs. This is an obvious lie, but my grandparents gobbled it up, hook line and sinker. Why, you may ask, is this a blatant lie? You see, my grandparents are very old fashioned and proper, and therefore, my aunt and my mother attended an all girls Catholic school run by nuns. My mom didn't have guy friends to begin with! She didn't have the time to get to know any guy friends, much less go to guy's party, what with all the swimming, piano and study sessions she was forced to do. I could go on and on about Christie's crimes against my family, because there are infinitely many, but we'll just fast-forward to summer 2010. My grandparents invited me and my brothers to come and stay in their condo in Miami Beach for a few weeks, so we went. However, Christie and her children, Luke and Kyle, also came to stay with us. Christie and I got along for the first week or so of being in the same condo together, but then Christie came up with the brilliant idea of all of us going to DisneyWorld for a week, so we went. The first day ruined the whole trip for me. We started in Magic Kingdom. However, Christie was being bossy about everything and deciding what rides we should go on, according to her children's wishes (you'd think an adult woman would act like one, but apparently not) and for a few hours all we did was go on the rides my cousins wanted to go on. I got angry because hours had gone by and we still hadn't gone on my ride. I waited outside for them while they went on a ride I didn't care to go on. It started to rain just as they came out, and I got impatient and angry at her and yelled at her (I admit, I also yelled at my grandma, because Christie was being bossy and she knew it, but wasn't doing anything about it) and Christie raised her hand and was about to hit me. Now, I'm really intolerant of anybody hitting me, and I don't allow it from anyone, and I wasn't about to let Christie hit me. So I called her a bitch to her face. First time ever had I insulted one of my aunts/uncles. Of course, she snitched to my grandmother, who doesn't speak English that well and didn't understand what bitch meant, who chastised me and punished me. I called my mother that afternoon while we were eating a late lunch to tell her what had happened. Behind my grandmother's back, while Christie was coming out of the restaurant, she did the crazy sign, meaning that I was insane. And then when I told my mother that Christie had just called me crazy, my grandmother started telling my mom how I was a liar, that Christie did not call me crazy. And that ticked my mom off immensely, because my grandmother is always telling my mom what a liar she is. It's like, whatever comes out of Christie's mouth is the truth and that's the end of it. Grandmother didn't believe me, so I was cold to both Christie and my grandmother the rest of the trip. It got worse, though. Back at the condo, Christie told me I looked "disgusting" because I didn't feel like getting dressed even though we weren't going anywhere that day. I told in response to go to hell, and she replies, "I'll go when you do." Like WTF did she just say?
If any of you sympathize with me or have an evil, vindictive family member like I do, I'd really appreciate it if you comment and share your story. It'd be nice to know I'm not the only one who feels isolated from their family. My uncles are not that much better, but I'll talk about them some other time. I may go see the Secret World of Arrietty today (lol, with my mom, but that's ok) and I'm actually excited!
Let's focus on my least favorite person on the planet, my aunt Christie. Three words to sum up my aunt - lying, manipulative bitch. It all starts when my mother and Christie were younger. Of course, Christie was my grandparents' favorite daughter - she was - and still is - SUCH a kiss-up. No joke. She always got what she wanted. Later on, it seems as if Christie told deliberate lies to my grandparents to make them disapprove of my mother. For example, Christie told my grandmother at some point in time that my mom went to a party in middle school at a guy friend's house and apparently this guy did drugs. This is an obvious lie, but my grandparents gobbled it up, hook line and sinker. Why, you may ask, is this a blatant lie? You see, my grandparents are very old fashioned and proper, and therefore, my aunt and my mother attended an all girls Catholic school run by nuns. My mom didn't have guy friends to begin with! She didn't have the time to get to know any guy friends, much less go to guy's party, what with all the swimming, piano and study sessions she was forced to do. I could go on and on about Christie's crimes against my family, because there are infinitely many, but we'll just fast-forward to summer 2010. My grandparents invited me and my brothers to come and stay in their condo in Miami Beach for a few weeks, so we went. However, Christie and her children, Luke and Kyle, also came to stay with us. Christie and I got along for the first week or so of being in the same condo together, but then Christie came up with the brilliant idea of all of us going to DisneyWorld for a week, so we went. The first day ruined the whole trip for me. We started in Magic Kingdom. However, Christie was being bossy about everything and deciding what rides we should go on, according to her children's wishes (you'd think an adult woman would act like one, but apparently not) and for a few hours all we did was go on the rides my cousins wanted to go on. I got angry because hours had gone by and we still hadn't gone on my ride. I waited outside for them while they went on a ride I didn't care to go on. It started to rain just as they came out, and I got impatient and angry at her and yelled at her (I admit, I also yelled at my grandma, because Christie was being bossy and she knew it, but wasn't doing anything about it) and Christie raised her hand and was about to hit me. Now, I'm really intolerant of anybody hitting me, and I don't allow it from anyone, and I wasn't about to let Christie hit me. So I called her a bitch to her face. First time ever had I insulted one of my aunts/uncles. Of course, she snitched to my grandmother, who doesn't speak English that well and didn't understand what bitch meant, who chastised me and punished me. I called my mother that afternoon while we were eating a late lunch to tell her what had happened. Behind my grandmother's back, while Christie was coming out of the restaurant, she did the crazy sign, meaning that I was insane. And then when I told my mother that Christie had just called me crazy, my grandmother started telling my mom how I was a liar, that Christie did not call me crazy. And that ticked my mom off immensely, because my grandmother is always telling my mom what a liar she is. It's like, whatever comes out of Christie's mouth is the truth and that's the end of it. Grandmother didn't believe me, so I was cold to both Christie and my grandmother the rest of the trip. It got worse, though. Back at the condo, Christie told me I looked "disgusting" because I didn't feel like getting dressed even though we weren't going anywhere that day. I told in response to go to hell, and she replies, "I'll go when you do." Like WTF did she just say?
If any of you sympathize with me or have an evil, vindictive family member like I do, I'd really appreciate it if you comment and share your story. It'd be nice to know I'm not the only one who feels isolated from their family. My uncles are not that much better, but I'll talk about them some other time. I may go see the Secret World of Arrietty today (lol, with my mom, but that's ok) and I'm actually excited!
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Hayao Miyazaki
Those of you who grew up in the mid to late 90's - early 2000's will know what I'm talking about, as well as those who are older than I am. Hayao Miyazaki is a genius. His films made my childhood, quite literally (well, his movies and the Disney movies, all on VHS, of course). Whenever a 2000's kid asks me what a VCR is, I want to punch them in the face. DVD didn't come out until I was like, seven or eight. By then I already had all the Disney films on VHS. Also - I bought The Help (the book) today! I plan on reading it HOPEFULLY this weekend, but if not, I will definitely start as soon as possible. The movie was fantastic - I'm sure the book will be, too, if not more amazing.
However, my topic today is Hayao Miyazaki. Although I've only seen three of his films - Castle in the Sky, Spirited Away, and Kiki's Delivery Service (and yes, I own all three), I have Howl's Moving Castle, although I haven't seen it yet - I probably should. I decided to bring up Hayao Miyazaki because the Secret World of Arrietty has just come out this weekend in theaters, and I want to see it very much, but because my friends are jerks who chose to go see it without me, I have no one to go see it with. I didn't get to see Ponyo when it came out into theaters - was it good? 
My favorite out of all three Miyazaki films I've seen was Castle in the Sky. I don't know why, but Sheeta was such a cutie and I adored Pazu for trying to protect her from the evil colonel whats-his-face and the rest of the military who are after her. When the two of them - along with Dola's pirate family - reach Laputa, it's so magical. Its emptiness (except for that one robot who stayed behind to look after Laputa) creates the ethereal quality of it. I can't imagine the guts it must have taken Sheeta to destroy Laputa in the end in order to save it from the hands of Muska (who wants to use it for his own personal gain). I love the song at the end of the movie - I listen to it on YouTube all the time! I wish iTunes had the soundtrack to this film - and the film itself.
I also adored Spirited Away. Chihiro and Haku would make such a cute couple, but alas, their relationship was purely innocent, although it is implied that Haku had feelings for Chihiro, shown by his loving care and protection of her throughout the film, and the fact that he had saved her in the river (he's a river spirit of sorts) when she was younger makes it all the more romantic. Please comment on this post if any of you saw Miyazaki's films when you were younger or have seen them before in general! :)
Also, although I don't write on FanFiction, I am reading this really good story based on Naruto (which I do not watch - despite what you may think considering I love Miyazaki films - I am not by any means a huge anime fan.) However, this story is really good. If you read it, you'll see what I mean - like Sakura Haruno, I could find myself curious about Sasuke's history + slightly - majorly - attracted to him (he's apparently gorgeous, which I suppose is typical for any god/goddess) + furious with him for abducting me from everything I'd ever known + extremely terrified of him all at the same time. How could someone have such conflicting feelings towards someone like this? I think I'd have some sort of emotional breakdown. Here's the link:
FanFiction - Quietus
I probably will post again this weekend (thank God that Monday's a holiday! I LOVE long weekends) but if not, I hope everybody makes the most of this weekend, whether it's relaxing, partying, or simply hanging out with friends!
Friday, February 17, 2012
Tattoos and Piercings (Teenagers These Days)
There's quite a few things about teenagers my age that I don't understand. Today's topic, however, is tattoos and piercings. Why does EVERYONE, and I mean literally EVERYONE, is complaining about not being able to get a tattoo at the moment or expressing their desire for a tattoo? Also, the piercings. Frankly, I don't see what's so attractive about having a gazillion holes in all parts of your earlobe, or on your nose, lip, tongue, eyebrow, stomach, etc.
I mean, yes, tattoos are cool, but what's with the obsession of getting one? I've NEVER ever wanted to get a tattoo, most likely never will. I mean, 1) It probably hurts, at least slightly if not a lot. 2) What if you get a tattoo of something and then realize you don't like it afterward or realized you should've gotten something else? And God forbid, what if you tattoo the name of your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife's name on some part of your body? Marriages/relationships don't last forever these days, if you get the picture. Personally, I would never be stupid enough to do that. I've always been a responsible, rather ladylike girl in most things (and I mean MOST, but not all) and I've never cared for any of these things. Maybe it's just the ghetto-ish school I go to where every girl wants these things, but what happened to girls who are just happy with the simple things about their body? Without all the tattoo ink or the holes?
I mean, yes, tattoos are cool, but what's with the obsession of getting one? I've NEVER ever wanted to get a tattoo, most likely never will. I mean, 1) It probably hurts, at least slightly if not a lot. 2) What if you get a tattoo of something and then realize you don't like it afterward or realized you should've gotten something else? And God forbid, what if you tattoo the name of your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife's name on some part of your body? Marriages/relationships don't last forever these days, if you get the picture. Personally, I would never be stupid enough to do that. I've always been a responsible, rather ladylike girl in most things (and I mean MOST, but not all) and I've never cared for any of these things. Maybe it's just the ghetto-ish school I go to where every girl wants these things, but what happened to girls who are just happy with the simple things about their body? Without all the tattoo ink or the holes?
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Why I Hate the Dentist
Who doesn't hate going to the dentist? NO ONE. That's because dentists are universally disliked by all children, teenagers and probably most adults. There's many many different personal reasons why someone may hate their dentist, but the general reasons are the same for everyone. I personally hate those dentist assistants (I don't even call them nurses) who attempt to talk to you while her hand is in your mouth, looking for God knows what.
For me, going to the dentist goes like this. Normally, I go with my siblings, and when we arrive, we wait in the small, kid-friendly waiting area. There are some ancient arcade games that we can play (although I liked them when I was younger, I don't care for them anymore.) The assistant calls us in altogether, except for mom, who's supposed to wait in the waiting room. I know what you're thinking - why would the mom wait in the waiting room rather than go in with her kids? Their rationale for this is that kids would cry less if the mom wasn't around. It personally makes me more frightened to be alone in there with weird dentist people. And also - PEDOPHILES. They are like, a different species of human, I swear. When they're talking dentistry stuff to each other, I understand none of it. It's like, speak English please. I'd like to know what on Earth is up with my mouth. They take photos of your mouth with this special camera thing, and then they wash your mouth, or vice versa. Then the dentist personally checks your mouth, and this is the part I get most anxious about, because my dentist is STRANGE. I try to avoid eye contact or communication with him whatsoever while he's roaming around in there checking on other patients, but when he calls me up for a personal check-up, there's no avoiding him. He sings my name, calling me from the little TV room where I am absentmindedly watching PBS Kids. I guess this may soothe other kids, this singing technique, but at my age, it's just considered weird. Plus, he doesn't say my name right. You'd think after sixteen years he'd get how to pronounce my name correctly, but nope.
Today, I went to the dentist. Everything went according to the paragraph above. The dentist repeatedly sings my name. I go on up to his medical torture chair where I know he will stick metal torture devices in my mouth. I just want to get this over with and go home. There's an assistant next to him. He moves his medical instruments in my mouth, while he says random shit like MO and MOL on 20 and blah blah blah, and all I want to scream is JUST SPEAK ENGLISH! TELL ME WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO SAY! He chastises me for not flossing enough, as he probably does to everyone, and then he lets me go. Then, at the end, he calls my mom in for a brief summary of his findings. Apparently, my gums are "swollen" and that I was the worst of the three siblings, even though I brush my teeth more regularly than they do. I don't even have any cavities! Then he calls me lazy! My mouth drops a bit on this. I ask him about my wisdom teeth and whether I should get them removed or not, and he's like "Why do you want 4 more teeth if you don't even take that good care of the other ones?" and in my mind I'm like "I didn't want them anyway, I was just asking!"
By the way, hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day, or as I like to call it, Single Awareness Day! It's almost ironic how the initials spell out SAD. Ciao! :)
For me, going to the dentist goes like this. Normally, I go with my siblings, and when we arrive, we wait in the small, kid-friendly waiting area. There are some ancient arcade games that we can play (although I liked them when I was younger, I don't care for them anymore.) The assistant calls us in altogether, except for mom, who's supposed to wait in the waiting room. I know what you're thinking - why would the mom wait in the waiting room rather than go in with her kids? Their rationale for this is that kids would cry less if the mom wasn't around. It personally makes me more frightened to be alone in there with weird dentist people. And also - PEDOPHILES. They are like, a different species of human, I swear. When they're talking dentistry stuff to each other, I understand none of it. It's like, speak English please. I'd like to know what on Earth is up with my mouth. They take photos of your mouth with this special camera thing, and then they wash your mouth, or vice versa. Then the dentist personally checks your mouth, and this is the part I get most anxious about, because my dentist is STRANGE. I try to avoid eye contact or communication with him whatsoever while he's roaming around in there checking on other patients, but when he calls me up for a personal check-up, there's no avoiding him. He sings my name, calling me from the little TV room where I am absentmindedly watching PBS Kids. I guess this may soothe other kids, this singing technique, but at my age, it's just considered weird. Plus, he doesn't say my name right. You'd think after sixteen years he'd get how to pronounce my name correctly, but nope.
Today, I went to the dentist. Everything went according to the paragraph above. The dentist repeatedly sings my name. I go on up to his medical torture chair where I know he will stick metal torture devices in my mouth. I just want to get this over with and go home. There's an assistant next to him. He moves his medical instruments in my mouth, while he says random shit like MO and MOL on 20 and blah blah blah, and all I want to scream is JUST SPEAK ENGLISH! TELL ME WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO SAY! He chastises me for not flossing enough, as he probably does to everyone, and then he lets me go. Then, at the end, he calls my mom in for a brief summary of his findings. Apparently, my gums are "swollen" and that I was the worst of the three siblings, even though I brush my teeth more regularly than they do. I don't even have any cavities! Then he calls me lazy! My mouth drops a bit on this. I ask him about my wisdom teeth and whether I should get them removed or not, and he's like "Why do you want 4 more teeth if you don't even take that good care of the other ones?" and in my mind I'm like "I didn't want them anyway, I was just asking!"
By the way, hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day, or as I like to call it, Single Awareness Day! It's almost ironic how the initials spell out SAD. Ciao! :)
Friday, February 10, 2012
Two Truths and a Lie
I know I haven't posted in a while - life gets in the way, sometimes. But I'm here now! And no, I have still not finished Pretty Little Secrets. I will - soon, I hope! For English, I have to read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, so I haven't focused on books for fun - with AP US History, God knows how little time I have for anything else :/
I had to choose course selections for next year. My school's an IB school, and so I chose to do the IB diploma. IB English, IB European History, IB Biology, IB Pre-Cal, IB Music, and IB Spanish, as well as AP government, Theory of Knowledge, and Physics. In other words, goodbye, social life. Goodbye, sleep. I shall enjoy having you guys before next year *tear*
I bought The Help (the movie) today! I have yet to buy the book, and I plan on doing so very soon!
But first, I want to talk about two things. One is friends' issues (AGAIN). I know - I just have to tell SOMEONE, even if I don't personally know them. The other is a book I did read recently (I was able to find the time to read the book - it was only 200 pages on my Nook, so I could finish it in two consecutive days.)
1. I have a friend, James, who I haven't seen in the LONGEST time. He told me he'd go to my school's talent show with me. However, he texts me today, saying he can't, because his girlfriend is sick and her mom wants him to tutor her in math. Are you kidding me? For one, if I was sick, I sure as hell would not want to think about math. That would just give an even bigger headache. Two, he sees her every day. He says "she's crying and sick and needs to see me." Couldn't she just see him tomorrow? Seriously. And three - they don't even take the same math! He takes algebra, and she takes geometry. They are two very different maths. Ugh - he knows how other people (cough, cough, Patrick) treat me, so why does he do it too??
2. Hannah. How I loathe her. My friend Caitlin's mom is a housecleaner. Caitlin and Hannah are BFFs. They went to go see a concert, but they had an argument before or after the concert. They aren't really speaking to each other. Hannah and I have choir together, but we were in the auditorium that day because our choir teacher had to help set up for the school play. Hannah leans over to me and says, "You know, Caitlin's mom seriously is a maid" - or something along those lines. The word "maid" was definitely in that sentence somewhere. I didn't tell Caitlin because I knew she and Hannah would get over this argument really soon and be best friends again, and I didn't want to get involved in something that didn't concern me. So I kept my mouth shut. I stopped sitting with Caitlin and Hannah and the other girls because of Hannah's bullying of me. I sat in the office instead and helped out there. I had been there for a couple of months, but last weekend, she, Patrick, and my other good friends Stephanie and Andrea, decided to have like a mini-sleepover. And I guess I couldn't take it anymore. I asked them flat-out why they excluded me. Of course, they had no decent explanation, no excuse for it. Caitlin, in defense, says I stopped sitting with them. I had ditched them. I explained to her about Hannah's bullying, how she talks bad about her friends behind her back and how I was tired of that. I told her, then, that even she had been talked about. That got her interested, obviously. I told her the truth. Monday, I walk through the school doors and Hannah pounces on me like a tiger. She immediately accuses me of lying, of making everything up. I held my ground, defended myself like I had never done before. She leaves me alone for the rest of the day (and week) but she's angry, as she's deleted me off Facebook. Not that I care. I'm just glad she's leaving me alone. But it's kind of tense between me and my other friends because they are friends with both of us. What should I do?
And now, I shall talk about Two Truths and a Lie by Sara Shepard. Although I can see where some reviewers would find the book a bit sloppy in terms of writing, I actually am interested in who killed Sutton Mercer. Warning for those who have only seen the show on ABC - the books and the show are pretty much unrelated. Sutton's dead in the books, while she's very much alive in the first season of the show, at least. Sutton's dead before the book even starts. Two Truths and a Lie is #3 out of 4 novels in the series. Sara Shepard had better reveal Sutton's killer in the fourth book, because if she hold it out for 8 books like in PLL, I will die. The first two books are called The Lying Game and Never Have I Ever.
DO NOT CONTINUE READING IF YOU PLAN ON READING THIS BOOK. SPOILERS!
Emma Paxton has crossed out Sutton's best friends Madeline and Charlotte, and Sutton's sister Laurel, as well as the Fiorello twins Lili and Gabby from the suspect list. However, mysterious bad-boy runaway Thayer Vega has returned to Tucson. Or has he been there all this time? After his frightening break-in into Emma (well, actually, Sutton's) room, Emma doesn't know what to think about him. He's been arrested (Emma screamed, waking up the whole house) With Sutton narrating and giving us pieces of the night she died, we don't know what to think either. According to Sutton's narrations from beyond the grave, we discover that Thayer returned to Tucson on August 31 (the day Sutton died), to be with her. Apparently, they are in a secret relationship (Sutton at the time was dating Garrett) Despite her protests, Thayer doesn't tell Sutton where he's been. The evening starts off romantically in Sabino Canyon, until Thayer becomes upset with Sutton about Garrett. He walks away, but then grabs her from behind. She runs, terrified, to her car, but drops her keys and he gets her. However, he's protecting her, not trying to hurt her, because once they move away, Sutton's car comes barreling at them, hitting Thayer. Sutton, without a car, tells Thayer to call her sister, Laurel (who considers him her best friend - she also probably has a crush on him) for help, and then she runs off, abandoning him. Laurel comes dutifully and gets him help. However, she spots Sutton hiding in the nearby trees, but doesn't say anything.
Thayer Vega is off the suspect list, but is it possible that Laurel came back for Sutton to kill her? But even if she did, who was behind the wheel of Sutton's car?
Thayer may be out of prison due to Laurel bailing him out, but Sutton's real killer is still on the loose, tracking her every move, it seems, in the shadows. Who could it be?
MY personal suspect list is:
1. Mr. Vega - His motive would be that according to rumors, Sutton was the reason why Thayer ran away in the first place (however, this is not the truth - he was running away from his father. He got into alcoholic issues and entered rehab.) Thayer was the soccer star, seemingly Mr. Vega's pride and joy. If Sutton was the reason why his son was gone, wouldn't he try to get revenge?
2. The Mercer parents - I don't know what their motive could be, but hey, anything's possible.
3. The Chamberlain parents - Emma was assaulted in the Chamberlain's house by an unseen attacker. Either the intruder knew the alarm code and had a key (Mr. Vega could've had both of these) or already was inside the house. As all the girls in the house were cleared, it could've been Mr. or Mrs. Chamberlain. Although I don't know what their motive could be, it seems a bit sketchy and foreshadowing that Mr. Chamberlain was in town the day Emma arrived in Tucson when he was supposed to be out of town, and the first person who recognizes "Sutton" when she arrives.
4. Ethan Landry - I don't know why, but even though he's helping Emma find Sutton's murderer, I can't help but suspect him because he knows who Emma really is. Plus, he would have a motive to kill Sutton - she ruined his chances of getting a college scholarship. I'd be VERY pissed off if anyone did that to me.
5. Garrett Austin - He could've known for sure that Sutton was cheating on him with Thayer (he'd be personally hiding that info from Sutton and everybody else, of course, so as not to give himself away) and killed Sutton in revenge.
5. Emma's and Sutton's real mom, Becky - This seems a bit far off, but like I said earlier, anything's possible.
6. Nisha Banerjee - It doesn't seem likely, as she was hosting a party on the night of Sutton's death, but as Sutton's nemesis, you can't help but feel just a bit suspicious of her.
7. Somebody completely random. In PLL, Alison (Courtney's) real killer wasn't even introduced until the 8th book! And her killer was logical, but random at the same time because nobody even knew Courtney had a twin (the real Ali). Therefore, you never know.
I had to choose course selections for next year. My school's an IB school, and so I chose to do the IB diploma. IB English, IB European History, IB Biology, IB Pre-Cal, IB Music, and IB Spanish, as well as AP government, Theory of Knowledge, and Physics. In other words, goodbye, social life. Goodbye, sleep. I shall enjoy having you guys before next year *tear*
I bought The Help (the movie) today! I have yet to buy the book, and I plan on doing so very soon!
But first, I want to talk about two things. One is friends' issues (AGAIN). I know - I just have to tell SOMEONE, even if I don't personally know them. The other is a book I did read recently (I was able to find the time to read the book - it was only 200 pages on my Nook, so I could finish it in two consecutive days.)
1. I have a friend, James, who I haven't seen in the LONGEST time. He told me he'd go to my school's talent show with me. However, he texts me today, saying he can't, because his girlfriend is sick and her mom wants him to tutor her in math. Are you kidding me? For one, if I was sick, I sure as hell would not want to think about math. That would just give an even bigger headache. Two, he sees her every day. He says "she's crying and sick and needs to see me." Couldn't she just see him tomorrow? Seriously. And three - they don't even take the same math! He takes algebra, and she takes geometry. They are two very different maths. Ugh - he knows how other people (cough, cough, Patrick) treat me, so why does he do it too??
2. Hannah. How I loathe her. My friend Caitlin's mom is a housecleaner. Caitlin and Hannah are BFFs. They went to go see a concert, but they had an argument before or after the concert. They aren't really speaking to each other. Hannah and I have choir together, but we were in the auditorium that day because our choir teacher had to help set up for the school play. Hannah leans over to me and says, "You know, Caitlin's mom seriously is a maid" - or something along those lines. The word "maid" was definitely in that sentence somewhere. I didn't tell Caitlin because I knew she and Hannah would get over this argument really soon and be best friends again, and I didn't want to get involved in something that didn't concern me. So I kept my mouth shut. I stopped sitting with Caitlin and Hannah and the other girls because of Hannah's bullying of me. I sat in the office instead and helped out there. I had been there for a couple of months, but last weekend, she, Patrick, and my other good friends Stephanie and Andrea, decided to have like a mini-sleepover. And I guess I couldn't take it anymore. I asked them flat-out why they excluded me. Of course, they had no decent explanation, no excuse for it. Caitlin, in defense, says I stopped sitting with them. I had ditched them. I explained to her about Hannah's bullying, how she talks bad about her friends behind her back and how I was tired of that. I told her, then, that even she had been talked about. That got her interested, obviously. I told her the truth. Monday, I walk through the school doors and Hannah pounces on me like a tiger. She immediately accuses me of lying, of making everything up. I held my ground, defended myself like I had never done before. She leaves me alone for the rest of the day (and week) but she's angry, as she's deleted me off Facebook. Not that I care. I'm just glad she's leaving me alone. But it's kind of tense between me and my other friends because they are friends with both of us. What should I do?
And now, I shall talk about Two Truths and a Lie by Sara Shepard. Although I can see where some reviewers would find the book a bit sloppy in terms of writing, I actually am interested in who killed Sutton Mercer. Warning for those who have only seen the show on ABC - the books and the show are pretty much unrelated. Sutton's dead in the books, while she's very much alive in the first season of the show, at least. Sutton's dead before the book even starts. Two Truths and a Lie is #3 out of 4 novels in the series. Sara Shepard had better reveal Sutton's killer in the fourth book, because if she hold it out for 8 books like in PLL, I will die. The first two books are called The Lying Game and Never Have I Ever.
DO NOT CONTINUE READING IF YOU PLAN ON READING THIS BOOK. SPOILERS!
Emma Paxton has crossed out Sutton's best friends Madeline and Charlotte, and Sutton's sister Laurel, as well as the Fiorello twins Lili and Gabby from the suspect list. However, mysterious bad-boy runaway Thayer Vega has returned to Tucson. Or has he been there all this time? After his frightening break-in into Emma (well, actually, Sutton's) room, Emma doesn't know what to think about him. He's been arrested (Emma screamed, waking up the whole house) With Sutton narrating and giving us pieces of the night she died, we don't know what to think either. According to Sutton's narrations from beyond the grave, we discover that Thayer returned to Tucson on August 31 (the day Sutton died), to be with her. Apparently, they are in a secret relationship (Sutton at the time was dating Garrett) Despite her protests, Thayer doesn't tell Sutton where he's been. The evening starts off romantically in Sabino Canyon, until Thayer becomes upset with Sutton about Garrett. He walks away, but then grabs her from behind. She runs, terrified, to her car, but drops her keys and he gets her. However, he's protecting her, not trying to hurt her, because once they move away, Sutton's car comes barreling at them, hitting Thayer. Sutton, without a car, tells Thayer to call her sister, Laurel (who considers him her best friend - she also probably has a crush on him) for help, and then she runs off, abandoning him. Laurel comes dutifully and gets him help. However, she spots Sutton hiding in the nearby trees, but doesn't say anything.
Thayer Vega is off the suspect list, but is it possible that Laurel came back for Sutton to kill her? But even if she did, who was behind the wheel of Sutton's car?
Thayer may be out of prison due to Laurel bailing him out, but Sutton's real killer is still on the loose, tracking her every move, it seems, in the shadows. Who could it be?
MY personal suspect list is:
1. Mr. Vega - His motive would be that according to rumors, Sutton was the reason why Thayer ran away in the first place (however, this is not the truth - he was running away from his father. He got into alcoholic issues and entered rehab.) Thayer was the soccer star, seemingly Mr. Vega's pride and joy. If Sutton was the reason why his son was gone, wouldn't he try to get revenge?
2. The Mercer parents - I don't know what their motive could be, but hey, anything's possible.
3. The Chamberlain parents - Emma was assaulted in the Chamberlain's house by an unseen attacker. Either the intruder knew the alarm code and had a key (Mr. Vega could've had both of these) or already was inside the house. As all the girls in the house were cleared, it could've been Mr. or Mrs. Chamberlain. Although I don't know what their motive could be, it seems a bit sketchy and foreshadowing that Mr. Chamberlain was in town the day Emma arrived in Tucson when he was supposed to be out of town, and the first person who recognizes "Sutton" when she arrives.
4. Ethan Landry - I don't know why, but even though he's helping Emma find Sutton's murderer, I can't help but suspect him because he knows who Emma really is. Plus, he would have a motive to kill Sutton - she ruined his chances of getting a college scholarship. I'd be VERY pissed off if anyone did that to me.
5. Garrett Austin - He could've known for sure that Sutton was cheating on him with Thayer (he'd be personally hiding that info from Sutton and everybody else, of course, so as not to give himself away) and killed Sutton in revenge.
5. Emma's and Sutton's real mom, Becky - This seems a bit far off, but like I said earlier, anything's possible.
6. Nisha Banerjee - It doesn't seem likely, as she was hosting a party on the night of Sutton's death, but as Sutton's nemesis, you can't help but feel just a bit suspicious of her.
7. Somebody completely random. In PLL, Alison (Courtney's) real killer wasn't even introduced until the 8th book! And her killer was logical, but random at the same time because nobody even knew Courtney had a twin (the real Ali). Therefore, you never know.
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