Happy Mother’s Day

Sometimes, I wonder how people cope with not being able to spend Mother’s Day with their moms. Or even the other holidays that we boarding students don’t get to go home for. Personally, holidays honoring parents or lovers or, heck, even the Easter Bunny should be spent with at least the person who the holiday has been dedicated to. Well, today is Mother’s Day and as I got off the phone with my mom I realized that it has been at least two years since I’ve spent Mother’s Day with my mom. Come to think of it, the past two Father’s Days were spent in the car driving down here, to school. If you are a boarding student, doesn’t that bother you?

It’s just that, some kids, adults, parents, don’t get to celebrate some of these holidays. To me, that’s just makes the day even more important. We get the chance to spend time with our parents, show them why we love them and that they are appreciated, but others probably don’t get that opportunity. And yet, here we are. Forced to make phone calls and the cards we buy don’t get there until six days later and we can’t go out to lunch but we can talk about all the stuff we’re going to do “when we get home”. I think we take advantage of these holidays. How do I know that when I get home there will be enough time to spend with my family before I have to start my new life? So, I say treat them, the holidays, your parents, like it’s the last day you’re going to see them. Corny, yeah, but these holidays were made for a reason. Your mom deserves a hug, so give her one and while you’re at it, can you give mine one too?

Sorry Mum.

Love

Dearest Mum, I’m writing to apologize for being sick on mother’s day. Spending all day in bed is what you should be doing while I bring you tea and cook you meals but no it’s the reverse. I truly hope the gift made up for it.

I guess this shows what a dedicated and thoughtful mum you are and I’m sorry I cannot repay you for kindness on a day like today. I acknowledge the favors that you have done for the whole of my life and I thank you for the time you have spent in raising me.

The countless times you went searching for my favorite teddy and cared for me when I was sick. All those occasions when you brought me hot soup and lemon and honey and took the time to make sure I was ok I will never forget. The countless birthday cakes you have created depending on my interests at the time and our walks to school when I was little will always be stuck in my memory.

I know that family has been your priority since you were 23 and I appreciate the time you have put in to raise me and Bex. I’m sorry that I don’t always show it but I do care and respect you a lot. I love how we have great things in common including our sense of humor, love for Vampire Diaries and sweet tooth, but I do often feel sorry for Dad because of our stubbornness and argumentative sides.

Although it seems strange the best thing is when we argue because we both come up with the stupidest comebacks. Seeing your face as and you try desperately not to laugh paired with mine in the same position makes my day. Arguing is fun with you.

So the message in this blog is thank you. I love you and I’m sorry I’m too sick to look after you on your day, I guess I should really make it a regular habit, being nicer that is.

I love you.

Strugglin’

Bro! So AP exams have been happening for a little under a week now. My first one is over, thank Jesus. But, I still have another one on Friday. Stress is killer of course but you know what’s really annoying? The fact that my Senioritis has kicked in times one trillion and 72. Last year I always thought Senioritis wouldn’t be so bad. I was wrong. Seriously, I just do not want to do anything but sit in my bed and watch Bones. It’s really upsetting too because it’s the end of the year and I have a lot to catch up on. *Cough* Blogs *Cough*.

I’m just strugglin’ man. Here’s what will happen, I’ll sit down at my computer, I’ll think of an idea and get really inspired. Then when I start to write I get super creative and come up with these crazy thoughts. But, when I run out of time to finish what I start, it never ends getting done. The worst part is, on the weekends I get more done than I do during the actual school week. I’ll spend hours studying on the weekend, but by the time Monday comes I’m too burned out to do any other work. It’s ridonkulous. Gosh dern it’s frustrating!

So, what do I do? I want to graduate man, but I’m not gonna lie, I’m scared!

shh…promise not to tell!

Woah. Two years.

Sounds like a long time.It is a long time. But I don’t know why, it doesn’t feel like a long time. Time doesn’t exist or really matter when I am with him.

Two years ago, on the 29th of this month, a much younger, braces-clad me was asked out by my current boyfriend. We both have grown so much since that day and learned so much about each other. Tomorrow, 24 hours from today, we will be hitting our 2 year milestone.

This is a big deal; neither one of us have been in a relationship this long and with the impending graduation coming closer each day, I want to make sure that tomorrow will be a special day, a memorable day that he can look back on after he walks the cobblestone stage.

I plan on making him a scavenger hunt. A series of six clues that lead him to me. I will tell him that I can’t see him because I am busy studying for the upcoming AP’s and that I am so sorry that I can’t see him on our anniversary. Then, his friends will make sure he doesn’t eat dinner or leave the vicinity of his room. He will find his first clue which will come with a rice krispies treat that I made in the shape of a letter. After finding all the clues, the rice krispies will reveal my location and he will meet me there to find a dinner made from scratch!

It’s not much, just a few pieces of paper and time spent putting a few ingredients together. But they say that the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. If he likes it, then that’ll be the best thing!

The Blood Man

In Australia, Joe Mannana plans to make a trip to donate his blood.

What is so interesting about this man?

First, he is 79-year-old.

Second, he has donated his blood over 1000 times during 36 years.

Last, he has saved over 20,000 lives of infants and mothers.

Born with RH- A blood type that can also be replaced with RH+ A blood type, he indeed is a rare man with mutant but precious blood.

He began this donation marathon after he survived a difficult surgery that demanded a special blood like his. However, the doctors later realized that the operation proceeded successfully even after wrong type of blood had been transfused into his body. Since then, he decided to save other lives and contribute to the medical experiments.

Even though he has already been marked as a significant benefactor of the medical field, he continues to incessantly donate every possible drop of his blood.

The Trials of Adoption

This may sound petty, but I have always wanted an adorable little Asian baby.

Similar to the one in the upper left picture, he/she will speak 3 languages and of course maintain the most cutest and stylish of haircuts.

He/she will attend New York’s best preparatory schools beginning at the age of  3 and will attend one of the 8 Ivy League colleges.

Hey, its possible. : )

So lately I have wondered exactly how this could happen.

Due to the fact that one cannot tell who their lifelong soul mate may be, I have realized how much I would love to adopt a child from Asia.

Curious about the procedures of adoption I did some research and discovered an article posted in “Psychology Today.”

Unfortunately, adoption isn’t so simple these days.

Today, the cost of agency and private adoptions ranges at a price of $5,000 to $40,000 while international adoptions can range from $7,000 to $30,000. As one could understand, this is the major barrier that disables people from adopting children. In addition, the delays to receive a child internationally are immense. Commonly, the adoptive parents must wait a near 2 years in order to hold their child for the first time. This is caused by the required “home study” as well as regulating whether all necessary requirements are met by the adopters.

In addition, international adoptions are “legal midfields” in such countries as Belarus, Guatemala, Nepal, and Vietnam. Harvard Law School Professor of Child Advocacy stated that international children are being “denied their fundamental human right to be ‘nurtured in their formative years by permanent parents in real families.’” Personally, I believe that families who are inclined to adopt a child should be thanked for their generosity and their ability to stop the world’s exceeding population. I do understand the cost for the international transportation, but should they really have to pay thousands upon thousands?

Honestly, believing that I would be in a well off financial state, I would not mind the costs for adopting a child, however this price range can easily halt an excited adopter’s future prospects.

In order to help the children and our nation, the government should make it more affordable for able parents to adopt, while maintaining the required regulations.

I really do hope to adopt a child one day and hold one of these most adorable little babies in my own arms.

Driving: I can drive.

Thumbs Up

So far I have gradually been progressing through the processes of learning to drive. Ok I may have been a bit slow but I really am starting to get there and accomplish something.

The last few times I haven’t even stalled, and using the clutch has become second nature to me. Don’t get me wrong I still make mistakes but that’s only natural, I mean my Mum is 43 and she still makes mistakes on a weekly basis.

Seeing my improvement my dad gave me the task of driving to LAX to greet my Sister and Nan at the airport. Little did he know what he had let himself in for.

No I was not a dreadful driver, in fact I did pretty well. Apart from stalling twice at the end of my road I successfully completed the journey in one piece.

Ok I must admit that I did struggle with staying in a straight line a couple of times, but thankfully under the watchful gaze of my father I managed to master the steering.

After completing the journey to LAX successfully, I now believe I am entitled to say, I can drive.

Definitely, Maybe

Ever since my junior year I have been absolutely in love with one movie in particular: Definitely, Maybe.

Not only is Ryan Reynolds extremely good-looking, but the story line itself consists of a mixture of classic love stories and utter reality.

It begins with a man whose current divorce leads his daughter to question his past love lovers. He begins with his college sweetheart and ends with discovering the love of his life in the one that was right under his nose.

I think I love it so much because it is so relatable. Mostly everyone will have numerous loves in our life time. We may discover them in close friends, reignite old flames, and find out that we can love someone even more than we imagined.

I am definitely a hopeless romantic, and I do hope that just like the main character I will be able to discover love through different scenery, different experiences, and the inevitable trial-and-error.

Just a Sweet Memory: circa 2001

The basket is full to the brim with the most gorgeous peaches ever. I choose the fattest one and rub my fingers over its fuzzy hide. I feel its weight in my hands as I carry it over to the sink where she’s waiting.

She clasps the paring knife with an unsteady hand and goes to work slowly but surely. You never saw a peach so perfectly peeled. A smooth slice down the middle and I watch as a little river of sticky sweet juice runs down all the way to her elbows. Half for me. Half for her.

We eat standing at the sink in simple silence and just look at each other. Her face round and sweet, lined and creased like a molasses crinkle cookie. Her lips are painted a rosy pink and they curl into a smile as she watches me watching her. I smile back shyly.

“What are you smiling about? Hmm?” she chuckles, “Was your peach yummy?” I nod my head and stand on my tippy toes to get my hands rinsed. She takes my little hands in hers and runs them under the cool water. Her hands are old tree roots, gnarled and knotty; they’re slightly stiff and speckled with sun spots. I wonder about all the things they’ve done. All the hands they’ve shook, all the things they’ve picked up and admired, even all the peaches they’ve sliced. My hands look like plain white paper next to hers. I want hands like that someday, hands with good stories.

She dries her hands with an old green and white gingham towel and takes a step back.

“Let me see you doll,” she says. I stand up a little straighter. “Well gosh;” she says throwing the towel down, “you’re so darn cute I could just eat you all up!” She pulls me to her and covers me in kisses and tickles me until I’m laughing so hard I can hardly breathe.

“I love you grandma,” I say through giggles.

“I sure love you too doll,” she says smiling at me.

Warpaint.

Warpaint.

Warpaint is a 4-piece girl band from Los Angeles. I’m guessing that when you hear the word girl band you automatically think: poppy, fake, materialized rubbish. This is definitely not the case with Warpaint.

Warpaint are an experimental art, rock group who formed in 2004. Although primarily indie, the girls describe their genre as Ghettotech, Melodramatic Popular Song and Psychedelic.

The girls came together to create a different type of music and sound, they succeeded.

With melodic and peaceful symphonies mixed with rock and guitar leads, Warpaint have conquered a combination that works wonders. Their haunting sounds relax and entice, whilst contrasting beats adding flavor to the  melodic tones and harmonies.

Releasing their first album “The Fool” in October 2010, as well their debut single “Undertow” the band captured the attention of many music lovers.

The group is scheduled to play at several large festivals over the summer months including Coachella and Glastonbury.

Warpaint are an extremely unique band that I admire greatly. I hope they keep producing and playing great music!