Category: love

When I Grow Up, I…

yrreskrapLeave a comment

Life is an expensive sports car on the Autobahn. We are often caught up in the thrill of living, that adrenaline pumping feeling of exhilaration, that we often forget where we are going, or why we are where we are in the first place. Everything is just a blur. Colors, sounds, people all mesh into one, giant miasma of lights and din.

For these reasons, people sometimes forget what their aspirations are in life or where they want to be in 10-15 years. But sometimes people don’t spend enough time figuring out what they want. Sometimes people don’t know what they want and are stumbling along, playing life by ear.

I know what I want. Or at least I think I do.

When I grow up, I want to be an anesthesiologist at a well known hospital, helping save countless lives of people that won’t remember my name in a month and whose faces I will forget in a few days. I want to have a Cal Tech diploma under my name and have graduated with stellar grades.

When I grow up, I want to own a house in Northern California (preferably near San Francisco), up where the air is crisp with the hint of ocean air or in a clean beach in Southern California (so that would mean Santa Monica is out of the picture). My dream house would either be inspired by contemporary, sleek modern designs or by warm Spanish decor. The house would be complete with a beautiful kitchen, bathroom, master bedroom, and a roomy walk-in closet. The floors would be bamboo for environmentally friendly reasons and the view would have to include the beautiful ocean. The house must be big enough for 4 people but most importantly, it must be away from the noise of the city for privacy but close enough to a city for convenience.Read More »

Roses for You

vabenissimo1 Comment

Who is the most memorable person in your life?

Mine would be Granny Shim.

She was a good friend of my parents and a nanny of my relatives in America. Due to her problematic visa issues, she chained her life in a monetary place of temple in South Korea, an opportunity for her to visit me from time to time.

We do not belong to the same family, but our relationship runs thicker than our blood.

She held my hands when I stepped my first foot forth on earth, taught me right from wrong, and silently stood by my side without faltering. When I chose to be educated in the land of opportunities, America, she gave me her faith for my decision. To sum up her passion for my success, I am destined to appreciate her graceful existence.

Due to her unfortunate smoking habit, she has been residing in heaven for two years.

However, her influence still trembles in my soul. And her teaching helped me to discover several lovely children who also need my hand.

To compensate her faith and compassion for me, I want to give her the most beautiful roses on earth.

Happy Birthday Granny Shim.

And I’m Still Alive

theycallmedame1 Comment

Lesbian.
Gay.
Dyke.
Dyke.
Dyke.

She keeps her head down as people sneer at her, she’s only trying to walk to her next class in peace. Her baggy jacket hides the scars littering her arms and the hood masks the look of utter pain etched onto her face.

“Hey!” Someone calls at her, but she does not know who, “how bout I let you borrow my girlfriend if you return your clothes to the men’s section?”

It was a poor attempt to hurt her, but it did, nonetheless. She moved her feet faster, trying to avoid the people in the cruel jail she knew as high school, but they would never go away. The taunting would never go away.

It wasn’t always so hard, she remembered, back when she wasn’t sure what her hormones were telling her. It wasn’t always so hard when she was in the closet, so far back she thought she was in Narnia. It was when she emerged from the darkness that a spotlight shined down onto her, that people took notice. She was no longer the smiling girl with all the friends, but the lesbian that you had to stay away from. After all, you don’t want to catch their disease, right?

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My OVS Awakening

pikachu041 Comment

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Just past the halfway mark in my senior year and reality is starting to kick in. Going into my 11th year at OVS , I have just began to appreciate how greatly it has influenced my life.

The school has been the most steady home I have always had. Who I am today has been developed and impacted from my life at Ojai Valley School, from the people who have shared their knowledge with me, and more than that, their friendship with me.

Coming home from finals last week, I was anxious to see what would come next in all of my classes. I was pulled aside by Mr. Weidlich, who encouraged me to switch out of his English 12 class and into the AP English class. I was happy to challenge myself and move on to a new opportunity for learning. It was that experience, along with several other experiences with faculty members, that made me truly take a moment and think about how lucky I am to be in this place.

I want to thank Mr. Weidlich for being my advisor through my upper campus experience and always pushing me to challenge and tap into my writing abilities. It is to him that I owe my passion for writing because it was created when he shared his passion of writing with me through his English classes.

He has taught me a lot and I really look up to him as a person. Through thick and thin I will always love Ojai Valley School and it will always be a place where I have felt safest and will certainly be a place I will love to visit in the future as my life unfolds.

Roommates.

theycallmedameLeave a comment

When I first went to OVS I had no idea how I would live with another person in the same room as me. The last time I did that was when I was eight and shared a room with my big brother. It was almost a year and a half ago when I met roommate. I walked into the room, number 207, with no idea of who would be in there or how I would react to them: that was when I met Polina.

She was relatively quiet at first, and I only really heard her talk when she was on her phone at night, speaking rapid Russian to her mother. But we slowly grew closer to one another, starting our conversations about music and then leading them on into the unknown. She became one of my closest friends.

When we had separated from each other at the end of our freshman year, her going to Russia and me staying in southern California, I didn’t know the effect it would have on me. I would be talking to my friends about school and instead of calling Polina, “my roommate,” I called her, “my Russian.” (I later found out that she refers to me as “my Aria” when she’s home in Russia)

This year, I was very grateful to have Polina as a roommate again. We already knew each others likes and dislikes, we never had an argument, and we practically knew what the other one was thinking. We had already been through and gotten over the awkward faze of living with a new person, and I never thought I’d be able to get on so well with someone so different than me.

I don’t know how I would have been able to make it through the long years at OVS without my roommate to help me through them.

Я люблю тебя сосед по комнате!

Stornoway

Yourcupatea1 Comment

Stornoway are a unique and individual folk band. Known for the hit Zorbing they have captured the attention of Indie and Folk lovers all over the globe. With sweet and melodic symphonies the country songs transport the listener to an idyllic spot.

Beachcomber’s windowsill is the perfect album for a sunny day. Reaching number three in the British indie charts, it includes singles such as I heard you Blink and Zorbing.

Classified as British alternative indie folk the band appeal to many. Originating from Oxford they typically portray the sounds of the British countryside. If foreigners want to familiarize with quaint English music this is the album for them.

Signed to the British Label 4AD the friends collaborate with a variety of instruments to create a sublime sound. This is a band to see live. Accompanied by a trumpeter they take to the stage awing the crowds.

With a selection of fast and slow songs their quirky lyrics transform what one would define as classic folk. Debuting at numerous festivals over the summer months including Glastonbury they have captured the hearts of many.

They are a real talent in their own right. Steering away from any real music genre they have managed to create a sound that is truly beautiful.

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Love

yrreskrapLeave a comment

In this blog, I am going to write about love. Yes, I’m sure many of those who are reading this article will know personally who it is that I will be writing about. Some may think it’s silly but, hey, a blog is supposed to be a place where you share your emotions and feelings on certain topics right?

Well, there is this special person in my life right now and his name is Kai Emilio Littlefield.  He is bit over a head taller than I am with thick dark hair, the nicest brown eyes, and a handsome smile. I started to like him towards the end of my freshman year. He asked me out on April 29, 2009 on a bus and we have been dating ever since.

In the beginning, I was at that stage where I was nervous to be on the same campus as he was, knowing that I would run into him sooner or later. I still remember the first time he held my hand and-God forbid I say this on the OVS journalism blog-our first kiss. I didn’t know it then, but I was falling in love with him.

Today, almost one year and seven months later, he has become one of my closest friends, my prince, and the happiest part of my day. Sure, we have had our ups and downs before but at the end of the day, our relationship only grows stronger and I love him that much more.

Kai is very quirky sometimes. But that’s why I love him so much. He doesn’t know it, but he knows how to make me smile and he makes a bad day so much better. His voice, his smile, his eyes, and his hugs put a smile on my face. The way he trips over his words sometimes when he gets excited is just the cutest thing. The nervousness that plagued me when we first started dating is now replaced with total comfort. That doesn’t mean I love him less-in fact, it means the complete opposite. It just means that what I feel for him isn’t just puppy love.

For me, the saddest day, I know, will be the day he graduates. The first semester is already coming to an end and the second semester is just around the corner. Soon enough, it will be graduation day, and I will see him, as well as my beloved friends, walk down that cobblestone stage. It will be the worst feeling knowing that I wouldn’t be able to see his smile everyday like I can now. But until then, I’ll just continue to fall more and more in love with his laugh and his smile. I guess this is a shout out to you Kai for being the best boyfriend (even though I know you will never be able to read this because you don’t have WordPress). I love you so much Kai!

Snowflakes in Southern California

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You may have already heard from my fellow blog-mates, but it is time once again for Secret Snowflakes to take OVS by the reins and kick off!

Each person in our school drew a name out of a paper bag and then had to go out and buy not one but five gifts for them, one for each day of the school week.

The presents usually start small and get gradually bigger, each coming with a clue (ex. I have blue eyes, I’m not a day student, etc.) to help the gift receiver guess who is giving them presents.

It is unfortunate, however, that some people do not feel up for the holiday cheer. Some people either give bad presents (like used airplane headphones) or no presents at all.

The people who do this tend to ruin the spirit of the rest of the school, and it makes the week before final exams all that more stressful.

I can only hope that this year everyone will receive and give presents, and no one will be left with a frown on their face.

A Home Away From Home

pikachu04Leave a comment

ojai
As a senior this year, I have had to adjust to several new changes. I find it hard to believe that the first semester is already almost over. And just two days ago I turned in all of my college applications.

These new things are both exciting and nerve-racking. The next step is finishing up the year, receiving a car at graduation and heading off to college , opening a new chapter in my life. I have been going to OVS for 11 years now and when I think about it, I couldn’t see myself anywhere else.

OVS has prepared me, taught me to be an independent studier, and offered me countless friendships that will last me the rest of my life. I am thankful that my aunt chose to put me into this school and although at times I have detested OVS, I will always appreciate the way it has pushed me and supported me for the most part.

Traditions Lost.

YourcupateaLeave a comment

It seems Christmas has come early.

We still have a month left until the big day yet the craze of Christmas has already been unleashed upon us. We have just waved goodbye to thanks giving and now we’re already onto Christmas. Where’s tradition nowadays? It’s not even December and already people are going crazy for gifts, food and Christmas music.

Yes those good old songs are back in the shops, repeated for a month until those great classic Christmas songs becoming ruined due to being over played. How many times can you listen to such songs as “little drummer boy” and “Rudolph the red nose reindeer” before they become truly irritating? The answer is not long.

Wasn’t it always traditional to prepare the feast, gifts, tree’s etc a couple of weeks before the big day? Yes in the past it was, or at least wait until the first door of the advent calendar had been opened. Today the masses bundle into the shops to get the best toys, bargains and sales. We have lost the true tradition of Christmas.

Christmas is not about gifts; it is about coming together in order to enjoy a celebration with family and friends. It’s about unity. It is an occasion for members of the family put behind past feuds and join in with the festivities rather than concerning themselves with what presents they will get, who got which present etc.

Today in a world full of materialism it seems, in many cases, that the simple traditions of Christmas have been lost, due to presents and greed.

Christmas Shoppers.