Month: September 2023

Matcha

pottymouth818Leave a comment

I didn’t know what to write about so I asked Mieke and she told me to write about Matcha. 

The first time I ever had a Matcha was in the early morning before another volleyball tournament just like any other. Just as always the sky was still dark and foggy and we had about an hour of driving ahead of us before arriving at the convention center. It was our turn to drive the carpool. As usual, before we picked up our carpool, my mom and I stopped at Starbucks to pick up the whole group’s Starbucks order. After three years of carpooling every day and just about every other weekend with the same people, I already knew their early morning orders by heart. It was a routine of the best kind. At this point, we were old enough to drive but there was something so innocent and pure about waking up early for a tournament and having our moms drive so we could sleep sprawled across each other in the car’s back seat. It was a part of our childhood we could hold onto for a little longer. 

Recently my mom had begun to start drinking Matcha. Watching her drink, I was never compelled to try it. For some reason that one random morning as we waited for the rest of the order she kept insisting on “taking a sip” until I gave in. It didn’t take her much effort to convince me considering that I would do anything she said. After that moment the rest is history. 

Soon matcha started showing up all around my life. Matcha arrived in between volleyball games at tournaments, before doctors’ appointments, and early mornings on important days. To this day, every time my mom and I go to the airport she carves out a little time to make sure I can get my matcha just because she knows how much I love it. I quickly started loving matcha more than she ever did. 

Just like anything else, Matcha became a part of me growing up. I would go to Starbucks to get matcha and study, before the start of any road trip or drive that surpasses an hour when ditching and leaving school with friends just cause, when going to the beach, and on the days after sleepovers looking homeless with my friends. Matcha has become the drink of every season. 

Although I live at boarding school now, and I can’t bring my mom along with me, the one thing that I’ll always have with me (unless I get really sick of it) is Matcha. Throughout different chapters of life, different friends, different places, different problems, and feelings, one thing that has stayed with me is the Matcha. 

I love you and thank you, Mom.

(Listen to your mom, she’s usually right)

(also if you haven’t tried Matcha yet you should bc it’s really god)

Photo by Anna Tukhfatullina Food Photographer/Stylist on Pexels.com

AP Chem, More Like AP Misery

godgoldngloryLeave a comment

I know junior year is supposed to be hard and all, but this is really my tipping point. Between three other AP classes, precalc, journalism, and being a yearbook editor, as well as other extracurriculars like being in Student Council, a dorm prefect, and in varsity sports, I have taken on a lot this year. All of these things are in addition to keeping up with my friends and family and also keeping myself in check.

Even though it’s a lot, honestly, I could do it. That is, if it weren’t for the class that could commonly go by the name of the course of satan himself.

Now, I have nothing against Mr. Driscoll; I love him. He’s super sweet, helpful, and knows what he is talking about. However, I don’t think the best teacher in the entire world could get me through that class. Again, this is not due to Mr. Driscoll, but as soon as I walk through the door of the chem lab, I am flooded with an immediate sense of grief. If I hear one more person talk about mass spectroscopy, thermodynamics, or stoichiometry, I don’t think I will make it to next week. I genuinely think everyone still in that class is some sort of superhero.

This past week, I have been pursuing other options for classes to take if I drop out of AP Chem. After much thought, I have decided to transfer to AP Bio. Now, I know AP Bio doesn’t sound all that different from AP Chem, but it is for me. I just have this deep-rooted and indescribable hatred for chemistry that cannot be applied to anything else. I’m not exactly sure what ionic compound demon possessed me when I was choosing my classes last year.

Anyhow, it doesn’t matter anymore, as I am out of that class forever. I will never be haunted by intermolecular forces and chemical reactions again. I am free.

Sad Asian Student Clutching Head After Failed Experiment In Chemistry Class. Disappointed Asian Student Carrying Out Experiment In Chemistry Class. Vector Flat Design Illustration. Square Layout. Royalty Free SVG, Cliparts, Vectors, and
https://www.google.com/search?q=chemistry+sad+class&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwif863ozL2BAxUfI0QIHcW_BCIQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=chemistry+sad+class&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzoFCAAQgARQ0wdYlw1ghA5oAHAAeACAAUaIAZsCkgEBNpgBAKABAaoBC2d3cy13aXotaW1nwAEB&sclient=img&ei=djUNZZ_gLp_GkPIPxf-SkAI&bih=803&biw=1470&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS917US917#imgrc=aQow0fyf_WhZLM

BOT

uwucutiepatootieLeave a comment

I have not been getting any sleep this year and I feel like a bot. The only thing me and my roommate do is drink energy drinks, do homework, and cry. We have serious moments of hysteria every night where we slap ourselves in the face, bang our heads against the wall, and start aggressively laughing which turns into crying. We have no time to go on our phones or watch TV. We get between five to zero hours of sleep every school night. Last year I wasn’t taking actual classes but I would stay up just as late watching movies and dancing with my current roommate. Now, we barely have enough time to even take a five-minute break. We feel as if we are doing something wrong because everyone else that we have talked to finishes their homework way earlier. Whenever I feel like giving up, my roommate screams that I need to be a bot. Over the last month of rooming together, I have gained the bot mentality.

“The mighty mouse robot at Sandia” by U.S. Department of Energy/ CC0 1.0

I would be a duck

poofypuffyLeave a comment

If I could be any animal, I would be a duck.

First, ducks have small brains. I think it would be nice to just hang out in the water all day thinking about nothing but food. Actually not all day, like your whole life.

Secondly, ducks are cute.

Third: ducks can fly. I think it would be so nice to fly, so just be above everything and look at it from afar. Also, being high up is scary to me, to the point where it’s kind of exciting so I think flying would be cool.

Fourth of all, ducks are all-terrain. They can go in the air, land, or water. I think the water would be the best part, if not the sky. To just float in the cool water for your whole life would be so nice. No college applications. No class, no grades, no tests, no SATs. No worries, no stress, no hurt, no tears, no disgust, no listening to people cry and not being able to do anything about it. 

Fifth of all, ducks look very soft. I just want to pet one so bad, but they don’t sound like very good pets because they poop everywhere. A duck would probably be happier in the wild anyway. Also, I have a cat that would definitely attack the duck.

Photo by Prathap Karaka

Loss

leapingwaterLeave a comment

In July, I lost my aunt.

She was one of the brightest souls I had ever met. Everyone knew her as someone who was always smiling, and howling with laughter at any moment. She simply just entirely enjoyed life, even the small moments. She raised my cousins, as their father was not always in their lives, and she made countless sacrifices for our family. She survived a heart attack, beat breast cancer, and would not give up. Never. For the past few years, at least since I really started growing up, she had been suffering from dementia. As a child, this confused me in a way, but I honestly did not think much of it. To me, it was who she was, and I loved her even though this illness began to grow worse.

I had always acknowledged the dementia, but I really began to realize that it was a problem once her memory reset went from every 10 minutes to 5 minutes, to about 20 seconds.

Even through these difficult moments, she always would make me and others have the biggest smiles on our faces. I miss always hearing her call me “ducky” (darling in English slang), and hearing her laugh, which you could quite literally hear from two doors down. She embodied joy.

The thing about my aunt is that she had a fear of missing out, of sorts. My family as well as the doctors were surprised she kept going despite being severely ill towards the end. She just simply did not want to go. She always wanted to be a part of the party, and she did so in every aspect of life. She did all sorts of crazy and adventurous things in her 82 years of life. She rode Harley’s, got tattoos in her 50s (one of many being Betty Boop), flew hot air balloons, owned an absolute zoo of animals, and had many more stories that she would tell if reminded of them.

I had never lost someone so close to me before. Seeing her for the first time in a while, in such a different state really made me reflect on life. I would sit with her in her hospital room, watching her sleep, unable to speak at all to me at times. It was only her and I. I began to realize that there are so many insignificant things that tend to bother us greatly in our everyday life, that simply just should not bother us at all. I realized the importance of the phrase “life is short.” It really is. Here in front of me was a woman who had done so many incredible things throughout her life, and she could not even remember any of them at this point. It was like all of her memories had been locked away, never to be touched again.

Looking back on these times, I realize this experience has changed me so much. My perspective has changed a lot. It’s very difficult to explain. My first time experiencing grief was so strange for me as well. I had never felt it. I heard someone say somewhere that grief is love with nowhere to go, which I can relate to. I still cannot totally comprehend that she is gone. She was there, and now only memories remain. Everyone should try to live every day to the fullest. To lead your life with genuine kindness and non-judgment, especially to yourself, is what she did, and that is truly a beautiful way to live.

pc: Lloyd Towe

People

justthatonegirllLeave a comment

All I have to say to start this off is ugh people… I have no idea why, but everyone I put in my life creates issues. I can never do anything without feeling severely watched or judged. Any moment I do something I have to stop and think. Will this trigger anyone? Will anyone be mad? People in the world we live in are never satisfied. Can I be friends with this person or will someone think I am weird for that? To be honest I have no answers… And the closest I can get to the truth is you and I will always be judged. Someone will always be mad. And no one will ever be happy with the decisions that are made in life. Many people just get mad for no reason whatsoever. While others will continuously stand by and be happy because they want others to be happy as well. To be happy in this modern age we live to make others happy. Most of the time that is a lot of work. I will try my best to make the others around me happy but at some point, in time, I realize… they will never be happy with me or the decisions made. Even if it is for their benefit. People always will have something to say. And it does not matter if you asked them or not. Some people just can never mind their own business. People crave to create, hear, and see drama. Which every person can be guilty of. But at an indefinite time, does that not get old? Friends, relationships, judgment, and anger always circle back around. All of those things circle back. And that’s what life does. Life circles back. The reality of the world is no one will ever be 100% happy. No one can change my mind or my opinion. The world is imperfect. I am imperfect. And people are imperfect. So take this as my apology to all of the people in the world. I am sorry for the mistakes I have made. I am sorry for the mistakes other people have made. And I am sorry for those of you who can not see through the imperfections of life. 

pc: me

My sport

kittenqueen3Leave a comment

Throughout my 15 years of life, I have tried countless sports. My siblings are athletic, and sports have always come easy to them, but it hasn’t been easy for me. To be honest, I’m pretty unathletic. I have tried countless sports and continue to be mediocre at all of them. Both of my brothers have dedicated their lives to basketball, and both are successful; they have both played club and competitively. My parents put me in a basketball league when I was younger, and I wasn’t that bad, but I was definitely not great. I watched a soccer movie and begged my parents to sign me up for soccer, so they did but they also signed up my brothers. My brother ended up starting on his team and being the lead team scorer while I spent my time on the bench. I then picked up surfing as a hobby during quarantine. I struggled a lot at first but after months of practice, I  was ok. The thing about surfing is I truly enjoyed it and I continued to surf for months. One day I decided to bring my brother with me and it came so naturally to him. He stood up like it was nothing on his 3rd wave ever.  Growing up I never liked to lose. I was raised in a competitive household, to say the least, everything was always a contest to who could be in the car first to who could finish dinner first.  Growing up my parents emphasized the importance of being academically smart and my whole life till covid I was always a straight-A student. During covid my parents homeschooled me and I began to fall behind. The lack of social interaction was hard for me, as I am a very social person. When I returned to OVS in 8th grade I fell far behind getting my first ever C and failing Spanish which had come easy to me my whole life. As always I was listening to Taylor Swift and I began to relate to the lyrics of “This Is Me Trying”. If you haven’t listened to the song I highly suggest you do. I used to struggle watching my brothers quickly and easily succeed at things that took me so long to become mediocre at but after hours of reflection and of course Taylor Swift I soon realized everyone has something they’re good at. Mine may not be school or sports but one day I will find it and till then I’ll cheer my brothers on and continue to be mediocre at sports and okay at school.

pc:me

Experiencing Girlhood

elephantlover2035Leave a comment

Girlhood is so pure. It is the feeling of sitting in silence on your floor going through your camera picking what photos to post on Pinterest. It is the feeling of turning off auto-capitalization on your phone. Girlhood is beautiful. It is doing everything on the floor- homework, getting ready, even eating- rather than sitting on a chair. Somehow, the floor is more inviting. Girlhood is dying your hair blue with the help of all the friends you made in college, and it turns out terrible, but it was not really about the end product at all, just the experience. Girlhood is borrowing clothes and switching outfits with each other when one outfit feels better for that person’s vibe. It is friendships that consist of talking all night long or watching Gilmore Girls until someone ends up falling asleep. It is a universal experience that women of all ages experience. Nothing beats the feeling of tanning all day at the beach and then getting a nice cold treat after. Or the feeling of becoming friends with someone because they complimented your outfit. Girlhood is simple, but yet impactful. The debriefs, the coffee chats, and even the 3-5 pm naps, it is all part of girlhood. It is using the restroom together at a party and holding their hair back when they throw up. It is supporting them through everything and working together to write texts that will either damage you forever or get you to fall in love with them. It is painting your fingers dark cherry red and taking pictures of the sunset. Girlhood is getting a beverage at a cafe and always taking candid pictures of your friends. It is uploading photos from your digital camera at the end of the day and sending them to everyone, waiting excitedly to see their reaction. Girlhood is messy, it is painful, and it is colorful.

IMG_5087
pc: me

Egg tarts

poofypuffyLeave a comment

My favorite food is egg tarts.

I could do my capstone project on egg tarts. I could genuinely research different types of egg tarts for a year and then bake them. 

So far, Portuguese egg tarts (picture below) are my favorite because the puff pastry is flaky and crispy. Hong Kong egg tarts are good too, but I prefer the flaky western tart crust. Also, Hong Kong egg tarts don’t brown on top like Portuguese tarts.

Apparently, English egg tarts are also a thing, but they’re definitely less well-known, so I would guess they are not as good.

I’ve been craving egg tarts ever since I saw an Instagram reel with egg tarts in it, so I am going to Trader Joe’s today to see if they have frozen egg tarts. If they do I will buy a lot.

UPDATE: I spent the whole day looking for some today and didn’t find any. There was no egg tarts at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Westridge, or Seafood City, which is really sad. Apparently, Trader Joe’s sells Portuguese tartlets with COD though. fish. You can buy egg tarts in LA, but that’s far.

Picture Credit: Nick Fewings

Big Step

graypenguinLeave a comment

The summer after 9th grade in my home country I made the biggest decision of my 15 years of life. It was the decision to come to the United States. What I wanted to do, was to get an education in the United States and go to college. I first became interested in studying abroad when I went to Australia for a week in 5th and 7th grade to attend a local school. I was shocked by the cultural differences there. The technological advances, the teaching styles, everything was new and fascinating. My parents are very supportive of what I want to do. I was very blessed with my surroundings, and I was a little sad to leave my school in Japan. However, I was more excited about my new life. When I arrived at my current school, it was during the Covid pandemic. However, my mother came with me to the United States. I felt sad to be away from my family, even though it was the path I had chosen. But more than that, I was surrounded by wonderful friends and teachers, which made me realize that my decision was not a mistake. I was sure that this big step would enrich my life.

pc: me