Honors Ski Trip

Daphne PsaledakisLeave a comment

For the past three years, I have signed up to go on the Honors Ski Trip. Every year it’s just as much fun, if not more.

We start the week on Monday with a six-hour van ride from school to Yosemite. As awful as that seems, the drive really isn’t that bad. On Tuesday, we normally go skiing. This year, we did a seven mile loop.

It’s safe to say that towards the end of the ski I was seriously considering sitting down and not getting back up. Nordic Skiing, if you’ve never tried it, is way harder than you think.

On Wednesday, we set off on what was supposed to be a hike of a little more than a mile long. We ended up hiking three and a half miles of what felt like vertical switchbacks. Basically, we scaled a mountain. Five days later, my calves are still just a little bit sore.

On Thursday, we went on another hike, which was really more of a walk as everyone was so tired from the day before. We did however lose the trail, and wound up bushwhacking through the redwood forest for a little bit.

On Friday, we packed back up and set off on the six-hour van ride back to school. Upon arriving and unpacking the vans, I’m pretty sure everyone just about crashed.

Although there wasn’t as much skiing this trip due to the weather as there has been in years past, it was still really fun. For me, the trip isn’t about the skiing or the hiking. It’s about the time we spend together in the cabins, hot tubbing and playing inappropriate or Chinese card games. We all laugh and have fun. We hang out with people we normally wouldn’t when at school. It’s not a trip you have to go on with your best friends — you can go by yourself and it will still be just as much fun.

Divergent

Daphne PsaledakisLeave a comment

As some of you may know, on March 21st Shailene Woodley is starring in a new film called Divergent. The movie is based on of a book much like The Hunger Games. Only it’s better; at least in my opinion.

While The Hunger Games was definitely amazing, and the allusions to ancient culture were especially remarkable, the book was not quite as good as Divergent. 

Divergent follows the story of a girl who chooses the bravery faction, and follows her throughout her initiation. However, she’s not just a normal person choosing to change factions. She’s divergent, meaning that she could fit into the majority of the factions, and that the system can’t control her.

What ensues is a suspenseful story of an innocent girl learning how to fight and use her head while doing so, venturing into her first romantic encounter, and recognizing the flaws of her society. The book ends as the rebellion kicks off with a bang, but unlike The Hunger Games, the next two books are just as good as the first.

I can not wait for the movie to come out.

You Will Never Be a Team Captain

indigoshellLeave a comment

So I finally got into League of Legends.

I pretty much suck, but of course, nearly everyone sucks at their first few times playing a new game. I got it Tuesday, March 4th.

My roommate’s an early sleeper, and so last night I sat in the hallway to play one last game before sleeping. It was near midnight or so, and I was playing alone, randomly matched with other players.

I suppose I shouldn’t say their usernames, but they were obviously acquaintances. It was 3v3, so I was the outsider.

I usually die 2-6 times within the first 10-15 minutes depending, and this time I wasn’t doing so hot, as I was quite tired.

And these two users began to comment on me.

“First time playing as Volibear?”

I said no, I was just tired and in a funk because I had SATs the next day.

“I hope you don’t test like you play.”

“The world always needs more janitors.”

“Volibear: How not to play.”

I ignored them pretty easily, as I was thinking these guys either didn’t know that they were being total butts or they were trying to make me mad in some way.

In the last stretch of the game, when all the opponents were gathered around our Nexus and were trying to destroy it, I realized that two players were nowhere to be seen on the map. Yet they were still commenting on how horribly I was playing. I asked them to come back and help me defend home base.

And then, more comments on how badly I play.

Their comments really didn’t get to me too much. I reported them, closed the game, then tried to focus on something else as I tried to sleep.

Yet today I felt reluctant to open up the game.

Yarn to Life

indigoshellLeave a comment

I like to knit. I like how you can never forget how to knit. I like the idea of creating something through your knitting.

What I don’t like though is rolling yarn. I got a large box of yarn for Christmas and spent about a week rolling all of them.

Yarn comes in many shapes and sizes, all varying in difficulty of rolling-ness. The easiest way to roll them is to pull out the yarn end from the middle of it and pull – and commence the rolling.

In my many hours of rolling and many hand cramps, I have realized that rolling yarn, the act of rolling it, and the yarn ball itself, is a lot like life.

Yes, life. I’m comparing a ball of yarn to life. Just hear me out.

It starts off small, and rolling it is quick and easy. It doesn’t matter how you roll it now, because since it’s so small it doesn’t matter.

Eventually you’ll start getting impatient, right? So you’ll start rolling it faster, faster, faster, until your hand slips and a large ribbon of yarn falls off the ball. Then you have to pause, untangle the ribbon, and re-roll it, kind of like fixing your mistakes after plowing through life too quickly.

If you start the ball off too loosely, the ball of yarn will be really big, and it gets hard to hold. Of course, you gotta get the job done, so you gotta keep rolling that ball of yarn. Your hand will cramp, all that nasty stuff, and the process is slowed, kind of like trying to live with the wrong start in life.

But you can’t roll it too tightly for too long, as your hand will cramp anyway. See, no matter what, your hand will cramp, so it’s best to anticipate it with a warm towel or something (I just played some computer games). Just like how you need vacations in life or else you’ll just be crawling through life, suffering every inch of the way.

I think the point I’m trying to make is that when you spend two hours a day rolling yarn covered in dirt and horse hairs you start to see life differently.

The Right Stars

indigoshellLeave a comment

Up on a large hill, or a small mountain (wars have been fought), you would expect the view to be utterly amazing.

And it is.

The mornings can surprise you; you may walk into a cloud of mist with the sun shining through powerfully and cloaking the campus in gold. Some days the sky is a magnifying glass to a sun, blinding white, and permanent sunglasses are needed by everyone.

Nighttime is difficult. The campus lightly shines in yellow, star-like lamps that scatter almost randomly across stairs or walkways, and often overpower the stars.

To stargaze on campus means you must search high and low for the best, unlit spots. There are two areas that I have concluded to be the best spots for the right stars.

The first spot is the lower field, or the big field, while we’re playing glow-in-the-dark capture the flag. I have found out that, if I just stop what I’m doing and lay down on my back, the rest of my team will follow. If you lie down on the right spot the campus lights will not hinder your eyesight, and the stars will shine to their full extent.

The second spot, an easier spot to reach, is the newly built staircase. At night when the sun has fully set and things are quiet, perhaps at 9pm or so, there is a particular step on the staircase that you can stand on and the trees around you will block out the campus lights. Then, if you look up, it looks like the stars are framed by the trees.

No I did not sneak out of the dorm at 9pm to watch the stars.

Break

Daphne PsaledakisLeave a comment

You know that feeling when you’ve been going strong, getting everything done in time, and doing a bang-up job of it, and then all of a sudden, BAM, you’re sick, exhausted, run down, and ready for a break?

Yeah, well that happened to me about two days ago.

I’ve been doing pretty well in school, and I’ve actually been ahead of my work for once, which never happens. But all of a sudden I got really run down, and now I can not wait for break. Thankfully, there’s only one more day.

And even more exciting, I’m not going home to Aspen, Colorado, but to Santa Monica, which let me tell you, is a heck of a lot warmer right now. My plans for break aren’t anything crazy, but my dad is driving out with my dog, who is a total sweetheart and who I can’t wait to see.

I can’t wait to see my dad either of course.

I plan on relaxing as much as I can, and eating a ton of food. And then the week after break, I’m going on the Honors Ski Trip. The ski trip is led by the headmaster, and we spend a week in Yosemite cross-country skiing and hiking. It’s a blast, and turns my one week vacation into two. By the time I’m back in school, I’ll be ready to kick my schoolwork’s butt for the next five weeks, before I break down again right before spring break.

Rinse and repeat.

Dancing Queens

enternity1030Leave a comment

Once the music starts, our bodies are not ours anymore. They follow the music beats as they were born to dance.
Everyday we practice in the Chem Lab, everyday we sweat, we laugh – we are the dancing team.

I was so lucky to have a chance joining our first dancing team at school before I graduate. I have always hoped to have dance team as a choice of sports.

Since the season started, twelve girls joined the team led by Mrs.Beverly. We came for different reasons. Some of us just love dancing, some of us came for losing weight. No matter what reasons they had, I was still glad to dance with a large group like this.

As a team we have been working on their own choreographies for both interest and a preparation for the upcoming musical. With our passions towards dancing, we learned and practiced movements involving various cultures as well.

Most of the girls have never danced before, and this became their first time working within a group which has marked as a great experience for them. Even though we are in different skill levels, we still contributed our best to the team.

As for us, the most important part for us was that we were able to use the sports time to get a head start on the dancing scenes for the musical, which we do not normally have time for. We choreographed “Dancing Queen,” “Medieval Dance,” “Men in Tights” together. And we also did a short performance during the basketball halftime game.

I personally love dancing.
I always believe that dancing is a way to express my feelings instead of speaking them. It gives me courage, power and helps me forget all the sadness and depression.
I love dancing. It is more than just the body movement. It embraces every piece of you and you will easily get lost in the music.

I will miss dancing with my friends.
My every dancing team has become one of the most unforgettable memories for me through my high school years.
Thank you all for dancing with me.

“When we dance, everybody listens.”

Travel.

enternity1030Leave a comment


I broke through the choppy air
punctured the woebegone clouds
all of a sudden
something glaring right above warmed my entire body
That was the first time I felt you

As hours elapse touching my wings
I recall
our once ephemeral kiss
all the time
tender but fiery

I touched all the piece of sky
but could not get a glimpse of you
I erase the distance between cities, countries, and even massive continents
but still could not reach the edge of your luminosity

With the possibility of burning myself
I choose to fall into you fearlessly
the hottest center of universe

I will break through the clouds again
just to embrace you with my rigid body
Then it will melt
with each other we blend
towards the eternity

I fly.

You are the Poem.

enternity1030Leave a comment

You are the Poem

A blank page hiding inside the book
I shall open
What an unknown region
I shall fall in

In what particular consequences to expect
I know not
But in the scope of mine
you have occupied throughout

A few lines of love
I intend to write
From each piece of you
I collect
but still fail to settle a word
out of my mind

For there is no poem
I vow
You are the poem
for all

What exists?

frog3Leave a comment

dwf

Up and down, why,why,why?

Why move forward to touch the sky?

Can good be good, if bad isn’t bad?

What leads one to become mad?

Down the rabbit hole and through the suck.

Must one always travel through the muck.

Red,blue,black and white.

When the sun goes down why is it night?

Pain and pleasure always mixed.

Is the dying junking not entitled to his fix?

Left for dead, his loved ones gone.

He thinks where he went wrong.

Whom is to say if he failed?

Life is such a tough sale.

Coursing through the hate and love.

He prays for a better life above.