Tag: California

I’m an adult: this means I’m better than you.

Yourcupatea1 Comment

respect
As an adolescent I find myself continually being treated like a ‘kid.’ I’m 17, I can drive, make my own decisions, and yes I can dress myself. Yet to some adults they still feel that they are entitled to belittle and undermine me, all because of my age.

I’m independently applying for college and planning my life, an important future decision, yet according to some this is just not enough. I’m beginning to wonder when I will be respected as an adult.

In my eyes I reached my adulthood and gained my independence many years ago, but this is not the case in California. In England, at the age of 16 you are seen as an adult being charged higher fares. I guess age means different things in different countries and cultures. It seems that  in America you reach adulthood at the age of 18.

Some people still believe that with age comes great wisdom, but in my eyes I’m pretty wise already. I guess I will only find out these things with age, but for now I shall just enjoy being a teenager and hope for a little more respect.

 

New life

thehungryrunnergirl1 Comment

Moving from New England, this is my first week in California. Man, this place is just so awesome. Palm trees, beaches, mountains, sunny weather… I’m just really lucky to be here.

Compared to California, New England was just not for me. Sixteen-hour flights from home, feeling very far away from my family. In winter, there would be so much snow, and blizzards. I couldn’t go outside and run, and that was the worst part of being there. All I could do was to shut myself up in the room studying. The highest temperature will be 32°F and the lake right by my old school freezes and turns into a skating rink. It was very pretty…

but I prefer palmtrees and beaches.

I’m so lucky to come to Cali, and OVS. I appriciate my parents and teachers, especially (thebrownguy) for bringing me here.

I’m very stoked for this year, and can’t wait to get to know more people.

Relay For Life 2011

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“Just one more year.”

May 14, 2011, Ventura, California, Relay for Life.

It is approximately 9:00 am in the cold parking lot of Buena High School in Ventura. The yellow bus unloads its passengers, yielding the start of the day. Slowly, students crawl out, it was too early for them. But the grey, salty breeze shifts cool between their sleeves and awaken the tired students. The day had begun.

A loud voice could be heard on the loud speakers, announcing highlights of the event. Schools were commended for their outstanding fundraising. First, the honorable mentions, soon followed by the bronze teams. Then came the silver teams. My school, our school, Ojai Valley School, had been recognized as a silver team for raising so much money. In our school of just under 100 students, we managed to raise  $3,060. It was a great start to our day.

The empty track was broken by a mass of survivors, clad in the same purple shirts. Among the many survivors was OVS AP psychology teacher, John Valenzuela. He made his way around the track while our school gathered at one corner and shouted words of encouragement to him, our screams choked with tears, because we had all seen him battle through this scary disease and we had won this battle together. He put his hand over his heart and we all knew what he felt.

Throughout the day, students walked around the track, bought food, and even partook in a wedding between a survivor and the love of his life.

That night, some of our students stayed overnight and endured heavy rains, cold, and hunger but came back with smiles. And at the end of the day, all I could think to myself was “just one more year.”

Yosemite: a revolution.

Yourcupatea1 Comment

yosemite

In the past 5 days I have seen some of the most magnificent sights I have ever seen. India, Africa, Egypt and Europe have all hosted idyllic spots for my eyes yet none of these places compare to Yosemite.

After a cross country skiing trip into the beautiful peaks of the Sierra’s I can now express my happiness to be living in California.

The looming granite structures dusted with snow and blanketed in pines have made me realize the expansiveness of the state and the beauty that exists in our world.

My trip to Yosemite has opened my eyes to the life that my parents have chosen for me and although I miss the old times, I can safely say that I am happy to be here.

As much as I do not like to admit it, I can now say that I am pleased to be an inhabitant of America.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TViBKtij5o

My Two Cents

sennymcfly1 Comment

So many writers have blogged about image and the pressures to have the “perfect body” and how you should love yourself for who you are and how the world’s opinion doesn’t matter. All of this is true, but for some reason no matter how times we say it, we just don’t seem to get it.

As children we are usually raised under the impression that image doesn’t matter. Our parents always tell us not to judge others by the way they look, but how they act. “Don’t judge a book by its cover”, right?

We say that, but do we really mean it? You can tell a girl struggling with anorexia that she is perfect the way she is and then go to the bathroom, stare at yourself in the mirror and question your own perfection. We are all hypocritical and we all know it, but we don’t say it.

It has been brought to my attention that body image is a real problem. One thing that is clear is that it is a big problem here in Southern California.

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Budget Day

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On February 14th, for many Americans, it was a day of love and spending time with that special someone, but to Washington DC, it was day of money, petitions, and vetoes.

At around noon on Monday, President Barrack Obama released his Draft of the 2012 Budget.  Speaking to a Legislative Assistant to California Senator Dianne Feinstein, he commented that the draft was about 15” thick.  Later this week the Draft will go through Congress for revision.

floor-of-congress.jpg

Currently the 2011 fiscal year budget plan, is the continuation of 2010’s.  When the budget can not be finalized by the start of a fiscal year (November)  the previous years budget plan is continued into the next fiscal year.

Senator Barbara Boxer, our own California representative, released the following statement on President Obama’s Budget:“While I may not agree with everything in it, the President’s budget reflects the need to cut the deficit in a responsible way.”

What our Senator does support fully is Obama’s increased funding to transportation which will help maintain and create millions of much-needed jobs.  The 2012 Budget Plan has a great possibility of going through.  This would greatly help Obama to first off, reduce the overall budget, and allow him to better concentrate funds on Health Care and Transportation.

Coachella!

yourgingerkid2 Comments

The music festival, Coachella, has just released its tentative list of performers.
It’s big news in the music world. The concert that has now been going on for nine years and has hosted the most famous artists including Pearl Jam and Rage Against the Machine.

Lineup

In the hot and dry Indio, California, the concert lasts a total of three days each year with at least 20 artists playing on one given day. Thousands of people of all ages flock from across the country to see the spectacle and believe me it’s worth seeing.

Personally, I have never attended the concert, but I have had dozens of friends who have. I haven’t heard a single bad review. Although I only found out about the concert three years ago, there hasn’t been a year where I wish I couldn’t have gone. Hopefully this year will be the first.

For more information visit here

Cruise Gone Wrong: Almost 4,500 Stranded

yrreskrap1 Comment

Cruise Ship

This Wednesday night, a Carnival cruise ship will be expected to pull into a Mexican port in Ensenada, allowing its thousands of passengers access to electricity. An engine fire had broken out on Monday.

Fortunately, none of its 3,299 passengers and 1,167 crew members were injured in putting the fire out. However, electricity, air conditioning, heated water, and phone service were down due to the fire.

The U.S. Coast Guard is in the process of bringing the immobile ship to the port in Mexico and has deployed aircrafts, ships, and alerted the U.S. and Mexican Navy.

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BetatraXx the Alpha Dog

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There is nothing inappropriate about Gotta Dance Dirty. Believe it or not, it’s the undisputed largest and most respected blog in the west coast electronic music scene. So to kick off their new management label, they had to find someone spectacular. They had to find one of the craftiest, most cutting edge new DJ’s around. In my mind, they nailed it by signing Tim Nelson, aka BetatraXx.

Formerly Redlight, BetatraXx is the epitome of modern electro-house. Raised on Pro Tools, he is one of the first young DJ’s that hasn’t needed to make an awkward transition from a live band or turntables. Everything you hear from him is raw, unadulterated electronic music.

For the past four years he attended college on the east coast, and needed a fake ID to DJ at some of New York’s biggest clubs. Originally from Santa Barbara, Nelson recently finished up his first west coast tour. Under the new California based GDD label, it shouldn’t be your last chance to see him in the Golden State.

In Gotta Dance Dirty’s recent exclusive interview, he had this to say:
“The West coast is unmatched. Love it out here. And you guys are the center of good music. What more could I want?”
Couldn’t agree more, sir.

My Passion for Volleyball

pikachu04Leave a comment

Volleyball has always been a passion of mine. I love the sound of tennis shoes scuffing against the waxed gym floor, the feeling you get when you celebrate a victory with your teammates, coming into the center of the court to cheer each other on, the release you feel when you snap that ball down onto the other side of the net, and then quickly prepare for it to come right back. I love that in volleyball, you have to always be on your toes, low and ready to play every ball. The trust and relationships that develop between you and your teammates is something truly beyond words. I cannot express the love that I have for each and every girl on my team. Volleyball is all about team work and always trusting your team mates to do their best with every ball that comes their way, but, if they make a mistake, you are right there to tell them “shake it off, we got this, good try.” I know that this sport will always be a big part of my life and i am happy to share my experience with other girls at OVS.