This weekend and my club and I played a college showcase in Oceanside, San Diego. It was a 3-day showcase with 4 teams in each bracket. My team and I just moved up a level, so now we are NPL, but we were still playing teams a division higher than us. We went the weekend undefeated, with a tie in the first game on Friday, a 3-1 win on Saturday, and a 4-0 win on Sunday. I played almost the entire game every game, with only being out for 5 minutes each day. My teammates and I didn’t just play soccer; we also went to the mall, and many of us got lunch and dinner together. My mom and I stayed in a hotel right next to the fields, so it was very easy to go from the field to the hotel without going out of our way. My team has a very good chance at winning the state cup this year, and we could also win in Vegas, where there will be so many college scouts.
This past week was Thanksgiving break, and I had the lucky opportunity to have my friend Renji, who’s from Tokyo, Japan.
It was such a beautiful week with him and here’s how we spent it:
Friday 11/21: We had a day of classes but no sports, so we got picked up and headed to my house. We didn’t do too much, just ate dinner, played with my dog, and got him situated in the house.
Saturday 11/22: Today was jam-packed! We took my dog, Coco, on a walk in the morning, played tons of Fortnite and Clash Royale as two teenage boys should do. We cleaned up my room to help him get around, walked downtown, and played more video games after dinner.
Sunday 11/23: Easily the chillest day of break, stayed home all day waiting for my older brother to return home for the week from college, and that was it!
Monday 11/24: We’re finally joined at the gym by my brother, and that was nice. Renji benchpressed for the first time, and it was amazing! He was sore till Friday, but at least he had fun.
Tuesday 11/25: Renji and I went to Soule Park Golf Course with my friend Wyatt and hit balls at the range, which was a burst of pure joy! Watching Renji slice every ball for 45 minutes made my day! After, we went back to my house and played in the pool.
Wednesday 11/26: Wyatt came over, and I, Renji, Brody, who is my older brother, and Wyatt all drove down to Oxnard and went to Dick’s Sporting Goods, then Target in Ventura. Renji caused a scene in Target, and we had to leave immediately.
Thursday 11/27: Thanksgiving Day! We went to see my dad’s family in Seal Beach, and I told Renji to speak Japanese to all my family, but the lights were too bright for the kid, and he couldn’t.
Friday 11/28: Thanksgiving day 2, we had my mom’s side of the family’s dinner at our house, and it was very chill, we all ate more turkey and mashed potatoes, and all had food comas.
Saturday 11/29: Brody was gone! But Jay was here? Yes, Jay came late Friday night and spent the night. We all went to dinner at Ojai Pizza, then watched a movie that was insanely good, and I loved it and am obsessed. Sentimental Value, my good friend Ian joined us, and it was amazing.
Sunday 11/30: The worst day of them all, school was tomorrow, and Renji and Jay had to go back to upper, but it was a great week, and I’d do it again.
Thanksgiving is my least favorite holiday. I have no trouble eating, but when it’s the fourth Thursday of November, my appetite seems to disappear. When I was younger my family had a huge and lively Thanksgiving dinner. My mom, dad, two half-sisters, my half-sisters’ dad, my grandparents, our baby-sitter, and our baby-sitters son were always in attendance year after year. So many people showed up to give thanks and enjoy a nice meal. I remember feeling overcome with happiness, warmth, and belonging during these celebrations. Things are different now. My parents got divorced, my two half-sisters moved out of state, their dad is never in town, my grandparents are too old to travel, my old baby-sitter is busy with new kids, and her son also moved away. This year I didn’t have a traditional Thanksgiving. I didn’t eat any Thanksgiving food, I didn’t see any family, and I wasn’t happy. Instead, I visited my mom and her new husband for lunch. We ate crab legs. Still a great delicacy but it just isn’t as magical as a traditional Thanksgiving meal. For dinner my dad dragged me along to a restaurant with his new girlfriend and her mother. Although I’m glad he is happy and has found someone he is thankful for, I don’t feel the same way towards her. Spending Thanksgiving without my family took away all the happiness, warmth, and belonging I once felt. I picked through disgusting pumpkin ravioli as my dads new girlfriend berated me with questions. I wanted more than anything to be at home with turkey, stuffing, and my own family. Everything that Thanksgiving is about has been stripped from me. I hope one day to start a family of my own where we prioritize each other especially on the one day designated for it.
Since it’s about to be Christmas, I will be reviewing Mickey’s Christmas Carol. Personally, I think it’s a 10/10 movie. The plot: 10/10, characters: 10/10, and theme: 10/10. It was my favorite movie to watch as a kid during Christmas time. So, the cast invloves Scrooge mcDuck as Ebenezer Scrooge, Mickey Mouse as Bob, Cratchit, Goofy as the spirit of Jacob Marley, Jiminy Cricket as Ghost of Christmas Past, Williw the Giant as the Ghost of Christmas Present, and Pete plays the Ghost of Christmas Future. In March, I randomly would have it on. In June, with the weather at 100 degrees, you bet I was watching it. To me, it was just that good. I especially liked the version where it was the House of Mouse, with a marathon of other short stories that ended with the Christmas Carol. If you have young children, I highly recommend this movie for parents wanting a nice holiday movie to show their kids or anyone who just loves a good Christmas movie.
We had our first official OVS soccer game this week. Leading up to the game, I felt underprepared and totally not ready for the season to start. I was using hand-me-down football cleats in practice, and my new cleats wouldn’t arrive until the day of the game. I also didn’t have shin guards or soccer socks, so I was fully prepared to look so so silly or even be benched.
Luckily, I wasn’t the only one who was not at all ready. Dylan also had no socks, and half an hour before the game started, Mrs. Kocijan had to get some for us out of the student store. Mrs. Kocijan is a serious lifesaver. Dylan and I thanked her profusely for her help, and we quickly got ready for the game.
My new cleats were so lovely, and I could tell everyone on the other team was super jealous of how white they were. That lasted about 2 seconds because our field is covered in mud, and the other team stepped on me a lot. Even though the other team was super rude and pushed me so much, I managed to score a goal and celebrate with my team, who stepped on my cleats more, this time on accident.
After making such a fantastic play, the other team got even more jealous and upset at me. When I was dribbling down the field, a defender completely took my footing, and I fell and tumbled to the ground. He was silly for that because he got a yellow card and his coach took him out of the game. After the match, everyone reeled in their sportsmanship and complimented my new brown cleats.
OVS Journalism Blog 
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